In the Council Chamber of the City Lord's Mansion, the air was so heavy it felt suffocating.
The massive oak doors slammed shut, sealing out all external noise, leaving only the distinct breathing of the few individuals within.
Old City Lord Carlos dismissed all his attendants. After personally serving hot tea, he retreated into the shadows of a corner, the deep wrinkles on his face etched with worry.
Lin Qingyue cradled the warm teacup, her fingertips sensing the pottery's comforting warmth. She sipped slowly, her gaze fixed on the golden-haired youth at the center of the room.
Prince Alex was pinned firmly to a chair. Like a dying fish hauled ashore, he squirmed futilely, his hands gripping the armrests so hard his knuckles had gone white. His eyes darted between the ceiling's patterns, the carpet's tassels, and his own knees, avoiding eye contact with anyone—especially the Elf sitting opposite him, whose very breathing seemed to plummet the room's temperature.
Lin Xiyue, Su Wan, and Xia Lian sat flanking Lin Qingyue, their backs ramrod straight, forming a silent tribunal.
"Alright, Your Highness," Aeldara finally spoke, her voice as cold and clear as ice, shattering the suffocating silence.
"There are no outsiders here. You can speak freely now."
Alex's body trembled violently.
He jerked his head up, his lips quivering, and let out a guttural, incoherent sound from his throat.
"My patience is limited."
Aeldara's fingertips tapped lightly against the smooth tabletop.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Each tap was like an invisible steel needle, precisely piercing Alex's frayed nerves on the verge of snapping.
Tsk, tsk, look at the Commander's interrogation rhythm—applying just the right amount of pressure, Lin Qingyue thought to herself, inwardly admiring Aeldara's technique.
Elite hunters often appear as prey, while top interrogators don't even need to lift a finger.
Just this aura alone is enough to make this Good-for-Nothing Prince confess what he had for dinner last night.
"I... I don't know... what to say..."
Alex's voice was almost drowned out by the thunderous pounding of his own heart.
"Is that so?"
Aeldara's tone betrayed no emotion.
"Then I'll rephrase the question."
She leaned forward slightly, her crimson eyes locking onto Alex's, as if trying to strip his soul from its mortal shell.
"The Great Library of Silvermoon City has a complex interior structure. The Restricted Section lies at its deepest point, with no signposts."
"How did you find it? And how did you bypass the barrier?"
The question sliced through Alex's final defenses like a surgical scalpel, exposing his raw terror.
The color drained from his face in an instant.
Terror could no longer be concealed.
"I... I was..."
He began to ramble incoherently.
"Speak!"
Aeldara's voice suddenly rose, carrying the weight of collapsing mountains in a single word.
Alex was so terrified by the explosive shout that his soul nearly fled his body. He went limp, sliding from the chair and collapsing onto the floor.
He had completely broken down.
As if his bones had been extracted, he lay sprawled on the ground, muttering in a dazed, almost dreamlike tone, uttering words that left everyone present speechless.
"It was... it was a Divine Revelation!"
He jerked his head up, his face no longer pale with fear but flushed with an eerie, feverish glow.
"I received guidance from the Muse!"
Lin Qingyue nearly spat out the mouthful of tea she had just swallowed.
What the hell? Divine Revelation? The Muse?
Her brain short-circuited for a split second.
Holy crap! I thought we were about to uncover some earth-shattering conspiracy, but instead you're giving me a cult recruitment pitch? Prince Alex, did you grab the wrong script? You're not here to steal picture books—you're trying to build your downline, aren't you?
Lin Xiyue was equally stunned. She leaned close to Lin Qingyue's ear and whispered, "Sis, has he gone completely mad from fright? Is he just rambling nonsense now?"
"Quiet. Let him keep spinning his yarn," Lin Qingyue hissed back, signaling her to remain calm. In her mind, the mental commentary had already surged into a torrential waterfall.
"Divine Revelation?" Aeldara's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. This answer, too, caught her off guard.
"Yes! A sacred dream!" Alex found an outlet for his fervor. He struggled to his feet, threw his arms wide, and struck a pose of frenzied ecstasy.
"On our journey to Silvermoon City, I dreamt of a Goddess! Her form was draped in veils woven from the night itself, her radiance surpassing even the twin moons in the heavens! She was the very embodiment of beauty!"
"She revealed to me that the true treasure lay hidden within the Library of Silvermoon City—not gold or silver, but a collection of images that would grant us glimpses of 'the world's ultimate beauty'!"
"She said the place was unguarded, for its contents were 'forbidden' to the Elven Race! This was the trial she bestowed upon me!"
