“Don’t look at me like that. He is my father, after all. As his daughter, I have to know where he was taken by Lord Kalimudo after he lost his mind.”
Seeing the expectation in the eyes of the three, Evian spread her hands and shook her head rapidly.
“But I have never been there. That is an area only the Elven King can enter. Even if you ask Princess Lia for help, it wouldn’t work.”
“Oh, right, I haven’t thanked you for helping me break free from the control of that monster. It has been so, so, so long since I felt this relaxed!”
Evian crossed her hands and stretched comfortably.
This feeling of being in complete control of her own body was just wonderful!
This was the first time the three had seen a common elf with such rich emotions.
Her expressions weren’t stiff, her voice had inflection, and she was full of the essence of a living person.
Isabella was the first to react; she sat on the edge of the bed and pressed her palm against Evian’s hand with a smile.
“No need for thanks. Your clarity is also a great help to us. We have many questions we would like to ask you, and I ask that you answer truthfully.”
“For example, what is this monster you were speaking of?”
“Uh, you really should stop calling me ‘you’ so formally. You are a princess and I am just a small elf. The status gap is too large, and I’m afraid that once I finish talking, I’ll be chopped into elf pieces by the knight over there.”
Evian shrank her neck in fear, but she still answered the question honestly.
“Monster is my own term for it. It was about 800 years ago, I think. I noticed the surrounding elves becoming increasingly dull. Their expressions were no longer rich, and even the occasional smile felt numb. At that time, they still had some level of self-control, they would just appear sluggish at certain times, so I didn’t pay much attention.”
“Then, about 500 years ago, I don’t know what happened, but starting from a certain day, the elves of the City of Emerald Shadows would only repeat one action, like puppets being manipulated. Without new instructions, they would repeat the same thing forever.”
“As a side note, I tried to give them commands, but it was useless. Instead, I was met with a particularly terrifying gaze. Thinking back now, I might have been targeted and infected by the monster at that time.”
“I don’t know what happened to them, I can only guess that some kind of monster has taken control of them.”
Evian opened her palms.
Because she had just been freed from the manipulation of the Sacred Tree, her emotions were exceptionally high-strung, which meant her courage was also unusually high.
“But actually, thinking about it, you can figure out that only the Sacred Tree or the Elven King could do something like this. But I can’t afford to provoke either of them; after all, I am weak and afraid of death. So, I didn’t tell anyone about this, but instead started to mimic the behavioral logic of those monsters, pretending that I had also been infected.”
“I originally thought I could fake it for a lifetime, but I never expected to be controlled by the monster without even realizing it. If it hadn’t been for your help, I would have truly become one of them.”
After saying this, Evian looked at Winnidith with gratitude, making her feel a bit embarrassed.
“It was really your own persistence that worked, Miss Evian; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to help you.”
This was the truth.
After all, looking across the entire City of Emerald Shadows, Evian was the only one who could serve as food for the little thing inside her.
Come to think of it, could the well-fed little thing try to eat from other elves?
Winnidith tried to drive the energy within her body, only to find it going back to playing dead, leaving her speechless.
How useless…
“My persistence? That’s not it. The main reason I wasn’t controlled was because of my father.”
Evian began to share her story.
“When the Sacred Tree descended, it selflessly bestowed power upon all the elves who sought revenge and strength, but my father refused this power out of fear of battle, becoming a coward who was mocked by others.”
“Perhaps because of this, I was able to remain clear-headed when everyone else was being controlled.”
A reasonable deduction.
Isabella nodded.
Fate is indeed fickle.
In that situation, no one could have imagined that the god who was helping them intended to turn them into mindless puppets.
“Miss Evian, what did it feel like during the time you were controlled?”
Isabella asked as gently as a nun in a confessional.
Encouraged by her gaze, Evian tried to enter her memories.
