“Your Majesty, Princess Lia has already begun to move. As her father, how much longer do you think it will take for her to walk into the trap at the Holy Ground?”
Elaril picked a washed strawberry from the plate and placed it in Alvain’s mouth, her tone so light it sounded less like she was discussing an approaching enemy and more like she was talking about a mischievous child.
From their relationship, Lia was indeed her child, just like Vilda was.
“Why wouldn’t she be trying to escape? The current City of Emerald Shadows can’t stop her and her friends.”
Alvain said flatly.
“Or, you could take action yourself. Even if you mobilize the tree soldiers within the forest, the Empire’s Marshal could reach the battlefield within three days. Your plan would fail by then.”
“And then, you would break free from your restraints and capture us all in one fell swoop, right?”
Seeing that he still refused to eat the fruit she offered, Elaril placed it back, tenderly stroking his handsome face.
“After going through so much trouble to trap you, how could I possibly give you a chance to escape?”
Alvain’s expression didn’t change, having been seen through.
Given the noble statuses of those young ladies in the City of Emerald Shadows, Elaril didn’t have much time to wait either.
“Of course, the Empire’s Marshal is indeed a big problem. Three days, you say? Hehe, if Her Highness Lia hasn’t walked into the trap in three days, then I’ll have no choice but to use you to break the seal set by Prince Alvain.”
“After all, Mother is growing impatient. Before becoming your twin, I was Mother’s child.”
‘Sacred Tree…’
Alvain glanced back at the giant tree.
It still stood there quietly, exactly the same as it had been every year for the past millennium.
But he could feel the consciousness hidden within rapidly awakening.
The first layer of the seal set by Kalimudo had been completely eroded by It.
The only thing still blocking It now was the second layer of seal set by Alvain.
This seal, once unbreakable due to the passing of the Dark Elves, had now become incredibly fragile because of the mysterious return of the Dark Elves.
But this was exactly what he had facilitated.
Since this Elven King was determined to end the Sacred Tree in his generation, how could he merely trap It within endless seals?
Even now, despite Elaril’s actions moving ahead of schedule, events were still unfolding within his plan.
The only problem was…
‘Lia, you absolutely must keep your composure.’
Just as Alvain and Elaril were speculating about what Lia would do, she was flying with Olivier to a place neither of them had anticipated.
The Elves’ Resting Place—the Silent Forest.
“It seems Her Highness Lia doesn’t have much faith in my strength, going so far as to disturb the slumbering elven elders.”
Olivier walked through the woods.
Outwardly, the Silent Forest looked no different from the ancient woods of the natural forest in the City of Emerald Shadows, but if one listened carefully, Olivier could hear the heartbeat of these trees.
They were still alive.
Death for an elf was merely a long slumber.
As long as the seed containing their soul was planted, they would eventually return to the world.
‘If I chopped these trees down now, would they still revive?’
A look of curiosity flashed in Olivier’s eyes.
“Based on your performance in front of the Royal Palace, I don’t believe you could hold out for long against the guards personally led by Elaril. In that case, it’s better to use your power as an Eighth Rank Mage in a more crucial place.”
Lia tapped Olivier, who was about to touch a tree trunk, with her scabbard and issued a cold order.
“Leave Elaril’s three Ninth Rank subordinates to you.”
“Me?”
Olivier pointed at herself incredulously, smiling as she spoke.
“Aren’t you overestimating me?”
“I’m not a genius mage like Miss Winnidith. Even with Kieran’s assistance, restraining one Ninth Rank Mage is my limit. Your request is a bit unreasonable.”
“But you didn’t say you couldn’t do it.”
A leaf fell into Lia’s palm.
“Since accepting the memories of the past Elven Kings, my affinity for the wind and wood elements has grown stronger and stronger. They tell me the people of the Orc Tribes have not left the Natural Forest.”
“As their ally, you need to find a way to get them to join the fight. In return, I can forgive their sin of seeking my clan’s secrets.”
“But if they are unwilling to help, tell them this.”
“The Fourth Elven King, Alvain, could make the Grizzly Bear Tribe disappear, and I have the power to make the Red Wolf Tribe vanish as well!”
“……”
Lia’s threat didn’t carry much weight.
She was currently only a dual Eighth Rank Great Mage.
Without dealing with Elaril, she couldn’t consume the Sacred Fruit to become a dual Saint Realm Elven King.
But likewise, if Elaril wasn’t dealt with, the revived Sacred Tree would transform the entire world into a desert of indulgence.
Neither the Alendine Kingdom nor the Orc Tribes would want to see that happen.
Lia said this only to pressure Olivier, to force her to contact the Orc Tribes and have them block the Ninth Rank subordinates under Elaril who could still act freely.
“Ha… I’m really defeated by you. The Elven inheritance is truly convenient. Just by putting on the crown, a hesitant princess can become a desperate king. If only our Alendine had such a convenient inheritance.”
