My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"Eh? You two know each other?"

Leon was surprised, his gaze shifting back and forth between the elf girl and Elina.

Elina took a deep breath, then turned to Leon and gave a small nod.

"Yes, Young Master, I know her," she replied honestly. "She's one of my friends from the Elven village. I didn't expect to see her again."

Elina walked over to the elf girl, Nana, and began to examine her condition with concern.

"What happened, Nana? Why did you put yourself in danger? Were you trying to escape from the village?" Elina asked, her voice full of worry.

Nana snapped out of her shock and gazed at Elina in a daze. Then, without warning, she leaped up and hugged her tightly, sobbing.

"Whoa! Elina, I didn't expect you to come back! Don't you know how worried I've been?!" She cried.

Leon's eyes widened at the scene, and he glanced at Elina with a puzzled expression.

"Their relationship seems really close," he thought.

Elina, flustered by Nana's tears, gently patted her back, trying to calm her down.

"Alright, alright, don't cry like that, Nana," she said with a teasing smile. "You're older than me, yet you're crying like an elf who's just turned eighty."

Nana's sobs slowly faded as she pulled away from Elina. She pouted, crossing her arms.

"Hmph! Who's the crybaby? I'm just angry and sad because you left the village without telling me," she protested.

Despite her words, a bright smile appeared on her face as she looked at Elina, relieved to see her friend safe and sound.

Elina lowered her head slightly, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Nana. Back then, I was driven by the eagerness to leave the Forest of Eternal Silence without thinking of the consequences. This is all my fault."

Upon reflection, her decision to run away from the village now seemed quite selfish. It hadn't only caused her sister worry, but it had also hurt those close to her—including Nana, the young elf standing before her.

They had grown up together, sharing a deep friendship.

Her secret departure had clearly saddened Nana, and that made Elina feel a wave of guilt wash over her.

However, she couldn't deny that leaving the village had been an extraordinary experience.

She had seen the beautiful outside world and people who only existed in their legends.

On top of that, she had witnessed things she had never imagined before.

That said, her decision to leave wasn't entirely wrong.

Of course, Elina couldn't admit that in front of Nana or her sister—otherwise, she'd be in serious trouble!

Nana kept smiling and said, "Since you've apologized, I guess I'll reluctantly accept it."

Elina rolled her eyes in annoyance at her friend's shamelessness.

The two of them chatted excitedly, their year-long separation obvious in the warmth of their reunion.

"By the way, Elina," Nana called softly, glancing at Leon, whom they had been neglecting. "Who is that handsome man? Why do you refer to him as 'Young Master'?"

Elina was taken aback by the question. Only then did she realize how thoroughly she had been ignoring Leon!

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat, embarrassed, and turned to Leon with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Young Master. I didn't mean to forget about you. You're not angry, are you?"

Leon smiled casually and waved his right hand. "Don't worry, Elina. I understand. It's been a while since you two saw each other."

Elina sighed in relief and then turned back to Nana, who was now staring at Leon with wide, sparkling eyes.

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as she tapped her forehead in resignation.

"Ouch! I forgot this girl likes handsome men," she thought, shaking her head helplessly.

For some reason, Nana had always been fascinated by handsome men.

When they were little and often played together, Nana would endlessly rave about the most handsome elf in the village, to the point where Elina's ears would turn red from hearing it.

Now, with Leon—a man even handsome by elven standards—standing in front of her, Nana was sure to be even more excited.

Fortunately, Leon's high status ensured that Elina didn't have to worry.

She knew Nana would never dare entertain any thoughts about him.

She leaned in close to Nana's right ear and whispered, "His name is Leon Kruger, and he's human. But I must warn you, he's no ordinary human—he's the Fated One from our legend."

"What!?" Nana's eyes widened in disbelief. "You... you... are you serious, Elina? That handsome man is the Fated One?"

The legend of the Fated One was well known among elves, including Nana. It spoke of a powerful figure destined to kill the evil god who had once nearly destroyed the world.

