Chapter 20: Humans and Elves

The next day, Sylvaine arrived at Jasper's castle. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she tried to maintain her composure. At the castle entrance, her echoed through the castle walls, filled with anger and desperation, "Jasper, help me!"

Jasper, deeply engrossed in the show he was watching, was startled by her scream. He thought to himself, 'She's here two days early… what the hell?' With a sigh, he teleported her into his room and said.

"You are asking for help but you don't even say 'please'?"

Sylvaine appeared in the room and immediately saw Raven sleeping on Jasper's chest. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her voice trembled as she asked, "What's going on?"

Jasper sighed again, his expression flat. "We just got married."

Sylvaine was shocked into silence for a moment. Jasper, still calm, asked, "What kind of help you need?"

Sylvaine, trying to process what she had seen, thought, 'I guess he is just playing around.'

With a shaky voice, she asked, "Can we talk alone and let her sleep?"

Jasper nodded, then teleported Sylvaine and himself to his alchemy room.

In the alchemy room, the creature they had created together had grown to the size of a sheep and had ten cubs.

Seeing this, Sylvaine's anger lessened and she said, "So you found a way to produce the second one! Good job."

Jasper stared at her blankly and said, "Not even a thank you, huh?"

Sylvaine crossed her arms and said, "We made a deal, and you fulfilled your part. Why should I thank you? Hmph."

Jasper smirked slightly and asked once more, "So, what help do you need?"

Sylvaine, looking embarrassed, said, "The prince of the human's kingdom visited us again..."

"And?"

"Ehm, and when he started saying strange things, I couldn't hold back and I beat him up."

Jasper chuckled, "You did what?"

Sylvaine averted her gaze, her cheeks flushed, and said, "I beat him up."

Jasper started laughing and said, "Watching that scene would have been really enjoyable," and continued laughing.

Sylvaine's cheeks turned even redder, and she stomped her foot angrily. "Mmm... Enough! Are you going to help me or not?"

Jasper, in a teasing tone, said, "Oh... In that case, what will you offer me in return for my help this time?"

Sylvaine took a step back and said, "What do you want?"

"I don't know, what can you offer me besides your blood?" Jasper looked at her chest with sharp eyes and continued, "Hmm... Maybe you can offer something"

Sylvaine covered her chest in shame and said, "S-stop being a pervert! Ask for something else."

Jasper continued to tease her and said, "What can you give to a man who has already everything?" as he eyed her body.

Sylvaine's eyes filled with a mix of shame and anger as she said, "I can't believe, I thought you would help me and came here! I'm leaving."

As she opened the door and was about to leave the room, Jasper, with a mischievous smile, said, "For someone who stripped naked on the first day we met, you're quite proud." He narrowed his eyes and added, "Princess!"

Sylvaine's anger flared, and she turned around, walking back toward Jasper with each step echoing on the floor.

At that moment, Jasper thought, 'I was just trying to provoke her because I like her reactions when she's angry, but maybe I went too far'

Sylvaine grabbed him by the collar with one hand, lifting him up, and clenched her other hand into a fist, saying, "The only reason I'm not beating you up right now is because you helped my people!"

Jasper thought to himself, 'No, I deserved that one...' and said, "You can hit me, it's fine."

Sylvaine tightened her grip on his collar and said, "Now you're playing the good guy, huh?!?"

Jasper smiled and said, "I just show pity to this ill mannered princess."

With that, Sylvaine could no longer hold back and swung her fist. Jasper spread his arms wide, taking the punch like a champion.

He thought her anger would fade with that punch and she would let go of his collar, but instead, he found himself lying completely on the ground.

"Ehm...Princess?" said Jasper with a surprised look.

Sylvaine sat on top of him and continued to punch him, with each punch making him look left and right.

"Now you're watching that beating from the front seat, are you happy?"

Jasper casually took the punches and realized something in the meantime.

After a while Sylvaine got exhausted and got off him and sat on the ground. Still lying down, Jasper glanced at Sylvaine and said, "Hey, while you were sitting on me, I noticed something."

