CA – Chapter 124
Chapter 124
Tang Qiu, Lucille, Erin, and the others managed to evacuate the temple just a second before it collapsed. They had deliberately avoided the exit where the Holy See was located, but unexpectedly, they ended up choosing the same direction as Delphine and Patricia.
After leaving the temple, the Dark Elves who had been fighting alongside the Elves proactively distanced themselves. Since neither group had obtained the Godhead, the atmosphere was equally gloomy.
The faint smile that usually graced Delphine’s face had vanished. She gazed at the boundless desert, her expression complex and tinged with a hint of powerlessness. She heaved a deep sigh, her eyes, filled with confusion, dropping to stare at her own hands.
They had lost several of their kin, yet they still failed to acquire the Godhead. This forced Delphine to wonder if her decision had been a mistake.
Were even the gods… unwilling to grant the Elf Race a sliver of hope?
Delphine sank into a state of negativity, her entire being shrouded in melancholy. The Elves surrounding her exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.
Delphine’s emotional fluctuations would affect the other Elves. Even Patricia and the other Dark Elves keenly sensed that something was wrong with her.
The Dark Elves looked at each other, the indifference in their eyes now tinged with anxiety.
Patricia stared at Delphine with a blank expression, her hand slowly tightening its grip on her longbow. She pursed her lips, her silver-gray eyes flickered, and she involuntarily took a step forward. However, while she was still hesitating whether to approach, a white-haired werewolf had already walked to Delphine’s side.
Watching the two of them converse intimately, Patricia snorted coldly. She turned to the Dark Elves behind her and said in a harsh voice, “We’re leaving.”
As Patricia led the Dark Elves away, Delphine glanced up during a pause in her conversation with Tang Qiu, her brow furrowing imperceptibly. She had wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Patricia, but being so worn down by the ordeal with the Godhead had ruined her mood.
Seeing that Delphine was distracted and her expression downcast, Tang Qiu thought for a moment and handed her the box she had obtained from the temple.
Delphine was taken aback when the box was presented to her. “What is this?” she asked, puzzled.
She took the box and examined it, noticing that the aura emanating from it was somewhat similar to the aura inside the temple.
Tang Qiu gestured for Delphine to open it, saying with a smile, “A surprise for you.”
Delphine blinked and muttered under her breath, “It couldn’t be the Godhead, could it?”
She opened the box, full of anticipation, only to find that what lay inside was not something resembling a Godhead, but a Space Gem.
Looking utterly baffled, Delphine picked up the Space Gem and inspected its contents, discovering it was filled to the brim with Holy Water of Light.
She raised an eyebrow and met Tang Qiu’s gaze. Seeing the teasing look on the other’s face, a beautiful curve formed on Delphine’s lips, and the gloom on her face dissipated somewhat because of Tang Qiu’s “surprise gift.”
“As long as the Godhead isn’t in your hands,” Delphine said softly, a faint smile playing on her lips, “our friendship will become even stronger because of your surprise gift.”
Tang Qiu shrugged and sighed. “I only got the box.” When she had opened it, it was already empty.
The Godhead had long been taken by the Black Witches.
Seeing Delphine’s mood improve over some Holy Water of Light, Tang Qiu chuckled and said, “I also have some news about the Elf Fruits. Will that make our friendship even stronger?”
At the mention of Elf Fruits, the smile on Delphine’s face gradually faded. She put away the Space Gem and asked with a frown, “What news?”
“The Holy See is supplying the Vampires with Elf Fruits.” Tang Qiu’s eyes narrowed slightly when she saw no change in Delphine’s expression upon hearing this, confirming a long-held suspicion of hers—Delphine already knew about this matter. “Rose Manor is one of the Vampires’ strongholds.”
“We can cooperate to destroy Rose Manor,” Tang Qiu said, still wanting to uproot Rose Manor from the Gosse Empire completely.
This time, it wasn’t for the Holy See’s reputation, but because of Delia.
She wasn’t sure if Delia had noticed anything amiss with Lucille, but the mere thought of a potential crisis filled her heart with killing intent.
Rose Manor could remain, but Delia absolutely could not.
“The third-generation vampire won’t stay at Rose Manor forever. A fourth-generation vampire handles the affairs there, and she definitely has a large quantity of Elf Fruits in her possession.” Seeing Delphine hesitate, Tang Qiu continued to add more bargaining chips. “I won’t take a single Elf Fruit. How about I also provide you with Holy Water of Light?”
Delphine was very tempted, but in the end, she had no choice but to refuse. She sighed and said, “I must return to my territory.” She couldn’t linger outside any longer.
Not expecting Delphine to refuse, Tang Qiu frowned and said with regret, “Alright then.”
It seemed she would have to find another way.
Seeing Tang Qiu turn to leave, Delphine couldn’t help but call out to stop her. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Actually, I’d like to invite you to our Elven territory.”
Tang Qiu paused for a moment, then smiled gracefully. “Of course.” She thought for a moment and added, “Can we do it after some time has passed?”
Seeing her agree so readily, Delphine breathed a small sigh of relief. She took a green scroll from her Space Gem and handed it to Tang Qiu, saying with a smile, “That’s fine. I’ll be waiting for you in my territory.”
Tang Qiu accepted the scroll and turned to walk toward Lucille, who was waiting for her not far away.
When Lucille saw her approach, she naturally reached out to wrap an arm around her waist, leading her into the desolate city beside the desert to wait for their transformation state to end. Their figures quickly disappeared among the ruined walls.
Kama, who was grieving over the collapsed temple, suddenly realized Tang Qiu was gone too. A layer of mist quickly filled her eyes, and she pouted aggrievedly.
