Chapter 557: Imperfection and Distance

You cannot take the wild out of a wild animal, cannot tame a creature born for battle and bloodshed.

Hellebore was a machine of war, a living weapon forged for combat, his entire existence dedicated to the art of battle.

And long after the great Celestial war that started 5000 years ago and ended roughly 800 years later, he nearly died—from boredom, the absence of conflict almost driving him to the brink of madness.

The peace and silence was deafening to him, a crushing emptiness that pressed in from all sides.

He would usually pick fights in the monster realm and get in trouble, seeking out conflict wherever it could be found, provoking beasts and warriors alike just to feel the rush of battle once more.

When the adventurer’s guild officially launched, a historic moment that would change the world, unsurprisingly, Hellebore was the first to enlist.

And he went on to become the strongest adventurer for nearly three thousand years, his name becoming synonymous with power and skill, his legend growing with each passing century until he was more myth than elf.

Erica saw all of this and thought it was the most amazing thing ever, watching her father’s exploits with wide-eyed wonder, her heart swelling with pride and admiration.

And that this epic figure was her own flesh and blood made it all the more euphoric, filling her with a joy that threatened to burst forth, a happiness that made her feel like she was floating on air.

She started dressing as a boy when she was little, cutting her hair short and binding her (already small) chest, and getting into fights with other boys in the streets and training yards.

She would have arguments with her mother over femininity, the proper way for a young elf maiden to behave, and the expectations placed upon her by nobility and family.

Erica wanted to achieve one thing: to become the strongest adventurer in the world.

She wanted to rise above all others and claim the title that her father had held for so long.

Because this way she would get her father to notice her and see her as more than just another child.

He would finally acknowledge her existence and worth, and maybe pat her on the head before maybe disappearing again, granting her that small moment of acknowledgment that she craved above all else.

That brief touch of affection, apparently, would sustain her for years to come.

"Well... if I see Hellebore, I’ll give him a punch for neglecting such a precious daughter," Benjamin said casually, his tone light and conversational, as Erica fidgeted from being complimented, her fingers twisting together beneath the water. "And you changed your gender, and your name to Eric, to make sure people won’t connect you to Hellebore? And it actually worked? I truly am in another. It’s amazing how well your disguise held up."

"Elves live a very, very long life, time stretching out before them like an endless road... but my bloodline is pure," Erica explained, in her soft boyish tone. "So unlike the rest of them who can go on for 5000 at most, I would live for what feels like eternity, a stretch of time that normal elves cannot even comprehend. I have all the time in the world to surpass father and get his validation, at least once, and prove myself worthy of his legacy."

Benjamin smiled softly at the cheerful elf, his expression warm and genuine, finding her ambition adorable, in a positive way.

"I think you’re getting there," Benjamin nodded, his gaze meeting hers with confidence and certainty. "Just a little more time and you’ll surpass the jerk, ascend beyond his level, reach heights he never dreamed of, then grab him by the beard and say ’This daughter of yours have come to drag you from the top!’ That would be nice to watch. It’d be a scene I would pay to see, a moment of triumph that would be worth all the years of waiting."

"Ah, yes, but... father isn’t bearded, not a single hair on his chin," Erica scratched her cheek shyly, her fingers brushing against her skin with nervous energy, her eyes darting away from Benjamin’s gaze. "If anything, he is often mistaken for a woman. I mean, even by his children, who should know better, so beautiful and delicate in his features. And..."

Erica paused, her voice trailing off, her words catching in her throat.

She glanced at Benjamin with her big crystal eyes, her gaze holding his for a moment, searching his face for something, then looked away disturbed a bit, something clearly troubling her, a conflict playing out behind her eyes.

"Please, can you not be mean to father...? He... He is not a bad man, I promise. He certainly has his flaws and faults, his absences and his preoccupations, but he is not wicked. I love him the way he is, with all his imperfections and distance." Erica explained calmly, her voice steady but tinged with emotion, a tremor of feeling beneath the composed surface.

"...I’m sorry," Benjamin seriously apologized, his voice dropping to a more somber register, his expression softening with regret. "That was tactless and insensitive of me, I had spoken without considering how they might land. I grew up in utter neglect and complete abandonment, a childhood mostly empty of warmth and presence, so hearing about a father’s absence made me pissed a bit."

"Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had such a past," Erica felt ashamed that she spoke up in the first place, her pointy ears drooping with guilt, her shoulders hunching forward. "What father did truly was neglect, I cannot deny that. But I love him particularly because he never lost sight of his goal and was selfish about it. He pursued his dreams without apology or compromise."

"I understand." Benjamin smiled, his blue eyes reflecting the water below, the crystal lights casting dancing patterns across his face, his expression one of peaceful acceptance.

Silence prevailed for some minutes, a comfortable quiet settling over the basin, the only sounds being the gentle lapping of water and the soft breaths of the three occupants, with them just enjoying the water.

The warmth was seeping into their bodies, the medicinal crystals working their magic on weary minds, until...

Benjamin felt a shrill and dangerous distortion in the air.

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere that made his skin prickle with awareness, the hairs on his arms standing on end.

Snapping his neck to his left, closer to his position, was someone very familiar and very naked, suddenly in the basin as if she had always been there.

She had materialized from thin air, her presence appearing without warning or explanation, without the slightest indication of her arrival.

"Eh?! S-Sara?! What are you doing here?!" Benjamin yelled and recoiled, his eyes wide with shock and confusion. "No, HOW did you even get here in a way I didn’t notice at all?! There was no magic or portal!"