Chapter Six: The Elven Maiden
When Sorinus returned to the original site, the caravan was already tidying up the aftermath.
Bodies littered the ground, from both bandits and guards alike.
Everyone wore a faint sense of sadness on their faces, but upon seeing Sorinus' figure, these emotions quickly transformed into excitement and jubilation.
All eyes were cast upon Sorinus with respect and even reverence.
Cedric, filled with excitement, approached Sorinus, his gaze carrying a hint of respect.
"Thank you for saving our entire caravan," Cedric exclaimed fervently.
Sorinus waved his hand dismissively, considering it a mere triviality, and he happened to want to try out his fireball spell on someone.
"What about casualties?" Sorinus inquired.
Cedric's mood dampened. "Eight guards dead, five severely injured... The guild will provide compensation for their families. But we also nearly wiped out the bandits, those damn bastards..."
Sorinus nodded, informing Cedric about dispatching the leader himself.
Cedric breathed a sigh of relief, his face quickly displaying astonishment.
"I never imagined, Lord Sorinus, that you are a powerful mage of the third stage. If I'm not mistaken, you're only sixteen years old..."
Initially, Cedric only thought Sorinus had the potential to become a mage, hence his initiative to befriend him. He never expected such a remarkable discovery.
A third-stage mage at sixteen? Few in the entire Feramont Empire could boast such an achievement. A bona fide genius!
Sorinus was taken aback, shaking his head. "No, I'm not third-stage, just first..."
"Impossible!" Cedric exclaimed. "To cast fireballs instantly, your strength must be at least third stage or above..."
It was then that Sorinus realized he had seemingly done something extraordinary.
Casting spells as a mage required incantations, and to achieve instant casting, one needed either thousands of repetitions or a special talent.
Instantly casting first-level spells was a feat only mages of the third stage or higher could accomplish.
Cedric evidently regarded Sorinus as the latter.
His joy remained undiminished.
A sixteen-year-old first-stage mage was still an outstanding achievement.
And possessing the talent for instant casting was nothing short of genius!
"Please allow me to handle things, and later, I will express our sincere gratitude on behalf of the Alistosto Guild," Cedric said respectfully before hurrying off.
Little Jack rushed up, his face brimming with excitement and joy.
"Master, you're already a noble mage?! Wow, that's so awesome, Baron Sir will be thrilled to hear this news... It's amazing!"
Little Jack rambled happily.
Due to Sorinus' presence, others treated Little Jack with some respect, which only boosted his confidence further.
Sorinus chuckled and shook his head, returning to his carriage to replenish his expended mana.
As night fell, Cedric knocked on Sorinus' carriage door.
"Lord Sorinus," Cedric greeted him respectfully. "I am here to express the Alistosto Guild's gratitude for your assistance."
Sorinus noticed another carriage behind Cedric.
It was the one he had been curious about earlier, draped in thick black fabric.
"A small gift, hoping you will like it," Cedric said as he stepped back, gesturing for someone to uncover the carriage.
Sorinus was taken aback.
It wasn't a carriage at all; it was a prison wagon.
Forged from steel bars, it resembled a giant birdcage.
Inside was a... girl.
A remarkably beautiful girl.
With fair skin, delicate features, and long golden hair cascading down, emitting a faint glow in the moonlight.
Her sky-blue eyes were as beautiful as a lake, but now filled with fear and apprehension.
The clothes she wore were peculiar, woven from leaves and vines.
But what surprised Sorinus the most were her ears.
Spindle-shaped, tapering to a point at the top.
An elf?!
"A elven girl from the Moonfall Forest, our most precious acquisition this time," Cedric introduced to Sorinus.
"Elves have extremely long lifespans, typically not marrying until after one hundred years of age. She is only fifty this year, equivalent to just reaching adulthood for humans..."
Cedric's face bore a knowing smile. "Well then, I wish you a pleasant night, Lord Sorinus."
Without waiting for Sorinus to respond, Cedric left.
Sorinus was taken aback.
He never expected Cedric to present him with a young elven girl as a gift.
Initially inclined to refuse, the soul from Earth within him instinctively rejected the idea of treating people as commodities.
But then he remembered the servant girl he had.
Little Jack was too clumsy, only good for running errands.
So he accepted.
Approaching the prison wagon, Sorinus opened the iron cage.
The elven girl's face showed fear, and she retreated to a corner anxiously.
"Come..." Sorinus extended a hand to her, looking at her with calm and gentle eyes.
The elven girl hesitated for a moment.
This human...
He didn't seem evil, and there was a peculiar aura about him that made her inexplicably feel safe.
Finally, she reached out and grasped Sorinus' hand.
Sorinus pulled her out of the cage.
"So beautiful..." Little Jack, who had been standing nearby, was already dumbfounded, staring at the elven girl with infatuation.
Sorinus snorted, and Little Jack quickly ran away.
"Master's woman, cannot look! Cannot look!..."
Hand in hand, the elven girl and Sorinus felt somewhat awkward.
She was like a frightened deer, with a feeling that she could run away at any moment.
Sorinus led her onto the carriage and offered her some dry rations.
"Have some food first..."
Clearly famished, the elven girl grabbed the bread and began to eat ravenously.
The bread was too dry, and she ate too quickly, choking in no time.
"Cough..."
She coughed violently.
"Don't rush, take it slow, have some water..." Sorinus smiled as he handed her a water flask.
From the day she was captured, Elara believed her life was over.
Every day, she lived in panic and fear.
She had heard the elders of her clan speak of the fate of the elves captured by humans.
