Wizard + System

CH235

In the town, everyone had to be registered. Helag and his group were listed under the Ruby Chamber of Commerce, so they wouldn't be questioned.

However, if they weren't under the Ruby Chamber's name, they would become suspicious, and the elves would certainly take notice.

Normally, if three adventurers finished escorting a caravan and didn't leave, it would raise questions—what were they still doing here?

Most likely, they'd be hiding something.

When Helag returned to the Ruby Chamber's inn, he found Reese tidying up the room.

At her request, the Ruby Chamber had only provided two rooms.

David had one room to himself, while Reese and Helag shared the other.

After spending an entire month in a cramped wagon, they hadn't had a proper night's sleep.

Now, with a spacious, soft bed, they were ready to get some real rest.

Of course, a little pre-sleep exercise was inevitable—it was going to be a long night.

Helag, being experienced, had asked the staff for extra blankets, mainly to cover the bed for… convenience.

By dusk, the three of them had finished dinner and returned to their rooms.

Reese, holding onto Helag, was ready to make her move when Helag said, "Wait here for a bit. I need to go finish the mission."

"The mission? Now?" Reese was surprised.

She had observed the area earlier and thought it was nearly impossible to sneak through the fence and into the forest unnoticed.

The elves were excellent spellcasters, and their defensive spells were undoubtedly formidable.

Reese had assumed they'd need to plan carefully and discuss how to complete the mission.

She hadn't expected Helag to be ready to go so soon, especially since it was nearly nightfall.

Attempting to sneak in and place the teleportation coordinates now seemed far too dangerous.

From what they had seen, the elves' defenses in Strange Valley were tight.

The fence alone was likely enchanted with numerous spells, making it difficult even for first-level wizards like them to pass through.

And doing so without alerting the elves inside? Nearly impossible.

"Yes, I'm heading out now. I might be back late," Helag said, stroking the back of Reese's head.

Reese instinctively tightened her grip on his clothes, feeling nervous.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I wouldn't attempt something if I wasn't confident," Helag reassured her with a confident smile.

Reese remained silent, then stood on her toes to kiss him.

***

After leaving the inn, Helag made his way to the courtyard on the northern side of town.

The courtyard was surrounded by tall walls, with a heavy iron gate tightly shut.

Helag walked up and knocked on the gate.

"Who are you? What do you want?" asked an elf who opened the gate, appearing to be in his thirties.

"I'm here to see Bain," Helag replied.

"What business do you have with Bain?" The elf eyed Helag warily.

Helag handed over ten gold coins, smiling, "Please tell Bain I have something important to discuss with him."

The elf hesitated but then nodded, "Wait here."

He closed the gate and went to inform Bain.

A short while later, the gate reopened, and Bain appeared, flipping the ten gold coins in his hand, looking at Helag suspiciously, "Who are you?"

Helag smiled without answering and subtly activated his bloodline mark, releasing a strange aura.

To ordinary people, this aura would be almost imperceptible, but to elves, it was a different story. Their sensitivity to such bloodlines was acute.

Bain's eyes immediately locked onto Helag, his expression freezing.

Just as he was about to speak, Helag raised his hand, "Let's talk inside."

"Of course… of course," Bain stammered, unsure but not daring to show any disrespect.

At the back of the courtyard stood a three-story wooden house, Bain's personal residence.

He led Helag inside and even brewed a pot of the local specialty fruit tea.

Once inside, Helag fully activated his bloodline mark, his appearance changing instantly.

"This… this… Lord Bain greets the esteemed one," Bain stammered, immediately dropping to his knees in reverence.

A royal elf!

The aura of a royal elf!

There was no mistaking it—Bain could feel it in his bones.

This was a fundamental difference in bloodline, something Bain could sense clearly.

Elves ruled the Elven Plane, and royal elves ruled the elves.

Only those who lived under the World Tree possessed the royal elf bloodline.

The elves in Strange Valley were from a remote tribe, one of many scattered across the Elven Plane.

To Bain, it was as if a lowly peasant had encountered a member of the imperial family.

The difference in status was too vast.

Even the chieftain of the elves in Strange Valley couldn't compare to Helag.

That's why Bain had knelt so quickly and smoothly, as if he had rehearsed it many times.

Though Bain didn't know how Helag had hidden his true form as a human, or why he had concealed his identity, those were questions far beyond his station.

Bain knelt on the ground, feeling a mix of fear and awe.

He had no idea why Helag had come here.

I'm just a lowly steward. I've only skimmed a little money. Surely that's not enough to draw the attention of a royal elf?

Bain was panicking, his hands and feet trembling slightly.

"Bain," Helag said.

"Yes… yes, my lord," Bain stammered, his body shaking.

"Take me to your chieftain," Helag commanded.

He wasn't just here to complete the mission; he had other personal goals as well.

"Of course, my lord. I'll take you right away."

Bain, relieved that it wasn't about him, quickly led the way.

Normally, protocol required informing the chieftain and getting approval before bringing anyone in.

But this was a royal elf. Bain wouldn't dare make Helag wait.

He led Helag through the back gate of the courtyard, which opened to the fence.

Bain placed his hand on the wooden gate, and after a moment, it opened automatically.

"Please, follow me, my lord," Bain said, bowing deeply.

Beyond the gate lay a dense, sprawling forest.

A narrow path wound its way forward, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

Every few meters along the path, there were plants resembling street lamps, with two leaves and a white crystalline center.

These plants emitted a soft glow, illuminating the path in the dim forest.

