"Thank you for this fantastic item. I will treasure it!" Luka said happily.
The spirit circled the boy and then stood before him again. "May I ask for a favor?" she asked while twisting her body in a coy manner.
"Yes?" he replied cautiously.
"The caretakers have been doing a poor job in removing pests from my body," Ptelea complained with a pout. "I need your help in performing a deep cleaning in my roots. Since you possess spatial magic, it's easy for you to do it," she noted.
She's dangling the carrot before the donkey, Luka thought warily. "Sure. As it so happens, I received a week off from work. Hopefully, I can finish checking through your roots within this period," he said.
Ptelea frowned because she wasn't sure if a week was enough time to clean out the nasty bugs and animals feeding on her body. "In that case, I'll accompany you and point the way," she improvised on the spot. "Follow me!" The tree's spirit grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him to the entrance. Without sparing a glance at the stupid elves, she entered the underground tunnels and traveled to her most prominent sore spot.
Luka saw a wall of dirt and rocks before him.
"If you break through this obstacle, you'll find a rabbit's den," she explained. "I hope you have nothing against me," Ptelea remarked while staring at Bel, who rode on Luka's head before hopping on the ground.
The teenager ruffled the rabbit's ears and noted with a grin, "My familiar isn't a rabbit. He only looks like one."
The tree spirit waved her hand impatiently. "I don't care what he is. I want your help to get rid of the rabbits chewing on my roots!" she huffed.
"I'll begin now," Luka replied reassuringly. He closed his eyes and activated Spatial Sense. His mind broke through the earth and began to map the landscape. The mage became disheartened when he identified several hundred spots with an infestation of the tree roots. Now Luka understood why Ptelea generously gave him the pendant: he will work for it! He pushed aside his disappointment and focused on mapping all the trouble spots.
After two hours, Luka completed his task. The boy opened his eyes and looked at Bel. "I need your help. I'm going to open a small gate, and you'll pull the rabbits out of the den. While I fill up space with rocks, you will kick the pests out of the tombs. Just hand the animals to the guards," he instructed.
The familiar's eyes glinted with anticipation because he hadn't bullied anyone in a while.
The mage created a small gate for his partner, and Bel hopped through. Within two breaths, the demon caught four rabbits, each of which sported a lump on its head!
"Yeah, beat 'em up!" Ptelea yelled and threw fists in the air. These animals were big eaters and chewed through multiple roots and caused her tremendous pain.
Luka looked at the animals with sympathy. Unfortunately, they offended the Life Tree spirit, and he couldn't ask for their amnesty. Luka watched helplessly as Bel callously dragged the dazed rabbits out of the tombs while accompanied by Ptelea. Then he grabbed rocks from other areas to fill up the former den.
The boy continued with his pest removal work. Whenever the mage encountered borer larvae clusters, Luka used Spatial Blades to cut their bodies and kill them. If there too many bugs for him to target individually, the mage used Displacement as a big hammer to crush them. This spell transposed mass between two locations and allowed Luka to interchange part of their bodies with dirt, thereby killing the bugs in the process. Unfortunately, the mage also damaged some of the tree roots while using Displacement, but he couldn't help it. The boy fervently prayed that he didn't hurt Ptelea severely enough to incur her wrath.
Luka worked in tandem with Bel to remove animals from their dens. Whenever his familiar left the tunnels, the boy would target a nearby cluster of borer insects for elimination. Bel used teleportation to return to Luka's new location.
Ellaria originally planned to accompany Luka inside the tombs. But when the guardian realized that her presence would only hinder his work, the foster mother wisely stayed at the entrance instead. Ellaria collected the small animals from Bel and carried them far away from the hole.
The guards stayed with her, and they became amazed at the number of animals accumulating in a pile daily; Bel callously roughed up all of them. However, what blew their minds was seeing the tree spirit accompany Bel and her delight at exacting vengeance on these pests. Her bloodthirstiness killed their misperception of Ptelea's benevolence and kindness.
The passerby elves noticed the growing stockpile of dead animals near the Ancestral Tombs entrance and gathered to watch. "What are you going to do with them?" an elf asked.
