Elinaliese's provocative comment elicited complex expressions from both Rudeus and Cliff. Her history with a curse that required intimate relations to survive had long branded her as promiscuous.
Rudeus's conflicted reaction stemmed from Elinaliese's past as a member of the Black Wolf's Fang and her previous relationship with Paul. Now, her interest in Wood added another layer of complexity.
Despite Elinaliese's elven heritage ensuring her youthful appearance for centuries to come, the idea of her pursuing Wood felt… unsettling to Rudeus.
Cliff's troubled expression, on the other hand, arose from his infatuation with Elinaliese. Upon learning of her curse, he had even declared he wouldn't mind her relations with others. Cliff's devotion bordered on obsession, making him a rare breed of admirer.
Hearing Elinaliese express interest in Wood, Cliff felt a twinge of jealousy but remained silent. He had made a promise to Elinaliese, and despite his discomfort, he chose to bear it quietly.
For Cliff, the real concern was that Wood's exceptional qualities might lead Elinaliese to genuinely fall for him, potentially abandoning Cliff altogether.
"Elinaliese," Rudeus cautioned, his tone serious, "I strongly advise against pursuing Wood. Zenith would… well, she'd eliminate you." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "And don't forget about Eris.
She's adored Wood since childhood. When we returned from the Magic Continent, she had already achieved Sword God level. Now, training in the Sword God's domain, she's undoubtedly grown even stronger. If she learned you'd made a move on Wood…" Rudeus shuddered at the thought. "Let's just say dismemberment would be the least of your worries."
Cliff shot Rudeus a grateful look, appreciating his friend's intervention. What Cliff didn't realize was that Rudeus's warning to Elinaliese was deadly serious. If Elinaliese truly pursued Wood, the consequences would be dire.
Eris's devotion to Wood was legendary. Even a casual slight against him could incur her wrath. Add to that the fact that Wood had saved her parents' lives, and her protectiveness reached new heights.
Eris's current training at the Sword God's domain was driven by her desire for vengeance against Orsted, whom she blamed for Wood's "death." In her mind, Orsted was her mortal enemy for harming Wood.
Zenith's feelings were equally intense. The two years following Wood's "death" had cultivated an overwhelming sense of guilt and loss.
Now that he had returned, her protective instincts had reached a fever pitch. Without exaggeration, Wood had become the most important person in Zenith's life, surpassing even her husband Paul and her other children, Norn and Rudeus himself.
"If you were to pursue Paul, Zenith might despise you," Rudeus continued, his voice low and serious. "But if you were to… taint Wood, whom she cherishes above all else? Zenith would hunt you to the ends of the earth."
Elinaliese's eyes widened at Rudeus's words. "Is the boy truly that popular?" she mused, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Though I suppose it's not entirely unexpected.
He's inherited the best features from both his parents, and he's both powerful and considerate." She paused, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Rest assured, I was merely jesting earlier. I have no desire to spend my life fleeing from Zenith and this Eris you speak of."
Her expression softened, a touch of self-deprecation creeping into her voice. "Besides, someone like me… well, I'd only sully a remarkable young man like Wood."
As Rudeus and Cliff opened their mouths to offer words of comfort, a new voice cut through the air, sharp and unmistakable. "Hmph. At least you're self-aware.
While your beauty might be enough to tempt some, I doubt you'd be able to seduce my exceptional son."
The voice paused, its tone growing colder. "You may have ensnared that scoundrel Paul, but if you dare try to entice Wood, I'll end you myself, Elinaliese!"
The newcomer was none other than Zenith, mother to Wood and Rudeus.
She wasn't alone; beside her stood Paul, wearing an expression of resigned exasperation, along with Talhand and Therese, the latter mirroring her sister's confrontational stance.
Upon learning that her two sons had ventured to the Milis Church in pursuit of the "Human God," Zenith's maternal instincts had kicked into overdrive. She had promptly gathered Paul and the others to rush to their aid.
As they entered the church, Zenith had overheard Elinaliese's comments, prompting her sharp interjection.
Elinaliese's eyes narrowed at Zenith's words, a challenge glinting in their depths. "Oh? Your words only make me want to test my charms on Wood now.
After all, no matter how powerful a man might be, he's still a man at his core. They're all cut from the same cloth."
A sly smile curved her lips as she continued, "You've aged quite a bit over the years, Zenith. But for an elf like myself, I remain as young and beautiful as ever. Why don't we ask Paul? Who does he find more attractive now, you or me?"
Elinaliese's words were born more from a spirit of defiance than genuine intent. Initially, she had harbored no real designs on Wood. However, Zenith's forceful attitude had struck a nerve, prompting this provocative response.
Paul, caught between his wife's and former lover's gazes, wore an expression of pure discomfort. He felt that ever since Wood's resurrection, his life had become increasingly complicated.
First, the visit to Zenith's family home had resulted in a thorough dressing-down from his mother-in-law and sister-in-law, relegating him to sleeping in the stables.
Now, he found himself trapped in this nightmarish confrontation between his wife and a former flame.
In his younger days, Paul might have easily declared Zenith the more alluring of the two.
After all, her reputation as the "Paragon of Noble Daughters" was well-earned. While Elinaliese was undeniably beautiful, Zenith possessed both beauty and an unmatched elegance.
