You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

……

In the tavern, Farrell looked at the drunken Yosuke, sighed softly, reached out and gently patted Yosuke's face, and whispered, "Oh well, maybe this is fate."

She had originally planned to go to the front desk to book a room for Yosuke, but just as she was about to leave, a thought flashed through her mind:

Having said that, I've drunk quite a bit, so it's normal that I don't want to go home and stay here, right?

Given that, it's quite normal for two people who know each other well to share a room in order to save money, right?

It's not surprising that something might happen between a lone man and a lone woman, right?

"Hello, my friend and I need to stay somewhere... are there still rooms available?"

"Yes, guest, there are still quite a few rooms upstairs today."

"Hmm? With so many people today, there's probably only one room left at most, right?"

"What are you talking about? There were clearly still rooms available today—yes, there's only one left!"

With a grin, the signboard girl put away the gold coins and watched as Farrell helped Yosuke Shimazaki upstairs. She couldn't help but think, "What a heavy taste," but didn't dwell on it and went about her own business.

The appraiser had been lost in thought the whole way, but when she finally arrived at the door and opened it, she instantly calmed down.

Yes, no problem! Haven't you already studied it many times in the book?

This guy is completely drunk and won't be a problem... Yes, that's the plan!

Tonight, she will transform into a demon!

……

"Damn it! I knew those books were all lies!"

The appraiser collapsed to her knees in despair, tears welling in her eyes, her red-rimmed eyes making her look like she had just broken up with her boyfriend.

However, the reality may be even more disheartening:

"That's absolutely impossible! Who said drinking leads to promiscuity? That's complete nonsense! It's outrageous! It's ruined people's lives!"

What should I do?

Suddenly, two voices resounded within her, one like a whispering demon, its voice filled with seductive power:

At times like these, one should muster the courage to put the knowledge in their mind into practice, trust in their body and charisma. Even someone who is mentally confused can be 'awakened' as long as the sensory stimulation is adequate!

—This is so shameful!

Miss Farrell covered her face, feeling utterly ashamed of her own thoughts.

Just then, another gentle, bright, angelic voice rang out:

Damn it! I'm just as cunning whether I'm awake or drunk!

This guy was born to be thoroughly humiliated by me! Drag him back and use him as a Star Fury! Fight! Fight! Fight!

— Do it!

Pharrell's eyes changed; she no longer hesitated.

A real woman doesn't just talk about taking someone down; when that thought even crosses her mind, she's already done everything she needs to do!

The appraiser climbed onto the bed, straddled Yosuke, and pinned him beneath her, her slender fingers groping for the man's belt—

"Far...Rel...San?"

"..."

They looked up and exchanged a glance.

Bang!

Memory Erasure Magic (Physical)!

Chapter 552 The Lonely Elf at the Pass.

Deep in the quiet forest, a rustic wooden house is surrounded by lush trees, with vines climbing its roof, as if it has blended into nature.

The door to the wooden house opened gently, and a silver-haired, pointed-eared elven girl—at least that's how she appeared—slowly stepped out. She looked young, but her deep eyes revealed the wisdom and experience of years.

The elven girl held a delicate wooden box in her hands, its surface engraved with intricate elven runes and emanating a faint magical aura. She handed the box to another elf standing outside the door—Cui.

The golden-haired royal elf looked serious at this moment, showing no arrogance despite his status. On the contrary, he was very respectful, even deferential.

Interestingly, Cui is actually a very young elf, while the hermit she is visiting is a rare "elven sage," a special individual who is "exceptionally long-lived even among elves."

Unlike humans who value the present, elves firmly believe that a great calamity occurred in the distant past, causing the entire world's civilization to decline. In order to revive the once great civilization, they crave ancient knowledge, collect ancient relics and magic books from all over the world, and preserve them.

Gradually, it developed into a cultural tradition, or even a hobby.

The elves spent countless centuries on this task, and recently (in their timeline), the royal family recalled all the elves who were away, intending to conduct a phased compilation and organization. Only Emerald remained outside, carrying out the necessary search work.

