CHAPTER 835: CHAPTER 835: IT COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER GREAT WAR

Princess Seraphina and Emily were not able to control their expressions as well and were gawking at Alvis, wondering how he was still alive.

Even if it was for penitence, consuming the same poison was a bit much.

Alvis controlled his expression when he realized he let something slip. He gave them a fake smile and said, "Yes. It hurt so much at first but I got used to it after some time."

[It’s the only thing I have been consuming for several millennia. It’s nothing but tea to me now.] Alvis thought.

’It runs in the blood indeed,’ Arabella concluded.

She learned that Alvis only stopped drinking it when he learned Alwin was alive and met him for the first time.

Alvis drank the tea Alwin served him and had been consuming the same tea since then.

[When was the last time it hurt when I drank it? Ah, I forgot. I didn’t feel like anything after some time when I think of how painful it must have been to everyone who lost their lives from it. Even Your Majesty was also poisoned with this.]

The image of the Fairy Queen appeared in Alvis’ mind as he glanced at Arabella.

Arabella finally understood Alvis’ reason.

Losing so many of his people, comrades, and friends — it must have hurt so much.

Too much to the point of madness.

It made Arabella wonder that perhaps, during those times just like her when she was at her lowest point, Alvis must have reached the point where dying would have been easier for him.

But there must have been a reason that made him stay even when he reached a point where he was almost numb.

As the King of the Elves, he had to keep living to protect the ones who were left.

Smoke rose from Alvis’ hand as the anti-magic arrow burned his skin but there was no expression of pain on his face.

This was nothing compared to what he had been through before.

"Y-your hand, my lord," Princess Seraphina pointed out.

"It’s fine," Alvis said nonchalantly.

He opened his hand and showed as the wound healed and nothing happened to him.

Even if his skin where the arrow was laid got burned again, it healed just as quickly.

[Ah, it must be terrifying to them.]

Alvis finally realized and covered his other hand with a glove and held the arrow with it.

Arabella, Princess Seraphina, and Emily sighed in relief when it was no longer touching his skin.

Princess Seraphina leaned in and inspected the arrow closely.

[It’s just a plain arrow with no mark. They must have intentionally not left any mark from the smith to keep it a secret. I don’t recall ever seeing it in Crux before yesterday.]

"My deepest apologies, my lord. I do not recognize it and there’s no mark from the smith house that made it," Princess Seraphina apologized.

"What about you?" Alvis glanced at Emily this time.

Emily checked it as well but it was not familiar to her either, "It was my first time to see it yesterday, my lord."

"I see," Alvis sighed deeply.

[They still haven’t found the source of these arrows. Whoever made these must have hidden it well. Are humans preparing to attack us again? What the hell is the temple doing? If they go back on their words, there will be another Great War.]

’Another Great War?!!’ Arabella tensed when she heard such a thought from Alvis.

From what she learned about the "recent (for them)" history of the long-lived races, the Great War was the worst war between humans and the long-lived races.

It should not be allowed to happen again when the long-lived races are still recovering and likewise still recall clearly what happened in the past.

It would end up badly for both sides once again and humans might just get wiped out from the long-lived races’ pent-up fury and thirst for vengeance.

The Great War was something that must never happen again.

Arabella eyed the arrow as well and recalled something Blanca said. It was made of a different kind of metal.

"What about the material? Do you perhaps know where it is mined?" Arabella asked Princess Seraphina and Emily.

The two glanced at the arrow again and shook their heads, "We do not either, Your Majesty."

"I see. It’s okay," Arabella did not pressure them.

"Ah, but we do have a list and map of all the mines in Crux," Princess Seraphina recalled.

"That might help," Arabella and Alvis perked up.

Checking all the mines aside from the smithies might help indeed. They might be able to trace by learning whom the ores were sold to.

"We were just about to return to Crux. I will have the maps sent to Your Majesty."

Glad that she could be of help, Princess Seraphina immediately volunteered to do the job.

"Thank you. We will wait for it then," Arabella beamed.

Anything that could help in finding the origin of those arrows would be nice.

With this, the two had a task in hand so they were to return to Crux even more. They were also worried about their comrades.

They just came here to visit Alwin since they wanted to thank him for healing Emily. But they saw him still unconscious instead.

Arabella learned from their thoughts that they mistook Alwin for a woman when they first saw his face when his mana ran out in the Alba Estate.

They thought he was a lady pretending to be a gentleman for her safety due to the beauty she had.

But updates from Sebastian and Jacob corrected them. Seeing Alwin much more clearly today proved it as well.

And meeting Alvis now showed the looks ran in the family.

"We will take our leave first then, Your Majesty, My Lord," Princess Seraphina began to say her goodbyes.

"Yes, do take care," Arabella nodded.

They glanced at Alvis who remained silent.

[The reports from the others did say they protected Alwin from the arrows. Zion also said it was one of the reasons Alwin said on why he used the spell. But I still can’t accept it so easily that Alwin used something so precious and used an already forbidden spell for her.]

Alvis stared at Emily with a conflicted expression on his face.

_______________

a/n:

Sometimes I regret writing this in the romance genre instead of just fantasy. Lol.

There are times I want to focus on the plot then I recall, wait, this is supposed to be romance. Haha.