The figures in the sky drew closer and closer, their outlines gradually becoming clear.
The moment Celia recognized the faces of the arrivals, she was first stunned, then her expression shifted into a complex mix of disbelief and a subtle headache.
It’s actually these two?!
Before she could sort out her feelings, the two figures had already descended like falling meteors, landing not far in front of her.
Only then did everyone on the battlefield get a clear look at their appearances.
On the left was a Dark Elf.
Her figure was taller and more slender than Celia’s, clad in a deep, midnight-black form-fitting robe, its edges embroidered with intricate, ancient star runes in silver thread.
Her silvery-white hair cascaded like a waterfall woven from moonlight, tied back with a simple obsidian hair ring.
On the right was a catgirl.
Slightly shorter than the Dark Elf, she possessed a unique, nimble rhythm to her movements.
She also wore a mage’s robe, but its style was more lightweight, the robe’s fabric a grayish-purple like twilight mist, swaying gently as she landed.
Her hood rested loosely on her shoulders, revealing a pair of light golden, furry ears that were keenly twitching.
They didn’t immediately speak to Celia standing nearby.
Their gazes first fell upon the still-agitated Knight Order of the Rose.
“Humans, this is not a place where you may overstep your bounds.”
Hearing these words and seeing their arrival, the faces of the Rose Knights filled with despair.
But they did not stop; instead, they picked up their weapons again.
They were seeking death.
Watching their movements, the Dark Elf Sage’s eyes were filled with indifference.
She didn’t even chant a lengthy incantation.
She simply raised her sleeve and casually waved it towards the area where the knights were.
Instantly, that patch of space seemed to be saturated by an invisible force.
The several knights charging at the forefront, along with their armor, from their outlines to their physical forms, silently disintegrated inch by inch.
No screams, no explosions, not even a trace of ash remained.
They simply vanished completely into thin air.
Their companions following closely behind didn’t even have time to show expressions of terror before the irresistible annihilation quietly spread, swallowing them up as well.
“Aunt Violet, leave a few!”
Just as the last few knights were about to be annihilated, Celia’s voice urgently rang out.
“Celia, you’ve grown. You know to leave survivors now.”
She then raised her other hand, her five fingers gently closing towards the remaining members of the Rose Knights, including Halce.
Those surviving knights, along with their mounts, were instantly petrified.
They remained frozen in their postures from the previous moment, rigidly standing in place, becoming a set of lifelike sculptures.
Only the lingering horror and despair in their eyes proved that consciousness had not yet departed.
After doing all this, Violet finally looked at Celia again.
“Reason? Also, little Celia, how many times have I told you? Call me sister.”
The catgirl Lia beside her took a nimble half-step forward, her amber eyes curiously examining Celia.
“That’s right, little Celia. Shouldn’t you be back in the homeland right now, participating in the festival with everyone? Why did you run all the way to such a distant border alone? Don’t tell me you’re skipping it again?”
“Where would I do that? Sister Violet, Sister Selina, long time no see! By the way, where are Sister Sena and Sister Petra? They didn’t come with you?”
“Them?”
Selina’s ears twitched happily.
“At home preparing dinner. We sensed the distress signal, so the two of us came. We didn’t expect to run into you.”
She changed the subject, her amber eyes narrowing slightly.
“You still haven’t answered, little Celia. Why are you here?”
At that moment, Onyxia and Ilyas also approached from behind.
Celia immediately reached out, naturally taking both of their hands and gently pulling them to her side.
“Well… precisely because I’ve come of age, I wanted to come out and see the world outside. And they are Onyxia, and Ilyas, my important companions.”
Onyxia very naturally added from the side, “Not companions. Partners.”
She even deliberately raised her hand, which was interlocked with Celia’s fingers, towards Selina’s direction, as if displaying some kind of evidence.
Selina let out a laugh, her tail wagging happily behind her with large arcs.
“Oh my, our little Celia, it’s only been a few days since you came of age, right? You move fast, huh? Found two such beautiful partners all at once?”
“Violet, look, isn’t our little one especially accomplished?”
Violet’s gaze calmly swept over the three with their varied expressions before finally speaking.
“So, little Celia, your appearance at the border and your conflict with the human knight order… does it have to do with these two… partners of yours?”
“It’s a long story…”
Celia sighed, knowing she couldn’t hide it from the two elders.
She concisely explained how they met Ilyas, as well as Ilyas’s identity and experiences.
“So that’s it! I was wondering why the Inquisitor of the Holy State, that old woman, would suddenly come wandering near our border. So much has happened.”
Selina leaned in closer, her gaze shifting between the slightly blushing Ilyas and the somewhat helpless Celia.
“Other things aside, right now I really want to see the expression on that always-serious old woman’s face when she finds out her Saintess has become your partner!”
Not long after, several agile figures leaped out from different directions in the forest, all dressed in Elf Patrol attire, their movements swift and orderly.
They silently saluted Violet and Selina, then skillfully began handling the scene: checking the petrified knights, confiscating weapons and potentially valuable items, and securing them properly.
“Leave this to them,” Violet said to Celia.
“You come back with us first.”
Selina also nodded.
“Yes, this isn’t the place to talk.”
Celia understood her two sisters’ meaning.
She quickly walked over to Captain Grom, who was not far away directing the caravan members to take a brief rest, his expression still somewhat tense.
“Captain Grom,” Celia said sincerely as she reached him, “thank you very much for your and the caravan’s assistance earlier, and I’m sorry for startling everyone. For the rest of the journey, I’m afraid we won’t be able to travel with the caravan.”
Grom looked at this elf girl who had suddenly revealed such an astonishing background, then glanced at those two beings over there whose mere presence commanded awe.
He waved his large hand heartily.
“Bah! What are you saying! As long as you’re all right. Arian entrusted you to me, so I, Grom, had to look after you. I didn’t expect… ahem, anyway, I’m glad you’re safe.”
Violet’s gaze swept over Grom and his caravan once more.
She pondered briefly, then pointed her fingertip in the air.
A point of dim starlight gathered at her fingertip, transforming into a palm-sized token that slowly floated towards Grom.
“Captain Grom, I give this to you. If you encounter trouble you cannot resolve in the future, you may seek my assistance.”
Grom was stunned for a moment, then accepted the token with both hands.
Though he didn’t fully understand the exact identity of this Dark Elf Sage before him, how could he not comprehend the undeniable power and the value of this promise?
The tension on his face was instantly replaced by immense joy.
He straightened his back, struck his left chest heavily with his right fist in a solemn beastman salute.
“Thank you, my lady!”
Violet said no more.
She raised her hand and drew a line in the air. A dark portal opened in the atmosphere.
“Let’s go, home.”
Selina stepped through first, turning back to wink at Celia, her tail swaying happily.
“Sena and Petra’s stew should be almost ready. They’ll be so pleasantly surprised to see you, and your two partners.”
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