Chapter 37

Chapter 37

They had entered the Tree Court as guests during the day to meet the Elven Queen. By night, as fugitives, the two of them were handcuffed and "escorted" back to the Tree Court by a grand procession of elves.

Lou Guanyue was cooperative the whole time, voluntarily raising his hands to accept the handcuffs.

He glanced at Pelan's resistant expression and softly reassured him, "Teacher, don't worry. I'm here."

These words drew a glance from Izavel.

"It's not merely crafted to restrain mages."

Pelan put his magic staff away, gave Lou Guanyue a slight nod, and allowed a guard to fasten the exquisitely designed silver manacles onto him.

The moment the cuffs closed, Pelan felt a cool sensation spread. Immediately, the magic flowing within his body seemed severed by an invisible valve, and his connection to the elemental energy of the outside world grew faint and distant.

The transformation potion he had drunk also lost its effect. His black hair and crimson eyes caused the elves observing from the shadows to gasp and retreat half a step.

So he truly was a dark wizard!

He had been corrupted by the evil power of darkness!

Izavel looked at Pelan but didn't show much surprise.

Under the "escort" of a squad of knights, they ascended a massive spiral staircase. Once again, they saw the familiar living wooden door of the Tree Court. The door stood wide open, easily allowing five people to pass through side by side.

Heavy clouds drifted past, obscuring the moonlight. The night sky was gray and murky. Inside the Tree Court, there were no streetlights. Countless fireflies emitted faint, soft glows, illuminating the surroundings.

Izavel did not take them to imprison them in the dungeons, nor did he lead them to the banquet hall of the Queen's palace. Instead, they arrived at a long, dim corridor.

After they had walked some distance, Lou Guanyue sensed the life energy in the air growing noticeably denser, mixed with a faint, elusive trace of sinister aura.

This "sinister aura," on the Yakalanst continent, had a less precise and more generalized term.

Dark element.

The man's eyes darkened, a hint of a playful smile on his face.

Crossing a wooden threshold, they stepped into the interior of a hall. Pelan saw a colossal, towering ancient tree.

The hall's dome was naturally formed by interwoven leaves. Starlight and moonlight filtered through the gaps. The air was thick with the scent of life and ancient wood. The Elven Queen stood before the ancient tree, her gaze as calm as still water.

Pelan keenly noticed several leaves tinged with dark element and paused for a moment. Frowning, he carefully observed the condition of the ancient tree.

Beyond the leaves, some branches were completely corrupted—bare, oozing foul, sinister energy, devoid of any foliage.

Was this giant tree the Elven Mother Tree?

Pelan was horrified. How could the Elven Mother Tree be tainted by dark-attribute power? And the elves seemed utterly helpless against it!

The elves must have surely sought purification from a Magic Saint-level priest, perhaps even prayed for divine intervention, beseeching the Light God to dispel the darkness. Yet, the Mother Tree showed no signs of recovery; instead, the dark power seemed to have penetrated deep into its roots.

"Did Teacher notice it too?" Lou Guanyue stood beside him, looking up at the branches emanating dense, turbid energy.

"Notice what?"

"The Elven Mother Tree is sick. She is dying." Lou Guanyue's voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for the sharp-eared elves to hear every word.

A group of elves glared angrily. If not for the Queen's presence, they likely would have pointed at Lou Guanyue and cursed him vehemently.

Unfazed by the needle-like gazes fixed upon him, Lou Guanyue continued to observe the Elven Mother Tree with keen interest.

Since entering the Tree Court, he had noticed that the elves of Ithilien and those within the Tree Court seemed like two entirely different species.

The elves of Ithilien were naive and innocent, like a group of children who had never grown up, their biggest daily worry perhaps being what to eat for dinner.

But the elven guards within the Tree Court all gave off an aura of heaviness, indifference, and gloom.

They tightly guarded a shared secret, feeling lost, insignificant, and sorrowful, yet compelled to move forward even in the darkest, most hopeless circumstances.

Lou Guanyue looked toward the ruler who had made this decision, the monarch of the elven race. Just like during the day, the Queen remained breathtakingly beautiful. She simply stood there quietly, her emerald-green eyes slightly narrowed, concealing the weariness within.

"Your Majesty!"

Before the Elven Mother Tree, all the elves knelt on one knee, paying homage to their Queen with wholehearted reverence and respect.

Pelan did not move, his eyes discreetly searching for another figure.

Behind the Elven Queen, he spotted a familiar silhouette.

Arnold stood leisurely behind the Queen, his expression not particularly solemn, carrying a faint, elusive smile. He watched the kneeling, worshipping elves with an amused look. Noticing Pelan's gaze, he even had the leisure to wink at him.

"You have worked hard," the Elven Queen said with a gentle smile, beautiful yet untouchable like a wild lily blooming on a cliff's edge.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The elves rose, their ardent and reverent gazes still fixed upon their sovereign.

Izavel, who had escorted them, stepped forward. Placing his right hand over his chest, he bowed gracefully. "Your Majesty, His Highness and the two humans have been brought back."

The Queen gave a slight nod, her gaze sweeping over Pelan and the other two without emotion.

"Since Sipo was willing to return with you, these two humans shall..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Gracey, who had remained silent behind Izavel, suddenly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty! His Highness Sipo colluded with the Secret Cult, betrayed the Tree Court, and fled. You can no longer tolerate him!"

