"Did you know? The Skeleton King is here too. He's staying next door!"
As Irilanze edged closer, Annan pointed to a Treehouse a hundred meters away, grasping for a distraction.
While she looked up, he asked, "By the way, does the Elven Royal Court have a Queen or a Princess?"
"No. The Elders' Council is the Royal Court's highest authority... You look disappointed?"
"Why would I be?"
But after he said that, Irilanze, seated beside him, began inching closer again.
"Irilanze..."
"What did you call me?"
"Irelaniel..."
Annan hurriedly corrected himself and pointed out the window. "You know, the moment I saw the World Tree, all my worries vanished. Unless the Thirteen High Kings join forces or the elves split from within, no one in this world can destroy the Elven Royal Court."
Irilanze grew serious. "The elves won't split."
Annan wasn't so sure. The Dark Elves had once been one of the elves' major peoples... And now the Gods had vanished without a word...
Still, confidence was a good thing. It would have been far more troubling if his words had made Irilanze anxious.
With that topic exhausted, Irilanze slowly leaned toward him again.
"Oh, right!" Annan raised a finger between them. "Do you sell leaves from the World Tree?"
"The World Tree is sacred to the elves. No one may harm it."
"But there are so many leaves..." Annan said hesitantly.
Irilanze explained that every leaf held the World Tree's power. Even the Elven Royal Court used only leaves that had fallen for one reason or another.
So even if they became allies, Free City had no hope of obtaining World Tree Leaves in large quantities.
Just as well... That rules out buying them.
*Better to rely on ourselves. We need to put more effort into raising the