When Leon looked across the hill, he could finally see them. The elves that Roberta sensed. Six women, five children, and four elderly elves who still looked somewhat young. By the look of it and their olive skin, they were southern elves, the same ones humans waged war on fifty years ago.
The war had already ended, but both the elves and humans hated each other, as the reason for the conflict was never solved. Both sides just agreed to live in peace after the war had caused more damage than expected to both sides.
Elves despised humans who burned, cut, and destroyed the forests to build fortresses and cities. Humans, on the other hand, were furious when they found that the elves enslaved humans and kept them as pets due to how short their lifespan is.
Elves lived ten times longer than humans, so a ninety-years-old elf is equivalent to a nine-years-old human child. Any of those kids that Leon could see is far older than most humans.
Now there was the big problem. Would they even be willing to talk to Leon, or would they just see him as a stray pup that's ugly cute? The only way to know was to approach them, and so he did, slowly and carefully.
But the moment he got within a hundred meters of them, the elderly elves all looked toward him as their ears twitched. "Who's there!? I know you're not a monster!" One of them shouted.
Elves' ears weren't just for show. They boasted a hearing several times sharper than humans', and their eyesight was just as good, making them excellent scouts and archers.
With a smile on his face, Leon walked out of the bushes with both of his hands up. "I'm not a bad human." But of course, the moment the elves saw him, their guard went up immediately. The women who were armed with swords took the front, the elderly pulled bows, and even the children picked rocks and slingshots.
As Leon was confused, the elves looked horrified to the bones. He didn't notice it himself, but just three meters behind him, Roberta stood half-hidden in the shadows, glaring at the elves with a sharp, murderous glare, and she was the reason they were so horrified.
The elves had lived long enough to tell with just one look. If Leon looked like a cute little Bichon that was well-mannered, Roberta behind him was a giant, wild, and rabid wolf filled with scars and reeking of blood.
"What... do you want from us?" One of the elderly elves finally managed to speak, and it was then that Leon noticed they were looking behind him. He turned and saw Roberta menacingly eying everyone from the darkness and immediately told her to stop.
Leon cleared his throat and approached them. "As I said, I'm not here to harm you. Me and my friends..." As he said that, Roberta growled behind him. "Servants."
"My servants and I are moving up north. You guys looked to be in trouble, so I just wanted to make sure you're all right and tell you that there is a city nearby." He pointed toward the city of Dias, where they had just come from.
Elderly elves looked at each other and then shifted their attention back to Roberta, and they even managed to sense Noel and Beatrice, who were hiding far back in the trees.
"We were there yesterday, and they refused to take us in. Humans don't take too kindly to our kind, so we're seeking the northern lord who's known to be friendly to the elves." Leon had heard of the northern lord, and he is seeking her protection as well. There are even rumors that she has a Lord-class skill.
"Won't it have been easier to go south? To the land of the southern elves?" Since they were southern elves, that only made sense, but they all looked down. "We... moved here when the efforts to establish peace started. It was the first step for the elves and humans to coexist, but... to many southern elves, we're traitors. A band of bandits burned our village to the ground. The men stayed back to fight, and we're all that survived."
At that moment, one of the kids asked. "Why are you going north?" His mother immediately shut him up and closed his mouth. "Don't talk... let the elders do it."
Hearing that, Leon scratched the back of his head. "Well, let's say I had a bit of a problem with the Lord Family of Dias, and I ended up getting kicked out. They even tried to kill me." He shrugged. "Now, I'm heading north just like you. Want to tag along?"
Roberta approached him. "They'll slow us down. All of the elderly have old wounds and some even limp. One of the women looks pregnant, and the kids' feet are already bleeding from walking too much. They won't make it past the mountains." She didn't try to lower her voice, and when the elves heard her, they all looked down.
She wasn't wrong. Only death awaited them. They were lucky that they could avoid monsters thanks to their powerful hearing and eyesight, but that wouldn't last long.
Going with Leon would mean enjoying Roberta's protection, so they at least won't need to fear monsters. To them, the benefit of going with Leon was clear, but it wasn't the same for Leon, and that's what Roberta didn't understand.
"They'll slow us down." She looked at Leon, and he nodded. "I know, but they'll help us survive more easily. You'll eventually need to sleep. We need to forage for food. Having more people will increase our options. Also, the Giant eagles of the mountain range don't attack large groups of people. If we go there on our own, we will be swarmed."
Roberta smiled. "Well, do what you want, my Lord." But Leon just cringed when he heard her. "Who are you calling your lord?"
She ignored him and approached the elves. "You heard what Lord Leon had to say. We will move together until we cross the mountains. In the meantime, I expect you all to obey him. A group without a leader can't survive for long."
The old elves hesitated to let a young human order them around, but as they wanted Roberta's protection for the children, they were forced to bow their heads. "We understand."
Leon smiled and looked around. "First, we should fix our current situation. Roberta, you said the kid's feet are inflamed from walking too much? There should be a flower that grows around those parts that helps reduce inflammation. It's small, has blue petals, and grows in the shade." He pointed at three of the women and two of the elderly elves. "You all go search for it. Gather as much as you find in less than half an hour."
He then turned to the kids, "I know you are hurt, but for now, see all of those berry bushes? The ripe berries that are red are edible; gather as much as you can, eat your fill, and bring them back here."
He then looked at the other three women. "You three collect large aldar leaves." He pointed at the banana-like leaves. "We'll use those as bandages." Leon then threw a glance at Roberta. "Can you catch us something to eat? Drain the blood before you bring them here." He didn't want the elves to see what her skill does, and that's why he asked her to drain the blood before bringing the hunt here.
In less than five minutes, Roberta had managed to locate and catch three large rabbits and brought them to Leon, where he, Noel, and the remaining elves' elders skinned and cooked them on open flames.
It seems that they didn't eat anything in days, and had even failed to tend to their own wounds as they lacked knowledge of the local fauna and how to use it.
After taking care of everyone and making sure they were well rested and fed, they headed north to cross the mountains.