Chapter 527: Proposal and the Ritual Grounds

"Rod! That was amazing! Amazing!"

The halfling Lily cast a flight spell and slowly descended.

The moment she landed, she excitedly scurried over to Rod's side, her face flushed red with excitement.

Because of her short little legs, she ran with a bouncy hop, quite adorable.

"Watching it all, my hands were itching like crazy! If you hadn't said you wanted to handle it yourself, the spell in my hand would've been ready to fire!"

Tally leapt out from the shadows.

She grinned wickedly: "I'm reporting, this big-ru little midget was watching the whole thing and got off on it, her eyes were shooting out pink light, she's definitely in heat."

"Don't listen to Tally's nonsense, I did not! I just thought you fought so cool, I praised you a few times, that's all."

Lily's cheeks were rosy red, and she actually answered this kind of question in all seriousness.

A pair of clear, bright big eyes lifted upward, and unlike their usual clean and open look, there seemed to be a touch of shyness and awkwardness.

What did that Tally girl say now.

Rod smiled.

He also cast a 【Dustless Art】 on himself to clean off the bits of flesh and bloodstains on his body.

"Look, there's still a black dragon, go and try your hand against him."

"Forget it, that guy's half-dead already, a large patch of his dragon scales got melted off by the fire. Even if we leave him be, his combat power will drop by more than half from now on."

"Yeah, a big patch of dragon scales is gone."

Rod looked over as well.

His eyes held mostly regret.

Naturally, he wasn't regretting the black dragon's life, but the loss of the dragon scales.

【Dragon Scale Art】 can grow stronger by absorbing dragon scales.

And after this battle, whether it was the black dragon's scales burned away by the flame dragon breath, or the red dragon's scales blasted apart by blood explosion and sawed away by the dragon-slaying greatsword, there were quite a lot.

But then again, during a fight you obviously can't worry about that stuff.

What matters is winning. Besides, a broken ship still has three thousand nails, there's plenty left over.

"Oh right, Rod, there's something I feel I need to make clear to you."

Lily's expression was a bit coy and troubled.

"What's wrong?"

"I've always felt that we were purely good friends, and the time I've spent with you has been very pleasant. I never knew you had such thoughts, and I've never thought about it in that direction either. Actually, I personally don't really want to give up my work with the Chivalrous Alliance. Could you give me some time to think it over properly before I reply to you?"

"Huh?"

Rod was dumbfounded for a moment, not understanding.

"And also, I'm a traditional halfling, I believe in the one-husband-one-wife system. Rod, there are way too many girls around you!"

Lily's skin grew redder and redder.

Even her ears and neck showed a pink flush of shyness:

"If you can make sure that I still hold a certain place in your heart afterward, then I'm not entirely unwilling to accept it."

"I didn't say I'd agree to you! A proposal isn't something that can happen at this level! At the very least we have to become boyfriend and girlfriend first, and after two or three years of getting to know each other can we even think about this question!"

Rod held his forehead and looked at Tally.

That girl, acting like it had nothing to do with her, looked up at the sky, her eyes wandering, cutely puckered her lips, and whistled a soundless tune.

"What did you say to Lily."

"Say what? Tally's just stating facts. Like that time you had me take the form and body of a little midget to play with in bed~~ Like having me propose to the little midget on your behalf~~"

Which of those things is a fact?

"."

Rod wasn't opposed to taking his relationship with Lily further.

But from the looks of it now, this halfling girl who had just come of age had zero experience in this area, and in their usual interactions she was more like a buddy you grew and competed alongside.

Rushing things would likely do more harm than good.

Just look.

Lily was flushed red hot, her eyes a bit dazed.

Rod could only explain things briefly.

But he didn't deny everything outright either, and clearly expressed his good feelings toward her.

Lily quickly calmed down.

She glared at Tally in embarrassed anger, then looked at Rod, her expression a bit flustered: "Sorry, Rod. I think I got a little too worked up."

"I'm the one who scared you."

"Um, may I ask when you started having feelings for me?"

