I looked at the Elf Queen with sincerity and honesty locked in my eyes.
What churned in my heart was a question I needed answers to so desperately.
"What happened to your sister, Emilia?"
Aurora looked slightly stunned for a moment, staring at me with a bit of puzzlement.
"A-ah, I read about her in Lewis Griffith's Memoirs, so I was curious. It seems he had some regrets about her. I also... want to know how she ended. Perhaps as a form of closure..."
I wasn't sure if Aurora bought that, but, I certainly hoped she did.
While I had said a bunch of bullshit as excuses, it was true that I wanted to know what became of Emilia.
Even though I never saw her ever since that day, I did hear of her. Still, it wasn't anything definite.
The one thing I learned, though, was that the visit of my comrades that very day... was all because of her.
The information on Arcanas that they supposedly deciphered was all done by her.
She was the one who orchestrated the whole plan of having my friends lift me from my slump.
I owed everything to her. So, if only I could see her one more time and—
"Emilia is dead. She died about a hundred years ago."
"... Uh...?"
Something within me broke.
"H-how...?"
"What do you mean, how? We Elves aren't immortal, you know? Our time comes eventually. Even I... will probably not live for another century."
I smiled, quickly switching gears before my sadness could be deciphered.
"Surely you jest, my Queen. You are still in optimal condition."
"Huhu. Is that so? We shall see, then."
Elves knew their time more than others. Aurora was most likely right.
"H-how was her final moments? What was it like?"
I knew it was severely rude and intrusive to ask something like that about the Elf Queen's dead sister, but, I couldn't help myself at this point.
"Huu... come with me." Aurora stood from where she sat.
I followed her lead instantly, and we walked out of the room.
Once again, we began walking through the corridors.
"I'll tell you what you want to know once we get to our destination."
"I-I see. Where exactly are we going?"
Surely it couldn't be Emilia's dead body, right?
Royal Elves were buried with the Sacred Tree after death—and their bodies would dissipate afterward.
Was there an exception for my wife?
"I told you I have a favor I need to ask of you. No, it's more like a task. We're heading there."
"Oh. I see..." I muttered, realizing it probably had nothing to do with my concerns about Emilia.
We stepped out into the courtyard and I felt the sun hit my face and body.
"We're heading over there." Aurora pointed in the direction of a huge building at the corner of the massive Palace Grounds.
It looked like a residential building, but something about it seemed off.
"Are we going to visit someone?" I asked.
"Yeah. Something like that." Even though I had been asking so many questions that would seem rude, Aurora didn't have a tinge of annoyance as she answered.
We walked slowly and steadily until we got to the entrance of the building.
Elf Guards were stationed around the luxurious building—something akin to a mini Palace—and I could sense layers of Magic enchantments flowing within and around the structure.
Whatever was inside this place must have been highly valuable!
"We're going in," Aurora told the Guards, and they nodded instantly.
Parting from the door and bowing respectfully, they allowed us entry.
Even though I only stole a few glances at them, I could tell that all the guards stationed here... were strong!
'They're on the same level as the Professors of Ainzlark.'
Not only that, but their pieces of equipment and Spirit Weapons were of top quality as well.
That proved these weren't mere guards. Even Royal forces weren't usually this powerful.
'They must belong to a special unit. As I thought, there's something special about this place...'
We entered the door and found ourselves in a corridor.
It was dimly illuminated, but the room was more expansive than I thought—probably thanks to Magic.
"I would like you to observe first, as I tell you what you want to know. Then, I'll explain the nature of my request to you."
It sounded fair enough, but Aurora's tone contained some emotion.
I slightly felt uneasy as we walked down the corridor. There were a few doors to our left and right, but we kept moving onward.
Aurora murmured something like "She should be in the workshop at this time...," so I surmised that was where we were heading to.
I could see an expanse covered in a glass-like structure at the end of the hallway.
Within it seemed like a vast workshop of some kind.
Machinery that would be alien to the Elf Kingdom were openly displayed here, and I could also notice some activity within the glass-protected room.
"All sound is blocked from going on and coming out, so you won't hear anything going on inside, but... this much should be enough for you to see..."
Her murmur contained slight hesitation, but I could sense her resolve.
Aurora and I finally arrived directly in front of the glass construct that stretched for a long distance—like castle walls that barricaded the interior of a compound.
The color was transparent, so the covering didn't prevent us from seeing what went on beyond it.
'This stuff is enchanted with several layers of Magic, though...' My thoughts trailed in observation.
And so, I looked in shock and awe—wondering how devices of such caliber would be allowed in Elven territory.
Magic Tech was something Elves avoided, yet this room was abundant with it.
But, just as I was still basking in my puzzlement, I noticed a lone figure amid the pieces of technology around.
This single being was the only living person in the room—though I could see some Automatons moving about.
'Who is that?'
