The jade scarabs painstakingly tightened the wound on Elias's chest, then sprayed a special liquid on it.
The monster sniffled quietly, but bravely endured the pain of the treatment.
His scarlet eyes were closed and he assumed a lotus pose, trying to concentrate on recovering.
Meanwhile, Morvian was steering a boat that was floating down a turbulent river.
The downpour would not stop, and the lightning began to strike even harder. Each time, for a brief moment, they lit up the world.
Morvian spat out the excess water for the hundredth time and turned the wheel sharply.
The boat turned hard to the side, rounding an approaching rock in the river.
A slight smile graced the golden-haired girl's face.
'I'm a good captain too. When will I start getting paid for my talents?
A random wave crashed into the side of the boat and splashed him with water.
With a hearty curse, he once again spat the water and continued steering.
Elias opened his eyes and looked at the grumbling Morvian for a few seconds before activating the ring on his claw.
'Thank you for not running away and saving me.'
Morvian looked at the monster strangely, as if he was talking some kind of nonsense.
"Are you an idiot?"
It was Elias' turn to look at him strangely.
Morvian didn't hold his gaze on the monster, continuing to steer the ship and speaking further in passing.
"You think I did this out of the goodness of my heart? You owe me now! And revenant debtor is the best thing you can think of. So don't get yourself worked up."
Elias stared at his partner in silence for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.
Or what sounded like it. After all, the squeaky cackling from the monster's mouth bore little resemblance to good emotion.
However, it almost immediately hardened against the pain, for the wounds had reopened.
The pleasant voice reappeared in the ship captain's mind.
'You are indeed an interesting man, Morvian. Perhaps... I will not devour you in the night.
A chill ran down Morvian's back and he chuckled awkwardly.
However, Elias' scarlet eyes were strangely serious and deep. It was as if his statement was sincere.
The monster pointed a claw at the guy in the girl's body, activating the ring again.
'You're really smart and sensible in difficult situations. It's either a natural trait of yours that has helped you survive until now. Or a good education, which is clearly characteristic of aristocrats, which you say is impossible. But forgive me, for I don't believe in the latter.
Morvian frowned, staring directly into Elias's eyes. The arrogance in his voice evaporated, giving way to cold certainty.
"Again... Don't think we're suddenly friends just because we saved each other."
He leaned forward a little, his gaze sharper:
"And if you continue to pry into my past... you know full well yourself: even in this body, I am not as weak as I appear."
Finished, Morvian turned away and continued to steer the ship in silence.
Elias watched the golden-haired girl for a few seconds, his scarlet eyes as calm as before.
It was as if the threatening words of his, as he thought, comrade, did not hurt him in any way.
His black fur glistened in the lightning and his claws tapped on the wood. It was as if he was pondering something.
'Even though you may have decided that you can do everything yourself. However, I know you are smart enough to realize the folly of such thinking.'
Morvian snorted irritably.
"Who said I would act alone? Even now, there's no such problem, even though you haven't been particularly useful so far. Besides, using other people was never forbidden."
A new wave crashed into the side of the boat and some water hit the side of the boat. The couple paid no attention to it, however.
Elias sighed.
'You'll definitely change your mind after a while. After meeting the people that fate will impose on you. Even if it's against your will.'
"Then I'll break it."
Elias looked in surprise at Morvian, who continued to speak.
"No one has the right to impose anything on me. Not my family, not the king, not even the goddesses themselves. If anyone tries to do so, however, they will be broken by me."
A sun-colored gaze was staring far into the distance, and lush golden hair was developing in the wind.
A small hand clenched in the air so hard that veins protruded on it. And water dripped helplessly from it, mingling with the stream. While the river grew crazier with the rain, and the rumbling of the sky did not stop.
"I will be the one who imposes my will on people. The one who controls them when they don't even realize it. The one whose word will stand over this world, even at the threshold of its death."
The water in the river foamed and lightning cut through the black carpet of clouds.
A terrifying rain besieged the small vessel, as if trying to wash away its existence.
However, the steady hand manning the helm prevented this from happening. Masterfully maneuvering between rocks and craters.
The world plunged into sheer agony, as if reacting to the words of the challenger. Who had not even completed his first trial, but was already speaking such words.
Elias clutched at the sides of the boat to keep from snapping, the rushing current nearly ripping his whole body from his clutches.
Scarlet eyes glittered in the darkness of the storm, watching the one at the helm.
Morvian held the wheel with both hands. His silhouette, wet to the bone, seemed motionless - as if part of the boat itself.
He kept his gaze on the path ahead.
Not even the storm could make him shiver.
A strangely inspiring feeling settled in Elias's chest as he looked at the man.
A seemingly weak body that would immediately die from any sneeze. But his unwavering spirit strengthened him, making him stronger than others.
That day, something changed in Elias's mind.
But he had no time to figure it out.
The burning ship was falling from the sky.