Another Tagalong

"Alright, let's go get something to eat and let them keep arguing here." Issui walked straight out of the tree hole.

"I think you should just let it go. Anyway, that Nicole isn't with the Elf Clan anymore. Let's just leave it at that and everyone go home," Flavi said to the elderly elves. If it weren't for their advanced age and the many contributions they had made to the Elf Clan, she would never have tolerated their insolence.

Flavi followed Issui out of the treehouse, ignoring the old fogies. She didn't want to stay there for another second; if she stayed any longer, she figured she'd become as decaying as them.

As soon as Issui stepped out of the treehouse, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Looking closely, he saw it was the tall, beautiful elf. Her eyes were red from crying, and she looked like a delicate flower in the rain. Issui felt a little guilty. "If you're going to cry, just cry. Why did you have to come to me?"

"Your Highness, is Nicole truly the child born from the union of a demon and an elf?" The tall, beautiful woman looked at Issui with a resentful gaze, her voice trembling slightly, as if she were about to burst into tears if Issui didn't answer.

"Yeah... what's wrong?" Issui said slowly. Damn it, don't you dare cry in front of me! Doesn't that imply that I'm the one who caused your death? You're trying to kill me!

"Waaah... How could this be..." Upon hearing the chorus of Issui, the tall, beautiful woman burst into tears.

Issui quickly covered her mouth. "Sister, are you trying to kill me? What have I done to deserve this? I didn't step on any flowers or attract any butterflies. I'm a perfectly good boy. What's wrong with you? If you want to cry, just cry. Why are you grabbing my clothes and not letting me leave? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Don't cry, tell me what's wrong, and I'll help if I can," Issui said quickly, then released his hand from her mouth. It wasn't that he didn't want to let go, but his palm was being bitten by the beauty's little teeth. Although he was physically strong and this minor injury wouldn't affect him, he wasn't a masochist. Although being bitten by a beauty felt good, it would eventually ruin him.

"Um, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't hurt you, I'm just so heartbroken. Fini such a wonderful girl, how could she be a descendant of a magical beast? Nobody believes it, even though it's been so many years, everyone has accepted Nicole's existence, everyone loves her very much. But the elders are saying they want to kill Nicole and things like that, what should we do?" The tall, beautiful elf sobbed, looking at Issui with hopeful eyes, hoping he could give her some good advice.

"Oh, don't worry, she's in a very safe place now. I was just looking for some fruit for her. Could you help me find some? By the way, I still don't know your name. What should I call you? I can't keep calling you 'beauty,' can I?" Issui patted the beauty's shoulder to comfort her.

"Really? That's great! I'll take you to find something to eat. Remember, my name is Anya, Anya Shulia. Come with me." Anya stopped Issui's hand and ran directly to the base of a tree, then muttered a few strange phrases.

"Wind Soaring Technique!"

Anya gave a shout, and a gentle breeze lifted her and Issui up. They flew upwards along the tree trunk, gradually reaching a height of over thirty meters above the ground, before finally stopping on a branch beside a closed tree hole. The wind beneath their feet gradually dissipated.

"Alright, this is it. Let's go inside. This is my room; no one will come in."

Anya followed the branches to the tree hole, then uttered a strange incantation, and the door opened automatically.

Issui had no choice but to follow Anya into the tree hole. As soon as she entered, Issui smelled the sweet fragrance of daffodils. The whole room was very feminine, decorated with small white flowers of all sizes, and various exquisite decorations woven from green vines filled the room.

Anya glanced at the Issui of eyes and realized she had been too hasty and had forgotten to find out more about the matter. What should she do? A blush spread across her face, making her radiant with charm.

The two stood there blankly for a long time. Finally, Anya bit her lip and put away the embarrassing item. Then she ran into a storage room, took out a small wicker flower basket, and filled it with all kinds of colorful fruits that looked so delicious that they made one's mouth water.

"Um... take these to... Nicole to eat," Anya said haltingly, handing the fruit in her hand to Issui.

"Ah... okay, do you want to see her? I can take you with me." Issui scratched his head and said. He was also embarrassed. He had stumbled upon such a thing. Although he was a little excited, he was mostly embarrassed. If Anya wasn't here, he would have seen that thing. But since she was obviously here, even if he was thick-skinned, he couldn't help it.

"Can I go too? That's great!" Anya excitedly grabbed Issui's shoulders and said.

