Arterios Perspective:

In the morning –

“Ah, finally home,” I exclaimed as the carriage carrying me entered Elviel. The trip here was long, so the only thing I desired was my bed.

“Arterios, you are finally here,” my father greeted me at the door. He looked older than I remembered, but the stiff handshake and the cold gaze in his eyes were still the same.

“I’ve brought some people I would like you to meet: some merchants from the eastern villages of Zoel. They have brought some valuable items I’m sure you would love to see. Also, they have an interesting proposal regarding you and your sister,” he told me, feeling uneasy as he said that. Something was not right, but I had no idea what.

We crossed the golden doors adorned with beautiful flowers and headed inside the House. The first room resembled a typical wealthy home, with two doors on either side, two staircases, and an enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling, glowing like a full moon.

I was greeted by the maids: first Hera, then Ellie—a younger elf around fifty years old with long white hair and beautiful emerald green eyes.

Lastly, I was greeted by Maria, the human girl I saved some time ago. I heard she is quite attached to my sister, though I feel pity for her. She will grow old and die while my sister won’t even look middle-aged. That’s her penalty for befriending an elf. And that’s why they capture us and turn us into slaves. Since we live much longer than humans, we can serve as house servants for generations. What better legacy to pass to your children than a servant who will serve you until you die?

After they greeted me, they left to go to the kitchen and prepare some food. Meanwhile, I went with my father to meet the merchants in his office. I once again stood before the large door that I always feared for some reason. Maybe because my father turned into a different person when he passed through that door—cold and solely focused on business.

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As we entered the room, I saw two men sitting in front of my father’s desk. To my surprise, one of them was human. I definitely did not expect that, as any interaction with them was forbidden and could lead to someone’s death. We discussed the area of Elviel, as well as some mines on the borders with Dracathea (the human kingdom). The truly interesting part of the conversation—and the reason my father wanted me here—was about some magical stones the merchants found. According to our myths, our ancestors used these stones—given to them by the Deities of Terra Sancta—to plant Zoel, the enormous magical forest that protects Elviel. Furthermore, consuming the fruits of this magical forest is supposedly the reason why elves are blessed with longevity and protected by deities.

Finding those stones is a big deal, so if they are telling the truth, risking a partnership with a human is worth it.

(Knock knock)

Someone knocked on the door. A girl’s voice?

My sister knocked, and my father’s assistant told her we were busy.

We continued the conversation about the area, and we finally arrived at the crucial point.

“What do you want for the stones?” my father asked the merchants.

“Finally, to the good part, I see…” the elf merchant said.

“We want a place inside Zoel where humans and elves can live together… or a permit for me to live here,” the human merchant said.

I smiled. They wanted something so kind-hearted in exchange for the stones. Unfortunately, a permit would be impossible.

“A permit for you to live here is out of the question; you shouldn’t even be inside Zoel. But maybe I can find you a place inside the forest where you can live, though you will have to avoid interactions with the rest of the elves,” my father said.

“That’s impossible, I’m afraid. I can’t live in hiding.”

“I have a suggestion,” I said. “What if we used the stones to turn you into an elf yourself?”

“Is that possible?” the elf merchant asked.

“That’s just a fairy tale, Arterios. Even if the stones are real, there’s no way they can turn a human into an elf.”

“Why?” I asked my father. “If those magical stones truly exist, then why not the rest of the myth be true?”

“I’ll tell you what. We’ll accept the deal in exchange for me turning into an elf. If the myth is just a story, then you will find me a place to live, and in case I ever get found out, you will make sure I’m not killed.”

“I think we can agree on that,” my father finally said.

(Knock knock)

“Again? I thought I told them not to disturb me.”

The assistant opened the door to find Maria this time. I glanced at the merchant, who was caught by surprise at the sight of another human.

“My lord...” Maria said

, trying to catch her breath. “...Artemis is...”