Come to think of it, how powerful must the Thirteen High Kings have been to topple elves like these and become the leading figures of a new era?
In that moment, Annan felt like a boy desperately courting a young knight, only to realize that the beautiful, fair-skinned, wealthy girl next door came from no ordinary family. The Empire still held vast riches and secrets for him to uncover—and all he had done was stay on good terms with the Old Ancestor!
Then again, perhaps it was precisely because Annan had never exploited his relationship with the Old Ancestor that they could remain close.
Annan recovered from his shock and followed Eliana and the Skeleton King toward the Emerald Capital.
The outer edge of the Basin was a paradise for beasts and the species that lived alongside them. Unicorns, rarely seen elsewhere, roamed here in herds. Along the border between grassland and forest wandered beautiful, lively creatures such as Faeries, Tree Sprites, and Elf Dragons. Yet in Evanas, the place known as the Forest, there were only elves.
High Elves, Blood Elves, Dark Night Elves, Wood Elves, Wind Elves... Aside from Dark Elves, every elven race could be found in the Emerald Capital.
Elves had always been few in number, perhaps fewer than the population of a single human Kingdom. But in the Emerald Capital, at least, they were everywhere.
Their tall figures kept drawing Annan's gaze away from the architecture and toward pair after pair of long legs. Perhaps because elves never lowered their heads—or perhaps because the Skeleton King's Legendary aura made them wary of giving offense—none of them noticed Annan, either.
Lush foliage, blooming flowers, and exquisite buildings blended into a scene that stirred a familiar memory. After a moment, he realized it was the March Celebration