Chapter 192: Morgan Flora
Alysia Flora's POV
As the sun dipped below the horizon, I knelt beside the fallen horned deer and offered a silent prayer.
"Return to our Mother as she guides your soul" I whispered before proceeding to slice its neck.
The creature, despite its terrifying transformation due to the dark mana, still bore the appearance of a once gentle and innocent animal.
'sigh'
Sighing, I pulled the arrow from the deer's side and then proceeded to dig a pit in the earth. Gently, I placed the lifeless creature into the pit and covered it, offering it a respectful burial.
With the day nearing its end, I contemplated the events of my hunt.
'All right, the sun is about to set, and I've managed to take down nearly a dozen of these infected beasts. I'm certain Mama must be worrying about me by now. I should return before she sets out to find me' I thought to myself as I made my way out of the dense forest.
Our home, the Flora continent, was located adjacent to the Fallen Continent, connected by the mysterious Fiend Forgotten Forest.
It was not uncommon for the dark mana to infect and drive the local wildlife to madness. Some pointed fingers at the Fallens, believing that their need for dark mana was the root cause.
But as Elves, we held a different perspective, choosing not to lay blame and instead seeing these incidents as a part of the natural order.
""Welcome, Your Highness""
Upon my return, the guards offered their respectful greetings.
I acknowledged their salutations with a simple nod before entering our dwelling.
Once inside, I faced my mother,
"...."
"...Mother?"
"...."
"sigh, Mama-" Sighing, I called her with a hint of frustration in my voice.
Before I could finish, she embraced me with a sudden and warm hug, "My dear!!"
After some mock irritation and fake scoldings, my mother and I sat down to share our evening meal.
As the night deepened, we retired to the bed, and my mother, as usual, made herself comfortable with me on top of her body, patting my back as she gazed at the moon.
I couldn't help but think, 'Tsk, She always treats me like a child' although deep down, I cherished the attention. -content
"Mama?" I hesitated for a moment before I raised a more serious matter.
"Hmm?" My mother, who had been lost in her thoughts as she observed the moon through the window, shifted her gaze to me.
I gathered my courage and decided to address what had been weighing on my mind for decades,
"It's been nearly 50 years since I last saw Father..." My voice trailed off as I hinted at what was on my mind.
She gazed into my eyes, her expression unreadable.
I was no longer a child, and her silence confirmed that she understood the depth of my inquiry.
A heavy silence hung in the room, and I could no longer contain my emotions.
I began to sob uncontrollably as I questioned, "I-Is it because of me? 'sob', 'sob', right? I a-am defective 'sob' prod---hmfff"
Before I could finish my sentence, my mother pulled me to her bosom, wrapping her arms around me in a comforting embrace....not understanding my struggle to breathe.
She held me tightly, her voice trembling as she reassured me, "N-No, my dear Alysia...you are not defective. My child is a genius among geniuses; there is no way my child is defective"
As I felt my consciousness slipping away, I thought, 'Oh, n-no I am going lose my consciousness....-ha-ha-ha' Just as I was about to fall unconscious, my mother gently pushed me with an apologetic expression.
"Mama!!" I shouted at her with frustration and,
'slap'
"Ouch"
My mother cried in pain when slapping those deadly Milkers.
During our sleeping hours, We, Elves typically didn't wear anything, leaving us essentially naked.
'Boing, Boing'
As I observed her Milkers jiggling, Veins bludged on my forehead, and I couldn't resist to give another,
'slap'
"Ouch"
My mother looked at me with a pout, her eyes teary as she asked, "Why did you hit me again?"
Seeing me glaring at her bosom, she couldn't help but smile, her expression a tad mischievous with an evil laugh,
"Oh,Oh,Oh....My daughter is starting to become self-conscious about her body" she commented, glancing at my budding bosom.
My lip twitched, when she said with a smug smile, "Don't worry dear, Only time will tell the truth".
'Shouldn't she say something reassuring like, 'It's fine, you will grow' or 'yours will become bigger than me' or something like?....Instead 'Only time will tell the truth' as if she's suggesting I might not develop further' It irked me even more.
Just as I was about to move from her, she suddenly said,
"It's time to drink"
"Huh?"
"Come drink, your favourite Milk" She said as she lifted her beautiful bosom.
'gulp'
Gulping my dry throat, I immediately moved and tried to run away from her.
"Shit" but suddenly my body froze in midair, moving towards her and landing on top of my mother's body.
"Cheating!! You are using Magic again" I shouted at her in frustration.
"Cheating...ah? Well, For my daughter I would do anything" She said with a smug smile as forcefully inserted her nipples into my mouth.
"Hmmffff---fff....'slurp, slurp'" Just about retort, I felt the honey taste of milk....I calmed down as my body unconsciously started to suck the tasty milk.
