Enrel let out a short sigh and said. "I can tell you my whole life story and eat up your entire childhood, but I'll make it short. I need more funding for my… Things…" Reiki turned his head to look up to Melanor. She scratched her cheek and said. "She may be…" Melanor looked at Enrel at the corner of her eye and continued. "... Special… But the queen can be rather… Practical to… Most things…" Enrel commented. "You misspoke the word. Cruel." Melanor turned her head towards Enrel as she gave her a cold glare. Enrel looked at the ceiling and softly whistled.

Melanor turned her head to face Reiki, she said. "You see Reiki, unlike your race, we elves… How you say too much 'competition' and everyone is entitled to a small amount of funding." Enrel let out a chuckle and said. "Small is an exaggeration. When I first started, you had to make sure I was fed. It wasn't until I was a hundred years old when I could keep myself afloat."

Melanor looked at Enrel at the corner of her eye, she coldly said. "It was more than enough to keep two families of elves fed for half a decade. It was your lavish habits that caused you to burn through it in a half a month."

Reiki looked at Enrel who was staring at the ceiling. He said. "I never would have pinned Enrel-san as an individual with such… Taste… If anything with your capabilities I would have pinned you as the type to devote all your time to research. Being sleep-deprived most of the time and would continue the research regardless of how poor the equipment you have on hand."

Enrel had a smirk on her face as she closed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. She said. "Make sure you stop it with the compliments now. I don't want to hit my head on a door." Melanor let out a scoff filled with disdain, she said. "Coming from someone who lives in a house of stone and metal." Reiki saw Enrel's jaw tighten, she said. "I'm still making the floor plan! Just you wait when it's finished your house would be made out of sticks when compared to mine!"

Melanor had a mocking smirk on her face, she crossed her arms and said. "You said that 77 years ago. When exactly are we going to see your 'mansion'?" Enrel said. "Just you wait! It'll be-." Reiki interrupted and said. "Okay stop. Can we please get back to the topic at hand before the two of you start to hate fu- wielding knives made out of mana at each other's throats."

Enrel pointed at Melanor and said. "She started it!" Reiki let out a sigh as he mumbled. "Are they kids or something?" Moranor lowered her head and spoke in his ear, she said. "This is what I've been dealing with for 80 years of my life. You'll get used to it the more they argue."

Reiki scratched the back of his head and said. "Seriously?... Before I met any of you I had this image that elves were powerful and had knowledge that was borderline all-knowing. The more time I spend with any of you just crumbles it further…" Moranor smacked his back making a loud slapping sound.

[System: User has received 3 Damage.]

She said. "Any one of us could easily kill you where you stand, you do know that." Reiki rubbed the spot where he was slapped, he said. "I do. But now my ideal image of an elf is ruined thanks to all three of you." Moranor clenched her hand into a fist, with gritted teeth she said. "How about we continue on to the main topic before I burn a few more layers of your skin using lightning?" Moranor placed her hand in front of her with her palm facing up, it was about eye level to Reiki.

The tip of her fingers was enveloped with strings of lightning as the sound of crackling was made, a few seconds later there was a small orb of plasma the size of a marble that was shooting out tendrils of lightning. Reiki's eyes were glued to the plasma ball on her hands, he thought. Is that what I think it is?...

Moranor suddenly closed her hand that had the ball of plasma on top of it, as she clenched her hand she destroyed the plasma as it made a deafening sound of crackling similar to thunder with large tendrils of lightning spewing out from the small gap from her fingers.

[System: User has received 58 Damage.]

[System: User's right ear is debuffed with severe deafness.]

[System: User's left ear is debuffed with minor deafness.]

Reiki placed his hands over his ears as he gritted his teeth in pain, he looked at the floor as he felt his entire body sway while standing up. Reiki heard a loud constant ringing in his right ear while his left ear could barely hear the muffled conversation between the three. Melanor's eyes widened as she turned to look at her daughter, she said. "Moranor what did you do?"

She let out a sigh filled with frustration. Moranor had a look of a child who was caught in the middle of doing something they shouldn't, she hastily said. "I-I've done this countless times and they were all fine! He's probably putting up a show, watch." Moranor patted his right shoulder, she continued. "Alright, Reiki, you've had your fun. Time to put a stop to your act."