Looking at the pitiful Kama, Erin couldn’t help but whisper, “Grace will be back in a little while.”
With the temple collapsed, Erin had no idea where to send this strange and clingy child. She ran her hands through her hair in distress, starting to worry on Tang Qiu’s behalf. How was the blonde bishop going to deal with Kama? She couldn’t possibly bring her back to the Holy See, could she?
After Tang Qiu left, Delphine also prepared to leave with her people. With her mood improved, the thought of having a proper talk with Patricia resurfaced, so she led her kin in the direction the Dark Elves had taken.
However, they didn’t see any sign of the Dark Elves along the way.
Continuing to follow the lingering scent of the Dark Elves would only take them further and further from their own Elven territory. Delphine had no choice but to give up, changing direction to head back to their domain.
Not long after they started, their path was blocked by a white-haired werewolf. The ferocious scar on the werewolf’s face revealed her identity. The Elves stopped warily, then spontaneously moved forward to form a protective screen around Delphine.
Although the Elf Queen was the most powerful among them, the instinct to protect her with their lives was deeply ingrained in their bloodline. So, when danger arose, it was a habit they couldn’t and wouldn’t change to stand in front of their queen.
Delphine patted an Elf’s shoulder, signaling them not to be nervous. She took a few steps forward to stand before Faye and asked, puzzled, “What are you doing here?”
Faye’s face and hands were covered in fine bloody scratches. Her complexion was also a bit pale, and her eyes held a trace of fatigue, suggesting she had also been through a fierce battle.
Delphine looked her up and down, her expression shifting as she said with understanding, “You were in the temple too?”
Faye didn’t deny it, replying calmly, “I was with the Holy See at the time.”
At the mention of the Holy See, Delphine’s face darkened. She gave a cold nod and said nothing more.
She still harbored a strong aversion to the upper echelons of the Holy See. If it had been the Elves who ran into the Holy See inside the temple, she would have rather faced the strange beasts alone than cooperate with them.
Faye knew Delphine’s temperament, so she didn’t press the issue and changed the subject. She tossed an Elf Fruit to Delphine, a faint smile on her lips as she said, “The usual deal.”
Delphine caught the Elf Fruit and glanced down at it. After a moment of thought, she said, “I don’t need it for now.” She tossed the Elf Fruit back.
Tang Qiu had given her an Elf Fruit earlier, and with the few she had saved up, she had enough to bring back to her territory. Compared to Elf Fruits, what she needed more right now was Holy Water of Light.
Therefore, she was a bit reluctant to trade Holy Water of Light for an Elf Fruit from Faye. But after tossing it back, Delphine felt a pang of regret. She couldn’t help but say, “You can save it for me. I’ll come back for it later.”
Faye was surprised that she would actually throw the Elf Fruit back. She frowned and asked, “You don’t even have a hundred bottles of Holy Water of Light?”
Delphine and her people had been scouring the continent for Holy Water of Light for some time now. Had they really not managed to collect even a hundred bottles?
Faye’s gaze toward Delphine held a hint of pity.
Knowing she had been misunderstood, Delphine didn’t explain. Instead, she sighed and lamented, “I can’t compare to your wealth.”
A thought occurred to her, and she smiled self-deprecatingly. “Perhaps I should also go make some deals with the Vampires and Black Witches.”
Although she said this, she knew in her heart that she would never do such a thing.
The Elf Race was the most peace-loving race on the continent of Statu. They were close to the light and abhorred the darkness. It was a principle etched into their bloodline not to associate with any dark forces.
She knew that Faye had been trading with the Vampires to obtain Elf Fruits and Holy Water of Light from them.
Before Delphine had led her people out, she had always relied on Faye’s support. The price was giving the smallest Tree of Life in the Elven territory to the Wolf Race.
The Tree of Life needed to be nourished by Holy Water of Light to grow. After their break with the Holy See, the Elf Race could no longer support two Trees of Life. But even after transplanting one to Faye, the condition of the remaining tree was getting worse and worse, forcing Delphine to come out and seek a solution.
The Holy See and the Vampires were the main culprits behind the Elves’ impending extinction.
They were also the indirect cause of the Wolf Race’s population decline.
Delphine was unwilling to deal with the Holy See and the Vampires, but Faye had no such qualms.
Both of them were striving to save their own races, just through different methods.
Faye was aware of the Elves’ current predicament. She frowned, then tossed the Elf Fruit back to Delphine. Meeting Delphine’s questioning gaze, she said softly, “It’s a gift.”
Delphine blinked and silently put the Elf Fruit away.
Seeing her accept it, Faye thought for a moment and asked, “That problem… is there still no solution?”
Delphine knew what she was asking and shook her head in disappointment.
“There will definitely be a solution,” Faye comforted her.
Delphine forced a smile. Her peripheral vision caught an Elf looking at her with concern, so she pulled herself together and changed the subject. “Grace doesn’t know about your deal with Evan, does she?”
In truth, she wanted to ask Faye if the blonde bishop knew she was Faye’s daughter.
From her observations, the blonde bishop probably didn’t know.
She kindly reminded Faye, “She’s been wanting to eradicate Rose Manor.”
Faye was startled for a moment, then nodded. “I understand.” After a pause, she suddenly frowned and stared at Delphine.
Delphine felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze and couldn’t help asking, “What is it?”
Faye narrowed her eyes. “Have you mentioned me to her?”
Delphine opened her mouth, then calmly shook her head. “…No.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
She had mentioned it, but the blonde bishop had seemed not to hear her, so it wasn’t wrong for her to say she hadn’t mentioned it.
Delphine rubbed her nose, feeling not the least bit guilty under Faye’s probing and suspicious gaze.
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