Under the Imperial Familyâs order, the best healers in the empire arrived promptly at the Imperial Palace to treat the wounded elves. The Imperial Family also provided healing potions to help restore their internal injuries.
Once the healing process was complete, Yuan and his wives gathered all the elves in the palaceâs backyard to prepare them for transport into the Secret Realm. The elves would be staying there temporarily until Yuan and his wives could escort them back to the Elven Kingdom in the Beast Continent. However, their journey would be delayed for a while, as Yuan first needed to visit the Blank Clan to meet his grandmother.
"Your Majesty, we all thank you for coming to our rescue. We had nearly given up hope of ever being free again, but your presence reignited that hope. We will forever be grateful to you," one of the elves said with deep respect, bowing her head to Mireya. The others followed, bowing in unison with gratitude reflected in their eyes.
They felt truly fortunate that their queen had come personally to rescue them. Even though they had seen her storming into noble households and slaying the cruel nobles, part of them had still thought it was a dream. But now, it was crystal clearâQueen Mireya had truly saved them from the merciless hands of their captors.
"Youâve already thanked me. Thereâs no need to do it again," Mireya said with a soft smile. "It is my duty, as your Queen, to protect you from outsiders. I will never allow anyone to harm my people again."
After spending over five years undercover, Mireya had finally succeeded in rescuing her people. Sadly, she couldnât save the ones who were killed by the nobles. However, justice had been servedâevery one of the perpetrators had met their end. For the first time in years, she could finally feel at peaceâand it was all thanks to her dear husband, Yuan.
Mireya glanced at Yuan, who was standing beside her, a dazed smile slowly appearing on her face as she looked at him, completely lovestruck.
Yuan, noticing her gaze, smiled warmly at her in return. Mireya instantly blushed, momentarily forgetting she was in front of her people.
The elves noticed the strange, tender expression on their Queenâs face and exchanged curious glances. Then their attention turned to the handsome man beside her.
They had to admitâYuan was incredibly good-looking. His features were so striking that even they couldnât help but blush while stealing glances at him. A subtle but undeniable sense of attraction swept through them as they observed him.
Eventually, one of the elves, looking slightly awkward, stepped forward and addressed her Queen. "Your Majesty... may we ask, who is this handsome man who helped us?"
"This is Yuan. My husband... and your King," Mireya responded with a proud grin, stealing a quick glance at him. "Donât be fooled by his appearance. He is far more powerful than I am."
"H-He is what?!" the elves gasped in unison, their eyes wide with disbelief.
They were utterly stunned to learn that this young, handsome man was not only the Queenâs husband but also their new King. However, what shocked them even more was the revelation that he was human.
"B-But... isnât he a human? Why did you choose him to be your husband? Does the council know about this?" another elf asked, still trembling from the shock.
They were all deeply curiousâand somewhat uneasyâabout why their Queen had chosen to marry a human. After all, humans had long been considered their enemies. Because of humans, countless elves had died. Many women were turned into slaves, stripped of their dignity, and used as playthings. Their resentment ran deep. Forgiveness didnât come easily.
"It doesnât matter if heâs a human. I fell in love with himâand heâs kind. In fact, heâs nothing like the other humans. So please donât compare him to the rest. As for the council... no, they donât know about this yet," Mireya replied with a soft smile, her voice gentle but firm.
âI donât think the council will approve of my relationship with Yuan... After all, heâs human and Iâm an elf. But that doesnât matter anymore. Iâm no longer the weak woman I once was.â Mireya thought to herself, her expression turning resolute.
"I see... Well, we respect Your Majestyâs decision. And honestly, we can feel that heâs a good person. He risked everything to save us from those nobles," said another elf with a soft smile, one of the many Yuan had helped.
"Iâm sure the council will be shocked once they learn of this... Maybe even question your choices, Your Majesty," another elf added quietly.
Mireya sighed lightly and responded calmly, "Donât worry about the council. Iâll handle them when the time comes."
"Anyway, Yuan will open a portal for you soon. Once it appears, head inside. Youâll all be staying there until we return to our Kingdom," she explained clearly, knowing how uneasy her people still felt in the empire.
"Donât worry. Youâll have food, water, and a very comfortable place to rest." She smiled reassuringly after noticing the nervous looks on their faces.
Moments later, Yuan opened a glowing portal leading to the Secret Realm. One by one, the elves stepped through, their eyes filled with uncertainty yet also hope. After everyone had entered, Yuan took Mireya and Miss Zara through the portal as well.
The elves blinked in astonishment as they emerged inside a vast forest, filled with towering trees that blocked out much of the sunlight. The air was oddly silent.
"W-Where are we? How can there be an entire forest inside a portal?"
"This is so strange... I canât even sense Mana in this place. Itâs like Mana doesnât exist here at all."
The elves looked around, their curiosity growing by the second. Everything about the place felt unusualâpeaceful, but also mysterious.
Meanwhile, Yuan turned to Miss Zara with a smile. "Miss Zara, could you please take out your building here? Iâd like to use it to house Mireyaâs people."
