After the last of the Black Talon members ran away, Maya turned back to see the two elf kids huddling together under a tree. She was a bit confused as to why they still seemed so scared when she approached them: until she remembered that she was still in her ironhead bicorn form.

Maya immediately reverted back to her human form and let out an awkward laugh. "Sorry about that, are you two okay?"

The kids looked at each other for a moment before turning to Maya again. Judging by their facial expressions, they still seemed nervous.

"It's alright, I'm not here to hurt either of you." Maya said.

Finally, the taller among the kids: a girl, decided to speak up, "H-hi."

The Shapestealer turned her attention to the shorter boy who was now hiding behind the girl. "Is this your brother?"

The girl nodded. "Y-yes."

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Maya and I can help you with those chains if you'd let me."

This time, the boy spoke up. "You…can cut off the chains?"

"I can try." Maya replied.

After looking at eachother one more time, the two kids whispered to one another before walking forwards closer towards Maya. The girl then raised her manacled arms and looked down.

"Alright, just hold still." Maya touched the manacles and examined them. They didn't seem to be in the best condition, with some parts showing rust.

Taking out her mithril dagger, Maya got to work breaking off the manacles before removing them completely from the elf girl. Afterwards, she looked at the elf boy and gestured for him to also let her have a look at his manacles.

Fortunately, his chains weren't in much better condition either. And it didn't take much for Maya to also break him free.

"And…that should do it." Maya said.

Once relieved, the elf girl and boy let out weak smiles. The former gave a light nod towards Maya before speaking again. "Thank you so much, I'm Estia and this one here is my younger brother Ebon."

Ebon gave a nod of acknowledgement towards Maya. But he still didn't say anything and shuffled around to get behind Estia.

"Looks like things went well."

Sophia moved out of the brushes, with Valor following behind. The two elven kids looked like they were about to run at first, but Maya tried to calm them down. "Hey, it's fine, they're my friends."

"O-ok, if you say so." Estia said.

The Paladin bowed her head slightly as she saw the two kids. "I'm Sophia, nice to meet you two."

Meanwhile, Valor waved a hand casually. "Hey kids, remember me?"

Upon seeing Valor, both Estia and Ebon seemed to perk up. The two ran up towards him and said. "Brother Valor! You're back!"

Valor knelt down to give the two kids a hug. "Glad you two are safe."

Maya chuckled at the sight and asked. "So, it looks like there's more that you didn't tell us."

Sophia smirked and crossed her hands. "Yeah, a lot it seems."

Valor stood back up and let out a weak smile. "I…tried to free as many of the captured elves as I could while I was with the Black Talons. Broke out both Estia and Ebon before too actually."

"Oh, so you didn't actually get kicked out for stealing booze?" Maya asked.

"Nah, I actually did steal booze." Valor replied with a chuckle. "But even someone like me has some standards left."

Suddenly, Ebon looked up to the beastman and asked. "Um, what's booze?"

"It's…something that's better for you to find out when you're older." Valor replied nervously.

"Aww, lame." Ebon said.

Estia looked up at the beastman expectantly. "Can you tell me what booze is?"

"How old are you again?"

"Eleven!"

"And uh, do you remember how long elves live for?"

"My mom's just over 100 years old I think."

Valor shook his head. "Then no, I'm not telling you either."

Estia pouted and looked to the side. "Fine."

Sophia coughed into her hand and looked at Valor. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have to ask. How long have you been breaking these elves out? And how did you not get caught?"

The beastman shrugged. "Been doing it pretty early on since I entered this floor; as for how I didn't get caught… to be honest, I had to make some people 'disappear'."

"And they never suspected you?"

"They definitely did, but it was hard for them to prove anything for a while."

Maya raised an eyebrow at the beastman. "So, were you actually kicked out? Or did you just have to run away?"

Valor chuckled. "They did kick me out of the Party."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Huh, so they just let you go?"

"Of course not. They were just about ready to cut off my arms as punishment. Luckily, I managed to escape just in time; and I took some strong drinks with me as 'souvenirs' to boot."

Sophia sighed. "I'd appreciate it if you were more upfront with information like this in the future."

Maya nodded. "Same here."

"Sorry, I wasn't sure how you two would react. But I promise you two that I don't have any ill intent; I just want to get to the next floor as well."

"That makes all of us."

The sound of stomach grumbling suddenly interrupted the conversation. All eyes nearby were drawn to Ebon who was rubbing his tummy.

"Um, does anyone mind accompanying us back to the village? Ebon's starting to get hungry." Estia said, looking around.

Maya smiled then looked at the beastman. "I'm sure Valor here knows the way."

"Yeah, I do, just follow me."

***

The group went back to go through the forest. They trekked across uneven terrain, ducked under low-hanging branches, and skirted around dense thickets. Valor led the way and guide them through narrow paths that twisted and often doubled back on themselves.

River streams crisscrossed their path often, requiring careful steps on slippery stones to cross. Many times, they also had to climb over fallen logs or push through thick underbrush.

After a couple of hours, the group finally saw the elf village which was nestled in the middle of a dense thicket. The village itself was a mix of nature and elven craftsmanship. Some of the houses were perched high in the treetops, accessible only by spiraling staircases or rope bridges. The ground-level homes had walls interwoven with living vines and roofs thatched with layers of broad leaves.

Maya exhaled. "That... took longer than I thought," she admitted, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow.

"Few know about this place; most of the captured elves got caught outside while hunting or foraging." Valor replied.

