Present.

Lake Kingdom, Zone 8. [Warzone].

"Kruk... Krruk..."

The Orc Emperor Daimark knelt on the ground, pierced by spears all over his body, his accompanying orc army annihilated.

In contrast, Kali-Alexander was unscathed. Unbeknownst to many, his elite guards had gathered around him.

Ten Goblin Amirs.

Two thousand five hundred Goblin Janissaries.

Even in life, the elite guard that accompanied the Goblin God-King had succeeded in thwarting the surprise attack by the Orc Emperor.

Though three Amirs fell and five hundred Janissaries were lost, the victors were the Goblin legion.

"The rest of my forces have been dispatched, but do you think I am a fool to send these, my own hands and feet?"

Daimark gasped for air, and Kali-Alexander spoke calmly.

"The reason I chose to establish my base here was for its extensive underground space, ideal for hiding troops. You walked right into the trap my men had their eyes wide open for."

"Kruk... Always acting so superior to the end..."

No- in fact, Daimark knew.

He had suspected that the main Goblin force had withdrawn, leaving the possibility that the guard remained here.

He risked it anyway, thinking now, with the absence of the tens of thousands of the main force, was his biggest opportunity.

But the reality was defeat.

"Damned goblins... numbers I can't beat..."

It wasn't just the numbers.

The Goblin God-King, the Amirs, and the Janissaries moved so meticulously in their thousands that it was hard to believe they weren't one body.

Daimark had to admit it. They were stronger than him and his army.

Daimark laughed hoarsely, blood pooling in his mouth, "Well, better to die fighting cleanly than live crushed under vermin like you."

"Surrender now, Daimark. Then at least your remaining legions may live on as slaves."

"You dogs that chase the back of a wagon."

Daimark sneered disdainfully.

"Just fighting on instinct, to kill and burn. Until the end of the world, till the very last piece to kill and burn is gone."

"..."

"Warriors without purpose, need, or pride, merely killing for the sake of killing... you are the true monsters."

Daimark roared, attempting to rise.

"But better for all my legion to die today than to live on as slaves to the likes of you-!"

The Orc Emperor mustered his final strength, swinging his fist as strong as steel, but...

It didn't reach.

Dozens of spears hurled by the Janissaries pierced Daimark's body.

Kali-Alexander's scimitar plunged into the Orc Emperor's neck, spewing green bile.

Thud!

With a blunt sound, Daimark's thick neck was cleanly severed.

"..."

Standing quietly, Kali-Alexander watched the Orc Emperor's corpse, then gave a low command.

"Redirect a portion of the dispatched legions to attack the Orc stronghold. Leave none alive."

The Amirs and Janissaries bowed their heads and swiftly departed the area.

That's when one of the Amirs approached Kali-Alexander and spoke.

"Krik, great Kali-Alexander. The elite guard's loss is significant, but with the Orc legion withdrawn..."

"...you mean we lack the strength to hold back 'Nameless'?"

Nameless.

The guardian of the Lake Kingdom, standing against the invading Nightmare Legion.

The Orc legion was originally tasked to confront her, but now that circumstances had shifted, their support was unlikely.

"There's no helping it. Our regular soldiers won't even be able to hold her back..."

Kali-Alexander let out a weary sigh.

"...It falls to me to oppose her."

Kali-Alexander was unaware.

Daimark's rebellion, the resulting absence of the force to face Nameless, and the conscription to fill the gap.

He didn't foresee the butterfly effect this would create and the impact it would have on the war that followed.

***

One week remained until the next defensive battle.

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

Awakened by the distant chirping of birds, Lilly slowly opened her eyes.

"Mmm..."

It was morning. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, spattering the bed. The faint scent of wood and the soft air...Lilly blinked blankly at the ceiling.

'Huh?'

The ceiling looked unfamiliar.

No, not just the ceiling. The feel of the pillow, the texture of the blanket, the scent in the air. Everything was different from the bedroom of her alchemy workshop.

"Where is this... Ah, my head."

Attempting to rise, Lilly pressed her hand against her throbbing forehead.

A hangover. She vaguely remembered drinking excessively the night before...

'Who was I drinking with? Ah, Godhand...'

They had luckily acquired Sunflower Honey Liquor and drank it together in the Shadow Squad’s quarters. She remembered exchanging drinks in a good atmosphere.

'And then...?'

As Lilly's head, still not fully clear, turned to survey her surroundings, her gaze drifted to the side.

"...?!"

And there she discovered.

Right beside her, under the same blanket, lay a man with green hair - Godhand, peacefully breathing in and out. His profile looked endearing but... no, that wasn't the issue at the moment!

That's when Godhand, who had been twitching, slowly opened his eyes.

Their eyes met.

Lilly, her face turning red with panic, stammered, but Godhand, barely opening his eyes, smiled softly at her.

Lifting his upper body with a grunt, Godhand extended his prosthetic hand and swept Lilly's disheveled bangs to the side, then whispered.

"Did you sleep well, Lilly?"

"..."

"Last night... was nice."

Unable to hold back any longer.

Lilly screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Kyaaaah?!"

...She was not yet ready to accept reality.

***

"I, I did it...!"

In the annex of the lord’s mansion, the Shadow Squad’s quarters.

Quickly dressed and sitting at the dining table, Lilly held her face in her hands, trembling.

"I really did it, I...!"

Memories of the previous night were beginning to resurface faintly.

They had been drinking and the mood was quite pleasant. Lilly had been hoping that today they would move beyond just holding hands.

