"Alchemy? Never heard of it? What kind of magic is that? Where can I learn it?

Kolvar asked in a surprised voice. He seemed genuinely curious about what saved his village and all the water sources.

At first, Layla was surprised that Kolvar did not understand Alchemy. But on second thought, it did make sense that he did not know.

Alchemy might sound like an ancient concept, but it was new and had only been discovered for about five hundred years.

It was a significant time in human time, but for elves (ever-dark elves), it was only a blink of an eye. Time passed differently for both species, making it difficult for them to relate to each other.

Moreover, dark elves had been hiding for so long that it was a miracle if they knew anything about human civilization.

"Alchemy is a form of magic that does not require the user to have magic. Rather, it takes magic from the ingredients you prepare and uses it as a catalyst to do things. You can think of it as a more advanced form of potion-making."

Layla's words finally made sense in Kolvar's mind.

Potion-making was a practice invented by elves, who were also experts at it.

When Layla compared alchemy to potion making, but for those without magic, Kolvar seemed to understand and even appreciate what she was talking about.

"I see! Now, it makes so much sense. I guess humans mature and develop faster than any other race. Ah, we've talked out here too much! We should head back now. The village leader must be waiting for us."

Kolvar looked at the sun shining brightly in the sky before he led the pair to the elf village.

The entrance was marked by ruins that could only be activated if someone was a dark elf and had the markings of their village.

It made going in and out of the village much easier.

Layla first looked at the elf village as she entered the place after Kolvar.

"Ah, this place has not changed since my last contract here. I wonder what my previous contractor and his family are doing?"

Mary wondered in a curious voice, but something about her posture did not look curious to Layla.

It felt as if Mary was asking this question for the sake of asking, not because she was curious about her previous partner's family.

"Granny, we are back! And I have brought precious guests with me as well."

Kolvar yelled, causing elves to poke their heads out of their houses and give him a stern look.

But as soon as they saw Layla and Mary, their annoyance turned to fear, and they all closed their house doors to keep them out.

"Oh my! That is a rather extreme reaction. Even our enemies do not do this when they see us. Seeing all these elves be afraid of me breaks my heart."

Mary spoke dryly, but her eyes told Layla she was enjoying all this.

The demon's words made Kolvar flinch, and he quickly defended his people.

"Cut them all some slack. Our encounter with the outside world has not been…the most pleasant. I am sure all these people have lost their loved ones at the hands of humans."

Kolvar spoke silently and prayed. He was telling the pair not to take it to heart and to forgive his people.

Faced with such reasoning, Layla could do nothing but nod at him. That made Kolvar sigh in relief before taking them to the central house.

The village leader, the elf queen, was sitting at the negotiation table. Her eyes were sharp, and she looked at Layla and Marys.

"Sit down! I am sure you have a lot to discuss with me. I also have many conditions of my own to propose to you both. Kolvar, you can head out now. Go and look around our perimeters and make sure we are safe."

The teen flinched at the order. Layla knew Kolvar wanted to stay and be part of this conversion.

But the granny had no intention of letting a kid be a part of this conversation. (Layla was an exception this time)

"Fine! I will go and do my duty. But I want you to tell me all the juicy details once I return, alright, granny?"

Kolvar spoke in a light voice before he left.

"That troublesome child…he needs to know how to behave and conduct himself to be the next leader. I am also getting older now and can't keep doing this anymore."

The old lady sighed as she looked at her guest. Her unseeing eyes made Layla nervous, and she immediately straightened her back to face the old lady.

"So, what brings someone esteemed like you both to our humble village? We are fugitives and have nothing to offer guests as noble as you. You won't be able to get anything beneficial if you stay here with us."

The elf queen spoke the truth. Although she sounded slightly regretful, she also wanted to clarify her conditions.

But Layla took a deep breath before her eyes sharped, and she smelled her fist on the table.

"That is not true. We came here because we needed your help and expertise. I have an offer for you that you won't be able to refuse. Mary, show them the contract."

Layla ordered, and Mary put the contract before the elf queen.

Then she remembered that the elf queen was blind and couldn't read these words.

"Shall I ask someone to read these words out for you?"

Layla asked in a subdued voice as she looked at the queen before her. She had not meant to insult the queen, but her actions could be seen as such now.

The elf queen paused momentarily before flailing around to get the contract in her hands.

"There will be no need for that. I may be blind now, but as long as the contract has magic, I can still read it just fine."