They continued to eat and talk, when the topic eventually returned to Elizabeth. Benedict asked her, "Do you have any plans to return to your home?"
"You mean New Havens?" Elizabeth was surprised.
She never considered returning home, because she was always too busy. There was the inheritance race and later the war. Before she knew it, almost two years passed since she left New Havens. Time flew by in the blink of an eye. It made her nostalgic. Currently, her responsibilities as the Royal Ambassador was to make public appearances, represent the Alzar Kingdom, and cooperate with the Celestial Council. While she did not formally start yet, she anticipated her future workload would vary. Some days, it might be hectic and other days, it might be tranquil. Her schedule would also be highly flexible.
Elizabeth had been through rougher seas before, so this new position was almost like a vacation to her. It was strangely liberating, to be freed from the suffocating pressure of the inheritance race and the war. She would have more free time than she knew what to use it for. Therefore, the idea of visiting New Havens was not unreasonable. In addition, the empire soldiers previously stationed on the island should have left. And she was a Half-Condensed Drop Arcanist. She could fly herself to the island or protect herself as need be. The only wrinkle was that there was a large-scale beguilement array surrounding New Havens, making it extremely hard to detect. It took her aunt more than a year to find the island, and that was through Benedict, who miraculously crash-landed onto it. It was unknown how much time rediscovering it would take. She could not abandon her duties entirely on a gamble.
The expression on her face turned weird. Speaking of which, why did her home float? She had accepted it as a fact, because she had lived there for sixteen years. It was all she knew. But once she entered the world below and became acquainted with the power structures, she realized how impossible an existence New Havens was! For example, Rank 1 Mortals were incapable of floating and flying. The density and proficiency of their energies were too low. Rank 2 Lords could achieve some level of floating, but not true flight. Only Rank 3 Kings, like the Sword King, could fly! So, what was the strength required to levitate an entire island the size of New Havens? Keeping in mind, New Havens had forests, grasslands, a lake, and a massive tree on it. There was also a small town of several hundred people, a complete animal hierarchy, and plenty of space to expand. Her brother, Edward… used to think about marrying and building his own life too.
Elizabeth pondered. Although the Sword King and Protector Avin displayed earth-shattering might, capable of dominating the human world, she sincerely doubted they could make New Havens fly. It was like comparing an ant to an elephant, a completely different scale of strength! Then again… the Sword King and Protector Avin were inexperienced Rank 3 Kings. A more experienced Rank 3 King might do it. If not, a Rank 4 Emperor could surely manage. Which begs the question, who created New Havens? Was another Rank 3 King involved? Or was it a Rank 4 Emperor? And were they human? Or… from the world beyond like the Featherwind Sect? Elizabeth's expression was gloomy, realizing this, but that was not the most important question. The most important question was… why? Why go through all the trouble?
This world operated on a very simple principle: nobody acted without purpose. Everything had a reason. At least, that was what Elizabeth believed. To continuously keep New Havens afloat and hidden for over five centuries, it must be tremendously challenging, so there must be an equal benefit in doing so! There must be a big secret about New Havens! Elizabeth was determined to find it. Her adventurous spirit burned bright. Furthermore, she needed to verify the condition of the two spells. If the flight spell failed, the island would fall, creating a disaster. This was enough to convince the Alzar and Zino Kingdoms to help. Logically, she had every reason to go, yet emotionally… she was scared. New Havens casted too heavy of a shadow on her heart.
When she closed her eyes, she could still see it clearly like it was yesterday. The empire's soldiers attacked her family in the middle of the night. Her parents held the soldiers off at the door, so she and her siblings could escape, only to be cut down themselves. The anger on her father's face, and the misery in her mother's voice… It cut into Elizabeth's heart deeply, making her pale and shake. Then there was her younger sister and older brother… Although the loud rain drowned out the noise, Aisa cried uncontrollably. She was too young to understand what was happening, but she felt it, the overwhelming despair in her bones. And Edward's final resolve to stay and save whoever he could, even at the cost of his own life… Elizabeth could remember everything clearly. That terrible night… was the darkest moment of her life. She would never forget it for the rest of her life.
