Chapter 299: Grand elder meets Zyra.

The first thing the Grand Elder noticed when he stepped through the portal was the buildings. They weren’t the humble wood-and-thatch huts, nor were they built out of stone like those in the capital and developed nations. They were sleek and towering and constructed well from a different material.

His eyes narrowed. He looked at Hunter, then snapped his head toward Achilles. His expression didn’t just ask a question_ it screamed, what in the heavens is going on here?

"I thought you said the Wild lands! These are not the wild lands, Hunter. Are we in another world?" the Grand Elder asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Hunter didn’t answer with words. He just raised a hand and pointed toward a small crowd standing near the main courtyard.

There stood Nanny Rosita, gently supporting Aunt Denea, who was wobbling on her feet like a well-fed duck. She was following the ducks, as if she were one of them.

The Grand Elder’s face went through three different emotions in two seconds flat: absolute disbelief, profound sorrow, and then a sudden, radiant joy.

"Denea!" he called out, his voice thick with emotion. He frantically motioned for her to come over.

Aunt Denea gave a little quack-like huff and began waddling over as fast as her feet would allow. When she reached him, the old man wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight, trembling embrace.

"You’re alive_ dear child." the Grand Elder whispered, clutching the back of her robes as if she might vanish into thin air. He looked up at the sky, his eyes misting over.

He pulled back, wiping a stray tear, and looked at Hunter and Achilles. "You two bratty rascals, you actually did it! You brought her somewhere safe. And_ " He blinked, looking at Aunt Denea’s rosy cheeks and plump belly. "_is it just me, or does she look healthier than when she was in that beach house?"

"She gets four meals a day and three naps, Elder," Achilles chimed in, tossing his head back with a grin. "Of course, she’s happier and healthier."

Before the Grand Elder could say anything else. Nanny Rosita stepped forward, pulling her skirts back to curtsy gracefully. "Greetings, Grand Elder."

The old man froze, a look of deep guilt washing over his weathered face. "Rosita_ you must be mad. I must apologize to you. Andrea had no right to throw you out of the estate grounds. If only you had waited for me to return from my secluded visit to the Iron Vale, I would have reversed that absurd decision on the spot!"

Nanny Rosita let out a soft, warm laugh. "Grand Elder, please do not blame yourself. As the old sayings go, the foolish frog pushes the bird out of the nest, only for the bird to find a sky full of fat flies. It all turned out for the best."

Achilles snorted. "Did you just call Andrea a foolish frog, Nanny? ha-ha!"

"I said no such thing, Young Master Achilles," she replied smoothly, though her eyes twinkled with mischief.

The Grand Elder chuckled along, his heart bursting with joy. As his gaze swept across the courtyard again, his eyes suddenly caught on a figure standing right behind the Nanny. A young woman with long green hair, bright eyes, and an aura that practically hummed with nature spirits.

The Grand Elder stopped dead. He raised a shaking finger, pointing right at her. He would recognize that face anywhere.

"Zyra? Is that_ Zena’s little baby, Zyra?"

Zyra nodded, giggling softly. The sound was like small silver bells chiming in a gentle breeze. She didn’t look afraid of the terrifying elder who usually made guilds faint just by clearing his throat. To her, this old man felt like a long-lost grandfather. "Not a baby anymore."

Hunter stepped over to her, caught her hand in his, and gently pulled her to his side. He cleared his throat, puffed out his chest just a tiny bit, and proudly announced, "Grandpa, meet my wife."

The Grand Elder’s mouth flew wide open.

A gust of portal wind blew past them, carrying a stray leaf across the courtyard. Tessi brought in the grand elder’s luggage, barely glancing at the owner.

The old man closed his mouth. Opened it again. Closed it. Then, a deep, rumbling laugh exploded from his chest, shaking the very leaves on the surrounding spiritual trees.

"Hahaha! Well, strike me with divine lightning and call me an immortal!" the Grand Elder roared, slapping his knee. "The universe really is paying back the debts it owes me! To think Zena’s child would end up married to my boy! I must have done something right in my past life for my wish to be fulfilled."

Zyra recalled the past life; the last news she ever heard about Grand elder was that he was sick and he had scaled back on public appearances. She did not recall much else about the Kaelion clan except for the fact that Sabrina was its head at the time of her death.

With her own problems, and living in a town far away from the capital, she had not been updated on the things that were happening worldwide.

She wondered if her involvement with Hunter would change these things?

"Zyra are you alright? " Hunter asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Without hesitation, Zyra dropped to her knees, placing one hand on the polished floor and bowing her head with deep, sincere respect. "Greetings, Grand Elder. Thank you. Thank you for keeping an eye on me from afar my whole life."

"Oh, get up, get up, child! None of that!" The Grand Elder leaned down, taking her gently by the shoulders to pull her to her feet. He pulled her into a warm, fierce hug, entirely ignoring the many eyes that were fixed on them. He let go, looking up at the clouds once more with a soft, bittersweet smile. "Zena_ your little girl is grown up now. And she picked a good man. You can be at ease now."

He patted Zyra’s head, his hand trembling slightly, before turning back to the group. The tearful nostalgia melted away, replaced by an urgent, sharp focus. "Alright, enough crying and carrying on like old women," the Grand Elder declared, though he was the only one who had actually cried. "Where is Maverick? I need to see him right now."

"Follow me, grandpa. He’s resting in the medical pavilion," Hunter said, leading the way.

As they walked down the wide road, the Grand Elder couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Every three steps, his head was spinning in a different direction.

"Is that_ Nine-Leaf Heavenly Ginseng growing in the outdoor garden dirt like a common weed?!" he gasped, pointing frantically at a flowerbed.

"Yes, Elder. We use it for tea on Tuesdays, its good medicine for the body. " Achilles said casually, folding his arms behind his head.

"And those cameras on the buildings!" The old man grabbed Hunter’s shoulder, practically hyperventilating. "Yes, we see everything here. Inside and outside. We are in the wildlands after all."

The Grand Elder clutched his chest, staring at the sky, then at his grandsons, then at the sparkling clean floor. "How did Zyra build this?"

Hunter shrugged and opened the door. "Refrain from asking her that Grandpa."

The grand elder nodded. There were secrets in this place, he could tell. Given whose daughter Zyra was, it was not shocking that she had things to hide.