Chapter 143: Fetching A Cooking Gas

Asterion fled with all his speed, and at last he found Uthed leaning against a tree near the edge of the darkness, sweating profusely, one hand flat on the bark, and very hesitant to go any further than that.

When he landed, Uthed turned to him quickly, already looking pale.

"Ehn hen, Asterion, don’t tell me even you can’t get closer to that thing. Fuck, was it this strong when I tried to attack it? Damn, I really was stupid."

Asterion gave him an impassive look for a moment. Then he glanced at the edge of the darkness and said:

"It is much less hostile at the edge, so you should be fine. All its power is focused on the center, where Lord Theo and I are."

Uthed went stiff for a moment. Then he avoided Asterion’s gaze and looked around the place, wiping his palm against his thigh.

"Oh, oh, is that so... I guess one cannot be too careful, right?"

Asterion’s face had not moved.

Then he exhaled and spoke again.

"I see no reason for you to be serving Lord Theo. You are not deserving of someone like that."

Uthed looked at Asterion in surprise.

’What’s with the sudden shift? Last I checked he was indifferent to Mr Theo, and now I don’t deserve him?’

Uthed gave a small giggle.

"Well, it’s not exactly like—"

"Silence, guard. The Master has a mission for you."

Uthed’s shocks piled one on top of the other, and his face came a little further apart with each of them.

’What? Now it’s The Master? There’s definitely something going on here...’

Meanwhile, Asterion continued without pausing.

"You are to go home and fetch cooking gas, and a sparker."

It was the errand itself that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

His mouth fell open, and his eyes fell with it.

"What? Whaaaaat??"

His voice cracked, and he stuttered:

"Wh—wha, what kind of errand is that in a battle like this? Does he plan to cook the monster after the battle is over? But can’t we do that later?"

"Silence, guard! Do not question, go and do the work!"

Uthed frowned.

’This guy keeps silencing me. I swear, if it wasn’t for the gap in skill between us...’

He inhaled, and then he really looked at Asterion. This time his voice came out measured and careful.

"Wait. Are you really serious?"

Asterion looked back at him and said nothing for a moment, but Uthed could see it in the flat line of the dark elf’s mouth and the bow already unslung in his hand.

Then he spoke:

"I will be supporting the Master as he fights the monster. If you do not want us to die, you had better come back as soon as possible with the cooking gas and the sparker."

Uthed sighed and turned to go. As he did, something collided with the darkness, and the edge he had been standing at ripped open, as if a force had slammed into it from within, and the whole unnatural mass of it shook terribly. Leaves came loose from the branches above him and fell straight through it.

He was already stepping back as he watched, so his face stayed glued to the scene while he walked backwards with his behind leading the way.

’Holy gods. How?’

The thing let out a piercing screech, then groaned so hard that the forest itself seemed to be scraping under its own weight, trying to tear itself out of the ground in pain. The trunk he had been leaning on a minute earlier creaked along with it.

The sound only made Uthed wonder what exactly Theo had done to the monster.

He kept going, in shock and disbelief.

’I was sure he wouldn’t be able to defeat the thing, and we would have to turn back after he’d displayed his proper amount of foolishness. But now he’s sending me for cooking gas?’

’Isn’t this arrogance...’

He was deeply baffled, but still he ran for the house, ducking branches and skidding on wet roots, while the clash thundered in the sky behind him. With each clash the sky grew darker, and the rumbling rolled so low and heavy that it was difficult to tell whether the weather was simply turning or whether it was their battle making such a sound.

At last he reached home, took the porch steps two at a time, and rushed indoors.

Estea was seated by the window, looking northward. When Uthed burst in, she turned her wheelchair and studied him with the usual coldness on her face.

Seeing her, Uthed belatedly calmed himself and stood politely.

"Lady Estea. You’re awake."

Estea glared at him.

"You sound as though I am not supposed to be. My husband is out there fighting to protect us, is he not?"

Uthed nodded.

"Yes, yes, he is..."

For a moment he was speechless.

’Does she actually care about him, or is she putting on a front? It’s difficult to tell.’

To him, Estea was sometimes an unbearable woman who criticized everything Theo did, even though he was the husband. She looked like the meaner of the two, and it was always a little frightening just to look at her.

He definitely hadn’t imagined he would find her here, sitting by the window with her blanket pulled up over her knees and her face turned to the trees.

’Is she worried?’

"Why are you here?"

Estea’s question cut through his thoughts. He looked at her quickly, and only then remembered why he had come.

"Right! Mr Theo asked me to bring cooking gas!!"

Estea looked equally confused and raised her brow.

"Cooking gas?"

’Thank god, I’m not the only one! I was beginning to think I was dumb!’

"Yes, Lady Estea, cooking gas. Mr Theo definitely has weird requests, and at a time like this too."

She ignored his commentary.

’The creature he’s fighting is of a dark nature. Is he trying to...’

A small smile formed on her face.

’That retard. Let’s see how he pulls it off.’

She leaned back in her chair and said to Uthed:

"You had better take it to him before he dies. Otherwise, I am burying you alive with him."

Uthed felt a cold chill assault him under her glare, and he bolted deeper into the house before she could say anything else.