The elder elf decided to conduct their conversation in his house. Elwyrn and Leonze followed Aegroth to his own house across the bridge. Once they entered the house, the three of them sat down on the chairs around the table.

Leonze then recounted the events of the previous night in detail to Aegroth. He started with Jaegar's warning to both him and Elwyrn that led to their decision to pursue Kryllo. Leonze then narrated how the two of them went through the forest and caught up with Kryllo and the monster. Leonze described how Kryllo turned into someone, or something, else when his bow got destroyed. Also, he told Aegroth how Kryllo was somehow able to gain enough power to punch a hole through the supposedly impenetrable skin of the minotaur.

All the while, Aegroth closed his eyes as he listened to Leonze. After some time, Leonze finished his report of the events. Aegroth then opened his eyes and looked at Leonze.

"To be honest, while we waited for you to wake up, I already asked some of our scouts to check the area you went to last night. When they came back earlier and reported to me what they saw, I couldn't believe it. But with what you have relayed to me now… I have no choice but to believe everything you and the scouts have said."

Aegroth clasped his hands tightly together.

"I wasn't sure what would happen… and honestly, I'm still not sure about some of the things that occurred last night… But I guess a deal is a deal, right?"

Leonze smiled at Aegroth.

"Of course. There is no need to worry. We will provide you with what we promised. We will also do our best to help you until you are ready to leave. But I believe your companions must recover sufficiently first, correct?"

Aegroth nodded at Leonze.

"I see. Sure, we'll take that deal. In the meantime, I'm going to hang out with that pretty elf again."

Leonze snickered and quickly got up from his seat.

"Where… do you think you're going?"

Elwyrn spoke up with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Back to your house where your daughter is waiting for me—"

"Just know that there is no place in this village that my arrow can't reach. I hope you're prepared for the consequences of your actions."

Elwyrn opened both of his eyes and glared fiercely at Leonze.

"A-as I was saying, I'll watch over the guys until they wake up. See you later."

Leonze slowly stepped backwards and then ran outside of the house.

---

Later that day, Brittanya and Jaegar finally regained consciousness. Syrenne and Kryllo were still sound asleep.

Leonze then filled in the two with the events of the previous day.

"So, did you guys know that about… Kryllo?"

Leonze looked at both Brittanya and Jaegar as he sat on a chair beside the makeshift beds.

"Yeah… The first time we saw him, he attacked us when he was in that… berserker state."

Jaegar was now sitting up on his makeshift bed.

"I think you were lucky he didn't attack you."

Brittanya was still lying down on her bed. She looked at Leonze, who was sitting beside her.

"Oh, he tried to. But that thing interrupted him. So, how did you stop him then?"

Leonze leaned back on his chair as he asked Jaegar.

"I just rendered him unconscious. Twice. I just figured that when I or Brittanya is with him, we could at least have a chance of stopping him, so we took him with us. It's just much better than letting him out there all by himself. Who knows what else could trigger him to go out of control…"

Jaegar then glanced at Kryllo, who was lying down beside Syrenne.

"I knew you guys are crazy for hunting down strong monsters on your own free will. But to think you even dragged someone more dangerous with you? You are more than crazy!"

Leonze snorted while he shook his head.

"Well, we can handle it. Don't worry about us."

Brittanya smiled at Leonze.

"Oh, I'm not worried. Anyway, the elder elf said they would give us their remaining Diamede, so that accomplishes another goal of this trip."

Leonze placed his hands inside his side pockets.

"That's good for Syrenne, then…"

Brittanya then turned her head and looked at Syrenne's face on her other side.

"But what's more worrying is the fact that we encountered another… unusually strong monster."

Jaegar furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yeah. Even though this one couldn't use magic, it had that ability to gain properties of what it ate. That's a really rare skill for a monster…"

Brittanya stared at the ceiling.

"H-hold up there. What do you mean this one 'couldn't use magic'? Have you seen one that could use magic?!"

Leonze's eyes widened as he stared at Brittanya.

"Yup. I killed it, though."

Brittanya smiled back at him.

"Damn… You guys really are gluttons for danger… Good thing I have other goals than you…"

Leonze touched his face as he shook his head.

"Speaking of your goal… Did you find anything about your fairy tale fantasies?"

Jaegar glanced sideways at Leonze.

