Chapter 202: Win and Loss

Chapter 202: Win and Loss

Rain had started falling outside at some point, the cold droplets invading everything in their path.

Trela lay in bed, feeling a subtle pain in her joints and a tightness in her chest. These were common symptoms of old age, even for someone who had never done any heavy labor.

Time showed no favor to the powerful or the weak.

The door creaked open slowly, and a cool, damp breeze followed the footsteps into the room.

Trela, hearing the noise, propped herself up against the headboard and smiled.

"Back already?"

"Mm-hm."

Luk walked to the bed, took off his coat, and sat down at the edge, looking dazed.

Trela noticed something was off about Luk as she looked at him closely. Despite his stoic expression, someone who had known him for a lifetime wouldn't be fooled by appearances.

"What happened? You look like a puppy that just lost a fight."

"I didn't lose."

Luk replied gloomily, "I won."

After Mahat's suicide, Luk had lost control and used every means at his disposal to slaughter all the remaining demons in the city.

The Corrupt Sage, the Bloodstained War God, and the remaining Seven Collapsed Sages and Great Demons...

The door to the Demon King's throne remained tightly shut, impervious to any attack magic. Even with his foresight, he couldn't see a way to open it within the next two hundred years.

Apart from a few scattered demons and the missing Omniscient Xelhardt, the only demon left in the upper echelons was the Demon King himself.

"But to me, you look like you just lost a battle. What did you do?"

"I eliminated all the Great Demons except the Demon King, but I didn't achieve my goal."

Luk stared out the window, the dark, rainy night reflecting his grim mood.

"When Amir joined the army, I thought he wasn't cut out for it. I saw him as a naive idealist, unaware of the cruelty of war, dreaming only of a bright future for himself and the world."

"But I also thought that if I joined the army or became an adventurer, I could definitely defeat the Demon King and bring peace to the world."

Luk lowered his eyelids, a heavy aura lingering around him.

"Great people often have a bit of pride, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. And you just accomplished a great feat."

Trela consoled him softly.

"No, I'm more arrogant than you think."

Luk shook his head slowly. "I always thought I was the protagonist, born with a noble mission, destined for a bright future, an indispensable part of the world."

"Everything would make way for me, and anything that stood in my path would be destroyed. Challenges were just temporary tests, and nothing was beyond my reach. The world's great deeds awaited my completion, and countless achievements lined up for me to claim."

"But now, I can't even prolong your life a little longer."

Upon hearing this, Trela didn't feel disappointed or resentful. Instead, she seemed to relax.

"You've finally given up, and that's good."

She smiled genuinely.

"I always thought you were living more and more unlike yourself. You became increasingly anxious and panicked, and these emotions grew with my age. Now, you can finally return to who you are."

Luk had no words to counter her, for the situation was as she described.

"Let's head back to Barum tomorrow morning. I miss home after these few years out."

Trela lay back on the bed and closed her eyes.

"We've already wasted too much time. We can't afford to waste any more."

...

It took them four years to travel from Barum to Eorde, and the return journey, though they didn't stop to enjoy the scenery, still took a year or two.

While still in the Northern Kingdoms, they encountered a rare half-century meteor shower, a once-in-fifty-years event.

Luk, who had seen such scenes in his foresight and Grasoum's dreams, didn't find it particularly beautiful. However, Trela's eyes welled up with tears.

Fifty years seemed like a fleeting dream. The scenes from their wedding were vivid in her mind, and it felt as if she were still a young bride in her wedding gown yesterday.

She couldn't help but take Luk's hand. Her withered, dark hand contrasted sharply with the elf's clean, strong fingers.

At one point, she had been anxious, irritable, and restless, but now she was exceptionally calm. She even squeezed his hand, drawing his attention.

"Is it possible to create a meteor shower with magic?"

"It's not a big problem if it's just an illusion. After all, human perception is easily deceived."

Luk thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want to see a meteor shower every day?"

"Who wouldn't love a beautiful sight?"

But Trela shook her head. "But then it would lose the anticipation of waiting. I think it's better this way."

...

After passing through the city fort of Var, they entered the Central Kingdoms. On their journey back to Barum, an interesting event occurred.

In the Granz Strait, they unexpectedly ran into the little girl who used to sell flowers. Now a middle-aged woman, she called out "Big Brother" upon seeing Luk, causing everyone around to look at them with peculiar expressions.

"I just thought you looked familiar and blurted it out. It really is you."