"Okay, I'll take you there." Issui grabbed Anya's arm and silently chanted to enter the Sumeru World.

Anya felt the scenery before her gradually blurring, and a strange force pulled at her body, making her feel as if she was about to be torn apart. But in an instant, she arrived in a place different from the original hut. Before her eyes was a lush green meadow, colorful flowers, and a simple hut. Of course, there was also Nicole and a strange magical beast staring blankly at each other on the grass.

"Nicole, so you're here! I was so worried about you!" Anya saw Nicole, broke away from the Issui, ran to Nicole's side, and hugged her tightly.

"That's great, boss! I knew you cared about me the most. I thought you would think the same way..." Nicole burst into tears and sobbed loudly in Anya's arms.

"How could that be? You're my little Nicole. Even if you're a descendant of a magical beast, I don't care. Besides, you don't look like a magical beast at all. You're a real elf girl," Anya said gently, rubbing Nicole's head.

"Yes, as expected, Big Sister is the best to me. It's just that I can't stay in the Elf Clan anymore." Nicole felt a pang of sadness at the thought of not being able to continue living in the Whisper of the Wind Spirit Tribe where she grew up.

"So what are you planning to do in the future? You definitely can't stay in the Elf Clan anymore. Although your sisters don't care much about your background, after all, we've been together for so many years, some elves are still threatening to kill you, especially those stubborn elders, who are making a lot of noise about it," Anya said worriedly.

"Yeah, I'll stick with that guy from now on. He said he doesn't hate me and likes me, so I'll go with him. I have nowhere else to go anyway," Nicole said, pointing to the Issui of three people behind Anya.

"Really? You've misunderstood, haven't you?" Issui said softly.

Anya, observing their expressions, knew her neurotic sister Nicole had misunderstood. Issui's "like" was just a normal kind of affection, not the romantic kind between lovers. Nicole, however, interpreted it as Issui liking her, and so she clung to Issui. Nicole's fierceness was well-known in the Whisper of the Wind Spirit; almost no elven man had ever expressed love for her. And precisely at this most critical moment, Issui said he liked her and took care of her—of course she was willing.

"Your Highness, please take good care of my younger sister. Although she's a bit eccentric, she's a very good person," Anya said sincerely, bowing to Issui.

"Ugh, what a hassle. Okay, I got it. Don't worry, she'll be perfectly fine here with me."

Issui felt both helpless and incredibly satisfied. He was helpless because he was bringing home another burden; who knew what Hinata might do this time back in the Hokage World? What a hassle! But he was satisfied because Nicole was a stunning beauty, and now he had another gorgeous little girl in his family.

"Hmph, don't worry, boss lady. If he dares to treat me badly, I'll make him eat his words." Nicole raised her little fist to Issui.

"Hehe..." Anya couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. Her younger sister wasn't like a girl at all; she was more like a tomboy, and she was often thick-skinned and prone to overthinking. She figured this divine prince would have no shortage of trouble in the future.

"Ouch..." Issui pressed his hands to his forehead and closed his eyes. He was speechless at Nicole's antics. Was this how you threatened your boyfriend? Her punch was no joke. Issui wasn't a ninja specializing in Taijutsu. Even a casual strike from Nicole would probably seriously injure him. He'd probably have to be constantly on guard when doing "that" in the future, otherwise, he'd end up getting crippled by her while doing it, which would be too frustrating.

Flavi emerged from the tree hollow where Mach lived and found that Issui had suddenly disappeared. This made her somewhat disappointed and resentful. Didn't he say that he wanted me to come out with him to find some food? How come he disappeared as soon as we came out? Damn it!

After questioning many elves, both male and female, Flavi finally learned from a female elf that Issui had been taken away by a woman named Anya. Anya was the same female elf who had led Flavi and Issui to meet Mach; she was tall and gentle. Flavi felt as if her beloved toy had been stolen. "Hmph," she thought, "That Anya is no good either. She seems so proper on the surface, but she's a sly fox spirit who managed to seduce Issui. How despicable! No, I must find them. I'm not satisfied."

Flavi learned of Anya's tree hollow from a male elf and quickly went to find it. Soon, Flavi arrived at Anya's treehouse, but unfortunately, the door was Imprisonment by magic. However, this was no problem for Flavi, whose cultivation talent was exceptional. She simply chanted a few incantations towards the treehouse, and the door opened automatically.