Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 984 - 101: The Loneliness of the Elf

Chapter 984: Chapter 101: The Loneliness of the Elf

"Ah, I actually don’t want to use this method anymore," Fula beckoned to her animal partner, but the black panther only glanced at her lazily with its head raised before lying back down and closing its eyes, not forgetting to shake its tail at her as a signal. Fula glared at the black panther, both annoyed and amused, but her smile quickly faded, and she sighed, "It’s one hundred and forty years old this year, and their kind of creature lives for about one hundred and eighty years. That means it can only stay by my side for a short forty more years. I’ve watched it grow from the size of my palm as a baby to what it is now; I view it as my family. But in the end, I must watch it age and die, and that feeling is something you without this gift cannot understand."

"I’ve seen many people keep pets too," Lina inquired further, "But they don’t seem to have the same reluctance to continue raising them like you do."

"They are not pets; they are animal partners," Fula said with a hardened expression, "I hope you won’t confuse the two again. They’re not tamed and raised by us; they live with us."

"I’m sorry, it was my mistake," Lina immediately expressed her apologies without any pretense, knowing she had touched a sensitive nerve, "I apologize for my offense and rudeness. I hope you won’t mind."

"Ah, it’s nothing, I know that many people think they are just our pets," Fula shook her head, "But they really aren’t. To get an animal partner, you have to make their parents feel that you truly want to treat them as family, and that kind of sincerity cannot be faked. Thus, every elf that has an animal partner has already regarded them as kin, even as part of their soul. When a partner eventually dies, we feel a deep sorrow and grief from the depths of our soul. Having experienced this pain once is enough; no one wants to go through it a second time."

"I see," Catherine looked at Pannis, then at Fula, and nodded thoughtfully, "It seems that sometimes, an overly long life isn’t all that great, always bringing some burdens with it."

"Our elf race rarely interacts deeply with other races, always maintaining a certain safe distance from the creatures of other races," Fula said with a bitter smile, "Humans and beastmen used to think it was because of our reserve and arrogance, that we did so out of a deep-rooted disdain for other races. But races like dwarves, winged people, and the Sea Race wouldn’t think this way because they can understand our predicament from a certain perspective. It’s easy to become friends with other races; almost any elf can do it, but what about after that? After a hundred years, human friends die; after a hundred and twenty years, beastman friends are also gone. What about after two hundred years? Maya and Tiya said goodbye to Christo with a hug; they still look like two happy little birds, but who knows the sorrow in their hearts? Three hundred years later, the lizardman’s Throwing Spear is no longer sharp, and the giant shield will eventually decay, becoming part of the swamp, which is their ultimate destiny. And after five hundred years? The dwarf friends leave this world, and a thousand years later, Maya and Tiya will also return to the embrace of the sun and sky. So even though I’ve been surrounded by friends, in the end, all that remains is to sit alone in the forest, accompanied by memories of the good old days, tasting the loneliness of losing friends, family, and lovers."

"Stop talking," Freya, who had approached at some point, now had streaks of tears on her face. The youthful girl clutched her chest and sorrowfully said, "Sitting alone in the Elven Royal Court, although people come and go, one can only be lonely. Loneliness is like the profound darkness, pitch-black and ice-cold, wrapping around the aching soul layer by layer, letting the once vibrant spirit slowly rot and die in despair. Please, no more. I can’t bear such sadness anymore."

"Er, it’s not as exaggerated as you think, really, it’s just a bit of loneliness," Flare said, startled by Freya’s excessive reaction. She sent a questioning glance to Pannis who, with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, just shrugged his shoulders, making a face as if he knew nothing. Without receiving an answer, Her Majesty could only casually soothe the crying Freya with a few words, and when she continued speaking, her voice had lost its earlier impact, "Actually, it’s like that. Just like oftentimes we don’t take the initiative to befriend the Sea Race, because their lives are much longer than ours. Getting too close to them would only be a burden for them. So, if we truly care for each other, sometimes we need to consider for the other party like we do, and choose not to intervene in their life journey. That is the truly considerate way to care for them."

"Hehe, I understand now." The girls had their sorrowful and oppressive mood interrupted by Freya’s crying, but they quickly grasped the deeper meaning hidden in Flare’s words. Catherine said with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Her Majesty is right, but even if we want to step out of the other’s life, we need to choose the right moment. Only by exiting at the correct time can we avoid causing emotional harm to the other. Otherwise, it’s more like hurting them, right?"

"Humph, then I hope you won’t feel guilty about it when the time comes," Flare said, although she still maintained her elegance, she couldn’t help but purse her lips regretfully as she turned her head away. However, she was just regretful, not disappointed. The queen, filled with a fighting spirit, certainly didn’t believe the enemy would be deterred by a few simple words from her. The war was bound to be a long and difficult journey, and the attack on the enemy always started with an accumulation of little things. Although the attack this time had been deflected, there would be a next time, and a time after that. Her Majesty was full of confidence that she would ultimately be the victor.

Unfortunately for her, the other young ladies also held the same confidence, their gazes meeting in midair, sparking off intense flares. After a few seconds of staring, Her Majesty and the four ladies suddenly turned their gaze towards Pannis. Five gazes, sharp like blades, could slice through any defense on a person’s face. But an even more coincidental event occurred. Just when the five gazes began to shift, Pannis happened to pat the base of the Horned Eagle Beast’s neck, and as if given an order, the beast soared upwards with a whoosh, taking a screaming Pannis into the sky.

"Tsk." The five ladies let out a sound of disdain in unison, then looked at each other again and couldn’t help but shake their heads and smile. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)