The middle-aged woman looked quite emotional. "Forty years have passed, and you still look the same, Big Brother. Elves are truly enviable."

Luk didn’t have much to say to the woman he didn’t know well, just nodding in acknowledgment.

  Trela, on the other hand, was delighted to strike up a conversation, despite the past disagreements, now feeling the warmth of an old acquaintance.

  “Long time no see. How have you been these past years? Still selling flowers?”

  The middle-aged woman shook her head. “Selling flowers isn’t a popular profession anymore. I’m squatting now.”

  “Squatting?”

  “Finding the best spots to watch the sunrise and then offering them to couples when they come by.”

  “Doesn’t that mean you have to wake up very early? Is your body up to it?”

  The woman sighed. “I don’t have any special skills, so I have to find a way to make a living. Unlike you nobles, who have everything handed to you. Ah, I didn’t mean to offend.”

  “No problem, I understand.”

  Trela smiled and pulled out some money, handing it to her. “I’ll take your spot.”

  “No, no.” The woman pushed the money back. “It’s just a spot. I’ll give it to a friend I haven’t seen in forty years. Consider it a gift for a long-lost reunion.”

  Her eyes sparkled with envy. “I never thought that after forty years, you’d become a grandmother and still be together with your partner.”

  Trela chuckled and glanced at Luk. “I have good taste.”

  The woman nodded in agreement. “So do I.”

  Thanks to the woman’s generosity, Luk and Trela enjoyed a beautiful sunrise from the best vantage point.

  Afterward, they parted ways, each continuing with their lives.

  ...

  Upon returning home, Trela seemed to have regained her energy, looking much better than she had during the journey.

  She meticulously cleaned the house, managed household affairs, and prepared meals for Luk. In her free time, she would drag him to the theater in a carriage or take leisurely walks around the city, enjoying a peaceful and stable life.

  Days turned into weeks, and before they knew it, it was Trela’s seventieth birthday.

  Luk had prepared a lot for the day. He invited Anri to celebrate with them and personally made a birthday cake, which looked and tasted fantastic, the result of many practice sessions.

  Trela loved sweets, and she ate more than half of the cake. Anri, who was like a son to her, made her even happier, and she glowed with health and vitality.

  “Here’s your gift.”

  Anri presented the portrait of Luk from years ago. Thanks to good care, the painting was as exquisite as ever, with the elf depicted vividly.

  “I thought hard about it, and besides Uncle Luk, you don’t seem to have any particular favorites, so I could only give you this.”

  Anri added, somewhat embarrassed, “The artist who painted it is no longer around, and his son didn’t inherit the skill. Unless it’s a masterful artist, it’s best not to have it restored easily.”

  “Thank you, I love your gift.”

  Trela happily accepted it. “I wanted it back then, but I didn’t take it because Lady Roine cared so much about it. Now it’s finally mine.”

  Her gaze turned to Luk. “What about your gift?”

  Luk pointed to the birthday cake.

  “This doesn’t count. You didn’t just prepare this, right?” Trela raised an eyebrow.

  Luk pursed his lips and pointed to the sky.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Following his finger, a soft sound came from outside, and colorful fireworks exploded in the sky, their beauty mesmerizing and setting the birthday celebration to a high note.

  “Not very original... but it’s passable.”

  That night, Trela rarely drank some sweet wine, her spirits high as she chatted with Anri and Luk for a long time. She only retired to her room when she felt a bit drowsy.

  Luk had planned to have Anri stay overnight, but he shook his head with a wry smile, indicating he couldn’t stay.

  “Is there something you have to go back for?”

  Anri sighed, his tone serious. “There might be a war coming.”

  “A war?”

  “Tensions have been rising ever since the demons took over Ered. Countries have been clashing, and the situation is getting more and more tense. Although the war hasn’t started yet, it’s likely to come soon.”

  With the external threat gone, internal conflicts were about to begin. The only lesson humans learned from history was that they never learned from it.

  As the head of the Campbell family, Anri couldn’t stay out of the conflict if war broke out.

  “Be careful.”

  Luk hesitated for a moment, though he didn’t want to be disturbed, he still offered, “You can come here if you need to hide.”

  “Understood.”

  Anri glanced at Trela’s room, his expression darkening slightly. “How much longer?”

  Luk didn’t answer the question, silently seeing him off.

  Afterward, he walked down the corridor to the room’s door, only then speaking the answer.

  “One night.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end