A Degenerate's Tale

At the palace, the first thing Earl would do was set up Saryll's work area. During this time of the day, she would be busy with other tasks, which meant it was his job to prepare things for her. Once done, he would wait for her to arrive.

On a side note, Earl's training under Saryll had come to a temporary halt due to the rapidly piling affairs of the Elven Kingdom and because of his level of progression with Spirit Magic. Now that he had a Contracted Spirit, it was his job to become better attuned to Kitsu's ability while receiving little guidance from Saryll.

After Earl finished preparing Saryll's table, he stretched his body and sat. Then, he began to read to pass the time. As of late, he had been looking into other, unknown fields of magic for inspiration and also to broaden his knowledge.

While Earl was immersed in his world of books, Saryll came into the room earlier than usual. Noticing the opportunity for a prank, she hid her presence and stealthily took a seat next to Earl.

"Boo!"

"Ah..."

To his surprise, Earl's book fell to the ground.

"Pff... Puahaha..!"

"What are you doing, Your Majesty?"

"Hehe, sorry. It was a rare opportunity."

Earl faked a sigh and dusted his book, which he picked up. "Let's get to work."

"Noo~ Look at the time. It's too early."

"The earlier we start, the earlier we finish. Let's go."

"Noo~"

After a long bout with Saryll, the young mage finally got the Queen to do her job.

Sitting in her chair, Saryll briefly read the document presented to her.

"This village is running into difficulties with growing crops. The report says that it's an unknown parasite that may be feasting away at the crops. What do you think we should do?"

"I remember the Chief of Agriculture submitted a paper on a new crop they were working on a few months back. If I recall correctly, this crop is a natural parasite repellent, so perhaps we can give it a try."

"Good thinking. We will do that."

Their first pile of tasks for the day was soon finished. To reward Saryll, Earl briefly left the room to brew tea for her. When he returned to the room, he was met with a surprise.

"..."

There was no one in the room.

Earl sighed briefly and gently placed the tea tray down on the desk before heading out.

On his walk, he would be met with many respectful greetings from the workers in the Royal Palace.

He ended up at the very peak of the palace, on top of the Tree of Life, where the fantastic green scenery generated from the tree's crown laid beautifully.

He dragged his feet and stood next to Saryll, who was quietly watching her city operate from the gaps of the leaves.

"The tea will turn cold, Teacher."

"How did you find me so quickly?"

"What do you mean, how? You're always here."

"Hehehe~ Look at you being all serious about your job."

Saryll never slacked off. Or at least before she took him in, that was. She enjoyed teasing him.

"I'll drag you back to your room."

"That's if you can catch me?"

Saryll flickered to several paces away. An afterimage briefly lingered at her previous location. A teasing smile hung on her face.

Earl let out a small smile and relaxed his posture.

"Fine, I'll play with you."

In response, Earl split into two and chased after her.

A strange chase between the majestic Queen of elves and her aid began.

The two Earls showed impressive coordination. Their footwork dazzled and confused Saryll. On the other hand, Saryll rode on the wind at a carefree pace despite Earl's excellent strategy.

Soon, Earl upped his approach and incorporated his magic into the mix. The atmosphere thickened- as if they were underwater and leaves flew to block Saryll's way.

The wall of leaves quickly did the trick, and Saryll was stuck. Then, just as Earl was confident of his victory, Saryll did the unexpected by throwing herself at him.

She let out a joyous laugh, and they tumbled through the soft field of leaves together. Earl followed her cue and dispelled his magic, enjoying the tumble with her.

They ended with their clothes wrinkled, and Earl pressed to the ground with Saryll on top. Her shadow shielded him from the glaring sunlight shining down from above.

"That was fun." He said.

"That was fun!"

"Now the tea is really cold."

"Still on about that?"

"I put a lot of effort into it."

"That's cute. Thank you!"

After a long break, Saryll returned to her work. On Earl's break, he went to a secret spot he found with Alea.

The leaves opened up, and the trees cleared to reveal a small but majestic waterfall. Alea sat with her bare feet submerged in the cool water by the waterfall's base. Her light blue hair blended in beautifully with the rapidly moving water in front of her.

Shhh...

The sound of the waterfall falling created a relaxing ambience.

Earl sat next to Alea.

"I made sandwiches today."

A line unsuited for royalty blurted out of the princess's mouth—a weaved basket next to her with a lid on top.

"Really? I'm excited."

"Before that, your payment." She said calmly.

"Oh, right."

Following her request, Earl leaned to kiss her on the lips. An elated expression momentarily emerged on her calm face, like a ripple in a still pond.

"Let's enjoy it."