Chapter 90: Her Majesty Demands Entertainment? Your Death Scourge Has Been Dispatched!

The elven outpost that materialized before them was nothing like the crude military fortress of rough-hewn logs and tank traps Celeste had envisioned.

It was, in and of itself, a living work of art.

Dozens of colossal silver trees, each so massive it would take more than a dozen people to encircle its base, soared from the earth to form the outpost’s very structure. They hadn’t been felled and pieced together; some mysterious power, far beyond mortal comprehension, had nurtured, twisted, and shaped them into being.

Their trunks and branches intertwined and fused at the most perfect, aesthetically pleasing angles, creating a seamless whole. They formed towering walls, elegant arrow towers, and a complex of complex treehouses suspended high in the canopy.

Emerald vines clung to the silvery-white bark, dotted with countless star-like flowers whose petals emitted a soft, ethereal glow. Faint trails of silver magic runes flickered across the surface of the wood, outlining a massive defensive formation that enveloped the entire outpost in a shimmering, protective aura.

The air was thick with the breath of life and nature—sweet, fresh, and humid. This vibrant aura collided with the bone-deep chill of death that clung to Eldara and her party. Yet, instead of annihilating each other, the two opposing forces settled into an eerie, unsettling balance.

“It’s so beautiful…” Xia Lian couldn’t help but whisper, her voice filled with awe. As a ranger, she could feel the abundant vitality overflowing from every tree, every vine, every single blade of grass.

“Permanent magical fortifications constructed from living plants.” Su Wan’s gaze was far more professional. She stared intently at the circulating runes, her tone laced with an irrepressible shock. “This kind of technology is still in the theoretical, conceptual stage where we come from. To think they’ve already achieved large-scale application…”

Selene looked around, her head swiveling with curiosity. “It’s so quiet here. I don’t even see a single patrolling sentry.”

“They are not necessary,” Eldara stated indifferently from the front of the group. “The forest itself is the best sentry.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than the light rippled across the surface of the giant wooden wall before them. A massive archway silently swung inward, parting the living wood as if it were a curtain. The entire forest seemed to have come alive, welcoming its knight home.

Entering the outpost revealed an even more distinct world within. There was none of the clamor and dust of a human encampment. The ground was carpeted in a layer of soft, thick moss that muffled their footsteps, rendering their passage completely silent.

Elves moved with impossible grace between suspended covered bridges and airy treehouses. Most wore light leather armor or flowing mage robes, their postures elegant and their expressions solemn.

Whenever Eldara’s party passed, the elves they encountered would stop in their tracks. They would place their right hands over their chests, bowing their heads in a silent gesture of respect. Yet their eyes held a complex mixture of admiration and a hint of deliberate, practiced aloofness. It was the deference one showed to a powerful weapon, not the warmth reserved for kin.

Celeste, ever the observer, keenly captured this detail.

‘So, the whole “Death Knight” gig isn’t exactly a crowd-pleaser, even among the elves, huh?’she mused.’No matter how lofty the philosophy behind it, you’re still basically BFFs with death itself. It’s only natural for mainstream society to keep you at arm’s length.’

Eldara had long grown accustomed to the surrounding gazes. She paid them no mind, leading the four of them straight through the outpost to the base of the largest, most ancient-looking tree at its center. A hollow, adorned with hanging vines and glowing crystals, was carved into the base of the trunk. Two elven guards in gleaming silver armor, longbows held at the ready, stood sentinel at the entrance.

Upon seeing Eldara, they immediately saluted and cleared the way.

“Wait for me here,” Eldara instructed the four of them before stepping into the tree hollow alone.

The scene inside the hollow once again refreshed their understanding of elven magic. The interior was not the narrow, cramped space they had expected, but an extremely spacious, circular hall. In the center of the hall lay a crystal-clear pool of water, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the specks of starlight that filtered down through gaps in the canopy high above. A serene and peaceful magical energy saturated the entire space.

Eldara walked to the edge of the pool and knelt on one knee. She reached up, unfastened the hideous, skull-faced helmet, and placed it solemnly to the side, revealing a face of stunning, otherworldly beauty. She then extended her right hand, lightly tapping the surface of the water with a single fingertip.

A low hum connected through the hall as a circle of silver ripples spread across the water. The starlight reflected in the pool was instantly swallowed, the surface transforming into a deep, starless night sky that seemed to connect to some unknown corner of space and time.

Soon, a blurry yet undeniably graceful and luxurious figure emerged from the watery depths. Though her specific features remained indistinct, an innate nobility and an aura of immense majesty washed over them, even through the rippling water curtain.

