Chapter 181: The Meaning of a Companion

Chapter 181: The Meaning of a Companion

For Pokemon, time is not a luxury.

It wasn't until winter arrived, blanketing the entire Barum in a layer of snow, that Luk, who had been discussing magic with Furiel, realized another year had passed.

Furiel yawned sleepily. The onset of winter had put her into a semi-hibernation state, increasing her sleeping hours. Once she experienced the warmth of a cozy bed, she didn't want to leave it, and her waking time became even later.

Luk put down his work and shook her gently, "Cheer up, Furiel."

Furiel replied, "I think we should do the right things at the right time. It's fine to spend three to five years on flight magic."

Luk sighed, "Don't be so stubborn. Didn't we agree to complete the magic this year?"

Furiel remained silent. As the main researcher of flight magic, her pause naturally slowed down the progress.

Luk had no choice but to return to his daily routine, conducting magic and physical training, and reviewing the problems he encountered with flight magic in the evenings.

The world of magic was profound and mysterious, and the more he learned, the more he realized his shortcomings.

After finishing his exercise, Luk, steaming from head to toe, walked into the bathroom. As expected, he sensed a gaze from the shadows.

Ever since Trella successfully stripped Luk, she had been well-behaved for a while, but soon reverted to her old ways, becoming even more audacious and starting to engage in peeping.

Luk understood how to deal with such a "giant in thought but a dwarf in action." As long as she didn't cross the line, she was a troublemaker. If she did, she became docile.

After being teased so many times, Luk gradually figured out the pattern. As long as he showed a serious side, Trella would back off, so he let her have her way.

After all, she had already seen and touched him enough and wouldn't really do anything more.

Closing his eyes, he let the hot water wash away his fatigue, enjoying the pleasure of a winter hot spring bath.

In the rising steam, a sense of drowsiness washed over him, making him feel sleepy.

Using his magic to sense, Luk felt a figure approaching from a distance and stopping beside him. He ignored it, continuing to enjoy his bath.

After a while, the person beside him couldn't hold back any longer.

"Hey, a beautiful and elegant young girl is sharing a bath with you, and you just close your eyes and do nothing?"

Luk ignored Trella's taunts and didn't react to her sneaky hands until she really went too far, then he stopped her.

"Talk, talk."

Trella waved her hand in front of Luk's face and called out a few times. Seeing no response, she kissed his cheek.

Luk opened his eyes, momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness, and turned his head, speaking slowly.

"Put some clothes on, and then we can talk."

"Aren't you afraid you won't be able to control yourself if you look?"

Trella placed her hands on her hips and laughed triumphantly. The movement caused ripples in the water.

Luk replied calmly, "Since I was fourteen, all kinds of people have climbed into my bed, including noble ladies."

Her laughter abruptly stopped, and Trella pouted, "You don't mean to tell me some woman has already succeeded, do you?"

Luk deliberately remained silent.

His silence seemed to confirm her suspicions, and her lips curled downward, her face growing cold.

"Boring." She bit her lip, relaxing her body, and a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes.

"I was planning to say a proper goodbye before I left, but I didn't expect to hear something like this. Really boring."

Luk was stunned, a sense of foreboding rising in him, making his heart skip a beat.

"What do you mean by leaving?"

"Do you think the daughter of a royal city noble can stay in another noble's house forever? Noble children are just tools for political marriages; we have no choice."

Trella glared at Luk, her face pale. "If it weren't for my father's indulgence, I wouldn't have been able to stay with the Campbell family for so long. Staying this long is the result of my efforts."

Luk was speechless. He had been so focused on magic that he hadn't paid much attention to the intricacies of noble life. Now, it seemed like she was right.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Sorry doesn't change anything. As soon as I return to the royal city, my family will arrange a match for me, making me choose from a group of good-for-nothing scoundrels. After a few disgusting and tedious dates, I'll be engaged and finally forced into the chapel."

Trella's voice carried a deep, sad undertone. "I've tried so hard to make you like me. I've done everything I can. Even today, I only wanted to give you my most precious gift, hoping you would change your mind."

"But why did you tell me about your past? Are you trying to get me to give up on you?"

Luk was thrown off by her accusations, stammering, "That's not what I meant—"

"Then what did you mean?"

"I didn't touch those people." Luk explained uncomfortably. "They were either maids from my house or noble ladies who snuck in. I always politely asked them to leave."

"Talking about this now is pointless. Whether you touched them or not, the key is that you don't like me, and I'm leaving tomorrow."

