Chương 87: Chapter 84: The Freezing Forest

Within the sprawling Crimvane gardens, beneath the shade of a different gazebo, Evander Elvaris—a man appearing to be in his early thirties—sat on one side of the table. His short, copper-brown hair was tousled, a calculated messiness meant to exude an effortless charm. His eyes were a stormy grey, mirroring the restless skies of a northern gale. He wore a high-collared coat of dark charcoal wool, fastened with silver buttons, paired with a simple silk cravat at his throat.

"This tea is actually good," he remarked after taking another sip.

"I agree. And," Selene paused, her sapphire eyes sweeping across the estate with a mixture of awe and suspicion, "it still feels like a dream that this fallen kingdom just rose to its prime again in the blink of an eye." Selene appeared to be in her late twenties. Her hair was a long, wavy cascade of soft pink, and her eyes were a vibrant, crystalline blue framed by dark, sweeping lashes. She wore a gown of deep emerald silk with a modest square neckline and tapered sleeves.

Forgoing the jewelry of queens, she wore only a single, delicate silver chain around her neck. Behind them stood an elf, his pointed ears twitching at every rustle of the leaves. He had narrow red eyes and shock-white hair, clad in finely woven dark garments designed for silent, fluid movement. A few paces further back stood his retinue of knights. Evander's eyes narrowed as they fixed on the garden path.

"…Seems someone is coming."

"Are they servants?" Selene asked, an eyebrow arching.

"Their clothes are unusual, though their faces… they don't seem like servants." The pair arrived without a retinue—no guards, no maids, no fanfare—just the two of them, strolling with a carefree gait. Vionette's arm was draped comfortably around Noa's, her fingers resting lightly on his sleeve as they conversed. As Selene and Evander silently observed, the two stepped into the gazebo. Sitting down, Vionette crossed her legs, resting both hands on her knee.

"May we know why you've come to see us?"

"Yeah, it was rather unannounced, wasn't it?" Noa added as he leaned back in his chair.

'White hair, crimson eyes… that's definitely her,' Evander whispered to Selene.

'No doubt about it, even if they don't dress the part.'

'Then the man should be the one named Noa,' Selene replied with a subtle tilt of her head. After a brief exchange of glances, the Lythoria rulers nodded to one another, acknowledging that they were indeed speaking to the true power behind the throne. Turning back toward them, Evander's expression hardened into a serious facade.

"We came here to discuss establishing a connection between Crimvane and Lythoria."

"A connection with Crimvane?" Noa tilted his head.

"Of course, we wouldn't expect such a thing for nothing." Selene extended a hand.

"Our kingdom is home to a myriad of rare herbs and skilled alchemists. We would be happy to share those resources with you."

"I assume you're referring to the herbs from the Freezing Forest?" Vionette asked, a smile gracing her lips. Evander nodded once.

"You're right. They are indeed from the Freezing Forest." <What the hell is that? > Noa's internal voice flickered in Vionette's mind. <The Kingdom of Lythoria rests on a land of eternal winter. There is a forest beside it that produces rare heating materials just to keep itself from freezing. That is what she's offering. > Noa looked at both of them. Raising a brow, he asked, "And what you want from us is…?" Evander stared at them for several heartbeats, letting the silence stretch. Finally, he spoke.

"We seek open access to your trade routes, a fair standing within your markets, and a mutual understanding of stability between our kingdoms." He spoke calmly, his face a neutral mask, but beneath the table, his grip on his own knee tightened. Now is the gamble. It's a fifty-fifty shot. He looked at Noa, but the young man wasn't even looking at him. Instead, Noa's gaze was fixed on the white-haired elf standing behind the Lythorian king, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Then, with a soft clink, Vionette placed her teacup down and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. I need to stop drinking so much tea.

"Okay then, let's do this, Evander Elvaris." Her crimson eyes gleamed like polished rubies catching the light.

"How about our two kingdoms forge a full alliance instead of a simple connection? We won't attack each other, we'll defend each other, and we'll exchange resources freely." Both Selene and Evander were struck by a momentary paralysis. The proposal was far more generous—and far more binding—than what they had come here for. The silence that followed was filled only by the shimmering song of the garden birds and the distant, rhythmic pulse of the waterfalls.

For a few seconds, the three monarchs simply stared at one another.

"We would love to do that," Evander said, standing up and extending his hand across the quartz table.

"Lythoria and Crimvane shall be allies." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Vionette stood and shook his hand, her smile completely unreadable to Evander. Selene followed suit, her sapphire eyes warm with relief, before finally shaking hands with Noa.

"Looks like we won't have to worry about freezing to death in the upcoming winter," Noa stated, taking his seat. Noticing that the atmosphere had shifted from cold diplomacy to something more hospitable, Selene made a subtle hand gesture. At her silent command, one of her knights stepped forward. Placing a ceramic plate on the table, he lifted the cloche. A warm, golden cake sat upon it, glistening beneath a slow honey glaze.

The edges were perfectly caramelized, and the light interior was speckled with red-gold flecks, sending up a wisp of steam that smelled of a late summer afternoon.

"This is Emberleaf Honey Cake, a gift from us," Selene said, her voice tinged with pride.

"It is made with crushed Emberleaf folded into a honeyed batter and served warm."

"Emberleaf?" Noa asked, inspecting the cake more closely.

"It's a deep red leaf that releases a gentle warmth when consumed. It can only be found in the deepest parts of the Freezing Forest," Selene explained, closing her eyes as she inhaled the sweet aroma. [Reserve] Noa tore a small rift in the space beside him, and a silver fork slid out. He snatched it from the air with hungry, focused eyes. Vionette looked at him, her expression an equal mix of disappointment and amusement.

