After Paeris left, the Elf Queen kept silent for some time. She took the crystals that Paeris left behind and watched its content.
"Allannia, I need you to prepare something for me." She called for the female elf commander that was waiting outside.
Allannia opened the door and entered the room, she knelt while waiting for her orders.
The Elf Queen frowned.
"Allannia, I have strictly told you before, that it is forbidden for you to be so formal before me when we are alone. How many years do we know each other? I guess it is over a hundred, and you're still not considering me as a friend?"
Allannia seemed troubled. She knew that the Elf Queen was not the unapproachable and frigid person, she was often referred of. The Queen only passed that image in order to deter people from approaching her, but it was different thing with Allannia. She replied: "Your Highness, I can't be disrespectful in any way before you..."
"Stop! What Your Highness? Call me by my name." The Elf Queen seemed really annoyed that the person she considered her only friend, had those customs deeply ingrained on her bones.
"Your Highness..."
"Are you trying to disrespect me by not following my order?" The Elf Queen tone changed a bit.
"I would never, Your High..."
The queen was seriously gazing at her.
"Arwen."
"Good! Let me be fast at instructing you, since I don't want you to be pressured by this damned aura."
"Do not worry Your High... Arwen, I can handle this pressure for longer than the others."
The Elf Queen looked towards Allannia with a judging gaze, she knew it would take time for her to be accustomed with that.
"Well then, prepare that hidden place for me, because I'll need to investigate the situation of the Plague with more attention. There is a possibility that it is already affecting human beings, and could soon reach our Elven Kingdom, so we need to be stricter while allowing any merchants from passing the borders."
"Why don't you let me take care of that investigation?" Allannia asked.
"No, I'm probably the best person for that, since that plague will never infect me so easily."
"Alright, I will prepare that place for you."
"There is one more thing. It is actually even more important than the former." The Elf Queen threw a crystal towards Allannia.
"I need you to send a trustworthy person to travel to the human territory and invite that male human as a guest participant for the tournament. It would be better to send at least a Mana Control powerhouse, because it got to be fast. If I'm not wrong, the girl with red hair from the image, hails from the Blazing Phoenix Sect, she is the oldest daughter of their Sect Master. She could lead you towards the boy."
The Elf Queen took a royal crest out of her spatial ring and continued: "Give him this royal crest, so he can safely cross the borders and reach this city. I won't be able to return before the tournament begins, so make sure to entertain him somehow until I get back. Remember to be friendly, since we do not know the extent of their relationship with that Deep Lake Goddess."
"I will immediately prepare someone to travel to the human territory." Allannia excused herself and left to prepare the things the Elf Queen needed.
"I'll need some more sacred droplets. Time to visit the World Tree again." The Elf Queen stood up and went to a beautiful restricted garden behind the palace. It was the most important area of the entire Elven Kingdom.
.
.
.
Seth felt the changes on the world around him as he was transported back to the main dimension. He found himself standing on the same place he was, before he left to enter the labyrinth.
The fire vortex started to slowly recede, until it vanished. It marked the ending of the event, a definitive ending this time.
People all around the Blazing Phoenix City observed the beautiful phenomenon disappearing from the skies. They kept thinking if they would one day, be able to enter the labyrinth, without knowing that it was the last time they were able to see it.
"Big brother Seth!" Yuyin was waiting for his return together with her father that was sitting on a wheelchair. His aura was still as strong as ever, but his mobile capabilities were prejudiced.
Seth had already put his bracelet on, so his aura was already sealed. He used it in order to not attract too much attention, since with his youthful appearance, it was considered to be impossible to obtain his current realm of cultivation.
"Hi there Yuyin, father-in-law." Seth casually replied.
Huo Shihong felt his mood sour after hearing Seth's words.
"Who are you really?"
"Hm? Your son-in-law of course." Seth mysteriously smiled while saying.
Huo Shihong was almost losing his patience with Seth already.
"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to tell you that. However, you do not need to worry with something like that, since I already completed my objectives inside the Fire Labyrinth. But if you do not mind, I would like to keep my status as an inner-court disciple of your Blazing Phoenix Sect."
"Hmph, do as you please." Huo Shihong knew that with his condition, Seth could do anything he wanted within his sect grounds; however, it didn't seem like he wanted to go against the Blazing Phoenix Sect. Whatever Seth did inside the Fire Labyrinth wasn't of his concern too, but what actually made him put up with Seth, was that he saved his life and his sect future.
"Yuyin, I promised Meiyi that I would pass some time with her after the Fire Labyrinth. So, if you ever need me, you know where to find me."
"Alright, big brother Seth. Hmmm... I would like to thank you for saving my father." Yuyin said fidgety. It seemed to be the first time this spoiled princess was thanking someone. The things that happened inside the labyrinth, made her grow up a little.
"There is no need for that. As I have said, how could I let my father-in-law die on that place? Ahaha." Seth left, leaving those words behind.
Huo Shihong could not contain himself any longer. He almost casted a fire ball towards Seth.
"That demon is so irritating. Argh!"
"What are you talking about big brother Seth, dad?"
"No, I... Uhm..."
Yuyin started to berate him, shaming him in front of the guards stationed a bit far.
Seth immediately went towards Meiyi house, he was missing her a lot, since there was an entire month, that they didn't interact properly. His last encounter with her was so brief that it left a bad taste on his mouth. He wanted more.
Seth of course, entered her house through the backyard, easily discovering that she was inside her bedroom. He sneaked through the rooms until he reached her bedroom.
Knock! Knock!
Meiyi almost jumped from her bed. She was reading a cultivation book, diligently studying, when out of nowhere someone knocked on her bedroom door.
"Who's there?" Meiyi asked while already holding a sword to defend herself from a possible assault. It wouldn't be the first time she was assaulted, so she started to be more careful from that day onwards.
But no one answered her question. Meiyi went forwards to open the door, but her Qi energy was already circling, ready to attack whoever knocked on her door.
She opened the door and saw that there was no one outside.
'Am I getting crazy? Or was it a ghost?' She started to feel a bit of fear, but suddenly someone hugged her from behind, making her heart almost come out of her mouth.
"AAAAAAAA!"
"Calm down, Meiyi. It's me Seth." Seth kept hugging her while identifying himself.
"Are you trying to scare me to death?" Meiyi was almost crying.
"Ahahaha, of course not. I just wanted to make a surprise entry for you."
"Are you trying to surprise me to death then?" Meiyi seemed to be really angered by his prank.
"Don't be like that, Meiyi. Here look, I brought you a gift from inside the Fire Labyrinth." Seth took out the Firebrand from a space ring he got from one of the alchemists he killed. He gifted both items to Meiyi.
The Firebrand was a cursed sword, able to curse the enemy and the wielder alike. However, Lexi made sure to control the medium-grade spirit within that sword, destroying its ability to injure the user, leaving behind only the desired effects against the enemies.
It was now a sword capable of doing much more damage without hurting the user at all.
"That sword contains a medium-grade fire spirit inside. After you start training with it, you will understand how to use its abilities. As for the ring, it is just something for you to conveniently carry your things around." Seth explained the gifts he brought for her.
Meiyi eyes sparkled. Not even trying to appraise the sword, just the spatial ring was something she never dreamt of obtaining. It would cost thousands of blue Skystones, a value she couldn't afford at all. As for the sword, she didn't even dare to guess its price.
"How did you obtain such valuable items? Did you steal them?" Meiyi looked at Seth suspiciously.
"Ahaha, not at all. Do not worry, they were justly acquired by me." Seth couldn't believe how these women could be so keen on their guesses.. First it was Lilian and now Meiyi as well. Was that what they called female instinct?
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