Forming a magic-binding seal was not easy. There were more than a few rules one needed to follow while doing that.

But the most important one was that the caster needed to have stronger magic than the one they were sealing.

This single requirement made it impossible for most people to stop Kael, even when he had been younger.

The young elf in front of him reminded Kael of his younger self and he could not help but chuckle.

"W-What are you laughing at?" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The elf asked in a tense and suspicious voice, and even that sounded familiar to Kael, making him shake his head fondly.

"It is nothing. I am just recalling something from my past that I had forgotten. As for you...I completed your seal. No magical energy should leak out for now. But I still don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone."

Kael looked around the small cave, only to see that it barely had any necessities inside. It was a miracle a kid had managed to survive for as long as he did...

How long had this half-elf been here?

"I...don’t want to leave this place. Thank you for your help, but you can leave now. I will survive on my own somehow."

The half-elf promised as he looked around his home with a resigned expression.

There was a desire to head out clearly written on the kid’s face. And yet, he chose to stay here in this cave? It smelled of bullshit and conspiracy.

Kael felt like he had to get to the bottom of this situation.

But first, he needed to take this kid out of here, even if he had to lie.

"You want to stay here? I am afraid that I cannot allow that. I don’t know how much you are aware of what is going on, but your uncontrolled powers caused the nearby village to get attacked by monsters. They will tear you apart if they realize what is happening."

Kael warned the kid, and he watched the child flinch before becoming determined.

"That’s fine! I will still wait here-!"

"This is getting ridiculous. I am sorry, kid, but you are coming with me. And no, I am not giving you a choice. I saved your life, so I am responsible for your safety now."

Kael grabbed the small child by the back of his collar and used magic to drag him out.

He almost flinched as he felt the elf’s magic pushing back at him. The darkness that clouded the magic felt like corruption, which made Kael pause.

This kid...was too young to have such muddied magic. It was clear that someone else had a hand in what was happening.

’Is this...an experiment of some kind? But who could be powerful and cruel enough to try something like this?’

Unfortunately, more than a few names came to Kael’s mind at this question. But he chose to ignore them and focus on the kid in his arms instead.

"Hey, let me go! I am not coming with you! I said...let me go!"

The kid protested, but Kael was not going to listen to him at the moment. He had much more important matters to deal with.

He reached the village and immediately noticed that it was quiet.

Most of the monsters had been taken care of by his companions, and a few had decided to run away before they could be killed.

This was not normal behavior for mindless monsters. However, now that he knew these monsters’ origin, he could understand their behavior - they were mimicking the actions their creator would take in such a situation.

"What...happened to this village?"

The kid in Kael’s arms asked as he looked at the destruction caused by the monsters.

Most homes were barely standing and looked like they would collapse at any second, but at least the people looked alive for the most part.

"What happened here?"

The kid in Kael’s arms seemed to be losing his will to fight slowly...which was a little surprising.

Kael had expected the half-elf to be standoffish and rude due to his displayed behavior. But maybe his first impression had been a bad one.

’Hmm, this kid can still show remorse, which means he has not been corrupted completely. Maybe he still has a chance to live.’

Leon was the first person to notice that he was back, but he also noticed the half-elf in Kael’s arms. And it was clear to see that Leon was not happy about the new addition.

"Hey, what’s that? Did you pick up another useless thing? Take it back to where you found it."

This was not a request but a demand. Something about the half-elf had touched a nerve in Leon, and he was taking it out on the poor kid. It made Kael feel bad for the child, who was flinching in his arms.

’Is it just me, or is Leon too on edge? Did something happen while I was gone?’

It did not seem to be the case, but somehow, Leon felt a little stressed at the moment.

"Leon, this is no way to talk about another living being. It seems like you are still too tense after fighting monsters. Why don’t you take a walk around and clear your head?"

Kael asked the hero, but Leon did not budge. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the kid in his arms.

"Hey, do you think I am joking around? I am telling you to leave that creature behind because it’s dangerous. There is too much corruption inside it, and it could lose control at any second. Are you sure you want to shoulder the responsibility for this kid?"

Kael could see the logic in what Leon said, and he also agreed with him to a degree.

It was dangerous and reckless for him to think he could control this half-elf at all times. And the ones who would be in danger if he failed were Leon and the others.

But at the same time, he could not leave this half-elf alone. Not because he had a bleeding heart and wanted to help others, but because he was a piece of evidence that could uncover what happened here.

Kael had no intention of hiding what he did, and he was sure that the duchy would want to call for his testimony sooner or later. At that time, he could hand the kid over as evidence and be done with it.

Of course, he had no reason to tell Leon this. And if it got Kael’s intentions mistaken, well, it was none of his business.