The crisp declaration, "Greetings, Emissary of Her Majesty the Queen!" shattered the forest's silence.
Su Wan, Xia Lian, and Lin Xiyue's minds went simultaneously blank.
Just moments ago, this Elven Ranger had been bristling with murderous intent, poised to riddle them with arrows like invaders. Now, she knelt on one knee, performing this profound gesture of respect?
This abrupt shift in demeanor was even faster than Su Wan's ability to go from an icy glare to secretly handing Lin Xiyue a piece of grilled meat!
"Please rise, Lady Sular," Lin Qingyue's voice cut through the frozen air.
She didn't offer a hand to help the Ranger up. Instead, she simply tucked away the laurel leaf, letting the Moonlight's Embrace earring continue to emit its soft glow as if it were the most ordinary of accessories.
"It is my honor to guide the Honored envoy and your companions," Ranger Sular said, rising smoothly. Her earlier aura of sharp vigilance had vanished, replaced by the disciplined deference of a soldier.
Turning, she placed two fingers to her lips and whistled a complex, melodious tune.
The whistle wasn't a warning; it was more of a proclamation, rippling through the forest in layers.
Instantly, the subtle, omnipresent gazes that had been shadowing Lin Qingyue's senses from all directions vanished without a trace.
The entire forest had disarmed itself before them.
Impressive. No wonder this is an elite stronghold—it's truly professional!
Lin Qingyue inwardly praised the organization, her face remaining inscrutably serene.
"Sis~"
Lin Xiyue finally snapped out of her daze, like a cat discovering a new continent. She crept closer to Lin Qingyue, her voice a hushed whisper, but her eyes sparkled like they held hidden stars.
"How did you know the queen's earrings would work? And that leaf! When did you get it? I didn't notice a thing!"
As she spoke, she kept stealing sidelong glances at Ranger Sular's lithe, efficient figure leading the way.
Lin Qingyue tilted her head and gave her sister a mysterious smile.
"Secret."
Su Wan and Xia Lian, bringing up the rear of the group, exchanged a complex, silent glance.
They had gradually grown accustomed to, perhaps even numb to, Lin Qingyue's ability to conjure up utterly illogical solutions at critical moments, forcibly reversing the situation like a magician pulling rabbits from a hat.
From the battlefield idol's Sky AK to the ancient god's meteor strike, and now the queen's decree—this woman's arsenal of trump cards seemed inexhaustible.
-
Under Sular's guidance, their pace quickened considerably.
The forest paths seemed to come alive. Vines retreated of their own accord, and bushes parted willingly, clearing a smooth trail for them.
Deeper into the forest, the pure life energy in the air grew increasingly potent. Each breath felt like a cleansing of the soul.
After about fifteen minutes, the path suddenly opened into a vast, sun-drenched clearing.
At the center of the clearing stood three ancient, towering trees, their colossal forms defying mortal imagination and forming a living fortress.
Their crowns pierced the clouds, and massive branches intertwined to form natural platforms and corridors.
Countless thick vines cascaded down like waterfalls, skillfully woven into ladders and rope bridges connecting different areas.
Innumerable Elves flitted nimbly through this living architecture, some tending to glowing, magical plants on the platforms, others patrolling the rope bridges, bows in hand.
The entire stronghold merged seamlessly with the forest, radiating an overwhelming aura of life and magic.
"Wow..."
Lin Xiyue's mouth hung open in an "O" shape, remaining agape for what felt like an eternity.
"This... this is a hundred times more magnificent than Morningwind Harbor!"
Su Wan tilted her head, her ice-blue eyes gleaming with analytical light as she attempted to dissect this miraculous magical creation.
Xia Lian was so utterly captivated by the majestic scene that she forgot to lower the hand still gripping her bow.
Good heavens, this is far more environmentally friendly than Blackrock Stronghold's steampunk style! Queen Wifey's taste is impeccable, Lin Qingyue thought smugly.
If we could just transport this whole place back to Earth and make it a branch campus for Tianshu University, we wouldn't even need to write anything else in the admissions brochure. Just put up a picture, and the minimum score would max out instantly.
Sular led them to the base of the largest ancient tree, where a natural reception hall had formed within its massive, interwoven roots.
"Honored Envoy, please wait here with your companions. I must immediately report to Lady Iris."
With a respectful bow to Lin Qingyue, Sular lightly tapped her toes against the ground. Her entire body transformed into a green bolt of lightning, soaring up the vertical tree trunk with incredible speed. In just a few graceful leaps, she vanished into the dense canopy above.
Moments later, Sular's figure gracefully descended from above once more.
