Chapter 302: The Elven Kingdom [2] The change in the shopkeeper’s behaviour was too significant to ignore, and understanding his motivations could prove crucial for maintaining their relationship with this powerful entity. "Why would the shopkeeper not sell items like before?" she mused aloud, her voice carrying the frustration that she couldn’t entirely suppress. Her life and her kingdom’s life were at stake after all, and every item mattered, no matter how small. She can still remember how close she had gotten to dying under Darian’s hands, and she didn’t want that scene to repeat again. To lower herself and beg Noah to save her was the worst moment of her life. As the queen of the elves, she had never bowed down to anyone but her late father, who was the previous king. Yet, she had done it to a human out of all. "Something clearly changed, and I cannot determine what might have caused this shift in his choices." She turned toward her nephew Adrian, who served as captain of the royal guards. His position combined family loyalty with military expertise, making his counsel particularly valuable in such situations. Besides, she still remembered how Adrian had spoken to Noah a few moments prior to the decision that Adrian had made. "What do you think, Adrian? Your perspective on this matter could prove invaluable." Adrian thought for a moment before responding. "I’m not entirely certain, Your Majesty. But you are absolutely right—something must have indeed happened to cause such a dramatic change in his behaviour. Perhaps he is experiencing supply shortages? Or maybe he has received pre-orders that have consumed his available inventory?" Elena shook her head dismissively at Adrian’s suggestions. As the person who had interacted the most with Noah, she knew more about him than others did. Besides, she still remembered their first meeting. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺 With a confident expression on her face, Elena shook her head strongly before firmly stating. "That’s not the case; the shopkeeper made it explicitly clear during our previous interactions that his items were always available on a daily basis. He emphasised that supply limitations were never a concern for his establishment. This change represents something entirely different from simple inventory management." As the ministers and the queen thought of the different possible reasons, Adrian was sweating buckets inwardly. He knew that his aunt was suspicious of him, and the fact that she had asked for his opinion wasn’t merely because he was the guard captain, no. He knew that it was a sort of trap, and he hoped that he didn’t fall into it. Every word spoken in this council chamber could potentially expose his ’betrayal’, and Seraphina’s new strength made her far more perceptive than she had been before consuming the shopkeeper’s miraculous items. Her ability to read subtle cues and detect inconsistencies had increased dramatically, making deception exponentially more dangerous. Adrian’s experience in this place had taught him to maintain composure under pressure, but this situation tested those skills to their absolute limits. The charisma radiating from his aunt made resistance to her questions feel almost impossible, as if her very presence compelled honesty through supernatural means. Adrian knew one thing with absolute certainty—to avoid falling into mistakes or being caught in a lie was simple in theory but incredibly difficult in practice. The safest approach was to speak as little as possible, offering only basic observations that couldn’t be contradicted or analysed for deeper meaning. That strategy had served him well so far, and he intended to maintain it regardless of the personal discomfort it caused. "Perhaps we should focus on preparing for the auction itself rather than speculating about the shopkeeper’s motivations," Adrian suggested carefully, his voice steady despite his internal turmoil. "Regardless of his reasons, our primary objective remains securing the items we need for our kingdom’s future." The suggestion carried enough wisdom to seem natural while deflecting attention away from potentially dangerous speculation. Adrian’s role as guard captain provided legitimate cover for focusing on actionable strategies rather than theoretical analysis. Seraphina’s piercing gaze lingered on her nephew for several moments longer than necessary. "You’re right, my nephew, we must prepare for every possible outcome during the auction. The stakes are too high to allow uncertainty to compromise our strategy." The other council members nodded in agreement, grateful for the shift toward concrete planning rather than fruitless speculation. Their queen’s transformation had made her more formidable than ever, but it had also introduced an intensity to her presence that made extended meetings increasingly uncomfortable for everyone involved. In the Dark Elf kingdom, the atmosphere carried a distinctly different energy from the light elves’ royal palace. Where Seraphina’s court emphasised beauty and elegance, Darian’s domain reflected the darker aspects of elven civilisation. Darian sat in his obsidian throne, carved from a single massive crystal. Unlike the light queen that he saw as presumptuous, he didn’t have his throne adorned with various gems; he didn’t need to. The dark king’s imposing presence dominated the room where his most trusted advisors had gathered to discuss the latest intelligence from their spies within the light elf territory. The dark elf messenger who had visited Noah’s shop stood before his king, having delivered the same information about the shopkeeper’s changed policies and the upcoming auction. Unlike the light elves’ council, where speculation and political manoeuvring dominated the discussion, Darian’s approach to the situation reflected his more pragmatic and ruthless nature. Darian thought about it for a while before eventually giving up on understanding the shopkeeper’s motivations. The reasoning behind the mysterious merchant’s decisions didn’t matter because Darian had never pretended to understand the entity’s mind in the first place. Trying to comprehend the thoughts of someone he didn’t have much information on seemed like a waste of valuable time and mental resources. The most important thing was to plan a perfect end to the light elves’ dominance in this region. The auction represented the perfect opportunity to strike a decisive blow against their enemies, whether through acquiring the most powerful items available or through more direct military action if circumstances demanded it.