Lin Yan was escorted out by a group of elves. The moment she appeared at the end of the forest path, all the knights and retainers noticed.
Several hours had passed since Lin Yan's departure. The sun was now setting in the west, and the light in the forest came from the faint glow filtering through the Elvenwood.
Upon her return, Lin Yan did not request an immediate departure. Instead, she instructed everyone to continue resting, and the retainers busied themselves with setting up tents.
The elves had brought a considerable amount of fruits and vegetables, and their attitude towards Lin Yan had also shifted.
This greatly surprised the adventurers who had not yet left. They were eager to know why Lin Yan had received such favor from the elves and whether her success could be replicated.
Ever since the elves closed off the Elvenwood and ceased contact with the outside world, elves had become a legendary race. Items bearing the mark of the elven race commanded exorbitant prices. If these adventurers could also forge good relations with the elves, they would be rich.
Maurice was also curious about what Lin Yan had said to the rather stubborn Elf King that led him to agree to Lin Yan's request.
Yes, agreed.
Although Lin Yan had not explicitly stated whether the Elf King had granted her passage, the elves escorting her out had already indicated the Elf King's stance.
While the elves who had come out were not as powerful as him, their senses were exceptionally keen. He did not approach them but carefully concealed himself.
He did not want the elves to discover him and suspect him of having ulterior motives. He had come out without informing his clan leader.
If the Elf King were to mention this matter to their clan leader later, he would likely be severely reprimanded.
However, the fruits and vegetables from the elves were truly delicious. It was just that they were too xenophobic; otherwise, he could have come more often to trade for more produce.
After setting down the fruits and vegetables, the elves retreated back into the Elvenwood and quickly vanished, much to the disappointment of the adventurers.
"Are all of you still here? Has the compensation not been enough?" Lin Yan asked the adventurers, feigning ignorance.
"That is not the case, madam. We are concerned for your safety. After all, we promised to escort you to your destination. Leaving prematurely would be a breach of contract," said the strongest among the adventurers.
"Thank you, but I have already made arrangements with the elves. They will be escorting us for the remainder of the journey. Moreover, we have Lord Maurice with us. You may all rest for the night and depart together."
The elves would not allow these people to enter the Elvenwood, nor did she want them to.
Although these people's character was somewhat acceptable, wealth could stir greed in men. The Elvenwood was filled with valuable items.
The most valuable among them were the elves themselves. An elf could fetch a sky-high price at an underground auction.
As for how Lin Yan knew this, the original host had overheard slave traders discussing the selling price of an elf at a previous auction when she was captured and being prepared for sale.
At that time, she had been very desirous of capturing an elf herself. The elf who was auctioned was a half-blood, yet still sold for a high price, as the original host was captured en route to the chaotic lands.
Therefore, the slave trader kept talking about the high prices of elves and kept looking in the direction of the Elvenwood.
In the original plot, there were instances of elves being auctioned, but because the elves were not central characters, the details were sparse.
Yet, Lin Yan could discern from the lines the difficulties the elves faced later on.
Even with an elven prince who trusted the female lead so implicitly, the issue of the Elven Mother Tree was not entirely resolved, and the elves' subsequent fate was one of decline.
Later, they rarely appeared on the mainland, almost becoming a legend.