Chapter 133 Indolent Tail
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"Lord Alistar, are you waiting for something?" Lily asked two days later, noticing Alistar and Edelweiss had not left their inn in Edenthal.
"Yes, actually, we are waiting for a letter from Hoeth," Edelweiss replied, sipping her tea alongside Alistar on the inn's terrace. However, Lily was confused. If they were waiting for a letter, why were they staying in Edenthal? Shouldn't they be waiting in their own region or, even better, in the capital? Besides, they still needed to deliver the titan ores to the capital, didn't they?
"Ahh, my apologies, Lord Lily. Depending on the letter's contents, the king may summon everyone to Hoeth. That's why I suggested that Edelweiss and our retainers wait here."
"In no way were we waiting here indolently because it was a hassle to attend parties at home…." Edelweiss turned her head. Lily looked at her coldly. Finally, Edelweiss confessed her true feelings. Most of Edenthal's populace were tailfolk, and when Lily returned, they mostly greeted her with hugs and congratulations. However, the elves were different. In Edelweiss and Alistar's cases, they would have to attend every single tea party hosted by their vassals or host their own tea parties all day while their vassals swarmed them with questions.
"I am already tired just imagining what the parties in Hoeth will look like," Lily sighed. Alistar and Edelweiss chuckled at her.
"Well, instead of waiting here, how about we all go together to Hoeth now?"
"At least wait a few more days... I'm tired from the dungeon. That was the worst dungeon," Alistar stretched his arms. Of course, that gesture of laziness was forbidden in tea party etiquette, but everyone knew it wouldn't cause an issue, so nobody commented on it. Lily followed suit, going to the restaurant's corner and lying down on the couch there, stretching and yawning like a cat.
"That was a little bit too much," Alistar chuckled with Edelweiss. Lily sat back up properly with a blush. They spent the day like this until a messenger arrived in front of their inn with Lhorne.
"Greetings Lord Lily, Lord Alistar, and Lord Edelweiss. King Garme has summoned us to Hoeth," Lhorne cut his speech short, but the messenger behind him didn't get the message and read out the entire letter.
"Greetings to Lord of Regoia, the herbalist, and Lord of medicine, Edelweiss. Greetings to Lord of Reminiscence, the bulwark of the undead, Lord Alistar. Greetings to Lord of Edenthal, the Lord of sustenance and nourishment, Lord Lily. I am a messenger from the White Town of Hoeth, Knight Elrondor.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"I come bearing news from King Garme, the Light of the Elves, Solum and Luna of Terra. He spoke of the verdant green soil which has been blessed by Sol and Luna to the one beside oneself. We offer our sincerest gratitude to the Lord on your quest to the distant lands. Your quest has been our greatest accomplishment, rivaling the blessing of Sol on our verdant lands.
"Your feat has been recognized by the Lord of Light and the council below them. Your journey has been an utterly grueling task indeed. However, it has paved the way for light to shine, illuminating the darkness as if it marked the dawn of the day. The green solum welcomes the dawn of the day which has been granted by you.
"Upon entering the verdant Solumn, the Lord of Light sought the guiding stars," Lily read aloud from the messenger's letter, interrupting him mid-sentence. She struggled to stifle a yawn and decided to cut him off to avoid having to read the remaining three pages.
"When and where shall we meet, messenger?" she asked abruptly.
"Three more days at Hoeth, Lord Lily," He replied. A slight frown was cast on his face.
"I'll be there. Please tell your king that I have accepted his letter and thank him for his beautiful words. Knowing that King Garme is satisfied with our work has put my mind at ease. May I ask if the titan ores, which are the result of our work, are departing with us tomorrow or with you now?"
"The unmoving ore shall depart with Lord Alistar as his spoil of quest. Thank you for your service, Lord Lily," the messenger said with a stiff smile before saluting and departing. Deep down, I wonder if elves genuinely like this kind of charade or if this long unnecessary speech has some hidden meaning. Then, he saluted, which was replied to by us, and he left the scene.
"Why did you stop him?" Edelweiss asked.
"Did you like the letter, Lord Edelweiss?" Lily responded, looking at her as if she were crazy.
"Well, his intonation was a bit stiff, but his praise was certainly beautiful," Edelweiss replied with a smile.
Lily turned to Alistar with a horrified look. "Et tu, Lord Alistar?"
Alistar smiled and evaded the question altogether. It was unclear whether he liked that cumbersome letter or not. Lily still gazed at him coldly as she found that someone enjoyed that kind of letter repulsive.
"Now that I think about it, you've never formally thanked anyone. Please train yourself to thank someone in the future. It's best to know that such methods exist," Alistar said with a smile. Lily groaned at his remark.
The appointed day arrived, and they set out for Hoeth with everyone who had joined the quest, including Mattheus. Although he was intimidated and asked to be left out, Alistar and Edelweiss insisted that everyone who had conquered the dungeon attend the commendation ceremony. It would be inappropriate to exclude someone for their due honor and reward. Even if that someone was a human.
Lhorne was ecstatic, as this was his second medal. It was rare for elves to receive more than one honor medal in their entire lives, except for those who had defended against the undead at Fort Soleil. Moreover, this medal was from the king himself, which was usually reserved for lords.
Lily, however, was unenthused. The thought of being in a council with the four central nobles made her tired. With a heavy heart, she finally arrived at Hoeth again.