Chapter 309 Protect The Divine Tree!
*Woosh!*
As the huge castle of the Elven kingdom shone under the shining moonlight of the beautiful evening, a figure covered in white robes and a wooden face mask shuttle through the air, sneaking around the palace.
Due to the celebration atmosphere of the kingdom, the security of the castle was tight. There were several archers positioned high up on the tower. Just like the archer, there were several armed guards positioned on the ground with knives and swords in their hands.
He did not even need to use his search magic to look for the divine tree. Even with the towering castle made of wood, stones, veins, and magic, how could a tree that soared through the air, towering at hundreds of meters be missed?
Even with the help of magic, only a few people could see the tree's top. One could easily see its thick and gnarled branches, spanning up to several dozen meters in itself.
'What a pitiful illusion magic.' The mage thought, seeing how easily he was able to see through the spirit magic of the elves. His figure moved in the dark and made its way toward the very tree.
Soon he noticed how the number of guards in the area had started to increase. Not only that, even their auras were more powerful than the ones he came across until now.
Moving through the bustling castle, the mage suddenly found himself at the grand entrance to an empty garden. After disabling all the traps, he entered the garden.
Upon entering, his eyes immediately fell on the towering wooden wall a couple of meters before him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed it was no wall but the trunk of the divine tree. Wherever his eyes could see, he saw nothing but the trunk of the tree.
Ignoring the tree momentarily, the mage looked around to see if something else noteworthy was present in the area. As he turned to the side, his figure froze.
He was not as alone as he thought!
There was someone else present in the area, a woman! Sitting by the edge of a silent pond, the woman seemed to be gazing at her own reflection in the water. The masked mage came out of his shock and carefully observed the elven-looking woman. Enjoy new stories from empire
Sitting on a stone bench in her golden dress, weaved with what seemed to be branches and leaves, the mysterious mage could see her smooth skin from the open back of her dress.
But it was not her bare back or her smooth skin that caught his attention; it was the feeling he got from her. It was as if she was greater than any being in this world. It was the same feeling he got when he first looked at the divine tree.
Even though she was giving off an ethereal divine feeling, at the same time, he could also feel a sense of loneliness from her.
"How long are you going to stare at me? I am not that pitiful, just a little lonely." Suddenly, the woman turned around and looked at the masked man with a calm and serene look in her bluish-green eyes. But he failed to see there was another layer hidden deep beneath those emotions.
As her beautiful face came into his sight, the Mage felt his heart skip a beat. The only thing that could describe her face was the word perfection. With the wooden crown that rested on her head, she looked like the queen of the forest.
While the cloaked man was in his own trance, the woman was engrossed in her own thoughts.
'I wonder why I said those last words? Maybe it is the emotions I am sensing from him. He is feeling the same…'
"You are…" Snapping out of his daze, he looked at the woman and then at the trees to the side. He could not find the words he was looking for.
"The question is, who are you?" She patted the space by the side of the long stone slab she was sitting on.
"Oh, Me? I am Nalorian Starshaper Arcanist!" Before a little bit of hesitation, he walked up to her and introduced himself calmly before taking a seat.
*Smack!*
Sensing something coming in his direction, the cloaked moved to the side, causing the wooden branch to graze past him and hit the ground, leaving a small mark.
"Stop giving out fake names every time someone asks. I have been keeping an eye on you since you came to the elven lands, but I still wonder who is the person who has been able to hide his magical energy from me." A small hint of surprise appeared in her eyes as she looked at the man beside her.
Although she was not powerful in terms of physical strength, she could easily sneak up on people if they were not noticing.
The man looked at the mark left on the ground before looking at the woman beside him, only for her to look away as if she had not done anything.
"I don't have a name, not that I remember..." He sighed, looking up at the stars in the night sky. "I was busy with my experiments and did not even realize that so much time had passed."
"How long?" she asked softly.
"500 years…" the man said with a little heaviness in his voice, "I did not even notice the passage of time… the time I walked out of the room, all of my friends had died except one. Somehow he had become the head of some magic school for some little kids; it's called the Grand World School or something. He told me to join the hero party to get in touch with the world."
He turned to the side, only to see the woman give her a 'Are you serious?' look on her face. Little by little, they became so engrossed in their conversation that they did not even realize the passage of time.
The mage forgot everything about the Banquet he had to attend. While they were talking, the woman got curious and suddenly moved her hands, trying to reach out for the mask on his face. The boy did not move at all; he let her hand come closer to him.
"Inisael! Mirathion elenia tira i'Anar'quessar, lema eissin!" Before the woman could take the mask off of his face, a loud shout sounded from outside the garden, catching their attention. Even though the guards spoke in an elven tone, he was able to understand what they were shouting.
('~Intruder! All guards, move to the Divine Tree, and protect it at all costs!~')