"Good Girl" She patted my back and turned to look at the moon with a solemn face.
'I know, I know, whenever I bring up my father's topic, she always changes it naturally' I sighed.
I...I...I was mortal, unable to awaken my soul crystal at the age of 7, and that day marked the last time I saw my father's face.
I considered the possibility that I might be a late bloomer, much like some humans who awakened their soul crystal between the ages of 13 to 15. Among the Elves, it was not uncommon for some to awaken their soul crystal as late as 90 years. Therefore, there was no need to worry about it.
My mother, however, believed that her milk could help awaken my soul crystal.
She claimed to have read about it in ancient scriptures. I couldn't help but wonder if it was possible, but thinking about it only left my mind in turmoil as I shrugged off these thoughts and slowly drifted into dreamland, unaware of the flickering of her silvery eyes.
....
"Your Majesty, please understand, we need a King" one of the Elder Elves said as he slammed his hand on the table.
"Hmm?" My mother looked at the Elf and simply said,
"Next agenda" with an indifferent expression.
She exuded a different aura now, befitting her role as Queen.
We were gathered at the monthly meeting, where the Elven Queen had the duty to regulate order, peace, and create various schemes for the well-being of our people.
My mother and the other Elders sat around the round table, and I stood behind her. In previous meetings, I had usually been on her lap.
My mother tapped her fingers on the table while holding some papers in her left hand. She asked in an indifferent tone,
"How is the Slave-Rescue Mission going?"
"We have almost found most of the Elves" one of the female Elders replied.
My mother squinted her eyes and responded, "I need an accurate value, not 'almost' Tell me exactly"
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty, I will provide that information within a week" the woman Elder stammered.
"Tomorrow" my mother declared firmly.
"....Y-Yes"
"Next..."
"Your Majesty!" The same male Elder raised his voice, his tone resolute, and directed at my mother.
I instinctively glared at him.
My mother frowned and asked, "What is it?".
"Just how long are you going to avoid this?" The male Elder questioned, unafraid of my mother.
"...I still love him" My mother said, indicating someone....none other than my father.
The Elder gritted his teeth, clearly frustrated, and continued, "If you still love him, then where is he?... Oh, I know where he is! What is he doing?... Fucking around other women--"
Before he could finish, a small wind sliced across his cheek, drawing blood.
I was eager to know what the Elder had been about to say, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate for me.
But he didn't seem scared. Instead, he pressed on, "....Your chosen husband has been sleeping with other women, and there have been 12 children born from his blood in the span of 20 years. Who knows how many more after he left us around 70 years ago?"
My mother maintained her composure and simply asked, "So?"
The Elder, undeterred, continued to speak, "Do you understand what I'm saying, Your Majesty? Every child he has fathered has become mortal, regardless of their origin race.....There are no exceptions, so, you understand what am I saying, right, Your Majesty?"
My mother didn't react as if she already knew about these revelations.
I was taken aback as I had always believed my father had passed away, especially since it had been 80 years since I'd last seen him. It turned out that everything was different from what I had expected.
In response to the discussion, others voiced their concerns,
"Yes, Your Majesty, you have a duty as the Queen."
"We cannot have an incompetent heir"
"We've already selected a few exceptional men that suit your taste, Your Majesty"
"All we want is a competent heir. You can choose any man you wish, and if you don't want to marry, you can take a concubine"
Their words had a profound impact on me.
'snap'
With a snap, my mother finally spoke, "Get out!"
The Elder Elves quickly left, leaving only me and my mother behind.
"I-I am s--"
My mother interrupted me and said, "My dear, you haven't done anything wrong" before embracing me.
As she hugged me, my body trembled, and...I couldn't sleep that night.
.....
After that incident, my mother's secret about my unawakened soul crystal somehow became public knowledge, and without a second thought, the citizens began criticizing her, claiming she wasn't acting like a Queen.
I was dumbfounded by this turn of events. Just because I hadn't awakened my soul crystal, they had changed their view of me.
Those who had once regarded me with warmth and gentleness now looked at me with displeasure and scorn.
Although it hurt me a little, I was fine with it as long as my mother continued to smile at me.
One night, I gathered my courage and asked her, "Mama, why don't you marry another man?"
She hesitated, saying, "...It's not eas--"
"Everyone is speaking ill of you because of me... It hurts me to see my mother being discriminated against by them" I interrupted her, voicing my concerns,
With a sigh, she replied, "I love him, that's all, Dear" to silence me.
"...And I love you too" she added, kissing my forehead.
...Those were the last and final words I heard from my mother.
The next day, something happened that shocked the entire Flora continent.
....The Elven Queen, Morgan Flora, had passed away.