Pillars of Ita

"A village?"

Luo Hao looked at the scene in front of him and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

The curled white thorns flowed freely on the ground like condensation, flashing a strange and twisted light, like the dusk of the forest, everything was dead, turning into silent crystal.

It took the Seven Seas Brigade four hours to reach this area after leaving the fortress. Fang He was closing the cover of his pocket watch and looking at everything around him in silence.

Luo Yu was using a magic pendulum to measure. He wrapped the plumb-like object around his index finger, with the ruby ​​on the tip of the pendulum pointing to the ground, swinging without moving.

The etheric pulse flow is already very weak.

Death was like a plague, like a shadow spreading over the forest. After all things withered, nothing remained. The gray disease spread from this center, turning the Holy White Forest into a dead land.

Everyone walked forward, their footsteps stepping on the shattered glass, making a rustling sound that seemed particularly clear and strange in the dead woodland - it seemed as if flowers were blooming on the crystallized trees, with crystal-like petals opening one after another, and a path extending from between the trunks.

The ground is like burnt glass. It melts and then flows again, then solidifies, layer upon layer, resembling lava.

Even though I have seen similar scenes too many times in other places, this place is still exceptionally creepy. The crystal forest is not dark and desperate, it even has a hint of weird beauty.

But it is this beauty of silence that seems to strangle people's throats and makes all things silent.

"How could...how could it become like this?"

Tianlan sighed softly.

The poet lady had also been to this sacred forest.

It stretches from the foot of the Silver Mountains to the Whispering Courtyard. When the autumn sun shines on the golden woodland, the tall trees reflect holy light.

The Holy White Forest got its name from this, and the elves also called it the Autumn Forest. Oak trees mixed with cedars extend all the way to the edge of the Scar of Asha.

And now, this is the center of the Gus disaster area.

Melfina also said nothing. This is her hometown, so it stands to reason that she would feel it more deeply.

But Fang He noticed that the elf princess was trying her best to control her emotions. She didn't know when the smile had disappeared from her face, and she just pursed her lips.

They crossed the path and in the center of the woodland were the remains of an elven village. The once exquisite white vaulted roof was now only broken tiles, and the patterns of the past could still be seen on the charred beams.

But they could still see the towering hall, now only half of it, and the surrounding tree houses, hidden among the gray woodlands, and the remains of the settlement nestled among the dying hills.

Everything is dead.

Just like the old fable, an elf king asked the saints for eternity, and the saints responded to him. So he was turned into a magnificent gem, witnessing the end of time in eternal waiting.

That is the origin of the Tirion Gem, which is inlaid on the front of the Elf Crown to remind life not to seek things that are out of reach. Of course, that is only a legend, but everything now is reality.

"Eternity is decay," Melfina murmured to herself. She looked back at Fang He, not forgetting his answer to her.

That answer was a test, and Fang He passed her test, so the two sides had a basis for cooperation.

"Your Highness, what did you say?"

"Mr. Ed, you should just call me Melfina, or call me by my last name, Miaoxing." Calling someone by their mother's last name is a cultural custom of the elves.

But Fang He had heard of this surname before. This was not the style of the Saint Whites' names. It was more like...

"My mother's family is from Ivan Quinn," Melfina replied, "Speaking of which, your Princess Brianne and I are distant relatives. Of course, this kinship has become quite weak a few generations ago."

Fang He realized that this kinship was the source of the princess's sense of crisis. As the eldest daughter, she was more suitable than Alsana to take over the throne of the elves in terms of both status and ability.

But the Elf Council of Tirian was so xenophobic that even locals like Arryn Ironheart, who were of Holy White descent, were excluded. The elven nobles of Autumn Glade obviously did not want to accept an elven king of foreign descent.

Melfina shook her head. "I didn't say anything. Life is short. Even elves have to return to the sacred tree. We worship the goddess of nature, Emaya. Nature must have its balance, so life and death can coexist together. But the opposite of death is not necessarily life. Withering death is eternity, and eternity is decay."

Fang He didn't quite understand.

Melfina didn't expect a mortal with a short lifespan to understand this, but this crystallized forest has explained everything. "Mr. Ed, people outside say that apoptosis caused everything. What do you think?"

Fang He did not answer.

Although logic told him that there were other reasons for everything, he could not speak of anything regarding the three goddesses. Therefore, he had no evidence to prove anything and could not say that it was all based on his own speculation.

Besides, it was meaningless to just accuse someone, he had to find a way to solve the problem. He had a vague feeling that there was a hand behind them pushing them to solve all this.

That hand could have come from the business lady.

What is her plan?

Is it related to the image I saw not long ago?
Merrill and Al asked them to return from the front and relayed Marigold's words. She and Lark had already gone to the front to investigate. Alyssa led them and tried to let the second regiment participate in some more complex tasks to grow rapidly.

Traveling with them were three military chosen ones. The girl’s ID was Icarus, and her real name was Li Qing’an. The two men were named Zhou Tong and Luo Wu, who were considered Luo Hao’s relatives.

"Captain, that village?" Argen walked over and asked the blond young man.

Fang He looked at Melfina standing beside him.

