Layla coughed as her food went down the wrong way.

The elf queen had taken her by surprise, and it caused Layla to cough as she tried to open her airways. But the small amount of spice the food had got to her nose, redressing Layla's face.

"You don't have to thank me for it…although water would be a good way to start."

Layla was immediately handed a glass of fresh water and gulped down like a thirsty man. She could not get enough of it, and the water alerted her.

The elf queen acted amusedly at Layla's pitiful actions but said nothing to her. She just continued to give Layla a knowing look in her empty eyes.

"You should take it easy, child. You are only six, from what I hear. I might have gotten old and senile at my age, but I have not forgotten just how young and fragile a six-year-old is.

No matter how mature you are in your mental age, you also need to consider your physical age when you make decisions."

The elf queen spoke with such conviction that she reminded Layla of the old leaders in her past lives.

Not everyone in her business and opposition had been her enemies. Many older seniors in their professions had pitied Layla and felt sorry for such a young person getting engulfed by the mafia.

Layla had scoffed at those people before she gained enough inside to use this sympathy.

After some time, she had become numb, always to get false pity that led nowhere.

The elf queen's words and gaze felt similar to those of the old mafia bosses.

She could only look at Layla and advise her; even if the old lady wanted to, she could not do much.

"Please, don't worry about me. My priority is staying alive for a long time and achieving my goal. I will not let anything hinder my progress toward that goal."

Layla assured the elf queen as she calmed down.

The elf queen said nothing, but her expression turned to conviction and understanding.

Before Layla could say anything else, the elf queen held her hand out for her to take, and Layla extended her hand toward the Elf queen to rest her hand in the queen's.

"Since you have helped me so much, I wish to bestow you a gift as well. But beware that there will be a price if you use this power alone next time."

The Elf queen warned before Layla felt her senses engulfed in icy cold water. She could feel her body wanting to move, but when she tried, she could not.

Layla tried to run toward the surface, but the elf queen's voice echoed inside her mind.

"Don't let fear engulf you. Just concentrate on what you are thinking and where you want to go. Let go of your fears and face the world bravely. Yes, just like that. Remember this feeling!

Now, open your eyes and tell me what you see."

The elf queen spoke to Layla and guided her on what to do next.

It felt like a weird experience, and Layla was simultaneously inside and outside her body.

She blinked her eyes open, but she saw nothing but black.

Slowly, the world became focused, but it was far different from what she was used to seeing.

The trees no longer looked like bulky and huge entities but like a small burst of light that seemed to flicker.

Compared to it, the various tones of grey around her had to be people…not elves. They all had multiple colors mixed with a grey, which likely indicated that they had mastery or potential over different elements.

'This all feels familiar. Isn't this how the system interface works? But whatever the elf queen did made me see much more than my current system shows me.'

It was a little overwhelming to see all this. There were too many colors, and Layla felt a sense of sensory overload.

She felt like she would heave and cry at the same time. Her body felt the burden of this technique, and her legs threatened to give in.

But before Layla could break her concentration, she noticed a flash of white and red heading her way quickly in a small bunch of 5-10 people.

Her instincts cried at her, saying that she was in danger. Layla quickly blinked to break her concentration and pull her hand out.

"Child, is everything alright? You look pale and lifeless-"

"Gather everyone in the center and ask them to invoke a barrier and not come out. Some temple people ambush us, and I want to talk to them alone."

Layla ordered, and the other elves around her hesitated. No one wanted to let a child deal with their problems, but the head elves differed.

She quickly agreed before taking a small breath and speaking her orders.

"Do as the kid says and gather in the center. Our enemy is closing in on us, and I do not want to lose one of you."

The elf queen spoke with conviction, and all the elves looked tense before they ran toward the center and formed a barrier.

Layla waited for this moment before reading the spell she needed to hurl at these people.

They came in the range, and fireballs instantly rained down at them.

The leader of this small party frowned before he halted, and he asked his companions to halt as well.

The leader had seen Layla, and her silver-white hair surprised him.

He almost considered her a member of the royal family due to her hair color before he realized that the royal family did not include females.

"If you are here for the dark elves, head back now. They are all under Duke Lockhart's protection because they signed a contract with us. If you do anything to them, you would be making an enemy of the Ducal house.

Are you sure you want to do something like this?"