Chapter 115

“Star.”

As soon as Ariel answered, Teodoras paused for a moment.

It was as if Teodoras was flustered because Ariel had guessed the answer too easily.

But soon, a triumphant smile appeared on Teodoras’ face.

“Wrong.”

“?”

Ariel tilted her head.

Something that shines at night, twinkles in the sky, and lets you make wishes.

It was clearly a star.

But it was wrong?

Teodoras slowly opened his mouth.

“The answer is magic. Magic can shine at night, twinkle in the sky, and even grant wishes…!”

Teodoras chuckled to himself.

Even the chuckle was so slow that it felt like time was flowing slower only for Teodoras.

“…….”

Ariel’s expression hardened.

This was clearly a stretch.

Of course, magic can also shine at night, twinkle in the sky, and grant wishes, but if that’s the case, this riddle would never end.

Moreover, when Ariel said “star,” Teodoras clearly had a flustered expression.

In other words, even Teodoras himself thought the answer was a star, but when Ariel guessed it correctly, he denied it.

Shamelessly and cowardly.

“No, what kind of guy is this? That’s so unfair!”

Roo once again stomped on Teodoras’ shell, but Teodoras didn’t budge and just smiled brightly.

“Too bad, little elf. Now it’s your turn to ask a question.”

At Teodoras’ words, Ariel let out a small sigh and opened her mouth.

“A race with short limbs, cute, has a magnificent beard, and excels in crafting weapons?”

At Ariel’s question, Teodoras’ face turned serious.

A deeply pondering expression.

The answer was obviously a dwarf.

A question so easy even a child could solve it.

But Teodoras continued to ponder.

Silence fell around them.

Roo crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, while Ariel waited patiently.

It took a while for Teodoras to open his mouth.

“Can you give me a hint?”

“…….”

For a moment, Ariel’s lips twitched slightly, and Roo began to get nervous.

“You… if you don’t want to become turtle soup, you better do it right… Our big sister is really scary when she’s angry….”

Despite Roo’s warning, Teodoras spoke again.

“Can you give me a hint?”

“…They live in mines and don’t get along with elves because they destroy forests.”

Even though Ariel blatantly gave a hint, Teodoras still couldn’t guess.

No, even if he couldn’t guess, he shamelessly kept asking for hints.

“Can you give me a hint?”

“The answer is a dwarf.”

In the end, Ariel directly gave the answer, and Teodoras made a delayed “ah” expression.

Teodoras looked at Ariel with a slightly wronged expression, then smiled again and said.

“We both couldn’t guess, so it’s a draw. Then I’ll ask the next question….”

*

In the end, the riddle game with Teodoras continued three times.

And all three times ended in a draw.

Because Teodoras cleverly changed the answers to avoid admitting defeat.

For example, when he asked, “What falls from the sky, wets the ground, and flows into rivers and seas?” and Ariel answered “rain,” he would change it to “snow.”

And when Ariel asked a question, he couldn’t even guess the simplest ones.

“We always drink this to live. It’s invisible but everywhere. Without it, many living things can’t survive. It’s suffocating.”

The answer was “air,” but Teodoras seriously pondered and kept asking for hints.

Even when Roo couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “It’s what you’re breathing through your nose right now!” nothing changed.

“Another draw. Then I’ll ask the next question….”

“No.”

In the end, Ariel decided to give up on the riddle game.

It seemed like it would never end this way.

“Enough with the riddles. I want to cross the river. If you carry me across the river, I’ll give you this.”

Ariel took out a large chocolate cake from her inventory.

A cake with a rich color that looked incredibly sweet.

It was a cake Ariel had bought from Delight, a high-end dessert café in the Imperial Capital, and had been saving.

“……!”

Teodoras’ expression brightened at the sight of the cake.

His eyes sparkled, and his mouth hung open.

“Y-you’re really going to give that to me?”

Teodoras asked in an excited voice.

Ariel nodded.

“I’ll give it to you. But in return, carry me across the river.”

“Then, let me eat it first….”

“No. I’ll give it to you after we cross the river.”