Reiki started falling as his arms that were covering his ears fell to his sides. Enrel quickly caught him by grabbing his clothes, she said. "He's not acting." Enrel carefully moved his right eyelid as she pointed a finger and slowly moved it in a circular motion.

Moranor's expression froze as she looked like someone just splashed a cold bucket of water on her. Enrel let go of his eyelid and continued. "He's currently experiencing vertigo and he hasn't opened his eyes in the last few seconds. He needs to lay down. Melanor I need a potion and make it high tier, I'll pay."

Melanor had an odd look on her face, she said. "Here I thought you would offer him one of your concoctions instead." Enrel rolled her eyes and said. "The last time someone drank one of them, they were hearing things and were on the verge of insanity, luckily a few talismans solved the problem."

Melanor placed a hand on her chin while her gaze was on the ceiling. She said. "Doesn't he need to sleep with a new talisman every night? How long has it been since he drank one?" Enrel snapped her fingers as Reiki started floating and was moving to the couch, he slowly floated on top of the couch as Moranor hesitantly walked towards him. Moranor said. "I-Is he going to be okay?"

Enrel kept her eyes on Melanor, Enrel said. "He's currently passed out, possibly from the ringing in his ears… Potentially from a ruptured eardrum…" Enrel crossed her arms and continued. "And about that potion… It was about more than half a decade ago?... Word around the town is that his scream during the night has gotten softer." She stared right into Melanor's eye. Enrel said. "We can't lose an individual with his potential. Especially not since he hasn't even shown you all of his tricks up his sleeve."

Melanor stared back at Enrel. Melanor said. "That or you're just desperate for the funding you'll get after he helps you with the inscription." Enrel narrowed her eyes and said. "That's secondary, his well-being comes first… Now, where are we on that potion?" Enrel looked at Reiki using the corner of her eye and stared back at Melanor.

Melanor scratched her cheek and said. "Never thought I would see the day you would care for someone other than yourself. I always thought you would get married first then show emotions, not the other way around." Enrel looked at the ceiling and said. "I'm more concerned about him helping me than his well-being in all honesty."

Melanor let out a chuckle and turned around, she took a couple of steps and said. "There she is." As she suddenly vanished. Enrel turned around and saw Moranor was sitting on the floor while staring at him. Moranor said. "I-I honestly thought he would be fine."

Enrel let out a sigh, she said. "And what made you think that?" Moranor said. "I thought he had a high-level barrier that was constantly around him, just like us." Enrel had a weird look on her face, she said. "How did you come to that conclusion in the first place?"

Moranor kept her eyes on Reiki who was knocked out on the couch, she said. "M-Mom said he had a scholarship from Ishin academy… But then he also said he lost it on the first day…" Enrel placed a hand on her chin, she said. "He lost a scholarship on the first day?" Enrel's eyes widened as she said. "He's the one who didn't show up! And was rumored to have cheated!... If only they knew the truth the entire student body would be turned upside down by the principal."

Moranor hesitantly turned her head to face Enrel, Moranor said. "With the assumption I made, I thought he knew a spell to protect himself from stray spells." Enrel gave her an odd look, she said. "Doesn't he go to that infamous academy?" Moranor shifted her gaze on the floor. She said. "I thought they would have given him a few spells when he got the scholarship…"

Enrel stared at her for a few seconds, she said. "If only you know how cruel they are to each other…" Enrel walked towards her and gently tapped her shoulder. She said. "Don't worry, chances are when he wakes up he won't remember what happened." Moranor quickly looked up to her and hastily said. "Really!?" Enrel had a smile on her face, she said. "Nope, I'm lying." Moranor froze as the corner of her eye twitched, she said. "I thought you were supposed to cheer me up in situations like this?"

Enrel rolled her eyes, she said. "You already burned a few layers of his skin. Do you think he would be mad because of this? If he was… Normal… He would have jumped ship and left the moment his injuries were healed. Speaking of injuries, where was he hit by arrows?"