As the group approached the village gates, Ebon and Estia ran up in front. Before dashing deeper into the village, they turned around and called out. "Thanks for earlier! Feel free to visit!"

Maya, Sophia, and Valor waved back at the kids as they disappeared into the village. "Good to see them safe," Maya said with a soft smile on her lips.

Turning to Valor, Sophia's tone shifted towards their original quest. "That's all good; but I was wondering if anyone here could help us with finding the golden branches?"

Valor nodded. "The Village Elder knows a lot; If I were stronger, I'd probably have left this floor a long time ago with his help,"

The Shapestealer stepped forward. "Then let's go to him."

As the trio walked through the village, they saw elves engaged in various activities: some were tending to lush gardens that seemed to thrive under their careful hands, while others were skillfully crafting items from wood, stone, and even precious metals as children played near the trees.

Along the way, several of the villagers greeted Valor with warm smiles and nods. The beastman responded to each greeting with a genuine smile and a wave.

Maya couldn't help but express her astonishment. "Surprised to see so many... normal people here."

"I had that same reaction the first time." Valor said.

Sophia agreed. "It's a nice change of pace compared to the previous floors."

Valor pointed to a large hut ahead. "Alright, we're close now."

The hut they approached was distinct from the others in the village. It looked fancier than the surrounding buildings, with carvings that seemed to depict various aspects of elven lore, making it clear that this was a place of importance.

Maya stopped in front of the hut, uncertainty flickering in her eyes as she turned to Valor. "Do we just go in?"

"I'll head in first," Valor said, stepping forward to lead the way.

The beastman entered the hut, with Maya and Sophia following close behind him. The interior of the hut was spacious and filled with an array of trinkets and finely crafted wood furniture.

At the center of the hut sat an aged elf with gray hair. He was sipping tea, but upon noticing his guests, he gently placed his cup down and greeted them with a warm smile. "Ah, Valor, you brought friends."

Valor nodded in response and took a step forward to make the introductions. "The one wearing the cloak is Maya, and the one wearing armor is Sophia."

"Hello." Maya said with a slight bow of her head.

Sophia did the same as she introduced herself. "Pleasure to meet you."

The elder elf extended a welcoming gesture with his hand. "Welcome, travelers. I'm Melord. Please, grab any chair nearby and sit down."

The three guests obliged, each picking up a nearby chair before placing them down in front of Melord and taking their seats. Once seated, Maya wasted no time and spoke. "Sorry if this is sudden, but Valor here mentioned that you might help us with finding the golden branches?"

Melord let out a hearty chuckle. "It's something travelers like you ask me often, but not one I usually answer."

"So… does that mean we're out of luck?" Maya asked.

"No, I think we can arrange something; on account of your amicable relationship with Valor."

Maya perked up at Melord's response. "That's great, so what-" she began, but her words were cut short.

Melord locked eyes with Maya. He then raised a hand and pointed directly at her. "Especially you. I sense... something great in you, something that should be beyond the reach of mortals."

Taken aback by his sudden focus, Maya jerked back slightly. "Is this about my Relic Class?"

Melord lowered his hand and nodded. "If that's what you call the power of the Old Gods that I feel within you, then yes."

"I figured as much." Maya said.

Valor scratched his head. "You know, that explains how ridiculous her powers actually are."

Melord smirked. "To us mortals, maybe; but nothing is beyond the reach of the True Pantheon."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "You mean the Old Gods?"

Melord nodded in confirmation. "Precisely."

Sophia then chimed in. "I'm curious. You seem to know a lot about the Old Gods, but how come you're not..."

"Insane?" Maya said.

Sophia shrugged. "Not the exact word I'd use, but yes."

Melord reached for a nearby miniature on a table and held it up for his guests to see. "Tell me what you think this is."

Valor took a quick glance and casually remarked, "It's a small statue."

Sophia looked a bit closer. "It's an idol of some kind, but I'm not sure which god it's dedicated to."

Maya fell silent as she observed the idol. The small figure depicted an elven woman with red eyes staring intently into the sky while three birds soared above her head. Normally, the Shapestealer wouldn't have given too much thought to an object like this, but something deep within her stirred, compelling her to reach out and touch it.

Sophia noticed Maya's sudden movement and asked. "Maya?"

Ignoring the question, the Shapestealer didn't respond verbally and instead gently rubbed her fingers across the idol's surface. After a moment, she inhaled deeply, then exhaled, before speaking again, "This idol is dedicated to the third incarnation of Munin."

Melord nodded in approval. "That's correct, well done."

Valor turned to Maya and asked, "Wait, how did you know?"

But Maya tilted her head, her own confusion apparent. "Know what?"

Sophia pointed to the idol still in Melord's hands. "The miniature idol, how did you know what it was?"

Maya looked around at everyone in the room before her gaze settled back on Melord. "Did I say something?"

Melord chuckled lightly. "As expected, previous incarnations of the Lord of Change also behaved the same as you,"

"Hold on, how many incarnations have there been?" Sophia asked.

"From the legends passed down to me by my ancestors and their ancestors before them. I'm aware of only three. Which means your friend Maya here is the fourth." Melord explained.

The Paladin's eyes widened in surprise. "Just four incarnations? After all this time?"

"Munin's incarnations have always been highly rare. But when they appear, their presence is unmistakable for those who understand."

"Uh, so what happened to the ones before me?" Maya asked.

Melord looked the Shapestealer dead in the eye. "They're all dead."