Chapter 196: You come from the Empire of Eredoria?

The Great Elder had said that every so often, anomalies and dangers would appear in the forest… the timing was never certain.

Because of this, any elf who wished to leave the forest had to report to the Oak Guardian and receive confirmation that it was safe before being allowed out.

“Report… to the Oak Guardian?”

“If it’s safe, why did this happen?”

Meeting the slightly confused gazes of Muxuan and Qiansitelin, Ailiya couldn’t help lowering her head, her voice growing softer.

“I… I sneaked out.”

“Having the Oak Guardian survey the forest costs money… but I don’t have that much.”

Just as Ailiya’s words “I sneaked out” faded, the forest, which had only just regained some of its vitality, was suddenly enveloped by an icy, heavy pressure.

The crushed ground trembled faintly.

The dull thud of footsteps, accompanied by the sharp crack of dry branches being mercilessly snapped, grew closer and closer.

Qiansitelin instantly pulled Muxuan behind her.

“Lyrasel” was already raised, its blade humming.

Muxuan frowned.

“O-Oak Guardian!”

Deep in her pupils, a barely noticeable flash of gold flickered.

Ailiya let out a startled cry, her face instantly turning pale.

The consequences of sneaking out without going through the Oak Guardian were severe.

She instinctively wanted to hide behind Muxuan and Qiansitelin, but when she saw the sword in Qiansitelin’s hand, she forced herself to stop, her face filled with panic.

The forest shadows ahead were soon pushed aside by a massive figure.

It was a “giant” over three meters tall.

Its body was formed from countless gnarled, twisted black vines and a dark wood that gave off a metallic sheen.

The surface was covered in cracks and strange patches of moss.

Its head was a huge, pitch-black stump.

Embedded in the hollow at the center of the stump were two gemstones glowing with an eerie red light.

The enormous, dark stump that served as its head rotated slightly.

The two crimson gemstones set within it flickered with a cold light, scanning the trembling Ailiya.

Qiansitelin tightened her grip on “Lyrasel,” raising the tip of the sword slightly and holding it horizontally in front of her, ready to face an attack from the Oak Guardian at any moment.

But just then, Muxuan’s sharp eyes caught a tiny detail.

When those eerie red gem “eyes” swept over her, the cold gaze seemed to freeze for an incredibly brief instant.

It wasn’t complete indifference or locking on—it was more like hesitation born of recognition and weighing.

This discovery made Muxuan’s heart stir.

A tentative thought flashed through her mind.

Just as the heavy fist, wrapped in twisted black vines and hard burls, was about to crash down on Ailiya, Muxuan stepped forward half a pace, moving past Qiansitelin’s tense arm.

In that moment, she placed herself between Ailiya and that enormous fist.

And the instant Muxuan appeared, the giant fist, carrying terrifying force and less than half a foot from her forehead, froze solidly in midair.

The violent wind pressure swept past Muxuan, messing up Ailiya’s chestnut hair and stinging her cheeks.

Seeing the fist stop, Muxuan’s eyes showed an expression of “just as I thought,” and she finally spoke:

“Do me a favor.”

The Oak Guardian’s massive stump-like head turned slightly.

The crimson gemstones flickered violently, as if processing this sudden command at high speed.

The red light remained cold, but it no longer held the murderous intent of a predator locking onto prey.

Instead… it showed a hint of confusion?

Its massive body remained frozen in the posture of striking.

After a short but seemingly endless few seconds of standoff, the Oak Guardian’s actions changed once more.

It slowly withdrew its fist, letting out a series of low “rumbles.”

Then, that enormous dark stump nodded slowly toward Muxuan’s direction—a small but distinctly clear motion.

There was no trace of flattery, yet it carried an air of respect.

It didn’t spare another glance at the still-terrified Ailiya, nor did it pay any attention to Qiansitelin, who stood with sword raised.

Its bulky body turned around awkwardly, crushing the moss and bushes beneath its feet, and trudged heavily back into the forest shadows from which it had come.

The immense pressure receded like a tide.

Only when the Oak Guardian’s figure had completely disappeared from sight did Ailiya collapse to the ground as if all her bones had been pulled out, gasping for air.

Her back was already soaked with cold sweat.

A tremendous sense of relief from escaping death washed over her.

She jerked her head up.

Those jade-green eyes were filled with awe and reverence, as if ready to burst forth.

She said she wasn’t some big shot!

If she weren’t a big shot, how could she make the Oak Guardian give her face?

Ailiya’s mind raced with guesses about Muxuan and Qiansitelin’s identities, and at the same time, her resolve to follow them grew even stronger.

These were definitely big shots!

“Your… Your Highness?”

Qiansitelin’s tense body did not fully relax.

She stepped forward quickly and naturally supported Muxuan’s slightly swaying shoulder.

Muxuan’s step forward just now had been so fast it was almost like teleportation, clearly forcing her power to activate.

Having just woken up, with the contamination of that forbidden memory still lingering inside her, forcibly using her power would naturally take a toll on her body.

Muxuan gently waved her hand and said in a soft, soothing voice:

“I’m fine. But this time, I bet right.”

Qiansitelin understood what Muxuan meant.

Neither of them had ever been to the Elven Forest, and the potion made from the holy tree’s leaf veins couldn’t possibly have worked on the Oak Guardian.

Rather, the fact that the Oak Guardian obeyed her lady’s words was actually a point of suspicion.

Sensing Qiansitelin’s solemn expression, Muxuan shook her head lightly.

“I have some guesses, but I can’t confirm them.”

“Lites… do you remember?”

Muxuan didn’t delve deeper into that name, just mentioning it briefly.

Qiansitelin immediately caught on.

She thought it over for a moment, feeling it wasn’t impossible, but then a look of confusion crossed her face.

“But… His Holiness Lites has no connection to the Elven Forest either.”

“I can’t explain it, but Lites is definitely related to the Elven Forest.”

“No, perhaps this is also the Saint’s doing.”

“And when I looked deeper into that name, I attracted the gaze of some entity. The residual contamination hasn’t been completely cleansed.”

“Maybe that’s why the Oak Guardian stopped attacking.”

Hearing her lady’s guess, Qiansitelin nodded in agreement.

That was highly likely.

But one point still puzzled Qiansitelin: His Holiness Lites truly never had any contact with the Elven Forest…

What could the Saint have done to connect Lites to the Elven Forest?

Besides, during His Holiness Lites’ reign, the Church only had one Saint.

Ailiya, standing behind the two, listened to their discussion.

She could faintly make out words like “Elven Forest” and “Lites.”

Ideas suddenly popped into Ailiya’s mind.

“You… are you from the Empire of Airedoria?”