Now it’s a choice between a lone child with a bright future and a noble that would owe you a favour. In all honesty, the noble isn’t old either and is also talented, while the child is talented, but compensation would only come at a later time.
There isn’t much of a choice, is there? This kid is managing is own life well and he is accomplishing quite well already, at most a few years and he’ll have a position that allows him to leave. Paying isn’t the only way to leave the continent, as long as he shows his potential, then he will be sent away. One might think the continental branch would like to keep these talents here, but that is wrong. The profit-pool in the southern continent, along with the other two small continents, are just too small to matter.
The growth of any talent that isn’t from the dominating faction is very capped, especially for a faction such as the Silent Travellers Emporium. They aren’t from the southern continent but just fought for the trading rights, they can’t support talents, so they’d rather pay and get them out of it. They are the operators of the ships; the price would be maybe a tenth of how much customers pay to come abroad. It’s a monopolized and profitable business, after all. Besides them, only Origin-Factions would be able to leave the continent, and even they can only do it in small numbers, not to mention t he requirements you need to fulfil for those factions to transport you.
So, with these reasons standing, it was not the best idea to take the child. After all, he was smart and knew he would manage somewhat anyways, why would he need to be so loyal to a random group of strangers? In comparison, the noble only needed a bit of help, he didn’t have an ID so no one would take it upon themselves to help, and the emporium couldn’t be faulted, he’d just die out here. Oh, and there was one really important reason – it was an Elven noble.
Elven have a racial Origin Realm, meaning that all that are of Elven race will join the Origin realm. There are cases of Elven joining other realms before they become gods, so their own origin doesn’t become entwined with their races’ origin, but there is no independent Elven realm, besides the Origin Realm of theirs.
Elven gods are called ‘High Elf’, and all nobles of them have a High Elf as their leader. The non-god elven are either normal Elfs or Noble Elfs, if they come from a family with a High Elf. So naturally, this Noble Elf has a relative that is of God-Equivalence.
This Elf in particular has a High Elf aunt, it’s just that his aunt doesn’t have any children at all and her brother died, so she took care of her. He has siblings but they died one after another, all in war or in ‘accidents. Being the last relative for the high elf aunt, he should be defended greatly, but when she looked away for a second, he was kidnapped.
Who were the kidnappers? Obviously, they were the Beasts, the only other Forest Origin Realm, but they were a bit of a different case. Anyways, the Beasts hate the elven to the core because of a simple reason: both of them see the forest as their home, but their views on how their home should be is different. There were of course other realms and races that have the Forest has their home, but there are no other Origin-Realms
Elfs think that they should take care of the forest while Beasts think they should use the forest. Both treat the forest as their home, but one as a mother that takes care of them and they are filial in return, while the other thinks of it as a resource. The emotional attachment of the Elfs causes them to despise the Beasts, which is why they are in a eon-long war.
It is far from decided, and a case such as this noble elfs aunt is truly rare. The reason why they are in such a precarious situation is that the aunt provoked another noble beast tribe, these noble beasts targeted the aunt and all her relatives.
At one point the aunt went back, this time she went out to talk with the tribe and find peace, who knew she’d lose her niece in the process. Thankfully his protectors managed to safe her, but they hid her in the southern continent shortly before they died.
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In truth, she had injuries all over his body and wouldn’t survive long enough, and the aunt didn’t know of his situation, so she assumed she died, which she would do soon, anyways, she went into a rage, avenged her family by killing the god of their enemy tribe, she then escaped with a string of her life and is currently also recuperating in their Origin Realm.
She was awarded for her meticulous deeds and gained more power in her faction, but this didn’t change the fact that she was hurt and would soon become a Valkyr. Naturally good-guy Alaric will help them! Yes, he will take this Elf!
While Alaric’s mind was drifting away, Kendrick already got the tickets and put the paper back into the bag with the tickets. Once Alaric was ready to go, Kendrick told him “Lord, we will depart tomorrow morning already, do we need to do anything else?”
Alaric smiled and left the reception trough one of the doors. He didn’t leave the building yet but was went into a waiting room, where he saw a lady with noble gait sitting on a couch. There were many seats and tables all around the waiting room, and it seemed that tea was served to everyone. The lady was quite young, her appearance made one think she was twelve to fourteen, with black skin and a pale complexion, she seemed even younger, but her clothes talked otherwise. A tight silk-dress with a few ornaments, small black cape on her left shoulder and dark purple rose in her hair. Her hair was pure white with a ice blue hue, her eyes light lilac.
A beauty trough and trough, but the aura around her so cold, no one dared to come closer. Elven are really weird, can’t they just stop aging after they are like twenty-five? Why do they have to look like twelve when they’re probably triple my age already? I can’t understand how anyone with a conscious can look at her and say she’s of legal age so it should be fine to think well of her. Bah! She’s literally a child!
Still, Alaric walked towards her table. He looked straight into the girls eyes when she looked at him, he bowed a bit and greeted “I greet Varia Noelle of the Dark Elfs!”
The girl was slightly surprised, as he had just spoken in Elfish, their language, she strained her body to stand up and bowed in return, keeping proper etiquette like her aunt taught her “I greet you too, how may I call you?”
Alaric smiled at her. He still had his mask on, but this identity was only for the public, since he wanted to have a personal relationship with her, he flashed the mask away for a second before it became normal once more, he was smiling at her, which surprised her once more for the sudden trust as he said “I am Alaric van Violet, head of my family. You have not heard of me, so do not worry about it. In turn, I have heard of you, and I can only convey my condolences.”
Varia was confused “Condolences? I don’t reckon there is a reason to?”
Putting his hand on the large red mouth, Alaric looked at Illic, then asked “Which year is it?”
Illic just acted accordingly and said honestly “According to the universal year count that was made after the agreement of the top Origin Realms, also which is also celebrated as the Festival of Gods, it is the year 2731.”
Alaric acted shocked as he spoke to her “I apologize! It seems this will only happen in a few years. Yeah right! You won’t… well, it’s fine. I hope I didn’t disturb the miss!”
After finishing what he had to say, Alaric was about to leave and half-turned already when Varia came back to her senses. She came forward and was about to grab Alaric, when she felt a gaze from Illic. She didn’t try to grab again but said pleadingly “Please, tell me what you mean!”
Looking like he was struggling with himself, Alaric took a minute before he answered “Okay, you can conjure it anyways even without me divining it. Your aunt has just killed the enemy of your family and she returned, but in just a few years… she will be hailed as an Elf Valkyr.”
Varia was shocked truly, she was about to ask something, then looked at herself “My injuries…”
Alaric shook his head helplessly.
Seeing this, Varia was depressed, then she understood something and bowed down as she said “Please, your lordship! I ask for your help! With your expertise… there is surely a way!”
It’s true that Alaric knew some divination-type rituals, but the cost was too high, and he knew the books, so why would he perform them? There are only a few he would probably use, but a divination to understand and know something on the level of gods… the cost would be too high! Well, he’s 0th circle anyways, with his knowledge, who would doubt it if he simply claimed that he paid a price for a Ritual and had to start anew!