Chapter 1099: Solana

To meet with the Elves, Nalem had assigned three people on the team. Alice, Allura and Karya.

Everyone else had other jobs they had to do. As for his plans for Elias...

"A fine doctor he may be, but the enemies we face are no something a Six Sigil Hunter can even dream of partaking in unless you’re an anomaly. To prepare him for the upcoming storm, I have some other plans."

Naturally, Nalem wasn’t only talking about Elias. He too knew his own weakness and wanted to make his own preparations.

As for Lab and by extension Faust, he had negotiations of his own with the Royals so Lab stayed behind for now.

Originally, Nalem wanted it to just be Alice and Allura going to the Elven place but with Allura’s condition, he had no choice but to include Karya into the mix. Even if Alice was strong, having another Lord there acted as insurance.

First, there is now a healer for emergency heals in case Allura’s condition deteriorated.

Second, Alice could consume her blood and gain more Sigils for a difficult battle.

As for the fourth member...

Since they were going to the Elves, the Royal family assigned one of their guards to the team to act as proof that they have now formed an alliance.

"Due to the incident that occurred before, I never got to introduce myself. I already know all of your names but you don’t know mine." The elf spoke politely with a slight bow.

She lacked the arrogant aura most would expect from a nine Sigil Lord.

In fact, she felt rather laid back and relaxed. She was only serious looking in the main hall while on the job.

Outside of it, she gave a feeling not unlike... Renna.

"You may call me Solana. I will be acting as the representative for the Royal family while we journey to the Elven Capital."

Usually, this job would’ve been given to the other Elven Lords in the King’s guard. Someone like Renna, especially considering her close relationship with the Grove.

But with no other choice, Solana was their best option.

"Usually, I would need to seal the senses of all three of you in order to keep the location of the capital a secret. But since I haven’t been ordered to do so by the King, I can only request that you keep the location a secret." Solana held a finger over her lips.

"Don’t worry, we have no plans on spreading word about the location." Allura reassured but Solana didn’t seem convinced.

"My ancestors believed a claim like that, look where it got them." She shook her head.

"Even if you spread the word, what can I do about it? All I can do is hope that you won’t expose my race to the dangers of the outside world." Without expanding on it, Solana turned around and started to walk, leading the way forward.

Looking at one another, Karya, Alice and Allura shrugged their shoulders.

"Can I ask you questions on the elves while we walk there?" Alice asked curiously.

Solana glanced back at the split haired girl before nodding slowly.

"I will answer what I can. Though I don’t see how knowing more about the elves would benefit your cause. We are simply there to investigate the World Tree and its connection to the Void."

"I mean, it would be pretty rude to just enter someone’s house without speaking to them or knowing about them." Alice countered but Solana simply shook her head.

"If a repair man entered your house, would he ask you details about your history? I doubt it. At most, he’ll ask about the issue you are experiencing and try to resolve the problem immediately."

Hearing her reply, Alice’s smile twitched as she wasn’t even sure how to respond.

But Allura had dealt with Solana’s kind of personality before.

"Yes but speaking to them, building a rapport and making connections makes the job easier. It makes people more accepting when it comes to the things you require for the repair." Allura chuckled. "Not only that, but by building that connection, we prevent them from thinking that we are arrogant, parading into their home and demanding their assistance. Don’t you agree?"

Tilting her head for a moment, Solana nodded.

"Indeed, that is the logical conclusion. Even then, from your question, it seems like you are curious about our race as a whole rather than just the individuals you will be working with." Solana couldn’t understand it.

"I mean... I rarely see Elves and when I do, not much is known about them. So since I have a chance, I figured I might as well ask."

"So we’re animals in a Zoo?" Solana furrowed her brows as Alice felt the urge to pull out her hair.

’Why does this woman keep coming to the bad conclusions?! I was just curious about them!!!’ Alice complained inwardly while Cayla simply laughed.

