CHAPTER 382: THE DIPLOMATIC OFFICIAL

His tall, perfectly-proportioned figure was clad in silver armor, a bow in hand along with matching armguards. He stood on a tree branch, the wings on his back slightly spread, casting a faint green glow in the darkness. His long platinum hair shimmered under the light from those wings, illuminating part of his flawless face, cold and proud in expression.

He was an elf and also a guardian of the forest.

Seeing the light in Silvanus’s palm, the elf spoke calmly, "Your companions are waiting for you. Go."

Silvanus couldn’t help but frown. He didn’t understand why the elf had needed to fire an arrow just to call him. It was apparent he’d done it on purpose.

Still wary, Silvanus followed behind the elf while keeping a close eye on his surroundings.

With an elf leading the way, Silvanus no longer found himself getting lost so easily. The path ahead was clear, as if the veil that had blocked everything before had now been neatly parted into a wide passage, welcoming those who came from the outside.

Silvanus gradually noticed the light ahead. A gust of wind brushed past, and when he lifted his gaze, the elf was nowhere to be seen.

Silvanus didn’t linger. He followed the light and continued forward.

Until everything before his eyes turned into silver. Yes, silver.

Tall, slender trees rose straight upward, their smooth trunks free of rough bark, colored white mixed with faint blue and pink hues. High above, their branches draped downward, but the leaves were silver. Under the moonlight, the silver leaves glimmered even more brilliantly, stunningly beautiful, as if a sea of stars was swaying gently before him.

Silvanus swept his gaze across the landscape. These silver-crowned trees stretched endlessly into the distance.

They felt like the final walls of this forest. As he walked forward, he could clearly see rays of scattered light pass through the leaves and dance across the ground.

A faint fragrance of grass and trees drifted past Silvanus’s nose. The path before him grew wider and wider until it fully revealed the kingdom hidden deep within the forest.

Tree houses grew densely together, with hollows that weren’t very high yet belonged to trees of immense size, as though an endless stretch of giant dwellings. The farther he looked, the more colossal the structures became.

Yet the most breathtaking sight of all was the massive tree in the distance, its crown entirely shrouded in mist. They said that this was the World Tree, the source of life and magic.

"Finally, you made it. I was really worried."

Nicole’s playful, childish voice suddenly rang out. Silvanus startled a little and looked over. He had no idea when she’d appeared beside him, her robe fluttering lightly in the wind.

Nana stood off to the side, frowning, muttering under her breath, "Useless. How do you even manage to get lost walking in a straight line?"

Silvanus: "... sorry. I didn’t delay anything important, did I?"

Nicole laughed cheerfully and waved her hand. "Don’t listen to Nana. I only sent a letter asking the elves to find you. We only just got here ourselves."

Silvanus blinked in surprise, but before he could say anything more, a group of people suddenly approached from ahead.

This was the first time Silvanus truly saw a glimpse of the Elven tribe.

They all wore their hair long, and their hair shared the same color—platinum.

Every one of their faces carried a uniform, striking beauty. No matter how tall or muscular their bodies were, none of them could conceal those exquisitely sculpted features, as if carved from stone.

Even the elderly carried a dignified grace, making it easy to imagine how extraordinary they must have been in their youth.

There were more than ten of them, each wearing the same cold, expressionless look. The one leading them was an older elf. He held a large staff, leaning on it as though it were a walking stick, and wore a cloak that glimmered faintly blue.

He smiled at Nicole. "Honored guests from afar, this way please."

Only then did Silvanus notice that the old elf’s ears were not pointed like the others’. They were shorter—almost half the length of a normal hobbit’s ear.

"He’s the diplomatic official of the Elves. Let’s go. Since humans and elves have a cooperative social relationship, the invitation this time will be processed quickly. We’ll probably be able to leave by tomorrow morning." Nicole tapped Silvanus on the back and smiled as she spoke.

Nana glanced at Nicole and snorted. "So that means we’ll get into a fight as soon as we reach Merfolk territory?"

Nicole immediately made a gesture as though wiping her mouth clean, eyes wide in mock outrage. "Nana, don’t say things like that. We respect peace!"

The merfolk probably don’t...

Silvanus thought of Nerio’s unpredictable temper and could only hope that not all Merfolk were like that.

Because Nicole and her two outstanding students from Lumina had come for a visit, the Elves arranged a special cleansing ceremony for them inside the World Tree.

Along the way, Silvanus could feel gazes coming from all directions. Some of the tree houses had second floors, and a few elves looked down from above.

Most of them only spared a single glance before returning to whatever they were doing. They had no genuine interest in outsiders.

Their personalities seemed distant, yet their way of life was lively all the same.

When night settled in, soft light illuminated the clusters of trees, brightening not only their homes but also the pathways. Nighttime in Eldoria was much brighter than the nights in Luminous.

As they walked, they occasionally crossed paths with elves returning from the farmlands. Upon seeing the diplomatic official, those elves bowed in greeting, their gaze casually drifting over Silvanus and the others.

Bathed in the gentle glow, Silvanus and the group eventually reached a gate at the center of this land.

The gate was shaped from smooth, vibrant green vines. Because it hadn’t been activated yet, it looked more like a decorative arch than a functioning structure.

They were clearly still far from the World Tree, which meant they would need a teleportation gate—this vine-woven arch right before them.

The elderly elf standing ahead made a few subtle gestures, and moments later, green light surged across the gate, flooding it with brilliance. The path beyond shone so intensely it was impossible to see through.

The elven warriors escorting the diplomatic official stepped aside. The official turned back to them with a smile. "Let’s go. Everything has been prepared for your arrival."

Nicole was the first to fly forward. At that moment, Nana and Silvanus happened to glance at each other. Neither had expected their eyes to meet. Both frowned at the same time and quickly looked away, then followed Nicole at a slower pace.

A burst of blinding light swept over them, and in the next instant their footing steadied.

Silvanus couldn’t help his surprise. This was the first time he had ever traveled through a teleportation gate so smoothly.

When he opened his eyes, the sight before him made him freeze in place.