Ren continued his journey toward the elven fortress—the last line of defense before their capital. Because there were too many children to fit inside the vehicle, he was forced to use a wagon hitched to the back of the car as extra transport.
Fortunately, the main road was still in decent condition, so the ride wasn’t too harsh for those in the wagon. After traveling for six hours, they finally arrived at the elven fortress—the site of last night’s intense battle.
As Ren stepped out of the vehicle, his eyes were immediately drawn to a massive crater in the ground—the aftermath of his previous attack. He let out a quiet sigh, staring at the destruction with a hint of guilt. "Maybe I went a little overboard..." he thought.
Still, he brushed the thought aside and refocused on his main objective—getting the elven children to safety.
As they approached the fortress, a loud shout suddenly rang out from atop the defensive walls. A vigilant elven soldier raised his weapon and issued a firm warning. "Halt! Who goes there?!"
Ren brought the vehicle to a stop and rolled down the window, casually raising his hand to show he wasn’t armed. Behind him, the elven children in the wagon waved their hands with hopeful expressions, trying to show they meant no harm. But Ren’s presence as a human still made things complicated.
In an instant, nearby elven soldiers raised their spears and bows toward him, a tension hanging in the air like a drawn string. Ren could only let out a soft sigh, his face unreadable as he glanced around at his surroundings.
For a moment, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Dozens of spears and arrows remained aimed squarely at Ren, as if waiting for the slightest suspicious move to unleash a storm. The elven soldiers stared at him with sharp vigilance, gripping their weapons tightly.
"State your reason for coming here, human!" barked one of the soldiers atop the wall, eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Ren with suspicion.
Ren remained calm, locking eyes with the soldier. "I brought the children who survived yesterday’s attack," he replied, his voice flat but firm. He tilted his head toward the wagon behind him, signaling for the elf children to reveal themselves.
One of the braver kids—a small girl with silvery blonde hair—stepped forward and shouted, "It’s true! He saved us!"
Instead of lowering their weapons, the elven soldiers only grew more tense. One of them muttered under his breath, "How could a human act like that...? Is this a trap?"
Ren let out a soft sigh. Of course they won’t believe me right away... he thought. He couldn’t blame them. Humans had committed countless atrocities against elves. Now one suddenly shows up as a savior? Their suspicion was only natural.
"There’s no trap," Ren said, his voice steady. "If you want to verify, go ahead. Or, if you’d rather keep arguing, these kids might get sick from all the waiting."
Some of the soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. But before any could act, a commanding voice rang out from inside the fortress, deep and full of authority.
"That’s enough. Let them in."
The elven soldiers froze in place, then quickly lowered their weapons. From behind the gate, a tall man in a long white cloak stepped forward. His gaze was sharp, his presence imposing—clearly not an ordinary soldier. Every elf nearby saluted respectfully as he passed, his movements radiating command.
Even though Ren was now permitted entry, the elves’ suspicious gazes didn’t vanish. The resentment toward humans still burned in their eyes, especially after a war started without warning. To them, Ren’s presence was an anomaly—a human who saved elves amid conflict.
From inside the vehicle, Alfred let out a low growl, his instincts picking up the tension in the air. Ren glanced at the white tiger and exhaled. "Alfred, stop growling." His tone was calm but firm, a clear sign that the situation was under control. Reluctantly, Alfred closed his mouth, though his sharp eyes stayed locked on the elves.
The elf in the white cloak stared at Ren for a moment before giving a short command. "Bring the children in... And you, understand this—tensions are high because of this sudden war." His voice was cold, lacking both gratitude and apology for how Ren was being treated. To them, a human was still a human—an enemy not easily trusted.
Ren wasn’t surprised by the response. He gave a small nod and replied in a neutral tone, "I know... That’s exactly why I’m helping. Just because I’m human doesn’t mean I’m like those who attacked you." His gaze remained calm, unshaken by the clear prejudice in their eyes.
The elf studied him for a moment before issuing instructions to his subordinates. "Understood. This human is clean. Report this to the commander." The soldiers quickly moved out, leaving Ren to quietly sigh, fully aware of how precarious his position was.
Ren parked the vehicle near the fortress’s main staircase. The car hummed softly before shutting down completely. After checking the systems, he opened the door and began helping the elven children down, one by one—including Shua, who still clung tightly to the hem of his shirt.
"Well, we’re here." Ren straightened his back and pointed toward a few elven soldiers nearby. "Wait here, or go to them—they’ll take care of you now."
The elven children glanced at each other before nodding gratefully. Some bowed politely, while others simply gave shy smiles. "Thank you, sir..." one child whispered before walking toward the soldiers.
But Shua didn’t move. She remained beside Ren, gripping his shirt even tighter as if afraid to part ways.
Ren turned to her, brow slightly raised. "Hmm? Why are you still here? Don’t you want to find your family like the others?" he asked curiously.
Shua slowly shook her head, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "What about you?" she asked softly.
Ren paused, then chuckled. He patted his own head, feigning confusion. "Me?" He grinned. "You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself—even in a mess ."
Shua continued staring at him, her expression unchanged. She said nothing more, but her eyes revealed her hesitation to leave his side.
Not long after, the sound of heavy footsteps approached. Several elven soldiers walked over, eyes sharp, their wariness undimmed despite the children clearly trusting Ren. Seeing them, Shua instinctively hid behind Ren, her small body trembling slightly.
"Human... Commander Ryul wants to see you," one of the soldiers said, his tone firm—more like a command than an invitation. There was no kindness in his voice, only the lingering tension between them.
Ren looked at the soldier with a blank expression before giving a casual nod. "Understood. Lead the way." But just before he could follow, he felt a tug at his clothing—Shua was still holding on tightly. He turned to another elf nearby. "Oh, and if it’s not too much trouble, could you keep an eye on the kids? Including Alfred’s family?" he asked, glancing at the large white tiger who continued to watch the surroundings cautiously.
The elf frowned, clearly reluctant, but before he could object, Bella—one of the tiger cubs—was already sniffing at his leg curiously. Ren let out a quiet laugh. "Don’t worry, they’re tame," he added with a playful tone.
The elf sighed deeply and finally nodded. "Fine... But if anything happens, don’t blame us," he grumbled.
Ren gave a faint smile before turning to Shua. "You want to come with me or stay here?" he asked.
Shua bit her lip in hesitation, but after a few seconds, she slowly shook her head. "I... I’ll wait here," she whispered.
Ren gently ruffled her hair, then finally followed the elven soldiers as they led him to a meeting with their commander.