They almost kissed once before, but Ash caught them and scolded them, and since then Godhand hadn’t progressed beyond holding hands because he seemed to be disheartened.

But Godhand still smiled happily holding hands, and eventually, an angry Lilly had kissed him first...

'But, I didn’t expect... that we would go further in just one night...'

She trembled with shock, but after all, she was the one who initiated the seduction... even if she did borrow the courage from the liquor...

That's when Godhand approached with two cups in hand.

"Lilly, are you okay? Here, have some honey water."

"Ah... thank you."

The warm honey water eased her headache a little. As Lilly gulped down the honey water, she glanced at Godhand.

Godhand was looking at her with eyes dripping with genuine sweetness. Embarrassed, Lilly’s face flushed and she turned her head away quickly.

So embarrassing! The whole situation!

"You know, don't you, Lilly?"

Then Godhand spoke up. The flustered Lilly blurted out anything that came to mind.

"Uh, well, yes? What are you talking about? Oh, the mole on your side? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Not like a dot or something... And if you're talking about that, Lilly also has a dot on her back..."

With flushed cheeks, Godhand caught his breath with a cough and shyly uttered.

"Elves... they stay with the first one they give their purity to for life."

Godhand extended his prosthetic hand and subtly took hold of Lilly's hand.

"Now, I am... only yours for life."magic

"...?!"

"Please take care of me from now on, okay?"

Drip-drop.

The honey that fell from Lilly's lips trickled back into the cup.

"...Yes?"

No, no, lifetime? What's he talking about?

Godhand kindly explained to the bewildered Lilly.

Elves mate for life with only one partner, and because of that, they love cautiously. But once they do fall in love, they dedicate everything to their partner with utmost devotion.

So, in essence..."...We have to get married?"

"Well, that's one way to put it."

"..."

In front of a stunned Lilly, Godhand continued to speak.

"I'd like to have two or maybe three kids. It'd be even better if it's a daughter that resembles you... What should we name her? We should probably decide on that in advance..."

Mumbling to himself, Godhand twisted his body this way and that. Lilly, watching him quietly, slowly opened her mouth.

"Godhand."

"Yes?"

"I'm really sorry, but."

Lilly stated firmly.

"Marriage is out of the question."

Crash-

As if such a sound could be heard, Godhand's face froze in shock.

"Wh-What? Why? If you love someone, marriage is the natural next step!"

"No... it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. Dating and marriage are separate things..."

"And, and you took my first! Are you saying you'll have your fun with me and then discard me?!"

"Th-That's a bit harsh! I do like you! But that's just romantic feelings, marriage is a whole different matter!"

"By the World Tree, my goodness! Humans really are promiscuous!"

No. This is also my first time properly dating a guy. And now I get called promiscuous.

With her head in turmoil, Lilly managed to compose herself and calmly spoke to Godhand.

"Godhand. You are an elf, and I am human."

"So?"

"You'll still be young and handsome even after 50 years, but I won't. I'll become an old, shriveled granny."

"But you'll still be beautiful. I will still love you."

...I almost fell for that line just now.

As Lilly wavered like she had been struck by a critical hit, Godhand delivered a follow-up blow.

"Even if you die and only your grave remains, I will guard it for a lifetime, reminiscing about you. That's how elves love their partners. And I, I want to choose you as my lifelong mate."

Godhand's prosthetic hand tenderly stroked Lilly's hand.

‘Gulp! Hang in there, Lilly! You are the senior mage of the Monster Frontline! Even if a formidable enemy is in front of you, keep your wits about you!’

Barely holding onto her flying consciousness, Lilly spoke sternly.

"Okay, let's say we do get married. Then we'll probably have children, right?"

"Yes. They'll be cute, just like you."

Godhand beamed with happiness at the mere thought. Lilly shook her head slightly.

"If you're an elf and I'm human, that child would be a half-elf, right? You know very well what kind of treatment half-elves receive in this world, don't you?"

"..."

"They experience things far worse than the discrimination elves face. I don't want to see my child suffer discrimination from birth just because of the blood inherited from their parents."

In this world where different races faced persecution, half-breeds faced even greater discrimination.

They were shunned by humans, of course, but even other races wouldn't treat them as their own kind.

Neither human nor other race, just an outsider drifting about. In this world, that's what being of mixed blood meant.

"I do like you, Godhand."

Lilly tried to offer a warm voice to the silently brooding Godhand.

"But love and marriage are different matters. Marriage is... reality. It's something that can't be solved with just feelings of fondness..."

"...You never know until you try."

"There are some pains you know of even without having to crash headlong into them."

Lilly pressed firmly down on her immobile legs with her hands.

"Godhand. This world doesn’t kindly accept 'differences'."

Even simply moving around in a wheelchair had drawn stares she had never experienced before.

Being human and acquiring a disability later in life was hard enough, but the children born from their potential mixed union...

"If I live with you, I'll be happy. But our children, they will be unhappy."

"..."

"I like you. Really, I do. This is the truth. But... marrying you is a different issue."

Godhand slowly bowed his head. Lilly looked at her lover with eyes full of sorrow.

That's when it happened.

"...Sorry to interrupt the serious mood."

Knock-knock—

The sound of knocking came from the entrance of the annex.

Both startled, they looked over to see none other than Ash, leaning against the door with a lopsided stance.

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Ash blurted out an excuse.

"I’ve been here for a while, but you didn’t notice. It felt odd to just stand by, so I thought I’d make my presence known."

--TL Notes--

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