It is morning now.
Sato and Van stood past the wall Van had built, confronted with a few more elves, the queen, Sylva, and Vaelthir.
"I hope you find what you seek," The queen bowed to Van. Her daughter followed. "You two are always welcome here."
"Of course! Thank you," Sato bowed, Van keeping quiet.
"Erhm," Sato looked around, "D-do you perhaps know where t… That knight who helped us?"
Vaelthir stiffened, his face frozen. The queen looked at him, slightly tilting her head as she noticed.
"Yes," Van said firmly. "Your new boyfriend." a faint growl in his voice.
Sato turned to him.
"...? W-what…?"
—------------LAST NIGHT---------------------
Van stood over Takeshi's corpse for a while. The blood on his boot and tissue started to turn darker as he heard the elf approaching.
'I know who's coming. That's fine.'
"... Van Hellix," A voice from behind him.
He turned. It was Vaelthir alone.
"Hm?" Van turned.
"I just arrived. I've no idea what, or why you'd kill that man." Vaelthir continued.
"But so long as that wasn't an elf, our deal stays as is. We'll continue to be allies."
"..." Van merely looked at him, not saying anything.
"... I…" Vaelthir took a deep breath, "I don't doubt that you could kill me here."
"You too," Van interrupted without delay.
"I… What?" Vaelthir blinked.
"All that elven pride of yours," Van continued, "Gone. All I have to do is toss my weight around and you're like a little dog, wagging his tail before me."
Vaelthir closed his eyes.
Sylva's image in his mind.
"You're right." He said.
"...?" Van tilted his head.
"You are not inferior to me, or the others just because you're a human." He cleared his throat, his eyes unmoving from Van.
"I've learned that today. The way I treated you was unfair."
Van clenched his fist.
"Because I can kill you." Van let out, "That's the only way you learned anything. Were I any weaker, you and your whore queen would've killed us all."
A moment. Vaelthir taking a deep breath.
"... We have our faults, I'll admit. But we're better than that. We were tired back then, our judgement clouded." Vaelthir replied.
"We wouldn't have hurried to kill you."
A moment of silence.
'Like fuck I'll believe that, but okay.'
"... What do you want, then?" Van slightly loosened his fist.
"Give you some advice going forward." Vaelthir stretched his neck, glancing at the deformed corpse of Takeshi.
"Consider it a token of our alliance."
"..." Van inhaled.
Then looked down at Takeshi's corpse.
"It will help you going forward." Vaelthir continued.
'...'
"Alright. What is it?"
"Lie, Van Hellix." Vaelthir firmly replied without missing a beat.
"Lie to your one remaining companion about this. Lie about everything you can lie about."
Van kept quiet.
"That insolent tr… That human companion of yours. The other one still alive. I noticed him and… This knight you've killed, earlier. They were rather close. When we were on the wall, that knight called your companion by his true name… Sato. That's not a name native to this world."
"You're all Otherworlders, are you not? That would also explain your irregular strength."
Van narrowed his eyes.
"Either way, they seemed to be familiar. Don't tell S… Sato about killing him."
"...."
'Naturally.' Van nodded, 'The moment he finds out I've killed his new best friend who cut his arms off, he'll go all anime protagonist BELIEVE IN HIS GOODNESS DATTEBAYOOO.'
Van then raised his gaze.
'But,'
"Why not?"
"There's a reason our queen took a liking to that bastard so much." Vaelthir replied, "I was appalled by the fact since he was a human… But the more I thought about it and examined him as if he were an elf,"
"I realized… He was what our queen was missing for a long, long time."
Vaelthir looked up to the canopy above.
"Unlike us all hardened by war, he's simpler." He said, "A tad naive. Easy to talk to... Like a pet. The war has made us all capable battle beasts. So she's naturally relieved when something easy to handle arrives."
Vaelthir stretched his back, hands folded behind him.
"Our queen loves nurturing, and safe-keeping."
Vaelthir looked back at the distant lights of the feast.
"She needs someone to worry about and dote. Not the warriors we've all become. And that… That human," Vaelthir let out through clenched teeth, "checks all those boxes. Fortunately, she'll get over it when he eventually dies of old age, and she'll remain as beautiful as ever—"
"Why are you telling me this?" Van tilted his head.
"Oh… Hm," Vaelthir blinked at the ground, "No, forget about it. I ranted for a moment."
'The fuck?' Van turned into a statue.
"Either way, as for why you shouldn't tell him. It's just that he appeared close to that knight. Should you tell him that you killed this knight…"
"... You'll lose him."
Van flinched.
'... Who cares.' Van looked away, yet unable to stop himself from flinching yet again.
"So lie. If you lie, you'll keep the peace. Both between you and him, and between us all, considering our queen's newfound affection for him."
"Whatever you decide is up to you."
—----------------------------------
"Your new boyfriend," Van inhaled.
Sato tilted his head, "Yeah…? Where is he?"
A beat.
"Whoever he was, he went away somewhere last night." Van replied.
