Chapter 392: If: Percy Returns 8

Chapter 392 if: After Percy Returns 8

No one knew Elu better than he knew himself. If the Elu in the water mirror said it was comfortable, then it truly was.

The God said solemnly: "I will try it."

Water Mirror: "By the way, let me teach you a little spell to enhance the experience. You can use it when you try."

"...?"

The words the water mirror showed were composed of simple phrases, with no magical effect whatsoever. The God could tell, but still nodded and memorized them.

*

As sunset approached, Percy stood beneath the Mother Tree, wondering whether to go up.

The deeper he ventured into the core of the Withering, the more severely he was inevitably injured. This time, there was a wound on his chest, two on his waist and abdomen, and one between his legs—all deep cuts.

Percy wasn't too bothered, but clearly, the Mother Goddess did.

He considered stopping the bleeding first and pretending nothing had happened, but then a water mirror swayed down from the branches. The God inside teased: "Young Percy, aren’t you coming up? Your Elu is going to get angry."

Percy grumbled: "Mother Goddess, please don’t use such disrespectful words. A God cannot be referred to as 'my Elu.'"

The water mirror dismissed it: "Soon enough."

After teasing the adorably innocent Fairy King, the vines curled lazily: "I’ll warn you—he’s already noticed. If you keep lingering under the tree and refuse to come up, he really will get angry."

Percy jolted in surprise and looked up toward the top of the Mother Tree. Sure enough, a strand of silver hair dangled past the barrier, as if the Mother Goddess was peering down through it.

He could no longer pay attention to the water mirror. Lightly stepping onto a branch, he leaped up, then stood before Elu with downcast eyes, looking every bit the obedient child ready to admit his mistake.

Elu: "Where are you hurt this time?"

Percy obediently pointed: "Here, here, here, and here."

Elu sighed, counting the leaves in his hand. It seemed all would be used up, and he’d still need two more.

The leaves of the Mother Tree were like the hair of a God—not to be wasted.

He massaged his temples and ordered: "Pull up your clothes. Let me see the wounds."

Of all the elves throughout history, this one was definitely the most trouble for the Mother Goddess.

Elu thought to himself: "Naughty Percy."

There was no need to lift the clothes—they were already riddled with holes. Yesterday, before coming to see the Mother Goddess, Percy had changed and bathed, earning him a stern scolding from the God. Wounds shouldn’t be exposed to water, let alone covered by tight-fitting clothes. So this time, he had only done basic wound care.

Percy did as he was told.

Since the clothes were beyond saving anyway, Percy simply tore the tears wider, exposing his skin.

The first wound was on his chest. The God’s fingertip lightly touched the area, tracing the skin, sending a strange tingling through it. Golden energy seeped into the wound, bringing a mix of pain and itchiness. Within seconds, it scabbed over and healed, leaving new, pink skin.

The second wound was on his side—one near the abdomen, the other near the lower back. Elu’s gaze lingered over the Fairy King’s waist, and he couldn't help giving it a squeeze.

Hmm. The Fairy King looked slender, but his figure was quite impressive. His firm yet yielding muscles felt like fresh bread under his fingers, leaving slight indentations when pressed. They’d probably be delicious too.

At the touch, Percy shivered, then immediately straightened his posture, adjusting his breathing and staring straight ahead as if nothing had happened.

After treating the first wound, Elu moved behind him, giving Percy’s dimpled lower back a teasing pinch.

Hmm, did he squeeze this earlier?

Percy trembled even more violently, barely managing to clutch his garments. Unable to see the God behind him, he could only feel fingertips lingering on his wounds, eliciting peculiar tingles that made him mentally berate himself.

—The Mother Goddess is healing you, what are you thinking? Lusting after a god—how disgraceful. If the Mother Goddess knew what was on your mind, he’d probably be so angry he’d hurl you from the World Tree.

His trembling was so intense that Elu didn’t dare touch him further. Watching the Elven King’s dimples quiver along with his body, he felt a twinge of disappointment.

What a shame. Percy’s so sensitive—so touch-averse.

Once all the wounds on his waist and abdomen were treated, the God and the elf shared a look of faux innocence before both turning their attention to Percy’s thigh.

There was still one injury left.

Elu said, "Percy, sit down."

Percy jerked his head up, only to meet Elu’s wide-eyed, innocent stare, as if asking, "What’s the matter?"

That’s right—the God wanted to touch him too.

Having personally shaped so many creations, he still didn’t know how they’d feel to the touch.

Biting his lip, Percy gripped the fabric of his clothes under the God’s gaze and exposed the wound.

Elu was visibly pleased.

By the time all the wounds were treated and Elu had finished today’s pastries, it was already midnight. As usual, they lay on the same bed, but this time, Percy was even more tense.

He couldn’t stop himself from recalling the water mirror’s words, that hazy, dreamlike night, the intimacy between the other Percy and the God, and Elu’s fingertips tracing his wounds.

The Elven King wrestled with every shred of willpower, yet couldn’t banish the vivid, feverish images from his mind. The more he resisted, the sharper the sensations became—his five wounds all burned oddly at once. So, when Elu tried to use him as a body pillow again, Percy curled up slightly, flinching away.

Elu froze, then looked genuinely hurt. He stared accusingly at Percy, only to see his Elven King curl up even tighter, burying his face in the pillow—not so much avoiding him as sinking into self-disgust.

