Luis looked at the elf and, for an instant, his mind took him back in time. It was not a memory of his own, but a fragment of history he had learned in the sect. There he discovered that, four thousand years ago, war had reduced the elves to shadows of their former selves.
Long ago, they had turned the continent into an oasis of life, paying for the generosity of their people with their blood. They were his most loyal allies. Not just an alliance, but an unbreakable promise.
Now, barely a few remained, scattered, hidden in nooks and crannies that only those with true knowledge could find. In a forest, elves were untraceable shadows. Luis exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the past on his chest.
—Vernar, tell me, what do you know of her?
Vernar followed the direction of his gaze and nodded. He walked over to his men and picked up the entry list. His eyes ran down the names until he found the one he was looking for.
She joined today. She is an elf from the Drakonia kingdom. Her name is Emili. Her tribe was wiped out by dragons and sold into slavery. She's one of only three survivors.
Luis's pulse became heavy. His expression, tense.
—Three... but there is only her here.
Vernar lowered his gaze before answering, as if the paper he held was suddenly heavy.
—I'm sorry, Señor Luis. That's all the document mentions. There are no details about the other two. They were probably sold to other buyers, but I have no information about that.
Luis turned his attention to the guard who had brought her, his gaze sharp as a steel edge.
—My lord, I bought it from a passing slave trader. I wanted to buy all three, but they only sold me this one. The others were already sold. I don't know who the buyers were. I only managed to get her.
Silence fell heavily. Luis closed his eyes for a moment, holding back the anger that crept under his skin like an unstoppable tide. To him, the elves were more than allies, even if they no longer remembered it. If he could, he would save them all. He owed them a debt of blood.
But his debt went beyond the political. Few knew his secret: he had had an elven concubine, and from their union was born a son who became king of the elves. Would he still be alive? Or had the same fate befallen him as his people? The thought, harsh and cruel, lodged in his chest like a thorn.
He approached the girl and looked at her carefully. She was emaciated, beaten. Her wrinkled ears were a sure sign of suffering and fear. Her hands were shaking.
—Your name is Emili.
The girl looked at him and nodded shyly.
—What tribe are you from?
His voice was barely a whisper.
—Of the Sacred Tree tribe.
Luis felt a stabbing pain in his chest. In his time, that tribe was a secondary branch of his concubine, charged with preserving the trees of the northern sector of the continent.
—What happened? Tell me.
Emili lowered her head. Silent tears ran down her cheeks, falling noiselessly to the ground.
We were at war with the Dragon Kingdom. They were burning our forests. Everyone died... Only my older brother, my cousin and I were left. But they were sold to an older man.
Luis clenched his fists and turned to Marin.
—Find out who bought them. No matter the price, I want to know where they are as quickly as possible.
Then he looked at Vernar.
—Tell me their price. It doesn't matter how much.
Vernar sensed the urgency in Luis. His shoulders tensed.
—It is not necessary. If it is important to you, consider it a gift. Besides, I promise that if I hear of any other elves, I will let you know without fail. If I can get it, you'll be the first to know.
Louis nodded gravely.
—Thank you.
It was the first time since he had awakened in this world that he had uttered those words. He waved his hand and a bag fell into Vernar's arms.
—Here is a million gold. A token of gratitude. If you hear from other elves, let me know. If you can buy them, do so, and tell Marin to send them to my sect. It's important.
—Yes, Senor Luis.
Vernar realised that if he wanted to be truly useful, he had to fulfil that task. From now on, in addition to slaves, his enterprise would focus on finding as many elves as possible to deliver to him. Something told him that doing so would be a blessing for his future.
Luis looked at Emili with determination.
—Don't worry. From now on you will be a member of my sect. No one will harm you, and I will find your relatives. That's a promise.
When she was released, the girl ran into Luis' arms and burst into tears. No one said a word.
Luis was not cold or joking as usual. His voice had been different. Sad. As if the girl's pain was also his own.
And maybe it was.
After a while, Emili calmed down. Her sobs faded until only the echo of her gasping breaths remained. She hugged herself and muttered "thank you" several times under her breath, as if trying to convince herself that it was real.
Luis watched her in silence. His gaze was still fixed on the girl, but inside, his thoughts were far away, on foreign memories that the information from the cult had revealed to him.
—Marin, in addition to what I asked for, I need you to send a letter to my sect and have Emili taken as well. It's going to be chaos here soon, and I don't want him in this place.
Marin nodded without hesitation.
—Leave her in my care. I will see that she gets to your sect safely. I'll also get you the information you asked for as quickly as possible.
Luis exhaled with a slight nod.
—Perfect.
He tasked Marin with moving Emili with a letter addressed to Reimond, while Vernar would be responsible for assisting her on the journey. Both understood the gravity of the matter. If anything happened to the girl, they would pay the consequences. Louis had made it clear that the elves were essential to him. If they had to spend their entire fortune or risk their lives, they would. Emili would arrive safely.
Luis left the scene behind and took to the streets accompanied by his two new slaves. They moved among the market stalls, dodging merchants and cautiously watching the passers-by.
After a while, they arrived at the hotel. Once inside, Luis led them to their room.
—For now you will sleep with me. There is an extra room with two beds.
Luci jumped into the conversation, her voice firm.
—I'll sleep here on the floor. As your guardian, I won't be far from you.
Aron let out a carefree laugh.
—Better for me. A room to myself to enjoy without a whiny little girl. Besides, I'm sure they have plenty of food to send out, so I'll order my fill. I haven't had a good meal in a long time.
Wasting no time, she left the room to order food, while Luci settled in a corner, watching the door as if nothing and no one should enter without her knowledge.
Luis, for his part, sat on his bed and closed his eyes. He used his cultivation and began to read in detail all the information Marin had given him about the kingdom and the continent. Every piece of information was key to deciding his next move.
A while later, Aron returned pushing a cart full of food.
—Hehehehe, I ordered a lot so that everyone can eat. Make the most of it, otherwise I'll eat it all by myself.
Luci got up, took several portions and went back to her corner without even looking at him. To her, Aron was unhinged and wasting time on words with him wasn't worth it.
Luis made a slight movement with his hand, and several plates floated towards him. Meanwhile, Aron devoured as much as he could, though out of politeness he had offered to share, he didn't want all the food taken away from him.
At that moment, Hernan entered confidently, ready to report that everything had been bought and shipped. But when he saw the scene in front of him, his expression froze.
A cold woman, eating in silence, looking at him as if his presence was a threat.
A man with a demented expression, devouring the food without breathing.
And his master, eyes closed in bed, surrounded by plates floating around him.
A single thought crossed Hernan's mind:
"More unhinged."
"Will I be able to return to the sect or will I die here?"
"Decided, I will not leave the sect any more. When I return, I will become a monk."