"Right, there's too many for you to eat!" another person declared.
Ellaria shook her head. "They belong to Luka. I can't dispose of them without asking for his permission," she replied to the disappointment of the crowd.
"I can't believe there are this many critters inside the Ancestral Tombs!" someone muttered aloud. "No wonder Ptelea never bothered paying us any attention. They must have driven her mad, and she's blaming us for doing a poor job of pest control," the elf lamented.
The crowd bowed their heads in shame because the elves recognized the truth of his words. Some of them returned to work while those with free time stayed at the entrance.
When nightfall arrived, Ellaria asked Bel to bring Luka out.
The boy came back to the surface with a tired expression.
The guardian turned toward Ptelea with a displeased expression. "Luka needs rest. He'll return tomorrow," Ellaria said.
"You promise?" the tree spirit asked.
"Yes!" the elf nodded. Ellaria worried that Ptelea would work Luka to death if the foster mother didn't intervene. After all, a tree spirit's passage of time measures in decades compared to seconds for Luka.
"Fine!" Ptelea huffed and entered her tree trunk.
"What should we do with these dead animals?" a guard asked Ellaria, who turned toward Luka.
"Please distribute them to the crowd," the boy requested politely.
The foster mother smiled at his generosity, which delighted the crowd. She cast Flight and brought Luka and Bel home.
After a hearty meal of rabbit stew and a good night's sleep, Luka returned to the Ancestral Tombs the next morning to continue pruning the roots. By the end of the week, the boy had finished eighty percent of the pest control work. He asked for and received an extension of his "vacation" by three days to complete this task.
To Luka's delight, Dilya and Aien grabbed some villagers to help out in the farms and the factory in place of Luka. Since the elves helped themselves to the rabbits removed from the tombs, they couldn't complain about doing extra work on Luka's behalf.
At the end of the extension period, Ailmoon visited Ellaria's treehouse to talk to Luka. "I apologize for Ptelea commandeering you to work inside the tombs," he said with a wary smile.
"I never expected her to be a slave driver!" Ellaria snorted.
"Do you want another extension of your time off? I convinced Dilya and Aien to give you another half-week of vacation if you need it," the headman offered.
Luka shook his head. "I would rather return to the factory and continue researching new food products," he replied. The boy felt cheated by Ptelea but couldn't voice his complaint to the elves. Also, he worried she would draft him to do something else. Thus, Luka decided to take refuge in the factory.
"Okay," Ailmoon agreed and left the treehouse.
Chapter 33
Honorary Elf (Part 1)
During the week-and-a-half that Luka spent performing pest control duties at the Ancestral Tombs, the villagers gathered at the entrance whenever they happened to have free time. These elves belonged to all three factions (conciliatory, militant, and neutral), and the leadership also attended as if paying a pilgrimage to a holy site.
"Pilgrimage" was the most appropriate word because the Life Tree was the most precious possession of Langerlan, and the village couldn't survive without it. Thus, the elves lingered nearby in hopes of c
atching a glimpse of Ptelea as a good luck charm. And seeing how friendly she treated Luka, no one dared to entertain any thoughts of tossing the human out of Langerlan anymore.
Moreover, Ailmoon, Dilya, and Folen met nightly and brainstormed ways to convince Luka to stay beyond the two-years residency they had promised Alectos. The leaders witnessed the spirit's playfulness around him, and they dreaded the day of his eventual departure from the village. The trio understood Ptelea's petulant personality better than anyone else in Langerlan, and she would blame the elves for allowing Luka to leave.
After Luka finished his work at the tombs, he avoided returning to this site no matter how hard the village elders tried to coax and trick Luka into visiting. The boy spent an excessive amount of time inside the dark, cramped tunnels; consequently, Luka developed a slight case of claustrophobia.
However, Ptelea remained undeterred. In the ensuing weeks and months, she frequently visited the boy at Ellaria's treehouse. The spirit was a trickster at heart, and she delighted in playing pranks on him. Occasionally, she left nuts, leaves, and pebbles in his bed; this forced Luka to make his bed immediately after waking up. Ptelea also visited him early in the morning and tickled his nose with leaves. She sprinkled dirt on his hair and doodled on his face whenever the spirit caught him asleep.
