Chapter 2290: Inquiry Under the Tree

Chapter 2290: Chapter 2290: Inquiry Under the Tree

When Shard left the Princess Manor just now, Margaret sent a letter, so Miss Benanis and Ciris also knew that Shard was coming.

There were already attendants waiting on the first floor to guide Shard to a small dining room on the east side of the fourth floor.

The Golden Dawn Opera Troupe had generously rented the top floor of this four-story inn, and the dining room could be used freely. When Shard entered the room, the troupe members were already seated, and when everyone stood to greet him, Shard hesitated and dared not step further forward:

"There’s really no need for such a grand welcome, is there?"

"Shard, over here!"

Miss Benanis beckoned to Shard, wanting him to sit at the head seat, but Shard ended up sitting to the right of the head seat, leaving that position for the Witch of the Earth.

The prepared dinner was then served, and Miss Benanis and Ciris chatted and laughed with Shard, discussing the opera troupe’s performance plan in Moon Bay City.

"We’re here this time not with Princess Margaret, but invited to perform."

Ciris corrected Shard’s assumption, the young blonde sat on Miss Benanis’s other side:

"Miss Belindel, representing Moon Bay City Hall, invited us, and we are to perform at the most upscale ’Edington Opera House’ in Moon Bay City."

Just as "Belindel" named the bell tower, another landmark in the city was constructed under the leadership of the Edington Family.

After dinner, Miss Benanis and Ciris invited Shard to the bedroom. But it wasn’t for any ambiguous reason; Ciris had already repaired the missing parts of Herman Wood’s "sewer memory."

After turning off the gas lamp and pulling the curtains, the young blonde pulled the trigger of the Sage-Level Relic against the wall. After a not loud gunshot, a clear image appeared on the wall before Shard.

This time, the memory didn’t flicker as frequently as before, though its length was no different from the last time. And the part that Ciris reconstructed showed the appearance of those cultists from the Dragon Feast Cult.

Shard didn’t see the "acquaintances" he had encountered, nor did he see Nadia Folan, the mother of the Furen Brothers. But knowing their appearance was enough for the diviners to try their luck in divination:

"Ciris, you’ve really been a great help this time."

Shard praised in the dim room, not expecting the blonde girl to smile and remind him:

"Look behind."

"What?"

As he turned around, Miss Benanis warmly embraced him. And as Shard was forced onto the bed, he saw Ciris bending down to take off her shoes.

In any case, although some unexpected events occurred in that dimly lit bedroom, due to his promise to Dorothy to return home with her at eight, Shard finally bade farewell to the two heads of the opera troupe at seven fifty, then took ten minutes to transform into a cat and dashed across the rooftop to Belindel Estate.

When he arrived at the study in Belindel Estate, he found Miss Blonde Writer discussing literary matters with Miss Belindel.

The scene was quite interesting but it was still good that they had common topics to talk about.

Seeing Shard arrive, Dorothy was preparing to bid farewell. Miss Belindel, Tifa, Angelina, and Emilia all accompanied them downstairs.

Before leaving with Shard, Dorothy, who was actually Lecia, hugged Angelina:

"Listen to Tifa and Shard here, and stay safe."

The Little Princess had a sorrowful expression as she bid farewell to her sister, but as the carriage carried Shard and Dorothy away from the estate gate, and the group that had bid them farewell prepared to return indoors, Emilia clearly noticed her princess friend suppressing a smile.

She probably understood the mood Angelina was in at that moment.

The Elf Girl originally intended to invite Angelina to continue grooming Little Liana, but shortly after Shard left, a message arrived from the pages of the draft manuscript she held, saying that the family of Saint Byrons wanted to see her.

"They’re not calling you back, are they?"

Angelina asked worriedly; the Elf Girl gently shook her head:

"I’ve stayed in Moon Bay for so long, of course, they’ve been concerned. Don’t worry, with Miss Danester’s guarantee, even my family won’t make me go back... For us Immortal Race, a two-month holiday isn’t actually very long."

Thus, after the maids of the manor helped to arrange the projection ceremony, everyone temporarily left, and Emilia sat alone in the chair, focusing her sight on the Far North City Academy.

Emilia had expected the scene she saw to be her home or a clan settlement’s large tree house built for ceremonial purposes. But when her vision cleared, she looked up to see a towering tree standing in the forest.

