Chapter 64: I don’t care.

“Leah, you must lead the elves toward a new future.”

The illusion shattered with those words.

The headache began to ease.

What appeared before her eyes was no longer a kaleidoscope of memories, but Winnidith’s worried, gentle face.

“Leah? Are you awake?”

Seeing her pupils contract, Winnidith waved two fingers in front of her eyes.

“Can you see how many this is?”

She pushed Winnidith’s face away, shooting her a somewhat exasperated glare.

“I just reviewed the memories of the past Elven Kings contained in the crown.”

“I didn’t lose my mind.”

“Speaking of which, how long was I out?”

Leah looked around.

They were still in the small pavilion, so it seemed not much time had passed in reality.

“Ten minutes. Aidan is still treating Etheriel’s wounds. If you’d been out any longer, I would have called him over for an examination.”

Isabella sat on the rattan chair, her gaze calm as she watched the now-recovered Leah.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Unwell?

Leah moved her limbs, sensing the levels of Douqi and Mana within her body, and shook her head.

“No, I just feel a bit tired.”

Of course she was tired.

She had personally witnessed the entire experiences of eight generations of Elven Kings spanning a millennium.

Their emotions for the elves, the stories they lived through, all collided within Leah’s mind, yet miraculously did not affect her own sense of self.

She was still the Elf Princess, Alvain’s daughter, and had not become any one of the past Elven Kings.

However, she had been forced to mature considerably.

“Hee hee~ It seems the Elven Crown really does hold secrets. May I try it on, Princess Leah?”

Olivier tried to touch the crown on Leah’s head, but her hand passed through empty air.

Instead, she found Leah’s fingertip pressed against her throat.

“No need to get so angry if you don’t agree~ We’re close, inseparable allies now, aren’t we~”

Olivier giggled as she retreated, showing no trace of the fear of a narrow escape.

“If you kill me now, you’ll have to figure out how to deal with the elven guards in the city all by yourself, you know~”

Leah looked into her eyes, the Douqi-imbued finger not withdrawing, and calmly uttered a name.

“Dylan.”

Leah paused, searching the memories for the contract Dylan, the seventh Elven King, had signed with the Alendine Kingdom.

“The seventh Elven King and the King of Alendine once signed a pact. Trade between the two nations is to be limited to normal goods. Neither side may interfere in the other’s internal affairs for any reason.”

Olivier’s smile stiffened.

“But the Dark Elves, as one of the twins born from the Sacred Tree, naturally hold the highest political status among the elves.”

“Alendine’s covert support of the Dark Elves undoubtedly violates the established pact. According to the agreement, I have a legitimate, lawful reason to declare war on Alendine.”

“Are you sure you want to discuss this matter right now?”

Olivier struggled to maintain the smile on her face.

“Breaking with your own ally before the final battle is not something a qualified ruler would do.”

“I don’t care.”

Leah’s words caused Olivier’s smile to gradually fade.

Winnidith, hearing this, felt her scalp prickle.

They had no Saint Realm experts here. Elaril really could overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

“But I can give you a chance to make amends.”

Fortunately, Leah didn’t truly intend to kill her here.

She just wanted to know the whole truth.

According to the memories in the crown, every Light Elf from the fourth generation onward had been controlled into killing their twin to become a complete Great Mage.

She had seen with her own eyes how her father, after his birth, was manipulated by the eighth Elven King, Oliverian, to take the life of his twin Dark Elf.

His ability to use both Douqi and Mana was proof of that event!

So, what about Elaril?

How did she appear in the City of Emerald Shadows and openly become the High Priest of the Sacred Wood Monastery?

Including Vilda.

How did she survive?

The crown hadn’t given her the answer, but perhaps Olivier knew the truth.

“Tell me, how did the Dark Elves survive? You promised me you would tell me everything you know.”

Faced with Leah’s threat, Olivier first stared calmly into her eyes.

Realizing she couldn’t brush it off, she let out a helpless sigh.

