Noah nodded thoughtfully, filing away Elena's explanations while reserving judgment until he could hear the other side of this ancient conflict. Her account had the polished quality of propaganda repeated so often that it became accepted truth.
Time to see what the shadow elves have to say about their supposed "corruption," Noah thought as he prepared to conclude Elena's shopping experience and hear Kael's version of events.
...
Elena turned back to the items and examined her storage ring with growing anxiety, her fingers unconsciously moving to bite her nails.
It was a nervous habit that betrayed the stress beneath her composed exterior.
She had ten thousand golden coins with her currently, along with several enchanted weapons. The coins were standard currency that could be easily replenished through royal treasury allocations, but the weapons represented irreplaceable artefacts.