Helag glanced at the forest, sensing the presence of various magical energies hidden throughout.

CH236

The forest itself served as a defensive barrier. If enemies invaded, it would likely transform dramatically.

For now, it remained quiet, as if in a deep slumber.

Helag and Bain walked along the path, moving through the dark, silent forest.

After about half an hour, they finally emerged from the forest.

Ahead of them was a village-like area, with rows of wooden houses. At the heart of the village stood the towering World Tree, its massive canopy blocking out the sky.

As Helag gazed at the World Tree, he felt a strange connection, as if the tree was responding to him.

At that moment, a member of the elven guard noticed Helag and appeared before them in a flash.

"A first-level crystallization wizard…" Helag sensed the aura of the guard, noting his considerable strength.

Entering this place carried significant risk for Helag. Even without encountering the chieftain or elders, the guards alone were formidable.

But he had to come, both to complete his mission and for his own interests.

After seeing Bain's reaction, Helag was confident in his plan.

Once he activated his bloodline mark, he truly became a royal elf.

Bloodlines don't lie. Helag possessed the royal elf bloodline, and Bain had no choice but to believe him.

"Who might you be?" the guard asked hesitantly. He could sense the royal elf aura from Helag but hadn't received any prior notice, leaving him unsure of how to proceed.

"My name is Sebas Orld. Take me to your chieftain," Helag said softly.

"Orld!"

Both Bain and the guard were shocked.

They knew all too well what the surname "Orld" represented.

Most elves in Strange Valley lived their entire lives without ever meeting a royal elf, only hearing their names in stories.

Now, seeing one in person, both Bain and the guard were nervous.

The guard led Helag and Bain toward a small wooden house situated beneath the World Tree. Looking up, the enormous canopy loomed overhead, with occasional glimpses of stars through the gaps in the leaves.

Along the way, many elves cast curious glances at Helag. Strangers were rare in this area.

Helag made no effort to conceal his aura, and the elves, sensing it, instinctively lowered their heads and averted their gazes, too afraid to stare.

The innate nobility of Helag's bloodline made them hesitant to speak loudly.

As Helag walked, he quickly scanned the surroundings, noting potential locations to place the teleportation coordinates.

The placement of the coordinates was crucial—they couldn't be too close to the World Tree.

Being too close would raise suspicion.

After all, Helag was only a first-level gaseous wizard. How could someone like him get so close to the World Tree, place the coordinates, and leave unscathed?

Placing the coordinates in the forested area was the most reasonable choice.

It would complete the mission without making Helag's actions seem too extraordinary.

After all, sneaking into the outer areas was feasible with the right methods.

But going deep into the valley, right under the World Tree, to place the coordinates would be too unbelievable and unrealistic.

As they approached the World Tree, hanging branches occasionally brushed against them.

These branches extended from the World Tree, reaching down close to the ground.

The elves never trimmed these branches, always walking around them, careful not to harm even a single one.

To them, the World Tree was like a mother, a sacred being that must be protected.

In the distance, a wooden house stood under the World Tree, where the chieftain resided.

The door opened, and an elderly elf stepped out, his deep gaze fixed on Helag.

As Helag approached, the chieftain asked curiously, "And you are…?"

"Sebas Orld," Helag introduced himself succinctly.

"Ah, Prince Sebas!" The chieftain bowed slightly in respect.

Though the chieftain had never been to the World Tree's mother tree, he was well aware of the royal family's members.

Sebas was the older brother of Shatia, known as the Fourth Prince among the current generation of royal elves, while Shatia was the Seventh Princess.

The chieftain was a powerful spellcaster, at the level of a grand mage and a third-level wizard.

His sensitivity to bloodline auras was even sharper, and Helag's aura was unmistakably that of a royal elf—there was no doubt about it.

After Helag revealed his name, the chieftain had no reason to doubt him.

"What brings you here, Prince Sebas?" the chieftain asked.

Helag didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Bain and the guard behind him.

"You may leave," the chieftain instructed.

Bain and the guard quickly retreated.

As they left, Bain felt a surge of excitement.

A prince!

Prince Sebas!

I can't believe I, Bain, had the honor of meeting a prince, and I was the one who brought him to the chieftain.

Bain was overjoyed, knowing this would be a story he could boast about for years.

I'm someone who knows Prince Sebas!

Helag had dared to use the name Sebas because he had gathered enough information.

Shatia was his servant, and from her, he had learned much about the elves.

Royal elves held an absolutely supreme position.

Elves from other tribes would never dare to defy or disrespect a royal elf.

They were also bound to serve and protect the royal elves without question.

Royal elves were raised under the World Tree's mother tree, and in the hearts of all elves, they were the most revered beings.

When Shatia had been imprisoned as an ordinary elf, not a single elf had revealed her true identity.

Even when facing humiliation, they had kept Shatia's secret.

This was because they were born with the duty to protect the royal elves.

For elves from remote tribes like those in Strange Valley, meeting a royal elf was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

The chieftain and elders of Strange Valley rarely left the valley.

Even if they had visited the World Tree's mother tree in the past, it was likely many years ago.

At that time, Sebas would have been as young as Shatia, and it was natural for his appearance to have changed significantly since then.

The only risk in Helag's plan was if the chieftain had recently seen Sebas. In that case, Helag would be in danger.

But the odds of that were slim. After carefully considering the elves' habits and information, Helag had decided to take the risk.

Fortunately, the chieftain of Strange Valley had never met Sebas. He hadn't even been to the World Tree's mother tree.

He only knew of the royal elves through information.