Chapter 68: Heart-to-Heart

Chapter 68: Heart-to-Heart

Airael clinging to him was annoying, but at least she didn’t bother him with topics that didn’t interest him or things he didn’t want to know about.

And to be fair, Airael had been quite helpful these past few days.

When those who had previously surrounded Axi saw him heading towards Airael, they were curious about what was going on with her.

How had they not noticed such a vibrant presence before?

Her outfit was also bizarre.

While a cloak wasn’t particularly rare, this was indeed a banquet venue—a noble banquet, no less.

Everyone attending was decked out in their finest, making sure to stand out.

Though Airael’s appearance certainly caught the eye, it was distinctly unconventional.

At the same time, some sharper minds began to realize something.

Airael was no ordinary being!

Take the army’s top commander—Duke Rayman.

A middle-aged hero of formidable strength.

He possessed both skill and experience.

Yet even he had instinctively overlooked Airael’s presence just moments ago.

In the blink of an eye, Airael had become the focal point of the banquet.

Guided by the sharp-witted, especially under Duke Rayman’s leadership, people began to inquire about Airael’s background and identity.

Before long, some info was uncovered.

Ailia, a powerful Mage of mysterious origins.

Her specifics were shrouded in mystery.

But she was surely someone of significance.

Additionally, she was a companion of the legendary mercenary Axi.

All these pieces together, especially her tie to Axi, made her even more of a point of interest.

Airael watched the unfolding scene, though she crouched in a corner.

She kept an eye on the banquet’s progress, observing those humans.

She was wrestling with whether or not she should interact with them.

While it was a hassle, the benefits were evident.

These folks were undoubtedly the “upper echelon” of human society—mingling with them could yield valuable information.

Such information could prove critical at any moment.

She was well aware that the relationship between her Elven Race and the Human Race was quite complicated.

Those humans were eyeing her, their Elven Queen, with thoughts of marriage.

Airael naturally felt resistant to this notion.

The unequal treaty she signed long ago had been coerced and deceptive.

However, the Elven Race couldn’t just break off deals with the Humans.

If it incited another wave of human attacks against the Elves, they wouldn’t gain much, but the Elves would incur significant losses.

It would be bad news for the Elven Race.

Airael did not desire such a turn of events.

It meant she’d have to work her way through this and see if she could achieve a win-win outcome.

To do that, she absolutely needed to grasp some essential information.

Thus, it seemed necessary for Airael to make contact with these humans.

But she wasn’t ready just yet.

If she were human, it would be a different story, but alas, she wasn’t.

She was an Elf.

Even though she had disguised herself to blend in with humans, she remained an Elf at heart.

If she acted rashly without being prepared and interacted with these humans, she might end up being devoured without a trace.

After pondering all of this, Airael ultimately decided it was best to take it slow.

She would handle this once she was adequately prepared.

For now, her priority was uncovering Axi’s secrets and boosting her strength.

Airael found it troublesome that she suddenly became the center of attention at the banquet.

This situation was quite troublesome for someone like her, who had recently resolved to keep a low profile.

Fortunately, it seemed that the guests were merely observing from afar and had no intention of approaching her.

As for Axi, who had brought her this trouble, Airael’s attitude was decidedly unfriendly.

Axi, having approached Airael, sensed her rejection.

This left him perplexed.

“Why is Ailia pushing me away?”

“Shouldn’t be like this!”

Recalling how Airael had clung to him earlier, Axi sensed something was off.

Observing the confused Axi, Airael had no intention of explaining herself; she simply huffed lightly and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I happened to see you and noticed you were alone, so I came over,” Axi replied with an awkward smile.

He wasn’t entirely wrong, just conveniently omitting some truths.

“Is that so? But I think being alone here is perfectly fine,” Airael replied nonchalantly.

Her eyes subtly scanned the surroundings, assessing the movements of the people around her.

“Don’t you like banquets?” Axi inquired.

“Not exactly hate it, but definitely not fond of it either,” Airael said, glancing at Axi.

Understanding her answer, Axi nodded and said, “Looks like we have some similarities in this regard.”

Airael’s gaze turned curious and perplexed.

Was Axi trying to have a heart-to-heart moment with her?

“How so?”

With that thought, Airael couldn’t resist her overflowing curiosity, prompting her to ask.

“If I didn’t have to be here today, I absolutely wouldn’t show up. But that only applies to today’s banquet,” Axi added with a smile.

Airael couldn’t help but smile slightly in response, “Exactly, today’s banquet is indeed hard to refuse.”

They would soon be integrated into this army.

Given that, it was imperative to have good interactions with them.

And this banquet was a prime opportunity for that.

However, since Axi had already made contact, she found no need to pursue them further.

Just enough familiarity so they recognize her existence would suffice.

After saying that, Airael looked at Axi and asked, “May I ask why you don’t want to attend such banquets? With your strength and reputation, plus that handsome face of yours, you should be able to fit in just fine.”

“Nothing too complicated, I simply don’t want to interact too much with these people,” Axi said, his expression complex, shaking his head.

But his demeanor clearly indicated that there was more beneath the surface.