Reincarnated Into A World Of Elves As The Only Man-Chapter 67: Conversations

The royal caravan wound its way across the misty landscape, hooves rhythmically drumming against the soft, ancient soil. Queen Elysia guided her silver mare alongside Viva’s chestnut stallion, deliberately falling behind the main group to create a pocket of privacy.

Viva sat rigidly in her saddle, acutely aware of the queen’s scrutiny. Her Thornvale armor gleamed dully in the filtered light, its forest-green accents marking her as an outsider among the silver and blue of the Moonlight warriors.

"You have good reflexes," Elysia said, breaking the tense silence between them. "Your training speaks to Thornvale’s martial excellence."

Viva inclined her head respectfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I understand you’ve been protecting my son," Elysia continued, her voice softening. "For that, I owe you a debt greater than words can express."

Viva’s posture remained guarded. "I serve the Veilwalker, Your Majesty. No debt is owed."

Elysia studied the warrior’s profile, noting the subtle tension in her jaw. "My son chose well in you," she said. "There’s a fierce loyalty in your eyes that reminds me of my own guardian when I was young."

"Eren deserves loyalty," Viva replied, her voice carrying unexpected heat. "He has suffered greatly, feeling abandoned by those who should have protected him."

A flash of pain crossed Elysia’s features. "Yes," she agreed softly. "He has been failed by many who loved him—myself most of all."

The admission seemed to catch Viva off guard. She turned to meet the queen’s gaze directly for the first time.

"So," Elysia continued, her silver eyes—so like Eren’s—clouding with memory. "When he arrived in Thornvale, did he ever mention his family?"

"Rarely," Viva admitted. "And when he did, it was with confusion rather than anger. He didn’t understand why things had changed between you."

Elysia’s hands tightened on her reins. "I couldn’t tell him. The bond with Kiran prevented me from speaking of it, from warning him." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I had to watch my own child grow distant, believing I had turned against him, unable to explain why."

"He deserves to know the truth now," Viva said firmly.

"Yes, he does." Elysia straightened in her saddle, regal composure returning. "When we bring him home—and we will bring him home—there will be no more secrets between us."

Viva’s expression softened slightly. "He speaks often of happy memories from his childhood. Before whatever happened... happened."

A genuine smile touched Elysia’s lips. "Did he tell you about the time he convinced the palace guards that his wooden sword was enchanted? He had half the royal guard believing they would turn into frogs if it touched them."

Despite herself, Viva’s lips curved upward. "That sounds like him."

"He was always clever," Elysia said fondly. "Too clever for his own good sometimes."

They rode in more comfortable silence for a moment before Elysia spoke again, her voice gentle but direct. "You care deeply for Eren, don’t you? Beyond the duty of a guardian."

Viva’s cheeks colored slightly, but she held the queen’s gaze. "I do."

Elysia nodded. "Good. Eren needs people who see him for who he is, not what he represents as the Veilwalker."

"I knew him long before I knew what a Veilwalker was," Viva replied.

"Then I am in your debt twice over," Elysia said. "For protecting both the Veilwalker and my son Eren—two roles that are not always the same." She reached across the space between their horses, briefly touching Viva’s armored forearm. "Thank you for being there when I could not."

Further ahead in the procession, Naia guided her horse toward Rose, who rode slightly apart from the others. The kitchen servant sat uncomfortably in her saddle, clearly unaccustomed to riding but managing with determined dignity.

"You’re holding up well for someone who spends more time with pots than ponies," Naia observed, bringing her horse alongside Rose’s.

Rose’s expression remained guarded. "The palace kitchens require more balance than most realize, Your Highness."

Naia winced slightly. "Please, just Naia. After everything we’ve been through, titles seem rather pointless."

Rose nodded, though her posture remained formal. "As you wish."

They rode in silence for several moments, the gentle rhythm of hoofbeats filling the space between them. Around them, the mist clung to the hillsides, occasionally parting to reveal glimpses of the valley below. Naia watched a hawk circle overhead before speaking again, her voice gentle but determined.

"I won’t let your struggles go in vain, Rose. We will find Eren and deal with Kiran."

Rose’s jaw tightened at the mention of Kiran’s name, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the reins, and for a moment, something dangerous flickered across her features.

"I heard my mother mention your grandmother earlier," Naia continued gently. "She said she was a good woman. You served in our palace for years, yet I know so little about you or your family."

Rose’s expression softened slightly at the mention of her grandmother. "My grandmother was Amara. She served the Moonlight Kingdom for nearly three centuries."

"Three centuries?" Naia’s eyebrows rose in surprise. "That’s remarkable even for our kind."

"She always said it was the mountain air that kept her young," Rose replied, a hint of warmth entering her voice for the first time. "But I think it was her purpose that sustained her. She loved the Moonlight Kingdom with her whole heart."