The second darkest moment was when she returned to New Havens with Tengon, Nassandra, and Benedict to save her family. Despite her best wishes, the dust had settled and the battle was over. Nobody survived! Her parents, Roan and Victoria, were dead on the floor with their splattered blood dry. Her mother was stabbed multiple times in the back, while her father was directly decapitated. In her bedroom, the violated bodies of Aisa and Edward's fiancée had long grown cold, whereas Edward's dying gaze burned with unprecedented hatred. Her family… was gone. Back then, upon that brutal realization, she broke down and almost committed suicide. The world had become meaningless! Had it not been for Benedict and Auntie Christina, she might have reincarnated already.
Wounds on the body were easy to heal. The right medicine could fix most of them. Wounds on the heart though were infinitely more complex. Only time could hope to heal them. Elizabeth was terrified to return. She did not want to pick apart those scars, after they took so long to heal. She did not want to see those scenes again, not ever again. The trauma was too great. Perhaps, this was the real reason she did not return home yet. Everything else was just an excuse… To go or to not go? Elizabeth hesitated, clenching her fists. Her mind and heart clashed in a ferocious battle. Ultimately, the girl exhaled, firm resolve flashing in her eyes. She would go! Aside from properly burying her family's corpses and creating a memorial, she intended to explain everything that happened these past two years. Maybe their spirits would listen from the heavens…
Shirley held her hand and asked worriedly, "Are you okay, Elizabeth? You stopped talking and…"
Elizabeth swallowed the clump in her heart, not realizing how dry her throat had become. She squeezed out a smile. "Sorry about that. Yes, I plan to return to New Havens at some point. I'll have to figure out when I'm free. Does anyone want to come with me?"
"Of course, I'll go! Just say when," Shirley replied.
Benedict nodded seriously. "I'm your Protector, so naturally I'll accompany you. And I need to pay my respects to your family as well." He did not forget his brief encounter with the Silvera family.
"I'm curious about your home too. Is it really a flying island?" Freon asked.
"Your sister went there with us. Why don't you ask her?" Elizabeth grinned.
Freon turned to Nassandra awkwardly. "She did mention it before, but I… couldn't exactly believe her. A flying island sounds ridiculous, no matter how much I hear it." His sister pouted angrily but said nothing. He smiled wryly. It seemed he would have to make it up to her later.
Elizabeth gave him a weird look. "We've seen talking birds and flying ships already. Your uncle is also a Blue Depth Arcanist and a Rank 3 King. Is a flying island really that unusual?"
"Uh…" He was rendered speechless, realizing she was right. After everything that he saw and experienced, suddenly a flying island did not seem that odd… What a bizarre feeling it was! He collected his thoughts and asked, "But how does it work exactly? A flying ship… I can barely accept, but a flying island? An island is a million times bigger and heavier than any ship. The difficulty must be ungodly. Even if there were a thousand of my uncles, I doubt he could succeed. So, is it a natural wonder of the world?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Elizabeth spread her hands helplessly. "There are plenty of mysteries about New Havens that I'm determined to unravel."
"Then I'll go too! I'm very curious about this home of yours," Freon decided. "Should I ask my uncle? We might have more luck figuring things out if he went with us."
"That… shouldn't be a problem." She was not too happy inviting other people to her home, but he had a point. As a Blue Depth Arcanist, Protector Avin was the most qualified to help her.
"You're mean, brother. You invited our uncle, but not me," Nassandra was upset.
Elizabeth saved him. She hurriedly said, "Of course, we didn't forget about you. Do you want to come with us?"
Nassandra smiled brightly. "I do! But I'll have to ask the Celestial Council first."
"That won't be a problem."