Chapter 702: Never again

’These bastards...’

He didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t arrived in time, but he forced himself to consider it anyway.

The thought only made his anger burn hotter, but he directed all that rage inward. Better be furious at himself now, and consider what he could have done better than regret grim outcomes caused by his own foolishness.

’I’m so stupid!’

In his stubborn determination not to seem possessive or clingy, he had left Isolde exposed to danger. Perhaps he had thought he was doing the right thing at the time, but now, he felt nothing but regret.

Hadn’t he already made his intentions clear while they were at the academy?

Yet, under the pretence of giving her time and space, he had decided to take things slowly and leave their relationship as it was.

’What was I so afraid of?’

By now, he understood Isolde’s personality well enough. She would never readily assert herself, no matter the situation, so he had believed it was his responsibility to make the first move. And yet, he had continued hesitating, waiting for something that might never happen on its own.

The worst part was that this wasn’t even the first time. The incident involving the succubi had put them in a similarly dangerous situation, and once again, he had made the same mistake.

He had even allowed Mira, Isolde, and Tessa to travel alongside that bastard William despite the possibility that something might happen.

He trusted the three of them to take care of themselves when he was not around; they were their own people after all.

But what could they do against an unfathomable foe who was far stronger than they were?

How many times could he expect to arrive just in the nick of time?

Both times, then, and now, he had been fortunate enough to appear before things got out of hand. Would he only start being cautious after his luck finally ran out?

He bit harder against the inside of his lip until he felt his teeth digging into his own flesh, but the pain did little to settle the anger churning within him.

’Never again!’

In his current state of mind, he would have gladly thrown a fit and caused a scene if that was what it took to ensure Mira, Tessa, and Isolde were teleported alongside him and the Triad Alliance cohort.

If that couldn’t be arranged, then he would have insisted on travelling with his girls alone.

If he was called clingy and possessive, then so be it, but he was never going to let a similar situation happen again, not under his watch!

With that conviction settling firmly in his mind, he looked down at the beautiful, sobbing elf in his arms and managed a pale smile, though his eyes remained deadly cold.

"I’m sorry," he whispered. "This won’t happen again."

She didn’t answer, but he hadn’t expected her to. Looking toward the girl who had pulled herself away from the headless body beside her, he began walking in her direction.

She sat on the ground, with her legs spread beneath her, both arms covering her exposed breast as best she could, while trembling in the cold, yet her gaze remained surprisingly steady despite what had happened.

He wouldn’t have been surprised to find her overwhelmed after the assault he had interrupted, but she simply regarded him with a cold, guarded expression beneath the pale moonlight.

Whatever she was feeling, she was holding herself together, and Elion found himself respecting that composure.

Her torso was a bit bloodied, since Elion hadn’t bothered with her after beheading the scoundrel that had been assaulting her.

"Who are you?" she asked as he drew closer.

Elion stopped before her and summoned the robe he usually wore over his bodysuit, letting it drift down toward her.

She caught it, accepting his kindness with narrowed eyes before wrapping it around her upper body and covering up her twin peaks.

"Thank you," she said, pulling the fabric securely over her chest.

Once she had a better look at his face in the dim light, a hint of recognition flashed in her eyes, connecting the handsome face with one she had seen only a handful of times before.

Her brows rose in surprise, and she stared at him for a moment, making sure that it was really him before speaking again.

"You’re Elion?" she asked in shock. "How did you even find us?"

Elion looked down at her coldly.

"Where are the others?" he asked, offering no explanation for how he had found them.

Though he could feel Mira’s presence nearby, he still wanted to know whether the rest of their cohort might also be in danger.

A cold shiver rushed through Rina as she looked into the depths of his enigmatic eyes. It was far worse than anything the weather had made her feel.

Beneath his gaze, she felt like an insignificant ant, something he could kill with nothing more than a snap of his fingers. His voice held no malice, but the bloodlust in his eyes seemed like it was barely being restrained.

She gulped before answering. "They’re back at camp. I came to look for Isolde after she went to take a piss, but then I found those bastards chasing her..."

"And you just let her go out alone?"

Rina opened her mouth, feeling that she should explain herself, that she hadn’t expected anything like this to happen. Yet the words wouldn’t come to her, and despite the cold, sweat began dripping down her forehead.

Elion sighed and looked away. "Sorry." He said, withdrawing his oppressive aura. "I shouldn’t be blaming you... This is no one’s fault but my own," he added after a moment, turning from her.

Rina tilted her head slightly, confused by his words. She couldn’t understand what he meant. How could he possibly be at fault? She didn’t feel inclined to ask him to explain.

"Let’s go," Elion said.

He didn’t even spare the bodies another glance.

Rina regarded them briefly, wondering whether she should search them for anything of value, but eventually shook her head. Picking up the broken pieces of her spear, she followed a few steps behind him.

Occasionally, she lifted her gaze from the ground to his broad back.

Her first impression of him was simple: a very powerful, dependable, and handsome young man.

Her cheeks flushed faintly as she looked away, finally beginning to understand why the three first-years spoke so highly of him.

They walked for a while before she sensed other presences nearby. Soon, several silhouettes became visible in the tenebrous darkness, and her fingers clenched around the remains of her spear.

"They’re with me," Elion said before she could raise her guard.

There were seven of them, and oddly enough, a little girl who was fast asleep on one of the guys’ back.

They approached him and exchanged a few quiet words before turning their attention toward Rina.

Each offered her a simple nod without saying much more, then fell into step beside Elion, though their gazes kept drifting toward the elf in his arms.

Even now, he hadn’t put Isolde down.

Before long, Rina realised the terrain was becoming familiar. She had scouted this area with one of the other guys earlier, and she began recognising the rocks and shallow slopes around them.

Soon, the outcroppings surrounding their campsite came into view, followed by the depression beyond them.

’Odd... How does he know where our camp was?’