Bel became aware of her visits, but he declined to intervene in a "lover's quarrel." Instead, the demon delighted in Luka's misery and enjoyed the show.
Finally, Luka threw a fit and yelled at her. "Stop bothering me!"
Ptelea felt distressed at his angry words and began to cry.
Ellaria heard the commotion inside the room and investigated. She glared at him for upsetting the tree spirit. The guardian hugged Ptelea and coaxed the entity by promising that Luka would visit her tree more frequently.
The boy opened his mouth to protest, but Ellaria's hard stare made Luka consent to this arrangement. He helplessly put on his clothes and went downstairs to brush his teeth and eat breakfast. Luka truly regretted visiting the Ancestral Tombs now. But there was nothing he could do except to appease the tree spirit for the rest of his stay in Langerlan.
Shortly after this incident, Ailmoon, Dilya, and Folen jointly visited Luka at Ellaria's home. They previously set an appointment with the homeowner, and she made sure the boy was available for this unusual gathering.
"We came to discuss the situation with Ptelea," the headman began. "She is a relatively young tree spirit, and she has somehow grown attached to you even though you're not an elf. We humbly ask that you indulge her to the extent possible," Ailmoon requested and turned toward Dilya.
The farmland supervisor nodded. "Your good relationship with Ptelea is our top priority, and I'm willing to cut back on your work schedule significantly so that you could continue to spend time with her."
"Additionally, the Royal Family is very interested in the tree spirit's interactions with a human, and they plan to send researchers to study her behavior. We ask for your full cooperation when they arrive," Folen said.
"Now, we're not asking you to work without compensation. The Delfrir Royal Family will acknowledge you as an 'Honorary Elf.' This designation is the highest award we elves grant to non-elves. Holders of this special status may visit any part of New Delfrir and attend public meetings held in the throne room. The Honorary Elf title is the equivalent of a Baron in your country but without accompanying territory," he continued.
"Will you accept our request?" Ailmoon asked solemnly.
The elves looked at Luka with great expectation, and he felt pressured into accepting. Although Ptelea was annoying at times, the tree spirit did not truly harm him. Instead, she was rather protective of him and guarded Luka against bullies. Also, he felt appreciative of the villagers' willingness to let him stay, and the teenager desired to reciprocate their goodwill. Thus, Luka nodded and answered, "Yes."
[What a sucker!] Bel guffawed from the sideline.
"Thank you," the three elders said in unison and bowed to Luka.
The human smiled while grimacing inwardly at the notion of babysitting the mischievous Ptelea.
The next morning, the entire village awoke to the sound of blares in the distance. The older residents recognized the signal and came out of their treehouses to greet the prestigious guests. The elves watched with excitement as a blimp on the horizon grew bigger at a rapid pace. Soon, the dot in the landscape turned into an airship!
Ptelea entered Ellaria's treehouse and pulled Luka and Bel out of bed. She then enveloped the boy and rabbit with her nature magic and transported them back to her Tree of Life. The trio soon stood atop her tree, which was the tallest within Langerlan and offered the best, unobstructed view of the incoming vessel.
Luka witnessed a sleek looking cutter some forty feet long with a spearlike bowsprit but no mast or headsail. Instead, two pairs of fins extended from the side. The mage sensed strong magical power emanating from the vehicle.
When Luka used his Spatial Sense to investigate the airship's construction, he discovered numerous magical stones of various elements inside, with one rock the size of an adult human! This impressive stone was inside the engine room and kept the ship afloat. The other, smaller pieces served as a backup fuel if the primary rock ran out of energy.
The incoming ship aimed straight for the Life Tree and stopped when the vessel was several hundred feet away. Several elves disembarked using flight magic; some wore knights and maids' attires while two dressed like aristocrats.
A beautiful elf with an arrogant demeanor stood at the forefront of this group. This newcomer had long, golden hair, clear, beautiful ivory skin, and a pair of glacial eyes that stared sharply at Luka and Ptelea. She wore a white-collared silk shirt, loose-fitting green pants, fine black leather boots that hugged her knees, and a golden cape on her back. A rapier dangled on her left hip and a pouch on the opposite side.
