"Ah, sorry. Couldn't see you with all those elves around"

After bumping into the hooded person, the first thing I did was apologize, even without knowing exactly who it was. For some reason, there was something familiar about the hooded figure, although I couldn't quite pinpoint why.

"No, it's okay. I should have paid more attention to my surroundings too..."

After she said that, silence settled between the two of us. Ironically, we were both dressed similarly, and it seemed like we both realized we were involved in something we didn't want others to know. Also, the fact that we were in complete silence was starting to make me nervous for some reason.

But it wasn't nervousness out of fear of being found out; it was more a nervousness of not knowing whether I should leave or stay there with her until she said something.

"Hmm... would you like to keep me company?"

It didn't take even two seconds after asking this question to start questioning why on earth I had said that. I mean, I didn't even know the person, and I invited her to walk with me? I bet right at this moment, the person is also confused.

"Why?"

Just as I expected, she asked me if there was any reason. Well, I couldn't say that there really wasn't. Although we came to Eldoria with a guide, he acted more like a flirt than a guide. Most of the time, he was just trying to flirt with the girls, and overall, he ignored me whenever he could. Anyway, I quickly brushed that thought out of my mind and focused on the conversation.

"No specific reason... just thought it would be nice to have some company"

After my words, silence settled between us again. I figured the person was pondering what to say, so I just waited.

"Alright..."

Her response didn't take long to come. After that, still in silence, we continued walking around aimlessly. Sometimes, we stopped at some places to grab food. Speaking of which, Eldoria also has a guild. In this case, it's through it that exports reach the kingdom, as elves rarely leave Eldoria.

Also, money in this world seems to be universal since I never had to exchange the coins I earned in Arclight when visiting Anima or Eldoria. Anyway, that's not really important, but it was relatively practical in the end.

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"You're not from Eldoria, right?"

While sitting on a bench, my mysterious companion suddenly asked me. I won't lie, I was confused by the question since I wasn't giving any indication of that. But maybe it naturally came up since this was a realm I was visiting for the first time.

"Is it that obvious?"

As soon as I formulated the question, the hooded figure confirmed with a nod. Then, glancing around, turned towards me. Although I couldn't see their face, a few strands of golden hair escaped from the hood, suggesting a blonde shade. Up to that moment, the mystery of whether it was a man or a woman persisted.

Despite my intuition leaning towards it being a woman, I wasn't sure, so I opted for silence. However, as if ignoring my thoughts, the figure's voice echoed again.

"You behaved similarly to other visitors... Not that I have much experience with them, as it's rare to encounter anyone, but you emit a distinct aura from the elves. Also, you're not an elf, right?"

Once again, they said something that was completely correct, but instead of a guess, it felt more like a precise shot. Moreover, this person was incredibly skilled in magic. Even when speaking, a subtle flow of magic surrounded their voice. It didn't alter their voice, but it made perception difficult, making it even harder to determine if it was a man or a woman just by the voice.

Of course, for this kind of magic, a simple snap of the fingers would dissipate the magic, just emitting a considerable amount of mana into the air would destabilize their magic. In theory, I should be able to hear their true voice without any filter, but in the end, I had no real reason to do so.

"Hmm, you don't seem like the type who would care much about that"

As soon as I mentioned that, the hooded person looked around once again, as if contemplating something.

"Although it may seem strange, would you mind if I asked a question?"

Upon hearing their words, I nodded in agreement.

"What do you believe could lead a race to extinction?"

Upon hearing their words, I paused for a moment to ponder the question. It's not that there weren't possible factors, but still, I wasn't sure if that was the right answer. Maybe realizing my hesitation, my companion insisted.

"In my opinion, undoubtedly, the main reason would be the inability of a race to adapt and evolve"

Listening to their words, I couldn't exactly grasp what they were trying to express. I mean, why would the lack of changes in a race lead to extinction? Or better yet, weren't races always adapting to the environment? Maybe it was because I came from a exclusively human world, but this idea seemed natural to me.

"Look at humans, they are constantly evolving. In as short a period as a hundred years, you can hardly say they are the same race they were a century ago. Moreover, when faced with challenges, humans can unite almost instantly to overcome them"

Despite understanding what they meant, I found it curious the way they mentioned a hundred years, as if it were something recent, when in fact, it represents a whole lifetime.

"Over eight hundred years ago, Elves underwent a significant change with the creation of the Council of Elders. However, paradoxically, it's this same council that hinders the Elves' evolution. They instilled in society the idea that change is harmful and that remaining unchanged is the best approach for eternity"

While expressing these words, a sudden strong gust of wind blew, causing the cloaks covering our faces to fall back, revealing both my face and that of my companion.