The Final Act – The Nameless One and the Gentle World (Part I)
—
“The nearby demons have become increasingly rampant.”
In a grand hall of pure white, beneath the towering dome ceiling, crystal chandeliers emitted a warm golden glow infused with magic. On the marble floor of the circular hall, a large brown magic array was drawn, its runes and intricate geometric lines intertwining to form magnificent patterns.
“Is this situation starting from the vicinity of the Demon King’s castle?”
“This current Demon King has been alive for nearly three hundred years, so naturally, the power of the demon clan has grown stronger.”
“The holy elven armed forces deployed to suppress various areas have suffered heavy casualties. We don’t know how much longer we can hold on.”
“May the goddess Elena bless us and swiftly defeat the Demon King.”
“I think it’s time to seek help from the brave hero.”
Several men and women, dressed in pure white robes with white veils draped over their heads, gathered around the huge crystal pillar in the center of the grand hall, whispering softly among themselves. Their identity was that of the Holy Elves. The Holy Elves were the noblest race among all elves, not only capable of using magic but also possessing exquisite beauty, with a lifespan roughly three times that of humans. Holy Elves only appeared in the temples of the western goddess Elena, as they had been devout servants of the goddess since ancient times. However, there are also many records stating that long ago, they were spread throughout the world, sharing the burdens of humanity, recording human culture and life, and having intimate and friendly relations with humans, not directly serving by Elena’s side.
The magic used by the Holy Elves is different from that of the demon clan; it is not elemental magic but rather the power to make prayers come true. Despite this, their combat prowess is comparable to that of humans.
Due to the relatively close distance between the temple of the goddess and the castle of the twenty-eighth demon king, they have often been subjected to malicious oppression by many demons over the past few centuries. Now, the humans in the temple and the surrounding areas are suffering from the invasion of a large number of demons. Besides waiting to be slaughtered, seeking help from the hero is actually very reasonable.
“Then let’s use the ‘Goddess’s Eye’ to search for the hero’s whereabouts,” said one of the female elves.
What the elves referred to as the ‘Goddess’s Eye’ was the huge crystal pillar standing before them. The crystal pillar could reveal any corner of the world and anyone’s past, except for the future. It could display any information, but the integrity of the images depended on the strength of the user. Therefore, the elves usually did not use it arbitrarily or for extended periods, only using it when necessary to get a general idea.
According to the elves’ request to search for the hero, two images appeared on the pillar. One was a young man with flaxen short hair, and the other was a one-eyed boy with golden hair and blue eyes. The simultaneous appearance of these two individuals caused a stir among the elves, and the images were divided into two scenes, playing intermittently.
“How can there be two people appearing at the same time?”
“We’re looking for the ‘hero,’ right?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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—
After arriving in the Western Land, one could see a bustling town beyond a forest. Despite the cold winter, people ignited trench fires, creating a lively and celebratory atmosphere everywhere, all in anticipation of the upcoming First Snow Festival.
“It seems like this appearance can actually make good use of quite a bit of magic,” said little Thrett as he sat on Ellyad’s shoulder, studying his current appearance. Being in this miniature form allowed him to shake off the influence of the Hero’s Totem, which was indeed great news. After some exploration, he finally mastered the skill of controlling his body.
“Are you planning to change back?” There was a hint of reluctance in Ellyad’s tone, and sensing it, little Thrett replied, “This form is quite convenient. I think I’ll maintain it for now.”
“Yeah,” Ellyad nodded knowingly, and little Thrett quickly added, “But just temporarily, just for a little while!” Not wanting to admit it, Ellyad seemed to prefer this small and cute appearance, which made Thrett couldn’t help but feel jealous of his own changed body.
As they walked for a while, little Thrett peeked out from Ellyad’s scarf at the bustling people on the street celebrating the First Snow Festival and casually remarked, “It’ll snow soon, won’t it?”
“Yeah, the first snow of the year should be coming soon, maybe later… uh.” Ellyad’s words trailed off as he suddenly felt his legs go weak and stumbled a few steps, nearly falling in the bustling street.
“Are you okay?” Unable to support Ellyad, little Thrett could only cling tightly to his ear and ask worriedly.
“It’s nothing,” Ellyad mumbled, propping himself up on his knees, then quickly straightening up and changing the subject, suggesting, “It might snow later, let’s find a place to stay for now.”
“Oh, okay.”
Little Thrett quietly watched Ellyad’s profile, wanting to ask something but unable to find the words. Although Ellyad noticed Thrett’s gaze fixed on him, he silently pulled the scarf higher, seeming to not want Thrett to ask too much.
—Unfortunately, there were more and more, and deeper and deeper, things Thrett wanted to know about Ellyad.
Wanting to know his real name, wanting to know his birthday, wanting to know about his past, wanting to understand him more; this desire to possess Ellyad grew stronger day by day. Even if Ellyad didn’t want to talk about it now, Thrett hoped that one day he would be willing to open up and share.
The two found a small inn to stay in. It was still a bit early for dinner, but Ellyad decided to go down and sort it out. Because of the grand festival, the restaurant downstairs was crowded with people. Even just trying to get downstairs took quite a bit of effort to navigate through the crowd. If they waited until the dinner time, they might not even be able to leave the hotel.
