Chapter 232 The Heart of The Tree of Life
Klaus faced Lauriel and Lord Aymon with his terrifying power. The aura of darkness emanating from him filled the room, shaking the two elves with fear.
"If you want to kill me, you'll need a bigger sword," Klaus scoffed.
Lord Aymon swallowed hard, realizing the formidable enemy before him. However, Lauriel responded quickly.
"Sheath your sword, Lord Aymon," Lauriel ordered.
"But, your grace—"
"Are you still sure you can defeat him now?" Laurel asked with a piercing gaze.
Reluctantly, Lord Aymon sheathed his sword, much to Klaus's mocking smile.
However, Lauriel suddenly made a surprising decision. She knelt before Klaus.
"I, Laurel O'Lier, the Ruler of the Radiant Forest and Guardian of the Tree of Life, beg for mercy to spare the elves and this village," she implored with her head bowed.
Naturally, her actions surprised Lord Aymon. The elf with scars on his face begged Lauriel not to demean herself, trying to prevent his queen from kneeling before a human.
"Your grace! Don't do this!"
But Lauriel gave him a piercing look. "Shut your mouth, Aymon! Kneel with me!" she snapped.
Wide-eyed, Lord Aymon was genuinely surprised by his queen's decision. He reluctantly obeyed her command, kneeling before Klaus.
"Good. Finally, you guys know your place," Klaus sneered.
Lauriel knew that her situation was dire. Her dignity as a queen was shattered, but she felt this was the best course of action for the time being. She would do anything for her people.
Klaus sat on the sofa, with his feet up. His actions ignited Lord Aymon's anger, but this loyal elf felt powerless. Although his heart burned with anger, Lord Aymon also felt the depths of his inability to challenge Klaus.
Klaus looked at them with a sly smile, as if he were enjoying this moment. "I accept your apologies," he said. "What happened tonight never happened."
The words that came out of his mouth relieved Lauriel's heart. She felt almost unable to hold back tears of relief. She couldn't imagine what would happen if her people found out about this incident.
But Klaus wasn't finished with his words. He continued with a firm tone, "But I will not forget. If I catch you doing it again, I won't hesitate to wipe out your little village."
His eyes suddenly turned into two ominous black dots, causing Lord Aymon and Lauriel to tremble in fear. They could imagine what would happen to them if they dared to challenge Klaus earlier.
"I swear," Laurel said shakily. "I swear such an incident won't happen again."
The terrifying aura that had previously filled the room began to fade, and the atmosphere returned to calm.
"Good," Klaus said. The menacing expression disappeared from his face. "I hope I can trust your words."
Although Klaus showed a friendly smile, Lord Aymon and Lauriel still felt shaken by the experience they had just been through. They realized that Klaus possessed powers far beyond what they had imagined.
"There's something I want to discuss with you, anyway," Klaus said. "But I'd like you to return to your original form before we begin."
Lord Aymon couldn't hide his surprise as Klaus discovered the secret of his queen. He looked at Lauriel in worry.
"Your grace, you don't need to—"
Before Lord Aymon could finish his sentence, Lauriel, resigned, followed Klaus's command. In the blink of an eye, the beautiful elf with golden hair who had presented herself as the High Queen transformed into a silver-haired girl.
Lord Aymon clenched his fists, torn between anger and powerlessness. "You've humiliated our queen enough, human! At the very least, let my queen stand," he pleaded, slightly frustrated.
Silent with her head bowed, Lauriel could understand what Lord Aymon was feeling. She also felt guilty for it.
"Sure," Klaus replied. "This is your place. Find a comfortable seat."
Immediately, Lord Aymon rose and fetched a chair for his queen. He helped Lauriel to her feet and treated her with respect.
"So, what do you want this time?" Laurel asked.
Klaus grinned, "I like that you're not beating around the bush." He lowered one foot and raised the other. "Where is the original High Queen's body? You know what I need, right?"
Lord Aymon wasn't surprised. If Klaus knew Lauriel's true form, he also knew about the original High Queen.
Lauriel, on the other hand, furrowed her brow and clenched her teeth. This was the secret she most wanted to hide from Klaus, and she knew there was no other way but to tell it now.
"The High Queen's body vanished when she merged with the Tree of Life," Lord Aymon lied.
Klaus raised an eyebrow.
Stammering, Lord Aymon tried to create a plausible excuse to hide the whereabouts of the true High Queen, but Lauriel immediately stopped his lie. She knew Klaus wouldn't fall for cheap tricks.
"I apologize for my subordinate's recklessness," Lauriel said. "The High Queen's body is still intact."
"Your grace!" Lord Aymon exclaimed.
But Lauriel ignored him. In her heart, she apologized to Lord Aymon.
"So, where is it?" Klaus asked.
"I will take you there."
Klaus stared at Lauriel deeply, and when he agreed to follow Lauriel to this hidden place, they quickly left the room.
Klaus walked behind Lauriel and Lord Aymon, following them to where the body of the High Queen was located. They traversed long corridors and descended a series of stairs. The magical atmosphere grew stronger as they descended deeper.
They stopped in front of an iron gate, and Klaus could feel powerful energy emanating from behind it.
Lauriel gently held the gate's handle and began to recite an ancient spell. Strange lines with glowing patterns suddenly appeared on the surface of the gate, and it didn't take long before the gate slowly opened, revealing a large room filled with shimmering green fireflies.
"Oh, so this is why you've hidden it," Klaus murmured.
In the center of the room, there was a giant golden heart that pulsed, as if it had a life of its own. What was even more astonishing, inside it, there was a very beautiful elf woman, her golden hair flowing, and her eyes closed in peace.
"This is the Tree of Life's heart, where my mother sleeps," Lauriel said.
Lauriel walked toward the heart, her hand trembling as she touched it. Sadness was written all over her face as she watched her mother forever imprisoned. Lord Aymon felt the same way. He stood by Lauriel's side, touching her shoulder.
Lauriel then looked at Klaus with a pleading expression. "My mother is not entirely dead. She is still alive, an inseparable part of the Tree of Life. Killing one of them means killing both. That's why I can't give you my mother's blood."
"I see," Klaus pursed his lips.
He fell silent for a long time, and Lauriel looked at him with hope in her heart, hoping that Klaus would understand the situation and reconsider his intentions.
However, reality always contradicted expectations.
"Well, so be it. I have no choice. You must find a new Tree of Life."
Those words shocked Lauriel instantly. She quickly stood in front of him and begged.
"Please! Have mercy!" Laurel cried, tears flowing down her face.
"Step aside," Klaus said coldly. He pushed her away.
Watching his queen begging a human, Lord Aymon became enraged. Especially after Klaus made up his mind to kill the Tree of Life.
"Human! You must die!" Lord Aymon shouted.
The elf with scars on his face drew his sword and charged at Klaus. His eyes were filled with anger.
"No!" Lauriel exclaimed.
But Lord Aymon had already been consumed by anger.
Splat!
The sword pierced Klaus's body, splattering blood across the floor.
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