Solian the Elf Bandit Leader
The most outstanding young elf in his generation.
Even though he was still young, he had contracted with a high-level wind spirit and possessed bow skills that were unmatched.
“Kuuuugh!”
The tremendous pressure weighing on him left him unable to even catch his breath, his whole body shaking violently.
Aria quickly rose from her seat and bowed her head, speaking with urgency.
“Please forgive my anger. Although I am young, I acted rashly because of my childish heart.”
“That’s not the issue of age. It’s a problem of mindset.”
“...Jin Chen-nim.”
When Aria looked at him with desperate eyes, Jin Chen walked straight toward Solian.
“They say elves are a race that loves peace and nature...”
And he trailed off, locking eyes with Solian.
“What are you now? Do you want peace? Or revenge?”
“R-revenge. I will definitely take revenge on those who trampled our tribe!”
“No need to worry about that. I have no intention of letting them go either.”
“Kuuugh... Then I will follow you as well.”
“Why would I drag you along? You’re just a burden.”
“Even if it’s just to be a foot soldier, I will do it! So please give me a chance!”
Despite the blood vessels bulging in his eyes, Solian refused to give up and shouted.
The elders and surrounding elves looked at him with worried expressions.
“Solian! Why are you doing this!”
“Enough, Solian!”
No matter how much they tried to stop him, Solian refused to look away from Jin Chen.
At that sight, Jin Chen let out a small laugh.
“That’s what a real man does.”
The sudden words left everyone bewildered, but Jin Chen continued.
“There is no peace without strength. There is no tranquility for the weak. A race that loves peace? It can only be called that when it has power.”
Jin Chen slowly stood up and surveyed the elves, speaking on.
“You live on land that has been trampled, lost precious people, yet only trust the yellow lizard spawn. You don’t deserve to be called that.”
The way Jin Chen looked at the elves made them feel as if he had been living with them for a week and now doubted everything.
“How did a human like me come to possess such power? It’s simple. I had to become strong to protect myself, the bonds I made, and the ones who follow me.”
The young elves began clenching their fists one after another.
“If you can protect that, dying and being reborn is nothing. Losing a precious land and precious people is far more painful and difficult than dying.”
Jin Chen turned his gaze away from the elves and looked at his subordinates.
“Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Boss!”
“I’m not afraid of dying!”
“I can die laughing!”
Jin Chen laughed softly at his subordinates’ words and looked back at Solian.
The oppressive aura that had been weighing on him had long since disappeared.
But Solian still could not rise from his seat.
Facing him, Jin Chen extended his hand.
“In that sense, you passed.”
“Eh?”
“I’ll make you strong. Why? Afraid?”
At those words, Solian bit his lip and grabbed Jin Chen’s hand, rising from his seat.
“I will endure anything for revenge!”
“I hope that resolve lasts.”
“I will endure it!”
“You have to. You’ll be the first one.”
Solian looked bewildered.
“Eh?”
“When I checked the dark elves last time, their bloodlines were different.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“What I mean is... that you might actually die.”
Solian’s eyes, which had been filled with military discipline, trembled faintly.
At that sight, Jin Chen smiled even more deeply.
Elves truly are a race that is honest and admirable. No lies at all.
Their physiques were perfectly proportioned.
If trained properly, they would grow rapidly.
Elven bandits... That would be troublesome.
When Jin Chen laughed softly, the young elves all knelt at once and shouted.
“Please accept us as well!”
“We will learn with the resolve to die!”
“No.”
Jin Chen’s short refusal left the young elves stunned.
“Didn’t you hear me? I have something to solve.”
“Then, later...”
“For now, this guy is holding on well and staying alive. Teach him then. I’m already tired dealing with just my own people.”
The young elves glared at Solian with intense eyes.
You must live. Somehow, you must!
The future of our Blue Leaf tribe rests on you!
Solian swallowed dryly at that gaze.
Feeling a tiny crack forming in his resolve to endure even death.
Will I be able to do well?
Just as Solian thought that, Jin Chen suddenly asked.
“But I have a question. You said you were young. How old are you?”
“This year I turned two hundred and fifty-three.”
“...You’re about the age of Grandpa Hyunjo.”