The God paused, then reached out to touch him. "Percy?"

He noticed the elf’s unnatural tension, the parts he was desperately trying to hide, and gently stroked his body, attempting to uncurl him—only to meet faint, barely perceptible resistance.

In that instant, the God instinctively understood what the water mirror had meant.

"Percy’s reactions will be adorable. You’ll like it."

They were indeed adorable, and he did like it.

So, Elu applied more force, and after a brief moment of resistance, Percy defeatedly relented, letting the God spread him open—everything laid bare.

He turned his face away in shame, only for the God to cup his chin and turn it back.

Then, featherlight kisses fell on his lips, brows, and many, many other places.

As the Elven King’s eyes widened in shock, Elu murmured, "We can try this, right? We can? Right?"

Percy flushed head to toe, his mind in turmoil, gazing up dazedly.

At this point, was anything off-limits now?

...

Elu thought, "The water mirror told the truth after all."

It felt wonderful, except for one thing—never call Percy "baby" in the heat of the moment, or it might leave emotional trauma—according to the Gods.

*

For some time after that, the couple in the water mirror and the pair outside stayed connected, sharing their progress and solutions regarding the Withering. This time, the Gods awakened even earlier than before.

Elu set out to clarify the misunderstandings and restore Percy to the throne.

In his eyes, there was no elf in the entire kingdom more suited to be the Elven King than Percy.

Once, when Percy was absent, the Elu inside the water mirror dropped a meaningful hint: "Since you've just gotten together, I suggest you take it slow. Don't rush to make Percy the Elven King again so soon."

Elu, however, responded coolly, "What he shouldn't have lost, I should return to him as soon as possible."

The water mirror seemed resigned but didn't oppose.

Thus, this time, they acted before the elven race could elect a new king.

At that time, Kemi was protesting loudly and refusing to take the throne, grieving over the former Elven King's belongings when suddenly, a voice rang in his ears.

The voice came from nowhere yet was crystal clear. Kemi immediately set down everything in his hands, slightly bowed his head, placed his right hand over his chest, and knelt on one knee toward the Mother Tree.

Almost simultaneously, all the elves in the clan moved in unison, in reverent silence gazing toward the Mother Tree.

It was the decree of the Gods.

The ethereal voice of the Gods resonated in their ears. He said the former Elven King had never been at fault nor incurred the Gods' displeasure. He said the former Elven King was humble and dignified, deserving of the throne. He said all those who had slandered and defamed him should be punished.

Thus, the misunderstandings were cleared, the council of elders fell into despair, and Percy personally received the crown from the hands of the Gods, becoming the Elven King once more.

However, it didn't take long for Elu to start regretting it.

The Elven King's duties were overwhelming, and Percy was the type with a strong sense of responsibility. With the Withering not yet fully eradicated and many chaotic affairs within the clan, he was swamped with work every day, leaving no extended periods of time to accompany the Gods.

Thus, Elu, who had just found his partner, was still in the honeymoon phase when he was forced to become a "neglected deity."

Inside the water mirror, the other Elu's Percy was also busy with duties, leaving the two Gods with nothing to do but stare at each other and exchange blame.

Elu outside the water mirror: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Elu inside the water mirror: "I did say something, but you didn't listen."

Both Gods, accustomed to privilege and never contradicted, began sulking in perfect sync.

Though they were upset, they didn't neglect their duties. With guidance from the Elu inside the water mirror, they eradicated the Withering, cleansed the edges of Pine Mountain, and even welcomed a visit from Mr. Succubus, revising the clan's ascetic and restrictive laws.

Young elves began falling in love, embracing and kissing under the moonlight in the depths of Pine Mountain, while Mr. Succubus, holding his lyre, sat among pairs of lovers, leisurely singing ancient ballads.

The Gods whisked the Elven King away to the Mother Tree, living and eating together. No elf suspected a romantic relationship, assuming the Elven King was merely attending to the Gods as was proper for his station.

Percy himself thought the same.

Even as marriage became commonplace and elves formed loving bonds under his blessings, the Elven King never once considered swearing eternal vows to the Mother Goddess.

Then, one day, as Percy left to handle affairs, the Elu inside the water mirror pointed out bluntly: "Elu, by custom, you should marry Percy now."

The Elu outside the water mirror looked confused: "Aren't we already married?"

Loving, kissing, embracing, exploring more intimate pleasures—wasn't that marriage?

Seeing an identical look of innocence he once wore, the Elu inside the water mirror groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead.

Perfect—just what I'd expect from him.

But with the water mirror here, the past could never repeat itself. In just a few words, he explained everything clearly to the Gods, watching, unsurprised, as Elu's face went from confusion to thought, then to dawning understanding.

Good—he’d been just as clueless back in the day.

Thus, in this lifetime, Percy had no time to feel lost, nor did he taste the bitterness of jealousy before the Mother Goddess shyly asked, "Can we get married?"

Percy was floored.

Their witness was a shimmering pool of dew, one that could form a mirror.

With the dew as their witness, they went through the whole ceremony—vows, an embrace, and a kiss. At the end of the ceremony, a line of words formed in the water:

"'Me and my love,' wishing you happiness."

The words made no sense, leaving the elves completely lost. But the Mother Goddess just smiled and answered back:

"'Me and my love,' same to you."