Eluard turned around and saw the merchant caravan from before. The captain guard named Greywolf had a disapproving look towards him.
"Ah, sorry. I'll go away now, I'll go away…", Eluard hurried.
Haera and her group noticed the merchant caravan. The former was surprised and approached them.
"Are you a merchant caravan?"
Greywolf recognized Haera, going off his horse, and knelt in front.
"Miss Haera, it is good to meet you. Yes, we are a merchant caravan. May I know what Miss Haera requests of us?"
"Did somebody recently sell some demon beasts materials from you?", Haera asked.
Eluard and the entire merchant caravan shook from her question. Greywolf couldn't help but look at Eluard's frozen figure from a distance.
'Do-don't tell me… he did something bad to our goddess?!'
Without a second thought, he shouted to his subordinates, "Get him!"
Eluard realized what happened, "Oh, god. I didn't do anything bad to her, really!", blasting off the area using the earth element.
"Sir Aurpiel, I think we might need to interfere this time.", the man inside the carriage hinted.
Aurpiel thought about it, 'That boy sure is arrogant. Maybe he did cause some discomfort for Miss Haera a few days earlier?'
"Go do your job and help Greywolf, but do not kill the young man. Miss Haera might need him for something.", Aurpiel gave the order.
The two instantly barged out of the carriage and followed Eluard's trail. Meanwhile, Aurpiel went to the confused Haera.
"Uh, Miss Haera, is something the matter?", Aurpiel bowed in respect.
"Why did those people suddenly chase off a guy?"
Aurpiel sighed, "That man sold us some demon beast materials earlier in the road. I don't know what happened between you and that guy but…"
Haera slapped herself, "No, no, mister. You misunderstand.", she sighed and turned around, "Guards, please take care of the young master and mistress. I have something to do for now. We'll meet back at Nirulva City."
Eh?
Aurpiel was at a loss for words. What happened and why did Miss Haera's mood turn different?
…
"Shit, shit, shit! Why are you chasing me? I didn't do anything bad!", Eluard said while jumping off the roof of a house and landing on the earthen column he created.
He then controlled it to move quickly at the center of the road and went out of the small village.
"Stop right there! How dare you touch our goddess with your dirty hands?! Bring back the items you stole from her, thief!", Greywolf and his subordinates followed.
"What 'touched' your goddess? She's asking too much from me, don't you think?"
Eluard's words agitated them.
This drew the attention of the golden-armored elven guards and asked one of the people from the group of pursuers.
After hearing his words, the guards immediately followed while calling out the rest to come over and assist them.
Meanwhile, the man and the woman working for Aurpiel glanced at the situation below while flying in the air.
"Orlon, blind him!", the woman commanded.
Orlon pointed at the sky above Eluard, "Flash!"
A blinding light flashed above Eluard's head but he quickly gathered his dark element to his eyes and absorbed the light instead.
"It didn't work?! Meyera, it seems like he can counter my light element! You should use your earth element to stop him.", Orlon suggested.
"On it.", Meyera's bright yellow eyes glowed, grasping control of the earthen column Eluard was riding upon.
She stopped it from moving, stumbling Eluard before falling to the ground. One of the guards ran quickly to catch him but Eluard instantly turned the earthen column into water and used it to create a flood that dragged him further away.
"Elemental spell shift! Again!", both Orlon and Meyera cried out at the same time.
"Again?", the captain of the golden-armored elven guards wondered. He signaled his subordinates to stop pursuing and asked one of his aides, "Can you guess that man's magic power?"
"No, sir. It seems like his magic power is immeasurable and he might just be playing tricks to make fun of us!", an elven guard replied.
"An archmage that young?", the captain questioned reality, "Or is there a method to actually learn elemental spell shifting at an early age?"
His last phrase made everyone realize something.
"Orlon, he might be a disciple of an archmage or a supreme archmage! We must be careful of our approach lest we anger the master behind him.", Meyera warned.
Orlon nodded in approval while the elves themselves found another problem.
"But what about Miss Haera and him? We can't just let him go away after all the trouble he had done, right?", one of the guards complained.
Haera was a goddess in everyone's eyes. Her talent was high, and so was her beauty. They couldn't just let the matter go even if the perpetrator was the disciple of an archmage.
"You said that Miss Haera asked your caravan if someone recently sold demon beast materials to you, right?", the captain asked Aurpiel's guards.
"Yes, sir. I don't know if it's a misunderstanding on our part but I guess that young man must have something to do with Miss Haera.", Greywolf replied, "In fact, we only met him after some red-eyed bandits ambushed us. He easily took care of them and the transaction happened after that."
"Red-eyed bandits? Did their bodies regenerate when you attacked them?", the captain's voice sounded fearful.
"Yes... sir, is something the matter about that?", Greywolf was confused, "When that young man attacked them, however, their regenerative skills didn't work out. They were like lambs being slaughtered in open daylight."