Alice was used to conversing with people about their lives and learning more about them.

This was the first time she’s faced such a ’difficult opponent’.

Seeing Alice’s forced expression, she realised she must’ve selected the wrong dialogue and clicked her tongue.

This is why guiding others was usually left to people like Renna.

"Please disregard what I may say. As mentioned earlier, feel free to ask whatever you want and I shall answer to the best of my knowledge."

Yet this response wasn’t exactly ’correct’ either as it put Alice in a tough spot.

She wanted to ask but at the same time, she didn’t want to force Solana to do something she didn’t want to do.

When they reach the Elven Capital, there were probably plenty of chances to ask others.

"It’s times like this where you have to be a little shameless." Allura winked before turning to Solana.

"Since the Elves are contracted to Extalia, do they have a Royal Family of their own? Like the King and Queen."

Taking a few steps to consider her answer, Solana opened her mouth.

"Unlike the monarchy in Extalia, the Elves have long lost their right to have such a thing. We have no King, we have no Queen. There are no surviving elves of the ’Royal’ bloodline in this day and age. The last Elven Royalty disappeared long ago with no chance of a successor.

"But this entirely depends on what you may consider to be ’Royalty’. If you meant by blood then no, we don’t. However, while we don’t have a King or Queen, we do have a representative. A Leader? If you can even call it that.

"They are the head of the Elves while the Council of Elders backs them up. Both parties have their own say in things and most decisions come down to a vote. Of course, that’s only for the Elves. Above the leader and the Council will be the Extalia Royal family.

"If they asked us to hunt down a rabid beast, we reply with how fast do you want it. If the King told the elves to strip themselves of their dignity and parade the streets as Slaves, then as the ’losers’, we must follow." Solana spoke without hesitation.

"Even if we dress ourselves up all nice and pretty, there’s no denying that we’ve long lost our rights as individuals. As a whole race, we’ve already sold ourselves to Extalia. We’re commodities at best, one that the King has decided to grace with autonomy rather than being transformed into objects."

Alice hadn’t expected such a harsh outlook on their race’s situation. Even for Renna, she focused more on the good rather than the bad.

She focused on what she could do rather than what has happened.

But Solana? She didn’t care.

She saw the situation for what it was. The moment they lost the Royal family’s trust and support, their lives were forfeit.

Every last one of them.

Hesitating for a moment, Alice opened her mouth.

"Is it a contract?"

The implication was obvious. If it was, then there is the possibility that she could break it.

Perhaps that was also what the Queen realised when she decided to renegotiate with Nalem.

The concern that Alice could break the status quo. It was foolish to think that the elves were happy with the arrangement.

While some may be happy, others might be like Solana who was rather pessimistic about the situation. They might pounce at the first opportunity to ’free’ themselves.

"Hmm... I wouldn’t say it’s a contract. Moreso brainwashing? Well... that’s only one aspect of it. We were taught since we’re young to follow the Royal family of Extalia.

"It’s been branded into our brains where the thought of betrayal would be few and far between. Those who speak outright about it are... as they call it, re-educated on the state of things.

"We’re a bunch of crazies without autonomy, living in fake bliss. However, there is also a contract of sorts in place.

"A binding agreement that makes it so that we have to follow whatever the family orders. A chain around our souls passed on through the generations, inherited by the ones to come after us. I’m quite resentful of my ancestors you know?" Solana lifted her hair and unzipped the back of her dress slightly.

There, lining her spine, was a faint marking like that of a shattered blade while a crown hovered above it.

"It’s a mark of obedience that every Elf is born with. The location might be different but every one of us will have it without exception. A proof that we’re properties of the royal family."

Zipping the dress back up, she let her hair down.

"So is there anything else you want to know?" Solana asked, unbothered by everything she just said.

Even though she saw Alice hold the power to break the contract, she didn’t even seek it out.

Facing this kind of person, Alice was truly speechless.