Decision

Several Elf Rangers heard the shouts from downstairs and immediately ran down from above.

The Elf Ranger at the front wore light armor and carried his helmet in his arms. The moment he came downstairs, he asked:

"What happened?"

The elf woman stepped forward and immediately reported Roy's situation.

At the foot of the stairs, several Elven Guards who had come down with the captain gathered around. Roy saw that Elf Ranger again...

As he examined Roy, the ranger captain listened carefully to the elf woman's report.

After the elf woman recounted the entire matter, the Elf Ranger captain sat across from Roy and met his gaze.

"...Roy, our Guard Squad currently has only twenty-five Elf Rangers. There is no way that number could capture a sixty-meter Great Sea Ship. Even if they were completely unprepared, it would still be impossible. So I need time to gather reinforcements. I promise I'll do everything I can to rescue your companions."

"Listen, kid. Once word of this gets out, it won't be a small matter. So if this is one of your pranks, it's not too late to stop now..."

His gaze was like a sharp sword, fixed fiercely on Roy's eyes.

"Captain, he's the kid who brought us that portrait of the thief who stole the Holy Grail last time."

One of the Elf Rangers spoke up from the side.

The ranger captain paused, clearly surprised. He looked Roy over from head to toe again, and his tone softened considerably. "So it's you. You really are an unlucky fellow!"

Then he said to the elf woman beside him:

"Get him a towel, hemostatic ointment, bandages, and a set of clothes. You need to take a bath and treat your wounds."

Roy did not want any hemostatic ointment or bandages. He stepped forward and grabbed the Elf Ranger captain's arm.

"They'll leave the harbor when the tide comes in tonight. Please hurry."

The ranger captain nodded slightly and called out, "Loya, notify the troops stationed north of Walnut Forest. Find a way to persuade their commander to send an archer brigade and a swordsman brigade here as support."

"Yes, Captain."

"Qiyas, go to the Inner District immediately and report what happened here to the Chief Commander!"

"At once, Captain!"

"Polini, gather everyone. We need to keep an eye on that sea ship. This time, we must finish the battle in the harbor."

"Captain, should we call back those on leave too?"

"Everyone we can gather."

The Elf Rangers in the Guard Squad immediately became busy.

Some ran out to watch the sea ship in the harbor. Some reported to the Guard Squad headquarters in Castleton's Upper District. Others went to request aid from the coastal garrison.

Meanwhile, Roy had received a pair of pants and a shirt, and he still held a blanket that had originally been spread over a chair.

After refusing the elf woman's offer to apply hemostatic ointment for him, Roy stood wrapped in the blanket before the Guard Squad's entrance, staring at the row of sea ships in the deep-water section of the docks. He wondered what the naga assassin was doing now, and whether those sailors had discovered that he had escaped...

Once they noticed the Elf Rangers' movements, would they suspect something? Roy felt both anxious and worried.

His gaze shifted toward the eastern side of the harbor docks. He planned to return the blanket to the elf woman at the front desk, then go to the temple to deliver a message.

But just as he turned to head back inside, he caught sight of the brilliantly lit manor not far from the eastern docks.

A bold idea quickly took root in Roy's heart.

He had originally intended to recover a little strength before running back to the temple for help, but now he changed his mind.

He knew that manor had been empty all year round.

Since someone was holding a ball there, it had to be a group of Elven Nobles.

He had intended to bandage his wounds, but now... he felt it was not the right time.

Even if he told High Priest Reed about this now, the High Priest would probably only be able to worry helplessly. If only he were a Combat Priest...

So... he might as well take a gamble.

The elf woman at the front desk found Roy a pair of shoes as well.

They were wooden clogs. Roy was not used to wearing them, but they were better than nothing.

There was only one road leading to the manor.

Normally, the elves at the docks could only gaze from afar at the white castle nestled amid a sea of green trees. No one went near that manor.

This sloping road connected to a small square beside the docks.

At this moment, the manor blazed with lights.

Rows of carriages were parked in the small square beneath the castle. Usually, elves living near the sea would stroll through this square. Occasionally, bards would sketch portraits here, while elves carrying violins, harps, and accordions stood in the square and played music.

Every summer night, so long as it was not raining, a crowd gathered here.

For a time, Sabrina had even come here to draw portraits for people.

But for some reason, she only kept at it for a while before giving up.

Wearing ill-fitting pants and a shirt, Roy ran to the small square, panting hard. It had already been completely occupied by the Elven Nobles' carriages, all arranged in neat rows.

A group of Coachmen gathered at the edge of the square, chatting and resting.

Someone sat beneath a tree, holding a leaf between both hands and playing a tune through it. The sound was thin yet bright.

As soon as Roy ran into the square, he discovered a group of Elven Guards mounted on horses standing watch all around. Needless to say, some important figure must have arrived at the manor.

