What's a monarch?
A monarch is the equivalent of what a Guardian is to a dungeon and what a Prime is to monsters, except that a monarch is for sentient races such as humans, dwarves and elves. In other words, it is a title bestowed upon beings deemed by the system as the apex of their category. Depending on the title bearer's race, the title of monarch can differ: for humans, it is Emperor; for angels, Seraphim; and for elves, it is either Patriarch or Matriarch. Just like Guardians for dungeons, monarch isn't just an empty title. It comes with three substantial improvements to the title bearer.
First, the monarch title is unique in the sense that it allows the wielder to bestow other "titles." The [King] title, for instance, is bestowed by the One and Only Emperor to those he deems worthy of it. The effects of these bestowed titles can vary and depend entirely on the monarch's strength and decision.
The second advantage is that monarchs, like dungeon Guardians, gain access to something called a domain. Within this domain, they can either receive significant advantages or inflict debilitating effect on a particular type of opponents. The way this domain manifests varies by race. For an Emperor, it manifests as an actual territory—a physical domain ruled by themselves or individuals they have given titles to.
The third major improvement brought about by the monarch title is the acquisition of a [Relic], which is a manifestation of a sovereign's dominion. Depending on one's class, race, and other factors, this relic can take many forms. For the Seraphims of the Land of Men and Archdukes of the Underworld, it takes the form of a moon. For humans, whose manifestation depends largely on their class, the relic often appears as a weapon—sometimes two. For elves, however, the relic manifests uniquely—not as a moon or weapons but as something entirely their own.
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We had been flying for almost a week. I'd expected the journey to be long but didn't think it would stretch on this much. Sure, with our guest, we had to take actual breaks now and then, but still, I strongly underestimated the distance—too strongly. But after six days of flight, we finally closed in on our destination. How did I know when none of us were particularly familiar with this corner of Quel'thalas? Well, the something massive, gray, and magical in the distance was a dead giveaway.
"That thing, that's it, right?" Licht asked, his eyes widening at the sight of the gigantic tree. Its trunk shot up like a pillar from the earth, with branches reaching skyward, crowned by leaves that dwarfed even the clouds.
I nodded.
Aquaflora noticed Licht's expression—his eyes filled with wonder—and asked, "This is your first time seeing an Ancestral Tree, right?"
Licht nodded.
"I had the same reaction too when I first saw one," she said with a smile, one that suggested that she got a little confortable than she initially were with him.
Traveling together means you sometimes fill the silence with small talk. When you're alone, traveling in silence can be peaceful, but when you’re with others—especially on Veilleuse-19's back, which, though massive, still has limited space—silence can get awkward. From time to time, either I, Aquaflora, or Licht would start a conversation to kill that boredom. Usually, it wasn't anything deep, but it helped us to grow accustomed to each other's presence.
Wanting to join in the banter, I added with mock boastfulness, "I wasn't all that impressed by the first one I'd seen."
Frowning, Aquaflora asked, "Whose Ancestral Tree was it?"
I smiled then, "a friend's," I answered. To quell any further inquiry—considering the sensitive nature of that friend and the ancestral tree in question—I added, "It was a friend's Ancestral Tree," emphasizing the "was" part.
Aquaflora seemed to catch my meaning. Perhaps out of consideration—just as I'd refrained from mentioning her family or her grandmother since our "introduction"—she didn’t press any further.
As we drew closer, the true enormity of the tree became even more evident. From a distance, you wouldn't notice the tree's translucent quality. But here it was clear. Beyond the gray haze that made it appear otherworldly, the within of the massive trunk harbored signs of civilization.
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Within the heart and at the base of the colossal trunk of an ancient-looking, translucent-gray tree—a magical titan that reached the skies—lay an expansive city. It wasn't built around the tree; instead, it was sheltered within the very core of the trunk. Despite its vastness, the city occupied only a fraction of this natural sanctuary—a mere portion of the tree's interior, cocooned by its massive, magical almost living walls.
Veilleuse-19 began circling the magical tree, giving us a breathtaking view. From this distance, the tree glowed faintly, its aura shimmering. The towering trunk walls appeared translucent-gray, revealing clearly the massive living sanctuary within—a hidden realm that we were yearning to enter, for this was our destination: the capital of the Noctil Elves.
