Chapter Ninety Three: Slave beauty

Milta………….. what kind of relationship do I have with her? Is it friendship? Love? Or are we just acquainted?
Thinking about it now, I don’t really know all that much about her. We travelled together for a few hours and that was it. We parted ways soon after. 
I’m forever grateful for what she did for me back then. I would have never reached this far without her help. My life here would have been so much more crueler than it had been. I don’t even know if I would have been allowed the freedom to train myself if it hadn’t been for her standing up to the king.
She is what is called a naturally good person. She has the same traits as Leila. They both help people even when they are not obligated to do so. My encounters in this world made me who I am today. Sure most of the encounters were painful, but it’s not all that bad when you look at it. In the end, I did make some friends in a foreign world.
I think the reason Milta was blessed with strong healing magic is due to the goodness of her heart. She makes good use of her powers whenever the need arises. Just like that time in the town. She didn’t hesitate to heal all those people despite knowing she’ll end up unconscious.
The reason she got badly burnt was probably something like that. I’m sure she healed too many people and left herself vulnerable. That sounds just like her.
She is a very good person indeed. That is why I respect her.

When I revived the following morning, Milta was gone. Leila and Meila were sleeping on the floor next to me. Meila was to my right and Leila to my left. They had bags under their eyes.
What kind of a man am I? always making them worried.
Sensing I had woken up, Leila mumbled in her sleep “Hnn~…” her silver furred ears twitched slightly.
“You are alive!!” she jumped at me the minute she opened her eyes.
She got on top of me and started to cry “Sniff sniff! You are………. alive~!” 
Meila woke up right after that. She also started crying right after waking up. They both hugged me and cried like they had never done before.
It must have been despairing from their own point of view. Apparently, they burst through the door right when I cut my wrist. The burst of blood prevented them from getting closer. It was apparently very hot. They all collapsed behind me and watched as my blood got sucked inside Milta’s crispy body after I had died. Not a single drop of blood remained on the floor or anywhere else after that. Every drop made it’s way into her body as though it were programmed to do so.
It was like a nightmare to them. Milta’s body absorbed all my blood when it started changing immediately. The burnt flesh slowly fell off and a new one was formed. She became like a completely new being from what she was before. 
Milta didn’t wake up immediately after that. She rested even when the girls cried by my side telling me ta wake up.
She woke up when it was dawn. The change of surroundings surprised her at first. She was supposed to be in the battle field as far as she was concerned.
She calmly stood up butt naked and scanned through the room. When she saw I was lying down on the floor, she asked the girls what happened. They explained to her how I went to see her after I heard she had returned. And about all the blood I gave her.
“Oh…………….” was all she said.
She asked the girls to lend her some clothes right after that. They were so surprised by her actions. 
“How can you be so calm about this when a person sacrificed himself for you!?” they shouted.
What she said after that was even more surprising “I’m grateful for what he did for me, but I have things that I must now do.”
Her words sunk deep into them, they couldn’t believe what she said. Before they knew it, she was out of the room. She took the curtains along with her and jumped out from the second floor. They both couldn’t do anything but cry themselves to sleep after I started making some noise. I had revived at the time but continued sleeping. 
Leila said to me after I had calmed them down by explaining how I cant die “That girl is not the friend you used to know.”
Meila had the same thoughts on the matter “……….. I think so too.”
I didn’t want to believe what they said but Milta is not the type of person that would walk away when someone is hurt.
“I see………” was all I could say to them.
Not that I believe they might be lying. What they witnessed may have just been the side effects of my blood. There is no telling what that much blood would do to her. I just hope it doesn’t hurt her.
Despite trying to make myself believe she had a reason for leaving just like that, I was still somewhat hurt. I was so happy when I heard that she had returned. I even barged inside the castle despite knowing the trouble it may cause just to see her. I wanted to at least talk to her a little.
I didn’t have an appetite that morning. Neither did any of the girls. The bloody scene from the previous night was still etched into their minds. I had a really tough time explaining to them how many times I’ve died before.
“But still!! what if you don’t come back anymore!?” 
They took it differently than I had expected. I thought they would be so surprised their lips would be sealed. But they believed me easily and yelled “But still!! what if you don’t come back anymore!?” 
Well, I wasn’t given the time to think about all that when I cut my hand. Truth is, there was a chance I wouldn’t revive after hurting myself. All the times when I revived, someone else was responsible for my death. What if the condition for revival didn’t apply to suicide?
It was very quiet even in the afternoon. The girls fell asleep in the living room where we later gathered. I took the time to make lunch for them which also served as breakfast. I ate a bit of what I made when I made my way outside.
I wanted to refresh my mind a bit. The thought of Milta changing was all I could think of. 
“I want to see for myself how she has changed.” but I couldn’t just go to the sacred land and force her to talk to me. She would have stayed if she wanted to do that. And I cant drag her out of there when she doesn’t want to.
The only thing I can do now is keep my distance until she returns back to normal. I cant blame her for changing after the ordeal she has been through. Anyone would change if they fought demons and a demon lord for over three months. I just hope that it’s only temporary. Events like that can scar a person for life.
Somehow, I want the change in her personality to be due to my blood. The effects will soon were off and she’ll be back to normal.
Anyway, I really want to talk to her soon.
Leaving my house, I made my way towards the noble settlements south of us. I didn’t bring Duddul along with me. Most of the people here know he belongs to me. My mask wouldn’t be able to clear their doubts if they become suspicious of my identity.
