Chapter 542 Will he also participate?
Sebastian furrowed his brows when he heard Wesley's question. Not only did he, but the other elves behind him also turned their attention to the old elf who had asked the question out loud.
They followed Wesley's gaze when they saw a solemn expression on his face. But no one could describe Sebastian's shock when he saw Yue clinging to an unknown person. He clenched his chest and asked out with a furious expression.
"Who the heck is that!? No matter who it is, how dare he touch Yue!"
"I won't-!"
His words were abruptly halted as he emitted a pained cry when Wesley struck him on the head with a fed-up expression.
"I already mentioned for you to be quiet!"
Sebastian's expression paled as he massaged his head and let out a cry filled with bitterness and frustration.
"But, but Yue-!"
This time, Wesley made no attempt to silence him and simply seized his shoulder before tossing him towards the other young elves behind him with dark eyes.
"Ensure he remains silent, or else all of you will face the consequences in his place."
The elves glanced at each other, and in a flash, one of them muffled Sebastian's mouth with his hand to quiet the struggling man. Then, like Wesley, the group of elves behind him also started observing Yue and the overly handsome silver-haired human beside her with curiosity while the pair in question chatted without a care.
Meanwhile, Yue let out a smile as she scrutinized Kyle from head to toe to take in the sudden change in his appearance. She pouted and grabbed his hand upon noticing a few eyes focused on him, especially from the females.
It was somewhat expected, even though he was only wearing plain clothes without any designs; his handsome features made the clothes look luxurious on him. Yue glanced at Kyle's hair and reached out to touch them with a smile.
"You cut them short? The longer ones weren't bad either, you know. Well, it's not like the shorter ones are bad..."
Kyle raised his brow, sensing a hint of regret in her voice as she gazed at his hair and reached out to touch the tips. He leaned down slightly so she could touch and whispered softly.
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed? Wesley and the other elves are looking at us."
Yue blinked at his remark, lowered her hand, and leaned closer to reply.
"I did even before I reached you... I wanted them to watch so I wouldn't have to explain much about you, and they would automatically understand."
Kyle gazed down at her long fluttering lashes, which looked beautiful, and he let out a hum in response, not fully focusing on what she was saying. Yue moved back when Wesley called out to her and mumbled under her breath.
"It seems the old man ran out of patience."
Kyle watched as the smile on her face vanished, replaced by a composed expression as she turned to look back at Wesley, who raised his hand to wave at her.
Yue waved back at the old elf and reached out to intertwine her hand with Kyle before the duo walked toward Wesley together.
Wesley's eyes narrowed at their clasped hands, and even though he had an inkling of what was happening, he still asked Yue to confirm his suspicions while gazing at the silver-haired man beside her.
"This is...?"
Behind him, after struggling for a while, Sebastian managed to remove the hand that was stopping him from speaking and shouted loudly through gritted teeth.
"Who is this man!? I want to know too-!"
The elves around him swiftly quieted him before Wesley could scold them, but they were also keeping their focus on Yue and the silver-haired man. They were curious to know who he was because it was hard to believe that Yue, the elf woman they had seen as distant and unapproachable, had suddenly acquired a man overnight. But what unfolded next left not just Wesley but all of them stunned; even Sebastian ceased his struggle as his eyes widened at the silver-haired human who shamelessly encircled his arm around Yue's waist and pulled her closer to himself.
Kyle opened his mouth and answered Wesley's question instead of Yue.
"Her partner."
Yue's face flushed as the atmosphere around her grew quieter. She could sense it without even looking around; right now, every single person around them, whether elf or not, had their eyes fixed on them.
Wesley's eyebrow twitched as he glanced at Kyle's hand. It was wrapped around Yue possessively, as if attempting to erase any distance between them. The old elf rubbed his temples, uncertain of where to start... should he ask how Yue found a partner or why she brought him here? Eventually, he released a deep breath and looked at Yue with a serious expression.
"I understand it's not my place to meddle, but I hope you have an explanation."
Yue quickly peeled Kyle's fingers from her waist and stepped away from his cold yet comfortable embrace. She cleared her throat with a composed look.
"I understand. Let's talk."
Wesley nodded and turned to Kyle.
"Stay here and refrain from interfering."
He then proceeded towards an unoccupied table placed at the far end of the area, away from prying eyes. Yue glanced at Kyle and, after giving him an okay sign indicating that she would handle everything and he need not worry, she followed the old elf.
Wesley set up a barrier around the table to ensure privacy and took a seat before motioning for Yue to sit across from him. He fixed his gaze on her, waiting for her to begin the explanation as she settled in.
Contrary to his expectations, Yue didn't provide any explanation. Instead, she mentioned a few things that ended up giving him a massive headache.
"My partner has just arrived at the Sacred Divine Land and he is unfamiliar with this place. I kindly request your permission for him to stay with me."
Wesley let out a frustrated laugh.
"Just that? How about you first tell me about him a bit? I know I have no knowledge about you because I rarely stay on elven planet. But now that you have proposed him to stay with you, I need to know about him to ensure he isn't an enemy."
He paused for a moment, and a scowl appeared on his face.
"I can't abandon you... not just you, I can't abandon any of the elves who are under me. We are here, including me and the other supreme rank elves, to guide all of you to the Gladiator Arena and minimize casualties as much as possible. Now, you are saying your partner is here, and you want him to join you. Doesn't that mean that me and the others have to take responsibility for his life as well? Also..."
"If he's going to accompany you, will he also participate in the Gladiator Arena?"
Yue fell silent. She hadn't thought this far, but now that she heard about the Gladiator Arena from Wesley again, she knew that if she participated, there was no way Kyle wouldn't. He would definitely join her to ensure her safety. She furrowed her brows and considered the danger of the Gladiator Arena. However, when she gazed back at the silver-haired man, her brows relaxed.
She shook her head. She wasn't sure how strong he was, but he was stronger than Glacia, a transcendent rank individual whom he had killed.
So did he really need protection? Who knows, maybe he was powerful enough to protect himself. Also, she believed that whether to participate in the Gladiator Arena or not, Kyle was capable of making the right decision for himself.
A smile spread across her face as she looked at Wesley.
"It's his decision to participate in the Gladiator Arena or not. There's no need for you to protect him; I believe he can handle it himself. I just want him to follow because he's unfamiliar with this place."
She paused for a moment.
"Now, if we consider the possibility of him being your enemy, do you truly believe that if he were an enemy, he would have revealed himself to you? I have known Kyle for a long time and can assure you that he would never harm others without a valid reason."
Wesley gazed at Yue for a full minute, his expression indescribable. He had already sensed the silver-haired man's rank and knew the latter wasn't a threat, but for some reason he couldn't pinpoint, he felt an overwhelming sensation when he looked into the man's eyes. The old man closed his eyes and released a breath.
Yue awaited his response, and her eyes brightened when Wesley spoke again.
"I will talk to the other supreme rank individuals and let you know tomorrow if he can join us or not."
He opened his eyes, stood up, but before leaving to contact the other supreme rank individuals, he glanced at Yue with a solemn expression.
"You still haven't told me anything about him. Regardless of whether he's an enemy or not, he's still an outsider... So, I hope he doesn't cause any trouble because Sebastian is already a handful, and I don't need another useless person under my command."