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For a moment, we circled the gigantic tree—well, "circled" is a big word when you consider the tree's size. It would be more accurate to say we flew along the edge of it. Why didn't we just proceed directly into the capital you ask? Well, that gigantic tree—known as an Ancestral Tree—serves a particular purpose. Its main purpose is to act as a barrier, preventing unwanted intruders from entering the domain it protects.
Having seen one before, I knew these trees are set up to repel monsters—creatures like Veilleuse-19—and even, in some cases, outsiders who aren't part of the elven family the tree protects. So, chances were that if we tried to proceed into the capital, we would be stopped. But even if we weren’t, it would be incredibly rude to just march into someone else's capital unannounced—especially when that "someone" was a monarch. In my experience, title-bearers of such status tend to be rather prideful.
Tact and decorum were expected. I learned that. My time as a Queen wasn't entirely wasted, after all. Despite my attempts to avoid it, I had learned the importance of ceremonial matters. In this case, sending an envoy to announce our arrival was the right move. Naturally, such an envoy should have been sent weeks or months in advance, but we didn't have that luxury. So, I adjusted my approach by sending Aquaflora to meet the authorities representing the patriarch. They'd likely already noticed our approach, so she would probably encounter them midway to initiate contact.
As I watched her fly off on her broom to fulfill this role, I couldn't help but be pleased with my decision to bring her along. Standing under the shade of a nearby tree, looking toward the looming Ancestral Tree, I said to Licht, "I told Goblin she wouldn’t be a burden. Now look at her, already being useful."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Licht nod, more out of politeness than genuine agreement, I assumed.
"What are we going to do after we meet the patriarch?" he asked after a moment.
"We'll ask for his help to defeat our problematic patriarch," I replied.
"Yeah, I know that part," Licht said, frowning. "But how are we going to convince him? You mentioned that this patriarch has quite the personality. Do you have anything to convince him for sure?"
"No, I..." I hesitated, weighing my words. "I have nothing to convince him except the facts. We'd all better be extra convincing when explaining just how much of a threat the rogue patriarch is to him, his people and his domain if we don't deal with it."
"That's..." Licht began, but then paused.
"What?" I asked.
"I thought you... I had hoped you had a better plan," he admitted.
What, I thought, that sounds like a good plan to me.
Despite the sting of his words, I kept my expression neutral. Perhaps seeing this, Licht asked, "What will happen if he refuses to cooperate?"
I smiled. "Don't worry about that. It's very likely that he'll cooperate... about that part," I said, which only prompted another frown from him. "It's also very likely that he'll ignore us at first, so it's fifty-fifty. But even if the odds weren't in our favor, we aren't far from having everything we need to tip the scale. We just have to play our cards right," I added, addressing his earlier skepticism. "But don't worry, I chose to come because I know that if there's anyone who can handle someone like this patriarch, it's me."
Licht gave a nod. "I see... Sorry, I didn't mean to question you like I did."
"It's fine," I replied. "You were just concerned, and rightfully so. After all, we need the cooperation of the elven monarchs to take down our rogue patriarch."
Nodding, he mumbled, "Three patriarchs against one... Just how strong is he?"
"How strong compared to whom?" I asked.
After hesitating for a moment, Licht answered, "Compared to the One and Only Emperor."
Hearing this, I chuckled, genuinely amused. "As much as it pains me to admit it, Cleon is stronger."
Licht was about to respond when I added, "But that's if we don't factor in what makes this patriarch truly problematic: the stampede of monsters under his control, his relic, and of course, the authority he wields. With those three, I'd say he's far more difficult to deal with than Cleon."
He nodded, then ventured, "And compared to you?"
"Compared to me?" I smiled. "Well, as sad as sad as it is to admit, as of now, I'd say it would take three of me to even the playing field. In other words, one to handle each of his problematic assets. With a fourth, I'd say what we came here to recover would be in the bag." I paused, shaking my head in disappointment. "Unfortunately, we don't have three of me, let alone four, which is why—"
"We have to get the elven monarchs to help take him down," Licht finished my thought.
I nodded in agreement. "Exactly."
About an hour later, Aquaflora returned atop her broom, closely followed by two squads of Noctil Elves. As she approached, she announced the good news: the patriarch of the Umbryan elven family would receive us as guests in his capital.