The door to the barracks opened. The knight, who was in charge of the prisoner, pushed Sylvia and Siadin roughly into the barracks. The two elves rolled to the ground.

Sylvia looked up slowly.

The flag with a golden dragon painted on a red background was visible. The number ‘5’ painted on the top of the flag stood out the most.

“The Fifth Prince…”

“How rude of you! He is an Imperial Family member of the Pilias Empire!”

“Don’t be so hard on them, Gesteine. They are poor people who have been exploited.”

Sitting under the banner of the imperial family, Raymond, the Fifth Prince, said in a calm voice.

Only then did Gesteine take a step back unwillingly.

His whole body, including his neck and arms, was covered with blood-stained bandages, but his pupils were clearly emitting killing intent as he watched Sylvia and Siadin.

“They are exploited… Are you sure?”

An old man in a blue robe, the blue tower Master, stared at Sylvia with his eyes narrowed.

“Am I wrong? Sylvia Platier.”

‘He knows my name?’

Sylvia’s expression, which had not lost composure while being taken in by the Imperial Army, shook for the first time.

“Uh, how…….”

Sylvia’s eyes shook. Knowing her name meant that her clan was exposed.

Now, she was misunderstood as someone involved in the assassination of an imperial family. If this fact was known to the whole imperial family, the true Imperial Army will move.

Although the Pilias was declining, it was not difficult to kill a small group of elves.

Since the Great War, the unity of the tribes has been broken, so the Platier family has nowhere to ask for support.

“Isn’t that the necklace you’re wearing around your neck, the one that proves the High Elves’s lineage? And with the symbol of the clan in it, it is no shocking that I know your name.”

After the end of the Great War and the end of the Great War, exchanges between humans and ethnic groups disappeared. She thought no one would know about her necklace, so she didn’t hide it, but that was her mistake.

“I know you’ve been exploited, but it’s too early for you to be relieved.”

Raymond said in a firm voice. First of all, he wanted to overwhelm them and get a head start.

[Sylvia Platier, the one who walks ahead. She was literally a pure elf. However, under the threat of the second prince, her situation changed. She was usually timid, but she cn act extremely practical when necessary, sometimes cruel and cold.]

Sylvia Platier. In the novel, she wasn’t just a guide for the protagonist. If she felt danger, she will warned in advance, and overall she acted as the command tower of the main characters.

‘She’s still thinking ways to survive.’

Her description in the novel made it easy for Rayman to guess what she was thinking now.

“Just because you’re exploited doesn’t mean you’re innocent.”

“Fifth Prince, but…….”

“If you want to live, you’d better be honest about who you are. You have no choice right now. Keep that in mind.”

“All right, Your Majesty the Fifth…….”

Sylvia was at the end of her sentence. She tried somehow to lead the mood, but she was completely overwhelmed.

Now that her initiative has been taken away, using tricks will be counterproductive.

Raymond had to suppress the smile on his lips as he nodded. It was now time to change the game as a reminder that he was in control.

“If you answer my question without lying, I will guarantee you both safety. I promise in the name of the Fifth Prince.”

The name of the prince is never light. Sylvia was somewhat relieved by Raymond’s declaration.

“Who’s behind this?”

Although the assassination attempt was an unexpected “variable,” it was easy to deduce who was the one behind.

The reason why he asked Sylvia, even though he already knew the culprit, to let the others know who was the culprit and turn the ‘prisoner’ into a spy.

“Before I tell you know who’s behind this, I have a favor to ask, Fifth Prince.”

Sylvia’s words distorted the faces of the two tower masters and the other protector of the Fifth Prince.

Because, in their view now, Sylvia was not in a position to negotiate with the Fifth Prince.

They wanted to remind her right away, but they remained silent because the Fifth Prince Raymond, seemed to have other plans.

“I’m sure you know you’re not in a position to ask a favor.”

Raymond replied coldly on purpose. He was interested in what she could give, but he had to pretend that he was not.

Only then will Raymond also get what Richard, the protagonist of the novel, got from Sylvia.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness the Fifth…, but the survival of my clan is at stake. Please, I want your help, Your Highness the Fifth.”

“I don’t know why you suddenly brought the topic about the survival of your tribe.”

He already knew the truth, but Raymond pretended to get the most rewards.

“The forces behind the assassination are threatening our people.”

“Now that you’re so flustered, it seems like the world tree’s spring is involved.”

“……how did you know?”

The conversation didn’t progress, so Raymond pretended not to know and made progress.

“Is the world tree’s spring contaminated?”

He ignored Silvia’s question and asked a question.

Sylvia did not say yes. Instead, she was so surprised and speechless.

Raymond have guessed to some extent since she suddenly brought up her clan, but she didn’t know he’d guessed this much.

Sitting in front of her with a calm look on his face, Raymond seemed to know enough already.  He knows her background, too. Then why did he kept on asking?

‘He want me to tell you who’s behind it.’

She can guess why. Sylvia, who looked down after a moment of contemplation, slowly raised her head and looked at Raymond.

“I dare to ask you one last time before I tell you who’s behind it, Your Highness. Can you help my family?”