“There was no special feeling. It was just very natural to do certain things. If it weren’t for the fact that the Sacred Tree’s influence on me was cleared, I wouldn’t have felt that those daily routines were abnormal.”
“I suspect the other elves feel much the same as I did.”
Common sense is being warped; this is getting a bit tricky.
Winnidith clenched her small fists.
This type of mental and emotional enemy is the hardest to deal with.
When fighting, one must constantly worry about sneak attacks from the opponent or from teammates being controlled by them.
“Next question: as an elf who has been personally controlled by the Sacred Tree, when did you feel the Sacred Tree’s influence on you strengthen, and when did it weaken?”
“I don’t know about strengthening, but perhaps when it detects something worth noting in its surroundings—like me, when I wasn’t affected—the Sacred Tree might strengthen its control over the nearby elves.”
“As for weakening, it was when my emotions were stirred up, I think.”
Evian recalled.
“Whenever I performed on stage and reached the climax, I could feel a particularly comfortable sensation. This feeling is as addictive as a drug. That is why I joined the opera house to become an actress later on.”
“However, the fact that I became the most popular actress in the opera house means I really do have some acting talent, he-he-he.”
Evian giggled, her narcissistic demeanor no different from an ordinary human.
“Then, Miss Evian, have you ever heard of the Dark Elves?”
“Dark Elves? What is that? Demonized Elven Kings? Ugh, that sounds too terrifying.”
Sure enough, born seven hundred years ago, Evian did not know of the existence of the Dark Elves.
Isabella didn’t pursue the matter further, instead having Arns take her away.
“I understand. Your information is very useful to us. For your own safety, I will arrange a room for you at the Silver Moon Palace for you to stay in temporarily. Additionally, if it becomes necessary later, I may ask for your help.”
“No problem, no problem. I will be at your disposal, Princess!”
“Ah, the royal palace! It should be more comfortable to sleep in than the hard beds at the opera house, right?”
After Evian was taken away, Isabella and Winnidith remained in the room to continue reviewing Evian’s words.
“Wendy, in your opinion, was Evian lying?”
Isabella didn’t trust her enough.
After all, that was God-level mental control; how could it be so easily purged by Wendy?
And to be honest, her behavior just now didn’t seem normal either.
It was like she had bounced from one extreme to another.
But the reality was truly unbelievable.
“No. We know exactly what elves controlled by spiritual power look like. Her emotions were too abundant; it should be a rebound after long-term suppression.”
Spiritual power was the name Winnidith gave to this transparent energy—simple and easy to remember.
“Then, we now know the first ability of the Sacred Tree—controlling the emotions and common sense of elves.”
If they treat a god as an enemy, any piece of useful information could become the key to their victory.
“It might not only be elves; humans should also be within its range of influence, and the medium should be its power.”
“However, listening to Evian’s description, this process takes a long time, and if the exposure is for a short time, I can help absorb and dispel it.”
The spiritual power within Winnidith began to flow joyfully again, like a child who had just received a favorite toy.
But wait, didn’t I have two months until I turn 16?
Winnidith thought miserably.
What is this?
A loli mom?
Though my figure doesn’t really count as a loli, right?
At least it’s better than most elves.
Also, I’m so tired!
Winnidith immediately collapsed onto the bed, turning into a puddle.
Today she had been scared at the opera house, rejected at the royal palace, returned to the opera house, and then hurried back to the Silver Moon Palace; her exertion had long since exceeded her limits.
She needed to rest!
“Our harvest today is enough. Let’s get some good rest and wait for the events to slowly ferment.”
Isabella knew exactly what she was thinking and gently massaged her calves.
“If Alvain does not come to see us all day tomorrow, we will have no choice but to try to force our way into the Grand History Library.”
“I’ll leave the path to you. That’s fine, right, Wendy?”
“Of course.”
Winnidith displayed her Sea Blue Bracelet and smiled confidently.
“If we are just talking about pure attack power, I am stronger than Uncle Aaron now!”