A knight hurriedly followed behind her and yelled out, "Kneel before Her Highness Kaylessa Palana Ralona Delfrir, the First Princess of the Kingdom of Delfrir!"
Luka quickly dropped to one knee, placed his right hand over his chest's left side, and lowered his head.
Ptelea and Bel, however, remained on their feet.
"You may rise. It is unusual for a human to be here in an elvish village. Look directly at me and introduce yourself," the princess commanded.
The boy returned to his feet and lifted his head to gaze at her beautiful face. "I am Luka Heavensfell, Your Highness," he answered.
"You are also the Heir of a Dukedom in the Morninglory Kingdom, the Disciple of Alectos, Godson of Altima, Benefactor of Langerlan, Friend of Ptelea, and candidate for the distinction of Honorary Elf. Please correct me if I left anything out, young man," an older elf spoke up suddenly. He wore glasses and fine-looking business attire, including a navy blue jacket and matching slacks, purple vest, cream-colored dress shirt, green tie, and dark brown shoes. "I am Meriel Erjeon, Her Highness's Tutor and Advisor," he added with a faint smile.
The elf noticed Ptelea standing protectively in front of the human. "Interesting," Meriel said and wrote something in his notepad.
"I didn't think my titles were relevant to Her Highness and didn't mention them for that reason. I wasn't trying to hide my identity," Luka apologized.
"You lack self-confidence, Luka," Kaylessa reprimanded gently. "I have met many humans in my diplomatic role as a princess. You are the first aristocrat I've encountered whose natural talents supersede his innate pride. I hope that, by the time we depart, you will appreciate and accept yourself more fully," she said with a kind smile.
"Yes, Your Highness!" he replied with a bow.
The princess turned her attention toward Bel. "Is that your familiar?" she asked.
"Yes," Luka confirmed.
"Interesting," the advisor muttered and started drawing the animal in his logbook.
Finally, Kaylessa faced Ptelea and bent a knee toward the spirit. "Great Spirit Ptelea, may I trouble you by observing your
relationship with Luka?" the princess requested politely.
The tree spirit flew over and circled the elf as if to examine Kaylessa. Ptelea laid a flower behind the elf's long ear and clapped in approval. "As long as you don't disturb my Luka-time, you may watch from a distance," the spirit agreed.
"Yes, I will abide by your wish," the princess confirmed with her lips curled slightly. Kaylessa returned to her feet and faced Luka. "Continue as you were," she commanded. The high elf cast wind magic and disappeared from view.
Luka looked around in surprise because he couldn't see the newcomers nor their ship. But when the mage applied his Spatial Sense, he discovered that the vessel had not moved from its former location. Instead, illusionary magic covered the airship to resemble the sky. Moreover, Kaylessa and Meriel flew further back, but they were still nearby; the two elves activated their magic rings to turn invisible and observe his interaction with Ptelea.
[Parlor tricks!] Bel snorted in derision. [Let's return home and eat breakfast!]
"I have to go back home to eat breakfast," Luka told Ptelea. "But we'll come here afterward," he added quickly.
"That's a promise!" the tree spirit agreed. She watched as the mage used teleportation magic and arrived at Ellaria's treehouse the next instant. Ptelea then returned to her Tree of Life.
"We'll remain here," Kaylessa ordered. She didn't follow after Luka because her objective was to observe the human's interactions with the tree spirit. Therefore, it was pointless for the researcher to spy on Luka inside the treehouse.
Luka kept his promise and returned to Ptelea after his meal. She became a constant companion and followed him everywhere. Kaylessa and Meriel, in turn, became stalkers and observed their interactions from a short distance away. One day, they followed the tree spirit into the washroom while Luka was naked.
When the embarrassed teenager sensed their unwanted presence, he immediately teleported back into his bedroom.
Bel laughed while Ptelea and the two observers exchanged confused looks.
Meriel jotted down some notes describing the boy's penis because it was bigger than that of elves with his age equivalency. Considering that humans were generally stockier than elves, the researcher thought this was reasonable.
The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima Page 27
