Chronicles of the Engulfment

As Kazuya chatted with Claude and Yuki struggled to escape the affectionate hands of the girls, no one noticed the subtle movements of Khael. The elf, still groggy but driven by fierce determination, slowly crawled out of the crater where he had been left.

He muttered to himself:

"These idiots… Too busy chatting like they're in a tavern. I'm getting out of here…"

He nearly reached the bushes at the edge of the clearing, inwardly congratulating himself on his brilliant plan. But at that very moment, a loud crack echoed. Looking down, he realized he had stepped on a dry branch.

The entire group turned their heads sharply, their piercing gazes landing on him.

"I think it's time to come back here," Kazuya said lightly, extending a hand.

A slight movement of his fingers, and Khael found himself suspended in the air, awkwardly floating a few meters above the ground.

"Not very discreet," Kazuya commented as he pulled him back toward the group like a ragdoll.

"Let me go!" Khael roared, struggling uselessly.

"You've got some nerve for someone who just got knocked out."

They surrounded the elf, pressing him with questions.

"Who is your master?" Thaelion demanded, his tone harsh.

"Did he send you to attack us?" Faelar added, frowning.

"And most importantly, what's with that awful haircut?" Lysariel quipped with a smirk.

Khael, irritated, shot back:

"Hey! My haircut is fashionable where I come from!"

Kazuya chuckled softly before placing a hand on the elf's shoulder.

"Listen, keep it simple. If you cooperate, we might let you go… or at least avoid handing you over to the local justice, which might not be too kind."

Khael opened his mouth, hesitating. But his expression suddenly changed, a dark resolve settling in.

"I will never betray the Emperor."

Before anyone could react, he pulled a small capsule hidden in his sleeve and brought it to his mouth.

"No!" Thaelion shouted, trying to stop him.

But it was too late. Khael bit into the capsule, and his body convulsed briefly before collapsing, motionless.

A tense silence followed.

"Well, at least he won't bother us anymore," Eryndel said with a sigh.

"Yeah, but we learned nothing," Thaelion grumbled, clearly frustrated.

Kazuya shook his head, a wry smile on his lips.

"They're really devoted, huh? Even in isekai, the villains have suicide capsules. It's almost cliché."

Claude frowned.

"The what?"

Kazuya coughed, avoiding the question.

Meanwhile, Yuki, still perched on Lysariel's shoulder, observed the scene with a thoughtful expression.

"You know," he said, puffing out his chest, "you're lucky I'm here... Because with my muscles, even mountains tremble!"

Lysariel chuckled softly, while Tylwen absentmindedly petted the divine fox.

"Maybe we should search the body. He might have left a clue," Claude suggested.

Kazuya nodded, leaning over Khael.

"Let's hope he had something more than his questionable fashion sense."

Their search yielded little of use, but Kazuya found a strange amulet engraved with an unknown symbol.

"At least we have this," he said, examining it closely.

Claude nodded, his expression grave.

"Great," Thaelion grumbled, crossing his arms. "Now we've really wasted our time."

"And we're behind schedule," Claude added, visibly frustrated. "We were supposed to be on our way to Elrin by now."

Kazuya straightened up with a confident smile.

"Elrin, huh? No problem."

"What do you mean, 'no problem'?" Faelar exclaimed. "It's months away from here!"

Kazuya pulled a small glowing pearl from his pocket.

"Let's just say I have a... faster way."

"What's this now?" Thaelion asked skeptically.

Kazuya tossed the pearl into the air, and it burst into blinding light. A second later, a massive magical circle appeared beneath their feet, pulsing softly.

"It's a teleportation spell," he explained. "We can be there in a few seconds."

Lysariel and Ryandel exchanged impressed glances.

"That's incredible," Lysariel murmured.

"Wait a second," Yuki grumbled from Kazuya's shoulder. "Do you know how exhausting it is for me to power this spell?!"

"Ah, Yuki, you're always there for me," Kazuya said, giving him a friendly pat.

As the circle glowed brighter, Thaelion crossed his arms.

"I don't like this."

"And what exactly don't you like?" Kazuya asked, amused. "Being teleported or not having to walk for three months?"

Thaelion didn't answer, but his frown deepened.

"Come on, trust in my divine charisma," Kazuya added with a wink.

Before anyone could protest further, the circle exploded with light, and in an instant, they were gone, leaving behind a half-destroyed forest... and many unanswered questions.

Meanwhile, a few leagues away, a rather dubious-looking carriage waited patiently. The driver, a gruff elf whose eyes seemed to have made a secret pact with exhaustion, glanced boredly at the sundial strapped to his wrist, as if the light itself would speed up his journey just for him. He let out a sigh worthy of a late-afternoon rain, stood up with a shuffle, grabbed his coat with one hand as if he had just decided he'd seen enough of that piece of fabric, and, with the energy of a general about to lose a battle, announced to the air:

"Alright, that's it. If these clowns don't show up in the next minute, they can go to hell... I'm not waiting forever for a bunch of lunatics!" Without even bothering to wait for an imaginary reply, he turned on his heel and left.