371 Traitor (1/2)

Pettus became quite solemn, if not grave.

”Where did you learn that name?”

Seeing Pettus's change of expression, all three visitors knew that something might be wrong with that name.

Roland was about to speak the truth, but Cage said first, ”I overheard it from some mercenaries in a tavern in Winterwind. I'm rather curious.”

Staring at Cage, Pettus smiled and said, ”That's impossible. The regular mercenaries are too illiterate to even spell 'elf.' How can they know anything as mysterious as 'Arcane Windrunner'?”

”So you do know it?” Cage looked at him.

Pettus nodded and put his cup down. He tapped the table more and more heavily, and the tension was building too.

Eventually, Pettus stopped his movement. He stared at Cage and tried to speak as calmly as possible. ”You haven't answered my question yet. Where exactly did you learn that name?”

Frowning, Roland was about to talk again.

But Cage leaned against the back of the chair and said lazily, ”Like I said, I overheard it from some mercenaries. What's wrong?”

Pettus glanced at Roland and Andonara, before he focused his eyes on Cage again. ”We've been friends for years. You must be responsible for what you say. That name couldn't have been known by random people.”

”I said that I overheard it. If it represents something scary, you can just tell it to me. There's no trouble that we can't share, is there?”

Pettus stared Cage in the eyes for a long time.

Cage looked back at him without giving in at all.

A moment later, Pettus slightly lowered his eyes and smiled. ”Okay, I'll answer it since you asked.”

Then, he stood up and said, ”Follow me. You two juniors, come with me too.”

Andonara and Roland looked at Cage, asking him what to do with their eyes.

Cage nodded.

They followed Pettus through the manor. In the end, they passed a dark trail, climbed circular stairs for a long time, and walked through a black wooden door, before they were embraced by light again.

Before their eyes were blossoming flowers and green grass. Many two-meter-tall trees had been arranged in a circle. At the center of the circle was a cottage with many potted plants around it.

Faint music was coming from the cottage.

Roland took a deep breath and couldn't feel more comfortable.

He raised his head, only to see a high wall behind the trees. Behind the wall was the sky.

The wind roared and raged above their heads, but it echoed with the music from the cottage, creating a weirdly quiet, harmonious atmosphere.

Cage looked around and said with a smile, ”I've never been here before. I didn't know that you had a paradise hidden here.”

”This is where Sejuani rests. Of course I have to make it nice.” Pettus smiled and said, ”You know she doesn't like the tumult of our world.”

She looked at Cage and said, ”It's been a long time.”

”It indeed has.” Cage sighed and said, ”I've always been curious about how you could've endured the human world for so long. But I get it now.”

Chuckling, Cage gestured at the environment.

The female elf replied with a gentle smile and pointed at the few wood stools before the cottage. ”Let's talk there.”

Everybody went over. At this point, Andonara approached Roland and asked in a low voice, ”Which one is prettier, me or her?”