Felix tactfully resisted Yanara's seductive overtures. In the early morning mist of the forest, he headed towards Snowdrift Hollow.
Felix, thanks to his appearance, easily won the favor of women. In Snowdrift Hollow, several beautiful women had subtly expressed a willingness to share intimate moments with him.
Even the enchantingly beautiful owner of Snowcharm, Lydiana Anya, harbored deep-seated desires for him, Felix believed.
This was an instinctive feeling, and Felix trusted his judgment. However, he always gently refused such advances. He felt a strong sense of responsibility, perhaps stemming from a male's possessive instinct—a decisive one at that!
He had forgotten his past and did not know who had hurt him so badly. His enemies might be formidable. Felix had to refuse any romantic entanglements until he remembered his past.
His intuition told him that getting involved in romantic affairs would endanger not only himself but also the women who were fond of him.
Refusing was also a way to protect them.
This time, his endeavors brought him an income of 128 gold coins. Not a large sum, but enough to sustain him in the human world for a while.
The value of the bugbear's pelt decreased due to a large wound on the head, but the merchant who bought Felix's goods still got a great deal, evident from his wide, unceasing smile.
Felix was indifferent to this. He naturally had a casual attitude towards money, not caring about the loss or gain of a few hundred gold coins.
Felix thought he must have been a very wealthy spellcaster in his past, as he viewed gold coins merely as currency and metal.
After entrusting Odynman with 46 gold coins for the owner of Snowcharm, Felix bought some essential supplies in Snowdrift Hollow and set off for the distant east. He aimed to reach the human world, where he might find a clue to regain his memory.
Three days had passed since the incident with the Oath of the Shattered Blade adventurers. News had spread in Snowdrift Hollow, and the people's friendliness towards him had waned.
Their familiar yet strange faces showed caution and awe. Felix didn't care; he never felt truly integrated into their world.
He always believed he belonged to another world, one with little overlap with theirs. This feeling stemmed from a profound sense of alienation deep in his soul.
Felix's luggage was simple: a sharp one-handed sword, a large cloak, two sets of clothes, a bag of sliced beef jerky, and some miscellaneous essentials. A small package contained all his belongings.
The horse cost Felix eleven gold coins. It was a sturdy military horse, strong and powerful.
To the east of Snowdrift Hollow lay a small river, clear and poetic, named "Maya" in elvish, though Felix didn't understand its meaning.
Beside the river stood a massive tree, rumored to be thousands of years old, possibly a seed from the Tree of Life. The tree, over thirty meters in diameter, was adorned with various ribbons, some decayed by time, others still vibrant—a wood elf custom for blessing.
The tradition was to hang a ribbon on a tree over a thousand years old and make a wish. It was said that doing so could earn the favor of the Goddess of Life, making dreams come true. Felix approached this ancient tree, sensing a vast life force since his awakening.
This force, he believed, came from the mythical tree before him.
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In the eyes of the wood elves, this ancient tree radiated a divine glow, a child of the Goddess of Life.
After some hesitation, Felix closed his eyes and carefully opened his senses, trying to read the consciousness of the ancient tree. He was curious, recalling legends that had faded with history.
When the elves first arrived in the Delrano world, they brought several trees. These "trees" were also intelligent beings, living in harmony with the elves, serving as both companions and guides.
These were the seeds of the Tree of Life, ancient trees!
The ancient trees were of two types: the "Trees of Wisdom" and the ancient War Trees, even capable of combat.
The ancient trees, living over a hundred thousand years, usually existed in a dormant state, awakening only when threatened or summoned by the elves through a contractual spell.
Felix felt a vast, ocean-like life force and touched a faint, slumbering consciousness, so weak he wondered if it was an illusion. But if this consciousness was real, this ancient tree, thousands of years old, might indeed be a legendary guardian of the wood elves' territory.
After a long time, Felix withdrew his hand, deciding not to disturb the slumbering giant. He mounted his horse and rode eastward.
As Felix was about to spur his horse, a crying voice reached his ears.
“Brother Felix!”
It was Nayara!
Hearing the tearful call softened Felix’s heart. He slowly lowered the raised whip and looked towards Snowdrift Hollow. At that moment, a petite and delicate figure stumbled towards him.
Seeing Nayara's tear-streaked little face, Felix felt a pang of reluctance, even considering staying. But he quickly suppressed this thought. He needed to recover his lost memories, burdened with doubts and perhaps forgotten responsibilities.
"Brother Felix..."
The little girl, Nayara, clumsily threw herself into Felix’s arms, her adorable face wet with tears, clutching at his clothes, seemingly unable to bear his departure.
In Snowdrift Hollow, Nayara was the first person to touch Felix's heart, and now the one he cared about most. Otherwise, he wouldn't have annihilated the Oath of the Shattered Blade for her sake!
Feelings are mutual. As Nayara grew fond and affectionate towards him, Felix also developed feelings for this lively little half-elf.
Among their kind, emotional bonds often didn't need time to deepen; sometimes, a single glance and a sense of kinship from shared bloodlines were enough.
Felix gently smoothed Nayara's wind-tousled hair, tenderly wiped the tears from her cheeks, and lovingly pinched her slightly chubby cheeks. A smile slowly formed on his lips.
"Brother Felix, please don't go," Nayara pleaded, looking up at him with hopeful, teary eyes.
Felix fell silent. He looked up and saw Lydiana Anya, the owner of Snowcharm and Nayara's mother, approaching. Her face showed anxiety but calmed down upon seeing them together.
Lydiana stopped about a hundred meters away, observing the scene under the "Sacred Tree" with a calm gaze.
Felix gently stroked Nayara's head, shaking his head slightly without saying a word.
Seeing Felix shake his head, Nayara's teary eyes began to overflow again. She clung tightly to his clothes, her expression one of determined resistance.
Felix's heart melted at Nayara's pitiful look. He sighed, finally speaking softly, "Nayara, be good. I need to go to the human world to find what I’ve forgotten. You understand, right?"
Nayara continued to grip his clothes, shaking her head, refusing to listen, unwilling to let him go.
Feeling a mix of amusement and frustration, Felix held Nayara's chubby hand and said seriously, "How about this? Let's make a pinky promise. I promise I'll come back to see you."
"Really?" At the mention of a pinky promise, Nayara's tear-stained face finally brightened. In her world, a pinky promise was the most sacred oath, as Felix had never broken any promise made this way to her.
"Really," Felix affirmed, maintaining a stern face despite his inner amusement. He nodded earnestly and extended his little finger to seal the promise.
The little girl, still unsure, looked up at Felix, then at his horse, and suddenly asked earnestly, "Brother Felix, take me with you?"
Stunned by her request, Felix finally chuckled and pinched Nayara’s rosy cheeks, whispering, "Would you leave your mother?"
Mentioning her mother made Nayara hesitate. Her affection for Felix was strong, but her bond with her mother was even stronger. Felix stroked her head, smiling silently.
"Brother Felix, then you must come back to see me," Nayara finally said hesitantly, letting go of his clothes with a teary voice.
"I swear," Felix smiled and nodded, then pointed to the tree, emphasizing his promise.
"Go ahead," Felix gestured towards Lydiana Anya, who waited in the distance, and then gently kissed Nayara's forehead.
Nayara tiptoed to return a kiss on Felix's pale cheek and then reluctantly walked back to her mother.
Looking at the elven mother and daughter sending him off, Felix sighed softly, suppressing his reluctance. He mounted his horse, whipped it fiercely, and headed towards the distant east, towards the human world.
If Felix still had his memories, he would know that this year, his body was sixteen years old.