They rode white War Horses with tufts of feathers growing above their hooves. Their armor was inlaid with gold thread, making them look imposing even from a distance.

Roy headed up the slope, but an Elven Guard immediately rode over and blocked his path.

"Private manor. Unauthorized persons are forbidden from entering!"

The war horse stopped in front of Roy, forcing him to halt.

Roy refused to retreat. The horse's chest was nearly pressed against his forehead.

The square was filled with Coachmen watching the commotion, and those elves all drifted closer...

An Elven Guard who looked like a captain rode over. Frowning, he asked the guard:

"What's going on? Don't let him keep blocking the way. Keep this road clear."

"Yes, Captain."

After being rebuked by the captain, the Elven Guard became flustered. He jumped down from his war horse and shouted at Roy, "Leave now!"

Roy saw the Guard Captain and hurried over. He grabbed the reins of the captain's warhorse and shouted, "Captain, please wait!"

The war horse stamped furiously in place and kept tossing its head, trying to wrench the reins from Roy's hand. It nearly dragged Roy to the ground.

The Elven Guard captain gently patted the war horse's neck, calming it down. Frowning, he asked, "What is it?"

The Elven Guard had already come over, intending to pull Roy away.

But Roy clung tightly to the reins and refused to let go as he rapidly said:

"My companions and I encountered a group of human Slave Traders at the docks. They captured my companions and took them aboard their ship. I was lucky enough to escape, and their ship is still at the docks. Can you help me rescue my companions? Also, I know they're holding many members of the Naga Sea Clan aboard!"

The Coachmen watching nearby erupted as soon as they heard Roy's words.

Someone immediately shouted, "Where?"

Roy pointed at the black Great Sea Ship at the docks. "That one..."

The Elven Guard captain, however, remained composed. He stared at Roy's expression, hoping to find some clue on his face.

But Roy had wounds on his face, wrists, and ankles that could not be concealed.

The Elven Guard captain pondered for a moment before saying, "I am squad leader Danser.Simpson of the First Company, Second Brigade, Princess Ophelia's Seventh Knights Order. Our duty is to ensure Princess Ophelia's safety. Without Her Highness's authorization, we have no authority to deal with this matter."

After saying that, he could not help glancing toward the manor on the distant cliff.

From squad leader Simpson's eyes, Roy saw his answer regarding how this matter would be handled...

So Roy did not hesitate for long, nor did he think that these outraged Coachmen could capture that sea ship.

He began sprinting up the slope toward the castle...

"Keep an eye on him..."

Captain Simpson shouted loudly.

Not stop him, not seize him, but keep an eye on him. That alone was enough to reveal the captain's stance.

Over the years, because of their beautiful faces, elves and Nagas had always been the Slave Traders' preferred targets. They transported captured slaves shipload after shipload to human lands.

Although the elves loathed such acts, they had never been able to eradicate them completely.

Roy raced all the way up the slope, his throat burning as though it were on fire by the time he reached the manor gates.

Two Elven Guards pursued him on horseback.

When he arrived at the manor gates, the Elven Guards stationed there stopped Roy again:

"You can't go in!"

Wagner Klayr sat in a pavilion in the front courtyard with several young elves.

They could hear the beautiful music here as well, and they could see the elf beauties constantly spinning across the Dance Floor...

No one liked dancing with young male elves.

During a dance, they always appeared extremely stiff.

Sometimes, they did not even know where to put their hands.

Sometimes, when holding a girl by the waist, they pinched red finger marks into her slender waist. Their bodies were rigid, their dancing inelegant, and worse still, they occasionally made mistakes in their steps. Stepping on someone's foot was truly troublesome.

They lacked learning in conversation and were not humorous enough when chatting. Sometimes, they even said childish things.

No one came here to entertain children...

Thus, the handsome Klayr could only sit quietly beside the Dance Floor, chatting with a group of young elves who had likewise been rejected by the girls.

He secretly watched Princess Ophelia on the Dance Floor.

Her dancing was graceful, every movement so standard it could have come from a textbook.

She was the center of attention on the Dance Floor. A gentle smile always rested on her breathtakingly beautiful face, and Klayr somewhat regretted not signing up for her literature and history class earlier.

Just then, Klayr seemed to hear the crisp sound of war horse hooves striking the stone pavement as they ran...

Clop, clop, clop, clop...

He turned to look at the manor gates.

The fountain was not too far from the gates, and the lights at the entrance made it possible to see what was happening there.

So he saw a figure appear at the gates, apparently discussing something with the Elven Guards stationed there.

He immediately perked up.

At such a late hour, someone had rushed up here in such a hurry, with Elven Guards chasing after him. Something must have happened.

That sort of excitement was worth seeing...

With that thought, Klayr immediately rose to his feet. Without even greeting the friends beside him, he ran toward the gates.