"Yes, my name is Leon," he replied politely.

Ariella placed her hand on her chest and introduced herself, "I am Ariella. It seems you already know a bit about me."

"I heard you’re the child of an elder," Leon said.

"Hmm…?" Ariella glanced at Erica, who seemed momentarily puzzled upon hearing Leon’s name, but quickly nodded in acknowledgment.

"It seems you heard that from Erica."

"Am I wrong?"

Ariella began to respond, but before she could continue, another elf approached, cutting her off. The elf shot a wary glance at Zirkar, who stood near Leon.

"Ariella, it’s not the right time to—"

"It’s fine," Ariella reassured the other elf, calming them. "It’s not something we should hide from our benefactor."

Then, turning back to Leon, she asked, "This man is already bound to you, right?"

"Yes, that’s correct," Leon confirmed.

Even so, the other elf’s expression remained tense.

"But we don’t even know if we can safely reach the forest yet…"

"Enough," Ariella said firmly, waving her hand to dismiss the elf. She then refocused her attention on Leon.

"I am Ariella, granddaughter of King Maysen, the ruler of the elves."

"The granddaughter of the Elf King…?" Leon’s surprise was evident as he glanced at Erica. She lowered her head apologetically.

"I’m sorry I didn’t explain properly earlier. It wasn’t something I could reveal carelessly."

Leon understood her position. But now, the situation was much more complex than he had initially thought. The fact that Ariella was the granddaughter of the Elf King made this far more significant than simply being the child of a high elder.

‘If I hadn’t rescued them… what would have happened? If she had been sold into slavery...?’

Leon’s mind raced with the potential consequences. If the elves from the forest had come searching for her, it could have led to a large-scale conflict.

Yet, there was a more fundamental question on his mind: why was a royal elf in a human city, and how had she been captured so easily by slave traders? The traders clearly had no idea they had captured the Elf King’s granddaughter. One look at Zirkar’s dumbfounded expression confirmed that.

Leon reassured Erica with a nod before adding, "Actually, my real name isn’t Theo either—it’s Leon. I used a different name due to the circumstances at the time, so I hope you understand."

He then turned his gaze to the other elves standing behind Ariella. Most of them seemed quite young, at least by human standards, and their levels of magic ability were still at the apprentice stage.

Considering the long lifespan of elves, they were likely older than Leon, but within their own society, they were still considered young.

They didn’t seem particularly suited to protecting a member of the royal family.

Sensing Leon’s observation, Ariella began to explain calmly, "I was simply curious about the human world, so I set out on a journey. There was a lot of opposition, but after some persuasion, I was given permission. As for my companions, I chose them deliberately… because I wanted to travel freely."

In short, Ariella had chosen people who wouldn’t get in the way of her travels.

One could say it was rather reckless of her.

In hindsight, those who had opposed her decision had valid concerns, especially given the fact that she had ended up captured by slave traders.

‘But that’s not something I need to involve myself in…’

Leon processed her explanation and responded calmly, "I’m curious as to why you’re telling me all of this."

"Because you saved us, and I wanted to approach you with sincerity. I have no other motive," Ariella said, her tone genuine.

Leon thought for a moment before asking, "I’ve been tasked with taking you to the Elven Forest. Should I continue with that plan?"

"I would be very grateful if you could. Erica mentioned that you would be given the World Tree’s Branch as a reward."

"That’s correct. Then let’s leave the city first."

Without hesitation, Leon ordered Zirkar to gather all the bodies on the first floor.

After ensuring that Ria led the group outside, Leon used his orb to store all of the corpses.

Once the task was complete, he rejoined the group and pulled out the invisibility lantern. The lantern could conceal up to thirty people, so with their party of sixteen—counting Leon, Zirkar, five elves, and seven beastfolk—they were well within its capacity.

Leon suggested to the beastfolk that they accompany the group only as far as the city outskirts. Initially, they were cautious, not fully understanding the situation, but after Ria’s explanation, they expressed their gratitude upon realizing that they had been rescued.

With everyone cloaked by the invisibility lantern, Leon led the group out of the city.

The sun had already set, and the night was dark. The guards at the gate didn’t even notice as Leon’s group passed by them, invisible.

After they had entered a nearby forest, Leon stopped and told the group, "Let’s take a brief rest."

As Ariella and the elves began setting up a resting area, Leon placed the invisibility lantern back into his orb and rejoined the group. Ria started gathering wood and preparing a meal.

Leon sat quietly by the fire, and before long, Ariella approached, her face filled with curiosity. She sat down beside him.

The air around her smelled fresh and earthy, carrying a mysterious, natural fragrance that seemed to fill the space with the essence of the forest.

"May I ask how old you are, Leon?" Ariella inquired.

"I’m fifteen."

"Fifteen years since you were born?"

Leon hesitated briefly at the unfamiliar phrasing before nodding. "Yes, that’s right."

"Humans are truly fascinating," Ariella said, her eyes sparkling.

"The more I hear about the human world, the more amazed I am. You’ve reached such a high level of skill at such a young age… it’s remarkable."

Leon nodded modestly at her praise, though he could sense the weight of her gaze.

Just as he found elves to be mysterious beings, Ariella seemed to feel the same about humans. She appeared to have a deep curiosity, perhaps even admiration, for humanity.

This likely explained why she had taken such reckless risks in exploring human cities, even at the cost of being captured by slave traders.

Ariella turned her gaze toward the fire, as if to steady her thoughts, and spoke again, "I never had much interest in magic. I didn’t want to spend long years studying it."

Leon had wondered about their low level of magical skill, given that elves were known for their mastery of magic. Even though she was young, one might expect the Elf King’s granddaughter to be more proficient. However, it seemed that Ariella had never seriously pursued magic training.

"And besides, we all know that the end of such a pursuit isn’t a good one," she added.

"Not a good end?" Leon asked, puzzled by her statement.

Ariella saw the confusion on his face and smiled awkwardly.

"Ah… of course, humans might not need to worry about it as much, given your shorter lifespans. But for us, with our long lives, we grow up fearing that end from a young age. There’s an unavoidable, terrible battle waiting for those who reach it."

"A terrible battle…? I’m not sure I understand," Leon admitted.

"Have you heard of the transcendent magicians?" she asked.

"Yes, I’ve heard of them."

"And are you aware that their number is limited?"

Leon recalled hearing something about it from Erica during one of their earlier missions. The number of transcendent magicians never seemed to change.

"The same applies to us elves. To reach that level, one must inevitably fight a long and dreadful battle. Those who aim to transcend are destined to face it."

"I see… is that true for all races?"

"I believe so. From what I’ve been told, there’s a fixed limit within each magical system. Since ancient times, magic has developed according to the unique systems of each race. But for some reason, the transcendent level seems to be universally limited."

Ariella gazed at Leon as she spoke.

"In the end, it’s a competition for a place within that fixed number. Magic, as it exists now, forces us all to fight for that position. Do you want to see that end, Leon?"