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Even though much of the sky was hidden by the trees surrounding the village, it was still possible to catch a glimpse of the stars through the gaps between the trees. As we gazed at the sky, the cold night wind caressed our faces. I glanced briefly at Elara, who was also watching the sky; her eyes seemed to shine even brighter than the stars.

“Are you okay?”

Upon hearing my words, Elara turned momentarily toward me and then returned her attention to the sky. Honestly, I didn't exactly know why I asked that question; it just occurred to me that I should.

“Why are you asking me that?”

Elara's voice didn't betray annoyance or anything similar to the question I just asked. Instead, she seemed calm, a difficult feeling to explain. Although she usually appeared indifferent, somehow, I could sense that, at that exact moment, her indifference subtly expressed her feelings.

“Honestly, I don't know either. I just thought I should ask... it felt like the right thing to do”

Upon hearing my words, Elara looked back at me, displaying a surprised expression as she blinked her eyes. Then, she smiled, and it was probably the first time I saw her smile. Her smile wasn't necessarily cute or anything like that; it was more akin to a friendly smile, as if, without saying a word, she understood what I was trying to convey.

“You remind me a lot of them...”

When Elara said that, I looked at her with confusion, trying to understand exactly what she meant. Seeing my confused expression, Elara explained.

“I'm talking about my parents... even though they're not my biological parents, I still consider them as such”

I continued to listen attentively to Elara's words, even though I questioned whether I should really be hearing about this.

“They were sun elves. Unfortunately, the council didn't like it when they found out. So, both of them sought help from the queen, and thanks to her, I met Lyria-sama and am now where I am”

I honestly didn't know what to say to Elara after hearing her story. I mean, my story wasn't particularly happy either, so in a way, I understood what she had probably been feeling all this time. In fact, her normally stoic face reminded me of how I used to be. Even though I didn't have anyone to cheer me up back then, I still carried the memories of my parents with me.

“While it's not the same, I believe I understand a bit of what you're going through... And, well, I don't exactly know what to say in these situations, but... if you need to talk, I'm here to listen”

Honestly, my words sounded somewhat indecisive, but the essence was to convey to Elara that, if she wished, she could count on me anytime to talk.

Upon hearing my words, Elara, still with a smile on her face, turned to me. At that moment, she looked simply stunning, with the moonlight reflecting on her skin, making her appear like a true moon goddess.

After that, we stayed there for some more time. We didn't exchange more words, just gazed at the stars. Though it wasn't much, I felt that Elara and I had grown closer, even if just a little.

The next day, when we woke up, we began preparing to head to Eldoria. Honestly, I didn't know how we would get in, as, according to Lyria, the method to enter Eldoria was relatively more complex than just walking in. I was surprised to find out that the method to enter the realm was through teleportation.

As instructed by Lyria, we stood on top of the circle as we waited. Meanwhile, I looked around, trying to understand where exactly we were. It was inside a massive tree, and apart from the teleportation circle, there was nothing else here. This place was probably specific for this purpose.

“You might feel a slight dizziness at first, but I promise you'll be fine”

Lyria said. Upon hearing Lyria's words, we exchanged glances, displaying playful smiles on our lips.

“We understand how the sensation goes, but still, thank you for the warning”

I replied, nodding in agreement. Lyria resumed speaking.

“Although I imagine you already know, Sun Elves can be... a bit defensive towards other species. Please try to avoid conflicts as much as possible”

Upon hearing Lyria's words, I simply nodded, causing her to release a sigh of relief. As we were enveloped in the blue light of teleportation, I looked one last time at Elara, who observed me with her usual indifferent face. Just before my vision was completely taken over by the blue, I saw Elara bidding farewell with her hands.

After that, as soon as my vision was restored, we were inside a facility similar to the previous one, but this one was significantly more modern in comparison. Or, rather, instead of being inside a tree, it seemed like we were in a facility of its own.

Looking around, I noticed some elves watching us. As we explored the environment, one of them approached.

“I won't say it's a pleasure to meet you, as I honestly have no interest in humans. However, as this was a specific order from the queen, I'll guide you through our majestic kingdom”

He said. My first impression of this individual was undoubtedly that he was rude. Moreover, he seemed extremely self-assured. But as he looked at the girls, his eyes widened briefly. While I tried to understand the reason for this sudden reaction, he suddenly moved towards the girls and greeted them with quick kisses on their hands.

“Beautiful ladies, I didn't know I would be receiving such charming visitors like you. This, without a doubt, is the work of destiny; the goddess must be guiding us to this encounter”

He exclaimed. Upon hearing these words, the girls just stared at him with confusion. Meanwhile, I wondered if this guy had really forgotten my presence amid all this.

“Umm...”

As soon as I tried to speak, I was promptly interrupted by the elf's displeased look, as if staring at an inferior creature not worth his time.

“Could you please not interrupt me now, human? Can't you see I'm busy chatting with these lovely fairies at the moment? Why don't you just go your way?”

He said. I don't need to say that hearing these words made a vein pulse in my forehead, while at the same time, I questioned if I could keep calm in the face of Lyria's request.

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