“Yes! They should be passing through the gates right about now!”

“What’s all this about, my dear?”

Queen Röweghor returned to the chamber while Philip was speaking. By then, Mayfield had donned her outer garments and immediately addressed Philip.

“Thank you for telling me, Philip. I’ll handle things from here, so you may leave now.”

“I am grateful for Your Majesty’s audience. Please take good care of our Egru.”

After Philip respectfully withdrew from the chamber, Mayfield turned to Röweghor.

“Dear, we need to contact the elven delegation. Tell them to return immediately.”

“Oh? Is there a particular reason?”

“Quickly! I’ll explain later!”

“Very well.”

Röweghor nodded and picked up the communication crystal, demonstrating complete trust in her wife’s words.

“Oh no…”

Unfortunately, despite multiple attempts at contact, there was no response. Mayfield gnawed at her thumbnail. Nothing came back except the abruptly cut-off signal tone.

“What can we do, dear? The child has already left our hands…”

“No, we still need to check. The name Egru isn’t common anywhere.”

“Could it be that the elf’s name was Egru? The same as your friend you told me about.”

“Yes! Egru might be alive, dear!”

Mayfield pressed her hand to her chest, trying to calm her excitement.

“Though I don’t understand this business about him being an elf, Egru was always uncertain about his past too. Perhaps he really was an elf all along.”

“My dear, I just…”

Röweghor began with a concerned tone.

Hope was a double-edged sword. When excessive expectations went unfulfilled, they often led to extreme feelings of loss. She couldn’t bear to repeatedly inflict such painful wounds on her beloved partner.

“I fear you might end up even more heartbroken.”

“No, dear.”

Mayfield grasped Röweghor’s large hands.

“If it’s not him this time… I think it’s finally time to let go and move on. I want to accept this as a final gift from Egru, my friend, telling me to pull myself together.”

“If that’s your wish, I understand. I’ll take you there myself.”

Mayfield jumped up with a smile that hadn’t been seen in a very long time.

“Let’s hurry to the stables! Right now!”

“Dear! At least change your shoes first!”

“No! There’s no time! Let’s go quickly! I’ll ride behind you, so hurry!”

“As you wish.”

Röweghor answered with determination.

Soon after, a magnificent steed carrying the two of them galloped out through the castle gates.

***

Röweghor and Mayfield rode relentlessly in pursuit of the elven delegation.

“They can’t have gone far, right?”

Mayfield called out loudly.

“Large-scale transportation magic is sealed in the capital! And they didn’t use the teleportation portal in the palace underground either…!”

Even as fierce winds whipped at her eyelashes, Mayfield forced herself to keep looking ahead. Röweghor answered while snapping the tightly held reins.

“They shouldn’t have left the royal city yet. Even if they have, we’ll catch up somehow, so don’t worry and hold onto me tight.”

Despite her wife’s assurance, Mayfield couldn’t easily feel at ease. Even after leaving the central district, there was no sign of the elven delegation’s carriage. Worse still, their wheel tracks had long since been obscured by the countless traces of others passing along the road.

If we miss this child with the same name as Egru…

The elves would never permit a future meeting. Unless one could defeat the entire elven race in war, there would be absolutely no chance. That’s how closed off and hostile the elven race was to outsiders.

Mayfield leaned her forehead against Röweghor’s broad back for support. To quell her rising anxiety, she recalled a familiar daydream she often had in the past.

If I had invited Egru to the Demon Alliance Nation…

Pea would have smiled brightly the moment he spotted her, looking around the palace with those big, shining eyes. Such a noble and affectionate child would surely have done just that.

How would she have reacted then?

Standing awkwardly as if regretting youthful mistakes…

Perhaps she would have desperately hoped for her old friend to approach first. Just as this imagination flowed through her mind, the long-awaited cry rang out.

“I found them, dear! I can see the elven delegation’s carriage!”

“Well done! Dear! Well done! I knew you could do it!”

Röweghor smiled at his wife’s praise and quickly halted the horse to let Mayfield dismount by the roadside.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Trust me and wait here a moment.”

What happened next occurred in an instant.

“No! That’s too dangerous!”

Mayfield covered her mouth to stifle a scream. Röweghor had galloped forward on horseback to block the carriage’s path.

Thankfully, the elven delegation’s carriage managed to stop just in time without collision. Dust clouds rose from the carriage wheels that had barely come to a halt on the dry dirt road.

“King Röweghor!”

An exclamation filled with displeasure erupted from outside the elven delegation’s carriage.

It was Felmus. He stepped down from the carriage, making no attempt to hide his annoyance.

“What manner of discourtesy is this! As king of a nation, you should at least maintain appropriate dignity…!”

“My apologies. I merely came to check if there might be some problem.”

Röweghor responded calmly.

“Since you didn’t answer our communications.”

“That’s…”

Felmus faltered slightly under the penetrating gaze. It seemed they had indeed intentionally ignored Röweghor’s attempts at communication.

“Ahem! As you can see, we’re in the midst of urgent travel, so our communications officer must have failed to pay attention. Now that you’ve completed your inspection, may we take our leave?”

“First, could you show me the elf that the Demon Alliance Nation rescued?”

“For what purpose?”

“There’s unfinished business.”

At this straightforward statement, Felmus exhaled a sigh.

“King Röweghor, please understand that the elf is not part of the Demon Alliance.”

Felmus had indirectly expressed his wish for them to cease their interest. Röweghor glanced past Felmus at his wife’s reaction. He saw Mayfield’s eyes burning with determination. How could he not honor such beautiful resolve?

“I just need to check the elf’s condition. I ask this of you.”

“…Do you promise to let us leave after the inspection?”

“Of course. I swear on the royal family’s name.”

Röweghor reminded himself inwardly that he hadn’t promised to let them leave with the elf named Egru.

Felmus, looking suspicious and half-doubting, finally turned around. After relaying the message to his companions, how much time passed? The person who stepped down from the carriage was a man not dressed in delegation attire. Creak – as he stepped down, the carriage’s makeshift steps bore a slight weight.

“Ah…”

Disappointment briefly crossed Mayfield’s eyes. Though slender, the man was taller than Egru’s build and had white skin.

“Oh?”

But when the man’s gaze, which had been looking around, passed Röweghor and reached Mayfield.

“Lady Mayfield…?”

Amber eyes. Those eyes she had only imagined until now widened innocently as they gazed at her. It was a sight she had longed for and missed desperately for so long.

“Ah…”

Mayfield covered her mouth with both hands.

The friend she had heard was dead moved with such vivid life. Whatever changes his appearance had undergone no longer mattered at all.

Egru rubbed his eyes as if thinking he was dreaming.

Seeing this still-lovable gesture, tears welled up in Mayfield’s eyes. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Mayfield chose to act as her body moved.

As she kicked off her uncomfortable shoes, Egru’s shoulders flinched slightly. He seemed to recall the past when pointed shoes had flown at his feet.

But this time was different.

Mayfield threw her shoes into the nearby bushes. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she ran barefoot across the dirt.

Her breath caught in her throat. Yet she didn’t feel tired at all.

Mayfield spread her arms wide and embraced Egru in one swift motion.