A STORMY NIGHT

Chapter 1: A Stormy Night

On a stormy night, with winds blowing fast enough that giant trees were losing their ground and the rain was so heavy that the rivers were overflowing. With no moonlight, in complete darkness, a torch of wood burned in a hut, hidden among tall trees atop a mountain.

The rain was so heavy that drops of water seeped into the hut through the roof, and with the ferocious storm, it felt as if the hut might blow apart at any moment. Inside the hut, the dim light from the torch was just enough to see by. An old woman with white hair and pointy ears, dressed as a maid, bustled about. She was an old elfen woman, in a great hurry, busy preparing towels and warm water.

As the old elfen woman worked, a lady lay on the bed, watching her with a smile. The lady had blonde hair, blue eyes, and pointy ears. Though she was lying in bed in a nightgown, her beauty was beyond compare, making her look no older than her early twenties. Her small smile indicated she was enjoying seeing the old woman struggle.

The woman, whose beauty was unparalleled, had a swollen stomach—she was a pregnant elfen woman. After finishing her preparations, the old lady turned to see the woman on the bed smiling. With a serious look, she said, "My Queen, just what are you made of? You are about to deliver your first baby any minute now, but here you are, all relaxed and smiling."

The woman on the bed made a face of dissatisfaction and said, "Aunt, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me 'My Queen'? At the very least, speak to me like you used to when I was just a little girl."

With a look of seriousness, the old lady replied, "My Queen, how many times do I have to tell you that you are no longer my cute little beautiful niece, the daughter of my brother? Now, you are the Queen of the Elfen Kingdom, the Queen of the Jungle of Devan, and you also have the Blessing of the Goddess of Devan. With all of this, I don't dare to call you by your name."

The Queen was taken aback but, like a rebellious child, said, "But...."

"No buts," the old lady interrupted in a dominating voice.

Before the Queen could say anything, the old lady continued, "My Queen, in these tough times, the King has given me the opportunity to serve both the present and future of our kingdom. So please, stop being so childish and help me so that I can be proud that I have fulfilled my mission."

The Queen looked at the old lady with a childish sad face and said, "Aunt, I wonder who in this world could win a conversation against you."

The old lady walked towards the Queen's legs and, with a face of seriousness, said, "My Queen, can you please start pushing the baby? You might not feel any pain of labor because of the Blessing, but we are already in the last stages of delivery."

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Far away from the hut, in the forest, a man who looked to be in his thirties, with multiple weapons on his waist, was followed by four soldiers. The man, with white beard and hair, had a scar below his left eye, clearly a dagger wound. He was tall, around six feet, with a huge build, wearing a metallic chest guard, a long sword on his waist, a shield on his back, multiple daggers, a whip, and a heavy hammer.

He walked with a serious face towards a tent, guarded by two elfen men. As he approached, an old elfen man emerged from the tent. The old man, with a long white beard and half-bald head, adjusted his spectacles and warmly greeted him with a smile.

"I, the Advisor General of the Elfen Kingdom, pray for the good health of the Leader of the Liberation Army, Sir John Mark Klera, from the Empire," the old elfen man said.

John, the leader of the Liberation Army from the Empire, smiled and, leaning forward slightly, replied, "I, John Mark Klera, the Leader of the Liberation Army, also pray for the good health of Sir Malyva Elva, the Advisor General of the Elfen Kingdom."

"Please, come in," said Malyva, lifting the curtain at the tent's entrance.

John instructed his four soldiers to stay outside and followed Malyva inside. The tent was extravagant, resembling a noble's room rather than a battlefield tent. A table and two chairs were placed in the center.

Malyva stood near one chair and offered John the other, "Please, sir, have a seat."

John walked to the chair and said, "Thank you," before sitting down.

"What would you like to have, sir?" Malyva asked.

John waved his hand and said, "Nothing, just a glass of water will be good enough."

Malyva personally poured a glass of water and offered it to John along with some fruits. Seeing Malyva himself serving, John was a bit confused and said, "The Advisor General of the Elfen Kingdom himself pouring me water, I'm not sure what to say."

"Hahaha, it doesn't bother me to pour water for our esteemed guest. But to satisfy your curiosity, all the helping hands have left to hear our Majesty the King's speech," Malyva replied.

John was shocked, not by the absence of the servants but by the news of the elfen king's speech. It was completely visible on his face as he thought, 'I didn't hear about any speech from the elfen king himself. What are those useless idiots even doing?'.

Seeing John's shocked face, Malyva smiled and said, "I bet you didn't hear about the speech as it was a sudden decision by His Majesty the King."

'A sudden decision? Don't fool me, old man. I bet it was your idea as the advisor', John thought.

Before John could respond, Malyva asked, "If it is not rude, may I ask the reason for your sudden visit at this late hour of night?"

John shook his head and replied, "No, it's not rude. Rather, it is I who have barged in without informing you beforehand. Please accept my apology."

Malyva chuckled, "No, no, it's fine. You are always welcome here. We elves always welcome our guests, no matter the hour."

John continued, "The reason I came so late at night is because I wanted to discuss tomorrow's preparations one last time with the elfen king. But since the king is busy, I will take my leave."

As he began to stand, Malyva said, "I know it's rude to ask you to wait for His Highness, but since it is an important matter, may I go myself and inform His Majesty of your arrival?"

After pondering for some time, John said, "It's not rude. I will wait for His Majesty, as it is really a very important matter."

Malyva said, "Indeed, I knew you wouldn't reject my request. Please excuse me; I will return as soon as possible with His Majesty. If you need anything, there are two helping hands outside. I will send one to assist you."

After saying this, Malyva left the tent in a hurry.

Now alone, John thought, 'Haaaaah....look at the cunningness of this old man. In the name of a helping hand, he deployed a soldier to keep an eye on me. It will be fun playing around this time'.

An elfen soldier entered the tent.

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