The "sage" she visited this time was not under the control of the Elven royal family, but rather a so-called "remnant race".

Some tribes perished in war or natural disasters, and the remaining peoples scattered in various places during the chaotic times, surviving in the form of secluded villages—these are the remnants of the elves.

After the world situation stabilized, many of the survivors integrated into human society or returned to the elven kingdom, but some individuals adapted to a secluded life, such as this silver-haired girl.

Her age is immeasurable, but she is at least much older than Cui's parents. Even the kingdom's sages say, "She was already there when we were born." She is probably the oldest elf at present, and some even suspect that she is an old... sage from a previous era.

The silver-haired sage didn't know how much longer she had to live. Over the years, she had been organizing the knowledge she had accumulated and the magic books she had collected throughout her life, and gradually handing them over to the Elf Kingdom for safekeeping. She herself had no bloodline descendants, and her disciples had all died of old age long ago.

Cui treated this sage with utmost respect, and the other party did not act arrogantly because of his age, though his voice was slightly cold... but that was probably just because she was not in high spirits.

Is it because I'm getting old, or am I just not fully awake?

"Thank you for your assistance and contributions over the years. Father said that the invitation from back then is still valid, and you can return to the Elf Kingdom at any time. The Grand Librarian of the Royal Library will always be under your name."

Cui was equally beautiful, but unlike the silver-haired elf's youthful appearance, she had a more mature demeanor. Her long golden hair was tied into a ponytail and placed in front of her, with a few strands fluttering gently in the breeze.

“I’ve been to so many places, now I don’t want to go too far from home… Do you really want to take it?”

The silver-haired elf's voice was soft, tinged with a hint of reluctance.

Her fingers gently traced the surface of the wooden box, as if she were caressing a precious treasure.

Cui nodded, her gaze resolute: "Yes, I must take it with me; this is also your wish."

"yes……"

It wasn't about going back on one's word, but for the elves, it felt like forgetting their own lives—a process that left them feeling incredibly empty.

Especially for sages who live off meetings and old things~

But she also knew that it would be a real regret to let this knowledge and memory be buried with her in these mountains and forests, so even though she was reluctant to part with it, she did not actually stop it.

The silver-haired elf remained silent for a moment, then finally released her grip and handed the wooden box to Cui.

A complex emotion flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it, and then said softly, "I can't say much, but... I hope you can take good care of it."

“Every record you leave behind will be permanently preserved in the Royal Library, and your past will never fade.”

Cui took the wooden box, felt the powerful magic contained within, and bowed her head deeply.

The silver-haired elf nodded and said nothing more. She stood at the door of the wooden house, watching Cui turn and leave.

Cui's steps were light and quick. The silver-haired elf watched her back, a faint sadness in his eyes.

"Bye now……"

The silver-haired elf's voice was almost carried away by the wind, ending with a name, but no one heard it except the wind.

Cui didn't turn around, but waved goodbye. She didn't want to be affected by this sad atmosphere—perhaps because the magic was too powerful, the elementalist deeply loved this silver-haired elf, and her emotions could form a spiritual realm like divine magic.

This is why she chose to live a secluded life; if she were to let her thousand-year-old sorrow emanate in her sleep, ordinary people might be hypnotized and given a mental suggestion.

Cui's figure quickly disappeared into the forest path, leaving the silver-haired elf standing alone in front of the wooden house, quietly gazing into the distance.

"Today... there's nothing much to do either~"

A gentle breeze carried away her whispers. The silver-haired elf turned and went back to the cabin, closing the door as if shutting out the noise and chaos of the outside world.

……

Cui followed the forest path and finally received the sage's gift, the most valuable of all the magic books she had collected, which filled her with anticipation.

After leaving the forest, she arrived at a small village. The village was full of life; children ran and played in the streets, while adults were busy in the fields, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

Suddenly, Cui's gaze was drawn to two children playing. The boy had short purple hair, while the girl had long, flowing red hair. They seemed to be siblings, chasing and playing together.