But fifteen years had passed since then. Zenith, though still captivating, bore the subtle marks of time and motherhood.
Elinaliese, blessed with elven longevity, remained untouched by the years.
Objectively speaking, Elinaliese now outshone Zenith in terms of pure allure. But Paul, a seasoned philanderer, knew that honesty in this situation would lead to dire consequences.
As he hesitated, torn between truth and self-preservation, a sudden, vicious pain exploded between his legs. His body curled inward, resembling a boiled shrimp.
"Z-Zenith," he gasped, his voice strained, "why… I hadn't even said anything…"
The culprit, of course, was Zenith herself. Her eyes blazed as she responded, "You didn't need to. Your hesitation and the way your eyes kept darting to Elinaliese told me everything.
Did you think I wouldn't notice? For that alone, you deserved punishment."
Paul's expression crumpled into one of abject misery. It seemed that over the years, Zenith had not only aged but had also grown sharper in both temper and perception.
Dismissing her husband with a contemptuous glance, Zenith turned her attention to her eldest son. "Rudeus, where has your brother Wood gone?"
Surveying the area, Zenith quickly deduced that the battle had concluded prematurely, yet Wood was nowhere to be seen.
Rudeus, witnessing his father's fate, felt his courage waver. He had initially planned to concoct a reassuring lie, but Paul's punishment served as a stark warning.
In the two years since they'd last met, Rudeus realized his mother had become unnervingly perceptive and quick to anger.
Wood had become Zenith's Achilles' heel, and Rudeus had no desire to share his father's painful fate. After a moment's hesitation, he decided honesty was the safest course.
"Well," Rudeus began cautiously, "the Dragon God Orsted arrived earlier. It seems Wood harbors some resentment towards him, and they got into an argument.
Then Wood challenged Orsted, seeking revenge for what happened two years ago. They left to find a suitable battleground."
Zenith's face drained of color at Rudeus's words. "What? Wood is fighting the Dragon God again? But what about the Human God? Wasn't he their primary target?
Where are they now? Has Wood lost his mind? Has he forgotten that it was the Dragon God who killed him two years ago?"
Panic laced Zenith's voice as she demanded to know the location of Wood and Orsted's battle.
While she had unwavering faith in Wood's abilities—after all, he had conquered the supposedly unconquerable underground labyrinth at the tender age of twelve—facing the Dragon God Orsted was an entirely different matter.
Zenith could count on one hand the number of beings in the world who could potentially defeat her son.
But Orsted was undoubtedly one of them. The memory of Wood's death at Orsted's hands two years ago was still fresh in her mind. The thought of history repeating itself filled her with dread.
In that moment, she even regretted informing Orsted of their location. "That Dragon bastard," she muttered, her voice tight with anger and fear. "Wasn't the misunderstanding cleared up? The Greyrat family chose not to dwell on past events. Why is he still fixated on this?"
Rudeus's expression contorted into one of discomfort at his mother's words. He wanted to explain that the Dragon God had actually been quite accommodating, and that it was Wood who had initiated the confrontation.
However, reason told him that trying to rationalize with Zenith in her current state would be futile.
To Zenith, her precious son Wood could do no wrong. If the entire world declared Wood to be in the wrong, then in Zenith's mind, it was the world itself that was mistaken.
"So, in which direction did Wood and Orsted depart?" Zenith pressed, her voice urgent.
"They can't have gone far, right? If we hurry, we might be able to stop the fight."
Realizing that debating the rights and wrongs of the situation was pointless, Zenith focused on the immediate concern: locating Wood and Orsted.
While she doubted her ability to stop Orsted, Zenith believed she could use her maternal influence to make Wood see reason.
Rudeus shifted uncomfortably. "They did leave recently, and we could probably track them by following the magical energy they left behind. But…" he trailed off, his expression grim. "Given their speed, I doubt we'd reach them before the battle concludes, even if we left now."
The image of Wood and Orsted covering vast distances in mere moments flashed through Rudeus's mind. He knew that their group, traveling on foot, stood little chance of intercepting the two powerhouses.
"If they're fighting nearby, we might have a chance," Rudeus continued, trying to soften the blow. "But if they've been flying for an hour or more… well, by the time we find them, days could have passed."
"Enough talk," Zenith snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Just lead the way. Paul, stop playing dead and grab that Human God follower. We're leaving now."
Rudeus, not daring to defy his mother in her current state, nodded silently. Paul, his "standing" in the family already at rock bottom, didn't dare protest.
Talhand remained a silent observer, while Elinaliese chose not to engage further with Zenith. Thus, the entire group found itself under Zenith's command.
They had barely left the church, following the trail of magical energy, when the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently.
A massive pillar of light suddenly pierced the sky in the distance, followed immediately by a shockwave of incredible force that swept past them!
The shockwave rivaled that of a Category 5 hurricane. Despite the considerable distance between them and the pillar of light, the destructive force that reached them was staggering.
Massive trees were uprooted by the fierce winds, the ground cracked and split from the intense vibrations, forming fissures and sinkholes.
If not for Rudeus's quick thinking in casting a silent Earth magic spell to create a protective stone wall, the entire group would likely have been blown away in an instant.
It was only thanks to Rudeus's ability to cast spells without incantation that they survived. A typical mage, even if they had reacted in time, would have been swept away before completing their spell chant.