CA - Chapter 154
Chapter 154
The sudden appearance of the Dark Elves made the elves, who had just been immersed in joy, instantly alert. The older elves put down their instruments, jumped down from the tree trunks, and subtly shielded Delphine behind them.
They drew their longbows but didn't initiate an attack. Instead, they looked at the Dark Elves with complicated expressions.
Patricia leaped down from a tree trunk. Ignoring the elves' warnings, she raised the black longbow in her hands again, and a dark aura began to gather around her.
The Dark Elves who had followed her into the territory were shocked by this scene. They exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe. Although Patricia was relatively young among them, she was very powerful and had a steady personality, which was why she could become their leader.
Such an impulsive act of attacking without a word was something she seemed incapable of doing.
Having grown up in the territory, they all understood how important the Guardian Ceremony was to the Elf Race. Although the Dark Elves resented the elves who had driven them out, they had never thought of disrupting the ceremony.
The Dark Elves looked at each other, then at Patricia, who was exuding a dark aura. They hesitantly chose to stand behind her.
The moment the dark aura appeared, Delphine's expression suddenly changed as if she had thought of something. She placed the branch she was holding on the ground, took out a staff, and began chanting a spell in a low voice. A pale green light spread out in all directions from the tip of the staff, forming a barrier that blocked Patricia and the other Dark Elves.
She lowered her staff, gently pushed aside the elves in front of her, and said to Patricia in a low voice, "I told you not to use the Power of Darkness within the territory." Her expression was extremely serious.
Patricia's hand gripping the longbow grew stiff, bit by bit. She lowered her head slightly, her long, silver-gray hair falling forward to hide her expression, but the dark aura around her slowly dissipated.
Realizing she might have been too harsh, Delphine raised a hand to rub her brow, her expression softening once more. She offered a faint smile to Patricia and the other Dark Elves, her tone gentler as she said, "It was my oversight. You should have been invited to the Guardian Ceremony as well."
She said apologetically, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to participate from outside the barrier."
Delphine's apology stunned the Dark Elves. They felt a little unsure of what to do and subconsciously looked to Patricia, awaiting her command.
The black longbow was thrown to the ground with a clatter. Patricia raised her hand and shattered the barrier Delphine had cast. She looked up, her gaze cold as she stared at Delphine, her voice a bit hoarse. "Do you think we're pitiful? Is allowing us to watch from the outside the greatest charity you can offer?"
The smile on Delphine's face slowly vanished. She watched Patricia in silence.
"You drive out innocent kin, yet you consort with people from the Holy See. Do you remember what you once said, Your Majesty the Queen!" Patricia stepped onto the soft grass, walking toward Delphine one step at a time. An elf tried to block her, but she dodged aside. "You said the Holy See was the greatest enemy of the Elf Race. You hated them, despised them, and wished you could uproot the Holy See's influence from the continent."
"Is this how you treat your enemies?" Patricia stopped three steps away from Delphine. She looked expressionlessly at Tang Qiu, her voice bone-chilling and laced with anger. "Was it because you've already chosen to reconcile with the Holy See that you expelled us 'abnormal' elves without even giving a reason?"
"Because the Power of Darkness flows in our blood, we are unworthy of being your people?"
The grievance and resentment of being driven out were buried deep in the heart of every Dark Elf. Patricia's questioning made all the Dark Elves' gazes converge on Delphine.
Delphine opened her mouth, but in the end, she only sighed and said, "You've misunderstood."
She said only those words, with no intention of explaining.
Patricia was extremely disappointed with this answer. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had vanished from her spot.
She could not tolerate Delphine abandoning them for this reason.
Leaning against a tree trunk and quietly watching their confrontation, Tang Qiu had no intention of getting involved in the internal affairs of the Elf Race. But then, she caught a glimpse of a black shadow coming toward her out of the corner of her eye. She narrowed her eyes, raised her hand, and seized Patricia's wrist as it reached for her neck. With her other hand, she pressed down on Patricia's shoulder and threw her away.
Patricia twisted her body in mid-air and continued her attack on Tang Qiu. She didn't use the Power of Darkness, relying purely on the superior strength and speed that Dark Elves possessed in combat.
Unfortunately for her, she was facing a werewolf—a Royal Wolf, at that, whose seal had already been undone.
Without using the Power of Darkness, Patricia was at a complete disadvantage.
The moment Patricia attacked, the other Dark Elves charged forward as well, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.
Delphine's brow furrowed tightly. Seeing the Dark Elves now fully inside the territory, she could only raise her staff again and chant a spell to send them out.
The number of Dark Elves was not large, but not small either. Delphine didn't want to harm them, so she avoided using overly powerful offensive spells. This meant it took a bit longer to drive them out.
Tang Qiu saw Delphine's intention and deliberately lured Patricia toward the edge of the territory. Seeing the fury in Patricia's eyes, she was even in the mood to tease, "Delphine was the one who expelled you. Why are you directing your anger at me?"
From the conversation between Patricia and Delphine, it was clear their animosity stemmed entirely from the former's resentment at being exiled as a Dark Elf.
Patricia snorted coldly. Using the force of Tang Qiu's blow to her chest, she retreated several steps until she reached the border of the territory. Her chest ached dully, but she paid it no mind. She bent down, picked up the longbow from the ground, and her figure vanished behind a tree.
Watching her pick up the longbow again, Tang Qiu's brow furrowed slightly. An elf's archery was incredibly powerful. If Patricia created distance, it wouldn't be so easy to get close to her again.