Cuiwei was taken aback:

It was clear that these two children had a good reserve of magic power, and they also seemed to have undergone martial arts training... It was quite rare to start elite education at such a young age in a human village.

"It's really interesting..."

Cui murmured to herself, not paying much attention. After all, it was a place where sages lived in seclusion, so it was normal for some miraculous things to happen.

She didn't linger long and continued walking out of the village. The wooden box in her hand radiated a warm magical power, which she then stored in her magical space.

……

A few days later, she arrived in a bustling town. The streets were crowded with people, vendors were hawking their wares, and the air was filled with the aroma of various foods.

Cui strolled through the streets, feeling the vibrancy of the town. Most elves prefer quiet forests, but having lived in the human world for a long time, she could also find enjoyment in them.

Suddenly, a melodious harp tune caught her attention. The elven girl looked in the direction of the sound and saw a bard sitting on a street corner, holding an ancient harp, surrounded by a crowd of listeners.

"Ah~ Even goddesses can't help but shed tears..."

The poet's voice was deep and magnetic, telling a story about a "hero and an elven magician".

Strictly speaking, it should be a traditional plot about a hero defeating a demon king, but the male and female protagonists, who are the core, have a strong presence. The demon king is just a background character, and the focus is entirely on the budding romance between the two, as well as the experiences and growth of the hero team.

"...When we first met, she said, 'An elf's true name cannot be revealed to a stranger, so please call me by the name of a flower.' And the boy, who had yet to know what love was..."

Cui stopped and stood on the periphery of the crowd, listening quietly.

"That hero was named Sinnell, a brave and fearless warrior!"

And that elven mage possessed boundless wisdom and magic!

The poet's voice flowed gently, as if taking the listeners into that distant era.

Together they went on countless adventures, from dark forests to scorching volcanoes, from the deep sea to towering snow-capped mountains. They fought side by side, trusting and relying on each other, and were the people who understood each other best!

However, fate always seems to enjoy playing tricks on those of us who have no power to resist…

The poet's voice gradually lowered, tinged with sadness, as he narrated the adventures of the hero's party and their battle against the demon king in a chanting style.

"...After his final adventure, the hero decided to leave behind his adventurous life and return to his hometown to live a peaceful life. His beloved, as an elf, had a long and endless life and could not adapt to the pace of human life. They made a promise to meet again in the not-too-distant future."

The music suddenly stopped, stirring everyone's emotions.

"However, this separation lasted for decades, and the short human lifespan passed by in a flash..."

In the end, Sinnell died alone, while the elven magician always wore the ring he had given her, symbolizing their eternal love.

However! However!

The two never had the chance to meet again... The white flower with a slightly yellowish tinge and long, tube-like blooms that people see in the wild now is the name of that elven magician.

From then on, the flower's meaning became 'the one who watches over' and 'the love that was missed'.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you have someone you like, don't hesitate, confess your feelings now!

Because all humans can grasp is the present, if you don't want to lose her (him), then say it out loud!

The poet's story came to an end, and the surrounding audience sighed, some even wiping away tears. Everyone felt sorry for the two former companions and saddened by their missed connection.

However, Cui frowned, a look of disapproval on her face.

"Humans and elves? Are you kidding me?"

Cui muttered to herself, a hint of disdain in her voice.

She didn't believe the story was true. First, elves and humans have vastly different worldviews and perspectives on time. Second, the two races don't live together on a large scale; elven communities are highly independent, making it almost impossible for any cross-species love to exist.

Then, and most importantly, elves are basically monogamous for life. Once they choose a partner, they will not change their vows until the death of one of them. Even if they lose their partner, they usually will not betray their vows, but will live out their lives alone.

This is why elves don't associate with short-lived species.

Their instincts told them that mating with humans, whose lifespan is no more than a hundred years, would be the beginning of a tragedy.

In fact, that's exactly the direction the story just took... The difference is that the male and female protagonists didn't even make it through their short marriage of a mere few decades.

"That guy... doesn't look human at all, he must be a long-lived species."