They walked for another ten minutes before finally spotting the end of the path leading out of the forest. Pyria, leading the way, turned back toward the group with a bright smile.

"We've arrived," Pyria announced.

"Wow! I can't wait!" Adeline chirped, racing up to Pyria and grabbing her hand.

As they stepped out of the woods, Alicia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Mirea, Claudia, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin—walking behind Ard as he carried Milia—were absolutely floored. The sight of the elven village was breathtaking. It wasn't like any normal village; they had built their homes high up in massive, towering trees. Houses were stacked in levels and linked by suspension bridges made of thick roots and vines that swayed between the trunks.

Below them, lush farms and rice fields stretched out across the ground. Workers traveled up and down using simple pulley-driven lifts anchored at the very tops of the trees. Behind the village, houses dotted a rising hillside that climbed higher and higher until it reached the base of a colossal tree—a tree so massive and tall it seemed to pierce the sky itself.

"Welcome to my home," Pyria said to the others.

"Wow... I can't believe it. So this is what the hidden elven village actually looks like," Mirea remarked, taking it all in.

"Hey, Pyria, don't you think you should explain things to them first?" Eva asked, pointing toward the trees they had just left.

Pyria glanced back at the forest edge. Dozens of elves were perched in the branches, their arrows notched and aimed directly at the group. They seemed to be hesitating only because they saw Pyria among the strangers. Pyria immediately raised her hand, and the archers lowered their bows. Moments later, a group of villagers led by a middle-aged elf approached them.

"Pyria?" the older elf asked.

"Papa!" Pyria cried, turning to throw her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Papa?" Ard, Eva, Adeline, Mirea, Claudia, Alicia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin all repeated in unison, totally confused.

After a long embrace, Pyria finally let go and stood beside her father, whispering something into his long ear. Her father's face, which had been set in a look of guarded hostility ready to drive the humans away, suddenly changed. He looked toward Ard and Eva, who had both just shifted their hair back to silver. He scanned them from head to toe, his eyes locking onto Ard's black hair and Eva's silver locks. His expression softened instantly. He turned to face them, and suddenly—"thump"—he dropped to his knees. Behind them, every villager and the archers followed suit.

"Welcome to our village, Your Majesty Azroth and Your Majesty Evelina," they all said in a synchronized chorus.

"Whoa, hey now," Ard stammered.

"Please... stand up," Eva urged.

"Wait... Azroth? Evelina? But those are my brother and sister-in-law," Adeline said innocently.

"Shh... just stay quiet for a second," Mirea whispered, covering Adeline's mouth.

As they rose back to their feet, the older elf stepped forward toward Ard and Eva.

"Welcome to our village, third prince of Fredonia and second princess of the Orthus Empire—the reincarnated Azroth and Evelina—and your entire party. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eledar Wysacaryn. I am the Chief of the Elves and Pyria's father," Eledar said, bowing deeply.

"Wait... the Chief? Hold on, does that mean Pyria is an elven princess?" Ard asked, stunned.

"That is correct. She is the eighth and youngest princess of the elven race," Eledar answered.

"Hehe... sorry I didn't mention that sooner," Pyria added with a casual shrug.

Eledar then noticed Milia, still unconscious on Ard's back. He turned to two village women and called them over.

"Please help carry this young lady to our guest ward," Eledar instructed, before gesturing for the rest to follow. "Let's head inside. We can talk more comfortably there."

"Yes, Chief," the two elven women replied.

They carefully took Milia from Ard's back and carried her toward a grand wooden building on the hillside, draped in climbing vines that blended perfectly with nature. The rest of the group followed. Along the way, they all looked up at the elven residents perched on the bridge railings watching the newcomers pass below.

Pyria drifted back a few steps to loop both her arms around Ard's, clinging to him with a bright, cheerful energy. Ard, as usual, didn't mind. Eledar glanced back briefly and smiled at the sight, but suddenly, Ard felt a piercing gaze coming from one of the massive trees they were passing. He looked up and spotted a handsome, short-haired elven man with striking green eyes. The man was glaring down at him with a look of pure malice, his face twisted in a silent rage.