But the elf princess shook her head. She raised her head and looked at that place with a frown on her face, with a rare solemn expression:
“I’ve never heard of this village.”

"They are not on the maps. The Council of Tirion never ruled here. I do not even know when this village was founded. It is so close to the Sacred Grove, and yet it never existed."

Fang He could not understand the anxiety in the heart of the elf princess. Elves were different from human society. Time had smoothed out their strong desire for material things. The elf court was ancient and stable, and few people would truly live in seclusion.

In fact, the struggle between the Elven Court and Silverwind Port is merely a fight for the legitimacy among the Holy Whites. This may seem incredible to humans, but it is of vital importance in the culture of the elves.

Because they are all children of the sacred tree and will return to the sacred tree one day, the spiritual identity builds up this ethnic group. Compared with the elves of Ivanquin, the elves of Giant Tree Hill are less secular.

This is also the reason why the elven nobles of Autumn Wood look down on their fellow Holy Whites from Silverwind Harbor.

Today, half of this legitimacy is actually in the hands of the Elf King in the Elf Court, and the other half is in the hands of the Council of Elders in the Sacred Woods.

The Silver Wind Watchers' plan against the Sacred Woods can almost be confirmed to have been tacitly approved by the Council of Linorel. They need to lower the reputation of the Saint Lady in order to undermine the authority of the Sacred Woods.

As for the reason why the Elf Court acquiesced to this, it was also unknown.

"Miss Alisa found something in that village," Merrill came up. As a unicorn girl, she was much more meticulous than Argen, so Miss Nightingale gave the things to her for safekeeping.

She took out the item and handed it to Fang He, who then discovered that it was a badge that was half burned.

In fact, it is a holy emblem.

And he had recognized it; it was the holy emblem of the Temple of Nature.

He looked at Merrill. As a unicorn girl, it was impossible for her not to recognize this holy emblem, although the shape of this wooden holy emblem was slightly different from theirs.

The holy emblem of the Unicorn Girl is a silhouette of a unicorn with flowers, stars and moons on it. Those are the things that Aimaya loves, and there is also a white tree on this holy emblem.

Meryl's face showed a little uneasiness as she nervously stared at the half-remaining holy emblem. She seemed to want to say something but didn't know how to start.

"The Saint of the White Tree."

Melfina spoke word by word.

Merrill seemed a little afraid of the princess, but still couldn't help but said, "Your Highness, we..."

Melfina looked at the unicorn girl and said, "Little girl, I know you are from Alsana. But you have never been out of Silverwind Harbor, and you don't know much about the Sacred Grove. This world is much more complicated than you think."

"What's wrong?" Fang He asked, "What's the problem with this holy emblem?"

Meryl seemed worried. But beside her, Ailuoya spoke frankly, "The White Tree Saints are the people around Her Majesty, and they are directly under the Holy Tree Forest." "They are the maids of the Holy White Tree."

Fang He's heart skipped a beat.

He didn't care about the conflict between the Holy Woods and the Elf Court, but if Miss Attila was implicated in this matter, things would be troublesome.

Although this small holy emblem does not mean much, its appearance here at least proves that the Holy Woods may know the existence of this village, while the Elven Court knows nothing about it.

He looked at Melfina. Although the elf princess did not answer, Fang He had actually received a positive answer.

"Let's go inside and take a look," Melfina volunteered, "A holy emblem doesn't mean much."

The two men, each with their own thoughts, walked towards the ruins of the village.

The news spread quickly, and even Tianlan realized the trouble. Although she was a little confused, she was born into the Twelve-Color Iris after all.

As the little princess of the twelve-color irises, she has been exposed to all these power struggles.

Only the young man with the magic sword was still heartless and walked into the ruins, but the magic sword in his arms immediately responded with an alarm, which made him shudder.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"There is something in this ruin."

Box suddenly looked in the direction of the village warily and spoke.

Everyone else looked at him, but only Fang He realized that it was the magic sword Gwendes who told him. Gwendes said it was a magic sword, but he was particularly sensitive to things tainted with darkness.

There are either dragon worshippers or shadow people in this village.

Seeing Melfina looking in this direction, Fang He did not hide anything and told her the truth.

The Elf Princess pursed her lips, did not express her opinion, and just nodded silently. They came to this place under the guidance of the cultists, it would be strange if there were no related things here.

When they arrived, Elisa had apparently found a lot of clues in the ruins. She was fiddling with the things - some armor, a few weapons, and a few holy symbols.

"Any clues?" Fang He asked his Miss Nightingale. Alyssa shook her head, "As you can see, these are all. It seems that this village is related to the sacred woodland. Has anyone been here before?"

Her words were unintentional, but they caught Melfina's attention. The elf princess shook her head and took the initiative to answer coldly, "No, the Sacred Forest never told us that there is a village here."

Elisa was stunned. She looked at the princess and then at Fang He standing beside her.

"Did you find anything else?" Fang He realized something.

But he did not intend to avoid the princess, but asked directly.

Miss Nightingale hesitated for a moment, her eyes fell on the Elf Princess, and asked in the team channel: "Should we tell her?"

