Sean and Dumbledore ultimately stepped inside the barrier. Before entering, the guard Raven cast a spell on them, imprinting a red mark shaped like a flower onto their forearms.
The moment Raven cast the spell, Sean understood—the reason human wizards could never leave once they entered was because of this mark. It must be linked to the barrier in some way, preventing anyone bearing it from crossing back out.
"This… isn't what I imagined."
After entering, Sean didn't see any of the grand, elegant elven architecture he had expected. There were no crowds of handsome men and beautiful women either. All he saw was green—trees everywhere, nothing but trees.
"This is your village?" Sean asked Linda curiously.
"Of course."
"Then why don't I see any houses or people?"
Linda smiled. "Our village isn't very populated. Each household lives far apart. It's normal not to see a single house for hundreds of meters."
On the way to the village chief's home, Sean only saw two wooden cabins. Both were covered in creeping vines, blending seamlessly into the forest.
Dumbledore's injury required the power of the Holy Sword to heal, and the place where the sword rested had been turned into a sacred altar by the elves a thousand years ago, used to worship the Forest God.
Arwen was now leading them to meet the village chief. Only with his permission could they use the altar. After entering the village, they walked for half an hour before finally reaching the chief's residence.
Compared to the other cabins Sean had seen, the chief's house didn't look particularly special. It seemed the elves didn't care much about housing.
"Chief Kevin," Arwen called out from the wooden steps.
A moment later, the door opened, revealing an elderly elf with white hair and beard. Sean finally saw an elf who actually looked old.
Elves had long lifespans, and their age was usually impossible to judge by appearance. But if an elf looked visibly aged, then they were truly ancient.
"Arwen, bringing two humans back… are you planning to get married?" Chief Kevin examined Dumbledore and Sean before continuing, "Is it him or him? That one is too old for a human. This boy, however, is quite suitable."
Kevin spoke casually, but while Arwen and Linda remained unfazed, Sean and Dumbledore exchanged a glance, completely confused.
Arwen explained, "No, I have no intention of getting married."
"Then why bring outsiders here? You know the rules of the tribe," Kevin said sternly.
"He is my friend. He was injured by Ogadis—the same man who came here earlier today," Arwen explained, recounting everything that had happened.
Meanwhile, Sean quietly asked Linda about the "rules" Kevin had mentioned.
"What's that about?"
Linda lowered her voice. "Our elven tribe allows marriage with humans. My father was a human from outside."
"If an elf doesn't wish to choose a partner within the tribe, they can go into the outside world and find a human willing to spend their entire life here. Before entering, that human is given the mark you have on your arm. It prevents outsiders from escaping and revealing the village's location. But for those who willingly come, it's just an added safeguard."
"They stay here willingly for love. No one ever tries to leave."
Sean was stunned. "So this is… an anti-runaway marriage mark?"
By that logic, when Arwen traveled outside thirty years ago, she might have been searching for love. And back then, she had met Dumbledore shortly after leaving the village.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore had already been over eighty years old at the time.
Even if he was wise, charming, and full of depth, his age alone would have made him an unlikely choice. So Arwen had simply treated him as a friend.
"Are all the humans who come here wizards? Or are there ordinary people too?" Sean asked.
"Both. Love isn't limited to wizards," Linda replied, looking at him oddly.
"I mean… ordinary humans have short lifespans. Wizards at least live longer. They could accompany elves for more years," Sean clarified.
"Oh, that's what you meant." Linda blinked and said mysteriously, "Even ordinary humans don't need to worry. We have an Elixir of Life."
"Hm?" Sean and Dumbledore both turned to look at her.
Was the Elixir of Life she mentioned the same thing they were thinking of?
Even Dumbledore's eyes filled with confusion.
"Professor," Sean said quietly, "wasn't Nicolas Flamel supposed to be the only one who could create the Philosopher's Stone?"
"It seems… that's not entirely true," Dumbledore replied. In truth, he was wondering whether Nicolas had learned it from the elves.
But his old friend was already gone. There was no one left to ask.
"Linda, may I ask—does your Elixir of Life come from the Philosopher's Stone?" Sean asked.
"The Philosopher's Stone? What's that?" Linda looked puzzled.
Sean and Dumbledore exchanged another glance. Their thoughts were perfectly aligned.
Could it be that the elves' Elixir of Life was something entirely different?
"Since you have the Elixir of Life, and elves already live long lives… how old is Chief Kevin?" Sean asked.
"Elves don't use the Elixir of Life. We follow the natural course of life. The elixir is only for humans who come here," Linda explained.
"Actually, our lifespan isn't as long as you think. Chief Kevin is over three hundred years old—he's already very old. In the past, elves living five or six hundred years was common, but with each generation, our lifespan has been decreasing."
"And Arwen?"
"My great-aunt just turned ninety. She's still very young."
At that moment, Arwen and Chief Kevin finished their discussion. Clearly, Kevin was displeased with her bringing outsiders—especially when neither of them was her chosen partner.
"Since they've entered, they cannot leave," Kevin declared.
Dumbledore couldn't accept that. He stepped forward. "Chief Kevin, we must leave. There are important matters outside. My students still need my protection."
"If this is about preventing us from revealing your location, I am willing to erase this memory before leaving," Dumbledore said calmly.
"These are the rules set by our ancestors. They cannot be changed," Kevin replied firmly.
The two stood at an impasse.
Arwen broke the silence. "Let's go to the altar and treat your injury first."
Under her guidance, they walked another half hour before arriving at a stone-carved altar.
The altar was a massive circular structure, surrounded by eighteen steps. Four stone pillars, each five to six meters tall, stood at the edges, engraved with elven runes Sean couldn't recognize.
At the center lay an irregular stone over three meters wide, with a golden-hilted Holy Sword embedded in it, faintly glowing.
Out of habit, Sean activated his Magic vision.
As expected, he was instantly blinded by the overwhelming brilliance.
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