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“How about we go somewhere else then?” Paliseth suggested with a smile. “The nearby Brackishwaters River has a number of interesting fish species. We can fish and relax there.”

“A subterranean river?”

Paliseth nodded. “That’s right, the fishes from those waters are pretty good. The catfish that was served just now was fished from that very river.”

“Let’s head out then.”

It turned out that whether you were a human or an Elf, the first thing you looked for when constructing a city was a nearby source of water. This subterranean river was the very reason why the Shadowhunter clan decided to set root in this region. The river was an important source of fish for the city and was one of its main exports as well.

Everyday, the Duergars would work hard to bring in all manner of fish for the city. At times, you would find the odd angler or two who just wanted to have a break and fish.

The waters of this river weren’t particularly fast and the river itself was at least ten meters wide. Its depth was said to be particularly deep, roughly coming in at over ten meters as well. That fact alone was enough to give me pause when looking at that river. After all, I did not know how to swim, and unlike Earth, there were river monsters in this world…

Having noticed the hesitation in my eyes, Paliseth promptly pointed at a nearby fishing boat then warmly said as such, “Your holiness, how about a quick boat ride to the other side? The area there is considered wilderness so we can do some hunting if you’re not all that interested in fishing.”

“No… it’s fine.” I meekly rejected her suggestion. “Rather than a boat, I would much rather trust my own wings.”

The boat’s fine… but how about you guys take it, I’ll just fly across.

At that point, Paliseth uncharacteristically smiled tenderly at Jezsere and said, “Jez, do you want to sit on the boat with your mother?” In all likelihood, this was her way of buttering up her daughter.

Startled by this sudden change in behaviour, Jezsere subconsciously nodded her head but immediately shook it a second after once she realised what her mother was asking. She hesitated for a while more then meekly said, “Jez… Jez prefers to be with master…”

“Is that so…” She smiled a little sheepishly upon hearing that. Was that loneliness in her eyes? Or perhaps even that was a ruse. Either way, she quickly hid that smile and came over to comfort Jezsere who seemed to be on the verge of tears once more. “In that case, Jezsere will be in your care then, your holiness.”

“My pleasure.”

Grabbing onto her tender figure, I began ascending into the air with a flap of my wings. In order to protect her fragile psyche, I made sure to fly as slowly and as steadily as I could manage so as not to startle her.

“Ahhh…Jez is flying… Jez is flying… Master’s so awesome…weee”

Jezsere screamed excitedly, having clearly forgotten the thorough scare she suffered because of the bloody gladiatorial fight. With how quickly her mood improved, I really wasn’t sure if I should call her capricious or just forgiving.

Still seated on the fishing boat, Paliseth turned her head skywards when she heard her daughter’s adorable laughter. Her lips curled into a soft smile at that. Right this very instant, she looked more like a loving mother than a stern matriarch who had just bullied her own daughter not too long ago. Whether or not that’s true, who knew.

To be perfectly honest, that answer was of no consequence either. As the godson of Lolthe, I was half a master to the entire Dark Elven race. While I might not have held any thought of uniting the clans, I definitely was more than open to using my position to protect Jezsere.

Most likely because this was her first time flying, Jezsere happily stuck out her milky white arms like a pair of wings, lips still grinning from ear to ear. Right now, there were only the two of us flying across the river. And as I was still holding onto her tightly, I could distinctly smell the fragrance wafting off her nape. “Jez, do you know how your mother sees you?”

“Mother… Jez doesn’t know at all… but Jez is so useless… she can’t fight… or get mad… she can’t even stand up to the Devil she summoned…”

The moment I mentioned her mother, I could visibly see the joy drain from her eyes. She knew more than anyone else that she likely held no worth in her mother’s eyes. If not, why would she even consider sending Jezsere to Arachne Cavern?

