Chapter 605 - acred Land of the Elves (2) (2/2)
As this thought flashed in Rhode’s head, they had arrived at the Elf Queen’s throne.
In a single glance, this place didn’t resemble a palace at all. A young woman who appeared to be in her early 20s sat quietly on a benched formed by the vines under an enormous, ancient oak. Rhode immediately recognized that she was the Elf Queen.
She had a full head of dazzling, long green hair that draped to the ground and her soft expression was filled with a holy, natural charm as though she were an elegant and refined byword in humanity. As long as she gazed at any ordinary folk with her thousand years old eyes, they would throw all the distractions in their heads away and serve her. She was like nature itself and could only be viewed from afar and not be disrespected. But Rhode preferred those that he could trifle with because it would be easier to get closer to them after intimate interactions, after all.
Apart from the two Elf Knights clad in glass armor who stood beside her, there were several elderly Elves standing around the Elf Queen. Witnessing Rhode’s arrival, the Elves shifted their attention to him and he sensed that their gazes were filled with complicated emotions: astonishment, confusion, and puzzlement. It seems to be a bad idea for me to come to this place.
“Your Majesty, I’ve followed your orders and brought Mr. Rhode Alander.”
Corina stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the Elf Queen before moving to the side. The etiquette and hierarchical system among the Elves wasn’t as distinct and complicated as the Humans where there were many times when one respected another due to their moral conduct and not their statuses. However, this was meaningless for Rhode. As a player who had built his reputation in the Country of Law after the Munn Kingdom was destroyed, he knew how he should behave before the Elf Queen. After Corina backed down to the side, he took a step forward and placed his right hand on his right shoulder and bent over slightly.
“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty. The melodious tunes of the cheerful birds and the fresh green tender leaves swayed in the monsoon that blew through the forests, mountains, and rivers. It is of my utmost honor to be summoned by you.”
Not only did the Elf Queen’s mesmerizing eyes glint, but the other Elves who shot doubtful looks at Rhode also revealed friendly and astonished expressions. The tense atmosphere lightened instantly.
Rhode didn’t speak any further and he stood appropriately on the spot. He knew that the Elves loved silence and they disliked spontaneous humans because they deemed it as offensive and barbarous behavior. This could be considered the difference between the civilizations of Elves and Humans.
Perhaps an ordinary human would be at one’s wits’ end, but this wasn’t the first time the Elf Queen had summoned for Rhode. This was why he didn’t appear tense at all. He had even leisurely sized up the wide treetop that almost shrouded the entire sky and compared it to the scenery in his memories.
Not only did his calmness exceed the Elf Queen’s expectations, but even Corina was flabbergasted. After all these years, she had never seen a Human behave so calmly before the Elf Queen. The Humans usually appeared flustered as soon as they met the Elf Queen, but this wasn’t the case for Rhode. In an instant, Corina’s assessment of him had raised. But…
Corina puckered her brows and scrutinized the space around him. Strange… Why do I feel like there is something unusual there?
“Hi there, Mr. Rhode. I’ve heard from Corina about you.”
As expected, the Elf Queen had taken the initiative and spoken shortly after.
“I want to thank you for your courage and resourcefulness. If it weren’t for you, we, Elves, would have lost an incredibly important soul and I would have lost my daughter forever…” The Elf Queen paused and turned to Corina.
“Corina is a good girl. Perhaps you aren’t aware, but I was so worried for her safety when I learned about the happenings in Soraka Mountain. The Chaos is evil and dangerous. The Duke Fiend is the most terrifying presence and threat of this world. Fortunately, it has been eradicated from this world. If not, I can’t imagine how many living things will suffer in its presence.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty,” Rhode said without expressing any emotions.
“Although I’ve indeed done my part in eradicating the Duke Fiend, Miss Corina also performed outstandingly well. If it weren’t for her, perhaps I would have lost my life in its hands and everything would have ended for me right there.”
What Rhode said wasn’t false. Back then, if Corina didn’t offer her helping hand and drag him along, perhaps he wouldn’t be able to stand here in one piece. To Corina, perhaps the Duke Fiend would still be annihilated even if Rhode died during the battle, but Rhode knew that if he was dead, all the systems with him as the base would lose their effects and everything would be done for.
“I admire your humbleness, Mr. Rhode.”
The Elf Queen smiled and entered straight into the topic.
“I’ve heard from Corina about your intentions, Mr. Rhode. I have to put it up front that Ivory Valley is the sacred land of the Elves and our heroes are buried in that place. Ever since its existence, no humans have entered the place. This is why…”
The Elf Queen didn’t finish her sentence, but Rhode had puckered his brows. It seems that this is getting troublesome.
“… I can’t agree to your request just yet. But you’ve indeed helped us and saved the beautiful, determined souls of us Elves from the contamination of the Chaos and falling into an eternal abyss. For that, if you agree, we shall…”
The Elf Queen paused and expressed a difficult expression. However, Rhode understood that as a ruler of the Elves, the Elf Queen had to maintain the traditions while his actions were indeed worth the Elves’ praises. It was apparent that the Elf Queen was thinking of a solution that could satisfy both parties.
Suddenly, a voice sounded.
“I have a suggestion, Your Majesty.”