Chapter 46

“Haah….”

Arfia got up and stretched.

Waking up was not a hard task for the elf who began her activities early in the morning. Especially since the pain had disappeared, Arfia would get up immediately after waking without lingering.

She was determined to regain the time she had wasted until now, bit by bit.

Now, she was no longer alone, but with another.

“Hehe.”

A smile broke out involuntarily. Arfia did not bother to hide it.

Arfia looked around the house.

“…?”

What could it be? Today, the familiar house felt alien enough to be unusual. Was the house this wide and empty?

The cause of that feeling was ironically revealed by the fact that there was nothing around. The presence of Carami was absent.

‘Did she go for a walk?’

It’s dangerous here since monsters and plants have come out.

It might be best to go find her. Just as Arfia was about to step out, she noticed a leaf on the table, as large as a human face.

The leaf was densely filled with writing.

Good morning, Arfia.

By the time you read this letter, I will probably be gone. You must be quite surprised, and I understand that feeling a hundred times. I was also very sad when my treasured slave escaped in the early morning.

But what can be done? Each has a path to follow. So do I. There’s a fox far away crying pitifully, and I must go rescue it.

You don’t need to feel too regretful. An end must come for a new beginning, and there must be a separation for a reunion to be even sweeter.

Oh, just in case, don’t follow me. Just as I have a role, so does Arfia. You must teach the young sprouts as the hero of the elves.

When we meet again someday, I will envision you leading them.

I hope you do not betray my faith.

Your former master, Carami.

P.S. The shackles have been retrieved. They should not be present when the pact is to be inscribed later, right?

Crack.

Arfia gripped the leaf tightly. Boom! With a loud noise, the shabby house exploded.

Debris flew everywhere.

The birds were startled and flew away.

Amid the dust, a verdant Wind Servant shimmered around Arfia.

Arfia confirmed her spirit. According to Carami’s letter, the shackles had disappeared. Completely. Not a trace was left behind.

In Mirabel’s case, a small amount of his mana remained, but Arfia was an elf. The moment the shackles came off, the elf’s innate ability judged the mana as foreign and purified it.

The traces of a tainted soul vanished. The path that had been blocked opened like a high-speed passage. Having won the fairy dance festival, Arfia was undoubtedly the best candidate for an elf bride.

“Why…?”

Of course, Arfia was not the type to rejoice over such things now. Standing blankly, she tried to grasp his intentions.

Going to save the fox.

That meant going to the Beast Country, Vestia.

But why?

To leave her behind for just one fox?

No matter how much she thought about it, it did not make sense.

She didn’t want to understand it.

“I have to chase after him.”

Her mind was filled with that thought.

Spirits exist everywhere, and she was Arfia, who possessed the Servants they trembled with. If she listened to the voice of the spirit and flew in the sky, finding him would be instantaneous.

The Wind Servant shimmered, and wings formed on Arfia’s back. Just as she was about to take off.

“Where are you going?”

It was Ri-on. His clothes were torn and dirty, as if he had rolled through the forest.

She didn’t know the reason, but she wasn’t particularly curious about it.

“That person has disappeared. I have to go find him.”

“If you’re talking about the slave merchant, he left at dawn.”

“How do you know that….”

“I personally sent him out. He asked to be let go outside the forest.”

“Ri-on!”

Arfia strode toward Ri-on, the veins popping visibly on her forehead. A strong wind blew, uprooting dirt and trees.

“Why didn’t you wake me knowing?”

“Why should I wake you?”

“What?”

The eyes of the two sharply clashed in the air.

But the urgent side always backs down. The desperate Arfia turned her head first.

“Forget it. I’m going.”

“No, you can’t go.”

“Can you stop me?”

Arfia sneered.

The results of the fairy dance festival told otherwise. Would a dozen elves be able to stop her? Arfia had acquired a power of a different caliber.

“Sure, that’s true.”

Ri-on acknowledged it readily.

Yet his eyes were still sharp.

“But didn’t it say in the letter? Not to follow.”

“How can you arbitrarily….”

“But if you betray faith and chase after him, what do you think will happen? You’ll surely be disappointed. A slave who disregards the word of their master. If I were that master, I would have cast you aside.”

Arfia was no longer a slave, but she considered herself as one. An elf who claims to be a slave. It was absurd.

But thanks to this, Ri-on had caught a chance to shake Arfia.

Look at her.

Just glaring ferociously without saying a word.

“I don’t want to admit it, but he is indeed a remarkable man. A criminal who harbors ideals so lofty they are difficult to comprehend, even for a so-called inferior species.”

Wasn’t the purpose to liberate the poor from oppression?

How absurd. They would consider it a childish delusion not knowing how wide the world is. If Carami had not let go of Arfia and left.

