Chapter 162: Help

Birds were chirping and the wind was blowing gently through the leaves. On this particular day, a figure was reclining contentedly in the sun, a languid smile on his face. 

He was lying half baked under the midday light, a beautiful girl giving him a light massage treatment while another was feeding him fruits by hand.

Above him, the branches rattled in the breeze, and the scent of blooming flowers lingered in the air. What a beautiful day it was for this chubby half elf. 

"Nothing better than enjoying the fruits of your labor," he said while opening his mouth and biting into a fat, ripe peach from the girl's hand. The juice spilled down his chin. 

In the distance, he heard a slight ruckus. For a moment, his shoulders tensed, but he immediately relaxed right after. He wouldn't let such things bother his leisure time. After all, he was well protected; an abundance of well-paid guards surrounded him. 

He called on one of his men, urging them to inspect the noise before once again returning to his slumber. 

After a short while, though, he was jolted awake to the realization that the commotion he had heard was getting nearer and nearer. He quickly rose from his outdoor bed to see what was going on. 

A few scuffled steps could be heard from outside, and with a sudden burst, the door broke open.

The half elf jumped when he saw who had entered; a white-haired elf with a huge grin split on his face. He lumbered into the garden, inspecting his surroundings. 

"Hi there, Uriel! Wow, what a nice garden indeed! Your home is definitely beautiful."

He was sent into a panic as the figure kicked one of his men to the ground and knocked over another with graceful ease. The other guards that circled them shifted nervously, hands clenched tightly on their weapons. They drew closer to one another, expecting another attack. 

Knowing who he was, the chubby elf instantly told the rest of his advancing guards to stop. 

"Sir... Tr... Tristan… Welcome to my humble abode…" 

Behind him stood two other individuals, a black haired man and a woman with flowing golden hair who everyone there was well-acquainted with. 

"Ah, my honorable Valkyrie. Welcome."

"Put on your clothes, Uriel." said the blond hair beauty

With a quick gesture, one of his attendants rushed to hand over his clothes. 

"Anything I can help you with...?" He hesitantly said, slipping an arm into the sleeve of his robe. 

Tristan smiled. "Uriel! I need help with a new quest given to me by the King!"

At this response, the chubby half elf winced and escorted his guests out of the garden and back inside. He decided it would be wise to take a detour through the vast grounds; the last thing he needed was one of the estate's staff eavesdropping on royal affairs. 

While walking around the lavishly furnished house, Uriel looked upwards at the man towering above him. Exasperatedly, he sighed. 

"Did you really have to give me a heart attack like that?"

Tristan rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I was told that you were busy… I didn't realize you were... "

"Alright, alright! I get it."

Uriel ushered the group to his study where they could discuss matters in a more private setting.

"So, are you helping?" Tristan asked again. 

Uriel quickly glanced at Serene, who had been trailing after them in silence. He began to speak rather hurriedly. "I know what the King asked you to do… I don't think I am allowed to help you. Even if I was, I simply can't… I am too busy... Anyway congratulation on your wedding cousin Serene"

"Busy," Tristan thought, as though he hadn't just barged in on him being massaged and fed fresh fruit by two beautiful handmaids. The lifestyles and attitudes of the politically influential never ceased to baffle him. 

Aside from that, hearing the word cousin coming from the fat elf was quite suprising. Apparently Uriel, who was the mayor of Enratell, was also family to the Vanyar. Tristan wondered if all the leadership in Arcadian was controlled by these wood elves. 

Tristan had zero knowledge on what it would take to become a mayor, therefore with Uriel being the only mayor he knew, he thought it would be a good idea to pay him a visit. Perhaps he could provide him with the appropriate connections, or at the very least, some sound advice. Unfortunately, Uriel was not the type to provide services without anything in exchange. 

"Uriel, help me and I will make sure you will gain profit from this!"

Tristan knew that these were words that the greedy elf standing before him understood the best. He then introduced him to his new assistant, Chieng, who until now had been standing readily by Serene's side. 

Seeing Chieng's figure with various metal parts attached to his body, Uriel realized that the man was an outlander.

"So, what about it? This is the one I was telling you about before. He has a working flying ship full of precious goods. We could share everything we found inside evenly. What do you think?"

It was a total lie.

As expected, Uriel's eyes shone upon hearing those words, and his posture straightened. The lie seemed to get him to reconsider his decision, even for a moment. He absentmindedly scratched the side of his face. 

"I'm guessing you have not gone to see Carleon, have you?"

"No!" Tristan replied. "I went to see you first, my dear friend."

Uriel shook his head, dropping his gaze. "I might have been interested if you asked me about this a few days earlier… But not now. Things in Carleon had gotten far more complicated."

Tristan stiffened in place as his brows furrowed. "Complicated? Why?"

A grave expression suddenly descended on the half elf's face.

"I just recently got a report that the current mayor you were supposed to replace is dead. Murdered."

Serene gasped. She was clearly startled from the announcement. Apparently, all Arcadian mayors were related in some way to elven royalty. As a result, under normal circumstances, no one dared to make trouble with them. 

Uriel took note of Serene's reaction and nodded solemnly. 

"So yes, Sir Tristan. Carleon is undergoing extreme troubles right now… It would be best if you stopped bothering me and headed there soon."