Chapter 15: The Elder’s Revelation and Aali’s Reluctance

“In any case, everyone, please return to your homes and begin packing your belongings! We are preparing to depart from this place.”

Elder Sylph pressed her lips together, her voice imbued with solemnity, as she addressed the elves who nodded in understanding.

As Elder Sylph finished speaking, all the beings residing in Manda Town exchanged a look before turning and making their way homeward.

Once the crowd had dispersed, Qi Lin and Aali approached Elder Sylph.

Elder Sylph, who had been deep in thought, chin resting in her hand, sensed their presence and lifted her gaze.

Upon recognizing them, a flicker of surprise crossed her features.

“You… what happened to your clothes?”

Qi Lin, who had been about to inquire about the situation, felt a slight twitch at the corner of his eye upon hearing Elder Sylph’s words.

He then glanced at Aali, who stood beside him, her lips pressed together.

Elder Sylph’s eyes followed his, settling on Aali.

Feeling the weight of their gazes, Aali finally broke her silence.

“Uh, what’s wrong?”

“…What happened to Qi Lin’s clothes?” Elder Sylph blinked, her voice laced with confusion.

“Cough, we couldn’t find any suitable clothes for the time being, so this is how it is.” Aali gave a dry cough, spreading her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

‘Couldn’t find suitable clothes? Do you honestly think I believe that?’ Qi Lin thought inwardly, casting a sidelong glance at Aali.

Hearing this, Elder Sylph offered no further comment, merely turning to Qi Lin.

“Since that is the case, you may wear this attire for now. We can find something else for you later.”

With that, Elder Sylph gestured, inviting them both inside the treehouse.

Following Elder Sylph back into the treehouse, Qi Lin felt no hesitation this time.

He simply pulled over a stool and settled onto it.

“So, what exactly happened? Why did you gather everyone? And what did that child mean by ‘migration’ just now?”

Without waiting for Elder Sylph to speak, Qi Lin, seated on the stool, immediately voiced the myriad questions that weighed heavily on his mind.

Under Qi Lin’s scrutinizing gaze, Elder Sylph fell silent.

She hesitated, unsure whether to reveal the truth, for after all…

After a long moment of shared gazes, Elder Sylph finally spoke.

“Are you certain you wish to hear this? Once you know, there will be no turning back. And having encountered ‘those things’ again recently, I’m inclined to think that your amnesia might not be such a bad thing after all!”

Qi Lin ran his tongue over his fangs.

After a moment of deliberation, he nodded firmly.

‘The information about this world might finally be revealed now.’

Confirming Qi Lin’s resolve, Elder Sylph sighed, then began her tale in a somber tone.

“Over one hundred and fifty years ago, a breathtaking meteor shower streaked across the continent’s sky, bringing with it a new form of life. And those lives are the very corpses you observed on the outskirts.”

“So?” Qi Lin interjected, perplexed as to the relevance of this information.

‘What does this have to do with migration? Did they attack you indiscriminately, and you fled because you couldn’t defeat them?’

Gazing at Qi Lin, whose confusion was palpable, Elder Sylph sighed once more.

“Those life forms were named Martial Fiends by the people of our continent. They possess no intellect and are fond of using force to invade other races, hence our designation.”

“Martial Fiends preyed on many, including our elven race. Even the notorious goblins and trolls of this continent could not rival the sheer frequency with which these demonic beasts invaded others. Ha, thanks to the Martial Fiends, even trolls and goblins have gained a measure of good repute; truly, the world is full of unpredictable turns.”

“My apologies, the topic seems to have veered off course. *Cough, cough*. I shall continue. Hmm…

Just decades into our struggle against these Martial Fiends, events began to shift. Yet, this turning point proved anything but beneficial for the races on our continent who were suffering their invasions.”

“The shift came when the three most powerful empires on the continent somehow discovered a method to control these Martial Fiends.”