“Eh?”
Jin Chen grabbed Solian’s shoulder, who looked bewildered, and said.
“Remember this.”
“Please speak!”
“Follow me. Age!”
“Age!”
“Just a number!”
“Just a number!”
Fortunately, there was no resistance.
There was no choice.
Even if the lifespan difference between humans and elves was enormous, asking an elf about age in the presence of a dragon-subduing monster made no sense.
Moreover, elves did not place great importance on age due to their racial traits.
They were originally a race that did not dwell on such things.
Jin Chen smiled satisfiedly and patted Solian’s shoulder.
“Good! While I stay here, I’ll kill you properly.”
“T-thank you.”
“Thank-you words later. Do it alive.”
“Yes, yes!”
Nodding his head vigorously, Jin Chen turned his body.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on Aria and the female elves who had entered.
Jin Chen approached Solian again and asked in a low voice.
“If you’re two hundred and fifty, how old are Aria and the female elves over there?”
“Ah! Most of them are older than me...”
Solian could not continue.
Because a fruit the size of an adult man’s head had suddenly flown through the air at incredible speed.
Swoooosh!
Solian took the hit straight to the face and rolled backward with his eyes rolled back.
Jin Chen watched the scene calmly and slowly turned his head.
At the end of the trajectory where the fruit had flown, Aria stood.
With an extremely beautiful and radiant expression.
“Amazing, right?”
“What do you mean, my lord?”
“No, just saying.”
“Are you going to eat something?”
“Of course I have to eat.”
Jin Chen returned to his original seat and sent a message to his subordinates.
—Drop the nonsense. Don’t always turn into Nighttong-i.
The bandits flinched at the message.
But only for a moment,
“Please eat this.”
“We were really grateful for the gift you gave us earlier.”
The female elves approached again, and Jin Chen broke into a wide grin.
“Sigh, I don’t know. It’s all their own choices, whatever.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No, just saying.”
“Honestly, I was worried you might be very displeased.”
At Aria’s cautious words, Jin Chen picked up the meat he had been eating and said.
“Why would I be displeased? That’s just natural.”
“Still, isn’t it too much for us to ask...”
“Ah, it’s fine. I planned to pay back with interest.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Thank-you words still come later. The result depends on how much this guy can endure.”
“If it’s Solian, he can do it. He has a strong will.”
“Hm.”
Jin Chen quietly looked at Aria.
At that gaze, Aria stammered and asked.
“W-why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?”
“I was just wondering when you could drink one hundred and fifty years to be called two hundred and fifty.”
“T-that’s...”
When Aria became flustered, Jin Chen continued.
“You still have a lot of time left?”
“Eh?”
“Days to live.”
At the sudden question, Aria hesitated over what to answer.
Jin Chen’s gentle voice pierced Aria’s heart.
“You still have a lot of time left. Then... I’ll find a way to give it to you.”
Without needing to hear what he meant, she knew.
He meant her father Arwen.
“Live your remaining time without being lonely and sad by yourself.”
“Hic... hic...”
A flood of tears she had held back for so long suddenly burst forth.
She had endured the time of maintaining peace as the only High Elf left in the tribe, repeating the thought over and over.
And when she broke down, the other elves who had been trying to fight alongside her also let out tears they had held back.
“Hic... hic...”
The meal table instantly turned into a sea of tears.
Watching that scene, Jin Chen smiled bitterly.
Living a long time also meant sharing many memories.
He knew their grief better than anyone.
Because during the time with his masters, he had lived their lives many times over.
Because of the formation installed by the 1st Sage Cheon-gi-ja.
At first, it was so painful it felt like dying, but later, even those moments became precious.
Because the memories of his masters became his own enlightenment.
And in the end, it remained as deep regret.
Because there were no moments spent together while alive.
Those who had already passed were beyond help, but if there were still people whose life and death were uncertain, he should find them.
Just as Jin Chen thought that and took a sip of the fruit wine,
Whoooooosh!
Suddenly, a warp gate appeared in the center of the village.
And shortly after, a group of beings began pouring out in a rush.
Jin Chen narrowed his brows at them.
“Who are those guys?”