"So this is why I felt weird around you and why Mireth reacted so strongly to you…" Vaelorion spoke with some reverence.
Vincent didn't know what he was talking about. But then recalled his ancestor and his gaze trembled slightly, "Don't tell me… do I have a ro-"
"No, " Vaelorion immediately rejected him before he could finish, "If you possessed the Royal bloodline due to your ancestor being one of them, I would've noticed it. No, every elf here would feel it if that was the case."
Vincent was confused. If so, then why did Vaelorion react to his blood the way he did?
"Then…"
"Do you know the difference between the Royal bloodline and High Elves?"
Vaelorion's sudden question took him by surprise.
"No. I didn't have the opportunity to learn about elves' hierarchy," he honestly replied.
Maybe due to his elvish blood, Vincent was very curious about their culture.
Vaelorion nodded, "As you already know, when an elf is born with a specific blood that we call "Royal", he or she becomes a prominent entity of our race that is guaranteed to reach the Last Phase in Spiritual Ascension path if given enough time, protecting our race for millennia, allowing us to live a relatively safe life."
"But sadly, the chances of an elf being born with Royal blood is so slim that every appearance of it is highly concealed and celebrated by the entire race. Even if a member of a Royal bloodline has a child, it will still have the same chances like other elves to be born with that blood."
"Sadly, ordinary elves, like me, cannot reach such heights no matter how much we try. Even with the Sacred Trees help, the upper limit of our progression will be the beginning of the Intermediate Phase. That's all."
"This is something every elf knows and acknowledges."
"As you know, elves live very long and peaceful lives. Our bodies barely age and illness almost never affects us, but you know that this is just one side of the coin. The other side is quite harsh and depressing."
"You already know the details so I don't need to mention them."
Vincent calmly listened to where Vaelorion headed. Now he should arrive at the main point.
"You now know why we bow to elves with Royal blood. But I've mentioned that elves bow only towards two types of elves."
"One is the Royal bloodline and second are the High Elves."
Vincent asked, "I can understand why the Royal blood is revered and protected, but… I have no knowledge of High Elves. Please, I hope you share your knowledge."
As Vaelorion thought about this group of elves, a weird expression appeared on his face.
"Can you guess why The Immortal Spiritual King, Maeltharion and The Immortal Sacred Queen, Saraphaen have 'Immortal' titles in their names?"
Vincent narrowed his eyes, contemplating.
But Vaelorion didn't wait..
"It's understandable that you don't know, because… all High Elves are immortal."
Vincent's eyes widened in shock.
'Immortal?! I thought it was just a fancy title.'
"Immortality? Does such a thing exist in this world?" he asked.
"The world is a very mysterious place. But… as you know, though High Elves do not die from old age, everything in our world has a price."
"When the elf reaches a certain age, the world might give them immortal life, making them a High Elf, but on the other hand, it takes away… all desires and ambitions."
Vaelorion's expression became saddened.
Vincent spoke, "That changes everything. In such a case, so what if you have an immortal life? Without desires… what's the point of even living? You're just a walking, breathing body that does not strive for anything. No love, no happiness. In my view, this is more of a curse than a blessing. Tragic existence."
"Many elves share the same opinion as you do. But the appearance of High Elves are sometimes even more revered than those with Royal blood as they can reach the borderline of the Last Phase and do it faster than Royal blood elves. Yet, just barely lacking in comparison to Royals."
Vaelorion shifted his gaze to Vincent, "As you had already guessed, our race has two members who possess Royal blood with the status of High Elves."
"They are so ancient that no one knows exactly how long they lived. Maybe even they themselves had long ago forgotten how long they are walking on this earth."
"Those two are the final protectors of our race. Without them, I fear, we would be forced into an even more dire situation."
Vincent now understood the elves' hierarchy more clearly.
"Have you ever seen a Royal member or High Elf?" he suddenly asked due to curiosity.
Vaelorion became a bit amused.
"Royal blood? Of course, no. I only saw portraits of them. They always stay beside their Sacred Tree's, never leaving their forests unless the situation requires it."
"And about High Elves…"
Vincent could see that every time the High Elder mentions them, he tried to hide a certain emotion, but failed.
"I once saw one…" Vaelorion spoke as if did not wish to recall those memories.
Vincent suddenly had a guess.
'I think I understand why he feels that way upon mentioning them.'
Vincent recognised this emotion very clearly.
"Thank you, High Elder. This is enough for me," he spoke. He didn't ask anything more and just stood up, preparing to leave.
Vaelorion looked at this young man and couldn't shake the feeling that one day, he will play a major role in the Elven race.
'A truly unique person.'
Thinking about it, he suddenly made a decision.
A decision that might change their community forever, and maybe even his own life.