After his offer to the elves, silence settled over the masses as everyone fell silent, waiting to hear the response from the elves themselves.

Though it was clear they were still trying to come to terms with everything they had faced up until this very moment, it also seemed like they were willing to shove it to the side just to give Dorian a decent response.

Their whispers went on for a while, all of them putting their heads together to come up with a decision that would favor them more.

Dorian was just as patient, with his expectations as low as they could be.

For starters, he knew how much elves loved their homes, so it shouldn't come as a surprise if they were to flat-out reject his offer.

That said, he had made sure that for the limited time they had spent on his land, he showed them the best life they could live, compared to their living conditions when they were kidnapped.

While it was a morally questionable method, it was still something some could consider worth the shot.

Whether or not they were going to willingly fall for it solely depended on them.

That said, Seraphina was more than willing to chime in if they were to refuse; she had a list of reasons written down as to why it would be best if they chose Dorian's offer.

For a while, the whispers kept going, until eventually, silence came, and every single elf began to clear a path, leaving one single woman standing at the center.

She had long red hair and wore a long white gown that highlighted her curves.

"My name is Riyo. I am the eldest elf here, which makes me somewhat in charge when it comes to the matter of making decisions for the elf clan."

'Elves choose their representative based on the eldest? Not a bad guess. Hopefully, she is someone I can reason with. No reason to start using my analysis here.'

"I should take it you're the one giving the yes or no to my request."

"Yes, Lord Dorian. Firstly, I should take this opportunity to say a very big thank you for saving us. If it weren't for you, we would never have been able to stand here with such an open opportunity."

Dorian remained silent. It was obvious she still had more to say.

"As for your offer, we elves already owe you a lot. As such, we can't truly be comfortable knowing this is another attempt to make our lives better, even after saving us. As such, we ask, can we work for you, without any kind of salary or whatsoever?"

'Free? Free? Did she just say the magic word, free? Oh gosh, when have I heard such heartwarming words since I arrived in this world?' Dorian placed one hand on his heart, his eyes bubbling up with joy.

"Yes, if that is what you want."

"I see. Also, would it be fair to ask one more thing as well?" Riyo kept a straight face all through.

"Sure."

"Just as you said, our home is not safe. As we often get hunted, we tend to know how to defend ourselves, but that woman proved to be smarter than us.

Before we can bring our people here, we ask that you hand her over, so our people can give her the punishment she deserves."

Dorian sighed. 'I knew they would go there eventually. I was seriously hoping she wouldn't.' He looked at her.

"I know what you mean, and it's very valid as well. But this woman is still under interrogation, and we can't release her to be killed yet, not while our questions are still unanswered."

The elves surely didn't like his response, as a lot of them suddenly had frowns on their faces.

"However," Dorian quickly added, raising a hand to quell their immediate discontent, "once our interrogation is complete, and if she is found guilty of the crimes against your people, then I will personally ensure she faces the justice you seek."

Riyo's expression remained unreadable for a moment, then came a subtle nod. "We understand, Lord Dorian. We appreciate your assurance."

"Good," Dorian said, a small smile returning to his face.

"Now, about your people. How many are there in total? And how soon can you bring them here?"

"W-we haven't concluded if we will be agreeing to this or not…" Riyo was a bit taken aback by Dorian's fast approach.

A smile hinted on his face.

"It's quite obvious. Every other question you have is just to test and see what kind of man I am, is that not so?"

Riyo smiled silently. "And you're confident you are free of sin?"

"If I was, I would not have the trust of so many people, now would I?"

"True." Riyo paused, her gaze sweeping over the other elves before returning to Dorian.

"We will accept your offer, Lord Dorian. Our people number around three hundred in total. As for how soon, we will need some time to gather them and ensure their safe passage. Perhaps a week, at most?"

"A week? That is doable. Seeing as I will be in the capital bringing justice to the other nobles who participated in the death of the elves, I can make do with the time." Dorian raised his finger right after.

"Oh, and also, make sure to do a burial for your dead comrades. I promise to show my respect as well, if need be."

They all looked at him with surprise, awed at what he said.

In this world, demi-humans are valued so little that they barely do a send-off for their dead, and yet this man-

Suddenly, all of them went to their knees, their heads slightly bowed.

"You are quite the strange man. Not many people care for us demi-humans as you do. You have our deepest loyalty and respect. We elves freely accept you as one of our own."

"Eh?" Dorian was surprised since he didn't expect something like this to happen.

Then the system notification popped up in front of him.

[Congratulations on getting the elves to accept you.]

[You have gained 7000 E-points.]

[A new title has been gained.]

[King of Elves | Description: All elves now have a potential 100% increase in loyalty and bond towards you, and also a maximum increase in understanding of any relationship you have built in the Aurelian land.]

Dorian smiled.

'Though I didn't expect this, I can't say I hate the outcome. Not one bit.'

...

[A/N]

An act of compassion reaps an unexpected reward. By offering the elves more than just safety, by offering them respect, Dorian doesn't just gain citizens; he gains an entire, deeply loyal clan. The "King of Elves" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

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