Book 14: Chapter 18


    What are you saying?! eximed Mommy Vyvyan.


    Mommy Vyvyan threw down her fork and knife. Befuddlement appeared in her blood-red eyes, but the anger in them was more prominent. Mom was no different to a prairie that was aze. Her fury would burn even me, her son, to ashes. She took in a deep breath in an attempt to suppress her fury. Shaking and, in a serious tone, she eximed, Son, Son, did you understand what I said? I told you that I could treat the root of your condition. Why do you still want to leave home? Dont you want to return to the North to live as you did in the past? Wasnt Mommy clingy and helping you heal so that you could return? If you go back now and expend all of your mana, youll die. No, actually, youll start attacking the elves nearby before you run out of mana!!


    I grabbed my head. Without caring about anything, I roared at Mom, Isnt that how I am right now?! Am I not attacking the elves around me right now? Mom, I dont care about you killing, but I cant ept you killing just to sustain my life. Isnt this the same as me eating people? Doesnt that mean youll have to kill more people? You said youd use a magic formation to transfer mana to me. Doesnt that mean that the elves of Duargana will becking mana, then?!


    Thats not our problem! Theyre our vassals and people, so they should give up what they have for their ruler! Moreover, itll only cost them a tiny amount of mana given that the entire city is providing you with mana. Duargana is an infinite mana source. The elves there will provide you with a constant influx of mana; subsequently, youll never have mana insufficiency symptoms!


    Perhaps the atmosphere between us turned dangerous, since we were yelling at each other. Vyvyan was likely to have a tendency to attack people in that situation. It was evident she was aware of that, so she didnt continue shouting. Instead, she took in big breaths to try and calm down. She then used a mild tone to speak to me: Son, dont be wilful. Mommy knows youre very kind and unwilling to hurt any innocent people, but youre about to die. Youre on the verge of death. This is the only way Mommy can save you. This is not your problem. Youre still a normal elf. Mommy will be responsible for any investigations or punishments. You dont need to worry about anything; youll be fine. Trust Mommy. Nobodys life will be impacted.


    Mom pleaded me. Dumbfounded, I stood in ce. I was genuinely very sad. Just how ridiculous was it? The person doing the saving begged the person they were saving to save them. Mom saved me. She gave me the ability to continue living, yet she was virtually on her knees, wanting me to ept the kind gesture. She begged me to ept her help. That was how Mom would forever be.


    I couldnt just ept it, though. I couldnt go absorbing the mana of others. I destroyed my own body. It had nothing to do with Mommy Vyvyan, Mommy Elizabeth or the elves of Duargana. They had no reason to die for us. They didnt have to pay for what I did, and they certainly shouldnt die for me. Mom shouldnt give up her conscience for my sake, either.


    It was all my fault. Endangering those around me for my own mistake was uneptable. I should still be able to make it in time. I believed it wasnt toote for Mommy Vyvyan to stop. I assumed she should still be able to revert back to how she was as long as I could withstand the urge to suck blood.


    I shook my head. In a gentle voice, I said, Mom, I cant; I cant endanger the elves of Duargana for my own sake. This has nothing to do with them. They have no obligation to endanger themselves for me. Mom, you cant continue living this way, either. Youre still the most outstanding and benevolent ruler to the elves. Stop now before anybody finds out, Mom. Dont be an evil demon for my sake; dont abandon your conscience for me. I dont want to see you be a blood-sucking dark elf from now because of me. Mom, I should leave. After I return to the North to see my children, Ill find myself a proper burial. Mom, I no longer have regrets thanks to you and my wives.


    As a son, I should leave my final words with my Mom in a calm and natural manner. I was initially nervous and slightly scared, but the fear gradually subsided as I went on. In the end, I was only left with tranquillity. Perhaps speaking of your own funeral wasnt much a sad thing for those who were ready to candidly face their death.