Moranor stood up as she walked to the nearest wall and leaned on it, she kept looking at Reiki from the corner of her eye. Moranor said. "An arrow hit his right shoulder but hit a bone so the wound wasn't too deep. The crossbow bolt pierced him in his lower right abdomen as he was pinned into a tree. It barely missed his kidney and only lightly scratched his intestines… Mom said he was lucky."

Enrel placed a hand over her mouth, she said. "... Lucky indeed…" Enrel narrowed her eyes, she moved her hand away from her mouth as a smile appeared on her face. She said. "What more can you-." Melanor suddenly appeared in the room holding a small glass vial with a small ring of silver in the middle embedded in the glass itself, it had a red liquid in it with a cork on top. Melanor walked towards them and said. "What did the two of you talk about when I was gone?"

Enrel pointed at Reiki behind her using her thumb, she said. "The boy's injuries…" Her gaze wandered to the potion in her hand as a small frown formed on Enrel's face. She said. "I'm pretty sure I said a high-grade potion, or are you just being a cheapskate about it?"

Moranor looked at what her mother was holding using the corner of her eye, a hint of worry appeared as she looked behind her. Melanor let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. She said. "It's not like he's bleeding internally. Moranor turned him deaf for a few minutes, so what? It's not like she did it with hostile intentions in the first place."

Enrel rubbed the temples of her head, she said. "It's my fault for even trying to reason with this family in the first place. In a household where the wife shocks the head every time he breathes one too many times. I'm just surprised that the daughter hasn't-." Melanor appeared right in front of her as she flicked her forehead. She held out the potion to her and said. "Here you go, I'll send you the bill."

Enrel grabbed it from her hands as she let out a small scoff, she said. "I asked for a high-grade potion and she gave me this." Enrel turned around and walked towards Reiki laying down on the couch. She continued. "Maybe if I asked for a wooden spoon they'll give me a metal fork." Melanor let out a giggle as Moranor chuckled but kept her eyes on him.

Enrel took the cork of the potion and placed it on the coffee table, carefully tilting his head upwards she saw him beginning to stir as Reiki slowly opened his eyes. He said. "W-What happened?..." Reiki's eyes were heavy as he forced himself to keep them open, carefully rubbing them as his vision started to return. All three elves had a look of surprise on their faces, Enrel said. "Huh… It looks like he forgot…"

Reiki was staring at Enrel's lips, as he was lip-reading he thought. Huh… It looks like he forgot. He turned his left ear closer to her as Reiki kept one eye on her lips, he said. "What did you say?! I didn't hear it!" Enrel grabbed his face as her eyes glowed while looking at his left ear, she said. "No signs of bleeding and his eardrum looks swollen."

She carefully turned Reiki's head sideways to look at his right ear. Enrel said. "Same here but this eardrum looks like it's ready to burst." The glow in her eyes slowly faded as she picked the cork up that was on the coffee table and placed it back on the potion and stood up. She turned around to face the mother-daughter pair and said. "Do you have a spare dropper lying around the house?"

Moranor nodded and quickly said. "We have a couple of them in mom's medkit. I'll go get it." Moranor quickly turned around and bolted out of the living room and headed upstairs. Melanor and Enrel walked towards the couch where Reiki was currently sitting. Melanor said. "Reiki, can you understand us by lip-reading?"

Reiki's eyes were focused on Melanor's lips as he was trying to read them. He nodded and said. "Can someone tell me what happened!? The last thing I remembered was a ball of lightning and everything went dark! There was a loud ringing sound in my right ear as I passed out! I'm sorry if I'm talking too loud!" Enrel removed the cork from the potion again and tilted his head as she clumsily tried to put a drop in Reiki's right ear.

[System: User debuff severe deafness in right ear has turned into slight deafness.]

[System: User debuff slight deafness in right ear has been removed.]

Enrel carefully turned his head and tried to put a drop of red potion in his left ear.

[System: User debuff minor deafness in left ear has been removed.]

