Chapter 743 Rey's Sendoff
'How time flies…'
Rey smiled to himself as he stood by himself, facing a crowd of Elves that had escorted him to the very edge of their Community. He had wanted to take a small walk on his last day here, and it seemed everyone was somehow made aware of that.
The Young Ones, Elders, and Esteemed Elders all gathered in his presence and took the walk with him until he got to the Community's boundary.
Then, looking at all of them now, he couldn't help but smile.
'The past few days have been a mixed bag. It's been fun learning even more about the Elves and exploring their land a little, but it's also been…' Rey set his eyes on one of the two people that stood in front of the crowd.
It was Esme.
'... Awkward.' They hadn't really spoken ever since she told him she needed space from him, and he didn't think they were going to say anything before he departed. They often relayed communication through eye signals, or by using Kara—who was currently right beside Esme—as an intermediary.
'Kara and Esme will be staying behind to continue the work I started here. They'll also be overseeing the exploration and exploitation process in the land.' That meant, despite the three of them arriving in the Community together… only he would be returning.
Rey reckoned he might have to bring in more workers at a later time, but he couldn't just bring strangers into Elven Land—especially when they had just gotten used to Kara and Esme.
'For now, we'll use Golems and Elementals for the tasks, while Esme and Kara will manage.' Rey, of course, would do his best to remain in the loop of things, so the whole thing was supposed to go smoothly.
'And in the case of another Dragon Invasion, I'll be sure to look out for any signs…'
Having done all he could on his part, making all the preparations necessary for his absence, Rey reckoned he had nothing left to do in the Elf Community. In fact… that had been the case for over a day now.
Yet, he had intentionally delayed up until this moment for two major reasons.
The most obvious one was that he was hoping to somehow make up with Esme before he left, but since he decided not to push too hard—out of consideration for her feelings—the efforts at reconciliation had to come from her.
And it didn't seem like she planned to do that anytime soon.
Then, as for the second reason—
'I'm nervous, no, scared, about seeing Alicia. I… I don't even know what to say when I see her.' His thoughts were slightly convoluted regarding her case.
Alicia had found out in the worst possible way that Rey was Ralyks, and that he was secretly strong. Afterward, she fell into a coma—unable to properly process all of that information.
'Unlike the others, who had enough time to digest everything while I was in a coma, this is like the opposite.' And that was what frightened Rey the most.
It was why he had hung around the Elf Community for so long, even after he was supposed to have returned home by all logic. However, since there was only so much escapism he could employ, Rey was finally able to deal with his feelings and sort out his thoughts.
He was now ready to face whatever waited for him in the Capital.
"Once again, I'm grateful for the sendoff." Rey spoke to the crowd of cheering Elves, who cheered even louder once he spoke.
He no longer needed to use his scent to command obedience. The mere fact that he saved them and ended the war that would have caused their destruction—at least, according to them—meant he was already a savior in their eyes.
His allies—Esme and Kara—were also viewed similarly, though with less reverence than Rey himself. Despite being a Half Elf, there was no discrimination against her any longer.
When Rey asked about the reason for their sudden change in treatment towards Esme, still suspecting that they were only being nice to her because he was still around, he got a single response.
"The Oracle has touched her. She is pure."
Rey remembered The Oracle indeed touching her, so perhaps that changed something about Esme. However, for all he could see, she looked the same. Her Status Window also labeled her as a Half Elf, so there was no real difference.
Still, the fact that Esme was now accepted by her people made him glad.
'Even though she can no longer be The Oracle and help them from above, she can still help them right here.' And that was most likely enough for her.
With Esme now slowly integrating herself into Elven Culture, and the progression of their plans for the Eastern Continent underway, Rey once again thought this was the perfect time to depart.
'I gained a lot of things, but I also lost quite a few as well…' It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he received consolation by telling himself that the mission was never meant to be straightforward. Hence, he had to take his victories with his losses.
~VWUUUSH!~
A sparkling portal opened up behind Rey, with distortions affecting the space around him.
"FAREWELL, SIR REY!"
"WE'LL MISS YOU!"
"COME BACK SOON!"
Cheers and words echoed in the air like chants, and it warmed Rey's heart the moment he was about to depart.
Then—
"Master Waaaaaaiiiiiiittttt!!!" A loud voice suddenly pierced the air, causing everyone in the bustling crowd to fall silent almost instantly.
"Wait for me, Masteeeeeerrrr!"
The voice was loud, but it was difficult to discern its location.
Was it coming from the left? Right? Behind? Forward? No… none of those things. The echoes that permeated throughout the Community had only one point of Origin—
"Masteeeeerrrrr!!!"
—Above!
Landing right in front of the slightly stunned Rey was the Symbiote Slime, Emil.
Her soft, round body bounced with finesse as soon as she scored the landing, and she jumped to Rey's face the moment she appeared before him, having wide open eyes with tears streaming out of them and a bright smile on her face.
"I've missed you so much, Master!"