After flying Veilleuse-19 for a while, following the direction given by Blondie, I felt a certain magical fluctuation that I was familiar with, as I'd sensed it during our first flight above the elven village. We had arrived at our destination, a place north of the small elven village we flew by on the day of our arrival. On horseback, it would have taken roughly half a day, but for Veilleuse-19, it was a leisurely flight of just about a dozen minutes.
The spot we flew above was, much like anywhere in the vicinity, a verdant corner of forest with tall and green trees. However, I was certain, just like Blondie, that this was the place. With no space for a massive wyvern like Veilleuse-19 to land, we resorted to simply jumping off into the dense canopy below.
Blondie activated a skill that allowed her to float her way down, while I simply allowed gravity to do its thing, bringing me below the canopy in less than a second. Only as I approached the ground did I activate a skill that froze the wet, boggy ground beneath me solid, as the terrain was truly boggy in every sense.
Ahead, nestled on a knoll above the murky bog, stood a house. The house seemed to lean with age, as if it had been there longer than the trees themselves. Its crooked roof sagged under the weight of years, the dark shingles mottled and curling like scales on a sleeping beast. Ivy and moss clung to the rough, weathered walls, blending it into the forest around it, as though nature itself was reluctant to let go of this old, mysterious place. With shuttered windows that peeked out like narrowed eyes and a door darkened by time, the house radiated a aura of witchcraft—one that couldn't help but make me think of what Goblin had called the owner of this house: "Swamp Witch."
I could guess that the nickname was mostly made up because of the girl's class, but seeing this place, I found yet another reason to justify the nickname Goblin had given her. It stereotypically looked like the house of a swamp witch.
Freezing the wet ground beneath me, refusing to stain myself with mud, Blondie and I floated over it as we made our way toward the witch-like house. It was only when we reached the doorstep that Blondie activated another skill, announcing, "She's not here." She paused, activating a more advanced skill.
"And she's also nowhere nearby, at least not within a ten-kilometer radius."
"Don't worry about that. She'll be here soon," I replied calmly.
I wasn't surprised by Blondie's announcement. In fact, from the moment I sensed a certain magical imprint through [Mana Resonance] up above, I knew the one we came to see wasn't here. The imprint I sensed was the same I had felt when approaching the village; if I had to guess, it was a stave set up by her.
Most likely, it existed to inform her that her perimeter had been breached. Whether the stave was sophisticated enough to identify who had breached it, I couldn't tell, but if I had to make an educated guess, I'd say it merely informed her that the perimeter had been invaded. That day, when we approached the village, she had flown up into the sky with a clear intent to fight, most likely because she thought Veilleuse-19 was some rabid monster. I couldn't say whether that was bravery or stupidity but well...
After waiting for about three minutes, Blondie declared, "Someone entered the perimeter... it's her."
I nodded in satisfaction, and after an additional three minutes, she arrived from the east, flying as she had the other day—atop her broom. She was dressed in a dark, neatly cut coat edged with subtle red embroidery that fluttered against the wind of her flight.
The coat, open at the front, revealed a stark contrast with her deep black shorts, tailored closely to her form. Her legs were clad in dark, thigh-high socks that vanished into a pair of sturdy boots, fitting well for the muddy environment. Draped around her neck, pale and intricate as if carved from moonlight, was a unique creature—a subspecies of loong, a dragonoid that had its long and small body coiled gracefully around her like a scarf, its head resting gently on her shoulder, it staring threateningly at us, but quite failed to convey it was trying to.
As she stabilized on her broom, coming to a halt, the girl mumbled, "You..."
The girl was the one I came to see here: Aquaflora.
To tell the truth, at her sight, I couldn't help but sigh internally. Goblin had been right—she was partly the cause of the deviation in our initial plan to use Alexander as bait. Instead, sensing his arrival at the village, she had confronted him, which was literally the equivalent of throwing herself into the wolf's mouth, leaving Goblin and the others with no choice but to intervene.
No matter how I looked at it, it was the same thing happening here. From the look of surprise and apprehension on her face as she came to a halt, she hadn't expected us to be invaders to be in her little place, and yet here she was, rushing to confront them.
Do you ever learn? I lamented internally, but kept that thought to myself.