Ever since the fall of the Elven Empire, humans had been venturing into the remaining elven settlements to capture elves.
They became playthings and tools for the sexual desires of human nobles.
The elves' agile bodies and innate beauty were highly sought after in high society.
It was said that keeping a few elves was a symbol of status and taste for powerful nobles.
Even male elves were treated the same way...
In the dark and cramped prisoner carriage, Elara felt like a frightened little animal, waiting for her impending tragic fate.
But today, fate seemed to take a turn.
Elara heard the sounds of battle, screams, and finally cheers coming from outside the carriage.
Everything quieted down.
When the black cloth was lifted before her, she saw a young human standing there.
He was handsome, every bit as attractive as an elf.
The humans who had captured her showed him great respect.
But most importantly, his eyes were clear and calm.
There was none of the greed or lust she had seen in the eyes of others when they looked at her, as if they might pounce and tear her apart at any moment, making her afraid.
The coarse bread was unappetizing, nothing compared to the delicious fruits of the Moonfall Forest.
But Elara was too hungry.
They only gave her a little food each day, just enough to prevent her from having the strength to struggle and escape.
Elara drank some water and desperately swallowed the crumbs of bread in her mouth.
"Not tasty, huh?" Sorinus chuckled.
Elara shook her head vigorously.
She was afraid they might take even this meager food away from her.
"No need to pretend. I also think it's not very good," Sorinus said. "Just wait. Tomorrow, when we reach the city, you'll get to eat delicious food... Hmm, you should probably take a bath too..."
Elara's fair cheeks blushed slightly.
She hadn't bathed in many days, and she emitted a faint unpleasant smell.
For the elves, who valued cleanliness, this was simply intolerable.
Elara devoured the entire piece of bread and drank a lot of water, finally feeling a bit more comfortable.
"Burp..."
Elara let out a small burp.
Sorinus couldn't help but laugh.
Elara blushed with embarrassment.
Sorinus noticed that Elara indeed had the demeanor of a maid—gentle and obedient, like a kitten. If only she were dressed in maid's attire...
His thoughts took a somewhat sinister turn.
"Go to sleep," Sorinus said, reclining on the soft cushion behind him and closing his eyes.
Most mages used meditation instead of sleep.
Even the most powerful magic required gradual accumulation over time.
But Sorinus didn't need that.
Since meeting Randal, he had completely abandoned the idea of relying on hard meditation to level up.
He had the System.
Elara secretly observed Sorinus and realized that this human really seemed to be planning to sleep, with no intention of violating her.
He was really different from others.
Elara felt relieved.
She glanced at the entrance of the carriage, a fleeting thought of escape crossing her mind, but she quickly suppressed it.
If she were caught, she would certainly be sent or sold to someone else.
The next person might be as fat and ugly as a pig, or have some twisted preferences...
Elara didn't dare to think further. Looking at Sorinus's handsome and gentle profile, she suddenly felt that things were fine as they were.
Elara slowly moved to the corner of the carriage, curling her body into a ball as much as possible, so as not to disturb Sorinus's rest.
Elara didn't see the slight smile on Sorinus's lips as his consciousness entered the Dragon Pasture.
Iya was half-submerged in a pool of magma, dozing off.
The pool of magma, which had once been large enough for swimming, now barely qualified as a slightly larger bathtub.
When Iya reached the fourth stage, it would seem too small, and Sorinus would have to save money to upgrade the dragon's nest to a medium size.
A small pile of gold coins lay beside Iya.
Seeing Sorinus, it immediately became excited.
Flapping its wings and shaking off the magma, it flew towards Sorinus.
Sorinus pushed away Iya's large head with disgust and walked to the fields.
The five Dragon Scale Fruits planted last night were almost ripe.
The fist-sized purple fruits with their regular patterns, like scales, were almost ready.
When the Dragon Scale Fruits ripened, Sorinus would pick them all and exchange them for five seeds to plant again.
"Iya, open your mouth!" Sorinus called out, and Iya wagged its tail and approached.
The five Dragon Scale Fruits disappeared into Iya's gaping mouth, not even filling the gaps between its teeth. But it seemed very happy.
"Growth Value: 467/500."
One more day, and Iya would reach the fourth stage.
Sorinus was the same. The experience he had accumulated was almost overflowing.
He simply chose to level up, becoming a second-stage mage.
In just over ten days, he had gone from being an apprentice who had just learned meditation to a second-stage mage.
It would probably scare a bunch of people if he told them.
Sorinus was somewhat satisfied and chose to return.
...
"Sorinus, ahead is the Imperial City of Feramonto!" Cedric said, gesturing towards the magnificent city before Sorinus.
The bustling crowds, carriages, and armored guards patrolling in bright armor were all sights he had never seen before.
"Sorinus, are you really not going to visit the Aristosto Merchant Guild? The President will be very happy to see you..."
"No, I'll go to the academy first," Sorinus declined Cedric's invitation, and Cedric looked disappointed but didn't insist.
"After you enroll, we'll come to visit you officially."
Cedric bid farewell to Sorinus, and the caravan headed in another direction.
Sorinus got off the carriage, with Elara following behind.
He had deliberately found a black cloak to cover Elara's pointed ears, afraid that her elven identity might cause unnecessary trouble.
Sorinus found a small inn, paid a gold coin to rent two rooms, and had Jack and Elara settle in first.
Then he inquired about the address of the Imperial City's Mage Academy from the innkeeper and strode off.
That was his true purpose for this journey.