Ellyad placed Little Thrett on a low coffee table. “Thrett, can you wait for me in the room?”
“Why?”
“There are too many people downstairs, I’m afraid you might get lost in the crowd.”
“Not going to happen.” Thrett naturally refused. Although it was just a short distance, if he could stay close to Ellyad, he intended to continue nesting on Ellyad’s shoulder.
“But it’s really a bit dangerous like this,” Elyad feared that the tiny Thrett would get lost in the crowd and end up being trampled.
Ellyad slowly took a few steps back, and Thrett suddenly realized that Ellyad had intentionally placed him on the table earlier. Because this way, if Ellyad left quickly, Thrett wouldn’t be able to catch up with his short legs.
Thrett was always overly protective of Ellyad, so when he took on this appearance, it naturally aroused Ellyad’s strong protective instincts.
“Then I’ll go first.”
“No, wait for me!” He hurriedly jumped off the low coffee table, rolling a few times on the floor when he landed, then immediately got up and dashed desperately towards Ellyad at the door with his tiny steps.
“Pff, hahaha!” Ellyad finally couldn’t hold back, covering his face as he burst into laughter. Ever since he first saw Thrett in this form, with his tiny insect-like steps, and then seeing Thrett’s panicked expression as he desperately tried to keep up just now, Ellyad couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Why are you suddenly laughing so much?”
“Because you’re just too cute, Thrett.” Unable to resist Thrett’s charm, Ellyad crouched down, lifted Thrett up, and placed him inside his scarf, patting his head, agreeing to let him come along.
“That’s the spirit. Even though I look like this now, I’m still strong.” Thrett puffed out his chest, vigorously patting his own chest to emphasize his point.
It seemed like Thrett’s miniature form had indeed affected his demeanor slightly, but his intentions were still the same as always. Ellyad once again burst into laughter, covering his face, and said with a smile in his voice, “Alright, alright, I believe you.”
Feeling underestimated by Ellyad, Thrett puffed up his cheeks, buried his head in the scarf, and secretly bit Ellyad’s scarf to vent his frustration.
“This first snowfall…” Ellyad couldn’t help but smile, murmuring softly in his heart, “It’s so wonderful to be able to spend this snow season with Thrett.”
—
Ellyad sat alone on a chair outside the inn, with a bowl of freshly bought hearty soup and a baked potato generously sprinkled with spices on his lap. Since the inn’s restaurant was crowded with people, he decided to eat in the open space outside.
At first glance, Ellyad seemed to be quietly dining alone, but in reality, he was leisurely chatting with the miniature Thrett sitting on his shoulder.
As the sky gradually darkened, nightfall slowly descended.
At this moment, the dark sky suddenly flickered with bright spots as the first snow began to silently fall. These were the tears shed by the goddess Elena, announcing the arrival of the first snowfall of the year.
The people on the street instantly erupted into cheers, each one lifting their heads to gaze at the beautiful night sky.
As the snow of light danced, resembling twinkling stars, some of the cold light spots fell into Ellyad’s palm. He held out his hand, and the snow, glowing faintly, melted instantly in the warmth of his palm.
“It’s snowing. Let’s go back,” Ellyad said calmly, contrasting the joyful atmosphere around him. He stood up, ready to walk back to the inn, showing no interest in the annual beauty before him.
Suddenly, Ellyad let out a low whimper, then crouched down to the ground. Little Thrett hurriedly patted his cheek and asked, “Ell, what’s wrong?”
Ellyad waved his hand but didn’t get up. He leaned against the wall by the roadside, slumping down, his face pale, his breathing irregular and erratic, clearly not well.
“Hey, Ellyad!” Little Thrett immediately crawled out of the scarf because Ellyad had already collapsed against the wall, slowly tilting towards the ground.
With Thrett’s small body, he couldn’t support Ellyad, and he’d risk being squashed. He quickly jumped out of Ellyad’s scarf, intending to revert to his original form to support him, when suddenly a pair of hands reached out. Lena gently held Ellyad’s shoulders, stroking his hair with great tenderness, and helped Ellyad upright, leaning him back against the wall.
“That was close. You appeared just in time,” Lena said, rare in not acknowledging Thrett, not even surprised by Thrett’s appearance. She simply wore a pained expression, once again gently comforting the unconscious Ellyad
She turned to Thrett and said, “I probably won’t be able to take shape again after this. Although it’s not a good option, I have to entrust this child to you now.” With that, a white light began to emanate from between Lena’s fingers, and her figure gradually dissipated. In the last moment, she kissed Ellyad’s forehead and then disappeared completely, with a face still showing an expression of impending tears.
Thrett silently reverted to his original form, his hand stroking Ellyad’s pallid face.
“Is there even a need for you to say that?” Thrett draped the cloak over Ellyad and lifted him from the ground. While Ellyad found comfort in Thrett’s small form, only his original form could truly embrace him like this. So, for now, Thrett chose not to return to that weaker body. He wanted to be the pillar that could support Ellyad, to hold him close.
