Chapter 53: The God and His Servant.

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The God and His Servant.

"So that damned madman survived..."

Elfin watched with a smile the woman who remained kneeling before him, her head still bowed.

"My family has waited five hundred years for your glorious return, my lord."

"Five hundred years?"

"Yes."

Elfin let out a small laugh.

"Incredible! There are still descendants of that idiot?"

Yndra remained silent for a few seconds.

"I am one of his direct descendants, my lord."

"I already figured that much. There aren’t too many creatures using that surname."

The god began examining her more closely. She possessed certain traits that reminded him of that human he had met five centuries ago.

’Greydell...’

Elfin still remembered that conversation, when that man had knelt before him and promised to serve him until his death.

At the time, Elfin had simply accepted because he figured having a few followers could prove useful.

"Then tell me something, woman."

"Whatever you desire, my lord."

"How did that man die?"

Yndra raised her head slightly.

"Are you referring to my ancestor?"

"Who else could I be referring to, woman?"

"I beg you to forgive my question."

Elfin made an impatient gesture.

"Answer."

Yndra bowed her head once more.

"My ancestor passed away many years after his disappearance, my lord, and according to the family records, he dedicated the rest of his life to preparing the necessary conditions to receive you again."

"..."

"He gathered followers, protected the knowledge related to your power, and established the obligations his descendants were to fulfill."

"And he died waiting?"

"Yes, my lord."

Elfin remained motionless for a moment and then began to laugh.

"That man was completely insane!"

Yndra did not react negatively.

"My ancestor always considered it a great honor to serve you."

Elfin slowly shook his head.

"I told him he had no obligation to follow me, and I even warned him he could end up dying for nothing."

"I know that story, my lord."

"And even so he decided to wait for me until he died?"

"That is how it was."

"What an absurd human!"

Elfin continued laughing for several seconds, but there was something he had to acknowledge.

’At least he kept his word.’

Yndra remained kneeling while she waited for him to finish laughing, and when Elfin finally regained his composure, he looked at her again.

"Then I suppose you’re also following that lunatic’s instructions."

"That is correct, my lord."

"And what do you expect to gain?"

"To serve you."

"What a boring answer."

"It is the truth."

Elfin narrowed his eyes.

"Don’t you want a privileged position when I rule this world again?"

Yndra slowly shook her head.

"I do not consider that I have the right to demand anything from you, my lord."

"..."

"If you decide to grant me some reward, I will accept it with gratitude, but my duty is to help you achieve your goals."

Elfin observed her for a few seconds and then smiled.

"Interesting."

The woman bowed her head once more.

"It is an honor to hear those words."

"Don’t get excited. You haven’t done anything useful yet."

"I understand."

Elfin let out a small sigh.

’She’s definitely a descendant of that idiot.’

"So, what were you doing here?"

Elfin asked, to which Yndra raised her gaze.

"I sensed certain suspicious movements within these grounds."

Elfin glanced briefly at the devastation that remained.

"I suppose the fight caught your attention."

"Unfortunately, I arrived too late to prevent those individuals from attacking your vessel."

"And why should that matter to me?"

Yndra remained silent, and Elfin raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think I needed your help to eliminate those creatures?"

"Of course not, my lord."

"Then stop apologizing for something so insignificant."

The woman bowed her head.

"As you command."

Elfin began walking around her, and Yndra remained motionless.

"How did you know I had returned?"

Yndra took a few seconds to answer.

"We received news of Greydarn Malikor’s death..."

Elfin smiled slightly upon hearing that name.

"Ah, that failure."

"Upon discovering that body had been destroyed, we suspected you might have chosen a new vessel."

"A fairly obvious conclusion."

Yndra raised her gaze toward Draven’s face.

"When I sensed your mana, I understood our suspicions were correct."

Elfin let out a small laugh.

"At least you have some intelligence."

"I thank you for your words, my lord."

"Stop thanking me for every single thing I say."

"As you command, my lord."

"..."

Elfin looked at her with a slightly annoyed expression.

’What a strange creature.’

Even so, he decided to continue the conversation, since after all, the Greydell family could prove useful to him, and besides, Draven...

Elfin looked at one of the hands of the body he was using.

’This brat is surely thinking about how to get rid of me.’

He couldn’t expect much cooperation from his new vessel.

"Yndra."

"Yes, my lord."

"Does your family still retain its resources?"

"A considerable portion of them."

Elfin smiled.

"Excellent."

The woman bowed her head.

"If I may ask, my lord..."

"Speak."

"What are your plans now that you have finally returned?"

Elfin observed her carefully, and Yndra continued.

"My family has waited for this moment for generations, so if we know your objectives, we will be able to prepare the necessary resources to assist you."

Elfin remained silent for a few seconds and then let out a small laugh.

"I see you want to start working immediately."

"It is my duty."

"Fine. I suppose I can explain enough so you don’t commit some stupidity."

The god raised his gaze toward the sky.

"First I need to find the other vessels."

"The vessels of the other deities?"

"Exactly."

Elfin smiled.

"The time has come to start gaining ground in the dispute for the supreme throne."

Yndra inclined her head slightly.

"I understand."

