Chapter 24: The Anxious Your Majesty
After seeing Airael mount her exclusive unicorn, Hela walked over to Iis and said, “Captain Iis, let’s set off!”
“Understood!”
Immediately, the group dove into the dense forest.
Learning from yesterday afternoon’s experience, they wisely chose not to follow the path taken by their elder elves.
Instead, they decided to carve out a new route through the underbrush.
However, establishing a new path wasn’t a simple feat, especially in this primordial forest where countless unknown dangers lurked.
The Royal Palace Guards led the way cautiously, protecting themselves with their shields while using their spears to clear the grass and branches.
Not a single one of them dared to relax.
After all, the unknown is the greatest fear.
They had no idea what kind of situation awaited them next.
Perhaps it would be peaceful ahead, or perhaps great dangers lay in wait, with hunters lurking in the shadows, eager for them to stumble into their traps.
In this terrifying atmosphere, Airael, naturally not one to keep her cool, was visibly anxious.
Fear and terror danced in her eyes.
Airael, you are the Elven Queen; you must hold steady!
You cannot be afraid!
You need to look strong!
Those cunning Magic Wolves were all driven away by your magic; this is just an unknown forest—there’s nothing to fear.
If danger comes, use your magic to obliterate any enemies in your path.
Moreover, this is the Treemen’s territory; they surely won’t allow any excessively dangerous creatures to roam their lands.
Airael constantly reassured herself in her mind.
In the end, she tightly gripped her Staff of Eternity, feeling a newfound courage to face unknown threats.
On this last point, Airael was indeed correct.
Under the management of the Treemen, this vast forest had no dangerous creatures residing within.
Those unruly ones had either been driven out by the Treemen over the years or annihilated by them.
In a sense, this forest was a sanctuary.
Despite the long absence of danger, Airael and the other elves did not allow themselves to relax.
Such density in the forest felt distinctly unusual to them.
Something unusual has to be a cause for concern!
“Hela, are we entering the territory of some powerful entity?” Airael whispered to Hela as her anxieties grew.
This was eerily reminiscent of tales Airael had encountered in previous novels.
Some mighty beings would delineate their own territories.
This territory would be their exclusive hunting ground, forbidding others from hunting within.
Hela’s expression grew serious as she whispered back, “Your Majesty, please do not be afraid. We will ensure your safety.”
“Let’s hope this is indeed the Treemen’s territory!” Airael continued in a hushed tone.
With this thought, Airael found herself feeling less frightened.
Her once-extreme fear suddenly clutched onto this life-saving straw.
Yes, if it is the Treemen, then it won’t be so scary after all.
Though the past caused some discord between the elves and the Treemen, enough time had passed that animosities must have faded.
Moreover, the alliance between the Elven Race and Treemen had not been broken.
They still shared a common mission—to protect the Tree of Life!
In fact, what Airael was thinking, Hela had already considered.
However, Hela wasn’t as optimistic as Airael regarding this matter.
Even if there was a ninety-nine percent chance it was Treemen territory, she wouldn’t dare gamble on it.
In this terrifying atmosphere, Airael and the other elves pressed on, choosing to delve deeper.
If this truly was the domain of a powerful being, they had undoubtedly caught its attention.
Since that was the case, they might as well muster their courage and continue forward.
Who knows, they might even carve a path through.
And once they retreated, the spirit within them would be deflated.
In a fight, performing at only seventy to eighty percent of their capabilities would be a decent outcome.
The saying “Amongst a narrow road, the brave win” really applied here.
In such circumstances, instead of moving to the center, Iis, as the team’s captain, forged ahead to lead the group.
With their captain taking the lead, the Royal Palace Guards felt much calmer, following Iis deeper into the forest.
Their steps became steadier.
Airael and Hela observed Iis’s performance.
Hela remarked, “Your Majesty, he is quite an excellent captain. It’s no wonder Lady Linis sent him to protect you!”
A captain, as a low-level officer in the elven army, bore significant responsibilities.
Besides relaying orders from above, they also needed to inspire morale by taking the lead when necessary.
Airael nodded.
Just now, Iis’s display had indeed reassured her considerably.
Without a doubt, he was a capable individual.
As noon approached, Airael and her companions finally reached their destination—a battlefield from yesterday where the elders had gathered.
In their eyes, the large trees ahead appeared quite extraordinary.
They emanated an ancient aura, with a peculiar open space surrounding them.
This was reminiscent of the Tree of Life they encountered the day before.
Only, the area surrounding the Tree of Life had been even more expansive.
“Esteemed Your Majesty, welcome. We have been waiting for you for quite some time.”
As Airael and the others examined the strange large trees, they suddenly revealed faces, and the oldest among them spoke to Airael.
In an instant, Airael and the elves were startled.
Though they had all heard tales of the Treemen, none had truly seen them.
In this regard, Airael fared better than the other elves.
Having been bombarded with information in her previous life, she had already speculated about the appearance of the Treemen, which at that moment, remained within the bounds of her understanding.
Once she came to her senses, Airael attempted to greet the Treemen, but her words came out in a stutter.
“An… ancient… Treemen, you… you… hello!”
After saying that, Airael felt as if she might faint.
She had just made a fool of herself as the Elven Queen.
While it was excusable given it was her first diplomatic event, being ungraceful was just ungraceful—there was nothing to be said.
Hela, standing nearby, raised a slight brow but didn’t offer criticism.
In such a diplomatic setting, she couldn’t chide her own queen.
She whispered, “Your Majesty, please don’t be nervous. Relax.”