"When and why the hell did you put that in there?" Noa chuckled cheekily as the fork neared the cake.

"It's for emergencies just like this."

"Give it to me." Vionette extended her palm toward him.

"I'll feed you." Noa stared at her for a few seconds. Then, without complaint, immediately placed the fork in her hand. She carved a small bite of the golden cake and lifted it to his lips. Resting her chin on her free hand, she watched him savor the treat, a soft smile blooming across her face.

'Did we miss something?' Selene whispered, leaning toward her husband.

'They didn't act like this five minutes ago.'

'Who knows?' Evander simply closed his eyes and chose to enjoy the silence. After feeding Noa, Vionette took another piece for herself. She didn't just eat it; she lingered, letting the silver fork meet her lips exactly where Noa's had been moments prior, her crimson gaze locked intimately onto his. Just as Vionette reached for the next bite of cake, something came screaming from the horizon.

It tore through the concrete pillars, shattered several decorative trees, and finally slammed into the gazebo like a falling meteor. The impact pulverized the quartz table, sent teacups flying, and left a massive, spider-webbing crater in the stone floor. The elf and the Lythorian knights were moving before the dust could even settle, weapons drawn and eyes darting wildly for the source of the attack.

"Ouch… that actually hurt a lot," a voice grumbled from the center of the wreckage. Evander, frozen in a state of shock, snapped his head toward the source of the voice. Selene followed suit, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. A… a dragon?! Elina stood amidst the rubble, shaking the debris from her hair like a dusty dog. One hand braced her weight against the ruined floor while the other gingerly rubbed her head. Despite the violent crash, her eyes were sparkling with a joyous energy.

"Tish is acully really goosh!" she muffled around a piece of the honey cake that had miraculously flown into her mouth during the explosion.

"Wait, no—forget that! I need to get back in there!" A mocking laugh echoed from across the garden.

"Little lizard, what's wrong? You can't get up?" It was Jain—or rather, Viselle in Jain's form—smirking as she landed atop a nearby hedge. Then, in a sudden blur of motion, a blade lunged at her from behind. It was Lina. Viselle instantly shifted back into her true form, and intercepted the strike with a black playing card marked with a diamond. The air crackled from the force of their collision as the brawl resumed in a whirlwind of steel and magic.

"I'm not done yet! Wait for me!" Elina shouted, devouring the remainder of the cake in a single gulp before launching herself back into the fray. As she vaulted into the air, she glanced back at Evander.

"Thanks for the cake by the way, whoever you are!"

"What…?" Evander watched her go, his mind reeling.

"Please be careful, my lady…!" In the wake of the fighting trio, the recently recruited butlers scrambled through the ruins, clutching first-aid kits.

"How long have they been at it?" Noa asked, his voice dangerously low.

"About fourteen hours," Rose answered, having somehow materialized right beside him.

"These little…" Noa gritted his teeth, his aura beginning to flare with an ominous, crackling purple light. …

"…I'm sowwy."

"Me too~!"

"Mmm…" Lina, Viselle, and Elina were lined up in a neat row, kneeling on the ground before the remnants of the gazebo. Their bodies were battered and bruised, but the fresh injuries clearly hadn't come from their fight; instead, faint trails of purple energy still crackled around them.

"Don't look down as if you actually feel bad. I know the game you two are playing," Vionette chided, sitting before them with her arms crossed. She directed her glare specifically at Elina and Lina, who were at least pretending to be ashamed. Viselle, however, held her head up, her face bright and smiling as if she were proud of the chaos she had caused.

"Rose, take these three to the baths or something." Noa gestured toward Evander and Selene, who were still seated in their surviving chairs, looking utterly bewildered.

"We still have a conversation to finish."

"Yes, My Lord. Please excuse me." Rose bowed to Noa and Vionette before turning her gaze toward the trio on the ground.

"Let's go, you three. We have a lot of things to do." She grabbed Elina by one of her horns and Lina by one of her twin-tails, and dragged both of them off toward the castle, while Viselle simply skipped along beside them, humming a cheerful tune.

"Noa, Vionette… we will also be taking our leave now," Evander stated, clearing his throat.

"I will send a messenger on my behalf to discuss the final details of our alliance."

"Ah, you're leaving already?" Vionette asked, standing up.

"You're welcome to stay in the castle, or we can set you up in Eryndor or Aurelyth as well."

"It's alright. We still have a lot of work to do back home," Evander replied quickly.

"Okay then. Cya later, I guess?"

The Lythorian group—Evander, Selene, the elf, and their knights—strode through the opulent halls of Crimvane Castle, heading for the royal teleportation chamber.

"Your Majesty, we chose the best possible option by siding with them," the elf whispered, leaning closer to Evander.

"Did you notice something?" Evander shifted his gaze toward him.

"And why was Noa looking at you earlier?"

"He was… examining me," the elf admitted, lowering his head.

"He was measuring my strength against his own. And once he realized I posed no threat, he lost interest entirely."

"I don't even want to talk about it," Evander muttered.

"Beating up those two girls and a dragon simultaneously was enough for me to see the gap."

"Hey Evander," Selene looked at her husband.

"Why do you think Vionette decided to forge an alliance so suddenly?"

"Who knows? Even I was surprised." Evander let out a short, hollow laugh that held no mirth.

"Maybe we came to touch a kingdom we shouldn't have. But whatever her reasoning, this is the only way we survive what's coming. It's do or die now."