"What role did she serve?" Naia asked, genuinely curious.

"She began as a simple herbalist," Rose explained, "but Queen Celene—your grandmother—recognized her knowledge of ancient lore and elevated her to royal archivist." Pride tinged her voice. "My grandmother could recite the lineage of every royal family across the seven kingdoms and knew the complex histories behind each border dispute and conflict. She helped your grandmother during the Great Northern War when she was starving."

"She sounds remarkable," Naia said sincerely. "I wish I had known her better."

"She spoke highly of you," Rose offered. "She said you had your grandmother’s wisdom and your mother’s strength." A shadow passed across her face. "She passed away peacefully in her sleep five winters ago, surrounded by her books and scrolls—exactly as she would have wanted."

Naia noticed the careful phrasing but didn’t press for details. Instead, she asked, "Is that why you joined the palace staff? To continue her legacy?"

"In a way," Rose acknowledged. "The palace has been my home since I was a child. My grandmother raised me there. I never knew my parents—perhaps they traveled, as my grandmother sometimes suggested. She taught me everything—how to read the old texts, how to listen when others spoke, how to observe without being noticed."

"Skills that have served you well," Naia noted.

Rose’s hand drifted to the small knife concealed in her boot. "Everything she taught me has purpose."

"And now that purpose is finding Eren," Naia stated rather than asked.

"Yes," Rose agreed, her voice hardening with resolve. "And putting an end to Kiran and her schemes against our kingdom."

Ahead of them, Queen Elysia raised her hand, signaling a brief rest for the horses. As the procession halted near a small stream, she beckoned Captain Diana to her side.

"Walk with me," she commanded quietly, moving away from the group.

Once they were out of earshot, Elysia’s regal composure faltered slightly. "I have a task for you, Captain. One that must remain between us."

Diana bowed her head. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"When we reach the palace, select your two best warriors," Elysia instructed. "They are to travel to Thornvale immediately, bearing my personal seal."

Diana’s brow furrowed slightly. "To what purpose, if I may ask?"

"To request Queen Elena’s aid," Elysia replied, her voice heavy with significance. "What we face extends beyond our kingdom’s borders. I fear Eren has been taken to a place beyond our reach."

"You believe the Thornvale Queen will help us?" Diana asked carefully. "After everything that’s happened between our kingdoms?"

"She must," Elysia said simply. "What threatens my son threatens all realms, even those we’ve long considered rivals. Tell your warriors to speak only to Queen Elena herself—no intermediaries. And Diana," her voice grew urgent, "say nothing of this to my daughters or the others. I cannot risk Kiran learning of this through her blood bond with me."

Diana nodded gravely. "It will be done, Your Majesty."

"I have a terrible feeling about where Eren is," Elysia confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t trust Kiran. I only told my daughters Eren will be back soon, not to panic. If I’m right, we will need Queen Elena to locate him."

As they returned to the group, Elysia’s mask of serene confidence slipped perfectly back into place.

Lyra had been deep in conversation with Elira, one of the younger Moonlight warriors assigned to the royal escort. Elira, known for her light-hearted nature even in tense situations, was recounting a story from her training days.

"Remember last season when we convinced the new recruits that horses could sense fear?" Elira chuckled. "Poor women spent an entire week trying to control their thoughts whenever they approached the stables."

Lyra’s response died on her lips as her attention drifted to Rose, who sat apart from the others. The kitchen servant’s expression was distant and troubled, hands gripping her reins with unusual intensity.

Elira followed Lyra’s gaze. "Are you still with us, Your Highness?" she asked, nudging her companion’s arm. "Or has something more interesting caught your eye?"

"Just thinking," Lyra replied absently, still studying Rose.

"Must be quite the thought," Elira teased. "You look as though you’re trying to read a book written in invisible ink."

Lyra shook her head slightly, but her eyes remained on Rose. ’I can’t help but watch her,’ she thought. ’There’s more to her than she reveals—layers beneath that servant’s posture. What secrets is she keeping?’

The queen gave the signal to continue, and the caravan began to move once more. The sun had climbed higher now, burning away some of the morning mist as they descended into the valley. Birds called to one another from the forest edges, and somewhere in the distance, a mountain stream tumbled over rocks.

As the caravan prepared to continue their journey, Rose’s hand tightened around her reins, her knuckles white with tension. The peaceful scenery did nothing to calm the storm within her. Her thoughts were consumed not with the pain of the past but with the cold certainty of what must come.

She watched Queen Elysia ride ahead, her silver hair catching the sunlight. The queen’s earlier conversation with Captain Diana had not escaped Rose’s notice, though she couldn’t hear what was said.

’I’m coming for you, Kiran,’ she promised silently, her eyes narrowing as she urged her horse forward. ’And when I find you, neither your master nor your warriors will save you from my vengeance.’