However, the whole reason why this was even an issue was because she herself wasn’t able to contribute, though her mother’s own callousness had a huge part to play as well…

Lest one forgot, the Dark Elves could be considered one of the evil races in a video game. Just like the neutrally-aligned humans or the good-natured Wood Elves, the Dark Elves had their own culture and way of living. As a warlike race, their whole culture revolved around might and using violence to get what they want.

Whether it was the Duergars they enslaved or the merchant caravans they robbed, these were all precious resources they attained through blood and steel. Without this warlike attitude, the race itself would implode.

Progress or death: that was the one constant the Dark Elves lived by. The higher up one was, the more they had to contribute.

As the daughter of their clan’s matriarch, the fact that she wasn’t even at the level of an ordinary Dark Elf was in itself a threat to Paliseth’s prestige. When one thought about it that way, it was only understandable that Paliseth did what she did. However, understanding was one thing, accepting it was another…

Perhaps to Paliseth, Jezsere was nothing more than a deadweight. But to me, she was a kind, adorable girl that should be protected. Sigh… sometimes, there were just some differences in opinions that couldn’t be bridged. This was one of them.

The fishing boat that Paliseth was on was three meters long and probably could only carry five others max. In that case, what about those dozen or so attendants following us? How long would it take to ferry them all across? Hold on… what’s that ahead… is that a stone bridge I spy?

I pointed at the distant bridge. “Jez, what’s a bridge doing here?”

“That’s the Brackishwaters Bridge. At its widest, it can allow three Blood Drake Riders to cross it at the same time; it’s the largest bridge in this region.” As she said that, there was a hint of pride in her eyes. “I’ve heard that this bridge was built by our clan’s ancestors. There are even fortifying arrays carved onto it so its physical and magical defenses are quite formidable. The bridge is also well-maintained so this is the bridge we usually use.”

“…”

So I’ve been conned again? It has to be! No wonder it seemed so strange to me just now that there was no bridge for this river…

A visibly refreshed Paliseth elegantly stepped off her boat at this point. She had originally intended to greet me again, but upon noticing the black expression on my face, she changed her mind. However, instead of being afraid, she used her hands to cover her mouth in what looked like an obvious attempt at stifling a laughter -her eyes were practically crescent moons at this point! “Your holiness, what’s the matter? Why do you seem so displeased?”

“Shut it, you know why I’m angry.”

“Ohohoh… your holiness is angry then? Then as penitence, Paliseth can only agree to be his holiness’s bed warmer tonight. How about that?”

“…”

I think I’ll pass on that. Putting aside the fact that I have no pee pee now, I still wouldn’t do it with her even if it was back. Besides, she’s Solar-sama’s wife and Jezsere’s mother. A soft, timid girl would be better. That’s right, I can just hug Jezsere to sleep tonight. I have no pee pee anyway, I can’t even do anything to her even if I wanted to.

With that in mind, my mood improved considerably. However, the look I gave Jezsere right now turned a little strange. Realising that, Jezsere immediately blushed.

“Master… if you look at Jezsere like that, she will be scared.”

“Of what? It’s not like your master is going to eat you.”

“But… but…”

My little bunny quickly buried her head into my head and stayed silent. In contrast, I was chuckling happily like I had just secured a victory.

While our little exchange went on, Paliseth watched silently with a faint smile on her lips. The fact that she hadn’t interrupted us was just perfect. The last thing I wanted was for her to ruin the mood by bringing up bed warmers again… Honestly, even I’m a little scared that I might just cave in… A milf is just… cough, I mean I will never give up!

Now that we had crossed the river, Brackishwaters, it was time for the hunt Paliseth had talked about. However, reality had another plan for us.

Just as we were about to discuss the details of the hunt, the ground shook violently and a deafening boom rang in our ears. Ever one to be startled, Jezsere reflexively ducked into my arms once more.

Such a scene instantly struck me as familiar… Where have I heard this sound before… hmm… wait, wasn’t it when those Warhorses were galloping into battle?! So what monster is causing it this time… No, it would be more accurate to ask what monsters are causing this!

Shameless Self-promotion

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If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.