"Huh... why is he looking at me like that?" Ard wondered to himself.

They continued their walk through the forest until they entered a large house, which turned out to belong to the Chief. Eledar explained that the homes dotting the hillside above were for the elders, while his house sat at the bottom to serve as a bridge between the leadership and the villagers. He then introduced his other seven children—almost all of whom were girls, except for his eldest son, a young man named Alwyn.

Once the introductions were finished, Eledar invited Ard, Eva, and Pyria into the living room for a private talk. The rest of the group was shown to their quarters, along with Milia, who was still unconscious. Inside, Ard and Eva recounted their entire journey from the very beginning while Eledar and Alwyn listened intently.

"Hmm... I see. We've been coordinating with the Kingdoms of Rellios and Fredonia to establish defenses around this vast forest to hold off the enemy. We've already discussed the strategy with King Arthur and King Brutus," Eledar said.

"Yes, my father mentioned that. But before we head to Rellios and seek out the Dragon God, I need access to the Elven Sacred Tree. I need to retrieve a seed to break the curse Goddess Ophelia placed on my brother," Ard explained.

"Ah, right. Pyria sent a messenger pigeon about that yesterday to give me a heads-up. I'll need to discuss it with the elders first," Eledar replied.

"Understood. Thank you," Ard said.

"The letter also mentioned that Pyria has become your fiancée. You have my full blessing, of course. Thank you for accepting her into your life," Eledar said, bowing respectfully to Ard.

"Wait... you already told your father?" Eva asked, surprised.

"Um... yeah. Wanted to make sure Papa wasn't too shocked, haha," Pyria replied casually.

"I also received a letter from Dimitri. He's currently preparing to move his entire village here to the elven forest. After witnessing Emperor Edmund's coronation himself, he has no desire to remain in the Orthus Empire," Eledar added.

"I see. That's a good move. We need to stand together here," Ard said.

"Everyone supports the both of you, Your Majesty Azroth and Your Majesty Evelina," Eledar affirmed.

"Thank you, Chief," Ard and Eva replied with a respectful nod.

"I'll give you permission to access the Sacred Tree behind the village, but please, be extremely careful. The journey there is quite dangerous," Eledar said.

"I understand. I've actually been there three times, and the two of us were the ones who sealed away the ancient dragon named Qoaldriog," Ard replied.

"That's right, even though it happened three thousand years ago," Eva added.

"I've heard the stories of your heroism from the Elder. He was your traveling companion, after all. I imagine he sensed your return to this village and decided to finally end his self-imposed isolation," Eledar remarked.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Everyone turned to see an incredibly old elf leaning heavily on a staff, as if the wood was the only thing keeping him upright. Seeing the old man, Pyria immediately stood up.

"Elder Elidyr?" Pyria asked.

Elidyr simply gave a thin smile and nodded, raising his hand without saying a word. His eyes shifted toward Ard and Eva, who had stood up to face him, and his gaze flickered back and forth as he studied them intently. Then, a wide smile spread across his face. Once he was certain it was really them, tears began to stream down his cheeks and he finally spoke.

"Finally... we meet again, Ashton, Esmeralda. It has been so long, and you have only just returned. I have been waiting for you all this time," he said in a raspy voice.

"We're home, Elidyr," Ard and Eva replied, rushing over to him.

Ard and Eva immediately stepped forward and embraced Elidyr. The old elf looked incredibly frail, but as the tears fell, a look of pure, unburdened joy spread across his face. Pyria wiped a stray tear from her eye with her finger and smiled broadly. Behind her, Eledar stood with a hand on her shoulder, a smile gracing his own face, while Alwyn stood beside him, grinning as well. After three thousand years of waiting, Elidyr was finally reunited with the two comrades who had fought by his side during their epic quest to seal away the Demon God, Malekh.

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