When asked by Sylvia, Raymond belatedly realized that he had gone too far.

“You noticed.”

But it doesn’t matter. He forgot for a moment that Sylvia was smart.

Now that this was happening, he have no choice but to reveal some of the cards that he was still holding.
“You don’t be worried, so tell me who’s behind it.”

“Your Highness, the Second Prince”

Sylvia bowed her head quietly and said the name responsible for the assassination attempt. Unlike Raymond, who already knew who was the one behind, the others were shocked.

“All of you get out.”

Raymond, who expected Sylvia to be bombarded with questions by his people, he ordered the two tower masters and the others to step down for a while. But Gesteine and Desia remained.

“You two won’t go out?”

“The Fifth Prince, the shield never leaves its master.”

“We don’t know what’s going to happen. Please, keep me and Dame Desia at your side.”

These two people can be trusted. In fact, the two tower masters were the same, but they seemed to want ask Sylvia a lot of questions. Gesteine was quiet and Desia closed her mouth as needed, so Raymond nodded with a short sigh.

All left and Gesteine and Desia and the two kneeling elves remained. Raymond spoke.

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

At Raymond’s words, Sylvia opened her mouth to narrate everything that happened.

“One day, the world tree’s spring was polluted. And then a man sent by the Second Prince came. They knew how to slow down the world tree’s spring pollution.”

It was exactly what was written in the novel.

“As I have said that the pollution has slowed down. But it was impossible without the drugs they supplied, and they began to ask for more and more things in exchange for their supply.”

She began to shed tears.

“At first, it was herb, but the demand grew, and they eventually demanded young elves and part of the world tree’s spring water. And also they asked for elves who could handle spirits.”

Her voice was shaking. Raymond was just listening. When he peeked at the side, Gesteine maintained a calm expressionless expression, while Desia seemed a little angry and bit her lips.

“Continue.”

“We’ve sent 10 elves who can handle spirits. Among them, was me. They were all mobilized for dangerous missions, and I was left alone.”

Raymond knows why Sylvia is left alone. She was such a capable guide that she later gained the title of “the one who walks ahead”.

Richard, the protagonist of the novel, has never been lost since he met her, and eventually escaped from any danger with her help.

“World Tree’s spring water is limited, Your Majesty the Fifth.”

“From what you’ve told you so far, did you think I can solve the pollution of world tree’s spring?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me why you thought so?”

“Do you want me to?”

Sylvia’s eyes looked at Gesteine and Desia for a while and then headed back to Raymond.

“Are you sure you want to?”

Raymond knew what she meant.

“No, you don’t have to say it.”

Sylvia didn’t even know that Raymond had read this novel. All she guessed was that Raymond has a background that no one knew. However, she acted as if she knew more to increase her value, and Raymond also played along to some extent.

Having read the novel, he knew about the herbs needed for purification.

“It’s not hard to deal with world tree’s spring water pollution.”

That was the answer she wanted to hear. A faint smile hung around Sylvia’s mouth.

“By the way, what can I gain from purifying the waters of the world tree’s spring? Even hostile to Deneb will be gained?”

“Aren’t you already hostile to each other just by the fact that the Second Prince sent the Moon Knights and his minions to kill you, Fifth Prince?”

“That’s a separate issue. You’d better throw away the idea that my help is guaranteed just saying who was behind it.”

“Please tell me what you want.”

She knew that there would be a price. Unlike Siadin, who has a stiff face, Sylvia had already expected this.

“Herbs, your loyalty, and one more thing.”

“I’ve already been abandoned, so it’s not hard to provide my loyalty and some herbs. But what’s the other one.”

“I want to see the ancient statue.”

“Is that all you want?”

The ancient statue was known to only a small minority of the Elven Platier clan, including the High Elves lineage. So Sylvia became curious about the identity of Raymond, who even knew the existence of the ancient statue.

“It’s just a statue from ancient times.”

True, this is all she knew, but to Raymond it was different.

‘Can it be….’

Sylvia only knew that the statue contains the energy of the first Mana and Aura wielder, Dayrian. However, she did know that if someone endure the magical power of the statue, they can receive a ‘sword and magic blessing’.

The same blessing that made Richard the protagonist.

Raymond’s eyes glistened over Sylvia.

“Is it impossible?”

Raymond asked.

In the novel, Sylvia willingly showed Richard the way to the ancient statue.

But now Raymond needed to think a plan b if she says no, because the meeting with her was unpleasant.

“I promise you, with the blood of the High Elves, that if you can purify the world tree’s spring and protect us, you will be able to do what you want.”

Sylvia bowed her head politely. At the moment when she felt like she have missed something, but the deal was already made.

“Madam, what about Arya!”

Siardin shouted urgently. Only then did Raymond recall the existence of ‘Aria’.

She is Sylvia’s sister and must have been held hostage by the Second Prince’s men at this time.

“Siadine…Aria is in the capital…….”

Sylvia’s voice became blurry. In her attitude, Raymond realized that she didn’t want to tell him that Aria existed.

Fundamentals of negotiation.

‘Never ask for too much.’

For the survival of the tribe, she tried to give up the life of her beloved sister, Aria.