Lista Council

Perhaps because it was closer to the north, it seemed colder here than on the northern shore of Lake Inoma, and the snow had yet to melt completely.

Elufiel noticed a wooden birdhouse placed in an unnamed tree in the front courtyard. A medium-sized bird poked its head out and stared fixedly at her—the look in its eyes was far from friendly.

"Whew—" The mage let out a sharp whistle. The eagle-like bird flew from its nest, circled for a while, then landed on the mage's arm. It had a pointed beak and sharp talons. Around its neck, instead of soft feathers, were feather-like scales resembling blue-and-white gemstones, while the crest standing on its forehead looked like a tiny golden crown.

It was a fierce bird of prey, but by an elf's standards, it was so beautiful—

"Cute." Elufiel instinctively moved closer to the mage.

Odovish lowered his arm slightly and used his other hand to stroke the raptor's back with a little force, seemingly warning it not to attack. "Sandel, a Golden-crowned Thunder Eagle. You can pet the feathers on its back."

The elf placed her hand on Sandel's back. Its feathers were not soft; they were hard, but remarkably smooth. Her fingers deftly combed through a small patch of feathers, and the thunder eagle's golden crest twitched before slowly flattening against the back of its neck.

"It seems it doesn't reject you, but be careful. Sandel doesn't have the best temper." Odovish gave his arm a shake, and the thunder eagle flew back up and slipped into its nest.

"There's hot water inside. Take a bath first, then get some proper sleep." As he spoke, Odovish opened the front door. Beyond it lay a lavish yet understated hall. An exquisitely carved staircase split in two and curved up to the second floor. The dining room and reception room stood on opposite sides of the house, while a massive painting of a castle hung in the middle of the staircase.

After leading the elf upstairs, the mage did not linger and hurried away. Watching his retreating back, Elufiel once again sensed his restraint. It seemed he did not like this place.

She suddenly remembered that he had said he was once imprisoned beneath the Council's mage tower. This must have been that mage tower. After years of imprisonment in endless darkness, no one would enjoy returning to such a place.

Letting out a deep breath, Elufiel shook off those heavy thoughts. Odovish was not so fragile that he needed her comfort; such sympathy would be nothing short of an insult to the mage. Having sorted it out, the elf began exploring the empty manor.

Would opening a closed door reveal a ghost inside? The facts proved otherwise. Odovish's house was so clean that there was not even a trace of dust. In the kitchen, Elufiel found only a cupboard full of empty bowls, cups, and plates—not even half a slice of bread.

"Liar. What happened to the promised fried pork cutlet?" After bathing, the hungry elf, her hair still half wet, furiously punched the hard marble counter. At that moment, she had completely forgotten that Arle had taken the entire porcupine back with him. It would never have appeared here—not even its corpse, much less a prepared fried pork cutlet.

Outside the window, the Golden-crowned Thunder Eagle, which had flown out at some point, cried out twice, as if mocking the elf's childish behavior. Elufiel stood, smoothed her skirt, and walked into the courtyard.

Since there was no ready-made food, she could only make something herself. Luckily, there was still some tender wolf meat in her pack. Well, it was tender wolf meat from many years ago, but... it was probably still edible.

Elufiel set up a fire and began roasting wolf meat right in the mage's courtyard.

At first, the thunder eagle merely circled warily at low altitude. Then the elf summoned Flower Feather Parrots, Red-tailed Parrots, Miniature Parrots, and a whole flock of other avian pets, mixed among them two penguins and a silly, adorable hatchling wearing an eggshell that looked more like a dinosaur.

Thus, when Odovish returned home, he found an aviary on display. His Sandel was happily gathered with a flock of birds around the elf, eating roasted meat. What a harmonious sight.

Lista Council

Lista meant a hidden behemoth, a gigantic monster capable of turning invisible. During the Golden Age of Arcane arts, alchemy produced something known as Lista Dust Crystal, whose effect was invisibility. Once one understood that, it was not hard to see why the Council had chosen the name Lista.

Even Odovish himself did not know why the elf had pulled him over to sit down. In the garden that now resembled a zoo, they held an informal conversation while barbecuing.

The elf's questions were casual, asked on a whim—things she saw, things that interested her, things she did not understand... As Odovish spoke, he gradually put aside the things that had been troubling him. The elf seemed to possess a special kind of magic, one that allowed him to see warm sunlight through his gloomy oppression.

Elufiel tossed away the last bit of wolf meat in her hand. A dire wolf pup immediately leaped up and snatched the half-cooked meat in its mouth. The frostblade leopard cub beside it rammed straight into it, and the two fluffy creatures tumbled to the ground together. The pitiful piece of wolf meat fell from the dire wolf pup's mouth, only to be snatched away by a small white grain-eating bird...

Odovish patiently watched a group of "animals" from who knew where fight over a piece of unappetizing-looking wolf meat less than a foot away from him, while the elf beside his left hand lazily stroked a tabby cat in her arms.

At that moment, a starry sky like one adorned with gemstones shone over the silent valley. The mage tower's barrier glimmered with a faint radiance, as though echoing the stars. Elufiel's figure was reflected in Odovish's eyes, and her green pupils were even more dazzling than the night sky.

"Eluer," Odovish called.

"Hm?" Elufiel tilted her head. A feather—seemingly shed from some parrot's tail—slowly drifted down between them. The elf waved her hand and carelessly brushed aside the obstructive feather.

Just before speaking, Odovish changed what he had intended to say. "Are all these... little animals your pets?"