In the South Blue, the Kingdom of Spirit Wings was doing relatively well compared to the other countries in the region.
The common people could eat their fill and even save a little money. The nobles didn't exploit them too harshly either.
To put it bluntly, they understood the principle of long-term harvesting.
There was also a more fundamental reason:
This kingdom produced enormous amounts of food and was famous as a major exporter of provisions.
It wasn't that pirates had never tried to target the place.
But somehow, those pirates always disappeared without a trace.
Some said the kingdom's army was simply too strong.
The pirates were caught before they even had a chance to act.
Others said it was the work of elves, because the country was called the Kingdom of Spirit Wings, a name said to represent an elven kingdom.
There were countless theories, and every time the discussions grew heated, the kingdom would put up official notices claiming that it was the work of the royal army.
Some people naturally believed elves didn't exist at all.
Others thought their own country certainly couldn't have anything like an elven race hidden within it.
What those ordinary people didn't know was that the elves really did live deep in the nearby forest, not far from the kingdom at all.
They had always coexisted with the kingdom.
The elves liked quiet and disliked noise.
To put it simply, their race was naturally drawn to nature itself.
In order to coexist with the kingdom, the elves and the humans had maintained one rule passed down through generations:
If a powerful enemy invaded, the elves had to lend their strength.
After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch, and the elves had always honored that arrangement.
To keep informed about the outside world, the elves always stationed a team outside.
But to avoid exposing themselves, every member of the elven race wore full armor that concealed them from head to toe.
They had no choice.
The elves were simply too beautiful.
The men were all stunningly handsome, and the women were all breathtakingly lovely.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, every elf who ventured out also wore a black robe over their armor, covering themselves completely.
The elves had no fear of being betrayed by the kingdom either.
They weren't fish-men.
Though their bodies were tall and slender, those physiques had been forged through training.
Every one of them was a warrior.
Their greatest skill was archery, and every elf had grown up carrying a bow.
To them, the bow was a weapon bestowed by nature itself—a blessing from the natural world.
That was why they had to begin learning it from childhood.
There had once been a king who, during a visit to the elves, took a liking to the lovely elf maidens and wanted to claim them all for himself. He sent troops to attack the elves' territory.
The army had barely entered the forest before the elves nearly wiped them out.
And to make sure no one underestimated them again, the elves went straight into the kingdom in return.
If they hadn't still been following the warning left by their ancestors, everyone involved that day would have died.
After that, the ruling class of the kingdom established a strict law:
Do not provoke the elves lightly.
Their military strength was too terrifying.
Later, the elves and the king reached a new agreement.
The kingdom would not interfere with any of the elves' activities in the outside world, and humans were forbidden from entering elven territory.
Of course, the elves also wouldn't cause trouble for the kingdom without reason.
That was how the two groups had lived—each leaving the other alone.
The human side had always followed the rules too.
After all, they had nearly lost their nation two hundred years ago.
They had no desire to experience that again.
And if it happened one more time, total destruction of the kingdom wouldn't be impossible.
Early one morning, at the port of the Kingdom of Spirit Wings, a troop clad head to toe in armor casually dealt with a group of pirates causing trouble.
The ordinary people on shore immediately burst into cheers.
This iron-armored unit had already become something like gods in their hearts.
No matter what kind of enemy arrived, if the regular troops couldn't handle it, then once this armored unit took action, victory was guaranteed.
Though the people cheered loudly for them, no one dared approach.
Because this unit had a terrible temper.
The moment anyone got too close, they would be met with drawn bows and arrows.
No one wanted to feel that cold, bone-piercing killing intent aimed at them.
Some said this unit was the kingdom's true elite force, trained under the strictest conditions and entirely different from the ordinary troops.
What those people didn't know was that the reason the unit covered themselves so completely was simply that they didn't want their true identities discovered.
The one leading them glanced over the battlefield, confirmed that all the pirates were dead, and gave an order.
"Withdraw. Let the others come clean this up."
The people behind him said nothing. They slung their bows back over their shoulders and followed in perfect formation.
The commander of the nearby kingdom troops twitched his mouth, but didn't dare question them.
He couldn't beat them.
And the higher-ups had already issued a strict order:
This unit was to be obeyed unconditionally, and no one was allowed to investigate anything about them.
Even though the two forces' encampments were only a short distance apart, their commander still didn't dare inquire about anything.
Once, someone couldn't contain his curiosity and secretly tried to climb over the wall to take a look.
The moment he reached the top, he was shot into a pincushion.
After that, the entire unit he belonged to was expelled from the area by royal order and replaced.
A man named Om watched the armored unit recede into the distance, his eyes filled with envy.
If only I could join that special troop too...
Once the armored unit entered its own encampment, one person immediately pulled off her helmet in relief.
At once, an elven girl was revealed.
She had a small oval face, a straight, proud nose, deep-set eyes, soft lips, pointed ears, and long golden hair.
"This iron can is suffocating."
The elven girl gulped in fresh air the moment she removed the helmet.
The captain couldn't help but sigh.
This girl, honestly...
"Arya, how many times have I told you? Don't be so careless. If outsiders see you, it'll cause trouble."
"Got it, got it."
The girl named Arya stuck out her little tongue playfully.
The captain sighed and waved a hand.
"All of you, go rest. If there's another mission, I'll gather you again."
"Yes!"
The others dispersed one after another.
Of course, none of them were as reckless as Arya. No one else casually removed their helmets.
Arya hurried over and grabbed the captain's arm with both hands.
"Come on, big brother. I barely get to come out here. Let me have a little fun."
The captain removed his own helmet, revealing a handsome face so refined it almost looked delicate, along with pointed ears and deep-set eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous. Did you forget what you promised me before you came out? If Mother finds out, let's see whether the two of us get punished."
Arya pouted, her pretty brows knitting together.
"Then can we secretly go out tonight wearing black robes?"
Leonardo looked at his little sister's eager, pleading eyes and could only nod helplessly.
He truly had no way to deal with this lively, troublesome younger sister.
"Yes!"
Arya jumped happily in place, her face full of anticipation for the coming night.
Unfortunately, it was still only morning.
Before long, the elven girl's spirits dropped again.
Then those watery, bright eyes turned back to her brother, full of pleading.
Leonardo immediately put on a stern face.
"Don't even think about it. There's no discussion. The rules are the rules. You can only go out at night."
"Oh..."
Arya puffed out her cheeks and walked away in obvious unhappiness.
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