On the way back to Leirel, Nili and I said goodbye to the group of adventurers. But I don't know if out of curiosity, because she saw me using my artifacts or because  I paid them the full reward (despite the fact that I completed the quest myself), Cornelia insisted on joining my tower.

A magician's tower is their base of operations, basically a mini-kingdom, where, in addition to servants, magic knights, and magic soldiers, there are also retainers. The most significant difference between the latter and the servants is that the word is used specifically for a magician who is subordinate to another.

Cornelia's proposal was for when I had a tower in the future; her surprise was great when she found out I already had one. However, I told her that I would call for her in the future.

I didn't want to indefinitely leave the [Infinity Tower] so close to Leirel. I trusted its ability to stay hidden, but leaving it so close to another seat of power wasn't a good idea. Of course, with "another seat of power," I mean Leirel itself, which was the capital of Forlan and, at the same time, an extension of the royal house's magicians' tower.

It wasn't illegal if you paid the necessary taxes, but it could be considered an affront if you weren't part of the kingdom's nobility.

Now, about the reason why we had parted ways with Cornelia's group. It was because Nili wanted us to go to a nearby place called "The Forest of The Moon Lake."

The community of elves in Forlan was not particularly large, but even so, with the crown's permission, they administered unique places in the kingdom. This forest was one of them, and they used it for different types of rituals. One of the most important was the union between magicians and their magic knights.

For these times, this was a contract as important as the marriage one and could only be broken with the death of one of the parties. The elves took it particularly seriously, and Nili insisted we do it in that forest.

The magical contract that I knew consisted of exchanging a few words while the magic circulated through the body of the concerned individuals (directed by the magician, of course). Still, I did not hesitate to accept her request.

I wanted to show her that there were no problems with her asking me for things since, after knowing my identity, she was too meek for the rest of that day, and it made me nervous.

Upon reaching the forest, we headed to a small wooden temple built around a gigantic oak tree (almost as big as the one where Leafly was born). The structure's walls were carved with reliefs representing different elven runes and were also decorated with vines and flowers.

The doors opened, and an old elf with a long beard came out to greet us. Since he was a bearded elf, I would say he was around eighteen hundred years old or so.

In the ancient stories, before the end of the world, the elves could live the same amount of years as I have lived and more. But in real life, it seems that their estimated life span is about two thousand years. That was why living with the elves was not an option for me either.

But with my magic knights, it would be different. After thousands of years, I now have artifacts to extend their lives, at least until I can get divine magic. Then, I can finally end my immortality.

Of course, it's not like I'm thinking of dying anytime soon.

The old elf's step was slow but determined; he approached and looked at us with a serious expression.

"A human and an elf... It's an unusual combination. Young girl, are you sure..."

The old elf seemed to want to ask Nili something, but he fell silent when he saw my face carefully. He rubbed his eyes, and surprised, he hastened to give a bow.

"Your Excellency, it is an honor to be in your presence again," the old elf said, raising his head.

I wasn't worried about hiding my identity in those moments; we were still quite far from Leirel after all, but even so, being recognized took me by surprise.

"Excuse me, elder, I'm not good at remembering faces…"

"Please, no need to apologize, Your Excellency; I never introduced myself to you; besides, I was only a child at the time."

"Then your memory amazes me, elder." It wasn't a lie; honestly, it's hard for me to remember what I ate last week, and although using [Morpheus's Pillow] makes my head spin, there are many things I would have already forgotten without it... But this elder of the elves remembers events from almost two thousand years ago; is it normal for them?…

"Please call me Lefindor; I don't have the right to be called an elder by you," the old elf laughed. "Now, when I saw Your Excellency, my first impression was that you had come to perform a magical union and make this girl without affinity a magic knight... but I must have been wrong. Is it a simple servitude contract?"

It is impressive that Lefindor knew Nili had no magic affinity just by looking.

"That would be the most appropriate, considering my lord's identity…" Nili said, lowering her head in depression.

"No, Lefindor, we did come to make Nilithien Thindelor my magic knight, my first, actually," I said as I placed my hand on the head of the sad elf. She looked at me with teary eyes, and her smile returned.

First of all, I wouldn't go that far for a simple servitude contract. That contract is basically to prevent the servant from escaping, and it is used for prisoners captured in war or for some other special reason. Ordinary servants beg to be accepted; no one would think of escaping.

"It's an honor that Your Excellency chose someone of my race as a magic knight and the first one on top…" But after these words, the elderly elf began to think of something. "Thindelor, I see..."

"Did something happen?" The elf seemed to remember something when he heard Nili's surname. To tell the truth, at the time, I also thought I had heard it before.

"Ah, no, it's nothing, Your Excellency; I don't dare talk with crude theories. Please wait a second; I'll return with the magic items needed for the ritual."

Almost as if he wanted to run away, the old elf withdrew much faster than he had approached, leaving me and Nili intrigued.

But hey, it's rude to insist, and if it was something important, even with my lousy memory, I trust that I'll remember it in due time.