Vaelthir exhaled.
"Oh, I… Is that so…" Sato frowned as he looked down, "I wonder why… Did he say anything? Where was he going, or…?"
"...."
"Something about,"
Van momentarily closed his eyes beneath his helmet.
"Wanting to change. Even if it means fighting to the death… Or something like that."
Sato bit his lip,
"I… I hope he won't overdo it." Sato let out.
'Takeshi.'
'I guess… You feel bad, huh? I hope… We'll see each other again, then.' Sato thought to himself.
Then blinked at Van.
"W-whoever he was, haha. I-It's just that he was so helpful, you know?"
Van looked at Sato as he chuckled.
The world went quiet.
'Why're you keeping it a secret from me?'
'Why do you look so troubled over that piece of shit?'
'He cut your fucking arms.'
Vaelthir's conversation flashed in his mind.
'... Lie to keep the peace, he said.'
'Is that what you think you're doing with me, too?'
Van's hand slightly tightened.
"I insist that you could stay longer if you'd like," The queen pressed, giving a knowing glance to Sato.
Who, instead of blushing, looked at her dead in the face with a smile.
"No, my queen. There's something I have to do. And people to come back to."
She chuckled.
"I see. Add me to those people, then." She replied with a smile. That's when he blushed.
Soon enough, both Van and Sato walked away from the elven forest.
"Why didn't you stay?" Van let out, "You got the elven babe you always wanted."
"What do you mean?" Sato replied, missing no beat, "I won't leave you alone! I promised you I'd help find what you're looking for, didn't I?"
"...."
Van looked down as they walked.
"Yeah."
"You did."
—------- BACK IN THE FOREST —-----
"Vaelthir." The queen stopped him before he went away.
"Yes..?"
"Tell me. Everything. I know you're hiding something." She said.
"...."
He blinked as he looked away.
"My queen, it doesn't matter. It's handled. Let us leave it at that, please—"
"Is it related to Sato?" She cut him off, "If it is, I want to know."
Vaelthir went silent.
"If it isn't," She leaned in, "I'd like you to look at me in the eyes, and tell me everything's alright."
Vaelthir frowned.
"It is handled, my queen. Please. There's no need to pursue—"
"Vaelthir!" She raised her voice.
He then inhaled, then exhaled.
'O' Elven Goddess, if you can hear me.' He thought internally as he turned to face his queen. 'Please. Somehow, make my queen not blinded by emotion once she hears what I must now tell her.'
And so, Vaelthir detailed what he saw. Van's deathly glare, as well as Takeshi's gruesome death.
"Haah…" Sylva sighed as she walked into her house with her mother shortly after, the queen.
"It's finally over…! I'm so relieved. The humans really came through. And now we have this wall around us until we can find a more permanent solution.."
The queen stopped in her footsteps, her expression unreadable.
"Mother?" Sylva turned around, tilting her head, "Is everything al—"
SLAP.
Much, much stronger than Vaelthir.
Sylva was knocked off her feet to the ground, blood coming out of her nostril.
"AACK..!" She shouted, "M… Mother..!?"
"I thought I asked you to keep that human company," The queen growled through clenched teeth.
Sylva then raised her eyes to meet her.
Her face contorted in such a way she's never seen before.
Sylva became paralyzed.
"Are you an imbecile? That is a serious question, Sylva. Are you not thinking at all whatsoever about the consequences of your actions?" The queen seethed.
"Ah…" Sylva opened her mouth, words won't come out. Her eyes widened as she grasped her cheek, something climbing up her throat, "I… I don't… I… Ah… T… I accompanied that human, mother…! I… Why are you so angry..!?"
"You've nearly killed us all," She took a step, "You foolish gal! With your thoughtlessness!"
The queen then stopped in her steps.
"K-killed, I… Ah…" Sylva looked at the floor, searching for words to say.
The queen went silent.
"...."
She then gently kneeled, and pulled Sylva close to her chest, gently holding her and stroking her head.
"I apologize, child. It seems I've yet to be fully rested." She sighed, "The threat is gone. Everything is fine."
Sylva then shed tears on her mother's shoulder, holding her back as she wept.
"I… I don't understand, mother… W-why…"
"No, child. You don't." She exhaled softly.
"That is my fault. Not yours. I should've explained it to you properly. What I meant when I asked you to accompany him."
She was quiet for a moment.
"The reason I struck you now," The queen gulped.
'Struck.'
'My own precious daughter.'
She closed her eyes.
'Thank the elven Goddess this war is over.'
"I was just… Terrified. Of that human."
Sylva blinked. "Of… The one you've spent the night with—"
"No." Her voice was gentle, but instant. "The other one."
"Van Hellix."
She held Sylva closer, her hand moving slowly through her hair.
"I hope he never returns here."
A long breath.
"Someone so rotten."
'Sato,' She looked out the window as she bit her lip, 'Be careful.'
'...'
'No,' she inhaled.
'I won't lose you too.' She narrowed her eyes.