bookrandom Chapter 519 Before that
Chapter 519 Before that
"cooperate?"
The elf girl repeated Katherine's words softly. She spoke the Common Tongue much more fluently than Lyrael did, and sounded like a native of Highgarden.
Catherine tried to guess her intentions through her eyes, but could not read anything from those eyes that were as calm as an ancient well.
"Is it me who wants revenge, or is it you who wants revenge, Your Majesty?" She put her hands behind her back and tilted her head to gesture to Canion, whose face was almost identical to Catherine's. "Are you twins?"
"...No, but he is indeed my brother."
Catherine had always known that she resembled Canion. When they were little, no one had said so because of their height difference. But now, as Catherine grew up, the difference in age gradually disappeared. Their faces were so similar that it was no wonder that Giselle thought they were twins.
But Giselle was in the mood for small talk, clearly unimpressed by her proposal. Catherine gritted her teeth and said, "Even if you're not here for revenge, I believe you'll need allies."
"Can you tell the difference between 'cooperation' and 'seeking assistance'?"
Giselle's tone remained unchanged as she began to wander around the empty and dilapidated hall. Wherever she went, the dragon blood vines would rustle and make way for her until she stopped in front of a wall.
The frescoes on the wall depicting a holy war had long been damaged by overgrown vines, and the familiar figures were now blurred, but Giselle could still roughly recall their location within the painting. "When you say 'cooperation,' do you expect the night elves to act as scouts or assassins for the powerless crown prince, or do you expect a rain of elven arrows to clear the battlefield for Ozler?"
She knew more about the Gaia Empire than she had guessed - Catherine was secretly shocked. Yes, cooperation must be mutually beneficial. Since it was cooperation, empty promises were meaningless to an elf who had lived for so long. She had to give something practical.
But what exactly did this night elf want? She had witnessed the plight of her own kind, yet she hadn't come for revenge. So what did she seek? Imperial resources? Military support? Or...? Catherine's thoughts raced.
"You misunderstood, Teacher Giselle." Catherine folded her hands in front of her, her back tense, and she was completely immersed in her work state. "I never beg for charity. What I can give is—"
The moonlight penetrated the canopy of the short trees, making the small tree glow even more brilliantly. Under the huge and empty dome, this secret conversation came to a brief pause.
"——What I can give will never be less than what Mulete has given."
Catherine bowed her head and pondered for a long time before speaking solemnly. The tangled threads in her mind had finally been untied today. She grabbed the end of the thread and only needed to pull harder—
"—At least, I won't betray my allies."
Giselle's brows finally moved, her eyes became sharp again, and she sneered.
"Do you know what you are saying, Catherine Bishop?" Giselle's tone was still calm, but it made the hairs on Catherine's back stand up.
It seemed the night elves' connection to the Mulet royal family was a secret, unknown to the outside world. She also knew why Gilselle sneered: for an elf, a descendant of Zora, to claim she wouldn't betray her allies was ridiculous.
"Other people may not know when the Knights of Light began hunting the night elves, but I do." Catherine ignored the sarcasm in Giselle's tone and remained unchanged.
"Bishop VII has been tormented by illness for years, and the church has long since pronounced his death imminent. However, a few years ago, his health began to deteriorate. Now, it's getting better. He can now walk and even handle government affairs...
The first time his health showed signs of improvement was after the Mulet Kingdom sent the twin princes to the Gaia Empire. Catherine's silver eyes, shimmering with moonlight, stared directly into Gichel's.
When she first noticed something was wrong with the Knights' movements, it was at that moment that everything clicked together! A dark elf must have followed the twins into Highgarden.
"You sought cooperation from the Mulet Kingdom, but they betrayed you—"
Catherine suddenly fell silent. As a witch, she was keenly aware that the elements around her were surging again. The elf's emotions were far from as calm as her appearance. She felt a fierce murderous intent and decisively shut her mouth.
"……I see."
Silence lasted for a long time between the two of them before Catherine heard the female elf speak again, but her tone became much more bleak.
It turns out... the Gaia Empire had no information about her appearance at all. Those guys in funny armor just exchanged information from the Mulet Kingdom and used it as bait to hunt them.
Her companions were too arrogant, believing they controlled the Mulet royal family, but they didn't realize they were baring their fangs behind her back. Perhaps she shouldn't hold out hope for humans anymore. Gloria's past was nothing more than a beautiful dream...
"——I can help you find someone."
Giselle's gaze suddenly turned and looked back at the princess.
Catherine still held the ball of light in her hand, and the brightness made her facial features clearly visible. She seemed to want to use this to let Giselle observe whether she was lying, but Giselle was still standing in the dark, and her expression could not be seen clearly.
"...What did you say?" Giselle's eyes flashed with surprise.
"You're looking for someone, I can help you."
A flash of inspiration flashed through Catherine's mind like lightning, clearing away the fog that had troubled her for a long time. Her tone became more and more certain. Those elusive Knights of Light, the rumors of those years -
She is looking for someone who likes the Falling Star Lily of the Valley. No... maybe not a human...
Giselle had lived for over a thousand years, and perhaps she was seeking an old acquaintance from a thousand years before. Was this her own personal act, or the collective will of the night elves? But it didn't matter. Giselle's familiarity with Highgarden revealed she had been wandering between Highgarden and Gloria for a long time, and she knew she had what she needed here!
Suddenly, there was a flash before her eyes, and a cold, narrow black dagger was pressed against Catherine's throat!
"Sometimes knowing too much is not a good thing, Your Majesty." Giselle suddenly stood behind her, her voice as cold as a deep pool.
"It's just my guess. Is my answer wrong, Teacher Gichel?" Catherine raised her head with difficulty. "Mulet's national strength is limited, and Bishop VII is obsessed with elf flesh and blood. There's no way he can help you."
"Only I can, teacher." Even though her life was controlled by the other party, Catherine still called her teacher.
"If you wish to learn the secrets of the empire, no place has more records than the Bishop family, which has existed for thousands of years. It is said that there is a secret history passed down only between successive kings... My father lost the inheritance because he gave up the throne, but I will definitely obtain it if you need it, Teacher Gichel."
There was silence in the darkness for a long, long time. The posture of tilting her head back was uncomfortable, but Giselle didn't move, so Catherine could only endure it.
Suddenly she felt a gust of wind blowing through her hair, and then white mist began to spread on the ground, and the dagger pressing on her neck was removed.
"You look more like an elf." Giselle suddenly said for no reason.
"What?" Catherine looked confused and still didn't dare to turn her head.
"Remember your promise, Catherine Bishop." Giselle's voice became ethereal, and it sounded like she was no longer behind Catherine.
——She agreed!
“…Wait! Wait! Please wait a moment!”
It would have been cool to leave at this time, but Catherine still had the nerve to break the mysterious atmosphere. She turned around and shouted, interrupting Giselle's exit.
"——Before that, please help me find someone!"