When the guard glanced over, Roland had already closed the coffin.
Should he ask him to open it again? Since it was already placed inside the coffin, the injuries might be serious. What if he noticed something problematic?
Let him in without checking? What if the man was a fraud and caused trouble inside? That would be a disaster.
But if they turned him away? What if it really was genuine?
For a moment, the guard was at a loss, uncertain how to proceed.
"Let him in."
Just as the guard hesitated, a clear and melodious voice rang out from within the building.
The guard visibly relaxed at the sound. Without another word, he stepped aside.
"Please, go in."
"Thank you."
Roland nodded and, lifting the coffin, stepped into the embassy.
Behind him, Hela blinked, watching intently as he disappeared from view. Only when he was fully gone did she lower her gaze. Under the watchful eyes of the two half-elven guards, she led the two chocobos to a quiet corner.
Without a word, she drew her longsword and retrieved a roll of deerskin and a few alchemical tinctures from her mount's pack, then quietly began the careful maintenance of her weapon.
Inside the embassy, Roland followed an attendant as they made their way deeper into the building, still carrying the coffin.
After passing through a translucent barrier, he arrived at his destination.
Seated behind a desk, the envoy of the Moon Elves to the Northern Kingdom awaited him.
Though she had been stationed in Winter hold for many years and could be considered a relic of a bygone age, the long life and formidable power of the elves had preserved her youthful, breathtaking beauty.
Roland had expected her appearance to be striking, but even so, her beauty still caught him off guard. For a brief moment, he was stunned. Yet within that instant, a micro-spell preloaded in his body triggered a psychic shockwave, snapping him back to alertness.
Once he entered the room, the elven envoy waved her hand, signaling for the attendant to leave.
The attendant complied silently and exited without question.
The envoy studied Roland with visible curiosity. The faint magical ripple she had just sensed did not escape her perception.
So cautious already, these young ones?
Ignoring her scrutiny, Roland knelt to the ground and opened the coffin, revealing the Moon Elf inside, whose life force was barely flickering.
The moment the lid was lifted, the envoy appeared beside the coffin in a flash. Reaching out, she thrust her hand through the layers of ice and barriers, placing her palm directly against the Moon Elf's body.
A wave of powerful life energy surged from her arm, flooding into the wounded elf.
Under this influx of vital magic, the dark elements festering in the elf's torso were swiftly driven out. Her mutilated organs, once replaced with vile constructs, began regenerating rapidly.
As the internal damage repaired itself, her life signs gradually stabilized.
Once she confirmed the patient was out of immediate danger, the envoy withdrew her hand, gazing down into the coffin with a faint frown.
"She was found at a cultist stronghold," Roland explained calmly from the side. "They appear to have used her as a sacrifice. When I discovered her, most of her internal organs had already been removed and replaced with corrupted materials. To keep her alive, I had no choice but to excise those remnants and stabilize her using pure dark-elemental energy, cleansing her system of residual emotional contamination."
He paused for a moment, then added, "She may look better now, but the corruption has already seeped into her very bones."
The envoy nodded, understanding the deeper meaning in his words.
If she tried to heal the elf solely with life magic, it would only treat the symptoms. Not only would it fail to save her, it could even strengthen the hidden taint and cause an even worse relapse.
With a soft sigh, the envoy gently closed the coffin once more. She turned to Roland, her voice warm.
"Thank you for saving her. Is there anything we can do for you in return?"
It was an old tradition among the Moon Elves. Anyone who saved one of their own, or even one of their subordinate half-elves, would be handsomely rewarded. Roland had come with this very reward in mind.
He offered a polite smile and replied, "You've likely already noticed that I'm a spellcaster. I'm also unaffiliated. I've heard that the war in Xinar has come to an end. I'd like to travel there, and I'm hoping to acquire a suitable identity for the journey."
The envoy looked at him with mild surprise.
"You're well-informed. Yes, the war is indeed over."
She gave him a once-over. Upon sensing the depth of his strength, her tone shifted slightly.
"I can offer you two apprentice credentials for the Towers of Truth. The documentation would be ready in no more than seven days."
But Roland shook his head and replied evenly, "I'm not planning to study at the Towers of Truth. A letter of recommendation to the Spellcaster's Guild will suffice."
The envoy raised a brow.
"Are you certain?"
Roland gave a silent nod.
"I see."
She picked up a sheet of fine paper from her desk, imbued with a faint magical glow. With a quick burst of arcane shorthand, she wrote the letter. Then she pulled an envelope from the cabinet, slid the letter inside, sealed it with a glyph, and handed it to him.
Roland accepted the envelope and tucked it into his pocket, satisfied.
"Anything else you need?" she asked.
Had he accepted the Tower credentials, that would've been the end of it. But a simple recommendation held far less value.
Roland shook his head again. "This is more than enough."
He cast a glance toward the elf in the coffin. "Now that she's been delivered, I'll take my leave."
The envoy nodded. A faint pulse of magic left her body and darted into the depths of the embassy. Then she turned to Roland and gestured gracefully.
"This way, please."
They walked together through the halls toward the entrance.
Just before they reached the main doors, a young Moon Elf in formal attire hurried after them, handing a ring to the envoy.
She took it and passed it to Roland with a gentle smile.
"Thank you for saving one of our own. This is your rightful reward please don't refuse it."
Without protest, Roland accepted the ring.
The Moon Elves had learned that if they allowed people to refuse rewards, there would come a day when no one would step in to help them. So no matter what, they always ensured ample compensation.
The moment he touched it, Roland recognized it instantly a spatial ring.
He didn't bother examining it right then. With a nod of thanks, he turned and stepped outside, heading toward Hela, who still waited quietly in the corner.
As the two figures receded into the distance, the envoy's warm demeanor vanished like a mirage. Her expression turned cold, and her voice was ice.
"Saphri, investigate thoroughly. Any organization that dares provoke us must die. I want to know who's convinced themselves that the Moon Elves have forgotten how to kill."