"Of course. I donât mind helping these peopleâas long as they donât damage anything or tamper with my belongings," Miss Zara replied with a soft, elegant smile.
"Please donât worry, Lady Zara. We wonât do anything like that," one of the elves replied politely, smiling back in gratitude.
"In that case, you may use my building."
Without delay, Miss Zara retrieved a small item from her spatial ring. The moment it touched the ground, a massive building materialized out of thin air.
All the elves gasped, stunned by what they were witnessing. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they stared at the grand structure that had appeared before them as if summoned by magic.
"W-What just happened?! How did this massive building appear out of thin air??"
"What kind of magic is this?"
The elves murmured among themselves with shocked expressions as they stared at the enormous building that had suddenly manifested before them.
"Until we arrive at our Kingdom, you will all be living in this place. And listen carefullyâdo not wander outside or cause any kind of disturbance," Mireya warned firmly, her voice laced with concern. "This forest isnât ordinary. Itâs home to countless powerful monsters that roam freely."
She continued, her tone even more serious, "The monsters here are many times stronger than anything weâve encountered in our lands. Take my warning seriouslyâif youâre careless, you wonât even realize how you died."
"We understand, Your Majesty! We wonât leave this place... even if we get bored," one elf quickly replied, and the others nodded in agreement, swallowing nervously.
"Good. Iâm glad you understand. Now, weâll be leaving shortlyâbut before that, weâll create a barrier around the area to keep you safe," Mireya said, her face softening slightly as she smiled at their obedience.
"Secret Realm, create a barrier surrounding fifty meters around the building so that no one can enter or leave this place," Yuan commanded.
<Command accepted! A barrier is being deployed!>
<Barrier has been deployed successfully! No one else will be able to enter or leave this place without the Masterâs permission!>
Mechanical messages echoed inside Yuanâs head as the Secret Realm responded to his command. In moments, an invisible, powerful barrier encapsulated the area, safeguarding the elves from threats outside.
With everything in place, Yuan, Mireya, and Miss Zara stepped out of the Secret Realm. As they exited, the portal shrank slowly before vanishing completely from sight.
"Is everything settled?" Anna asked curiously, her eyes landing on Yuan.
"Yes, everything went perfectly. Now we can leave the city without any more concerns. Our business here is finished," Yuan responded with a calm smile.
A short while later, Yuan and his wives appeared before the Imperial Family one final time to bid their farewells.
"Your Majesty, thank you for everything youâve done for my people. I will remember your kindness forever," Mireya said sincerely, a warm smile on her face. Her gratitude toward the Imperial Family was genuine.
"Thereâs no need to thank me, Your Majesty," Emperor Lucien replied graciously. "I only did what was right. Besides, you and your companions have done more than enough for us too."
"Now that everything has been taken care of, itâs time for us to leave. We came to bid our farewell," Yuan added respectfully.
The Imperial Family was taken aback by his wordsâthey hadnât expected such an abrupt departure. They had thought Yuan and his wives would remain at the palace for a few more days before leaving for the Blank Clanâs territory.
"Youâre leaving already? Canât you stay here for a couple more days?" Empress Elendriel asked, a disappointed look appearing on her face. Her voice revealed her genuine surprise and dismay at the sudden announcement.
"We really donât have the time to stay here. We have somewhere urgent to be, and we canât afford to waste any time," Yuan replied with a gentle smile.
Empress Elendriel sighed softly at his response. She could see the seriousness in his eyes and knew she was in no position to stop them, especially when the matter seemed truly pressing.
"I see... Since youâve already made up your mind, I wonât try to pressure you to stay," she said, taking a deep breath. A soft smile spread across her face as she looked at Yuan and his wives. "But I do hope we meet again someday."
"If fate allows it, we will definitely cross paths again," Yuan replied with a calm smile before he and his group turned and left the palace grounds.
A couple of minutes later, Aisha and Selvariel arrived at the front gate of the palace. A beautiful carriage was parked nearby, and Yuan and his wives were already waiting beside it.
"How long will it take us to reach the clan?" Yuan asked the moment they stood before him.
"If the weather stays clear and it doesnât snow heavily, it should take us three days. But if the snow starts falling heavily, then it might take us five to six days, give or take," Aisha replied promptly, her tone businesslike and steady.
"I see... In that case, we should hurry," Yuan nodded before rising into the sky, and his wives swiftly followed him into the air.
Miss Zara and Little Zoe had also recently learned how to fly using flying swords after they both broke through to the peak of the Spirit Master realm. Their talent was undeniableâthanks to their hard work and guidance from Yuanâs wives, they had mastered the basics of sword flight rather quickly.
However, their speed was still far from Yuan and his wivesâ level due to the limitations of their cultivation. They needed to take frequent breaks since they couldnât fly long distances without depleting their Qi. And because recovering Qi naturally takes time, during those rest periods, they would ride alongside Yuanâs wives to avoid slowing the group down.