The Devil's Cursed Witch

Dear readers, Erlos is one of the most important and powerful characters in this novel. In today's chapters, you will get to know him and his abilities.

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Bordering the outer walls of the palace of the King of Agartha was a lush and mystical forest belonging to the territory of the elves. A small but bustling city of elves could be found inside.

It was the home of the Wood Elf Clan under the jurisdiction of High Elder Leeora.

Wood Elves were known to spend their entire existence bent solely on the preservation of their forested realms. They were the nurturers, defenders of the forest, guardians of all things natural and pure, and generally lived in a state of harmony along with other forest creatures, whether they be ordinary animals or plants.

As such, unlike humans who cut trees and turn them into wooden boards to build their houses, Wood Elves use their magic to grow living shelters within the bodies of their tree of choice, and they enchant the branches and vines of the trees to build bridges connecting each tree, coexisting with them without destroying anything.

Rather than calling it a city, it was more like a magical community where the majority of inhabitants are Wood Elves. As the city closest to the palace, a small number of elves from other clans and other races reside within the city as well.

Tap, tap, tap!

Knocks that sounded more like rhythmic music resounded within one of the largest tree shelters. A gentle voice of an old woman echoed from the other side of the wooden door.

"Erlos, the sun is out already. Are you going to continue sleeping?"

A groan from within the shelter responded to that gentle voice.

"If you do not rise now, you won't be able to have a meal before heading off work."

The young elf whose sleep was disturbed tossed and turned in bed with an annoyed face. As the knocks continued, he turned on his side, his back facing the door, and covered his head with a pillow so he wouldn't hear the sound of the nagging old lady.

The door opened on its own, and the elegant Leeora entered his house and headed to his room with a helpless smile. "Are you still not up? You will be late if you do not move still."

"Let me sleep, Elder," a muffled voice said under the pillow, "Yesterday, he drained my energy, and now my entire body aches so much. I think I will call in sick today, no, for the next couple days."

Leeora raised a brow. "It couldn't be that bad. The King isn't as ruthless as you make him out to be."

"He's a devil! Literally and figuratively a devil, I tell you!" He moved the pillow off his head and pouted in the old lady's direction. "Heart of stone, no, he's heartless!"

Used to his whines and complaints, the elf elder merely moved about the house that was as familiar to her as if it's her own. She cleaned and cut a couple of fruits and made hot tea for the pouting young elf.

"You are the only servant that Sire trusts to serve his side. If your body aches so badly, do you want me to brew an elixir for you?"

With a begrudging expression, Erlos finally hopped off his bed and trudged his way towards the table where the meal was prepared. "Why me? Why am I being punished like this?"

"You should be glad instead of feeling annoyed."

Erlos noisily chewed on the fruit, as if trying to vent his feelings that way. "I am not glad at all. Excluding myself, there are exactly fifty-two servants working in the palace, forty of them elves. Everyone is older and more hardworking than me. Why is the King only bullying me? Can't I just be like other palace servants?

"Others clean and rest afterwards, but no, not me. I have to stay by the King's side all day long. The thing is, even his aides get more slack time than me. You know Xyno who keeps records of intelligence of the outside world? There's also Yula who's in charge of housekeeping, and even Garros who oversee finances—"

Leeora smiled at the rambling young man. "Other servants are envious of you and here you cry over it."

Erlos swallowed another piece of fruit before rolling his eyes. "They are envious because they don't know what that heartless devil makes me go through each moment. Do you know what he did yesterday, Elder? He zapped me to another location without telling me beforehand! I didn't have time to protect my body with magic. Luckily, my tolerance is exceptionally high. If it were someone else, he would have died by now."

Leeora merely smiled as she listened patiently to his words.

He continued, "He's a big bully, I tell you! This isn't how a powerful man should treat someone weaker than him. Who even made him the king here? If..If I had his strength, I would open a portal and banish him to somewhere I won't ever see him again, hmpf!"

"Calm down. In future, you will understand why the Sire keeps you by his side always," she said to assure him.

His pointed ears twitched as he heard those familiar lines from Leeora. This was something she always told him, but never fully explained. "There is no other reason other than he enjoys making me suffer. Hmm, could it be because I am more handsome than him? Is he envious?"

This time, it was Leeora who wanted to roll her eyes. She merely shook her head. "Sire cares for you but he just doesn't show it."

"No, he doesn't."

"Alas, you know you are the only descendant of the High Elves we have left after that massacre led by humans. If not for him, you would have died there too. He brought you with him when you were just a child and always kept you by his side. How can you not see how much he cares for you?"

"I might reluctantly agree that he saved me to keep the last surviving bloodline of the High Elves, but for that part that he cares for me? A myth." Erlos was not ready to agree.

"Fine, fine. For now, change into your work clothes and head back to the palace. You have your own sleeping quarters in the palace, why did you even come back here to sleep? Go now. You need to be there before the King wakes up."

Erlos nodded unwillingly and finished his morning meal, groaning at the thought of returning to the palace with an aching body. A silly grin formed on his handsome face. "Uhm, Elder? If you brew me an elixir, please give me two, no, three bottles."

Leeora eyed him suspiciously. "That's a precious healing elixir, not ordinary juice. Do you know how expensive it is to make?"

"But my muscles are sore so…Thank you, Elder! I know you treat me the best!"