Chapter 419 - 403: The Face of a God

Chapter 419: Chapter 403: The Face of a God

"Roland..."

Galvis lay on his back on the soft velvet bed, staring blankly at the stone ceiling carved with intricate vine patterns as he muttered to himself.

"When are you ever going to get here..."

His current location was a stark contrast to the dark dungeon where he had been imprisoned before.

The spacious room was well-ventilated, carrying the faint, fresh scent of grass and trees.

The walls were built of smooth, polished white stone, adorned with exquisitely woven tapestries depicting the epic myths of the Elf Race.

A soft glow spilled from the Light-Guiding Crystals embedded in the ceiling, illuminating the elegant wooden furniture, the long benches draped with soft animal hides, and the incredibly comfortable bed he was on.

However, this sudden "preferential treatment" brought him no peace of mind. Instead, it only deepened his anxiety and unease.

Galvis paced to the room’s only narrow window and peered out through the ornate iron bars.

Outside, two fully armed Elf Warriors stood like statues, their stances alert and unwavering.

Ever since Tula had led him out of the dungeon under the pretext of a "summons from the Elder Council," he had been placed in this luxurious room, completely cut off from the outside world.

Time seemed to lose all meaning here; he had no idea how long had passed.

Although the food was a world apart from what he’d been given in the dungeon, the absolute solitude with no one to talk to was nearly enough to drive the Minstrel—a man who by nature loved conversation and stories—to madness.

"Sigh..."

He sighed softly, turned from the window, and sat down at the desk beside it. From his coat, he took out a thick notebook bound in high-quality leather and solemnly spread it open on the smooth desktop.

He then picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began to write, the tip scratching softly across the paper.

As he wrote, he muttered to himself as if in conversation, trying to dispel the suffocating silence.

"...The Chapter on the Golden Valley Kingdom... the notes and the first draft are finally done. All that’s left is some light proofreading and touch-ups..."

His quill paused. He looked up, his gaze seeming to pierce through the walls toward some distant place, his tone thick with regret and curiosity.

"I wonder what kind of adventures Roland had in the Rock Kingdom... Gray Dwarves, a Heartstealer, and that legendary Shell Ship... By the Gods, that would have been perfect material for an epic!"

He set down his quill and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Gods, why was I in such a hurry to return to the Eternal Song Forest?"

After venting some of his frustration, Galvis’s thoughts drifted irresistibly to another matter that had been nagging at him.

He put down the quill, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the desktop.

’Roland said he was... Rudolph? The legendary hero from the Crystal Era? That was at least... a thousand years ago?’

The Minstrel shook his head. The very idea seemed absurd.

But then he recalled Roland’s consistently calm demeanor and how he never made baseless claims, and Galvis’s confusion only deepened.

’But what if... what if it’s true?’

Once the thought took root, it was hard to suppress.

’Then what exactly happened during that long millennium?’

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

’That’s right! Master Visna! She must know something! She taught me for nearly a century; her knowledge is as vast as the ocean...’

But as he thought of his enigmatic mentor, the spark of hope that had just ignited in Galvis quickly faded.

’But... Master Visna has always been so reserved. Other than the arts of a Minstrel and ancient lore, she’s never revealed anything personal or secret to me. Even if I asked, would she really answer?’

He sighed, temporarily pushing aside the thoughts about his mentor and the thousand-year-old mystery.

’Forget it...’

The Minstrel turned his gaze back to the guarded door.

’It’s too early to be thinking about all this. The priority now is to figure out a way to get out of this gilded cage.’

Just as Galvis was lost in his thoughts, a set of steady, rhythmic footsteps echoed from the previously silent corridor outside, growing closer.

The moment he heard the footsteps, Galvis became as alert as a startled cheetah.

He quickly gathered the manuscript spread on the desk, tucked it securely inside his clothes, and a wary expression appeared on his face. The entire sequence of movements was fluid and swift.

Though it was only the sound of footsteps, the sharp-sensed Minstrel instantly identified the newcomer...

Tula.

After all, besides this Elf, whose manner was always so elegant and poised that even his footsteps seemed meticulously calculated, he had never heard such a rigid and unerring cadence.

Sure enough, a moment later, the footsteps stopped precisely outside his door.

With a soft sound, the door was slowly pushed open, and Tula’s almost surreally handsome face appeared in the doorway, flanked as always by two silent Elf Guards.

