Under the bloody moonlight, the bandit camp was drowned in an eerie silence. Only a few seconds had passed since Hedric's death.
Amidst the sea of corpses, Elias wandered, contemplating his next move, when suddenly a sharp voice pierced the air.
"—Is anyone there?! Let me out of here! How dare you lock me up like this?!"
Tch... Elias muttered to himself. I thought I had already freed all the slaves and prisoners...
Without wasting time, he followed the voice.
As he approached, he realized the sound was coming from one of the special cells inside the camp. Just as he neared the door, a muffled, trembling voice followed.
"Please... I... I'm so scared..."
Elias reached for the iron handle, pulled it open—and the girl leaning against the door lost her balance, crashing straight onto him, sending them both tumbling to the ground.
"Hey! A warning would've been... what the—" The girl snapped as she turned toward him, but froze mid-sentence when her eyes caught sight of the mountain of corpses behind the boy.
Fires burned in the stables. Blood stained the dirt. Collapsed cabins, ruined buildings—it looked as if an entire army had stormed through here.
Her gaze shifted back to Elias. Their eyes met, and with a trembling voice, she asked, "D-Did... you do all of this?"
Elias stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and calmly placed his hands on his hips. His dark eyes scanned the girl's silver, wavy hair and her deep sapphire eyes that shimmered against her wheat-colored skin.
"Yeah... I did. So if you value your life, you should probably run."
The girl crossed her arms, puffed out her cheeks, and replied, "Hmph! Why would I run? Even if you hadn't done it, my family would've wiped them out anyway. Do you have any idea how many times I warned those fools to release me?"
Hearing this, Elias burst into laughter. He laughed uncontrollably for several seconds.
"What's so funny? Hey! I'm talking to you!" The elf girl scowled, brushing dust off her green, mud-stained dress as if a few specks of dirt were her biggest problem.
"Nothing... it's just... this is the first time I've seen someone with an ego this huge who isn't royalty. Honestly... I admire your confidence," Elias said, barely suppressing another chuckle.
"Commoner?!" The girl's eyes flared. "How dare you call me that?! I am Zyphia Elen'rath! Granddaughter of His Majesty, King Faelar Elen'rath, and daughter of Princess Nymeria Elen'rath!"
Elias laughed even harder. "Right... sure... the princess... the elf princess..."
He abruptly stopped. His laughter died. His eyes narrowed as he stared seriously at the girl from Elarion.
"Wait... you're serious, aren't you?"
Zyphia frowned, staring back with a fiery gaze. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Elias's jaw dropped. His eyes widened. He glanced back and forth between the girl and the corpses like he was trying to ask the dead for confirmation.
"S-So... you're really... an elf princess? And those idiots... kidnapped a princess? Not just any princess—but the princess of the continent's superpower?"
As Zyphia confidently nodded, Elias barely resisted the urge to slap his own face. Turning around, he rummaged through the corpses, muttering under his breath.
"This isn't real... Stay calm, Elias... She's just a crazy kid with delusions... Deep breaths..."
He gathered a sword, a dagger, a hooded cloak, and a quiver full of arrows along with a bow. Grabbing some food and water, he walked back to Zyphia and handed them to her.
"Here. You're gonna need these. Hopefully... you know the way home."
Zyphia blinked. "Wait, what? Where are you going?"
"You seriously expect a human to escort you to the elf kingdom? I've got my own problems," Elias replied flatly.
"Wha—!? You're really going to abandon such a beautiful princess in a place like this? What kind of knight are you?!"
"I'm not a knight. And princess or not... I've got more important things to do."
Zyphia huffed. "Fine... I'll go on my own. But remember this—I won't forget that you left me here!"
She slowly turned around, walking away at a snail's pace—as if desperately hoping Elias would call her back.
"I'm saying this doesn't concern me... but..." A familiar voice echoed in Elias's mind—Deteus, the strange entity within him. "If you escort this little elf home safely, her father—the king—might grant you protection... maybe even take you under his wing. Worst case, we disappear into the forests. But staying in this kingdom is no longer an option, especially with the queen hunting you down."
Elias sighed internally. "Since when do you give wise advice? Did you suddenly grow a conscience?"
"Wrong. Neither. I've just never tasted elf before. I wonder what they taste like..." Deteus replied with a sadistic chuckle.
"You're... ugh, forget it. But you do have a point. Staying here isn't viable anymore."
As Elias turned around, he noticed Zyphia peeking at him from behind a tree.
He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. After a moment of thinking, he said, "Fine... I'll escort you to the city."
Zyphia stepped out from behind the tree, hands folded behind her back. "Ahem. Very well. The brave knight has proven his worth. I permit you to accompany me," she declared with a proud nod.
After gathering some supplies from the ruins for a few more hours, the two left the camp before dawn.
In the middle of the forest, Zyphia led the way with a map in hand, trying to figure out their path. Elias followed close behind, scanning the surroundings.
As dawn began to break, Elias broke the silence. "Are you sure... you actually know the way?"
"Of course... but... ugh... Elf script and human script are completely different. I can't really tell the locations properly. It's weird. Our spoken languages are nearly identical... but the alphabets are totally different," Zyphia grumbled.
Elias glanced over at the map in her hands. It was the first time he'd seen a full map of Mirellen, and to his surprise... it piqued his interest. His mind drifted back to the days when all he ever did was read books in his room.
Taking the map from Zyphia's hands, he examined it carefully.
The continent's shape vaguely resembled the head of a unicorn. In the northwest, there was a clear triangular peninsula—the Durgrun Kingdom. Home to the dwarves since ancient times, the peninsula itself bore their name.
The kingdom's borders were surrounded by the Lotus and Lagna Mountains in the west, the Maerdwyn Sea to the east, and dense forests to the south.
To the east of Durgrun was the Faerwyn Kingdom—widely considered the weakest kingdom on the continent. While larger than Durgrun in size, most of its land was occupied by the White Rabbit Forest and the Lagna Mountains.
The Tigrus River separated Faerwyn from both Gravmire and Elarion, and its eastern edge touched the vast Oresent Sea.
Gravmire was located in the southwest—by far the largest kingdom in terms of cities and ports. Its northern border was lined with the Barbarian Mountains—also known as the Bandit Hills. The western edge touched the Rainbow Sea, while the south met the Great Southern Waters.
Separating Gravmire from Elarion were two boundaries: the Detoch River—constantly monitored by both armies—and the infamous Forest of Dark Spirits, teeming with monstrous creatures.
Speaking of forests... it was easy to understand why Elarion was nicknamed "The Land of Trees." Within its borders were five major forests: the Dense Forest, the Forest of Dark Spirits, the Erneos Forest near the capital, the Vernosta Forest stretching along the southern sea, and the Dgierouse Forest to the far east.
The capital city—and the destination Elias and Zyphia now aimed for—was nestled in the heart of these woodlands.
After Elias translated the names and regions on the map for Zyphia, the two plotted a route and began their journey toward the border.