‘Bella is definitely hiding something from me!’
Winnidith thought with certainty as she walked through the streets of the City of Emerald Shadows.
Otherwise, given her personality, there was no way she would have left this morning without even seeing her, let alone making a joke at her expense.
What on earth was she hiding?
Winnidith speculated that it was related to herself, and it definitely wasn’t anything bad.
She hated trouble more than anything, and she also believed that Bella had her own plans, so she didn’t intend to investigate.
But… there was no harm in coming out for a stroll, right?
Never mind the claims about Elasil wandering around outside; wasn’t the woman free to wander even inside the Royal Palace?
So, she had come out, bringing Aaron along.
She sought to vent the irritation caused by Isabella while admiring the exotic atmosphere of the City of Emerald Shadows.
However…
“These elves’ reactions are a bit too dull, aren’t they? Is it really like the storybooks say? Have they lived so long that they’ve forgotten their emotions?”
The completely expressionless elves on the street left Winnidith with no desire to enjoy herself.
“Haha, walking around like this is good too. Mr. Vidal often complained that you didn’t like exercise and worried your health would suffer because of it.”
Isabella hadn’t shared her conversation from last night with Aaron, so he was still able to naturally accompany Winnidith on her stroll, even finding the leisure to joke with her.
“Hmph, sooner or later, I’ll invent a magic that grows strength rapidly even without exercise! When that time comes, whoever dares to advise me to exercise, I’ll use that magic to pin them to the ground and humiliate them!!!”
Winnidith spoke through gritted teeth.
It was meant as a joke, but when Aaron heard it, the smile on his face faltered.
‘Did I accidentally ruin the future of Douqi?’
Recalling what the Family Head had said, Aaron scratched his face awkwardly and then put the thought aside.
Whatever.
In any case, the money he had earned was enough for three generations of his descendants to live without worry.
Why worry so much about the days to come?
“It would be nice if we had a guide. At least we would know where the fun spots in the City of Emerald Shadows are instead of wandering aimlessly like this.”
Winnidith aimlessly kicked a pebble by her feet.
She had come out to clear her head, but as she walked, her mood only worsened.
‘Should I just go back to sleep?’
Just then, a gust of wind suddenly landed on Winnidith’s shoulder.
“I seem to have heard my friend calling for me?”
Hmm?!
That voice sounded so familiar!
“Who are you!”
Seeing a mysterious figure in a black robe manage to bypass his vigilance and approach Winnidith, Aaron was struck with terror.
But before he could even begin to draw his sword, Winnidith shouted to stop him.
“Uncle Aaron! Don’t move! She is — “
“Shhh!!!”
The figure in the black robe firmly placed a finger against her lips.
Winnidith took the hint and glanced at their surroundings, noticing that some elves had already turned their attention toward them.
Although most of them looked away after a single glance, considering their identities, she didn’t dare gamble on whether these elves would truly ignore them like puppets.
Winnidith grabbed her hand and pulled her into a small alley.
Without the gaze of outsiders, she could finally take off that bothersome black robe!
“Phew~ Wearing this hood is really uncomfortable!”
Golden hair bloomed like a beautiful flower.
Upon seeing this, Aaron finally realized who she was.
“Does Princess Leah have to hide even in her own home?”
However, the irritation caused by her arrogance yesterday had not yet completely dissipated, and having been startled by her just now, Aaron couldn’t help but offer a few words of mockery even after knowing her identity.
Unfortunately, Leah was never one to back down.
“Ha, if you weren’t Winnidith’s elder, those words alone would have been enough for this Princess to personally execute you.”
Aaron could not refute her.
Leah’s strength was even greater than he had imagined.
Since she could approach silently, it really wouldn’t be difficult for her to kill him.
Her strength was already close to that of a Ninth Order warrior.
Although she hadn’t displayed her magic strength, it probably wasn’t far behind.
No wonder the Natural Forest, despite having the fewest number of Ninth Order and Saint Realm experts among several nations, had not experienced any conflict for the past 1,000 years.
the talent of a Light Elf was truly terrifying.
“A mere human, stop putting on airs before this Princess.”
The veins on Aaron’s forehead bulged.
Even so, this girl’s mouth was far too foul!
Winnidith got a headache seeing the two of them like this, but as the person in the middle, she had to find a way to soothe their relationship.
