Chapter 241: News, Arrangements

(I am a bit busy today, so this update is slightly shorter. I will make it up to you all tomorrow. The recent plot is somewhat similar to the entry into the Royal City, leaning toward exposition, but I will get the story moving within two chapters. I will never give myself an excuse to pad the word count!)

The giant eagle, Angola, circled the Tree of Life once before spiraling upward, carrying the group on its back toward the residence of Gawain—a wooden mansion with a small courtyard perched upon the canopy platform of the Tree of Life.

"Flap!"

Beating its wings, the giant eagle Angola landed steadily within the courtyard. Here, it showed none of the clumsy flight skills it displayed outside; had it stumbled here, its massive frame would have collapsed the entire house.

"Everyone, come inside to talk."

Gawain leaped from the eagle's back, waved his staff to open the door, and led the group into the house.

Wang Yu and the others followed Gawain into the wooden dwelling and found seats in the living room.

"Zieg, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve come to see me this time to prepare to contact Arelian, right?"

Gawain clapped his hands, and several flexible vines extended from within the house, carrying cups that delivered a clear, pale green beverage to the table before them.

"Yes, that’s right. The human kingdom I was in ran into some trouble, and we’ve essentially been forced to flee as fugitives. We need to find somewhere else to stay, but before that, I want to see Arelian—at least let Noelle see her sister."

Zieg nodded in affirmation, picked up a cup from the table, took a light sip, and explained the reason for seeking out his old friend in the Elven capital.

"Oh, little Noelle has grown up so much since those days!"

Gawain looked at the red dragon girl sitting next to Avia and sighed with emotion.

"Yes, she probably doesn't have much of an impression of Arelian; she was too young back then."

Zieg said with a smile.

"Sigh, that is true. Regardless of everything, a family should always find time to reunite. But you might be disappointed; I cannot contact Arelian immediately at the moment."

Gawain let out a breath, his tone tinged with melancholy, but the situation he described in a troubled voice left Zieg slightly stunned.

"Has something happened?"

Zieg did not grow impatient, but calmly asked Gawain to clarify what had made it impossible to reach Arelian.

"How should I put it? Your news might have been a bit too isolated after you went to the human lands. Over a hundred years ago, a terrifying war broke out on the coastal plains at the far south of the continent."

"News of this battle was suppressed afterward, but those in the know are well aware of it. It seems no one in the human kingdom you were in received word of this."

Gawain spoke with calm, steady poise. Their long lives had undoubtedly given both of them a level of composure and focus that surpassed ordinary people, preventing them from losing their rhythm over unexpected events.

"It has to do with Arelian and the other dragons, doesn't it?" Zieg asked.

"Correct. This war was between a dozen dragons of various species and a single silver dragon. It was also the last time dragons appeared on the continent—you, of course, excluded."

"At the time, over a dozen dragons appeared from nowhere, chasing a silver dragon and engaging in a fierce battle in the sky. The powerful energy fluctuations nearly scoured the entire plain. Even now, that plain has not recovered its original appearance; the mountain ranges along the coast are the result of that battle."

"I imagine you already know the outcome of the battle in your heart. All of those dozen dragons fell at the hands of that silver dragon."

"This is the only image recorded by our Elven Elder who went there at the time; everything else was interfered with or destroyed by the terrifying energy fluctuations."

"To be honest, the might of a dragon is truly on another level compared to other races. I don't even know if there were still dragon clans on the continent, whether this land and our five races would have any connection left at all."

As Gawain recounted the past, he waved his staff, projecting an image before everyone.

The image projected into the air was not a flat map, but something akin to a holographic projection, yet distinct—it made one feel as if they were present in the scene, personally experiencing the shocking power of the strong.

Several dragon breaths of different natures streaked across the sky, tearing through the clouds and firing from all directions toward a single target.

The dissipated energy caused visible pulse ripples in space, creating spatial distortions in the image, which allowed Wang Yu and the others to intuitively grasp just how powerful the colliding forces were.

The targeted silver dragon fired a breath from its maw; the high-powered energy beam clashed with the multiple dragon breaths, annihilating them all in mid-air without yielding an inch.

The silver dragon’s body moved with agility, dodging the remaining attacks, letting them graze past and plow deep, hideous gashes into the earth.

"It really is her. That strength and confidence have always been what I look up to."

Zieg looked at the powerful and elegant silver dragon in the image, his eyes filled with reminiscence and nostalgia.

Avia and Noelle were stunned into silence, while Wang Yu smacked his lips, estimating the strength of these dragons.

"Not long after that battle, Arelian found me and destroyed the token we used to contact each other."

