"I owe you a favor, Eren, which I would repay in Labh Salem."
Eliza said while looking into Eren's eyes. There was no prideful tone in her voice anymore. However, one could still feel that Eliza was trying to keep her dignity intact as she conversed with Eren.
"But after I'm done repaying that favor, my obligations end. I hope we can part ways after that. Not as enemies but as allies," she said as she looked in Alephee's direction. During the last nine months, she had come to understand that she had underestimated this homunculus that Eren had created.
The Witch of the Enderflames also knew that Eren listened to Alephee. Some of his crucial decisions were influenced by her suggestions and recommendations. It was Alephee who had asked him to spare Eliza. And it was also she who had suggested to Eren that he should visit Labh Salem despite the dangers awaiting him there.
Eliza was not sure what Rank Alephee had in her natal body. But she was sure that Alephee's Ranking Status had exceeded Anfang's standards by a long stretch. That is assuming Alephee had started as a Ranker to begin with.
Alephee had asked Eren to spare Eliza so that he could use her in his journey to Labh Salem. However, the fact remained that Eliza was offered another chance in life because of it. As such, Eliza didn't forget to thank Alephee for doing her this favor.
"I have no issues with that," Eren nodded at Eliza's proposal after pondering for a bit. He knew that he couldn't keep Eliza as his subordinate forever. After all, her pride wouldn't allow something like that to happen even if it was him who had shattered it in the first place.
Eren also felt that Rankers like Eliza wouldn't blossom in someone's shadow. She was a lot more like him in a way that she also wouldn't do well serving under someone. And she couldn't form genuine relationships with her allies either. It was just not in her. At least not at the present.
The temporary alliance he had formed with Eliza was sufficient for his exploration in Labh Salem. He would let things unfold on their own after his tasks were done in the foreign world.
"Will you cause another calamity in Labh Salem? Another war?" Layla asked as she playfully looked at Eren. Compared to her master's volatile connection with Eren, Layla had managed to resume her initial rapport with Eren that she had before the execution of the Lazarus Project.
Layla knew why she was able to pull off such a feat. This was because she had opposed Eliza's idea to use Reen as a way to break the bloodline shackles. Even if her opposition was in vain, she had managed to convey to Eren that she had no will to stand against him.
Leela had taken good care of Reen in Eren's absence inside Eliza's Purgatory as well. This was all Eren needed to bury the hatchet with the two little witches. One could say that it was his way of showing that Reen had a special place in his heart.
"Haah! There you go spouting random bullshit," Eren shook his head and smiled before replying.
"Contrary to what you might think of me, I don't initiate wars for the sake of it. Even in Anfang, all I did was create the right environment for the Lazarus Project. I wouldn't have wasted my time sowing seeds of war if I didn't have the obligation to resurrect your master.
Wars are dual-edge weapons. One can't always benefit from them no matter how careful they think they are. I could do it here because I knew all of Anfang like the back of my hand. However, in Labh Salem, the world I barely know of, things wouldn't be as simple.
And why would I create disturbances in the first place? I'm not one of those storm chasers who get their thrill from watching the world around them collapse in front of their very eyes.
My plan in Labh Salem is simple. Lay low and find ways to get my hands on "that" artifact. I don't intend to cause a ruckus if I can achieve my goals while staying off of anyone's radar," he said as he looked at Eliza.
Unlike what had happened in Anfang, Eren didn't want to attract too much limelight in Labh Salem. He knew that the Demon Princes who considered him to be their enemies and the enemy gods would be able to target him effectively as long as he got identified in Labh Salem.
A lot of Eren's worries had been put to rest by Alephee when she said that the prophecies wouldn't be able to track him down anymore because he had been turned into a demigod. He wasn't a mortal anymore. So the gods couldn't make use of the prophecies to track him down.
This news was a relief to Eren who had been stressed because of what he had heard from Bisha. He felt that all the risks and all that he had to do in Anfang to forge a God Spark for himself were worth it.
However, the butcher didn't want to put his guard down and come out in the Labh Salem right from the start. He needed to play safer and weigh his options well before making any big moves in Labh Salem.
"Hehe. I don't know if he wants to wage wars in Labh Salem or not," Alephee appeared beside Eren and spoke in his stead. "But if the wars do take place there, no matter which side, he'll win," she said while tugging at Eren's arm. Her smile and the way she looked at Eren were enough to tell Layla and others that she had the utmost confidence in the man.
"Did you say your goodbyes, Eren? She asked as she looked at Eren. "Yeah. I'm all set," he said while looking around him.
It was as if he was trying to take in what he could see of his homeworld.
AN: Eren's arrangement with Tumko was mentioned in chapter 753.