He began to dance wildly in the Council Chamber, his movements absurd and comical.
"Then, she took my hand and led me into that magnificent temple! Oh! Those spiraling stairs—the path to truth! Those countless corridors—a labyrinth of wisdom!"
"Finally, she guided me through the barrier, hand in hand, and pointed to an inconspicuous corner. 'That book, hidden beneath the ordinary volumes, is your destiny!' she declared!"
Alex grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with a manic fervor.
"At first, I didn't take it seriously! How could a mere mortal dare to aspire to the favor of a Goddess? But... but when I reached Silvermoon City and glimpsed the Great Library from afar... Heavens!"
"It was exactly as I had seen in my dreams! A divine summons!"
"In that instant, I understood! I had to complete this sacred pilgrimage! To witness with my own eyes the 'supreme beauty of the world' she had spoken of!"
"What did I have to lose? If it were truly a significant place, it would be heavily guarded. They'd stop me the moment I approached. I could just say I was lost, and they wouldn't harm me."
"I slipped inside, guided solely by the Goddess's memory implanted within me... And... and it was exactly as in my dream! Not a single Elf crossed my path! I simply... found that sacred place! Pierced the barrier! And saw the Sacred Relic!"
As Alex spoke, a smug flush rose on his face, as if he were flaunting his status as the Chosen One.
The Council Chamber fell into a deathly silence.
Old City Lord Carlos closed his eyes in anguish, his entire face collapsing in despair.
Foolish, naive, beyond redemption!
Lin Xiyue's mouth formed a perfect "O" as she glanced at her sister, then back at the Prince, who was still savoring the memory. Her expression clearly screamed, "This world is so fantastical!"
"Sis," she whispered, "can you really find treasures in dreams? I'm going to dream tonight too! It'll definitely have that feast you cooked."
Silly little sister, that's not divine favor—it's a curse, Lin Qingyue sighed inwardly.
He's being used as a pawn, sent to his death for free. That ghost is dangling a phantom carrot in front of him, luring him into a minefield.
She exchanged a meaningful glance with Su Wan beside her.
The Mage's brow was furrowed deeply, clearly sensing the sinister undertones.
"This wasn't a dream," Su Wan said quietly but firmly. "Someone tampered with his soul."
"There's an ancient Soul Magic technique that can implant an incredibly vivid 'coordinate' within a target's soul, then cloak it with false emotions and desires."
"It's like a seed was planted in his mind," Lin Qingyue said. "This seed will guide him to whatever he desires most."
Lin Qingyue nodded, taking over the explanation:
"A seed capable of precisely navigating to the Restricted Section, even knowing the exact location where Her Majesty the Queen's personal album is hidden."
Her gaze turned sharply to Aeldara, each word deliberate and resonant:
"Commander, this person—or rather, the forces behind them—knows your Elven Race's internal secrets like the back of their hand."
Aeldara remained silent.
But the bone-chilling aura radiating from her caused even the steam rising from the hot tea on the table to freeze mid-air.
Intriguing... utterly fascinating.
Lin Qingyue felt she had finally grasped the thread of the mystery.
A force skilled in Soul Magic and intimately familiar with the Elven Race's internal secrets... Narrowing the scope like this, the suspect practically reveals themselves, doesn't it?
Aeldara's voice cut through the silence, cold as ice:
"During the full-scale war a century ago, the most adept at such tactics were the undead."
Only Necromancers, those who dwell among the souls of the dead day and night, would possess and relish such twisted and malicious methods.
The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, revealing the whole picture.
Murderous intent boiled in Aeldara's crimson eyes!
Lin Qingyue's earlier suspicions had been confirmed.
This wasn't a simple theft, but a meticulously planned provocation!
After a century of lurking in the shadows, those sewer rats had once again extended their filthy claws toward Silvermoon City, attempting to ignite conflict anew!
But Aeldara's interrogation wasn't over yet.
Her gaze locked back onto Alex.
"One last question," she hissed, each word squeezed out between clenched teeth, carrying an icy chill.
"You might have gotten away with just looking. Her Majesty the Queen is magnanimous and might have overlooked your offense."
Aeldara slowly rose to her full height.
Her towering figure cast a massive shadow, completely engulfing the deluded prince still lying on the ground.
The tangible pressure of her wrath extinguished Alex's fleeting frenzy in an instant, leaving only bone-chilling cold and terror.
"Why..."
Aeldara leaned down, her crimson eyes nearly touching his face.
"Did you dare steal it?"