“Upon hearing the empires announce their ability to control Martial Fiends, the various races, already exasperated by the incessant invasions, immediately dispatched envoys to the empires they deemed suitable, seeking assistance.”

“However, those empires offered us no aid. Instead, as if by prior arrangement, they deployed the controlled Martial Fiends and initiated widespread invasions themselves.”

“All races suffered devastating blows. The stark contrast between organized and unorganized Martial Fiends became terrifyingly clear.”

“Almost instantly, the resisting races crumbled.”

“The Catfolk, the Dogfolk, the Trollfolk, and even the repulsive Goblins — all became prisoners of one of the three great empires.”

“Our elven race was no exception. Under the relentless onslaught, the elves fragmented, and Manda Town now stands as merely a small, secure zone built by the surviving elves.”

“The continent now exists almost as a sandbox for the three great empires; they do as they please.”

“The largest remaining race is us, the elves, yet even this is nothing more than a desperate struggle for survival.”

“To prevent our remaining kin from being captured, we relocate our settlements immediately whenever we encounter Martial Fiends.”

“It has been barely a year since our last encounter with Martial Fiends and our subsequent migration to the outskirts of this Forest of Fireflies.”

Qi Lin sat with his hands resting on his knees, listening intently and silently, much like an attentive student.

When Elder Sylph finally fell silent, Qi Lin found himself in a daze.

‘So that’s how it is!’ Qi Lin mused inwardly, recalling Elder Sylph’s earlier warning.

He conceded that perhaps, in this world, having lost his memories concerning the Martial Fiends might indeed be preferable.

‘But is it truly better? Even if I genuinely forgot everything about them, living on a continent overrun by Martial Fiends, I would inevitably learn about them and even have to fight them someday, wouldn’t I?’

“Well? After hearing my words, have any memories resurfaced?” Elder Sylph inquired, observing Qi Lin’s silence and assuming he was recalling something.

“Huh? Oh, you’re talking to me. How to put it… no.” Hearing the call, Qi Lin paused, only emerging from his sea of thoughts when he realized the question was directed at him.

“…I understand.” Elder Sylph nodded, her gaze lingering on Qi Lin for a moment before she added, “Whether your memories have returned or not, the most crucial thing now is to prepare for the migration.”

‘Though I wonder where we will go this time,’ Elder Sylph added inwardly, rising from her stool and ascending the stairs.

As the current Elder of the elven race, she had to ensure everything was prepared for the impending migration.

Elder Sylph departed, leaving Aali and Qi Lin seated on their stools.

A quiet atmosphere enveloped them both, yet neither broke the silence, remaining lost in their thoughts.

‘I have a general understanding of the world’s situation now; I just don’t know which three empires she spoke of. I’ll have to ask later,’ Qi Lin thought.

With a sigh, Qi Lin once again snapped out of his silence, turning his gaze to Aali, who remained equally quiet.

“You… what’s wrong? You’ve had such a troubled expression from the very beginning,” Qi Lin finally spoke, having observed Aali for a while.

At the sound of his voice, Aali lifted her head, her eyes slightly reddened.

“Ah? No, what’s wrong with *you*?” Seeing Aali appear on the verge of tears, Qi Lin felt a pang of panic.

“I… I don’t want to leave here…” Aali whispered, her voice a little hoarse, as if she hadn’t had water in a long time.

“Why? Don’t you realize how urgent the situation is right now?” Qi Lin asked, bewildered.

‘Surely an elf who has lived on this continent for so long would understand the gravity of the matter? Are you sure this won’t cause trouble for the group?’

“I… I know… but…” Aali stammered, parting her lips to speak.

Qi Lin merely frowned, watching Aali, hoping she would explain herself.

While he knew he shouldn’t be so judgmental, he genuinely couldn’t comprehend Aali’s distress, especially since even he, an outsider, understood the severity of the situation.

Despite being merely a sixteen-year-old high school freshman.

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