“Eldara,” a mature, pleasant female voice echoed from the pool. It was tinged with a slight laziness, a deep-seated weariness, yet it carried a peculiar magic that caused the listener’s anxious heart to calm involuntarily.

“Your Majesty.” Eldara’s voice remained cold, but it was now highlighted by a deep reverence that stemmed from the very depths of her soul. “I have cleared the undead scum from the border canyon. However, during the mission, I encountered four humans.”

“Humans?” A hint of interest seeped into the Queen’s voice. “More adventurers, here to serve as cannon fodder for that idiot Alex?”

Her choice of words was… remarkably blunt. Celeste could practically taste the thick resentment in her lazy tone, a feeling that screamed, ‘I am so, so sick of this.’

“No, Your Majesty,” Eldara reported. “They are different. One of them, a cleric, disintegrated the Stitched Abomination in an instant, using a method I cannot comprehend. Their power system is peculiar, but their purpose is clear. They did not come for war.”

“Oh?” The interest in the Queen’s voice grew stronger, tinged with amusement. “A cleric that even you would describe as ‘beyond understanding’? Now that is far more interesting than another report on how many Skeleton Soldiers you’ve slaughtered.”

Eldara was silent for a moment, as if carefully weighing her next words. “They… hope to meet you in person. They claim to have a matter of great importance that they must confirm with you face-to-face.”

The figure on the other side of the pool went quiet.

The hearts of the four onlookers, Celeste included, were lodged firmly in their throats. This was it—the critical moment that would determine the entire direction of their mission. Xia Lian was so nervous her palms were slick with sweat. Selene stared at the pool with wide-eyed excitement. Su Wan maintained a facade of calm, but her slightly pursed lips betrayed her inner tension.

Celeste, meanwhile, was sending a desperate telepathic message. ‘Say yes, say yes, say yes! C’mon, Your Majesty, you’ve gotta be dealing with a massive headache over this whole mess. You must be dying for some outside force to come in and break the deadlock. We’re the best deadlock-breakers you could ask for! We don’t take sides, we just solve problems—and maybe watch the show. Where else are you gonna find such useful, multipurpose tools!’

As if she had heard Celeste’s silent, shameless plea, the Queen’s voice sounded from the pool once more, now carrying a hint of all-knowing playfulness.

“Eldara, my knight, you rarely introduce outsiders to me. Since you are willing to bring them this far, it must mean you recognize their value… or perhaps, you are also curious about them.”

Eldara’s back stiffened for a split second.

“I only believe that they might bring some unexpected variables to the current stalemate,” she argued, her tone defensive.

“Hehe…” The Queen let out a light, crisp laugh. The sound was pleasant, yet it seemed to make Eldara’s shoulders slump just a little. “Fine, fine. Since my most trusted Knight Commander says so, I have no reason to refuse.”

Her voice then became more serious, shedding its lazy amusement. “Let them come to Silvermoon City. These are extraordinary times. That little human king has been pushed to the edge and is capable of anything. The undead scum at the border are also becoming increasingly rampant. Eldara, you will escort them here personally. Ensure their safety.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Eldara replied, her voice a low, solemn rumble.

The light and shadow on the water’s surface rippled one last time, and the Queen’s figure vanished. The pool returned to its placid, mirror-like calm.

Eldara slowly rose to her feet, picked up her helmet, and settled it back over her head. That stunningly beautiful face was once again concealed by hideous, intimidating armor. She turned, her crimson eyes scanning the four of them through the narrow slits of her visor.

“You heard her. Her Majesty has granted your request.” Her voice had returned to its usual icy coldness. “But the road to Silvermoon City is not safe. Gather your things. We depart immediately.”

“Awesome!” Selene pumped a fist in the air, grinning.

Su Wan also let out a quiet sigh of relief. Although the process had been full of things to complain about, the result was good. The mission finally had a clear path forward.

Celeste simply smiled and nodded at Eldara. “Thank you for the introduction, Commander. We’re ready to depart at any time.”

Just as she finished speaking, however, Eldara’s movements suddenly froze.

She snapped her head up, her gaze piercing the depths of the forest outside the outpost. Inside her helmet, her crimson eyes flashed violently.

Without any warning, the serene pool in the center of the hall began to bubble, churning with a pitch-black, necrotic energy. In an instant, all the glowing flowers and radiant crystals within the outpost dimmed, plunging the hall into shadow.

A cold, tyrannical will, saturated with an endless, seething hatred, surged back from the depths of the forest like an invisible tide, arrogantly washing over the entire outpost!

“Enemy attack!”

Eldara’s ice-cold voice shattered the sudden, dead silence.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]