    Mom looked nkly at me and took in a deep breath. She shoved a chair away and walked over to me. She gave me a vicious p before I realised it wasing. My head was enveloped in warmth and gentles before I could feel the pain from the p: Son youre heartless Youre heartless Mommy has taken so much care of you, yet youve never taken care of Mommy


    I heard Moms hoarse voice from overhead. Mom pressed my head firmly onto her chest and hugged me tight as though she wanted to fuse me with her body. She kept me in her arms and, in a shaky voice, continued, Son, have you considered my feelings? Youre willing to die for yourself, other people, Elizabeth and your wives


    From Moms embrace, I swiftly yelled, Im willing to die for you, too!


    Mom patted my head harder and shouted, Mommy doesnt want you to die!! Mommy doesnt want you die for Mommy! Mommy wants you to live! Mommy wants you to live no matter what and no matter how you are! Mommy doesnt want to see you die no matter what! Mommy wants to see you alive! Thats all Mommy wants! Youre willing to die for everyone around you, and yet youre unwilling to live for Mommy?! Mommy doesnt want anything, but for you to live!


    I


    So why are you willing to die, yet are unwilling to ept Mommy?! Mommy has already tried so hard and finally found such a good way to save you. I beg you Please Son, live, okay? Please Im begging you Please live Youre Mommys only one in this life. Youre the only thing Mommy is proud of. Mommy lives for you Son, dont torture Mommy. Without you, Mommy doesnt know how to go on. Mommy doesnt even know how to face the future without you. Please Son Dont leave Mommy Dont!


    Moms sobsing from overhead were indiscernible. Her strength leaved her body. I hugged her back this time. She curled up in my embrace and cried loudly. She tightly grabbed onto my arms as though she was trying to release the aggrieved feeling and pain within. However, I felt Moms regret and reluctance to part with me was more prominent.


    I hugged Mom tightly. Her sobs next to my heart virtually transferred through my entire body. Her sobs and tears weakened me.


    I really wanted to agree to Moms method. If I absorbed only a tiny bit of mana, it shouldnt affect the elves. Itd better than sucking mana directly out of Mom, right? Moreover, if I told the elves I was severely wounded and required their mana, theyd be more than willing to provide me with mana, surely


    I stopped myself and told myself, No. No. I cant, though. I cant do that. I cant have a group of innocents suffer for my sake. I messed up. Im the Elven Prince, and the ruler of the North. Wouldnt I be somebody living off Duargana at that rate? I would have to rely on the elves to survive, and I might hurt other elves. Additionally, that would reveal that were dark elves. Would the elves be able to forgive the Gdriel Tribe?


    I dont want to ruin Mommy Vyvyan and the North for my sake alone. This is my fate. Ive died once. I can face it with a straight face this time. My death will be an unbearable feeling for Vyvyan that would torture her night and day and even lead to her destroying the entire world.


    If I lived on, what would be of Mom? Mom would be a dark elf with red eyes, and shed never be able to return to Duargana. All the people of Duargana were about to face a mana shortage to sustain my life. There were too many questions. The elves with superior lineages might be fine but what about infants? What about ordinary elves? If they were ordinary elves simr to Lucia, would they suffer repercussions as a result ofcking mana?


    Id rather die than twist the world for my own sake. If my death ensured Mommy Vyvyan remained the venerated ruler of elves, respected, a normal elf and wasnt treated hostilely due to her dark elf origins, then I was fine with dying.


    Sorry Mom. I sped Moms face and gently wiped her tears. I noticed that I was shedding tears, as well. My throat felt as though it was congested. I looked at the tears coursing down her face. Voice soft, I exined, Sorry, Mom, sorry I cant ruin you. I dont want to ruin you If you be the enemy of elves for my sake, and the elves end up hunting you, living on would be even worse for me. Mom, life by your side is very blissful, very, very blissful. Youre a perfect mom. If possible, I hope I can be your son again.


    Just as Mom went to emotionally shout, I kissed her lips, sealing them. I swallowed all of her counterarguments and despair into my own mouth. We kissed as if wed gone mad, but it was the first time I felt kissing her would feel so bitter that Id shed even more tears