An awkward silence filled the room until Syltharia decided to break it.
"Well, I don't know what you're imagining, but it's not what you think," said Syltharia, trying to clear any strange ideas from the boy's mind.
"Then why am I almost naked and the two of you are staring at me?" Zephyr asked, still bewildered, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the two women.
"How rude to assume such absurd things, when Lady Syltharia saved your life. You should be grateful," Lirael said in a serious tone.
Zephyr raised his eyebrows for a moment, but upon noticing his bandaged torso, he realized he had misinterpreted the situation. His gaze shifted again to his chest and other parts of his body, which were covered with bandages.
"You healed me?" Zephyr asked, looking at Syltharia, somewhat embarrassed.
"Yes. We found you in the river, on the verge of death, so I healed you and brought you here," Syltharia replied calmly.
"Wow... I apologize for assuming something I shouldn't have," Zephyr said, slightly bowing his head, both to apologize and because, hearing the girl referred to as "Lady," he assumed she had a high status, and it was better to be respectful. He didn't want to risk anything.
"Don't worry. We're strangers to you, and you're in an unfamiliar place. It's normal to assume such things," Syltharia smiled with understanding.
Zephyr thought to himself: This girl is quite understanding.
"So, where am I?" he asked, looking around.
"You're in elven territory... in one of our service rooms," Syltharia replied.
"Oh, I see," Zephyr said as he tried to get out of bed. A small pain in his ribs reminded him that he wasn't fully healed.
As he walked toward the window, Zephyr stopped, impressed by the view: gigantic trees and houses built upon them, connected by suspended bridges. There were also dwellings on the ground, but what surprised him most was the beauty of the landscape. He was captivated by the sight.
"Do you like what you see?" Syltharia asked, observing his reaction.
"Yes... it's the first time I've seen anything so beautiful," Zephyr replied sincerely.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Not only the nature, but the people, the elves, all with an otherworldly beauty that seemed to blend perfectly with the environment. It was fascinating, almost surreal.
"Well, it's normal in the human territory. It's not as beautiful as the elven territory," Lirael added.
"Is that so?" Zephyr replied without looking at her.
"You're human, aren't you? You should know," Lirael responded.
"Oh, right. Maybe you're right," Zephyr, in reality, didn't know anything about human territory. After all, it had only been a few hours since he transmigrated to this world. Practically everything was new to him.
"By the way, what's your name?" Syltharia asked, introducing herself politely. "My name is Syltharia Velathis."
"My name is Zephyr," he replied courteously.
"Zephyr? Just Zephyr, or do you have a last name?" Syltharia asked. It wasn't unusual for some humans to be without last names, as that was often a trait of commoners.
Zephyr was about to say his last name from his previous life but remembered that the body he had possessed already had one.
"Blackthorne. Zephyr Blackthorne," he finally replied.
"Blackthorne?" Syltharia said, trying to recall any high-status family in human territory. Although she had studied it, she couldn't remember any prominent family named Blackthorne.
But that didn't matter to her.
"Well, nice to meet you, Zephyr," she said, smiling.
"Likewise, Syltharia," he replied. As he did, Syltharia's eyebrows raised slightly. It was unusual for people to address her by her first name alone. Due to her status, only her parents and siblings did so, so it was a bit uncommon for her.
"Is something wrong?" Zephyr asked, noticing her reaction.
"No, nothing's wrong," she replied calmly. She didn't mind being called by her name alone; it was just not usual.
However, for Lirael, the loyal servant, this change was notable. She thought of telling the human boy that he should address Syltharia more respectfully, as she was a princess, but Syltharia had overlooked that little detail.
"Now, Zephyr, can we talk about the guardian Fennaris's blessing?" Syltharia asked, smiling as she pointed to the left side of Zephyr's chest, where there was a fox mark.
"Fennaris? Oh, that's her name," Zephyr said aloud, looking at the mark on his chest and recalling the encounter with the fox, now named Fennaris.
"How did you obtain the blessing?" Syltharia asked, curious.
"Oh, well, I met Fennaris in a dream. She said the blessing would be useful to me," Zephyr replied honestly. He had no reason to hide it; after all, Syltharia had saved his life and seemed to know the guardian fox.
"She manifested in your dream?" Syltharia said, surprised. That was extremely rare; very few had the privilege of speaking with Fennaris, much less seeing her in person.
"Yes, she didn't say much. She just asked me to grow stronger and assured me that her blessing would help with that," Zephyr replied, noticing the girls' reactions to the mention of the blessing. It seemed to hold great value for them, and he was willing to take advantage of that.
"So Fennaris herself gave you advice... that's incredible," Syltharia said, lightly touching her chin. As she did, Zephyr noticed that she had the same mark on her hand as he did.
"Syltharia, do you also have Fennaris's blessing?" Zephyr asked, glancing at her hand.
"Yes, I also have Fennaris's blessing, although I didn't have the privilege of seeing her in person," Syltharia replied with a small smile.
"Well, that makes me feel special," Zephyr said, returning her smile. "Is there anything I should know about this blessing? Any kind of... responsibility?"
Syltharia nodded, her expression becoming a bit more serious.
"Fennaris's blessing is rare and powerful. It grants a special connection with nature and unique strength. Only those whom she chooses can receive it. Its purpose is to protect and balance the elven territory," she explained. "But don't worry, it doesn't mean you're committing to anything here. The blessing will simply strengthen your spirit and abilities."
"I understand," Zephyr replied, feeling a slight relief. Even though he had just arrived in this world, something inside him seemed to resonate with this mission of protection. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Lirael, who had been listening silently, stepped forward.
"It will be interesting to see how you use that power, Zephyr. In our territory, we value willpower and spirit. Perhaps Fennaris saw something special in you."
Zephyr laughed, shrugging.
"Special? I'm not so sure about that, but I'll do my best."
Syltharia smiled again, this time with a touch of warmth.
"Don't worry, you'll have time. We'll help you discover what you need to know."
With those words, the atmosphere in the room lightened, and silence returned. Zephyr felt, for the first time since his arrival, that he wasn't completely alone in this world. He looked at Syltharia and Lirael, who seemed willing to support him.
The conversation was suddenly interrupted when a message appeared before Zephyr, floating in the air like an unexpected reminder.
[System]: Would the host like to view the rewards for defeating the Scarlet Fang and surviving?
Zephyr blinked, surprised, while the message remained, insistent and tempting.