Elves were quite diverse in their own right, but they still tended to live in isolation according to their subtypes. Iri explained that there were dark elves, snow elves, and wood elves, in addition to the more commonly known ordinary elves. Despite these various subtypes, the elves often segregated themselves, living separately due to even their small differences.

The ordinary elves, who were the most prevalent and influential, saw themselves as superior to the other subtypes. This sense of superiority led to a lack of integration among the different elven groups, each preferring to stay within their own communities. The dark elves, snow elves, and wood elves each had their unique cultures and traditions, which were respected within their groups but not as much by the ordinary elves.

Iri’s explanation showed the irony of the situation: while the elves prided themselves on being a sophisticated and ancient race, they still harbored divisions and prejudices within their own kind. This internal isolation mirrored the broader societal attitudes that Raiden and his diverse group of warriors faced from the elves.

"I thought that this country and people were better than this, but they are showing their true colors," Iri said while showing her indginant expression.

"If Raiden isn’t angry, then you shouldn’t be angry either," Harth said when he suddenly approached.

"Dad! You have heard of that? And you think that this is fine?" Iri protested.

"... It isn’t fine, but if Raiden is enduring it for the sake of everyone else, we have to do the same," Harth explained. "Your mother heard of that, and her eyes alone made the commander of the elves and dwarves pass some orders about this. Anyone among their ranks who shows any signs of such behavior will be punished."

Iri looked like she had more things to say, but now they were all working for the village, and they were in the middle of a conflict already, so they don’t have time for that.

"Anyway, prepare to march tomorrow. We will move further East," Harth declared. "This place has been destroyed, and defending it is a waste of time. Besides, the leaders of the kingdom are thinking that the enemies will cause more damage on the coast further East since the fleet is in that direction."

Moving now seemed like the best option since their enemies had vanished. Given the information they had, it was unlikely that the enemies would deploy scouts closer to the coast, as doing so would risk revealing their positions. The open and exposed nature of the coastal areas made it impractical for scouts to operate without being detected.

However, there was still a concern about spies within the Lunaria Kingdom. Even though the enemy scouts might not be a threat near the coast, the possibility of espionage within the kingdom remained. Spies could gather information and relay it back to the enemy, potentially compromising their plans and movements.

Therefore, while the immediate threat from scouts was minimal, everyone had to remain vigilant against the more covert threat of spies. Ensuring the security and confidentiality of their plans was crucial as they prepared to move forward, making careful consideration of their next steps imperative.

Harth moved around spreading those news, that kind of information still lacked a lot of details, but it seemed that this was intentional... their force was supposed to act fast and stop the enemies instead of being allocated and remain in a single area.

In any case, the group only spent the day doing the clean-up job, and then the dwarves began to work on repairing the buildings and creating new ones. Raiden was surprised to see them using magic to create earth pillars and the foundation of the buildings... that was just way too useful.

The dwarves also could carry a lot of weight, like several planks by themselves before putting them on the buildings... they also had some portable stairs that they carried on their backs and expanded as they see fit. Considering their size, those were pretty sturdy too.

"They are pretty skilled," Raiden said while seeing the dwarves working. "It is even more amazing since they work and drink booze all the time as well. How do they benefit from working with elves in this case? They are just moving around doing almost nothing thus far."

"... They are the main force on the coast on the fleet of this kingdom," Iri said after she crossed her arms. "Dwarves aren’t good at handling ships and most vehicles too."

That still seemed like a power imbalance, but Raiden decided not delve too much into it. The dwarves didn’t seem stupid, though... so perhaps their numbers were smaller. That being said, considering that they were the majority and lived for longer, Raiden wondered why they were still facing trouble against enemies abroad... couldn’t they multiply faster thanks to their long lifespan?

That kind of question was really interesting. Raiden felt his world expanding as he continuously thought about the situations abroad and the elves and dwarves. Until now, his life had been centered around relentless work and rigorous training, leaving little room for anything beyond his closest goals. This singular focus had served him well in mastering his skills and techniques, but it also confined his perspective to the familiar boundaries of his village and its daily struggles.

Now, as his mind wandered to distant lands and the mysterious beings that inhabited them, Raiden felt a lot of excitement and curiosity. The elves, with their ethereal beauty and ancient wisdom, and the dwarves, known for their incredible craftsmanship and hearty culture, presented a world vastly different from his own. Studying their lives, traditions, and the challenges they faced, Raiden began to see his own world in a new light.

This exploration was a refreshing change of pace from his usual routine. Instead of focusing solely on the physical demands of training or the responsibilities of work, Raiden found joy in learning and thinking about something entirely new. It was as if a door had opened, revealing a vast, vibrant world full of possibilities and adventures waiting to be discovered. This newfound interest not only broadened his horizons but also enriched his daily life, adding layers of depth and meaning to his existence.

"You mastered your technique, right?" Iri asked when they were having dinner that night.

"... How can you tell?" Raiden furrowed his eyebrows after he took a gulp of the soup of the stew.

"You are a bit more relaxed, and you aren’t training like before," Iri replied.

"Yeah, I am taking the next step with my legs, literally," Raiden said. "The technique is good, but I still find it incomplete."

"If you are planning to use both at the same time, you will consume a lot of energy," Iri explained. "You should focus on improving your Aura Force to be able to recover energy faster and improve your foundation. You can also try to learn a technique from another path. Still, you should be ready to be scolded by Altria if you do any of that without reporting to her."

"It will be too troublesome to talk to her now," Raiden shrugged. "I won’t do anything stupid since we are in the middle of an important job."

Speaking of it, Raiden wondered how much he would receive for that job. He was expecting to get at least as much as he could with his work with the herbs... which was around fifteen hundred coins, after deducting the costs and the payments that he had to give to his friends to help him.

"Well, if you already managed that, then I won’t have to worry too much if something happens," Iri said.

After seeing the results of the attack of the enemies in the port town, it seemed that Iri was a lot more on edge than expected... Raiden couldn’t blame her for it. Besides, he had to pull his own weight and avoid causing trouble to his family. He was still behind them when it came to strength and skills, but he was planning to catch up with them pretty soon.