Chapter 117: Elves & Demons!

The silence at the edge of the Black Demon Forest was extremely loud.

The two delegations stood staunchly across from one another. The Humans, standing proudly even after the continuous battles they faced throughout the forest, and the Elves, who looked pristine as though untouched by the world’s cruelty.

The students from Zephyr Academy shifted uneasily. Some straightened spines defensively, others folded their arms, attempting to mimic indifference. But no one missed the way the Elves’ eyes traveled across them, not with respect, but rather with judgment.

Whispers rippled through the Elven students. Smooth voices, but edged with scorn towards the various students,

“Humans… their mana signatures are so rough and unrefined,”

“They reek of smoke and blood. Typical.”

“Let’s just hope these Humans won’t cause much trouble.”

“…No discipline in their march. They stumble into the clearing like peasants.”

Every word was perfectly pitched for the humans to hear. A deliberate act of disdain towards the group of students standing across from them.

Zeus, always one eager for conflict, immediately clenched his fists and flared his aura like a blazing fire that couldn’t be contained, “Tch… what’d you say, pointy-ears?” he muttered under his breath, though not low enough to be missed by anyone paying attention.

Lucian’s hand shot out, pressing against his shoulder before he could lunge with his Battle Axe, “Not here, I’m sure we’ll get our chance,” Lucian murmured, his green eyes narrowing at the elves but keeping his voice low.

The leader of the elven group stepped forward then, tall and striking. His golden hair shimmered like molten sunlight despite the dimness, his jade eyes sharp as spears. His aura pulsed with unquestionable strength, that of a Star Rank cultivator, and unlike Kayle, who carried her rank with tempered humility, this elf radiated arrogance with every breath.

Albedo knew him instantly. Prince Dorne Valemyr, the eldest son of the Elven King.

In the original novel, he would later appear sparingly during the Exchange, and the readers wouldn’t learn much. However, during the Elven Arc later in the Novel, he became both a rival and uneasy ally to Lucian.

He was a character that embodied the clash of pride between humans and elves. He was quick to scorn and quite confident in his own power and his people, but he’d never scorn without reason, as he was a man born and raised in supremacy, yet not entirely blinded by it.

And there, just a step behind him, was Princess Fade Valemyr, his younger sister. Fade was beautiful, with a slender & ethereal frame, alongside pale silver hair reminiscent of moonlight and eyes like the deep green canopy of ancient forests.

Her expression was calmer than her brother’s, but her aura was no less sharp. In the Novel, she would later become a key heroine figure in Lucian’s story, and even developed a one-sided crush on him that wasn’t resolved as Lucian stayed committed to Miranda.

“Hmm,” Albedo said as he sharped his gaze, looking through the various Elves for the third figure he could recognize from the novel.

It took a bit but Albedo found he he was looking for among the Elves. A tall man with cold, aquiline features and hair the pale white of birch bark. His sharp blue eyes carried disdain like a weapon.

Morgan Elandar, the First ( and only ) Son & High Noble of one of the Oldest Elven Houses. He was similar to William, a classic cocky punk who was extremely prejudiced and schemed heavily, throwing around his status to get out of all his issues.

He was one of the biggest antagonists during Human-Elf relations in the Novel.

Despite the timeline already changing so much, various pieces were still falling into place.

And just as Albedo was gazing at those three, the Elves also noticed him and the other powerful students alongside him.

Prince Dorne’s jade eyes lingered a beat too long on Albedo, most likely recognizing him as the strongest student of the pack.

Princess Fade’s gaze followed soon after, her lips parting ever so slightly as if in curiosity as she didn’t have the power level to sense as precisely compared to her brother, and her gaze shifted to Lucian, Miranda, Morgana & Zeus, recognizing their strength as well.

Even Morgan’s eyes narrowed, as though he sensed a dissonance he could not immediately categorize.

Raphaeline shifted her wings faintly but did not speak. She allowed the tension to stretch. Perhaps intentionally. Perhaps as a test.

Finally, Prince Dorne’s voice cut through the air, clear and resonant, meant to be heard by all, “So… these are the humans chosen to represent their Empire?”

What he said was less of a question, and more of a disdainful judgement as he noticed the power levels of some of the students in the pack.

William especially took offense to what he heard, feeling as if his pride had been hit, which led him to step forward confidently, raising his chin as he gazed back defiantly towards Prince Dorne, “Careful with your tone, elf. We are not beggars at your gates, we’re chosen as well.”

