Due to the sudden war, the entire border had been sealed tightly, and no one was allowed to pass through freely. Patrols had increased, and every route was being watched carefully, so if Ethan tried to leave now, he would most likely be dragged straight back into the war.

And truthfully, he did not want that.

Not right now.

He had already seen enough of the battlefield, and the meaningless slaughter had left a bad taste in his mind. It was not just about survival anymore, because it had turned into a chaotic mess where lives were thrown away without purpose.

Ethan had his own path.

His system rewarded him for producing children, not for killing enemies, so rushing back into the war and fighting for others did not benefit him at all, and more than that, it felt pointless and selfish in a different way.

There was no reason for him to risk everything again.

Hale understood this as well, and he did not object.

In fact, Hale had his own concerns.

Unlike Ethan, who was still protected by his noble title even if it got lowered, Hale did not have that safety. If he returned in the current situation, there was a high chance that he would be blamed or punished, and in the army, once someone was marked, others would come after them like wolves trying to devour a weak target.

So Hale made a decision.

He chose to let go of his identity as a commander, and instead he stayed low and acted as Ethan’s guard.

It was a safer choice.

And for now, it was the only reasonable one.

Later that day, Ethan found Carrion and spoke with him while they walked through one of the quieter sections of the elven settlement.

The surroundings were calm, and faint sounds of nature filled the air while light filtered through the trees.

"I want to understand your political structure," Ethan said.

Carrion glanced at him briefly and nodded.

"The Elven country is ruled by the Queen," he said. "She holds the main authority, and major decisions pass through her."

Ethan listened quietly.

Carrion continued, "The Queen took the throne recently, if we speak in elven terms. It has only been around one hundred years."

Ethan raised a brow slightly.

"One hundred years... recent," he muttered.

Carrion gave a faint smile.

"For us, yes."

Ethan nodded slowly.

"Does she have any children?" he asked.

Carrion shook his head.

"No. She is not married, and she does not have any children," he replied.

Ethan frowned slightly.

"Isn’t that an issue for succession?"

Carrion shook his head again.

"For elves, it is not necessary to marry," he explained. "Many of them use partners for companionship, and when they wish to have children, they use a special elixir from the World Tree."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he listened.

"That elixir ensures strong bloodlines," Carrion added. "Children born that way are usually talented and carry better potential."

"So that is how leadership is maintained?" Ethan asked.

"Yes," Carrion said. "But it is not a strict rule. If the Queen finds someone exceptional, she can choose to have a child with them naturally as well."

Ethan stayed silent for a moment as he processed that.

Carrion’s expression turned slightly serious.

"However, ruling is not easy," he continued. "Elves are proud, and they can be quite rigid. Many of them are... racist toward outsiders."

Ethan gave a faint nod.

"I noticed," he said.

"So even for the Queen, maintaining control is not simple," Carrion added.

Ethan did not reply immediately, and his thoughts moved elsewhere.

After a brief pause, he spoke again.

"I had made a request earlier," he said. "About communication."

Carrion nodded.

"Yes, it has been arranged," he replied. "We still have a few elven merchants operating in your territory, and they can be used as a relay point."

Ethan’s expression eased slightly.

"That will work," he said.

Carrion gestured forward.

"Come," he said. "I will take you there."

Ethan followed him, and Hale stayed close behind while keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.

The path led them through another part of the settlement, and the environment gradually shifted toward a more structured area where trade and exchanges seemed to happen.

Ethan’s mind grew quieter.

For the first time in days, he was about to reach out.

Back home.

And that thought alone made his steps feel heavier and lighter at the same time.

........

Unlike Ethan, the situation at the Blanks household had turned tense and heavy, and a sense of dread lingered in the air as if something bad was waiting to happen at any moment.

Rina sat at the table and took a slow sip of her tea, but even that small action did not hide the seriousness on her face.

"If getting punished with a lower status isn’t enough, we are also asked to pay," she said, and her voice was calm but carried weight.

"Bullshit!" Sophia screamed at the top of her lungs, and she slammed her hand on the table so hard that the cups rattled.

"This bastard... At present he is bullying us. I want to rip him apart," she added, and anger burned in her eyes.

Everyone frowned slightly, and they all knew Sophia well enough to guess what she would say next, but before she could continue, Lia,Claire and Diana quickly stepped forward and covered her mouth.

"Wuwuwu..."

"Sister... let’s leave the talk about rebelling for another time," Lia said hurriedly while trying to calm her down.

Amber shifted her gaze toward Rathlos.

"Is there a way to contact Ethan?" she asked.

Rathlos shook his head slowly.

"Not till now," he replied.

His brows furrowed slightly.

"I wonder where he is hiding," he added.

No one spoke about the possibility of Ethan being in danger, because even though anyone could face trouble, deep down they believed he would not fall so easily.

They were not fools.

They had already started to suspect things.

The treasures.

The techniques.

The things Ethan had brought out.

It was not something that could be explained simply, and it was impossible that he had just pulled everything out of nowhere.

As they were lost in their thoughts, a knock echoed from the door.

"Come in," Rina said.

The door opened, and Randall stepped in quickly.

"There is an elf merchant who said that he has a communication tool to talk to Ethan," he said.

"What?"

"For real?"