"Elffolk?"
Zeng Mu froze for two seconds, then covered his ears with both hands, as though checking whether something had gone wrong with his hearing.
"You heard correctly. I'll say it again: I'm one of the Elffolk from the north. Like the Fulin Taiyou People, we're a race born of genetic mutations, though we're slightly different," Okelo said.
"That really is surprising. It reminds me of a story about a pig and a dog."
"A story about a pig and a dog? What story?" she asked curiously.
"One day, a pig turned into a dog, and a dog turned into a pig, but nobody knew. So the butcher slaughtered the pig that had originally been a dog for meat, and used the dog that had originally been a pig to guard his home. Anyway, the point of the story is that reality was turned upside down, just like it is now."
"That story isn't funny. It's even a little offensive."
Zeng Mu spread his hands. "Don't get me wrong. It's one of the stories an old friend told me. Apart from picking up girls, that fellow's only talent was making up all sorts of bizarre stories for other people. I just happened to be one of his regular listeners."
"In that case, I suppose your story can be forgiven."
Okelo rose after speaking and looked him straight in the eye. "All right, it's late. You should get some rest, Viscount Nameless. Today must have left you exhausted in both body and mind, hasn't it? Whatever else you have to say, we can discuss another time, all right?"
"But..." Zeng Mu stood too and made one last attempt. "I'd still like to learn more about the Soul-Returning Cult. Their goals, for instance, and why they founded the cult, as well as