“I did indeed promise you, but regarding this matter, I truly do not know.”

“What did you say?!”

Leah’s finger pressed forward an inch.

The sharp Douqi instantly pierced Olivier’s delicate skin.

“Do you think I don’t dare to kill you?”

“Please calm down, Princess Leah.”

Even with her life completely in another’s hands at this moment, Olivier showed no sign of panic.

Instead, she spoke quite gently.

“I was merely a prince before, and a second prince with no chance of inheriting the throne at that. Why would you think my father would tell me such a private matter?”

“All I know is of the Dark Elves’ existence, and that their goal is to revive the evil god within the Sacred Tree’s domain. That is all.”

“Oh, and also that the Dark Elves seem to greatly fear Miss Winnidith. Did you know? Elaril once even considered using all her forces to surround and kill Miss Winnidith.”

“It was only because I used some excuses to dissuade her, replacing the elven guards with the Alendine Guard Army, that the Empire’s delegation wasn’t completely wiped out.”

“Calculating it this way, I’ve been utterly devoted to the Empire. Ah~ I’m starting to wonder if I’m a spy the Empire planted in the Alendine Kingdom~”

Olivier pouted cutely, then suddenly looked at Isabella with expectant eyes.

“Your Highness Isabella, if I were to defect to the Empire now, could I exchange it for a noble title?”

“Of course. Saving the Empire’s delegation, killing seven of the Alendine Kingdom’s Knights… your merits are enough to offset the disadvantage of your background.”

Isabella knew she was joking, and she didn’t mind playing along.

“If you are willing to abandon all your Mana and fully disclose all the secrets of the Alendine Kingdom you know, I could even petition His Majesty, my father, to grant you a ducal title.”

“Duke of Alendine. How does that sound? Your family were originally dukes of the Empire, were you not?”

“In that case, I’ll have to decline. My ancestors worked so hard to rise from dukes to monarchs. If I became a duke again, wouldn’t I be betraying their efforts?”

“Besides, the Robert Empire can’t compare to the Saint-Vien Empire. My ancestors in the afterlife would curse me as an unfilial descendant.”

“Hmph.”

Olivier stuck out her tongue. Isabella had never taken her words seriously from the start.

Since she was done playing, Isabella also dropped her expression.

Only Winnidith, caught in the middle, took a few seconds to grasp the situation, muttering in her heart about how scary nobles were.

Now, let’s return the topic to you, Princess Leah.

Olivier turned her gaze back to Leah, her next words suddenly stabbing at her heart.

“Since you have inherited the memories of the past Elven Kings from the crown, you should also understand that I did not lie to you before.”

“Miss Vilda cannot hold on much longer. If you know of a solution, I beg you to speak it now.”

Alvain’s seal!

Leah’s breathing grew heavier.

That seal required the simultaneous sacrifice of a Light Elf and a Dark Elf.

Elaril would never sacrifice herself, so she would definitely use Vilda as a substitute!

Furthermore, if Leah didn’t show herself soon, it was entirely possible Elaril would use her father’s life to break the seal.

She couldn’t wait any longer.

“The crown does indeed record the Sacred Tree’s weakness, but to successfully implement it, we still need some preparations.”

Leah looked at Winnidith and spoke seriously.

“The most crucial step among them is you, Winnidith.”

“You must master the Spiritual Power within you. Otherwise, we have no hope of destroying the Sacred Tree.”

Me again.

Winnidith’s face soured.

It wasn’t that she wanted to shirk responsibility, but the key was she didn’t know how to master Spiritual Power either.

Have the little snake bite the Sacred Tree during a fight?

But given the little one’s timid and cowardly nature, Winnidith suspected it wouldn’t even come out when the time came.

Leah understood her dilemma and immediately added.

“Don’t worry. The past Elven Kings conducted considerable research on Spiritual Power. I will teach you how to control it next.”

“And before you fully master Spiritual Power, I need to make some other preparations.”