Chương 55: What's That Long-Eared Thing?

It was the bottom of a wet forest slope. Kichan was lodged between broken branches and wet fallen leaves. Several branches above him had snapped, and a small stream passed between stones to one side. Kichan checked for the third time that his back was intact. No wings, no light, no strange ring above his head. Only his back hurt.

"Ah." A twinge ran through his waist when he moved.

"Did I really fly?" The image of the Tower Master's face came back — raising his hand and being unable to make anything. Kichan opened his dirt-covered hand. He had struck the magic circle, and the mana itself had shattered. Beside him, Dust tapped a leg. Yes. Kichan glared at Dust.

"You saw?" Dust tapped a leg again. Yes. The water droplet went pop at the end of his sleeve. It spread round like a shield, then shrank again. Kichan felt even worse. His brow crumpled, and his dirt-covered hand stopped in midair.

"Don't make faces like you two know everything among yourselves." The forest was quiet. No city sounds — instead, the sound of a small stream flowing not far away. The trees were tall, the leaves thick. The fallen leaves on the ground were wet. Kichan barely stood up. His legs were not completely intact, but he could walk. That was when a voice came from above.

"This is the first time I've seen a human fall out of the sky with wings." It was in a tree. Someone was sitting on a thick branch directly above where Kichan had fallen. Long ears and a deep green cloak were visible through the leaves, and one hand held something like an oblong fruit. Below it lay a massive beast. Its chin rested on its front paws, and only its golden eyes rolled toward Kichan. A sabertooth tiger. Kichan looked at the sabertooth tiger first, then at the elf in the tree.

The elf spoke with very clear eyes. It was not even a smiling face, which made it feel worse. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Normally, birds do that. But you are ugly for a bird and loud for a human." Kichan was silent for a long moment. Only his mouth hung slightly open.

"…What?" The elf nodded.

"It's a compliment. You made a very fine landing." Kichan searched for his wake-up rod. It was beside him. Fortunately, it was not broken. He leaned on the wake-up rod and looked up at the tree.

"You come down." The elf bit into the fruit.

"No. How could I go before a person I've just met?"

"Then should I come up?"

"That also seems dangerous." Kichan looked at the sky for a moment, then back at the elf.

"What's your name." As if waiting for that, Riphiel placed a hand on her chest.

"I am Riphiel. In the forest, I am also called Leaf."

"Never mind." Riphiel's mouth shut briefly, then she pointed straight down.

"And the beautiful friend below is my sabertooth tiger. You do not need to know its name yet. Because you might get bitten." The sabertooth tiger yawned. Kichan backed away.

"Where is this." Riphiel looked down from the tree.

"Beside the elf village." Kichan closed his eyes. A sigh came out.

"Of all places."

"Of all places? Ordinarily, humans are not even qualified to fall beside our village. You bypassed etiquette through the method of falling from the sky, but it is interesting nonetheless."

"I'm not interesting."

"That is not for you to decide." Kichan pressed his forehead. He had thought he'd escaped human authority. He had gotten away from the queen, the palace, the Magic Tower, the temple, the soldiers — and one elf sitting in a tree was more exhausting than all the humans. Riphiel jumped down, and the sabertooth tiger rose as well. Kichan reflexively raised his wake-up rod. Riphiel raised both hands.

"I have no intention to attack. Not yet."

"Leave out the yet."

"Then it would be a lie." Kichan was at a loss for words. The water droplet stood up like a blade at the end of his sleeve. Riphiel's eyes sparkled.

"Oh. The water is more polite than you. It shows its weapon first."

"It's not polite either." Dust climbed onto Kichan's shoulder and looked at Riphiel. Riphiel looked at Dust too.

"And what is that?" Kichan answered immediately.

"A thief." Dust tapped a leg. Yes. Riphiel's eyes widened further.

"Excellent. You are a winged crash-landing human, your water is a blade, and the creature on your shoulder is a thief."

"Don't summarize."

"Accurate records are the foundation of survival." Kichan looked at the sky.

"Why is every place like this in this world?" Just then, something like a bell rang from deeper in the forest. For the first time, Riphiel's expression shifted slightly. Her mischievous eyes darted toward the deeper forest. Kichan did not miss it.

"What." Riphiel mounted the sabertooth tiger.

"The village likely saw you fall as well."

"They saw?"

"You fell from the sky while shining noisily. Frankly, if they didn't see it, their eyes are decoration." Kichan closed his eyes. Riphiel spoke very brightly.

"Congratulations. You are an agenda item."