The old couple looked at Belen with slightly astonished expressions. They hadn't expected that this girl would even know about the saint elves of the Elvin race. However, on another thought, it was no secret, and many people knew about it. So, their expression returned to normal.
"Hehe, Big sister, you even know about the saint elf?" Little Arya giggled. Then her smile vanished from her adorable little face as she nodded with an unwilling expression, "Big sister is right. I'm one of the successors to become the next saint girl of our race."
Belen was dumbfounded by her reaction. Wasn't a saint girl a respectable entity in the Elvin race, and didn't most of the female elves want to become one? Then why she had an unwilling expression?
Although Max and others didn't know what exactly a saint girl was, from Belen's expression, they knew it was someone good. Therefore, they were also bewildered by little Arya's expression. Belen couldn't hold back and asked, "What? Little Arya, Don't tell me you don't want to become the saint girl?"
Arya didn't reply and kept quiet as if she was unwilling to talk. Her brother tugged on her sleeves with a worried expression. Her grandparents, on the other hand, had wry smiles on their faces.
Seeing that little Arya wasn't willing to talk about it and Max and others were curious, the old elf woman spoke, "That's right. Little Arya doesn't want to become the saint girl."
She then glanced at Belen and continued, "As you may know, although the position of saint girl is very much revered in our race, and almost every female elf wants to become one, it isn't easy to actually become one."
After listening to her explanation, Max and the company found out why little Arya was unwilling to become the saint girl.
As it turned out, there can be only one saint girl at one time in the entire Elvin race, and the number of successors is usually in the hundreds because almost every Elvin city has to choose a qualified successor. After that, they have to go through a very difficult and lengthy 'selection process.'
Moreover, the successors have to follow many strict requirements if they want to participate in the selection that happens every hundred years.
If the successors want to participate in the selection process, they aren't allowed to cultivate or interact with people from other races, and after they become 15 years old, they have to be sent to a faraway place where they have to live their lives in seclusion until the next selection process starts.
"Given Arya's playful and curious personality, it is no wonder she isn't willing to live such a tasteless life," Leticia mumbled in realization.
"Elders, didn't you say that her parents are the current lords of your city? If little Arya is unwilling, why don't they elect someone else to represent your city?" Belen asked,
Sigh!
Hearing Belen's question, the old woman sighed dejectedly and said, "It's not that we don't want but can't. The successors have to have the pure bloodline of the Elvin race, and at the time of nomination as a successor, their ages shouldn't exceed ten years. Five years ago, when the successor from our Ninam city was to be nominated, only little Arya was completing both requirements."
Before the old woman could continue, Leticia impatiently interrupted, "Little Arya still has a few years left before she becomes 15 years old and has to be sent to that faraway place. Can't you nominate someone else in this time period?"
"If we could do it, we would have done it a long time ago." The old woman had a helpless expression. She sighed again, "However, we can't because, in our Elvin race, there is a rule since time immemorial that once a successor has been nominated, her identity is sent to the main Elvin city in the central continent, and we can't arbitrarily change the successor."
"Arbitrarily?" Hearing this, Leticia opened her mouth to speak again. However, Belen stopped her.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just then, the group of five elves approached their carriage, and upon seeing the old man, all of them sat on one knee as they bowed toward him and greeted unanimously, "Greetings, lord."
"Rise, kids." The old man smiled. Only when they heard this, that they stand up.
Max and company had surprised expressions on their faces when they saw how respectful these people were to the old man. Wasn't he just a normal old man who couldn't even protect himself against a few two-star mages? Could it be because he was the father of the current city lord's?
"Hehe, big brother, didn't I tell you before that my grandparents are well respected by the people in our city?" Arya giggled when she noticed the change in their expressions.
"Yeah, you did." Rima pinched her adorable cheeks.
"Are you thinking why it is so when he is just an ordinary old man? And maybe because he is the current city lord's father?" It was as if the old woman could see through their thoughts, she asked with a smile.
Everyone smiled embarrassedly after being found out. The old woman shook her head and said, "It's normal for you to think like that. However, your speculation is wrong. The reason why he is respected by the masses in our city is because of his sacrifice toward his people."
After saying this, she sighed and continued, "Until a decade ago, he was a powerful five-star mage and was the previous city lord. However, a decade ago, our city faced a beast tide which was led by three five-star and a few dozen four-star beasts.
At that time, apart from him, there weren't any other five-star mages in the city. To save the city and its people, he alone fought with all three five-star beasts. Even though he was at a disadvantage against three beasts of similar strength, he managed to kill two of the five-star beasts and severely injured the third one." As the old woman said this, her face was brimming with pride, as if she was the one who did that.
However, in the next moment, her face turned sad, "Unfortunately, by the time the fight came to an end, he was also severely injured, and his Mana core had shattered. From then on, he became an ordinary man."
Hearing this, Max and others sighed regretfully. They hadn't expected that this 'ordinary' man who they had saved from the dark mages' lair had such a glorious past.
After a few seconds, the old woman's expression returned to normal, and she smiled, "Because of his sacrifice, everyone in the city respects him a lot, even more than the current city lord."
"He deserves that respect." Rima emotionally said.
...
"My lord, have you found the saint girl?" The group of five anxiously asked as they tried to look back into the carriage.
"Yeah, we found her." The old man smiled, "You guys continue your duty." Saying this, the old man flogged the horses, and the carriage continued toward the city.
The guards sighed in relief when they heard the old man's words and gave way to the carriage. Following this, one of them took out a small crystal, injected his Mana and said, "Commander, Lord Raku has returned with saint girl."
...
After a few hours, when it was dusk, the carriage finally arrived at its destination.
"We've arrived, kids." The old man said.
When Max and others looked out from the carriage, they found themselves in front of a majestic city gate. It was quite huge, and many elves with spears and swords in their hands were patrolling around it.
When they noticed the carriage, everyone became alert. However, as it neared them and they saw the old man driving it, all of them revealed respectful expressions and kneeled on one knee and shouted, "Welcome, my lord."
"Tch, you guys are too loud." Before the old man could say anything, little Arya cocked her head out and shouted in her angelic voice.
"Welcome back, saint girl." Everyone bowed toward little Arya.
"Rise." The old man nodded and smiled at them before he drove the carriage inside the city.
"Thank god saint girl is unharmed!"
"What did I say that she will be alright since lord Raku had gone to look for her."
"Yeah, however, why can't I see others who went with lord Raku?"
"Did they encounter some problem?"
After the carriage had entered the city gates, discussions broke out among the patrolling guards.