Rod thought for a moment, then smiled:

"That time in the open-air labyrinth, when the terror beast inside the half-elf mage erupted, and your chestplate shoulder strap broke, and after that surge at your chest—"

Lily froze for a beat, then snapped angrily: "Isn't that just lust at first sight!!"

"You could put it that way."

"You!"

She was tongue-tied and couldn't get a word out for a moment.

Then she burst out laughing with a snort: "Alright, alright, I know you're not that kind of person, Rod. We'll talk about this later, let's deal with the matter at hand first."

Just then.

The leader of the Blizzard Mercenary Corps, the crocodile-man Jeroen, walked over.

"Extraordinary, Mr. Rod. This is the most exaggerated dragon-slaying battle I've ever seen."

Rod smiled and nodded: "How's it going on your end?"

"Nowhere near your ridiculous combat power. Our mercenary group mainly relies on attrition against the giant dragon, but we're about wrapped up too."

"Your team took down a giant dragon without a single casualty — truly an eye-opener."

The two exchanged mutual flattery.

"Hahaha — it's all thanks to you, Mr. Rod, provoking the two dragons into fighting beforehand that made it go so smoothly."

"Then we'll head off first. Coral Bay still needs people. Please have the Giant Dragon organization handle the cleanup."

"Understood. Once the black dragon is dealt with, I'll bring people to support as well."

The outer perimeter of Coral Bay.

The elf Kali, who was in a state of 【Concealment】, sheathed the silver blade in her hand.

A freshly inscribed circular magical ritual on the ground flashed with a burst of mana light, then swiftly and thoroughly vanished into the earth.

With an expressionless face, she scanned the towering walls of Coral Bay not far away.

In her field of vision.

The inside and outside of the city seemed like two different worlds.

Outside the city, the sunlight was bright and warm.

Inside the city, a cold, blood-chilling, sulfur-scented evil aura rose like something solid, while a gloomy blood-red hue spread outward, infecting everything.

"Awoo!"

At the edge of her vision.

It was Rat Girl Number Thirteen, on all fours with her perky butt sticking up, pouncing on grasshoppers on the ground.

A tall, solidly-built girl over 1.8 meters, full-figured, healthy and wild — catching grasshoppers was rather exasperating.

Her steel tail swept upward into the air.

"Number Thirteen, come back."

Kali called out softly.

She also opened a certain man's long-distance, distance-ignoring ultra-powerful communication spell, 【Distant Voice Chain】.

She navigated to the mage squad group chat inside.

【Elf Kali: Ritual Site 3 established.】

After a while.

【Dog-kin Sharon: Ritual Site 1 complete.】

【Rabbit-kin Ona: Ritual Site 4 complete. You two are fast.】

【Spider-Elf Watching Yuna: Selina (zombie) and I over here at underwater Site 6 aren't that fast.】

【Male Elf Bernhard: Ritual Site 5 established. Do you need help? Lady Watching Yuna, Lady Heili.】

【Star Spirit Heili: Site 2 complete.】

【Elf Kali: Before the mission begins, do not leave Site 5 without authorization.】

Kali nodded.

Because Coral Bay was right next to the Montes sea region, part of the ritual sites had to be built underwater.

There were more external factors, so a slightly slower progress was expected.

"This part is going fairly smoothly. Wonder how the dragon-slaying is going over there."

Kali pulled a long face, still hesitating whether to ask a certain ranger about his progress.

Suddenly.

Rat Girl Number Thirteen, who had been chewing on weeds, sprang up in a flash and rushed to her side at extreme speed.

Clang!

Metal struck metal, sparks flying.

A silver metal rapier was deflected by the short blade in Number Thirteen's hand and sent spinning into the air.

As the rapier spun through the air, it suddenly halted and swiftly flew back into the hand of a figure in the distance.

It was a stern, cold, and arrogant male dark elf, with a tall half-deer-man over two meters high standing behind him.

Kali's face remained expressionless.

【Kali: Mission start. Everyone except Site 6 may move. Assist Witch Di Mi Ya's army and Pan Ni's undead in attacking Coral Bay.】

(End of chapter)