"'I have become stronger, and that kingdom is more complete. I need to remain hidden for now; I do not yet have the ability to contend with Him. If Zieg and Noelle come looking for me, use this to contact me.'"

Gawain recounted the words Arelian had left for Zieg. The information revealed in her message caused Zieg to frown slightly.

"This item requires the Source Well of the Sky Mechanical City to activate. It was likely to prevent any existence from finding her location through this object. So, for now, I cannot let you contact Arelian directly. We have to wait until the Sky Mechanical City arrives here."

Gawain took a small box from his person and placed it in front of Zieg.

"About how much longer?"

Zieg asked while opening the uniquely textured small box. A dragon scale shimmering with bright silver radiance appeared inside. It emitted no special aura, nor did it show any characteristics other than belonging to a silver dragon.

"About half a year. You arrived just in time. The Sky Mechanical City, which orbits the continent on a twenty-year cycle, will arrive here within six months. It will dock at Liahim for a few days."

"After all these years, I am at least an Elven Elder. When the time comes, I can secure four spots to board the Sky Mechanical City."

Gawain spoke to Zieg, who was carefully observing the silver scale, making arrangements for the next steps. It effectively solved the remaining problems for Zieg; all that was left was to wait.

"Many thanks! I will leave this item in your care."

Zieg, having confirmed something from the scale, closed the box and pushed it back to Gawain with solemnity.

"It is nothing. The help you and Arelian gave me back then is a kindness worth repaying with my life."

Gawain smiled and waved his hand, signaling that Zieg did not need to be so formal with him.

"Then, why don't you all stay in Liahim for the next half year? Although it is a bit different from the human kingdoms, it should be easy to adapt to."

As he spoke, Gawain turned to look at the two humans, Wang Yu and Avia. With half a year until the Sky Mechanical City arrived, he naturally intended to find them a place to stay as their host.

"No problem. Being able to stay in the Elven kingdom is quite fortunate. I should be able to learn and see many novel things here."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Gawain."

Wang Yu naturally had no objections. He had intended to look around anyway, and he was quite satisfied to be able to see the kingdom of another race in the Elven capital. Avia felt the same.

"That is good. I will have Angola take you down. This is my token. Although Liahim has not been welcoming to strangers lately, guests are still very much welcome."

"Just ask any Elf; they will arrange a place for you to stay. If you need to contact me, you can also inject magic into this seed to find me."

Gawain clapped his hands again. The vines that had brought the cups earlier now delivered three round, plump acorns, each the size of a quarter-fist, handing them to Wang Yu, Avia, and Noelle.

"With that settled, Zieg and I have some important matters to discuss—things not convenient for you to know directly. Let Angola take you down first."

As an Elf, Gawain was much more direct. Seeing Wang Yu and the others accept the acorns, he stated clearly that there were matters they shouldn't overhear and asked them to leave first.

"Very well, we will take Noelle down first."

Wang Yu and Avia would naturally not pry into others' secrets. They immediately bid farewell to Zieg, took Noelle, and left Gawain’s residence. They climbed onto the back of the giant eagle, Angola, and were carried away, flying toward the Elven city below.

Watching the giant eagle Angola fly downward outside the window, its figure obscured by the trunk of the Tree of Life, the expression on Gawain’s face shifted from a faint smile to one of seriousness, his gaze shifting to Zieg, who was watching him in return.

"It is perhaps best that the others remain unaware of these details regarding the conflict with the dwarves; I trust you will understand, for you and your sister are the only ones I truly confide in for the moment."

Gawain offered this explanation with a trace of apology in his tone.

"There is really no need for such secrecy, as Wang Yu and Elvia are beyond reproach, though your caution is certainly not misplaced. Tell me, what has been happening of late?"

Sieg dismissed the concern, settling in with a grave expression to hear what Gawain had to impart.

"The state of the World Tree has become deeply unsettling; it has begun to draw energy from its surroundings with an alarming, ravenous intensity, producing a surplus of life force—if I were to describe it, it is as though the tree itself is 'thirsting' for vitality."

"The recent rampages of the Ancient Trees of War were not, in truth, caused by a lack of life force, but rather by their desperate attempts to harvest it, hoping to channel it through the root network of the Primeval Forest to nourish the World Tree."

"This is the first time we have observed such a distinct and growing demand from the tree; previously, it served only as a fountain of vitality for all living things nearby. The situation is dire, and we are still in the midst of our investigation."

"The findings thus far, however, point toward the dwarves and a clandestine operation they conducted some time ago—an endeavor they called the 'Deep Excavation'."