Hearing the words "Secret Cult," the Queen's expression instantly turned grave.

Sipo frowned, glaring at him, and retorted irritably, "Pelan is not a member of the Secret Cult! Elder Gracey, without conducting an interrogation or investigation, you casually pin a crime on me just to have the Queen execute me?"

Gracey stood his ground, snorting coldly. "The Secret Cult actively recruits and trains humans with dark attributes. And he is not only a dark wizard but also a Grand Mage-level necromancer! Besides the Secret Cult, which faction has the resources to nurture a Grand Mage? Yet Your Highness tells me he has no connection to the Secret Cult?"

Seeing Sipo about to retort, he immediately added, "During the battle, he even summoned the Gate of Living Souls—a necromantic summoning spell only a necromancer can perform! Your Majesty! You cannot release them. They must be imprisoned in the dungeons, or they will bring great trouble upon our people!"

After saying this, Gracey knelt on one knee. Following him, the elves of the Silvermoon Knight Order also knelt in unison.

"Your Majesty, we beg you to deal with these Children of Darkness."

Sipo stubbornly straightened his neck, looking at the Queen with earnest pleading. "Your Majesty! You promised that if I returned and cooperated with you to complete the ritual, you would release my friends."

The Queen continued to stand quietly, listening without hastily expressing her stance. However, her slightly pursed thin lips revealed the turmoil within her heart.

In a corner unseen by the others, Pelan subtly twisted his wrist. The silver handcuffs had already slipped halfway off.

Knowing the elves present wouldn't believe his words, Pelan wasn't in a hurry to speak. He focused his thoughts on escape plans, strategizing how to break free and take Lou Guanyue and Sipo with him.

Lou Guanyue gave him a fleeting glance, seemingly having noticed Pelan's subtle movement. He pressed his lips together and broke the sudden silence.

"Your Majesty, I know what kind of evil, corrupting substance has tainted the Elven Mother Tree. Moreover, I can help the Mother Tree purge this corruption."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he heard Gracey exclaim in astonishment, "Don't try to stall for time! How could the likes of you possibly resolve the dark power afflicting the Mother Tree?"

That's a corruption even the gods are helpless against!

Lou Guanyue arched a brow. "Oh? So the elves sought out dark wizards too, in their attempts to heal the Mother Tree?"

Gracey's face flushed instantly. The elves hadn't sought help from dark wizards, but if even the great gods were powerless, how could a dark wizard possibly solve it!

Fantastic! Yue actually has a way to heal the Mother Tree!

Pelan remembered Lou Guanyue's uniqueness. His heart leaped with joy—perhaps the mysterious tribe from before the Great Cataclysm truly possessed the mystical ability to expel darkness!

Pelan's trusting gaze almost made Lou Guanyue laugh out loud. He cleared his throat and continued, "The situation is quite clear. You have no other choice. Things can't get any worse than they are now, can they?"

"Moreover, this isn't a question of your belief in me. It's about what kind of reward you should offer to persuade me to willingly heal the Elven Mother Tree."

Completely unfazed by the elves' anger, Lou Guanyue instead bowed politely to the Queen, a graceful smile on his lips, his tone gentle.

"Your Majesty, only I can heal the Elven Mother Tree."

"Absurd! Do you take us for those dwarves?" Gracey interjected angrily, unable to hold back any longer.

How dare a mere human promise what even the Light God could not? It was an insult to their intelligence!

The Queen raised her hand, quelling the agitated elves. She looked deeply at Lou Guanyue and said calmly, "Except for Izavel and Eunice, the rest of you are dismissed."

"Your Majesty!" Gracey's face turned ashen. Meeting the Queen's impassive gaze, he gritted his teeth, unwillingly bowed, and led the knights away.

Before leaving, he glanced back at Eunice behind the Queen.

The female elf in an identical elder's robe nodded slightly, giving him a reassuring look.

The knights quickly departed, leaving only a few people in the palace, making the place feel suddenly empty.

Arnold remained standing straight behind the Queen, his gaze fixed straight ahead, with no intention of leaving at all.

The Queen paid him no mind, her gaze fixed on Lou Guanyue as she spoke coldly, "Human, I hope this isn't some trick you've devised to stall for time."

Lou Guanyue smiled in response. "I would never resort to such a despicable lie."

Lou Guanyue spoke unhurriedly, "My request is simple. After the Mother Tree recovers, give me a branch of the Elven Mother Tree."

"Absolutely impossible!" Eunice refused without hesitation, her expression darkening as she stared sternly at Lou Guanyue. "Make another request. We will never bestow a branch of the Mother Tree upon an outsider!"

Lou Guanyue showed no urgency at all, speaking softly and calmly, "You have no choice. Only I can save the Mother Tree."

Eunice's eyes held clear anger. "Human, you are too greedy—"

The Queen stopped her from continuing, her emerald eyes fixed intently on Lou Guanyue. "If you can heal the Mother Tree, I can agree to your request. The only condition is that you must not use the Mother Tree to harm the elves."

"Of course." The curve of Lou Guanyue's lips widened slightly. "I can swear to the God of Light that I will never use the branch of the Elven Mother Tree to harm the elven race."

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Author's note: Lou Guanyue: I make a pact with the God of Light. Guess if it counts~