This side of the capital is clearly different from the west side where there are rocks and sand everywhere. It’s so much more greener here. From my house to the noble settlement, everywhere was green.The grass spread out like a carpet. It looked as though people are taking care of it everyday. There were also a lot of trees. Guess that’s because it’s close to the elven state. The wind felt good hitting my body. It was as though it was comforting me.
In some minutes, I arrived at the first building north of the triangular settlement. A flowing river seemed to be forming a triangle around all the buildings. Most of the buildings there didn’t have any fence surrounding them. The windows were made of glass but were tinted black so that the insides cannot be seen.
From there, I could see the house of Modnoc. The separated building where Liek lives was also in plain sight. It’s very hard to hide in the noble settlement because of how well spaced the buildings 
Every house has a cart parked in front of it. Well fed dragons waited for their time to work patiently.
I like walking in the noble settlements. You don’t find many people walking outside. It’s so peaceful and quiet. 
My body started moving towards Liek’s quarters when I stopped moving. I shouldn’t go see her. Things will only escalate more and more if I did. Her getting too attached to me wouldn’t be of benefit to her.
I changed my direction east. If I continued going straight, the eastern gate to the capital will be there waiting for me.
The last time I flew around here, I saw a building east of here. It was outside the triangle just like ours. That made me curious about it. Could it be that the people there are different from the other nobles? I wanted to take a quick peek before going back.
At around that time, I was sure the girls had woken up from their sleep. The lunch I made for them will still be warm when they do.
Only one building stood at the east angle of the triangle. I would have chosen a spot like that myself if I were to live in a triangle.
I didn’t pay much attention to it when I went straight pass it and crossed the river via a bridge in front of the house.
The more east I walked, the more the number of trees increased. It got even more greener than the settlement.
I got on a road without realizing it. The road was free of any grass. it seemed like people pass through there frequently. If so then their destination must be the building I was heading for or the eastern gate. I continued walking on the empty road when I caught a glimpse of someone suspicious hiding behind a tree in a mini forest away from the roadside.
The figure I saw peeked my interest immediately, it was a figure and appearance I was acquainted to once.
A tall girl with very long white hair and long ears stood behind that tree.
Some distance from the road, I could see her hair waving gently from the wind.
It was a little bit exciting sneaking behind her “What are you doing there?”
Her reaction was just what one would expect sneaking up behind someone like that “Who is there!?” it was even more than that. A short dagger was pointed at my throat when she made a swift roundabout turn before I could close my mouth.
“Hey hey! I’m not here to hurt you. don’t you remember me?” I didn’t consider her an enemy. My barriers didn’t react to her threat.
The white haired beauty showed a lot of hostility towards me. Her face looked serious enough to proceed with her dagger.
She didn’t seem to believe anything I said when she shouted “I don’t know you!”
Huh? But “You are Erla right? The girl I met about a week ago close to the fountain jar. We talked for a while didn’t we…………………?”
Oh…… that’s right. There is no way she would recognize me. I changed my mask after I met her.
“I don’t remember anything!? Who sent you!?”
She is right to act that way towards me. Anyone would. And I think she didn’t want to be seen peeking at the building like that.
“.………………………..” I paused for a few seconds thinking of what to say to her.
If she still remembers me from back then, then she should remember the conversation we had “Deception magic. Your deception magic doesn’t work on me…………” that got a bit of a reaction from her.
“Deception……………… don’t tell me you are that boy from back then?”
I nodded repeatedly.
“.…………. thank god………….” saying that, her hips slowly lowered down to the ground. She sat down leaning on a tree looking relieved that I wasn’t who she thought I was.
Her slim tall figure sat elegantly. Her back pressed her hair against the tree “You scared me………. really.”
“No. I think I’m the one who should say that. Suddenly shoving a dagger at me. Why are you hiding in the woods anyway?”
She wasn’t reluctant to say why. She averted her gaze moving her knees to her chin while hugging her legs “Umm………….” dejectedly.
“It’s alright if you don’t want to say. It’s not like I have to know or anything.”
After a while, she asked looking at the ground “….. so? What are ‘you’ doing here? You are not………….?” she paused.
‘you are not’ what? Is there maybe some reason I shouldn’t be here?
“Oh me? I was just out to get some air when I wandered over here. I was curious seeing a very big building separated from the others. I thought that maybe it was a factory or something.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes. That’s all there is to it.”
She let out a faint sigh. “Then, it’s better if you don’t go there. That place is dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
That was when I realized something glowing from my chest. It was my pendant.
This dumb thing always shows me places I shouldn’t go to. There are a lot of places like that everywhere I go. When I really need to find someone with it, it fails to work because I don’t have any magic. Whose magic is it using now? It’s kinda frustrating.
It made me a little angry that it wont work when I need it to. She saw the change in my expression and asked “You look angry?…………. that pendant. I know about it. It’s made by my…………. by people from my country.”
Why did she pause? She must have wanted to say my people but decided to change it for some reason. And the races call their countries ‘states’ since they are all one big country now. Is there maybe………..?
“the pendant is used to trace a person right? It’s a good tool. Though it has it’s share of weaknesses……..”
“I know right!? this stupid thing doesn’t work when I want it to!”
“Doesn’t work? That shouldn’t be true. It takes a very skilled tracer to make it, that’s why they are very rare. All you have to do is use a bit of magic.”
Then, what weakness was she talking about?
She gave the answer to that question “The weakness? Well, it cant give you a visual of what that person is up to. It also cant show you what that person was doing some minutes before that. Compared to real tracing, it’s just a toy.”