The captain's expression became solemn, "Demonized beings, something about it must be related to the undead outbreak in the volcanic grassy plains. It seems like the Otherworld is really on its way to invade again.", muttering under his breath.
'Also, that young man contains a hint of divinity on his magic power. Radiant knights, or those blessed with the purity of the Morning Star like those freaks from the Creed, should only have the power to eradicate the demonic aura from the affected beings.'
He tapped Greywolf's shoulder, "Thank you for telling this matter to us. The elven royal guards thank you for your great service. As for that young man..."
"I will deal with that person. Everyone can go back now, sorry for the trouble.", a light-hearted voice resounded above them.
It was Haera, wearing a long golden robe and a wide wizard hat. Before everyone could compliment her, she darted off and went after Eluard.
'Archmages are the only people capable of shifting elements from one to the other. This guy is interesting.', Haera thought.
Eluard calmly controlled the water to flow to the nearest road he saw on the map. He noticed a disturbance above him and caught a glimpse of that beautiful elf from before.
'What does she want with me now?', although he had some flirtatious thoughts in his head, Eluard prioritized the task more than anything else.
He gathered the flowing water and landed on the ground upright.
"You've been causing me problems for a while now. Be blunt, I'm in a hurry.", he said.
Haera landed on the ground. She noticed how Eluard ignored her beauty. However, since the man said he was in a hurry, she wasn't one to waste time either.
"I'm Haera, an instructor from the Alderian Magic Haven. Human, you recently sold some demon beast materials, right? I'd like to know where did you get them."
Eluard was intrigued, understanding what Haera was up to.
'Oh, is the Alderian Terrestrial Sanctuary interested in my identity now?'
He didn't expect them to act that quickly and investigate all merchant caravans passing through the border of Leeveria Forest.
'She must be working under the order of the empress of the Nature Palace at Mount Eredia. Let me take a look at her attributes.'
[ Name: Haera Zumfiel ]
[ Age: 24 years old (72 human years) ]
[ Race: Elf ]
[ Status: Alive ]
[ Affiliation: Alderian Terrestrial Sanctuary, Alderian Magic Haven, Zumfiel Elven Household ]
[ Magic Power: Adept Wizard (Full Ring) ]
[ Magic Root: Starfall Magic Root (Mythical) ]
[ Magic Aptitude: 9.2/10 (Adept Wizard) ]
[ Magic Affinity: Nature (Wood, Water, Earth) ]
[ Starfall Magic Root (Mythical) ]
[ A magic root blessed by the stars beyond, guiding its path to the realm of universal affinity. ]
[ Additional Effect: Star Power
Call upon the stars to further enhance the user's magical attacks, increasing magical power by 500%. It can also be used to strengthen the user's physical abilities. Magical power passively increased by 200% ]
'An adept wizard at such a young elven age? And another mythical magic root? Just when are such things very common, system?'
[ As the academy master of the Heavenly Magic Academy, you are bound to meet extraordinary people in your life ], the system replied.
Eluard accepted it as a logical reason.
On the other side, Haera felt uncomfortable when Eluard gazed at her figure.
"Why are you interested in where I got my harvest? Are the elves planning to plunder areas with rich rewards now?", Eluard mocked Haera.
Haera didn't like what she heard, "Bastard, we elves don't steep that low unlike you humans. Listen, if you don't want to tell the truth, I will ask someone to do it in your place instead.", threatening Eluard.
"Do you think my master would allow that?", he retorted, "Mind you, my master is an impatient person. If you halt my progress any longer, I don't know to whom he would lash out if his mind snapped in anger."
"Then tell me who's this master of yours and I'll let you off, how about that?", Haera was running out of patience as well.
"Why would I tell you who my master is?", Eluard chuckled.
Haera's nerves bulged out in anger.
"Well then, since you don't want to tell me anything, take this instead.", she took out a card from her magic storage and threw it to Eluard.
"Meet me in this place later once you arrive at Nirulva City. I know someone who will appreciate your demon beast materials from whatever place you may have gathered it from."
Haera changed her mind. Eluard was unwilling to say anything so she resorted to giving him the opportunity instead even though he didn't reveal his origins.
Moreover, she was awed by Empress Aelin's foresight.
'Empress saw that this would happen, that that robed man would order one of his people to sell their harvests nearby after they were done with their hunting.'
However, the only problem that remained was Eluard's identity. Rina and Rono recounted seeing five other young people whom they thought were the robed man's disciples but none of their physical descriptions matched that of Eluard.
'Either he is the robed man's secret sixth disciple, or his master is another person.'
That was the only conclusion Haera could come up with. Nevertheless, she would be able to confirm her assumptions once Eluard arrive at the place mentioned on the card.
"If that is all, then I'll be on my way then.", Eluard set off to the Nirulva City in the distance.
He was interested in the place Haera introduced.
Meanwhile, Haera stomped her feet.
"That bastard! He didn't even say who he was! How unkind of him!", she strutted off and returned to the small village.
Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m fre𝒆webnov(e)l.com