Pillars of Ita

"Is it done?" Melfina walked into the room where the central crystal tower was located. When she saw Fang He and Cui Xisi, she did not realize that there was a slight nervousness in her heart when she asked this question.

But when she saw Fang He nodded, the surprise in her eyes flashed away, and then turned into appreciation: "I knew you would not let me down, Mr. Ed."

"My people need to rest," Fang He replied, "We will set out in half an hour. You'd better be ready, Ms. Melfina."

The elven female knight nodded and looked at the pale-faced Tracis. "I will prepare a separate place for this lady so that no one can disturb her. Why don't you go to my tent? I will have the servants take you there."

"Ed," Trixie said weakly, "we'd better hurry up."

"There's no need to rush," Fang He replied, "Although we have already caught the signal, we still have to test whether the result is reliable."

Cui Xisi thought for a moment and stopped talking. She was indeed dizzy, weak all over, and even a little nauseous. Those were all signs of overcalculation.

"That's great. I also want to check the perimeter of the fortress," Melfina suddenly said, "Mr. Ed also needs someone to accompany him for protection. How about we go together?"

Fang He looked back and found that Miss Mia had left at some point, perhaps before the arrival of the elf female knight.

He hesitated, "But it's just a simple check, Ms. Melfina, there's no need to bring too many people."

The female knight smiled nonchalantly, "I don't have the habit of bringing too many people with me. I'm alone, so it's just right for you to chat with me. How about that?"

Fang He nodded silently. Compared to a reliable ally, this small request was really nothing. Besides, as a craftsman, he really needed someone to protect him.

The combat craftsman is no less capable than any other combat class when facing the enemy head-on, but is relatively weak in dealing with sneak attacks.

If Melfina didn't ask to go with him, he would probably have to trouble other people. Compared with that, it would be better to agree to her, at least he could give his people a break.

He settled Tracis down before leading the lady out of the central hall where the crystal tower was located. As soon as the two of them arrived outside the fortress, many eyes fell on them.

But it is mainly concentrated on the square plover.

Fang He looked at those people, most of whom were Night Walker craftsmen. They obviously recognized his identity, but they also had some guesses:
"Not someone with twelve-color irises."

"Nonsense, what is the relationship between the people of the Twelve Color Iris and us? Don't you know it in your heart?"

"But other guilds don't seem to be much better."

“I thought he was Aboriginal.”

"But he doesn't look like the Chosen One of Tree Hill."

"I heard that the atmosphere in other regions is much more open, at least not like the White Tree Academy which is so self-centered."

No one refuted this point.

Melfina was slightly stunned behind Fang He. She could clearly see the meaning in the eyes around her, even a hint of awe, but also joy and gratitude.

Even admiration.

She had rarely seen such emotions in the Chosen Ones.

Although she had seen the same look in many places outside the Elf Court, that was because she was the eldest daughter of the Elf King, and people were in awe of her simply because of this identity.

As for the latter, only those who have been helped by her personally and those who have received her favors will have such gratitude and respect in their eyes.

But that was different from the gaze of these saints.

She had only felt the same kind of attention when she was walking with the master craftsman. The other party was watched so much because of his fame, legendary experience and honors.

What about him?
Melfina couldn't help but look back at Fang He, wanting to know what he had just done.

But she happened to see the leading craftsman walking over quickly. He was so excited that his face could not express it in words, and he kept saying:

"We succeeded. We actually caught the signal. Those people—"

Then his words came to an abrupt halt. Looking at Fang He, he realized that he actually didn't know the other person at all. It was as if two netizens were discussing many computing theories in the virtual world.

But back in the real world, they don't know each other's identity.

Which guild is the other party from?
Is he a hidden genius from a top guild like Twelve Color Iris?
But the craftsman shook his head. He was relatively familiar with the twelve-color iris, and the square plover did not give him a similar feeling.

It reminded him of Forin, the successor of the White Tree Society. There were even more similarities between the two.

He could only stammer, "...I, I just didn't expect you guys to really do it. I apologize for my previous rudeness."

The Night Walker's craftsman began to regret his decisive statement. "Another purpose is to express our gratitude. We..."

He was a little incoherent for a moment, because he had never encountered a similar situation before, and he still didn't know why the other party was pointing fingers at them.

Not to mention in Giant Tree Hill, looking at the entire Super Athletic League, there are very few people who are so selflessly open to sharing their knowledge.

The gaps between the clubs are deep. Although they appear to have common interests, they are actually potential rivals.