The vial was less than half empty as Enrel placed the cork back on and snapped her fingers as the potion in her hands vanished. She said. "How about now? How well can you hear?" Reiki used the long sleeves of his tunic to remove the excess potion in his ear, he said. "I can hear fine. Thank you." He looked at the wet area of his sleeve and took a small whiff of it. He thought. Smells like an apple compote…

He looked up to Enrel and said. "What happened?" Enrel stared right into his eyes with a serious look on her face, she said. "Moranor almost made your eardrums explode." Reiki tilted his head sideways while trying to make sure there weren't any red potions in his ear, he said. "She has a knack for inflicting pain on me doesn't she?" He tried to stand up as he was suddenly leaning to the left but managed to prevent himself from falling.

Enrel eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. She said. "You're still experiencing vertigo so I recommend sitting down for half an hour or so… I just find it odd, no. I find it incredibly bizarre that Moranor had already burned your skin and nearly made you deaf… Yet here you are, not a care in the world. I would even go as far as to say that you don't even care what she did to you, care to explain yourself?"

Melanor also had her eyes narrowed as she tried to read his expression and hid body language. Reiki scratched his cheek and thought. … Now to get out of this mess… He looked around the room, he said. "Moranor-san isn't here right?" Enrel nodded and kept silent while Melanor kept her gaze on him.

Reiki let out an awkward chuckle and said. "Well… How am I supposed to react? It's not every day I get to live with two elves, especially if you consider that either of them can easily kill you without effort."

He looked up to the ceiling and scratched the back of his head, he said. "It doesn't help me when I know the moment any of you decides to kill me, not only do I have no means of retaliation I also have no means of escape. And lastly, I still have this gut feeling that among the three of you none of you trusts me, leaving this thin layer of glass I don't want to touch."

He looked at both Enrel and Melanor with a suspicious glare. Melanor kept a straight face while Enrel said. "To us putting our guard up against you hu- kind is another way to protect ourselves. But you don't have to worry about that, soon you'll be able to wander around the town…"

Enrel turned her head to look at a wall and placed a hand over her mouth. She softly said. "Though your status won't be as you think." Melanor glared at her as Enrel let out a chuckle. Melanor said. "All of this would be explained by tomorrow by the queen herself… Until then we're just trying to make sure of a few things about you."

Reiki rolled his eyes and said. "You could have just avoided the topic and not lie with a straight face." Melanor kept a straight face while Enrel's eyes slightly widened. He thought. Knew it. He let out a chuckle as Melanor gave him a questioning look. Reiki said. "No one told me why Enrel-san needs my help in the first place." Enrel had a big friendly smile on her face, she said. "Simple, funding. You see her majesty is leaning a bit on the cruel side."

Melanor coldly glared at her, Enrel continued. "But I am not one to complain since her majesty gives everyone a fair chance and hands out funds to anyone with research older than seventy-five years. Depending on what results from your 'research' yields your funds may increase or decrease. If by any chance an elf hasn't recorded any results within ten years or does something sketchy then… If an elf is lucky they would stop receiving funds and if not… Well, let's just say those who were unfortunate enough and happen to dampen her mood are still contributing back one way or another."

Enrel walked towards the couch and sat next to him. She said. "You're a very smart young man. I'm sure you can easily fill in the rest of the puzzle." Reiki placed a hand on his chin and started to think. He thought. Should I?... Melanor let out a chuckle, she said. "I find it laughable that someone as smart as him would be willing to hand over the potential to turn how inscriptions are made upside-down." Enrel turned her head and gave Melanor a cold glare, she said. "Individuals with low intellectual prowess should stay out of our conversation."

She moved her right hand as the tip of her index finger started glowing with mana. Enrel drew a horizontal line in the air that stayed for a couple of seconds and started to slowly fade. Melanor gritted her teeth and said. "You little-." The door suddenly swung open as Moranor held on to the doorknob and said. "I found it!" As she was holding a dropper in her left hand, her eyes wandered onto Reiki who was sitting on the couch thinking.

Reiki moved the hand covering his mouth away, he said. "I'll do it." Moranor had a confused look on her face and said. "Huh." Melanor had a look of shock on her face, she said. "Huh?" Enrel had a look of confinement at first then turned in one of surprise. Enrel said. "Huh?!"