Trella buried her head in her arms, curling into a ball, her body trembling helplessly.

Luk felt his mouth go dry, his heart racing. "Actually, I don't dislike you—"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Could you be more specific?"

Trela didn’t look up, her voice tinged with a sob.

"It means... I like you."

Luk took a deep breath, his tone hesitant and conflicted, "But I’m an immortal. Being with a human isn’t a good idea. What will I do when you’re gone?"

Time seemed to freeze, but a burst of joyful laughter broke the silence.

"I don’t know the answer to that. All I know is that I want a partner who will always be young."

Trela’s body stopped trembling. She looked up, her cheeks free of tears, and gave Luk a mischievous wink and a playful smile.

Luk stood there, stunned, before he finally reacted, "You were faking it?"

"Three parts true, seven parts fake. I’m only eighteen, just at the right age for marriage. My family is anxious, but they wouldn’t force me to marry right away. But I’ve been working hard to stay here, and that’s true."

Luk fell silent, unsure of what to think.

"You already admitted you like me. No take-backs."

"Okay."

"Let’s talk to Lady Roine about our wedding soon."

"Okay."

The short, simple responses dampened Trela’s excitement. She swam over, touching Luk’s cheek, "What’s wrong?"

Luk’s face was pale. He spoke honestly, "Nothing, I’m just a bit angry, but I can’t be angry at you."

He couldn’t start a fight with his lover right after confirming their relationship.

Trela thought about it, her fair cheeks flushing with a rosy hue.

She hugged Luk from the front, lowering her head and placing his hand on her chest, her voice barely above a whisper, "I’m sorry, I did something wrong. You can be angry, but in a different way."

Luk, dazed, covered his eyes with his other arm.

The temperature of the hot spring was a bit too high, making even the elf feel parched and his blood boil.

Then, the surface of the hot spring began to ripple, long and steadily.

...

Winter days were blurry. Fyllian rubbed her eyes, a bit surprised to wake up naturally.

Today, she wasn’t woken up by Luk to study magic, which was highly unusual.

"What’s going on? Is Barum about to be destroyed?"

After a silent complaint, Fyllian got up, washed up quickly, and headed to the laboratory, where she found Luk with a peculiar expression.

His brows were slightly furrowed, his body more relaxed than usual, and his face showed a mix of nostalgia, reminiscence, and hesitation.

Such a complex mix of emotions was rare for an elf, and Fyllian, curious, asked, "What’s going on?"

Luk jumped as if startled, quickly standing up from his chair and relaxing only when he saw it was Fyllian.

"Nothing, just thinking about some things."

"About magic?"

"Not exactly, uh... is it...?"

"What is it? Tell me."

This unusual behavior piqued Fyllian’s curiosity. "I promise I won’t tell anyone."

"It’s like this."

Luk, blushing, began, "I have a friend, also an elf, who recently asked me if there’s a reproductive barrier between elves and humans."

Fyllian thought for a moment, "As far as I know, there should be."

"Why ‘should’?"

"When the elf village still existed, this topic was only taught to children when they turned four hundred."

"Four hundred years old and still considered a child!"

Luk’s expression became particularly vivid.

Fyllian gave him a curious look and continued, "I wasn’t taught this knowledge before the elf village was destroyed, so I can only infer from books and real-life situations."

"Given the current number of elves, there is likely a reproductive barrier between elves and humans."

"Would you ever consider a human as a partner?"

Fyllian shook her head, "I haven’t thought about having a partner."

"You might meet someone great," Luk thought of Simer, "someone powerful, gentle, and considerate."

Fyllian’s face remained unchanged, a bit puzzled by the question.

"From a literal standpoint, a partner is someone to spend the rest of your life with. The first consideration should be lifespan, not strength or personality. A human who will die within a hundred years isn’t a good choice."

"Elves are among the longest-lived immortals. If you must choose a partner, it should be another immortal, which is the most practical goal."

Luk’s face clouded with worry as he looked out the window at the clouds, "That makes sense."

After a moment, he looked back at Fyllian with renewed determination.

"Before, did you think it was possible to develop flight magic?"

"Theoretically, it’s not possible..."

"But we’ve made significant progress and can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Fyllian propped her head up, "What are you getting at?"

Luk thought for a moment, then smiled, "Nothing, just that practice reveals the truth. Maybe choosing a human partner isn’t so bad after all."

Fyllian, "It’s your choice."

"Once I’ve experienced it, you can come to me if you have any concerns in this area!"

"No, I won’t," Fyllian replied calmly, "I will never have that problem."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end