"Greetings, Miss Aquaflora," I said with a large smile, to which the girl only responded with a frown as she slowly descended to the ground.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she finally reached the ground.
"Sharrone and I were just flying around when I heard from her that you were living around here," I said, lying effortlessly. "So I thought, why not visit?"
"Why not..." Aquaflora echoed, eying us with a look that made it clear she didn't believe a word I said, but that was fine by me.
"Didn't you say last time that you didn't want to see my face?"
"Did I ever say something like that?" I asked, taking on an confused and slightly offended expression. "As far as I can remember, all I said was that we weren't enemies and that we should keep it that way. That's all I said. At no point did I say that I wouldn't want us to ever cross paths again."
It was clear that "Miss" Aquaflora wanted to refute my words, but she found nothing. Instead, she went on to add, "Even so, you threatened me—you and her," she said, pointing at Blondie, who stood beside me, bearing an innocent smile. "You hurt Cháng Miàn."
Who was Cháng Miàn?
It wasn't hard to guess that it referred to the white, slightly iridescent loong on her shoulder that hissed at us—not boldly, but rather cowardly. My gaze landing on it immediately made it shudder and recoil in a way that broke eye contact.
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Chuckling, I added, "Even so, Miss Aquaflora, I'm sure you know that we mean you no harm, otherwise you wouldn't have come here to meet us. Deep down, you know that we really don't. So why not drop all this pretense and invite us" —I cast a glance at the house behind us— "into your humble abode?"
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From the outside, with its leaning walls, jagged roof, and eerie bog as a backdrop, I had expected a home to match—a dark, cluttered space filled with shadows and strange trinkets, something truly fitting for a witch in the depths of the forest. But upon being welcomed in, I was greeted by a cozy, inviting room that felt unexpectedly warm and grounded, as though it belonged in a storybook more than a secluded witch's abode.
The stone-tiled floor was clean and sturdy, worn smooth by years of careful upkeep. Patches of sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting a soft, warm glow over the quaint furniture. There were two plush leather armchairs near a small coffee table adorned with a delicate mosaic pattern, and a sturdy, well-worn wooden table with matching chairs placed nearby. Potted plants dotted the room, adding a subtle touch of greenery that contrasted with the wildness of the forest outside. The overall setup seemed modest yet dignified, with signs of age everywhere—the faded upholstery, the slightly warped wood, the faint scent of earth and herbs hanging in the air.
It was clear, though, that this place was old. A careful eye would immediately notice the patches in the ceiling, the newer nails in the beams, the way certain parts of the walls looked freshly plastered and reinforced. From what I heard from Bortz’s report, this cottage had been abandoned not so long ago. But after Aquaflora settled around these parts of the elven continent, she chose this place as her new home, breathing life back into the structure with renovations and small touches that transformed it into the cozy space it was now.
Surveying it all, I couldn’t help but think that I could see myself holing up here.
My gaze shifted to Blondie, who sat across from me, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as we both took in the unexpectedly charming space. "Nice place you got here," I remarked, settling into one of the two wooden chairs at the round table.
"Thanks, but I'm sure it's nothing compared to the manor you all settled into, or anything you must be used to," Aquaflora replied, her voice tinged with sarcasm that made it clear it wasn't quite sincere.
"Indeed," I responded, taking a sip of what was clearly not tea, though it wasn't bad per se.
Once I was done sipping, Aquaflora, growing impatient, asked, "So what are you doing here?"
"Didn't I tell you earlier already? I came to make peace. Last time, we parted on rather awkward terms, so I came to fix that."
She didn't look convinced, and she made it clear when she added, "Why do I feel there's more to it?"
Smiling, I replied, "Perhaps because there's actually a little more to it." Putting the cup down and leaning forward, I added in a very serious tone, "I need your help with something."
Noticing my change in tone, her expression changed too. Curious, she asked, "My help with what?"
"It's something that, just like me, I'm sure you think ought to be dealt with," I teased before elaborating. "I'm, of course, talking about the patriarch of the Sylvan elven family."
At these words, Aquaflora underwent a visible change—even her ears twitched and shifted angle, as though they were reacting to the weight of my words.