Elfin looked at her again.

"Do you know about that matter?"

"My parents told me about it, my lord."

Elfin made a small sound of approval.

"Then I won’t need to explain something you should already know."

"Of course, my lord."

"Good."

The god seemed satisfied.

"For now, I want you to gather information on the other vessels."

Yndra bowed her head deeply.

"I will carry out your orders."

"And try not to attract too much attention."

"It shall be so."

Elfin smiled and, for a few seconds, remained observing the trees, but then lowered his gaze to Draven’s body.

There was a particular characteristic in his blood that had caught his attention from the moment he met him.

’This brat...’

When Greydarn was still his vessel, he had spent years trying to develop a body capable of withstanding a greater amount of divine mana with insufficient results, but Draven, on the other hand, possessed something different.

A characteristic that Elfin had partially recognized, though he still couldn’t identify its exact origin.

"Yndra."

"Yes, my lord."

"I have another task for you."

"It will be an honor to fulfill it."

Elfin pointed to his own chest.

"Investigate this brat’s family."

Yndra raised her head slightly.

"The Dunvyr family?"

"Exactly."

"Is there something in particular I should look for?"

Elfin remained thoughtful.

"His lineage."

"His lineage, my lord?"

"I want to know who his ancestors were."

Yndra nodded.

"How many generations should I investigate?"

"As many as necessary."

The woman did not seem intimidated by that answer.

"Understood."

Elfin continued speaking.

"There’s something strange about his blood."

Yndra looked at Draven’s body again.

"Strange?"

"Something that feels familiar to me."

The god frowned slightly, for he had sensed a similar characteristic during the confrontation that ended in his defeat.

’Could it be possible?’

Elfin began to smile.

"I think this brat might be a descendant of one of those humans."

Yndra remained silent and then asked respectfully.

"Are you referring to the heroes who participated in your defeat?"

Elfin let out a small laugh.

"Exactly them."

The woman seemed surprised.

"But Draven Dunvyr does not belong to any of the recognized heroic families of Aster."

"And?"

Yndra immediately bowed her head.

"Forgive me, my lord."

"Do you think all the descendants of those idiots still keep the original surnames?"

"No, my lord."

"Then don’t ask unnecessary questions."

"Understood."

Elfin crossed his arms.

"This brat’s blood possesses something I recognize."

"Have you managed to identify which of the heroes he descends from?"

Elfin frowned.

"No."

That was precisely what annoyed him the most.

"He could belong to the lineage of one of the members of the group that defeated me."

The god paused.

"But I still don’t know whose."

Yndra bowed her head.

"Then I will investigate the background of the Dunvyr family and their possible connections to those heroes."

"I expect nothing less."

"Do you wish me to also report on the living relatives of your vessel?"

Elfin smiled.

"Of course."

Yndra lowered her head even further.

"I will personally carry out this task, my great lord."

"You had better."

Elfin looked at his hands again.

’It would be quite amusing to discover that this brat descends from one of those bastards.’

After all, he was now using his body as a vessel, and in three years he would have to face a descendant of the Valdegrim family.

The god let out a small laugh, at which Yndra raised her gaze slightly.

"Is something the matter, my lord?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"I understand."

Elfin was about to continue speaking when he sensed a small disturbance in the mana circulating through Draven’s body.

"..."

He stopped smiling.

’Already?’

His control was beginning to weaken.

’Damn contract.’

Elfin immediately understood what was happening. He was at the limit of the time, so soon he would have to return control to his vessel.

Yndra noticed the change in his expression.

"Is something wrong, my lord?"

"The time."

"The time?"

"That miserable Eje only allows me to use this body for a limited period."

Yndra frowned slightly.

"The god of balance?"

"Do you know another idiot by that name?"

"No, my lord."

Elfin made a sound of disgust.

"Ten minutes. That’s all he granted me."

Yndra remained silent.

"Only ten minutes?"

she finally asked.

"That’s right."

"I understand."

The woman bowed her head.

"Then I will try not to delay you."

Elfin was about to reply when he perceived a familiar concentration of mana, so he slowly turned toward the north.

"..."

At a certain distance, a young woman was advancing through the trees. He couldn’t see her directly due to the vegetation, but he immediately recognized that energy.

’Valdegrim.’

His smile returned.

"Ah..."

Yndra looked in the direction he was staring.

"My lord?"

Elfin began to laugh softly.

"What a pleasant coincidence."

He had found someone who interested him far more than that conversation.

’So I’m finally going to meet you.’

Elfin began to walk, and Yndra immediately stepped aside to let him pass.

"My lord, where are you going?"

"None of your business."

The woman bowed her head.

"Of course."

However, before he moved too far away, she decided to ask one last question.

"My lord, before you leave, I would like to know how I will be able to contact you once I finish my investigations."

Elfin didn’t even turn around.

"Find the information I asked for, and then we’ll see if you still prove useful."

The woman immediately bowed her head.

"As you command, my great lord."

Elfin disappeared among the trees.

Yndra remained motionless for several seconds and then observed the destroyed terrain.

’He finally returned.’

Yndra slowly raised her head.

"I will not disappoint you, my great lord."

Then she began to withdraw.