There is certainly cooperation between guilds, but as providers of computing power, the leaders have a thousand ways to split the problem.

Let them only provide computing power without being able to draw any valid conclusions from it.

But Fang He did not consider these things, because there was no need at all. It takes a lot of effort to scheme against people, and he and Cui Xisi did not need to do so.

Traci may have thought about it, but she was too powerless to be distracted at that time.

However, Fang He certainly knew what the other party wanted to express, but he didn't care too much. After all, in his opinion, all knowledge came from predecessors, so it was not unique to him.

The reason why the magical arts created by the great alchemist Ed has become the cornerstone of civilization is that it can be shared and understood by the entire mortal civilization.

That must be someone's secret treasure.

Of course, the profits gained from this are another matter, just like he would let Ms. Aina use the attributeless magic furnace he developed to raise funds for the Seven Seas Brigade.

Creators can also use their blueprints to gain benefits in the Artisan Guild.

The leading craftsman coughed softly, and finally all his words turned into one sentence: "Thank you, sir, we will never forget your guidance..."

Fang Plover nodded slightly.

"What are they thanking you for?" Although Melfina was a princess, she had little understanding of the world of craftsmen. She stepped forward and asked curiously.

"It's nothing, actually. That's what they deserve. They solved the problem themselves and gained insights from it," Fang He replied. "I didn't do anything extra. If I must say, I just went a little further."

While Melfina might not know much about alchemy, she was no stranger to the court alchemists of the Elven Court.

The elves and the Chosen Ones may be different, but the interests between people are always eternal.

She was smart and understood the meaning of this sentence immediately. She looked at the young man with a complicated look and said, "But if there is no guide, many people may never take that step in their entire lives."

Fang He thought it was a compliment and he felt a little embarrassed. After all, the Elf Princess was also a beauty and who wouldn't want to be flattered by a beautiful lady?
Who would have thought that the elven female knight's next words would be sharp, "But unrequited favor is not necessarily a good thing, Mr. Ed."

Fang He was stunned and looked at the other party, "What do you mean, Ms. Melfina?"

"I'm not questioning your decision," Melfina replied, "I just think this is a good opportunity. You should try to further deepen your relationship with them—"

“You show favor to those people, and they are grateful to you. The relationship between people is sometimes so simple. Only when there is give and take, the relationship will be further deepened, and the alliance will be strengthened. You may cherish your own wings, but being too arrogant will make you miss many opportunities.”

The Elf Princess said meaningfully.

Fang He thought for a moment, "But Ms. Melfina, I originally thought that the interpersonal relationships among elves would be simpler."

"That's just what fairy tales say," Melfina shook her head. "We live longer than mortals, see more, and have deeper thoughts. It's just that some things have been smoothed out by time, and we don't seem to care that much. But interests are eternal, and there are struggles within the Elven Court. You should also know that."

Fang He recalled what he had seen and heard along the way, and it seemed to be true.

But he was surprised that she would tell him such in-depth things. Theoretically, they had only known each other for a short time. "So, Ms. Melfina, do you think I should make amends?"

Melfina shook her head again. "It's just a pity. It's far from being compensated. But if Mr. Ed always ignores these inadvertent details, maybe one day you will not help your ally, but your enemy."

She turned to look at the Night Walker craftsmen. "They are grateful to you now, but they are members of the Guild Alliance after all. If you don't turn them into a nail wedged into the alliance, one day they will become a nail shot at you. By then, will Mr. Ed still remember everything that happened today?"

"But I didn't think so much," the words of the Elf Lady made Fang He shudder. He always felt that this Knight Lady was different from when he met her - but that might just be the way she behaved to outsiders.

If everyone lived this way, the world would be too scary. He shook his head and said, "Ms. Melfina may have a point, but I think that if you cherish your own things too much, you may not be able to go far in the future."

"When I impart knowledge to them, in fact, they are also open to me, so it is not a one-sided favor."

Fang He answered: "Everyone has his or her own unique views on things, which are their precious treasures. When we discuss with each other, these ideas will spark in my world. Those views always inspire me——"

"One person's thoughts are always inferior to the collision of a group of people's thoughts. A genius idea may be inspired inadvertently."

He thought of everything he had experienced in the sea of ​​trees, when Wei Yu and the others had shown him their alchemy without reservation.

Otherwise, the legendary design would never have been born.