"Honored Envoy, Lady Iris requests your presence in the Treetop Council Chamber."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lin Xiyue and her companions, then added, "As for your three companions, Her Ladyship has ordered them to be treated with the utmost respect. I will personally arrange accommodations and a banquet for our esteemed guests."
This arrangement clearly aimed to separate Lin Qingyue from her companions.
"Sis, are you sure you'll be okay going alone?" Lin Xiyue leaned in, her face etched with worry.
Lin Qingyue gave her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, it's just a discussion. You three can take this rare opportunity to admire the beauty of the Elven Race's lands."
"Don't let your guard down," Su Wan cautioned, ever concise. "These aren't ceremonial guards from the Royal Capital; they're warriors."
Xia Lian quietly cheered her on, "Sister Qingyue, good luck!"
Lin Qingyue nodded to them, then followed Sular, stepping onto a spiraling vine staircase that led upward.
The Council Chamber atop the ancient tree was a vast, semi-open platform.
A gentle breeze swept across the expansive vista, offering a panoramic view of the Silent Forest's verdant canopy.
At the edge of the platform stood a silver-haired Elf, her robes adorned with intricate patterns, her demeanor serene. Age had left few traces on her face, instead imbuing her with a unique blend of wisdom and regal bearing.
"Lady Iris," Lin Qingyue said calmly, stepping forward.
Garrison Commander Iris turned to face her. Her gaze, sharp as a sword, lingered briefly on Lin Qingyue before settling on the Moonlight's Embrace earring at her ear.
"Welcome to the Silent Forest, Envoy of the Queen." Iris's voice was warm yet carried an innate sense of distance.
Lin Qingyue had no patience for pleasantries. She extended her hand, offering the laurel leaf. "Entrusted by Ilanier."
Iris reached out, her fingers pausing infinitesimally as they brushed against the leaf. She accepted the token, cupped it in her palm, and closed her eyes.
The ordinary laurel leaf in her hand suddenly glowed with a soft, moonlit radiance.
The next moment, Iris's fingers clenched around the leaf, her knuckles turning white.
Her eyes snapped open, the tranquil depths of her ancient-well-like gaze churning with tumultuous waves!
"The Queen's memories... have been tampered with!" she whispered hoarsely, her composure as the commander-in-chief shattered.
"Ever since we lost contact with Silvermoon City, their... their memories of us have been blurred by an unknown force!"
"To have been split from the original world... At first, it sounds unbelievable, but when you consider the circumstances, it makes perfect sense."
Forcing down the turmoil in her heart, Iris turned back to Lin Qingyue, her gaze now incredibly complex.
"Forgive me, Envoy. This is a matter of grave importance. I must confirm."
She urgently fired off her first question:
"What flower does Her Majesty despise the most?"
"The Starlight Orchid," Lin Qingyue answered smoothly, then shifted her tone, a hint of shared gossip in her smile.
"She says its fragrance smells like lies—just like someone who's five hundred years old and still claims to be a pure maiden."
Iris's breath caught sharply in her throat.
The second half of the sentence was a private remark the queen had once made to her!
It was a secret joke known only to their closest circle of friends!
A hairline crack appeared in her defenses, but she still managed to ask her second question.
"Which dessert does Your Majesty publicly adore but privately refuses to touch?"
"Honey-Glazed Roasted Sunbird. She finds it cloyingly sweet, but to maintain her populist image, she has to pinch her nose and eat it every time."
As Lin Qingyue finished speaking, she noticed Iris's rapidly shifting expression. A mischievous smile played on her lips as she lowered her voice and added, "Oh, and she also said this dessert's greatest use is as punishment for friends who lose games at private gatherings."
A faint, unnatural stiffness spread across Iris's facial muscles.
She recalled certain humiliating episodes from the past, when she had been utterly at the mercy of the dessert.
But she braced herself and asked the final question, her voice tinged with desperation:
"Two hundred years ago, during the Midsummer Festival, what happened to the Royal Court's supreme treasure, the Scepter of Eternal Starlight?"
"The official record states, 'Briefly lost due to a surge in magic power, later recovered.'"
Lin Qingyue wore a knowing expression, then lowered her voice, adopting the conspiratorial tone of someone about to share earth-shattering gossip.
"But the truth is... Her Majesty the Queen got drunk and, mistaking the Scepter of Eternal Starlight for a javelin, tried to throw it across Moonshadow Lake."
"Instead, it plunged with a splash into the mud at the bottom of the lake."
She paused, savoring Iris's gradually petrifying expression, before delivering the final blow.
"And it was you, Lady Iris, who personally stripped off your robes and dove in to retrieve it."
"For this, the Queen still owes you a debt: a favor that allows you to ask her to do anything. It remains unpaid to this day."