Free Web NovelDeep within the Elven Forest, in a hidden corner.
Accompanied by a burst of scorching white light, four or five figures stepped out in succession. The movement was minimal, their auras tightly restrained—at a glance, they looked no different from ordinary elves skilled in magic.
They were Vieya, who had been summoned away by the Elven Queen, and the heads of the other three great elven clans walking alongside the two of them.
Sul, head of the [Salt] clan.
Lano, head of the [Flower] clan.
And the head of the [Ba] clan...
This clan head was named [Future].
Don’t let her level fool you—it was the lowest among the elves present. In truth, within elven society her standing was second only to that of the Elven Queen herself. And what kind of existence the Elven Queen was to the entire elven race hardly needed explaining.
If she were just a bit younger—say, a thousand years or so—you might not even be seeing Aislin in this year’s queen selection.
And then there was another thing...
‘She’s nearly two thousand years old, but she looks even smaller than a normal adult elf. And that name, “Future”... it’s pretty... memorable?’
Vieya couldn’t help wondering whether this clan head could sing.
With that thought, Vieya curiously sized up the mysterious elf, secretly comparing their heights in her mind—only to discover, rather tragically, that she was still shorter than the other party.
“This time, we’ll enter from here.”
As soon as the Elven Queen finished speaking, Lano stepped forward two paces, placed a hand to her chest, and bowed.
“Your Majesty, once the thorns on the World Tree are dissolved, the defensive mechanisms of the Guardian Forest will temporarily disappear. At that point, it will inevitably draw the covetous gazes of other races. I am concerned that—”
“It’s fine. Phoenix has already gone to seek allied forces. I’ve taken all of this into consideration. There won’t be any accidents tonight.”
The Elven Queen swept her gaze over the assembled elves. Her eyes were filled with a quiet, unshakable confidence—a certainty that they would win.
“And from now on,” she added calmly, “you no longer need to address me as ‘Your Majesty.’ Just call me by my name—Dorothy will do.”
At the Queen’s words, the other three elves raised no objections whatsoever. Each one lowered their gaze, eyes to nose, nose to heart, remaining silently respectful.
Seeing this, Vieya nodded to herself and silently committed the Elven Queen’s name to memory.
Dorothy was clearly satisfied. She continued at once.
“I believe all of you already know our objective. Unlike other continents, the [World Tree] is the very foundation of the Western Continent. If anything were to happen to it, catastrophe would once again sweep across the entire land, reducing a century of hard-won peace to ashes. So, everyone—stay close to me and follow my commands exactly.”
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Vieya.
Here it came.
Up until now, the one she felt least at ease about was this slime girl. The other three elves were people she knew inside and out, watched grow up from childhood—they would obey her commands without question.
Vieya, however, was different.
At their very first meeting, she had immobilized Dorothy with a paralysis spell, pinned her in place so she couldn’t move, then had the audacity to tease her, threaten her, and even grab her ears.
Just thinking about it made Dorothy’s temper flare.
This little slime... she was no harmless creature.
But—endure it!
“I promise I’ll behave!”
Perhaps sensing the deeper meaning in Dorothy’s gaze, Vieya hurriedly slapped a hand to her chest and made the pledge, afraid that Dorothy might change her mind at the last second and kick her out.
Thinking quickly, the street-smart Vieya softened her tone and doubled down on her promise.
“I’m really sorry about what happened when we first met. But you’re such a big elf already—you shouldn’t stoop to getting mad at a tiny, ignorant, bad-tempered monster girl like me, right? Okay~?”
Dorothy: “......”
“Okay, my dear, broad-minded Great Elf sister?” Vieya asked cautiously.
Dorothy wasn’t the kind of elf who held grudges or was petty—but right now, she found this suddenly submissive slime’s attitude rather interesting. She couldn’t help wanting to savor it for a bit longer.
‘Go on. Try a little harder to please me.’
Seeing that the Elven Queen still wasn’t speaking, Vieya pressed her lips together, starting to wonder whether she’d said something wrong.
The atmosphere between them froze solid.
At that moment, the other three elves quickly voiced their support, each stating that they would obey Dorothy’s instructions in everything to come.
With just a few statements, the congealed tension dissolved. freewebnovёl.ƈom
Having said everything that needed to be said, Dorothy finally shifted gears and brought the conversation back on track.
“Alright then. On this trip, we have only two objectives: [opening the door], and fulfilling this guest’s wish.”
The former would be impossible if even one of the four elves were missing.
The latter was to help Vieya while also keeping her under supervision—ensuring she didn’t do anything out of line inside the World Tree.