Her reaction surprised me somewhat, as I hadn't expected such a strong response. However, I was expecting a reaction. After all, she had her history with that patriarch—the very same one who currently held the authority that I was here to retrieve. In fact, he was the reason she moved to this corner of the world after initially holed up further north east, closer to where her elven family usually resides.
"What do you mean by 'dealt with'?" she asked with a concerned frown.
"Exactly what I said: dealt with. Or perhaps 'put down' is a term that will help you understand my point."
Aquaflora looked at me as though I wasn't making sense, so to ensure my point came across, I added, "I heard about your story from one of my associates. You were one of his earliest victims, if we may say so. You know what danger he represents, and you better than anyone should know of the threat he poses to every living elves of this continent."
Have it be explained that after acquiring the authority from Goblin and the others, the patriarch entered a frenzied state that unleashed a rampage. The form of the rampage was unique; through the newly controlled authority, it seemed that the authority had taken over the patriarch's will. He gathered a horde of monsters under his control, forming a force that rampaged over the land—all while bringing them under his control. To put it simply, the patriarch had gone mad. The current will driving him was that of the authority, urging him to increase the number of monsters under his control. Ironically, it was likely the same drive that had pushed me forward in my dungeon master days—the need to harvest more G.P.
"From the latest intel I received," I continued, "he and his stampede are still only active in the Argyrian Family territory, but they are slowly drifting westward toward the Umbryan Family's lands. The strength of the monsters under his control is swelling by the minute. He has grown significantly stronger since the last time you crossed paths with him, which is why he must be stopped before he becomes too strong. You've seen it with your own two eyes; I'll let you imagine what will happen to everything in his path."
After a pause to digest all that information, Aquaflora asked, "What exactly... What do you expect me to do?"
Casting a glance around the room, I replied, "It was a difficult decision for me to come here and ask for your help when you've done your best to reestablish yourself in this peaceful corner of the world, but I need your help. The one we're up against is a patriarch—an elven monarch. As much as I would love to say I could defeat him myself, I can't. That's why I'll have to borrow the strength of other elven monarchs to help."
Aquaflora seemed to slowly understand where I was going, so I continued, "I've already sent some of my associates to request help from the patriarch of the Ferron Family. Sharrone here and Lee will be heading to the Aurian Family's territory to request the assistance of their matriarch, and I, along with Licht—the red-haired young man from the other day—plan to request the help of the Umbryan Family's patriarch." Glancing at her, I added, "That's where I need your help. I'm sure you can guess what it is."
"You want me to come with you to convince the Noctil elves," Aquaflora said in an apprehensive tone.
"Exactly," I nodded.
In that moment, she chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I don't think I'll be the help you hope I'd be."
"What do you mean?"
"I've tried convincing elves of my own family, and they didn't care for my words," she said bitterly. "I doubt I can convince elves of another family to do anything—and even less so a patriarch."
"I've heard about that," I said. "But I think you're misunderstanding something here. I'm not asking you to convince the Noctil elves' patriarch on your own. I'm asking you to be our voice." Deciding to lay it out frankly, I added, "No matter how you look at it, Licht and I are very much outsiders to this conflict. In appearance, we have no reason to take part in it because we are... we're humans."
"And I'm an elf, and as such, I should have an easier time bargaining with another elf—is that it?"
"I know you elves have these prejudices against one another that my Highbreed mind can't process, but yes, that's it."
Unlike I expected, she didn't seem offended by that last remark, but she nonetheless sank into a silence that seemed positive for what I was here for, judging from the look of it.
It was after some moments of silence that she asked, "You mentioned earlier that you have a reason to take part in this conflict. What is it?"
Up to this point, I had been honest with her about everything, but this one question was one I couldn't answer with full honesty. I couldn't tell her I was here to recover an authority—the very authority behind the patriarch's madness. However, there was something I could confess.
"That patriarch is responsible for the loss of "things" that were very dear to me and to people who are dear to me. So I made myself the promise to bring justice for their losses—for everyone, including myself."
Aquaflora pondered my answer for another moment before asking cautiously, "Is that really all the reason?"
"Yes," I responded with conviction before asking, "So, will you come with us or stay here in your peaceful little corner of the world? I wouldn't blame you for staying, but I need your answer now. What will it be?"