"In fact, history also tells us that mortal alchemy has gradually developed to what it is today through such exchanges. If the great alchemist Ed had chosen to keep his secrets, magical skills would definitely not be as prosperous as they are today."

The Elf Princess looked at him with some surprise. His words were just like those of her innocent sister. But she had always been dismissive of Alsana's innocence, but now she found that she was unable to refute her. Because that was her real experience. He had come all the way from being an unknown apprentice in Kapka, and almost everyone he met was his teacher.

He made the secret of the art of creation known in the south, thereby winning countless allies who still speak for him in Corrin-Ishurian.

His broad mind and open vision in alchemy made it difficult for anyone on this path to harbor hostile thoughts towards him.

After all, those who can truly reach the top in a field usually have their own unique insights and perspectives on things.

Even people like the Empire's Gemini and Forin, who may not fully accept the idea, can easily find the bright spots in this view.

She had also come into contact with the genius of the White Tree Society, and after he went to the Silver Tower, he obviously had a different attitude towards his colleague from Corin-Ishurian.

That attitude could be considered appreciation.

Seeing that she couldn't convince the other party, Melfina couldn't help but smile helplessly, "Mr. Ed, sometimes you really look like someone I know."

Fang He was stunned for a moment and looked at the other party with some surprise.

"She is actually my sister," Melfina replied, "We have the same father but different mothers. In fact, you should have seen her, Alsana."

"Wait, Princess Lian Arsana?" Fang He was shocked. Although he had long suspected the identity of this elf lady, he did not expect her to be so frank with him.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

And this identity...

Ms. Melfina, you are…” Fang He looked at the other party in surprise, and suddenly understood why the other party had such an attitude.

If the other party was the eldest daughter of the Elf King, the Princess, then all her actions would be reasonable. Indeed, no one had more authority than her to be responsible for all this. To be honest, the general's authority might not be higher than hers.

So she is Alsana's half-sister, the eldest daughter of the Elf King, and the eldest princess of the elves.

Although Her Royal Highness the Princess actually has no meaning to the Chosen One, Fang He was so shocked that he couldn't find a more appropriate adjective.

Melfina nodded slightly. "Mr. Ed must have doubts about my identity, so I might as well be honest. I am Alsana's sister."

She emphasized this title, as if she wanted to get closer to the other person.

Fang He still found it a little unbelievable. "But there are rumors outside that you went to Lotao to seek help. Alsana also told us."

When this matter was mentioned, a trace of anger flashed across Melfina's face, but she immediately calmed down and nodded slightly, "The rumors you heard were not wrong, but I returned from there very quickly."

Fang He looked at the other person's expression and guessed that the trip of the princess might not be smooth, but it made sense. After leading the Son of Light to part ways with the people of the wilderness, the two sides gradually became estranged.

Later, the theft of the Eternal Mark occurred, although it was later generally believed that it was because the people of the wilderness had lost the favor of Aimaya.

That incident happened during the reign of the cruel and tyrannical King Haines on the Holy White Plains. An elf left with the Eternal Mark and came to the Giant Tree Hill.

The theft of this treasure caused the relationship between the two sides to drop to a freezing point in an instant, and almost led to a war. However, Heins died at that time, and his legacy was fought over by several clans. The people of the wilderness had no time to spare for the matter of reclaiming the Eternal Mark.

After losing the favor of Aimaya, Lotao has not fully recovered to this day, so the Eternal Mark has remained in the Giant Tree Hill, becoming an unsolved case.

However, because of this, the two sides left a grudge. Although the Mirro Temple believed in the goddess of war, the guards of the temple would not treat the princess well.

It is understandable that she went to seek help but returned empty-handed.

As for Corin-Ishulian, everyone knows that Corin-Ishulian is currently in the midst of an ongoing civil war and is unlikely to be able to spare any manpower to help its allies in the second division.

Although it is hard to say whether the two can be considered allies.

As for the Oshuites, they are even less reliable.

So now Tree Hill can only rely on itself. It is no wonder that the Elf Princess would come back and have to participate in this war in person.

But when Fang He thought of the other party's identity, she couldn't help but hesitate for a moment. In fact, the rumors about the relationship between her and Alsana were not very good.

Or it would be better to simply say that Her Royal Highness the Princess has a strong personality, the Elf King has only two daughters, and for the elves, having a queen is not unacceptable.

Therefore, in fact, Arsana is her direct competitor. Perhaps sending Arsana to the Holy Forest to replace the Saint was the work of Her Royal Highness the Princess.