Sylvaine, catching her breath, replied, "If you're going to say one more perverted thing, just shut up!"

"Oh no, I was just wondering, why are you wearing a cheap imitation of the necklace I gave you?"

Sylvaine looked at her necklace in surprise and said, "Cheap imitation? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Why are you wearing a fake version of my necklace?"

"Fake version of... I-I thought it had just run out of energy and stopped working..."

"No, I recognize my own blood. That thing is definitely fake."

"But I never took it off. How could someone have replaced it?"

"Hmm, so you lost it. Even though I put so much effort into that…"

"I-I'm sorry."

Jasper had already had enough fun teasing her and said, "Don't worry, a part of my blood is in that necklace. I can teleport it wherever I want."

Jasper raised his hand, and light radiated from his fingers, illuminating the entire room. He opened his hand and looked inside, then said in surprise, "Why can't I teleport it?"

He tried again and again, but his palm remained empty each time. Excitedly, he smiled, "Is there really someone in this world who can block my magic?!"

While he smiled excitedly, Sylvaine felt guilty. "I'm really sorry."

"Lift your head. I can always make you a new one," he said, flicking Sylvaine's forehead.

The flick snapped Sylvaine back to reality. "I-it's not that I don't want it, but can you help me with something else instead?"

Jasper sighed, got up, and sat down. "Alright, tell me exactly what the problem is."

"After I b-beat up the prince, one of our guards overheard him and his servant talking when they returned to their room. The guard heard that the prince was deliberately provoking me to find a reason for war. And we elves are very weak right now; a war would destroy us…"

"Sweetheart, I don't know what you think of me, but I'm terrible at politics."

"D-don't call me that... and just showing up in our forest, making it look like you are our ally, would be enough."

"What exactly will that accomplish?"

"Just show up, talk to us in a friendly manner, and don't hide your mana level."

Jasper, impressed, said, "So you noticed I was hiding my mana… Still, I refuse to leave the castle for another 300 years."

Sylvaine got up from the ground and headed for the door.

Jasper called after her, "Hey, aren't you forgetting something?"

Sylvaine looked back. "What?"

"Seems like you've forgotten our agreement," he said, pointing to the cup on the table.

"I still have two days."

"Without your necklace, going to the forest and returning here will take two weeks, you know that, right?"

Sylvaine shrugged. "There is nothing to do about it."

"Oh yes, there is. You can give me your blood now."

"No!"

"Is this because I refused to go to the forest?"

"Yes."

"You know we made an agreement. Then I won't let you take our newly bred creature to the forest."

Sylvaine turned back, sat at the table, and said, "Fine, give me that stupid device; let's get this over with."

"Hey, calm down. I didn't say I wouldn't help you," Jasper said as he got up from the ground.

Sylvaine's eyes brightened, and she asked, "So, you're coming to the forest?"

"Of course not," he said, handing her the device.

"Then what?"

Jasper looked at the golem walking around like a penguin while Sylvaine started giving her blood.

After a moment of silence, Sylvaine broke it. "Hey, I said what will you do then?"

Jasper pointed at the golem. "You'll return to the village with that."

"What?! Are you mocking me? What good will that stupid thing do?"

The golem let out an "Aba..." and looked at the ground sadly.

Normally, Jasper hated when his alchemically created things were insulted, but even he remained silent this time.

The golem walked over to Jasper, kicked his leg, and said, "Aba! aba!"

Jasper turned to Sylvaine after filling the cup and said, "Trust me."

Then he looked at the golem and said, "No harm elf, if human harm elf, you harm human."

The golem saluted and said, "Aba!"

Sylvaine asked, "What do you mean by human harm elf? Is this thing just going to sit there until a war starts?"

"If you want, I can send it to the human kingdom to cause some trouble."

Sylvaine sighed, picked up the golem, and started to leave. "Better than nothing."

Jasper snapped his fingers, and Sylvaine found herself in the forest. She yelled, "Hey, my horse was at the castle!"

Shortly after, her horse appeared in front of her, and she said, "Uhm… Thanks!"