Nana never imagined the handsome man in front of her was the figure from the legend.

Elina smiled with satisfaction at her reaction, placing her hands on her hips and nodding casually. "Of course. Why would I lie to you?"

However, instead of being shocked or frightened as Elina expected, Nana's face lit up even more with excitement.

She grabbed Elina's hand eagerly and said, "This is amazing! The Fated One is a hero who will save the world. Being one of his wives must be such a blessing, right?"

Elina: "..."

She let out a long sigh, muttering under her breath, "This girl's brain is completely fried..."

Shaking off the thought, Elina took Nana's hand and walked toward Leon.

"Young Master, let me introduce you," she said with a bright smile. "This is my friend."

Nana looked both nervous and excited. She bowed her head and, with a trembling voice, introduced herself: "I-I'm Nana. Thank you for saving me, Fated One, and please forgive my rudeness."

Leon smiled gently and gave a small nod. "Greetings, Nana. Perhaps Elina has already told you, but I'll introduce myself again. I'm Leon Kruger. Just call me Leon."

Nana immediately shook her head. "No, that's not polite! I'll call you Young Master, just like Elina does."

"Fine, as you wish," Leon said with a shrug, not objecting.

His gaze shifted back to Elina, and he asked, "Come on, let's continue our way to the Elf village. But really, have you lost your sense of direction?"

Elina scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "Yes, Young Master, I really did forget."

She sighed, her embarrassment evident. Honestly, she had never left her village before and had always stayed in the palace.

Even when she escaped, she had relied solely on her instincts to find her way.

Fortunately, she had managed to find her way out of the Forest of Eternal Silence, though not by the north side, but rather through the edge of the forest between the west and south sides.

Leon massaged his temples but remained calm. "Alright, don't worry. We'll keep walking. I'm sure you'll sense the elves' presence once we get closer."

"Okay," Elina nodded.

But just then...

"Do you two want to go to the Elf village? I know the way."

Leon and Elina were taken aback. Both turned to Nana, their faces filled with surprise.

"What did you just say? You know where our village is?" Elina asked, skepticism in her voice.

Though Elina wasn't sure of the exact direction to her village, she was certain it was far from here.

The Forest of Eternal Silence was vast, and their settlement only covered a fraction of it.

Nana smiled and nodded confidently. "Of course, Elina. Why would I lie to you?"

She pointed toward the area where the wolf monster had chased her earlier and explained, "You might not realize it, but the wolf chased me because I was out gathering herbs and accidentally crossed its path."

"I ran without a clear direction to escape, but I left markers along the way. The last one is a good distance from here. If we can find it, we'll be on the path to the Elf village."

Elina's excitement grew at Nana's words.

She turned to Leon eagerly. "In that case, let's go look for the marker, Young Master!"

"Okay," Leon said with a smile, nodding in agreement. His gaze turned to Nana. "Sorry to trouble you, Nana. Could you guide us to the last marker?"

Without hesitation, Nana nodded. But as she did, her expression slowly shifted to something more serious.

"But I must warn you," she said cautiously, "the path to the Elf village could be dangerous. I was just chased by that monster wolf. It's possible its pack is already waiting in the direction we're heading."

Though the wolf was a monster, it still lived in packs like any other wolf.

Wolves were protective of each other, and the death of one would surely enrage the pack. They would hunt down the culprit throughout the Forest of Eternal Silence.

Elina crossed her arms confidently, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Hehehe..." She chuckled, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Are you still worried about something so trivial? With the Fated One here, there's no need for concern."

Even though Leon hadn't shown his full strength, Elina was certain he was invincible.

After all, he was the Fated One.

"Oh!" Nana's eyes brightened as she looked at Leon. "Is what Elina said true, Young Master?"

Leon nodded confidently. "Elina is right. Those monsters won't be a problem. You can count on me to protect all of you."

With Leon's assurance, Nana said no more and clenched her hands together in excitement.

"Then, let's move out!"

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A/N: Sorry, just one chapter today. I've been a little busy lately. Thank you!