"We are allies with Ms. Melfina, at least for now," Fang He replied. "Sincerity is mutual, there is nothing that cannot be said publicly."

He believed more that Miss Attila had nothing to do with the matter, and some misunderstandings in this world often come from insincerity.

Melfina looked at the two of them with some surprise and silently took note of the matter.

Seeing that he had no objection, Alyssa naturally stopped acting on her own and took out a few pieces of incomplete parchment, "There are a few letters."

Fang He took the letters and read them one by one, only to find that they were more like one-sided reports than correspondence. However, the text on them was incomplete:

"…Inform the Sacred Grove that the node has become unstable…Elandor, Elder Vonaris is aware of this…"

"... the ash tree has sprouted branches... to Lord Felindor Zogen..."

"...Regarding the Shadow of Decay...it has been confirmed...I will tell Master Silmarra Dawnweaver."

"...It's time to change the plan..."

The signature at the back is Israelas, Druid Elder.

The subsequent letters were mostly similar, but the signatures were different, including those of the people mentioned above and new names.

Each report had a dedicated person in charge, and most of them were names that appeared repeatedly on the letterhead. Among them, Fang He also recognized some of them, as they were members of the Sacred Grove Council.

One of the eye-catching names is on the list, Attila Greenhill Stars.

It appeared three times in total. The first two times were in the report list, and the last time was the signature. Judging from the time, it should have happened later, probably after the other party returned to the Giant Tree Hill.

Melfina took the letters from him and read them silently, but she did not show any intense emotions. Instead, she said, "These letters don't mean anything."

Fang He looked at her in surprise.

"If the Holy Forest knew the truth about the Gray Region, the people involved would definitely not sign their names on it, which would be equivalent to leaving evidence of their crime. Moreover, when they left this place, they didn't even destroy these key letters?"

"Isrealus Frostcurtain, Ilandor Moonbough, Vonaris Earthshaper, Lord Felindor Sungen, all of them are members of the Council of Eleven." She was paying attention to this direction and couldn't help but click her tongue twice. "The Council of Elders clearly knew about this place, but they kept silent to the Elven Court."

Melfina said, "The contents of these letters are incomplete, but very misleading. Ask your Miss Nightingale, before she got the information from me, did she think these were just daily reports?"

Fang He looked at Alyssa. Miss Nightingale smiled bitterly and shook her head. What Melfina said was consistent with her guess. If she had known that the Council of Elders had concealed key information, she would never have spoken in front of the two of them.

With the knowledge that the sacred grove was hiding something, the contents of the letters became suspicious, especially the part about the ash tree.

She thought the Sacred Grove had sent people here to monitor the Gray Branch, but it could mean something else, especially when everything here was connected to the cultists.

But Melfina didn't say anything, not even in a aggressive way. Instead, she said, "There are still many possibilities. Although it can be confirmed that the Council of Elders went alone without the knowledge of the Elven Court, it doesn't mean anything else."

Instead, she saw the matter clearly. "It's possible that this is just a misunderstanding. It's also possible that there is a traitor in the Council of Elders. Of course, there is also the worst possibility. But I personally think that's unlikely."

Fang He did not expect that the other party would comfort him in return, and could not help but ask: "Why?"

The Elf Princess shook her head gently. "It has not been long since Her Majesty returned to Giant Tree Hill. This was originally evidence that the outside world accused her of dereliction of duty, but now it has become a key factor in proving her innocence."

"The Gray Tree Disaster has been spreading for more than half a year. Even if we trace it back to the earliest time, she was not in the Giant Tree Hill, so it is unlikely that she participated in this plan."

"Conversely," Melfina replied calmly, "since she has nothing to do with it, there is no need for her to sign this memorandum. But her willingness to sign it means that she is willing to take responsibility for this matter."

She looked at Fang He, "You know the character of the Saint better than I do. Do you think she will take full responsibility for the absurd things that the parliament has done?"

Fang He shook his head. He had never doubted Miss Attila. She was definitely not a pedantic person. If the parliament did something wrong, she would simply part ways with them.

He just didn't know how to explain this matter to Her Royal Highness the Princess, but he didn't expect that Melfina could see things more clearly than he did and could analyze so much based on just a few clues.

But she held the letters and still shook her head. "Of course, these are all based on my speculation. Sometimes speculation is often untenable. We need more clues."

The problem now is that she cannot question the Holy Wood from her own standpoint, because the two are in different positions. Asking questions rashly without evidence will only intensify the contradiction and confrontation between the two sides.

What the Elven Court wants is to weaken the power of the Council of Elders, not to create divisions among the elves.

And what exactly happened here?
The cultists' signals pointed to this place, and the magic plumb line indicated that the etheric currents should also converge at a certain node deep underground here.

There is obviously a problem here, but they are completely ignorant of it.

Melfina looked at Alyssa, "Ms. Nightingale, have you found anything else here?"

Alisa nodded slightly. "It seems that there is an entrance leading to the underground, but it is sealed by the elves. We can't get in."

"Take me to see it," the Elf Princess replied. The seal of the elves could only be untied by the elves. As the princess of the Elf Court, she was no stranger to these things.

...(End of chapter)