The Elves remained silent for a second or two as they heard what he said, and then small bouts of laughter popped up and rippled through the Elven group like wind over glass, sharp & unkind.

Morgan sneered, his words as cold as the look in his eyes, “Chosen? By what? By desperation? There’s a reason the Human Empire is struggling against the Abyss more than others, you guys are so weak. If this is the best Humans got for their future, it’s going to get much worse it seems. Humans breed weakness as quickly as they breed arrogance. This little ’exchange’ is charity at best.”

Zeus nearly exploded. His golden eyes burned like a furnace as he surged forward, only for Miranda to extend a single hand without even looking up from her book. A thin thread of spatial energy coiled around his ankle, holding him in place.

“Don’t waste your breath,” she said calmly. “It’s beneath you.”

Zeus growled but didn’t break free. Still, his eyes remained locked on Morgan in particular, keeping him in mind to take revenge on somehow, someway in the future.

Lucian’s boots crunched against the black soil as he stepped forward, breaking the tense silence that had stretched taut between the two delegations.

His green eyes cut briefly across the gathered Elves, then flicked to his classmates—particularly Zeus, William, and a few others who looked ready to ignite into another fight before the real one had even begun.

“That’s enough,” Lucian’s voice was even, but firm. Authority bled into every syllable, not loud, but impossible to ignore, “Let them talk. Their words don’t change what we’ve already done to get here.”

The Elves bristled. Several of them clearly hadn’t expected a Human to so casually dismiss their scorn.

Lucian didn’t stop. His eyes swept over Dorne, over Fade, over Morgan, then he turned on his heel and motioned to his classmates. “Come on. We’re not here to bicker in a forest.”

All of the students nodded and followed Lucian’s lead, walking out of the forest, which impressed Raphaeline and Kayle.

Meanwhile, the Elves’ silence was thunderous.

Morgan’s hand clenched at his side, knuckles whitening, fury flickering across his aristocratic mask. “Arrogant little,”

“Enough,” Dorne’s voice cut through, sharp but controlled. The Prince’s jade eyes narrowed faintly as he watched the Humans vanish into the thinning mist. He didn’t shout, didn’t rage. But his pride had been pricked in a way no duel could soothe, “Let them walk. This isn’t the place.”

Fade tilted her head slightly, silver hair shimmering faintly like a pale flame. “They’re… different from the stories.” Her voice was soft, thoughtful. Not admiration, not exactly, but curiosity that made Morgan scoff audibly beside her.

“They’re still Humans,” Morgan spat. “Weakness wrapped in bravado.”

But Dorne didn’t answer. He only turned, cloak whispering against the earth as he gestured for his people to follow. The Elves fell into perfect, disciplined ranks, their march a deliberate contrast to the Humans’ looser formation.

And so the two delegations walked, parallel paths through the dying forest, never quite merging, never straying far enough to fully separate.

Prideful silence was the only language exchanged between them, broken only by the occasional distant roar of a beast somewhere deeper in the woods.

The oppressive canopy thinned as blackened trees slowly gave way to stone outcroppings and scorched earth. The mist began to thin, the air less suffocating, replaced by a different weight, an ancient, regal pressure that seemed to roll from the horizon itself.

And then, the Forest ended.

The world opened into a vast plateau of black stone veined with glowing crimson rivers of molten mana. And there, sprawled across the land like a titan’s fortress, was the Demon Capital, Nocturna.

But before the awe could settle too deeply, a figure approached.

He descended the stone steps leading out from the massive gate of Nocturna with unhurried grace, his presence striking yet not suffocating.

He was an Elf. Tall, clad in ceremonial robes of deep midnight and silver trim, his long pale-blonde hair flowing in the heated wind. Unlike Dorne or Morgan, there was no arrogance in his step, no disdain carved into his features. His sharp, elegant face carried calm authority, his piercing blue eyes softened by something more… measured.

The Demon guards flanking the gates saluted him with clenched fists over their chests, their disciplined gestures betraying respect.

Raphaeline’s expression shifted faintly when she saw him, a subtle narrowing of her red eyes before smoothing into neutrality. Kayle, however, inclined her head in faint recognition, golden eyes respectful.

The Elf stopped before the gathered students, his gaze sweeping across Humans and Elves alike without a flicker of bias. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, every word deliberate, carrying both warmth and gravity.

“Welcome, children of the Empire. Welcome, heirs of the Forest. You stand before the heart of Nocturna, capital of the Demon Kingdom. I am Arannis Larethian, Headmaster of the Demon Academy, and today your true Exchange begins.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep