"Hehehe! I didn’t expect Young Master to be so kind. He actually allowed to join him on his journey. This is completely unexpected!"
In her room, Elina carefully packed her clothes and belongings into a wooden suitcase.
Since it would be a long journey, she made sure to bring enough so she wouldn’t have trouble finding a change of clothes later.
Fortunately, thanks to the gold coins Leon had given her earlier, she wasn’t short on money at all.
Still, it never hurt to be prepared for the unexpected, right?
After all, she’d learned her lesson the hard way when she secretly escaped from the Elven race’s territory—she had no intention of going through that again.
It took about fifteen minutes before everything was finally packed and organized.
Elina nodded in satisfaction as she slowly stood up. She looked down at the golden bracelet in her hand and closed her eyes. "Enter!"
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, the suitcase and all her packed belongings turned into particles of light and were absorbed into her bracelet.
She smiled brightly as she opened her eyes. "Hehehe... Everything’s ready. Ti to sneak out and head to the eting place I agreed on with Young Master."
Wearing a cheerful expression, she walked toward the door of her room.
To avoid raising suspicion from the maids or her sister, she did her best to stay calm and act as if she were simply heading out to play.
But then—
"Ouch!"
Elina cried out in pain as her forehead smacked into an invisible barrier that had suddenly appeared in front of her door.
"Huh? What’s going on? Am I hallucinating?" She stood frozen for a mont, then rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Quickly, she got up and reached forward with both hands.
Her expression turned to shock as she felt a transparent wall blocking her path.
"Impossible!" Her eyes widened in fear. She banged on the invisible wall, shouting, "Soone—help ! I’m trapped! The enemy locked in! Help!"
But no matter how loudly she scread or how hard she pounded, no maids or guards ca. It was as if her voice had been swallowed by the barrier itself.
"Damn it..." Elina growled in frustration.
She had no idea who had placed the barrier at her door, trapping her inside.
"I’ll break it down!" she muttered through gritted teeth.
Taking a step back, she closed her eyes and extended both hands forward.
*Buzz!*
A green magic circle appeared, and monts later, a thick wooden root burst from it, slamming into the invisible wall.
*Bang!*
The impact echoed through the room. But instead of breaking the wall, the wooden root shattered into pieces—completely ineffective.
"No way... How is it this strong?" Elina stood frozen, her face filled with disbelief.
She tried spell after spell, but no matter how much magic she threw at it, the barrier wouldn’t budge.
"This is really strange," she muttered, narrowing her eyes. "This barrier isn’t just strong—it’s ridiculously strong. It must be high-level magic... or sothing even stronger."
Although she was still young by Elven standards, that didn’t an she was weak.
Keep in mind, she was a genius—capable of using high-level magic despite being only a century old.
And in this palace, only a few people stood above her: the three elders and her older sister... Zelda.
"Wait!" Elina’s eyes widened as a sudden thought struck her. "Could this be... Sister’s doing?"
Her words sounded like an accusation, but in truth, she couldn’t think of anyone else who might be responsible.
She had never had any conflict with the elders, so it was highly unlikely that they were the ones who trapped her.
That left only one person who made sense—her sister.
The reason she was being confined was almost certainly tied to her secret plan to leave with Leon.
"Damn it... How did Sister find out? Wasn’t it supposed to be just between Young Master and ?" Elina muttered, scratching her head in frustration.
Silence fell, broken only by the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
"Wait a second..." Her body trembled. "If only Young Master and I knew... then that ans the one who told her—was Young Master!?"
***
"In that case, I’ll take my leave first."
Standing atop a small hill about five kiloters from the Erald Palace, Leon wore a faint smile on his lips.
In front of him stood Zelda, the three elders, Lavistar, Thalon, Leyna, the First Elder, the Fairy Queen, and the World Tree Spirit, Astra.
They all smiled and gave him a small nod of acknowledgnt.
"Take care," Zelda said softly as she stepped forward and adjusted the collar of his black robe.
Leon responded with a quiet smile, allowing her to show her concern without saying a word.
"Be careful, Fated One," the First Elder warned seriously. "I’ve never visited the Dwarven territory myself, but I know it’s extrely remote and surrounded by dangerous regions. It’s said that many terrifying, powerful monsters dwell there. So don’t let your guard down."
"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, First Elder," Leon replied solemnly.
Although he was powerful, that didn’t make him invincible. The world was vast, filled with extraordinary individuals hidden in every corner. That’s why maintaining a humble deanor was the wiser choice.
Of course, humility didn’t an weakness. If anyone dared to provoke him, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill—decisively and without rcy.
Afterward, Leon exchanged a few words with the others—Thalon, Astra, the Fairy Queen, Leyna, and Lavistar.
Since he wasn’t yet very familiar with Leyna and Lavistar, their conversations were brief and polite.
"By the way, Leon," Astra called out. "Before you go, can you please lift the Elven oath?"
Leon looked a little surprised. "Lifting the Elven race’s oath?"
"Yes," Astra gave a small nod and began to explain. "As you probably know, the hidden races made an oath in the past to await your arrival. That oath acts as a seal embedded in every descendant of those races—sothing they cannot break unless certain conditions are fulfilled."
"And you, as the key to that oath, are the only one who can undo it."
"That’s right," the First Elder added calmly. "I forgot to ntion it earlier. Please lift the oath for us, Fated One."
"Alright, I’ll do it," Leon replied without hesitation. But a mont later, he scratched his head with an awkward smile and asked, "Um... how do I do that, exactly?"
Everyone: "..."
"Hah..." Astra let out a long breath, a helpless smile forming on her lips. "Alright, I’ll explain."
She then carefully went over the process, step by step, making sure Leon understood every part of it.
"So that’s how it works." Leon nodded slowly, then smiled confidently. "Got it. Leave it to ."
He closed his eyes, raised one hand, and declared loudly, "I, the Fated One, have arrived in the Elven territory and shall now release them from their seven-thousand-year oath!"
*Whoosh!*
The sky, once bright and clear, suddenly turned dark. Thunderclouds gathered overhead, and monts later, bolts of black lightning struck down from the heavens, shaking the earth with booming explosions.
The elves, who had returned to their daily routines, were startled and thrown into a panic.
"What’s happening!? Are we under attack!?"
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