AS Noah continued roaming through the bustling marketplace, he noticed a gathering of people in one corner of the marketplace. Intrigued, he moved toward the crowd to see what was happening. Lilith, Bella, and Ronald followed him closely. With his imposing presence, Ronald made his way through the mass of people, clearing a path for Noah.
When Noah reached the front, the sight before him was shocking. A little girl, barely older than him, lay on the ground. Her dark skin and ragged clothes were covered in blood. A middle-aged man towered over her, his fists still clenched as if ready to strike again.
The girl had suffered numerous blows. There was a large gash on her forehead, and her back was marred with deep cuts. Her lower abdomen was bruised severely, and the blood loss from that wound alone could be fatal if not treated soon. The girl, though on the brink of death, was still being beaten mercilessly.
Noah couldn't stand it any longer. Without thinking, he darted forward, placing himself between the shopkeeper and the bloodied child.
"How dare you?!" Noah yelled, pointing a finger directly at the shopkeeper. "How dare you commit murder in broad daylight! Aren't you afraid of the law?"
The shopkeeper's face turned red with anger. "What do you know, kid?" he spat. "She's a thief! She stole bread from my stall!"
Noah glanced to the side and saw the small, blood-soaked bun lying near the girl. His heart sank as he looked back at her frail, unconscious body. His anger only grew.
"A bun? You're killing someone for a bun?" Noah's voice trembled with disbelief.
The shopkeeper sneered. "It's not just about the bread. If she were any other child, I might've let it go, but she's a dark elf! She contaminated my entire stall. Everything she touched is ruined. Do you have any idea what kind of loss that is for me? Her life's not even worth that!"
Noah turned back to the girl, really seeing her now. Her dark skin, the pointed ears—it all made sense. She was a dark elf, a race despised by many in Elysiom. No wonder the shopkeeper was so enraged. No one would buy food from a stall that a dark elf had touched.
Still, Noah couldn't stomach the sight of an innocent child being beaten to death in the middle of a crowded marketplace, and no one doing a thing to stop it. Even the city guards had turned a blind eye.
Before his mind could spiral any further, a soft, familiar voice brought him back to the moment.
"Do you want to save her, my son?" It was his mother, Lilith.
Noah looked up at her, hope glimmering in his eyes. "Yes, Mother. Please."
Lilith's expression was gentle but serious. "She's a dark elf, Noah. A creature of darkness."
"So what?" Noah countered. "She's a child, just like me. She hasn't done anything wrong! Why should she die because of her race?"
Lilith sighed, her gaze softening at her son's earnestness. "Alright," she said finally. "As you wish."
Without needing further direction, Bella stepped forward, kneeling beside the unconscious girl. From a pouch at her waist, she produced a small vial filled with a shimmering green liquid. As she uncorked it, the shopkeeper's face twisted with disbelief.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" he shouted. "Why waste such a precious potion on a worthless elf?"
Before he could get any closer, Ronald stepped in front of him, his towering form casting a long shadow. The shopkeeper recoiled, recognizing the cold, stern look in Ronald's eyes.
Bella ignored the chaos around her and gently lifted the girl's head, prying her mouth open before pouring the potion in. The green liquid glowed briefly as it began to work its magic. The girl's bleeding stopped almost immediately, and the wounds on her body slowly knitted themselves together. Though her injuries had healed, she still looked weak, her body gaunt and malnourished.
"She's safe now," Lilith said, turning to Noah. "She won't die."
Noah nodded, but he didn't move. He continued to stare at the unconscious girl, her small frame lying in the dirt. Though healed, she still lay vulnerable. His mind raced. Even if they left now, what would happen to her? The shopkeeper might try to kill her again, or perhaps someone else. She'd starve in the streets if left alone. It was his first encounter with a fantasy race. He did not wanted to end it like this.
Lilith noticed the troubled expression on her son's face. "What's wrong, Noah?" she asked gently.
Noah hesitated, then spoke, his voice quieter. "Mother... we can't just leave her here. She's still in danger. What if someone else attacks her, or she dies of hunger?"
Lilith watched her son carefully. "What do you propose we do?"
"Take her with us," Noah replied, his voice hesitating. "We could bring her to the mansion. She could be trained as a maid, maybe even as my personal maid."
Bella, who had just risen from tending to the girl, suddenly looked disheartened. "Young master," she said softly, "have I failed you in some way? Why would you replace me?"
"No! No, I didn't mean it like that!" Noah hurried to explain, flustered. "I just meant... there's no one my age at the estate. I get lonely sometimes. Having someone like her around might be nice."
Lilith studied Noah's expression for a long moment, then sighed softly. "Very well. If that's what you want."
Though she agreed outwardly, her mind was already forming a plan. Dark elves, despite their cursed reputation, were a combat race, naturally gifted in magic and battle. This girl could be trained, molded into a protector for Noah, someone loyal enough to lay down her life if the need arose. Lilith would ensure it.
With a subtle nod from Lilith, Bella moved toward the girl once more. With a flick of her wrist, the dirt and grime that coated the child's body disappeared, leaving her clean. Bella then gently lifted the girl into her arms, cradling her carefully.
Ronald, ever the vigilant protector, signaled to the knights who had seperated from them earlier and have been watching from a distance. As they made their way to a quieter part of the marketplace where their carriage waited, they left the scene unnoticed by the crowd.
Once inside the carriage, Noah glanced at the unconscious dark elf, relieved that she was safe for now. The road back to the mansion was silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Noah's mind swirled with possibilities, while Lilith's plan to train the girl solidified further.
They were bringing the dark elf girl home—but her fate, and her future, was far from certain.