Even though Teodoras was a divine beast, Ariel didn’t trust him at all.

He might just eat the cake and then suggest playing riddles again.

“…….”

Teodoras made a pondering expression, and Ariel began to manipulate the cake with telekinesis to tempt him.

“That cake… it’s filled with rich chocolate cream. It’s so soft that it melts on your tongue the moment you put it in your mouth.”

The chocolate cake slowly floated and spun around Teodoras.

Teodoras’ eyes followed it, spinning around.

“All you have to do is carry me across the river. Then that cake is yours.”

Ariel whispered lazily.

“How about it?”

A sweet, tempting voice.

Even Roo, who usually didn’t care for desserts, was mesmerized by the cake.

Teodoras closed his eyes for a moment.

Then, as if making a decision, he nodded.

“Alright.”

Hearing the answer, Ariel smiled slightly and stopped the cake.

That moment.

Snap!

Teodoras quickly jumped up, snatched the cake with his mouth, and started running away.

Ariel and Roo, left behind, blinked in confusion.

“…That guy, he’s really fast, isn’t he, big sister?”

Teodoras’ movement just now was incredibly fast, and he was still running at a high speed.

His feet were moving so fast they were almost invisible.

Of course, it was meaningless.

Ariel lightly stomped the ground, and the next moment, she appeared in front of Teodoras.

“!!”

Teodoras hurriedly stopped and quickly swallowed the chocolate cake.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he smiled brightly.

Ariel asked in a trembling voice.

“Teodoras… you’re going to carry me across the river now, right…?”

Teodoras blinked his large eyes once and said to Ariel.

“Let’s play riddles.”

At those words, Roo quickly hid inside Ariel’s hat.

*

The Siland River, located deep in the jungle, is a very quiet place.

Only the soft sound of the wind rustling the leaves, the distant chirping of birds, and the gentle flow of the river echo in the silence.

Occasionally, the sound of fish jumping out of the water can be heard, but even that soon melts into the tranquility.

The Siland River flows as if time has stopped, and only the pure beauty of untouched nature…

Boom!

In an instant, a loud noise tore through the sky and shook the earth.

A shockwave, as if the world had split in two, spread along the river.

The water surface violently rippled, spraying water columns, and the surrounding trees shook at their roots, screaming.

The peaceful tranquility of the Siland River had turned into a scene of violent disaster in an instant.

At the source of this upheaval stood a girl.

Her silver hair fluttering in the wind.

It was Ariel.

Ariel’s face was as calm as usual, but upon closer inspection, her brows were slightly furrowed.

As if she was a little angry.

In Ariel’s hand was a sword larger than her body, half-buried in the ground.

She had drawn her sword and slammed it into the ground when Teodoras suggested playing riddles.

The aftermath was the disaster that had just occurred.

Ariel pulled the sword out of the ground and dragged it towards Teodoras.

Screech…

The sound of the sword dragging ominously echoed.

As if foretelling Teodoras’ fate.

Teodoras stared at Ariel with his large eyes wide open, unable to move.

The shameless smile on his face had disappeared, and only fear remained in his eyes.

Ariel slowly but surely approached Teodoras.

Her cute elf face remained, but the aura she emitted was utterly cold and merciless.

Each of Ariel’s steps seemed to shake the earth, and even the air seemed to be pushed away by her presence.

Teodoras opened his mouth to say something, but only a short, dry groan came out.

Finally, Ariel stopped in front of Teodoras and stared at him.

Her eyes, as if filled with blood.

That gaze seemed to pierce through Teodoras’ soul.

“Teodoras… you’re going to carry me across the river now, right…?”

Ariel asked again.

Her voice was soft, but it carried a chilling aura that couldn’t be defied.

Teodoras trembled and barely managed to nod.

Then, Ariel looked at Teodoras for a moment before slowly sheathing her sword.

The heavy pressure around them began to lift.

“Good.”

Finally, Ariel smiled slightly and hopped onto Teodoras’ shell.

“Take care of me, Teodoras.”

“…….”

Teodoras began to move with trembling legs.