The tall tree appeared to connect the heavens and earth, the wind brushing the treetops, the entire forest seeming to whisper in admiration of Emilia’s return.

It was already night, and Saint Byrons had entered darkness too. Torches encircled a large round area beneath the giant tree, and four chairs and basins formed the ceremony in the clearing.

Two masked Elf Girls bowed to the old Elf sitting across from Emilia and left, leaving the blonde Elf Girl somewhat puzzled by her surroundings. By her memory, this place was only used annually for clan celebrations or the Elves’ coming-of-age ceremony, a sacred site.

To the "Moon Creek Clan," this is the most important area. Even the professors from Saint Byrons cannot enter without permission.

She pursed her lips, not finding her father and mother here, but as for the old Elf sitting across from her, Emilia certainly recognized her:

"Grandma Keesara."

She whispered to this oldest remaining elder of the clan, sitting there uneasily, uncertain about the situation.

This place is not eerie at all; the light here is far from dim, as countless specks of green light float in the air above and around this clearing. Emilia knows what this giant tree means to the entire clan; according to legend, this tree grew from the tender cuttings of a wilted branch of the World Tree.

Although it no longer possesses any of the World Tree’s powers, it has protected her and her ancestors from ancient eras.

"Little Emilia, I heard from Miss Danester that you did something remarkable in the Moon Bay region?"

The old Elf asked with a kindly smile, but Emilia was so frightened her face turned pale, as she wasn’t very skilled at dealing with elders:

"Yes, I did... some things."

"Don’t worry, I have no intention of pursuing what exactly you did in Moon Bay, as long as it wasn’t something bad. The ancient Sword of the Dragon God, drawn from its resting place during the Sixth Era by a young girl of the Moon Creek Clan, I’m considering whether to record this event on the leaves."

The Moon Creek Clan records its history with "leaves," and these "leaves" are certainly not ordinary ones.

"No, no, I don’t have such an achievement yet."

Emilia placed her hands obediently on her lap, desperately missing the comfortable bed at the Belindel Estate and her friends:

"Grandma, how did you know... Do I need to explain this matter in detail?"

Wearing a pair of reading glasses, the elderly Elf then asked with a smile:

"If I ask you to tell me, would you?"

"Well... A friend asked me to keep it secret."

She hesitated for quite a while before shaking her head, but the old Elf sitting opposite didn’t get angry:

"Miss Danester also forbade me from asking about the details of your matter. At first, I thought it involved the secrets of the Chosen One and wondered if the Moon Creek Clan also undertook a special fate. But after seeing the letter you sent this morning, I understood that Miss Danester is keeping another person’s secret, right?"

Despite her aged appearance, her eyes remained as clear as shallow pond water:

"The inquiry about the ’Heart of the Oasis’ was also made by that person, and the ’Druid Restoration Potions’ you requested recently were also for that person."

Emilia clammed up, unwilling to lie to the elder before her, yet unwilling to expose Shard.

The old Elf thus also remained silent, the two of them staring at each other, while the green specks danced above the clearing, the wind rushing through the woods, playing melodies only understood by Elves.

After a long while, Emilia finally spoke reluctantly:

"Grandma, he’s not a bad person."

"With Miss Danester vouching for him, he’s certainly not a bad person. Emilia, I was merely reminded of something brought by the leaves, events from a distant past."

The old Elf extended her hand, and indeed, a piece of green leaf spun down from the sky, landing in her palm:

"Heart of the Oasis... In this era, not many people would know of such a mystical artifact. Little Emilia, the information about this artifact lies in my hand, but if you want it, you’ll have to answer one question for me."

Emilia sniffed:

"Please, ask."

"The person you encountered, does he wield a Golden Sunlight Greatsword in one hand and a Holy Silver Moonlight Greatsword in the other?"

The elderly Elf gazed into Emilia’s eyes, and Emilia blinked herself, knowing Shard was highly skilled with the "Moonlight Greatsword," but hadn’t heard of him handling the "Sunlight Greatsword."

In her memory, that was a divine art of the Sun Church, and Shard claimed to worship "Mr. Dawn"... Emilia certainly didn’t believe that and thought Shard’s true devotion was to the Moon Goddess.

"He’s indeed used the Moonlight Greatsword, but I’ve never seen him wield the Sunlight Greatsword."

She ultimately resolved to speak the truth, prompting the old Elf to pause for a moment, then unexpectedly look up and ask:

"Does he have a cat, as warm as the noonday sun?"