Her hand hanging at her side twitched. Just as she was about to take out her staff, Delphine, who was busy driving out the Dark Elves, suddenly stopped. Facing Patricia's direction, she said in a deep voice, "That's enough, Patricia."
Hidden behind the tree, Patricia, whose fingers had just touched the bowstring, froze for a moment. Her silver-gray eyes were slightly red. This was the first time Delphine had called her name so coldly. Even when she was driven from the territory, Delphine had not been as severe as she was now. Patricia pressed her lips together, stubbornly refusing to let go, but the arrow on the bowstring no longer continued to form.
Tang Qiu located Patricia's position and moved to find her.
Delphine lowered her staff and was about to head over as well when a familiar fluctuation of energy came from behind her. She paused, turning around. The branch she had just placed on the ground was emitting a faint green glow as it slowly floated into the air.
This is...
A flash of surprise crossed Delphine's eyes. She walked over, wanting to grab the branch, but it had already flown into mid-air. Specks of green light flew toward the branch, gradually forming a river of green stars.
The elves who were fighting with the Dark Elves all stopped at the same time. They looked up at the green river of stars floating in the air, their expressions a mix of nervousness and apprehension. Although the timing of the branch choosing a guardian was not ideal, it didn't affect their feelings of anticipation.
The Dark Elves also stopped, looking up at the river of stars in a daze.
The green river of stars circled the branch once, then flew off in one direction.
Delphine and the elves followed the direction of the river of stars with their eyes. The pale green halo of light passed over one elf after another, then flew out of the territory, heading straight for the white-haired werewolf.
Gasps rose one after another. The elves covered their mouths, all looking shocked. "This... how is this possible..."
"It's actually Bishop Grace."
"Heavens, are we going to welcome a werewolf elf queen?"
"Don't talk nonsense..."
The elves' hushed discussion brought Delphine back to her senses. She stared at Tang Qiu, who was enveloped in the green light, her brow slowly knitting.
The sudden appearance of the green light made Tang Qiu pause. She looked up at the river of stars above her, then glanced at Patricia standing right across from her. Just as she was about to say something, Delphine's voice came from behind her. "Grace..."
Tang Qiu turned around and spread her hands at Delphine, a helpless smile on her face. "It's not me."
She took a few steps to the side, revealing the person she had been blocking.
After Tang Qiu moved away, the river of stars did not follow her. The pale green light enveloped Patricia and slowly seeped into her forehead, leaving behind a green mark.
The longbow in her hands fell to the ground. Patricia raised a hand to touch the mark on her forehead, her expression dazed.
The true choice of the green river of stars left the elves stunned for a moment, followed by an uproar.
A Dark Elf... How could she bear offspring with the Queen?
What if...
The elves subconsciously looked at Delphine. Delphine hadn't expected the branch's final choice to be a Dark Elf either.
Is this the guidance of the Forest Goddess for the Elf Race? Has the fate of the Elf Race come to this?
Delphine pressed her lips together, her gaze fixed on the tips of her toes as she fell into deep thought.
Delphine said nothing, and the elves who had been discussing among themselves gradually fell silent. The territory was quiet, with only the occasional crackling of the bonfire.
Patricia was the first to come to her senses. Delphine's silence made the mark on her forehead feel scalding. She pulled her hand back, clenching it into a tight fist. Delphine's grave expression made Patricia's heart sink, and the overly quiet atmosphere felt suffocating. She bent down, picked up her longbow, and turned to leave as if fleeing.
The Dark Elves watched Patricia's departing back and quietly followed her, leaving as well.
Tang Qiu glanced in the direction they had left and said to Delphine, "Your little guardian ran off."
Delphine came back to her senses. She let out a heavy sigh, her smile a bit forced. "It's fine. She'll be back."
Patricia knew the importance of a guardian, so she would definitely return on her own.
A grand banquet had been ruined by the Dark Elves, and the final choice for the guardian was less than satisfactory. As the elves cleaned up, they were no longer in the mood for laughter and conversation.
After the Dark Elves left, Delphine went straight to the location of the Tree of Life.
When Tang Qiu found her, she saw the same scene as before: Delphine using her own life force to nourish the Tree of Life.
Having stopped her once, Tang Qiu didn't plan to do it a second time. She believed Delphine knew the consequences of nourishing the Tree of Life with her life force better than she did. The fact that she continued to do so meant she must have her reasons.
For Delphine, some things were more important than her own life.
The Tree of Life looked to be in even worse condition than before. However, thanks to Delphine's nourishment, its state was poor but it was still growing slowly.
Hearing Tang Qiu's footsteps, Delphine withdrew her hand. Her spirit was weary from the loss of life force. Taking the Holy Water of Light that Tang Qiu offered, she tilted her head back and took a sip. Her fingers caressed the bottle as she looked down and sighed, "Are you very curious about why I drove the Dark Elves out?"
Tang Qiu glanced at her and said softly, "Is it because of the Tree of Life?"
Delphine held no hostility or aversion toward the Dark Elves. As far as Tang Qiu could see, she clearly considered these elves her kin as well.
Delphine raised a hand to touch a leaf on the Tree of Life, her tone heavy. "I had no choice. If they remained in the territory after coming of age, they would accelerate the withering of the Tree of Life."
This Tree of Life carried too much. No matter the cost, she had to protect it.
That was why she could only expel the Dark Elves from the territory.
But how could she tell Patricia and the others the truth?
Tell them that their very existence would only lead to the demise of the Elf Race?
Or tell them that their existence was a mistake from the start, that there was no place for them in the Elf Race?
That would be even crueler than being exiled by her.
Comments
Post a Comment