Heck, Daniel even felt like that man might already know someone else had gotten the Legacy.
So to throw off the scent, it was best to create chaos centered around the mountain. That way, both Ilaris and himself would stay safe.
Of course, he didn't know if his plan would work—and at best, it was just a precaution. For all he knew, the man might already be dead.
Leo didn't respond immediately and fell silent. A branch of the World Tree wasn't something he could decide on by himself.
This was something that had to be reported to the highest authorities of the Central Plains.
If what this boy said was true, Leo was sure that the higher-ups would be willing to start a war rather than hand over that branch.
"Young man, I need to report this to the UFG. Until then, I'd appreciate it if you stayed in my estate."
"No problem. In fact, I've been here for a month already and was planning to head out for a day or two anyway."
Leo nodded. That was even better — now he didn't have to worry about these kids running off.
After that, they said goodbye to Leo and left his room. A servant guided them to their rooms.
However, instead of heading to their own rooms, Ilaris and Andreas followed Daniel.
"Why did you tell them the truth?" Andreas asked without hesitation once they entered Daniel's room.
"Ah, it was necessary. If we had made up any excuse, they most likely would've handed over Ilaris. Sure, the Central Plains are known for their chivalry, but people in my world aren't idiots."
"Keeping Ilaris without knowing the truth wouldn't benefit them. It could even damage their relationship with the elves. So naturally, they would've given her up. But now? Now they won't hand her over under any circumstances." Daniel had expected this question and explained.
"Makes sense." Andreas and Ilaris exchanged a glance. Honestly, they hadn't thought it through that far.
"Can I ask what the UFG is?" This time, the female Dark Elf asked.
"UFG stands for the United Federation of Guilds. It's a global organization that oversees the activities of guilds in my world," Daniel replied.
The Guardian Council wasn't the only global organization. Various global structures were needed for different functions. The Guardian Council was just the most powerful of them.
The United Federation of Guilds was one such international organization. Its job was to oversee all guilds, prevent corruption, maintain healthy competition, and balance power.
"What are you planning to do for the next two days?"
"Like I said, I've been inside the Celestial Domain for a month now. I need to leave for a bit to check on my family's situation."
"Don't do anything suspicious during that time. It's better if you just train or hang around the city. Once I'm back, we'll find a way to escape," Daniel warned them.
"Escape? Why should we escape?" Ilaris asked in surprise.
"Even though I'm sure they won't hand you over to the elves, there's still a chance they might arrest you. Plus, I don't feel like sticking around until the whole mess is over. So it's better to just escape."
"But they know who we are and—" Andreas started but then noticed the mask on Daniel's face.
A fake name and a mask.
"Damn, they don't know your identity," he sighed. Now it made sense why Daniel had been faking his identity the whole time.
"Exactly. They don't know who I am," Daniel laughed.
"But what about me and Andreas? They've seen our faces and know who we are," Ilaris asked with a frown.
"Andreas is a descendant of the Lionheart family. Once he goes back home, no one will dare touch him. As for you… hmm." Daniel scratched his chin with his hand.
The only one truly in trouble here was Ilaris, and honestly, Daniel didn't have a solution for her.
If they escaped, Ilaris would definitely get caught one day.
Ahem ahem "If you want, you can come with me," Andreas suddenly faked a few coughs and said with a bit of embarrassment.
"What? I can really come with you?" Ilaris looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"Yeah… Anyway, when my family finds out that the elves were responsible for the deaths of two of their children, a conflict will definitely break out between the two sides. I don't think they'd mind protecting you just to spite them," Andreas said, his face turning a bit red from seeing her beautiful eyes.
"Thank you so much!" Ilaris said cheerfully.
"No problem."
"Well, looks like your problem is solved too." Daniel had been listening with a smile.
"Now if you don't mind, get lost. I've got things to do. We'll talk when I get back," he said politely — but it was clearly a "get lost."
"See you later. Just don't disappear for another month again," they said their goodbyes and left him alone.
Before leaving the Celestial Domain, Daniel changed his clothes. He also left one of his Fallen behind in case anything happened and he needed to be contacted.
[Are you sure you want to leave the Celestial Domain?]
Without hesitation, Daniel clicked on Yes. A beam of light appeared between the sky and ground and swallowed him up.
The next moment, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in his bedroom.
"Finally." He collapsed onto his bed. Even though he hadn't really felt the passing of that month, it still felt good to be home.
He glanced at the clock on his desk and saw that it was Wednesday, 7 a.m.
"They're probably eating breakfast now," he thought to himself and suddenly sensed two auras appearing in front of him.
"Greetings, my lord." Naturally, it was Azrak and Pride, who immediately appeared upon sensing his return.
"Take it easy. You two can go rest for now. I'll ask about everything that happened later," Daniel said and canceled their summoning.
His sister would be leaving for school in half an hour, and he wanted to talk to his family before that.