"Oh, they're not fairy tales nor fantasies. The elves just told me they were real. And just the fact that those elves still exist, then I'd believe them in a heartbeat than doubt them."

Leonze grinned.

"Now that you've mentioned it… Aren't elves supposed to be extinct or something?"

Jaegar raised his eyebrow while looking at Leonze.

"Well, they're not. As you have clearly seen."

Leonze then explained to the two of them how the elves have remained hidden for the past years.

"You really get to know and see things as long as you're alive. Good thing I decided to let Jaegar follow me around."

Brittanya laughed but then grimaced and touched a part of her stomach.

"Hey. You're the one who decided to follow me."

Jaegar glared at the pained Brittanya.

---

Somewhere else in the island, a cloaked person was running silently inside the forest. After a while, that person reached the barren area where the minotaur and Kryllo fought.

The body of the monster was still lying on the ground, and the blood that spread out had already dried.

The cloaked person approached the lifeless body of the minotaur and knelt beside it. The person then observed the corpse.

"I heard that this monster should have been super strong… Who could have killed it? Don't tell me it's… them?"

The person then looked around using their head, and then ran toward the forest again.

---

Another day had passed and Syrenne and Kryllo were now fully recovered. The two female elves resumed healing them the previous night until Syrenne and Kryllo regained consciousness.

As the party was now ready to leave the village, the elder elf asked them to wait at the village entrance, which was just outside the giant tree with the staircase inside it.

The party stood there while waiting for the elder. Elwyrn and his daughter together with the two female elves were already there.

"I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us… I don't know how I could repay your kindness."

Syrenne was bowing down toward Elwyrn and the other elves.

"No… We did have an ulterior motive for helping you, at first. And in the end, you guys were able to help us by getting rid of that monster. So, there is no need for you to concern yourself about that."

Elwyrn shook his head while talking to Syrenne. The two female elves were just smiling at her the whole time. Elwyrn's daughter was standing behind her father. She was waving her hand at Leonze with a smile.

Finally, Aegroth arrived. He stepped outside of the giant door and stood in front of Jaegar. Aegroth then handed him a small sack that was closed and tied up.

"Here, as promised. The remaining Diamede that our clan possesses."

Aegroth looked up at Jaegar.

"Thanks. But we don't need all of these. Syrenne only needs a few as proof, anyway. Right?"

Jaegar looked back at Syrenne while he held the small sack in one hand. She then nodded.

"We already promised that amount. It would be unlike our clan to not follow what has been agreed upon. Although… you can also think of that as payment if you wish."

Aegroth closed his eyes.

"Payment? For what?"

Brittanya looked at Aegroth.

"For keeping our existence a secret. Would that be enough for you?"

Aegroth then opened his eyes and looked back at Brittanya.

"Sure, I guess. And we don't want other people go here just to hunt you guys!"

Brittanya pumped her fist and smiled at Aegroth.

"You have my gratitude."

Aegroth smiled and bowed at her.

"As I said to you guys, that Diamede is rare. We can make a fortune if we sell it—"

"You should have said that earlier! What if Jaegar really did return it?!"

Brittanya glared at Leonze.

"Then… you can… buy me… another… bow…"

Kryllo looked at the sack of Diamede.

"Sure, sure. We'll buy you a sturdier one!"

Brittanya slapped Kryllo's back repeatedly as she laughed.

"Well, then. We'll go on our way."

Jaegar then turned around and walked away.

"Wait. There is one last thing."

Aegroth shouted as the rest of the party was turning around.

"What? More requests?"

Leonze smirked at Aegroth.

"No… I've contemplated if I should give you this, but it seems it would be of more use to you guys than us."

Aegroth turned his head and signaled someone. Then, a male elf emerged from the large door. He held in his hand a silvery bow, which glistened as the sunlight reached it. The male elf then raised it up in front of Kryllo.

"Is this… for me…?"

Kryllo's eyes were glittering as he stared at the bow.

"It’s a bow made from Diamede, crafted by our ancestors. The method to create this has been lost to time. As you have said, he… might become dangerous if his bow gets broken. With this, his bow can never be destroyed. That, I can assure you."

Aegroth slightly smiled as he proudly handed them the bow.

"He will still not use it as bow, though."

Jaegar let out a sigh.