“Leah, weren’t you grounded by the Elven King? Did he let you out? And what about Vilda? Did she not come out with you?”
Winnidith remembered that the Elven King had told Vilda to watch over Leah, though the possibility of her actually succeeding was slim.
“Of course not! I snuck out! Vilda is still in the room pretending to monitor me!”
Leah placed her hands on her hips and proudly tossed her long hair.
“My old man has grounded me so many times that eventually, we developed a sort of understanding.”
“As long as Vilda is the one watching me while I’m grounded, it’s all just for show. As long as I don’t do anything big and get caught, it’s fine!”
“It’s only when Aunt Elasil watches me that I’m truly grounded. In that case, there’s no way for me to sneak out even if I wanted to.”
Hearing the name that concerned her, Winnidith asked curiously.
“Is Elasil really that strong?”
“Of course. Aunt Elasil is an Archmage proficient in the Wood Element and Wind Element. In the entire Natural Forest, the only one stronger than her is my father.”
Ah?
Winnidith was truly panicked now.
This was her first time in the Natural Forest; how did she end up being targeted by an Archmage!
“Why do you look so surprised, Winnidith? Doesn’t your Empire have the most Saint Realms? I even remember that the Duke from your Trenton family is a Saint Realm Holy Knight, isn’t he?”
“I just didn’t expect an Archmage to personally come to the city gate to pick us up.”
Winnidith realized her reaction was a bit extreme and quickly found a reason to shift the topic.
“Speaking of which, Leah, do you know what’s fun in the City of Emerald Shadows?”
“Hmph, you finally thought of that? Not to brag, but no one in the entire Elf race knows the City of Emerald Shadows better than me! Not even my old man!”
After all, Alvain had received an elite education from the previous Elven King when he was young.
Leah had heard him say that he had to practice combat techniques and magic under the Sacred Tree at least six days a week, and on the remaining day, he had to practice royal etiquette.
This had scared Leah quite a bit, and she felt lucky that her father was open-minded enough to let her grow up freely.
“If we’re talking about the most famous locations in our Natural Forest, it has to be the Elven Sacred Tree. However, the time for the Sacred Tree to bear fruit is approaching. Forget about you all; even the priests of the Sacred Wood Monastery aren’t allowed near the Sacred Tree, so don’t even think about it.”
Not even the priests?
Winnidith was a bit surprised.
Although the Sanctuary would also prohibit believers from entering during large events, the priests could still come and go freely.
After all, could it still be called a church if there were no priests inside?
Oh wait, the Elven King himself was a Light Elf descended from god, born with the highest divine authority.
Winnidith tapped her head, suddenly remembering the differences between the Empire and the Natural Forest.
“Aside from the Sacred Tree, interesting places include the Starlight Opera House, the Living Root Station, the Silent Forest, and the Fountain of Memory.”
“The first is one of the largest entertainment facilities for the Elves, where singers and dancers perform every day.”
“The Living Root Station is the trading center of the City of Emerald Shadows. There are many goods from other races there. This ring I like the most was bought from there. It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
Leah showed off her finger boastfully.
On the ring finger of her right hand, there was indeed a beautiful green diamond ring.
The style was very simple, and the set gemstone didn’t have any mana or magic circles, but it suited her eyes perfectly.
Thus, Winnidith sincerely offered her praise.
“The Silent Forest is the Elven cemetery. You should know that Elves don’t leave bodies behind after death; instead, they turn into magical trees. We believe that one day these deceased will be resurrected, though it’s impossible for a Light Elf like me. Our eternal resting place will only be the Sacred Tree.”
“As for the Fountain of Memory, it was created by generations of Elven mages. They condensed the magic they were specialized in into spring water and placed it within the Fountain of Memory. Future mages can learn by coming into contact with the spring water.”
“I won’t bother mentioning other places like the Everspring Garden or the Windwhisperer Corridor. One is a hospital and the other is a dating spot. I don’t think you’d like them much, Winnidith.”
“So, have you decided which one to go to first?”
Leah blinked.
She asked which one to go to first, because she intended to eventually take her friend to see all of these places!
Winnidith thought for a moment and said.
“Then let’s go to the Fountain of Memory first.”
She was currently lacking in strength.
Perhaps she could learn a few life-saving methods there?
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