The next morning, though only a single day had passed since Caron's arrival in Aileen, the city had already changed drastically.0

"The councilors conspired with the dark elves to sell out the city!"0

A shocking rumor swept through the streets.0

The councilors were pillars of the city, governing alongside the High Elder. But now, with the revelation that they had been mere puppets of the dark elves, the citizens were consumed by fear.0

Then came Baltho's declaration to return to the Southern Great Forest, which sent the city into even greater turmoil.0

To the elves of the Eastern Great Forest, the Southern Great Forest was a place of deep-seated resentment and bitter history. But now, they were to return.0

The announcement ignited the city, setting off an immediate and furious uproar.0

"The ambience isn't all that pleasant," Caron remarked.0

"It's inevitable," Baltho replied. "The relationship between us and our kin in the South is far worse than you might imagine."0

Caron exhaled slowly as he watched the growing crowd outside the parliament hall. The streets teemed with citizens, all gathered in the central plaza with their voices raised in protest.0

Caron had known relations were strained, but he hadn't realized just how deeply fractured they were.0

"How did it come to this?" Caron asked, finally voicing the question he had been holding back. He wanted to know the reason why the elves had left the South to settle here.0

He had asked the regent, but she'd...0