Olivier agreed to her request, but in turn, she proposed a condition.
“Etheriel, we need his help. Otherwise, no matter what you demand, we cannot possibly stop three Ninth Rank mages.”
“Ronan is injured, her strength will be diminished.”
Ronan was the red-haired assassin who had pursued her initially.
Her absence from the Royal Palace this morning indicated her injuries definitely hadn’t healed.
“No matter how injured, she is still a Ninth Rank, and one skilled in assassination. Without a Ninth Rank as an ally, I can’t feel at ease.”
“Or are you expecting me to be noble enough to use my own life to complete your task?”
“……I will discuss this with Winnidith. You contact the orcs first.”
Lia said calmly.
Considering Olivier’s character, her agreeing to help block them was already a miracle.
Lia hadn’t planned to demand that much from the start.
“I need one day to persuade them. I will give you an answer tomorrow.”
“Granted.”
Olivier performed a curtsy to Lia as if she were a subject.
At that moment, she suddenly found herself beside a lake and clapped her hands in delight.
“Oh my~ Could this be the Holy Spring revered by the ancient elves? To think it’s hidden in the deepest part of the Silent Forest.”
“No. The true Holy Spring was long ago drained and erased by the Sacred Tree. This is just an ordinary spring.”
“However, because it is closest to where the Holy Spring was, it has inherited some of the ancient elves’ faith in it.”
“To comfort the elves who perished in the War of Divine Fire, Anaris planted the seeds they left behind after death around here, so this place became the default elven cemetery.”
And now, to save the elven race and fight against the guard corps under Elaril’s control, Lia had no choice but to disturb these slumbering spirits.
She knelt on one knee before the lake, her palm touching the damp ground, chanting the high-level magic created by the Fifth Elven King, Veronika.
“Your life has never ceased, your soul slumbers in a wooden hall.”
Lia’s mana seeped into the ground, like a thread connecting all the giant trees buried here.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Olivier noticed the heartbeat sounds around her growing louder and louder.
Listening to these heavy, rhythmically consistent sounds, Olivier’s mind seemed to return to that battlefield a thousand years ago, where countless elven heartbeats merged with war drums as they vowed to fight the legions of the Saint-Vienne Empire to the death.
“O millennium-circling long wind, I beseech you to awaken the souls of heroes.”
A gentle breeze passed through the forest.
Countless giant trees began to stretch their branches and leaves, just as someone who has slept for a long time always stretches upon waking.
Who has awakened us?
They shook their branches, full of curiosity, “looking” at the girl kneeling before the lake.
A Light Elf?
But why is she so weak?
As they wondered, Lia’s next line of prayer was already uttered.
“The emerald halls have been clouded, war’s flames burn every new sprout.”
“Therefore, in the name of the Elven King, I beseech the heroic souls to take up arms once more, to once again embark upon the noble path of salvation!”
“The day of leaves returning to roots has passed…
ARISE! AND WITH SPIRITUAL LIGHT, RECLAIM YOUR MAJESTIC FORM!”
As the final line of prayer ended, a huge magic array suddenly emerged beneath her palm.
At the same time, identical magic arrays appeared on the trunks of every giant tree in the Silent Forest.
This was a pact of equality.
For these heroic spirits, Veronika, the creator of the Wooden Soldier magic, never intended to force them from the start, but prepared an equal pact.
Whether to become blades in the Elven King’s hand was entirely their own choice.
And before they made their decision, the caster needed to continuously sustain the existence of these thousands of magic arrays.
This might have been simple for Veronika, who was in the Saint Realm, but for Lia, every second of maintaining the magic was a massive drain.
“Olivier!”
She shouted.
Knowing this was exactly why Lia had brought her, Olivier immediately grasped her wrist, connecting their mana channels.
But the moment she grasped the wrist, Olivier was shocked to find half the mana in her body gone.
Terrified, she hurriedly controlled the outflow of mana from her body to avoid being drained dry by Lia.
“Your Highness Lia, how much longer does this magic need to be sustained?”
Due to the massive mana loss, Olivier’s face became deathly pale.
The rate of mana consumption was simply too fast.
Olivier estimated she could last at most another minute before this magic sucked all the mana from her body.
She could only pray the magic wouldn’t need to be sustained for too long.
“I don’t know.”
Lia was also gritting her teeth, holding on.
Every awakening from slumber for an elf significantly extended the time needed for their revival.
Using power while in a slumbering state could even cause them to perish prematurely, truly marching towards death.
Given such a cost, it would be normal not to receive a single response.
But a thousand years ago, they had already given their lives for their race.
Now, having another chance to protect their homeland, how could they possibly begrudge a life already lost?
One, two, three… slowly, all the giant trees in the Silent Forest offered their power to Lia.
They shook their branches, rustling loudly, just like the war cries they had issued a thousand years ago.