Nacht looked at Elder Lise with worried eyes.

  “Um… are you alright?”

  Sweat glistened faintly on the elder’s face. Confusion—and something close to disbelief—lingered in her gaze.

  Her high-level spell, one capable of peering into memories and origins, had returned nothing.

  Only darkness.

  Who is this boy? she wondered.

  She cleared her throat, forcing her voice to steady.

  “Yes. I’m fine, human child. I was merely checking whether you were unwell.”

  Nacht instinctively placed a hand on his forehead, right where Elder Lise had tapped him earlier.

  Tap. Tap.

  “Oh… so this is how you check?” he said innocently. “Back where I come from, we place a hand on the forehead to check for fever. I’m fine now, right?”

  His simple question—and how easily he accepted her words—made something soften inside her. Elder Lise chose not to pursue the matter further.

  A faint smile curved her lips.

  “Yes, Nacht boy. But you still look a little weak to me. Rest here for a few days.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly, her smile sharpening just a touch.

  That should be enough time… to learn who you really are,

  human Nacht.

  Seeing her smile, Nacht finally let out a breath of relief. Yet a question gnawed quietly at him—

  How did I come here? And who sent me?

  Gathering his courage, he spoke.

  “Uhm… Miss Elder Lise? May I ask you something?”

  She nodded.

  “Go ahead. What is it?”

  Nacht lowered his head slightly, then spoke in a soft voice.

  “Where exactly am I right now? What is this forest called? I don’t really know much about the outside world… I mostly stayed inside my home.”

  His question made her pause. She brushed her fingers through her hair thoughtfully.

  “Everyone knows about this forest,” she said. “Even small children. Didn’t your parents ever tell you?”

  The word parents struck him hard.

  Nacht’s expression fell. His voice trembled, as if it might break at any moment.

  “…No. I don’t have parents. Or maybe I should say… they abandoned me.”

  The moment she noticed his shaking voice, guilt crept into her heart.

  “Oh— I’m sorry,” Elder Lise said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was only asking.”

  Nacht shook his head slowly.

  He lifted his gaze and offered a gentle smile—fragile, yet warm.

  “It’s okay. Whenever their name comes up, I feel like crying. But… I’m used to it now.”

  Elder Lise fell silent.

  She watched him quietly. That soft smile on his face felt like sunlight after a storm—unexpected, yet comforting.

  Her mesmerizing blue eyes lingered on him longer than she realized.

  “…Um… Elder?” Nacht lightly held her hand, giving it a small shake.

  “Elder… are you thinking about something?”

  She blinked, snapping back to the present.

  “Yes—yes. What were you saying?”

  “You looked lost in thought,” he said gently. “I was just asking if you’re alright.”

  For a brief moment, memories from her long past surfaced—things she could never speak of. Her eyes revealed more than her words ever could.

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  She straightened, returning to her authoritative tone.

  “We are Elf Elders,” she said. “We live long lives. Do you really think we’d be so easily unwell, human child?”

  Her voice was firmer this time. Not cruel—but not warm either.

  Nacht immediately lowered his head.

  “I’m sorry, Elder Elf,” he said sincerely. “Please forgive me. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  She looked away for a second, then sighed.

  “…Alright. Alright. Raise your head. I forgive you.”

  Nacht slowly straightened, his gaze resting respectfully near her feet.

  “Thank you.”

  She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

  “You were asking about this forest, weren’t you?”

  His head lifted instantly.

  “Yes!”

  She continued calmly.

  “This forest lies in the northeast. Our territory is called Ljósálfar… but this forest stretches far beyond it. To call it anything else would be inaccurate.”

  She paused.

  “The name of this entire forest is Silvanus—named after the ancient god of forests.”

  Nacht nodded slowly, absorbing every word.

  “So… elves have much more magic than humans, right?” he asked. “Much stronger too?”

  A trace of pride flashed across her face.

  “Yes. We possess greater mana and aura than ordinary humans. However…”

  She paused.

  “There are certain human nobles who stand equal to us.”

  Nacht’s eyes widened.

  “There are humans… equal to Elder Elves?”

  He hesitated, then asked carefully,

  “Who are they?”

  Elder Lise closed her eyes briefly, smiling faintly.

  “In my entire life, I’ve met such humans only twice,” she said. “One is the current king—Stormhelm.”

  “And before him… there was another. His name was Silverpeak.”

  Nacht listened, breath held.

  “They say Silverpeak lived in the era of Stormhelm’s great-great-grandfather. Rumors claimed his power rivaled an Elder’s—perhaps even surpassed it.”

  She opened her eyes.

  “I am 489 years old now. By this time, he should be long dead. Some even believed… he wasn’t human at all.”

  Nacht stared at her, stunned.

  Those names alone carried weight—power beyond imagination.

  “Please,” he said eagerly. “Tell me more about Silverpeak. If Stormhelm is that strong, then he must have been incredible too, right?”

  His childlike insistence made her chuckle.

  “Alright, alright,” she said. “I’ll tell you.”

  “When I was eighteen and had fully awakened my powers, my father—Finw?, the former Elder of this territory—fought Silverpeak.”

  She paused.

  “My father lost. And the title of Elder passed to me.”

  Her voice grew quieter.

  “He warned me that Silverpeak was no ordinary human. His strength surpassed even ours.”

  Nacht fell silent.

  The world he came from had none of this—no magic, no elves, no legends like these.

  Where have I come?

  What kind of world is this…?

  He looked at her, voice shaking.

  “Elder… may I ask one more—”

  Before he could finish, she rose from her chair.

  “That’s enough for today,” she said firmly. “You need rest. We can talk tomorrow.”

  She turned her back to him and walked toward the door.

  “Elder Lise—” he called. “I still have more to ask.”

  She opened the door and looked back, offering a soft smile.

  “Tomorrow,” she said gently. “Rest now. Your condition isn’t stable.”

  The door closed.

  Thud.

  Nacht’s hand remained outstretched for a moment.

  He clenched it into a fist, then slowly lowered it.

  Am I really in a place where magic and elves exist?

  Is that why my body feels so… calm?

  He adjusted his pillow and lay down, staring at the beautifully designed ceiling.

  I’ll have to find these answers myself.

  Elsewhere…

  Elder Lise stood in her chamber, moonlight spilling through the large window, white curtains swaying softly. Candles flickered around the room.

  Knock. Knock.

  She turned.

  “Come in.”

  The door opened, and a male elf stepped inside.

  “Forgive me for disturbing you at this hour, Elder Lise,” he said respectfully. “But I wished to speak with you.”

  She looked at him briefly, then back toward the window.

  “Speak, Alock.”

  He knelt on one knee.

  “The human boy… Nacht. What do you plan to do with him?”

  Elder Lise picked up a glass from the nearby table and took a slow sip.

  “Don’t concern yourself with that,” she replied. “Is the training session tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” Alock answered quietly.

  “Good,” she said. “Tomorrow will decide everything.”

  Alock bowed and left.

  Click.

  After he was gone, someone else remained in the shadows.

  Golden-tinted hair.

  A twisted smile.

  Adrias.

  He whispered with venomous laughter,

  “I’ll deal with that human child tomorrow… when everyone’s attention is on the training session.”

  Chapter 6 Ends