Volume 3 Chapter 26 Sofia.txt
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Clan leader, the garden bushes have been tended. What should I do next?”
Sofia’s voice carried a quiet humility, her hands clasped tightly before her.
[Hmm. There is no urgent matter right now. Just sit down on that chair over there.]
Fedelate’s tone was gentle, yet Sofia hesitated.
”But… I’m a slave. That chair is for meetings with the elders, isn’t it?”
Her eyes darted to the ornate seat, a symbol of status she dared not touch.
[No problem. Sit down.]
His command was firm yet kind, and after a moment’s pause, Sofia obeyed, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her simple tunic.
Six months had passed since Sofia, a human lost in the enchanted forest, had been taken in as a slave by the Spirit Clan. At first, she was assigned to the barn, tending to chickens and pigs. Her diligence was remarkable; she worked without complaint, her movements efficient despite the heavy labor. Fedelate had learned she once ran a farm with her parents in another world, a life now distant and irretrievable. Her bashful gestures and soft-spoken manner only added to her allure, drawing his gaze more often than he cared to admit. Humans, he mused, were indeed sturdy and intelligent—perhaps too ideal for domestication.
Sofia shifted uncomfortably in the chair, her cheeks flushed under Fedelate’s unwavering gaze.
”Clan leader, please don’t look at me so intently. It’s embarrassing…”
[Hmm. I think humans are beautiful beings, so I can’t help but look.]
”Hya! It’s quite bold of you to openly say such shy stuff. Ah, I apologize for my rude words.”
Sofia’s laughter was light, tinged with nervousness.
[Shy? I only spoke what I felt.]
”However, from my perspective, Clan leader, you are also very beautiful. The members of the Spirit Clan seem almost indistinguishable from humans.”
[Haha. That’s just how it appears to you. You don’t harbor any aversion toward us, do you? Your interest and affection are projected onto our appearance.]
Sofia’s brow furrowed, her curiosity piqued.
”??? I don’t understand what you mean. But clan leader… even humans see the figures of those they hold affection for quite clearly. Especially when they fall in love… do Spirit Clan people also fall in love? Ah, sorry. I had nothing to do and couldn’t help it…”
[Love? I don’t know well. Elves and demons pair up as male and female and produce offspring, but our Spirit Clan is different. Do humans also pair up as male and female?]
”Haha. They do pair up… but loving someone and pairing up are a little different. Well, we pair up after falling in love, but…”
[Hmm. I don’t understand well, but… Sofia. You are the only human here. Love and pairing might be difficult for you. Don’t worry about such things and focus on your work.]
”Yes… but clan leader. It’s not necessarily that my love interest has to be a human.”
[Really. Well, I’ve heard of crossbreeding between elves and demons, but humans can do that too, huh?]
”I haven’t tried if it’s possible or not… but earlier, you said the reason you find me so beautiful is because I am interested in the Spirit Clan, right?”
[Yes. That’s right.]
”Um… I… probably, I am personally interested in you, clan leader!”
[Does that mean… you are in love with me?]
”I still don’t clearly understand myself. But I am greatly grateful because, in this world where I can’t tell left from right, you, clan leader, are very kind to me. So I think it’s not strange if those feelings turn into affection.”
[I see. A human like you… falling in love with a Spirit Clan member like me… huh.]
”Ah, sorry. I got carried away talking too much. Thank you very much for indulging in my foolish talk, clan leader. Now then, I will start cleaning in the afternoon.”
With a small bow, Sofia left the room, her heart heavy with unspoken emotions.
[Love… Sofia has feelings for me… I don’t understand well, but… it’s not a bad thing.]
Fedelate felt a warmth bloom faintly in his chest, and quietly closed his eyes, as if savoring the unfamiliar sensation.
* * *
Another six months passed. Last night, a storm raged across the land. Fedelate, the clan leader, had ordered the elders to cease their duties and barricaded himself in the mansion, his brow furrowed in concern for the rising river. Just then, a servant burst in, breathless and frantic.
”Clan leader! The livestock shed was overturned by the wind!”
”What!? And Sofia? She was there, wasn’t she?”
”Probably buried under the debris.”
”What are you doing? Hurry and help!”
”But, clan leader. With this storm… she is a slave. I cannot risk exposing the clan’s members to danger for that reason.”
”Hmm. I understand! I will go to the livestock shed. You need not accompany me; continue to be vigilant around the area.”
”Yes, but, clan leader…”
”Be quiet. Go and check around the river quickly!”
Fedelate stepped into the tempest, the rain lashing against him like needles. Yet, as the elite of the Spirit Clan, he would not be defeated by mere weather. Summoning every ounce of his strength, he gathered the surrounding energy and mana, rushing toward the shed. But when he arrived, it lay in ruins, a pile of splintered wood.
[Sofia. Are you safe!?]
He sent the telepathic plea with all his might.
”……”
A faint flicker of consciousness reached him.
Fedelate dove into the wreckage, his hands tearing through debris with desperate urgency. His telekinesis faltered under the storm’s chaos, but he could not hesitate. With raw strength, he cleared the wood, piece by agonizing piece.
”Ah! Sofia… I found you…”
There she was, her form limp but breathing. Yet, her forehead was split open, blood pooling beneath her. Her life hung by a thread. Fedelate scooped her into his arms, racing back to the mansion. He laid her on his bed, but the bleeding would not stop, her body growing colder by the second.
”Sofia. I don’t want to lose you…”
The Spirit Clan could heal animal wounds with ki, but humans were another matter. Fedelate knew little of their anatomy, and missteps could be fatal. Yet, he had no choice. With trembling hands, he removed Sofia’s clothing, laying her bare before him. Placing his palm on her abdomen, he closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into her.
”Ah… this is this girl’s…”
* * *
Fedelate’s awareness merged fully with Sofia’s, mapping her injuries and structure. With painstaking care, he channeled his ki, sealing her wounds and stabilizing her life force. But the cost was immense. Merging consciousness with another creature was a taboo even for the Spirit Clan, and Fedelate’s body collapsed, paralyzed for years to come.
Yet, as he lay motionless, a faint smile touched his lips. Sofia lived. And perhaps, in her survival, he had found something far greater than he’d ever known: love.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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