With the meeting over, Enrico stayed with Elaris for a while before they rested and prepared for the surprise attack. She had her hand on her head, thinking about what she had seen. The people who had waited to be rescued from Elithia's reign would no longer be able to enjoy victory, even if they won.
"Your head must be a mess. Here, have this coffee to relax a little."
"Thank you."
As she took the cup, she saw Enrico sit right beside her. A faint smile appeared on her face, and she decided to take advantage of the closeness. As she drank the coffee, she tasted sweetness—but not too much. It felt as if it had been made especially for her.
"I could get used to drinking this coffee every morning."
"That would be difficult. The girls wouldn't let me stay away that long."
"Please don't talk about other girls in front of your princess."
In truth, she was the princess of the elves, not his—but she would let that pass just for today.
Closing his eyes, he decided to rest. Even though he had fought someone like Victoria earlier, he had trained again as soon as he returned to base. He felt his body failing—and that was good. Very good, in fact.
'I'm close to breaking it again.'
[The last time that happened was inside the barrier, right?]
'Yes…'
A brief memory surfaced—him lying among the bodies of Nartheis and the demons who had invaded the barrier. Back then, the only thing he had to be was a machine that kept moving forward, showing no emotion beyond evolving as much as possible.
Feeling something on his shoulder, he opened his eyes and saw that Elaris had rested her head against him. Her eyes were closed as if she had been asleep for a while. Looking outside, he noticed it was darker than before. Checking the clock, it was three in the morning. Apparently, the strategy discussion had lasted longer than he thought. He hadn't checked the time during or after it ended.
'Did I fall asleep?'
[And you should have slept more, but it seems your instincts are completely used to waking up after four hours.]
'Have the four hours already passed? I need to go back to training…'
Carefully standing, he carried Elaris out of the room. It was better to leave her in her bed, sleeping deeply. She would need as much rest as possible today—just like the others. In a way, he agreed it was necessary to have his body in the best condition possible, but he was so close to breaking his potential limit again that he couldn't let that chance slip away.
'If I endure it, my potential will evolve above average. Combined with my techniques to increase my percentage, I'll surpass Kai and Victoria's evolution level—even if it's just one step above them.'
And that would push them to strive even harder and evolve even faster. Those two were true monsters, capable of surpassing even their current potential if they had someone to chase.
Opening Elaris's bedroom door, he gently laid her on the bed and pulled the blanket over her before quietly leaving and closing the door.
'Time for a quick training session to warm up for today.'
Fifteen hours later, the elves were preparing for war. Theleron, Hiderom's son, walked alongside them with his staff. His father had wanted him to stay and protect the base with his sister, but since both insisted on participating in one of the two major battles to come, he gave them a chance.
"He finally accepted. I'll do my best to impress him."
"As always, talking out loud."
An elven archer appeared behind him, startling him and making his heart race. Clutching his chest, he glared at his sister. It was always like this—she loved scaring him with that cursed stealth of hers. And to make it worse, she wore that smug smile every time she caught him off guard.
"Why do you always do that, Arkirya?"
"If I don't, who will entertain me with your reactions before war?"
They were both twenty-one, yet they still argued like stubborn children. Passing elves simply shook their heads with familiar sighs.
"When will they grow up?"
"Let them be. It's better to enjoy things in case something bad happens… besides, today might be the final battle."
From what they had heard, the most important commanders had formed a secret plan inside the meeting room. They hadn't told anyone what it was. They would only reveal it close to departure time.
"If they didn't tell us, maybe there's a spy among us?"
"Shut your mouth. We already have enough problems, and you're talking about spies?"
While the two guards spoke, another listened carefully, trying not to draw attention. This elf was Querith, of Queen Elithia's knightly order. He had managed to infiltrate the place only today, after several failed attempts—which had irritated him greatly.
'Tsk. To make things worse, that new locator mage is doing everything I intended to do.'
Querith had wanted to earn merit by discovering the bases' locations. Now she barely cared about elven spies, despite his increasing efforts.
'At least I can gain some merit when I find out what kind of plan they're plotting—'
"Soldier, could you accompany me?"
Looking up, he saw Cavirieth standing before him, several boxes on the ground. As far as he remembered, this Circle Nine was one of the commanders. Helping him might earn valuable information.
"Of course, sir."
He stood and began carrying some of the boxes. The two walked toward another area. Meanwhile, Hiderom, who had observed the interaction, looked at Tailon.
"That Enrico is truly an excellent addition to our side."
"…It makes me wonder if he can see the future."
"Maybe. It could be his unique ability."
They watched Querith walk toward the place of his death. With the elimination of that spy, they could begin their plan immediately. Only one thought passed through their minds—for the sake of the princess and the elves.
'This plan will be perfect—even if I have to die.'
Today would mark the beginning of the end of Queen Elithia's reign. The end of a cursed rule for them. Today would be the day they reclaimed the light of the Elven Dimension.
"Let's begin."