Led by Dorothy, they soon passed beyond the present world, following the resonance to their destination.
The World Tree.
Vieya had never seen a tree this immense. Its branches reached up to the Nine Heavens, its roots plunged down into the Nine Abysses. Or perhaps it could no longer be called a tree at all—its entire form hovered between illusion and reality. Azure-blue veins, like blood vessels, spread across its body, giving off an eerily bewitching beauty.
It was as though night and day had descended at once—the sky split cleanly in two, half night and half day, the boundary razor-sharp. From afar, the World Tree blended seamlessly into the backdrop of the heavens.
Like a natural line of yin and yang, it divided black death from white life.
Sul turned her head and saw that Vieya was also staring at the scene, lost in thought. Reflected in her pupils was the deep blue glow of the World Tree—mysterious and beautiful.
Sul withdrew her gaze and murmured softly, “That’s... one huge tree.”
“This is just a tiny branch of what it reveals,” Dorothy explained gently. “Only after we enter it will you truly be able to feel how vast it is.”
Clearly, among all the elves present, she was the only one who had been here before—and the only one who understood these matters.
After speaking, she turned and snapped the other two elves out of their stunned reverie, then smiled easily.
“Alright. Next, it’s time for us to [open the door].”
......
Night fell over the grasslands.
After being sent out by Dorothy to form alliances, Phoenix headed toward the nearest prairie, intending to seek out the former Grand Grassland High Priest to secure some reliable tribal allies.
The vast grasslands were home to thousands of nomadic tribes—but most of them were unreliable. Some harbored malicious greed, others hated elves and plundered everything in sight, and still others were simply too weak to be of any use...
What’s more, the grasslands were currently in turmoil, as countless tribes engaged in a frenzied and brutal struggle over the selection of the next Great Khan.
Thinking of this, Phoenix couldn’t help rubbing her forehead and sighing.
Forget it. I’ll go find that old High Priest first.
That slime saved one of his students last time. It’s about time he repaid the favor.
Phoenix swept her consciousness across the grasslands, then transformed into a blazing crimson great bird and took flight.
Not long after, she landed atop a prominent hill beneath the starry sky. freёweɓnovel.com
“Hey, old man. You knew I’d come looking for you, didn’t you?”
As soon as she landed, Phoenix frowned and walked over. A hunched old man stood on the hill, gazing into the distance. Neatly arranged felt tents dotted the grasslands below, their fires burning bright.
“Heh heh.” The old man chuckled twice, offering no answer, his gaze still fixed on the horizon.
The next instant—
A sudden disturbance flashed across the sky above the Elven Forest, fleeting as a blink, as though a veil draped over it had been lifted by invisible hands.
The barrier that had protected the elves for countless ages vanished.
Phoenix froze for a moment, then immediately realized that Dorothy had already led that slime into the World Tree.
But... wasn’t that a little too fast?
Could her condition have worsened again...?
Worry flooded Phoenix’s heart. She wanted nothing more than to return to Dorothy’s side at once—but the matter before her also had to be resolved.
Once the barrier disappeared, monsters would be able to step onto the land of the Elven Royal Court. At the same time, those who had long coveted the elves from the shadows would seize the opportunity to strike...
Time was short.
At that moment, the old man slowly turned around. In the darkness, Phoenix’s expression was hard to make out—but the old man sighed.
“Senior... your heart is in turmoil.”
“Tell me how to secure the support of the grassland tribes. I don’t need them to enter the Elven Forest and fight monsters for us—I just need them to refrain from guiding other invaders,” Phoenix said coldly. “Once it’s done, I can provide you with longevity elixirs.”
“I’m sorry.” The old man shook his head. “I’m no longer the Grand High Priest. Everyone believes I’m dead—those princes and princesses, even my own students. So for now, I can’t help you much in this matter.”
Then his tone shifted.
“However, you can seek out one of my students. I believe you’ve already met her, haven’t you?”
“Your student?”
Phoenix irritably raked her fingers through the fiery red hair at her temple. She recalled that neurotic girl chanting spells while holding a dried pufferfish, and couldn’t help doubting.
“Can she really do it?”
“When you find her, you’ll know whether she can or not,” the old man said with a mysterious smile.
“Senior, time waits for no one. If you don’t set out soon, it’ll be too late once the wolves close in.”
“Tch. Talking to people like you is such a pain!”
Annoying as it was, he’d given her a solution—and that was enough.
Phoenix let out a long breath, transformed into a giant bird, and soared into the sky, beating her wings as she streaked across the night like a crimson meteor.
