A few days had passed since Liora's terrible ordeal, and now she was slowly showing signs of recovery. In the quiet hut, Alvin, the man who had come to her rescue, carefully tended to her injuries with meticulous precision.
Liora, curious about his skills, inquired as he replaced a bandage on her left arm, "You are a medic, aren't you?"
"I was in my past life. But now, I'm only a mere knight," he announced solemnly. He continued his work, gently replacing her herbs and tending to her injuries. She lay there, now unclothed due to the nature of her wounds.
Once he had finished, Liora rose from her bed, and before Alvin could leave, she asked him, "What exactly is a hero?"
He replied with a serene demeanor, "A hero is someone who can save everyone in the realm."
The scene shifted back to the present, and a tear trickled down Liora's cheek. Rizki, her disciple and confidant, hurriedly handed her a handkerchief as he witnessed her emotion. Liora wiped her tear gently and remarked, "He tried to save my life at the brink of death, even though he knew I was his foe."
Rizki, empathetic to her pain, offered comfort, "It's fine if you don't want to share. I understand that it might be too painful."
Liora shook her head and revealed, "You are my disciple, the one I trust most, so I will tell you everything."
The scene returned to the past, where Liora was fully recovered, her injuries no longer tainting her body. She now wore a long shirt and pants, although she struggled to walk in them.
Outside, a knight approached the familiar figure of Alvin. With a nod and a warm smile, Alvin received a salute from the knight, and they left.
Liora attempted to start a conversation but stumbled clumsily. Alvin quickly rushed to her side, supporting her, and asked, "I asked my comrade to bring you some female clothes since I don't have any. I apologize if you have to wear mine."
"It's fine; your act of saving me means everything to me," Liora replied, trying to rise from the bed. Alvin inquired, "Feeling better now?" and Liora nodded, determination shining in her eyes.
Slowly regaining her strength, Liora ventured outside, her steps cautious but resolute. The serene surroundings of the Elf Lake greeted her, and memories of her joyful childhood flooded back.
"Is this the Elf Lake?" she asked in amazement, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
Alvin nodded and replied, "Yes. I sold my title to this land and house because I heard from my comrades that you loved this place. At the same time, I asked them to erase every possible trace, and they did."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Liora could only kneel, tears of joy streaming down her face as she whispered, "I lost this land hundreds of years ago!"
"Yes, it was marred by too much bloodshed. I learned from my friends that your family was killed by our own kind. I'm sorry about that," Alvin said, his gaze fixed on the tranquil lake.
Suddenly, Alvin drew his blade, shocking Liora. He stabbed himself, proclaiming, "I hope the cycle of bloodshed between humans and elves ends here!"
In her shock, Liora instinctively reached out to hold his injury, desperately asking, "What are you doing!?"
He smiled, his complexion growing pale, and explained, "I want to repay the bloodshed on this land with my own."
"But you've already saved me, and that's enough! I've tried to kill you many times, and you keep saving me, even helping me during the trial!" Liora protested, panic in her voice as she tried to staunch the flow of blood from his stomach.
Collapsing to the ground, Alvin replied weakly, "It was nothing. It was my responsibility as a hero."
As he lost consciousness, the scene returned to the present, and Liora concluded, "That's how he sacrificed himself for a chance at redemption."
"But that sacrifice meant you couldn't have that bow, right?" Rizki questioned, concern in his eyes.
Liora nodded, and the scene shifted back to the past, to the moment when Alvin woke up after his seemingly fatal self-inflicted injury. He was astonished that he wasn't dead, muttering to himself, "I should have died from the amount of blood loss I had."
However, his surprise turned to shock when he noticed that his lower body was unusually heavy. Slowly, he lifted the brown blanket covering him, revealing Liora lying next to him, naked as well. His gaze drifted down, and to his bewilderment, he saw a trace of blood at the tip of his manhood, while Liora appeared unharmed.
As he moved slightly, it alarmed Liora, who swiftly drew her blade and pointed it at an empty space, yelling, "I won't let you hurt Alvin!"
Alvin, realizing the misunderstanding, calmed her down and said, "I should thank you for saving my life instead."
Upon hearing his words, Liora hugged him tightly, expressing her concern and declaring, "Even so, I will be the one to end your life if you ever attempt such a foolish move again!"
The scene returned to the present, and Liora paused in her storytelling for a moment, standing up to ease the stiffness in her legs.
Varian, who had been listening intently, couldn't hide his shock at the revelation. "You said that Alvin the Wise is your ex-husband?" he exclaimed. Liora nodded, confirming his surprise. Varian, an admirer of Alvin, expressed his deep respect, saying, "I hold him in high regard! He's the first hero in the world who succeeded in uniting the whole race!"
Liora nodded and shared that he accomplished that incredible feat in just three days while taking care of her during her recovery. She continued, "We then decided to get married."
The scene once again shifted to the past, at the same serene lake. Alvin turned to Liora and asked, "Are you sure you want to be with someone with such a short lifespan as mine?"
Liora, dressed in a beautiful white gown, nodded and replied with unwavering determination, "Let me be with you, forever and ever."
Touched by her words, Alvin hugged her tightly and whispered, "I wish you could always be this full of smiles."
They then got married, standing together by the lake without any clothing. Liora cut Alvin's finger, and they both drank each other's blood as a solemn vow that not even death could separate them.
Their life together continued peacefully for months by the lake, and eventually, Liora became pregnant. Year after year, they lived in harmony and happiness.
The scene returned to the present, and Liora announced, "It wasn't until..."