He saved Arfia, who had been alone. Despite having the power to manipulate great forces, he stepped back without asking for anything in return.

What if it were him?

An opportunity to gather compatriots scattered all over the continent and achieve a great revival. Could he really give that up?

‘…No.’

Ri-on shook his head.

Impossible. Once power arises, greed follows inevitably. Carami had brushed that off and left. How could he never be seen again?

Evaluating him differently was akin to the laws of nature.

“Your actions in chasing him are obstructing his goals.”

“…!”

A huge shock struck Arfia’s mind. For a moment, her vision went hazy.

Her heart ached.

It was the sensation she hadn’t felt in a while.

Due to the confusion, the control over the spirits was not as she wished. Frustrated, Arfia pressed her hand to her heart.

“So… what should I do? Do I have to be alone again? Forever?”

Ri-on’s eyes sparkled. Now that Arfia’s will was faltering, now was the time to seize the opportunity.

“He will return someday. Until that time, you must fulfill your role.”

“My role?”

“Didn’t it say in the letter? To teach the inexperienced elves.”

Arfia’s power. It was unclear how she obtained it. She needed to figure it out in this opportunity and use it to train the next generation.

That was Ri-on’s plan, aiming for the revival of the elves.

“…Yeah, that’s right. I’ll repay his faith.”

Ri-on clenched his fists. He secretly cheered. Compared to Carami, it was embarrassing, but what could he do? The revival of the elves was his mission.

Ri-on lightened the mood and spoke in a more casual tone.

“So return to the village. The elders are already…”

“I’m going to see the queen.”

“See… huh?”

Without giving him a chance to ask. Wings spread, Arfia disappeared in an instant in the direction of the village.

Ri-on stared blankly in the direction she vanished. He did not know. What result his actions, seeking revival, would bring.

***

The elf queen Ibrelya blinked as she saw the fairy in front of her.

A useless elf.

At the same time, the strongest warrior.

Arfia, who had been given two opposing titles, suddenly intruded into the queen’s chamber, which was at least 50 meters above the ground.

She nearly forgot to maintain her dignity and almost let out a childlike scream. The queen’s dignity was nearly buried in the underground tunnel.

Managing to calm her heart, Ibrelya cleared her throat and composed her expression. As a motherly figure to the elves, she resolved into a kindly smile and said.

“Arfia, what could be the sudden matter? If you wish to have an audience, you must go through the proper procedures.”

“I’m sorry. But it’s really important.”

“Is it important enough for you to enter the queen’s chamber without permission?”

“Yes.”

There was no hesitation in her firm response. Arfia’s expression was extremely serious, which surprised even Ibreyla slightly.

Just how important could it be? The laurel crown on Arfia’s head added weight to the atmosphere. Ibrelya swallowed hard.

“Your Majesty, aren’t you curious how I became this strong?”

“Um… that’s a sudden question, but…”

To be honest, she was curious.

If there were one or two more elves like Arfia, the nation’s power would skyrocket. It was improper to ask something now after having thrown them out of the village, but she had been too embarrassed to inquire.

But Arfia brought it up first.

“Are you curious? Do you perhaps know the method?”

“I may not become just like you, but I believe it’s somewhat possible.”

With a solemn expression, Arfia spoke.

“Would you entrust the elf girls in the village to me?”

“Children?”

“Yes.”

Arfia interpreted Carami’s letter in her own way.

The reason he left himself behind in the forest.

The role assigned to her.

To teach the sprouts.

Combining all the elements pointed to one direction.

‘It meant to raise the elves as slaves here!’

Arfia recalled what Carami had said during their first meeting.

– At first, elves are like money-consuming hippos, but once they establish a foundation, they can be utilized in various fields. Occasionally, there are elves who can make potions, and just having one can make money flow in an instant.

She remembers it vividly. Carami’s eyes shimmering as he looked at the elves.

In other words, as a senior elf slave, teach the elves. He meant to make them proper slaves by the time he returns.

What if on that day of reunion, she brought forth well-trained elves before him?

‘I can respond to my master’s faith!’

This is both a test and a task he imposed as a slave. If she properly fulfills the command, as a reward, he would etch her soul with a brand.

She understood perfectly!

***

“Stop right there!”

A soldier blocked the path of a woman wearing a robe.

In the city of Noctar.

It had been a month since an unidentified pillar of light completely obliterated one of the upper levels. The security check had become so thorough that any suspicious appearance would not be let in.

“Show proof of identity! If not, get lost!”

The soldier shouted, and the woman pulled back her hood. It seemed like an insignificant gesture, but she emanated an undeniable grace.

Bright red hair flowed down like silk from beneath the hood. Such beautiful hair could only belong to a daughter of a noble house.

The woman smiled.

“Nice to meet you. I am Narsha Briant of the Briant family.”