Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 792: The Last Night Of Peace [Part 2]

The cold wind of the night blew past the two ladies. Yet, despite its coldness, the two seemed unaffected by it.

Aeris stared at Efa while the latter waited for the elf’s answer.

Hesitation was etched on Aeris’ face, which made Efa sigh helplessly.

“You’ve been working all night,” Efa said firmly. “If Alex was here, he would have definitely told everyone to rest while he took over the watch duty.”

At those words, Aeris couldn’t help but think of the young man who had led the elven army to the south in order to capture Charles.

She knew that Efa was right.

She was tired and needed rest. Yet, she still couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“What about the watch?” Aeris asked. “If we all rest, who would pay attention to the enemy’s movements?”

“I will,” Efa answered. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll keep watch over the city.”

Aeris remained silent for a moment before heaving out a deep sigh.

“Alright.”

“Good.”

The beautiful elf understood that being stubborn wouldn’t help anyone. With that, she thanked Efa and told her to wake them up the moment their enemy arrived at the city.

Aeris then mounted the back of the hippogriff, which would take her back to the castle.

Though, just as her mount was about to walk past Efa, the young lady said something that made Aeris stop the hippogriff in its tracks.

“Do you like Alex?”

That was the question Efa had asked.

Aeris held the reins of the hippogriff tightly for a few seconds before urging it to continue its flight preparation without giving an answer. However, Efa didn’t need her to answer.

She had already gotten her answer from her body language.

‘Elves are really stubborn.’ Efa mused as she watched the hippogriff take off into the skies to return to the castle. ‘But sooner or later, you can no longer hide your true feelings.’

When the elven lady finally disappeared from her sight, Efa walked up toward the ramparts where Cairo, Lavinia, and Elaine were currently at.

The swordsman sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed in meditation.

On the other hand, Lavinia was leaning against the cold stone wall, looking up at the stars. She was thinking about Alex right now.

She hoped that he succeeded in his mission and was on his way back to Everdawn City.

As for Elaine, she remained standing with her arms crossed over her chest. It was as if she was keeping guard while her lover took some time to meditate.

“I’ll take over watch duty for now,” Efa declared after observing the three. “The three of you should rest while you still can.”

“No,” Cairo replied without opening his eyes. “I can feel it. The enemy will come soon.”

“All the more reason to rest,” Efa replied. “You are currently the strongest warrior here in the city, so you need to be at your peak strength when the battle starts.”

This time, Cairo opened his eyes and looked at Efa with a frown.

Yet, the young lady simply smiled in return, telling the Catkin that being stubborn would not help them win the battle.

“Will you be volunteering for watch duty then?” Elaine inquired.

“Yes.” Efa nodded. “All three of you should rest for now. I’ll keep watch and sound the alarm when the enemy arrives.”

Cairo hesitated, but his sister, Lavinia, finally stood up and did a bit of stretching.

“Let’s go, brother,” Lavinia said. “Efa is right. All of us are tired. We need to rest if we want to fight in our peak condition. Besides, the defensive formation is finally completed. We will have enough time to react once the enemy starts trying to break it apart.”

Her words rang true.

At that point, Cairo knew that further talk would just be a waste of precious time. He already had a grasp of Efa’s character, and although he didn’t want to admit it, she always looked at the bigger picture.

“Understood.” Cairo stood up after that. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Efa. Call us when our enemies make their presence known.”

“I will.” Efa nodded. “Rest well, everyone.”

With that, Lavinia, Cairo, and Elaine left the ramparts as they headed to the nearby inn to rest. When they finally disappeared from Efa’s view, another presence manifested beside her.

“They’re good people, but they’re very stubborn,” the Little Devil on Himea’s shoulder said with resignation.

“Everyone is on edge, after all,” Himea commented. “It’s understandable that they’re reacting in that manner.”

Efa nodded in agreement. If not for the fact that the defensive formation was finally completed, she wouldn’t have tried to persuade Lavinia, Cairo, and Elaine to get some rest.

“So, when do you think our guests will come knocking at our doors?” Efa asked the Little Devil on Himea’s shoulder.

“Hmm…” The Little Devil pondered for a while before giving his answer. “Maybe after sunrise.”

“I hope so.” Efa looked at the darkness of the night. “That will give everyone enough time to rest properly.”

Efa and Himea both hoped that Alex would be able to return before his counterpart made his appearance. Even if he didn’t arrive on time, Efa and Himea were already planning to give everything they had to protect the people Alex held sacred.

Both ladies had no doubt that the upcoming battle would be one of the most dangerous battles they would have to face.

That was why Efa wanted everyone to rest.

After all, they had already done everything they could.

The defensive formations were complete.

The runic talismans were ready.

The soldiers were prepared.

Now, all they could do was wait.

Efa took a deep breath before looking toward the distant sky, thinking of the young man who was currently nowhere in sight.

“We’ll be waiting, Alex,” Efa muttered. “We’ll protect everyone while you’re away, so please return safely.”

The Little Devil smirked at her words, while Himea crossed her arms over her chest as she looked over the darkness.

The cold wind blew across the ramparts.

For a brief moment, Everdawn City remained peaceful.

Though Efa and Himea knew this peace wouldn’t last.

Somewhere beyond the horizon, their enemies would make an appearance.

This was already set in stone.

And when they arrived…

The final battle would begin.

A battle between those who wished to conquer, and those who wished to protect.

In the end, only one side would win.

And the fate of the world of Arcana rested on the shoulders of the chosen few, who had found themselves inside a trial prepared by the Hermit, as if knowing that this event would eventually come to pass.