Tula first gave Galvis a slight bow—an impeccable gesture of courtesy—with a perfectly measured, gentle smile on his face.

"Mr. Galvis, I hope the accommodations I’ve arranged for you are comfortable. Have you been resting well these past few days?"

"Thanks to you, I’ve been eating well and sleeping soundly. Couldn’t be better."

Galvis replied in a flat tone, his gaze fixed on Tula.

"So, Lord Tula, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? And... what have you done with Avril?"

Galvis already understood. ’Since I’m being held captive by him, Avril’s supposed ’summons from the Elder Council’ must have been a lie, too.’

Tula didn’t answer Galvis’s question directly, only shaking his head with a hint of resignation.

"Miss Avril... is far too stubborn,"

he said softly, his gaze then shifting to Galvis, his tone still gentle.

"But I imagine you, Mr. Galvis, won’t be as insistent on your own views as she is."

With that, he made a "please" gesture, indicating for Galvis to follow.

Looking at the fully armed, solemn-faced Elf Warriors behind Tula, Galvis knew he had no choice but to follow in silence.

However, they didn’t head outside. Instead, they walked down a wide but dimly lit corridor, then turned into a spiral staircase that led downward.

The stone steps were polished smooth, and the Light-Guiding Crystals embedded in the walls gave off a steady but faint glow, stretching their shadows long against the cold stone walls, making them dance with every step.

During the silent descent, Galvis’s mind raced.

’What Tula just said... it means there’s something he wants from both me and Avril. But what could we possibly have in common?’

he wondered. Avril was a renowned Valkyrie of the Silver Moon Guard, a powerful warrior, while he was just a Minstrel, skilled only in composing poems and playing music.

If it weren’t for Roland, their paths likely never would have crossed.

’So, what could it be?’

Just as they stepped into a deeper, subterranean area of the building, where the walls were now lit by flickering flames, Galvis’s heart jolted. A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

He remembered his conversation with Avril back in the dungeon.

’Divine Favored One...’

Galvis’s steps faltered almost imperceptibly.

’Avril and I... we’re both Divine Favored Ones!’

Just then, Tula stopped before a heavy, ancient wooden door.

Galvis halted as well, taking the opportunity to carefully observe his surroundings.

This place was completely different from the areas he had passed through before.

The air was filled with a mixture of ancient wood, dried herbs, and a certain...

...indescribable, metallic cold fragrance.

There were no more Light-Guiding Crystals on the walls. Instead, silver lamps hung from them, the leaping flames within casting light and shadow on the abnormally smooth stone floor.

A solemn, reverent, and even somewhat divinely oppressive atmosphere filled the air, silently speaking to the extraordinary nature of this place.

Tula waved, signaling the Elf Warriors behind him to remain on guard outside the door. He then extended his long fingers and slowly pushed open the heavy door.

He stepped aside, gestured for Galvis to enter, and said in his usual steady voice,

"Please, enter."

With that, he was the first to step into the darkness behind the door.

An indescribable, cold, and viscous aura washed over him from within, making Galvis’s scalp tingle as if countless tiny ice needles were pricking his skin.

He took a deep breath and, steeling himself, stepped across the threshold.

The space inside was wider than he had imagined, and the light was very dim, with only a few faint lamps in the corners providing negligible illumination.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust before he could make out the scene within.

Lining both sides of the room were rows of wooden statues.

They were exquisitely crafted and lifelike.

Drawing on his broad knowledge as a Minstrel, Galvis recognized the beings they represented almost instantly.

Lebilas Innor, who represented the forest and the hunt.

Lebilas Nelifien, who governed fate and death.

Shuni, who symbolized beauty and love.

Dideri, who presided over artisans and forging...

Each of these statues depicted one of the revered Deities of the Elf Pantheon.

However, as Galvis’s gaze swept past these familiar figures of the Gods and involuntarily focused on the deepest, centermost point of the room...

His breath caught in his throat.

There, another wooden statue stood, slightly taller than the others, occupying the most honored position.

The statue’s face was carved with extreme detail, possessing a transcendent gentleness and compassion, its lips curved into a perfect smile.

That face...

Galvis whipped his head around, staring in disbelief at Tula, who stood quietly to the side with the same gentle smile on his face.

The face of the statue was identical to Tula’s.