Chapter 704 - Realm Fusion (4) (1/2)
Chapter 704: Realm Fusion (4)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The High Elves’ royal capital city, Andwar.
A day later, Link had arrived at the city’s outskirts. He could already see the World Tree in the distance from there.
Standing at least 1000 feet tall in the distance, the tree’s thick canopy seemed to extend over all of Andwar. Pure, natural Mana flowed down from its leaves and branches like waterfalls, before evaporating mid-air into a green Mana haze. It turned the entire city into something straight out of a fairy tale.
Ordinary folk would be immediately impressed by the sheer beauty of this magnificent tree.
Link, however, was able to see the ocean of Mana that the tree exuded.
The trees’ roots have embedded themselves deep within the Firuman realm’s core. The amount of Level-19 power currently flowing through it surpasses even mine by a huge margin. There’s no way I would be able to go up against it, thought Link.
The High Elves were truly blessed to be able to live in peace under its shade for more than 3000 years.
Putting his thoughts aside, Link quickly made his way towards a manor in the outskirts of Andwar.
He began following a small path through a forest until he came upon a clear stream in the mountains. A mountain valley filled with the scents of wild flowers in full bloom was on the other side of the stream. Once he cleared the valley, he began following another trail to the merry chirping of birds in the forest. Finally, a moon strawberry plantation came into view. His destination lay in the deeper regions of the plantation.
A thorny fence was erected around the plantation. A small building stood near the entrance of the plantation. This was where the manor’s guard lived.
A middle-aged guard was chopping firewood near the entrance as Link approached. Hearing his footsteps, the guard lifted his gaze and saw Link with a stunned expression.
The High Elf Warrior before him seemed somewhat familiar. He had a striking resemblance to Master Theodore, with the only differences being his weathered features and his well-built physique. He also had a sword hanging from his waist. Its scabbard was covered with dark brown spots. The guard immediately recognized them as dried-up bloodstains, which suggested that the High Elf’s sword was not there simply for show.
“Uncle Darsey, I’m back,” said the young man. His voice sounded deep and hoarse as if he had just recovered from an injury to his throat. Still, there was something familiar about his voice.
As if he finally remembered who he was, the guard’s eyes lit up. “Master Theodore?” he asked uncertainly.
“Yes, it’s me,” answered Link with a smile. The guard had easily recognized him as Theodore. It would seem that this young High Elf had quite a respectable position in the Morgenstern household.
The guard looked overjoyed. He quickly let his axe fall to the ground and shouted behind him, “Aya, Aya, Master Theodore isn’t dead. He’s come home!”
A middle-aged High Elf woman burst out of the wooden cottage behind the guard. When she saw Link, her jaw dropped. She then shouted, “Thank the God of Light, it really is Master Theodore! I’ll go tell everyone else!”
She then gathered the hem of her dress and hurried towards the manor on the far end of the plantation.
Darsey, the guard, hurriedly opened the plantation’s gates for Link. He swept his gaze over Link. A pained expression came over his face when he saw the scars on his cheeks and the backs of his hands. “Master, you’ve been through a lot.”
When news of the High Elf envoys’ massacre at the port near the Black Forest reached him, the old patriarch had simply let out a despondent sigh and decided to drown himself in wine and all manner of merrymaking to ease the pain of losing his son. The old High Elf had aged a great deal in a matter of days.
Darsey had no idea how the other masters and mistresses of the Morgenstern household had reacted to the news of their brother’s death, but he knew that the servants did not take it too well. Not only was Master Theodore the household’s beacon of hope, but he was also the Morgensterns’ most respectable master of his generation.
He was a kind young High Elf who would never bully any of the household’s servants. If death had not taken him away, he would have become the master of the Morgenstern household by now. The servants’ lives would have been a lot easier if he had taken the helm of the household.
All their hopes and dreams had come to an abrupt end with the supposed death of Master Theodore.
Theodore’s death had affected Darsey as well. He had watched him grow up. He still remembered back when the young master was still a child; he had trampled a couple of saplings along with his siblings as they were playing in the plantation. When Darsey got there, none of the other young masters and mistresses seemed the least bit sorry for what they had done. Master Theodore was the only one who had come forward to apologize for his actions. He was such an adorable little fellow back then.
Shaking his head out of his reverie, Darsey pulled Link into his wooden cottage and poured him a glass of wine made from the plantation’s moon strawberries, knowing just how much Master Theodore loved drinking Aya’s homebrewed moon strawberry wine.
“Master, you must be tired from your journey. You can rest here for a while. Aya has gone off to inform everyone else of your return. A horse carriage should soon arrive to pick you up,” said Darsey.
“Thanks, Uncle,” said Link. He then took the glass of wine from the middle-aged High Elf and began sipping its content.
The wine had a rich, velvety texture. There was even a hint of sweetness in it. It was perhaps one of the most delicious wines Link had ever tasted. He soon finished the whole thing in one gulp.
Darsey was gazing tenderly at Link as if he were his own child.
Link felt the middle-aged High Elf’s gaze on him. I’ve picked the right High Elf to disguise myself as. I may just be able to proceed with my mission without a hitch, thought Link as he also remembered how the guard’s wife Aya had reacted when she saw him.