Chapter 230 Ultimatum (III)
In a dense golden-leafed forest, there hid a beautiful pavilion. Under the shelter of a roof made of marble, Klaus and the High Queen sat at one table.
Elven servants, elegantly dressed in long white robes with flowing hair, carefully poured tea into gold-lined cups. The delightful scent of herbal tea quickly filled the air around them.
As Klaus sipped his tea, the High Queen silently glanced at him, her mind filled with questions and tension. Then, she ordered the servants to leave. She wanted to speak with Klaus personally.
"So, what brings you here?" the High Queen asked, gathering her courage.
Hearing the question, Klaus grinned. He placed his teacup on the table and said, "I want to know more about you first."
The High Queen raised her eyebrows. "My name is a closely guarded secret. Very few know my name, even among our own elven people. It's a part of our tradition."
Klaus chuckled, "This isn't a request. It's an order."
The High Queen gritted her teeth, feeling trapped in a difficult situation. After a few tense seconds, she finally relented. "Alright, Klaus, you've forced my hand. My real name is Lauriel. It's my child name, which I used before becoming the High Queen. However, I emphasize that it's highly classified information."
Klaus was satisfied with her answer and continued, "Don't worry, Lauriel. Your secret is safe with me. Let's get down to the real conversation."
The atmosphere turned serious. The High Queen looked at him intently.
"I came to this forest with a very important purpose," Klaus continued. "I'm looking for something that only you can provide: elder elf blood."
Hearing his answer, Lauriel's eyes widened. She stared at Klaus with a questioning look. "Why are you looking for elder elf blood? And why should I give it to you?"
Klaus sighed, "It's not your business, and I'm not finished speaking."
Lauriel raised an eyebrow, even more curious. Elder elves were those who had lived for millennia. No elf could live that long. Not even herself. Except for one person she knew.
"I got information," Klaus continued, "that there's an elder elf in this forest. She has physical characteristics similar to yours. Beautiful and with golden hair."
Lauriel swallowed hard.
"I know what you mean," Lauriel replied. "You think I am that elder elf?"
Klaus shook his head as his fingers traced the rim of the teacup. "At first, I thought so. But after meeting you in person, I realized that you're not the one I'm looking for." He looked into her eyes, adding more tension between them. "There's another high elf, besides you, with golden hair and the same appearance."
Clasping her hands under the table, Lauriel knew who Klaus was talking about. However, the existence of that person was a closely guarded secret within the elven village. She didn't want to reveal it.
"I'm sorry," Lauriel stammered. "But the person you're looking for does not exist."
Hearing her response, Klaus raised an eyebrow. He could see through her lies.
"Lie again, and I will destroy this village," Klaus threatened.
Lauriel was consumed by a dilemma. She vowed to protect her village, but at the same time, she couldn't reveal the secret.
"It's... I..."
As Lauriel tried to come up with another excuse, she saw a dark aura creeping over her skin. It sent shivers down her spine. At the same time, around the pavilion, grass and plants suddenly withered. Even the flying butterflies died.
"Tell me," Klaus muttered. "Before I kill your Tree of Life."
"Don't!" Lauriel cried out spontaneously, standing up from her seat.
Seeing Lauriel in a state of distress, Klaus grinned. The dark aura emanating from him disappeared instantly.
Taking a deep breath, the High Queen began to tell the real reason behind her lies.
"Klaus," Lauriel said softly, "The elder elf you're looking for is actually my mother. She has lived for over 5,000 years, and she is the true queen of this forest. She has kept the peace of the elven village throughout her lifetime."
Sadness was reflected on her face, which made Klaus furrow his brow. He didn't detect any insincerity in her words.
"So, where is she now?" he asked.
Lauriel sighed heavily. She rolled her eyes towards the colossal tree behind the pavilion. "She's there, became one with the Tree of Life."
Upon learning this fact, Klaus became even more intrigued. He asked Lauriel how this had come to pass.
"It all started with an orc attack 50 years ago. At first, our village managed to fend off the orc invasion. They surrendered and requested negotiations. My mother is a kind person, so she accepted them. But her kindness only harmed herself."
Klaus raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me the negotiations were a ruse."
Lauriel nodded with a glare filled with resentment. "Yes, they secretly sent troops into the Tree of Life, even though we had agreed that there would be no weapons between us. They set the Tree of Life on fire and nearly killed it. Fortunately, my mother is very powerful. She was furious and destroyed them overnight."
However, Lauriel continued with a voice full of regret, "But this victory came with a cost. The Tree of Life was dying, and the only way to save it was by sacrificing a strong soul for it. The only elf with a strong soul is my mother. She sacrificed herself, merging with the Tree of Life."
Klaus pondered what he had just heard. "Why did you keep this secret from the villagers?"
Lauriel answered sincerely, "We didn't want to create panic among the people. If they found out that their High Queen had died, it would cause chaos. That's why, I disguised myself as my mother and took over her position."
As Lauriel revealed her secret, she showed another one.
In front of Klaus, Lauriel suddenly changed her form. Her golden hair turned into silver, and her body became shorter as if she had reverted to a much younger age. Klaus couldn't help but widen his eyes as he saw Lauriel in the form of a 12-year-old girl.
"This is my true form."
Huffing, Klaus didn't expect his search to take this turn.
...
Night had fallen, and the beautiful pavilion was immersed in the silence of the dark forest. Klaus sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the twinkling stars in the night sky. After his conversation with Lauriel earlier in the day, Klaus realized that his purpose for coming here had become futile.
He knew that elder elf blood couldn't be extracted if the person possessing it had merged with the Tree of Life. However, in a contradiction, he also realized that the elder elf played a key role as the "alpha" in this dungeon.
To close the dimensional rift connecting this dungeon to Earth, he had to destroy the Tree of Life. In other words, he had no choice but to annihilate the elven village and the entire forest.
"In the end, it was all for nothing, huh?" he mumbled to himself.
As Klaus was lost in his deep thoughts, a familiar voice suddenly called out to him. Turning around, he found Sylvia appearing in elegant attire, creating an awkward atmosphere.
"What's up, Sylvia? What brings you here?"
Sylvia smiled gently and replied, "The High Queen has invited us for dinner."
Klaus nodded, giving his consent. "Go first, I'll join you shortly."
However, Sylvia didn't immediately leave. She stood there, her fingers fidgeting behind her back. "I think I'll stay here for a little longer."
Hearing her response, Klaus raised his eyebrows in surprise.
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