Fang He had met Alsana before, so he naturally understood that compared with the meticulous and resourceful Princess, even for him, it was hard to believe that Alsana would win.

Therefore, in this situation, it is difficult to tell whether he and Her Royal Highness the Princess are friends or enemies.

But who was this elf princess? She could tell what the young alchemist was thinking at a glance. She shook her head slightly, "Did Mr. Ed think of something?"

Fang He looked at her and didn't know what to say for a moment.

But Melfina shook her head again, "I know you are thinking of the Saint. Frankly speaking, the plan against her was jointly formulated by my father and me. Although it was just a lie made up by the Silver Wind Watcher, I am responsible for her current predicament."

"But I want to say that I personally have no hatred against Her Majesty the Saint, and this plan is not just aimed at her."

Fang He fell silent and asked, "But will the Elven Court miss the opportunity to reclaim the power of the Council of Elders?"

"Of course not," the Elf Princess shook her head, "Why should we let him go? Mr. Ed is very familiar with the Council of Elders?"

"The Holy Forest has interfered with the decisions of the Elven Court more than once. It has become too powerful to be stopped. I have made up my mind to take back some of the power in their hands."

"So in that case, Miss Atila will inevitably become an obstacle for you."

But Melfina shook her head slightly. "Mr. Ed, do you think we will have to fight each other because of this? But that's not necessarily the case, because Her Majesty the Saint is not as important as you think in this plan."

She looked at Fang He sincerely, "Mr. Ed, do you think it would be a good thing for Alsana to take the position and become the one in charge of the Elf Court?"

"You have also met my sister. What do you think of her character?"

The Elf Princess doesn't mind expressing her ambitions.

She must first ascend the throne before she can implement her plans and sweep away anyone who stands in her way.

She and her father both knew that time was running out for the Hill of Giant Trees, and she didn't even fully agree with the Elf King's plan.

She has her own plan.

Fang He did not answer. He was an outsider and did not want to get involved in this political struggle.

But the Elf Princess looked at him and said, "Alsana is the student of Her Majesty the Saint. In fact, Ms. Atila has already recognized her as the next Saint."

"Moreover, for Mr. Ed, don't you want Ms. Atila to return to the Seven Seas Traveler? The position of the Saint will only make her the target of public criticism, and even a scapegoat for the Council of Elders. Everything that is happening now is proof of this."

It must be said that this princess is very good at swaying people's hearts. But Fang He shook his head, "I have no right to make decisions for her, Your Highness."

He replied softly, "Whether to go or stay, it's up to Miss Atila to make the decision herself."

Melfina looked at him and smiled. "This is exactly the basis of our cooperation, Mr. Ed. I will let you meet her and hear her true opinion."

Fang He looked at the princess. In terms of skills, Alsana was not even a fraction of hers. In fact, he had almost been convinced by her, but it was precisely because of this that he was more aware of his own weaknesses.

He suddenly realized why the other party insisted on accompanying him alone.

Because at this time, it would be great if he could ask Hilde or Elisa for their opinions. He was afraid that he would be misled by this woman.

But Melfina seemed to see what he was thinking and didn't mind, "You might as well ask other people for their opinions."

"No," Fang He shook his head, "but I want to ask a question, can I trust you, Princess?"

The elven female knight was slightly startled.

But she smiled and said, "It depends on what aspect." Melfina answered frankly, "Sincerity is the key to gaining trust. It is difficult for people who take betrayal as their motto to succeed."

"But you have to be careful of me, Mr. Ed, because the most valuable chip is always the one that can be given up." She laughed again, "The belief that cannot be given up will often only become a person's weakness. I will take advantage of your weakness, but I will not leave any weakness behind."

Her Royal Highness almost made it clear that she had a flexible bottom line.

But it is hard to dislike her because she has a personality charm that is different from that of Her Royal Highness Princess Alsana.

Fang He nodded, "I accept it."

Melfina showed no surprise and extended her hand to him. "Then it's a pleasure to work with you."

Fang He hesitated for a moment before reaching out his hand.

But he lied.

He actually asked for Sylvie's opinion in private, and both she and Elisa agreed to the plan, which was to cooperate with the dangerous Princess.

The two men shook hands with seemingly different expressions.

Fang He then said, "Your Highness, the destination of that signal should be southeast of here."

"Southeast?" Melfina seemed a little surprised for the first time, "But that's not the center of the Gus disaster area."

...(End of chapter)