Volume 4, Chapter 83 – The Desolate and Silent Land

As usual, Fia was practicing the Holy Tree Dance. With her photographic memory and superb control over her body, the dance that had taken Mizuki four or five months to restore, Fia had mastered seventy to eighty percent of it in just over a week. She had now reached the stage that would cause Mizuki to enter a possessed state.

It was worth mentioning that because Yelido had shown strong opposition to her trying the dance, Fia had not told him that she was secretly learning it. Only a few people, such as Anastasia, knew. In her scenario, as long as she learned the dance to Mizuki’s current level and did not show the same possessed appearance, he should believe that it would not affect her, and thus allow her to take over the restoration work until she could see the Elf God.

Besides solving Claire’s curse, Fia herself was also very interested in the existence of the Elf God. She really wanted to see what a being that could be called a god looked like.

“Alright, that’s enough for today.”

Just as she was thinking this, Mizuki suddenly stopped her.

Fia couldn’t help but pause her movements and look back with curiosity.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why are you so distracted today, Fia? If you have something urgent, you should deal with it first. The dance can wait a day or two.”

Mizuki, in her shrine maiden’s attire, lectured her like a teacher. Ever since she had seen her out-of-control appearance in the recording crystal, she had understood why Yelido and Fia had not wanted her to continue. That appearance was indeed not normal; there was surely a hidden story.

“Ah…”

Not expecting that her distraction had already shown in her movements, Fia, in her short black formal dress, gave a wry smile. She put down the kagura bell and walked to the sofa in her bedroom to sit down. As the magic laboratory was being used by Anastasia, Liti, and Milu, Fia had been using her own bedroom as a practice area. Of course, this was not to say that they had taken up the entire laboratory, but that Fia did not want others to see her dance. The feeling was similar to singing in public, being shy about one’s own voice.

She picked up a cup of water from the side and drank it all in one gulp, then said softly.

“It’s just some small things. I was thinking about the dream I had this morning.”

“A dream? Is it the one where the figure that looks like the Holy Tree spoke to you?”

As she spoke, Mizuki walked around behind Fia and, as if she were giving her a shoulder rub, placed her hands on her shoulders and began to knead. Fia knew she was not trying to curry favor with her; this was just an unconscious contact between friends. She nodded lightly.

“Mhm, that one. The golden figure said things like ‘we’ll meet soon’ and ‘I will grant your wish as promised’.”

Generally speaking, these words would be encouraging. However, because the giant, starfish-like golden figure had given her a very strange feeling, Fia did not feel any anticipation for the ethereal promise of having her wish granted.

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As for the starfish’s true form, if this dream was not just a delusion organized by her subconscious based on existing knowledge, then it could only be, as she had seen in the books in her library, a powerful soul speaking to her through a dream. Assuming that what the figure in the dream had said was true, then it could only be related to one thing.

The Holy Tree.

When she had first started dreaming, that female voice had been asking for her help, hoping that she could help her, and that she would grant one of her wishes. And as she restored the Holy Tree Dance and cleared out the Black-Flamed Monsters in the tree with Claire, the words the female voice conveyed to her had gradually changed to things like “that’s it,” “we’ll meet soon, my child,” and other words full of anticipation, and even encouragement for her. If she had to connect the dream and reality, this was the only conclusion she could draw.

However, what Fia found bizarre did not seem improper to Mizuki. As she had not seen the appearance of the golden starfish, judging only by what it had said, in Mizuki’s perception, it was a kind and helpful being. She said with great anticipation.

“Maybe that’s Lord Elf God encouraging you, Fia. As long as we connect with him through the Holy Tree Dance, his brilliance will be able to shine on Silvar again.”

Shine on Silvar…

Six thousand years had passed since Silvar had lost its maiden. In such a long time, not only had the elf race not declined, but it had instead become the foremost power on the entire continent. In contrast, the Milcandis Holy Kingdom, which could communicate with its god, could only passively take a beating. If not for the sea separating the two countries, it would likely have been annexed by Silvar long ago. It was really hard to judge whether the return of the Elf God was a good thing or a bad thing.

Besides, when Yelido had Mizuki marry into the royal family, it was only to strengthen the royal family’s rule. He had never thought that she would actually be able to restore the complete Holy Tree Dance. If he had known that she did have the ability to do so, it was a question now whether he would have allowed her to live. After all, no king would want a part of his power and prestige to be divided.

Fortunately, Mizuki had, at her persuasion, stopped restoring the dance. And as long as she was the one to be the maiden, there was no need to worry about the king’s power being divided. If she hadn’t met Yelido, Fia would surely have been worried that he would do anything for power. But now that she had, she already knew that he was not a person who would kill his own daughter for it.

Fia did not say these things out loud. She just smiled and casually agreed.

“I hope that day comes soon.”

“I really want to see what Lord Elf God looks like…”

Muttering, Mizuki clasped her hands like a believer and lowered her head to pray.

Claire, sitting on the other side of the table, joined the topic at the right time.

“You should be close to learning the part where Mizuki gets possessed, right, Fia? Do you feel any discomfort?”

“Not only is there no discomfort, but besides feeling that my five senses have become sharper during the dance, I don’t even have the feeling of being connected to the Holy Tree.”

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“Your senses becoming sharper is a sign of being connected to the Holy Tree. You may not have felt it yourself, little Fia, but I and Miss Claire saw it very clearly. When you were dancing, the surrounding air was pulsing with you. Your affinity with the Holy Tree is even higher than mine. If you were to dance under the tree, you would surely make the snowflakes on the ground fly up. It’s good to be a fast learner. Just a few days of effort is equivalent to several months of mine.”

“You were starting from scratch, Mizuki. I was just picking up something that was already there. It’s not the same.”

As for making the snowflakes on the ground fly up, Fia always imagined a scene like a snow tornado, which felt more terrifying than beautiful.

“No, no,” Mizuki raised an index finger and shook it with great seriousness. “My intuition tells me that you will restore the dance much faster than me. At this rate, by tomorrow, you will have learned to the point where I last restored it. I hope that strange young lady won’t appear in you, Fia.”

The strange young lady she was talking about was the soul that had possessed her. Although if she were to continue restoring the dance, they might have a chance to talk to that soul, she was too weak. No one could be sure that this would not have an irreversible effect on her, so the dance could not be continued by her.

“Who do you think the person who possessed Mizuki that day was? From what Fia said, she seems to hate the elf royal family very much.”

Fia had told Claire about the possible reasons for the disappearance of the maiden six thousand years ago. What she was implying was whether the person who had possessed her was the Elf God or the dead maiden.

Fia spread her hands.

“I don’t know. In any case, we’ll know the result once the dance is restored. There’s no point in rushing now. Besides, Claire, I think we can try to go and see the Abyss.”

It was both to know what was down there, and to check if the roots of the Holy Tree had spread to the primordial continent. At the same time, she also had to prepare for Clark to take Veronica away later. Especially the last thing, it would be impossible to achieve without checking the Abyss in advance.

“Are we going this afternoon? Isn’t that a bit too hasty? Mmm… I’m not against your idea, Fia, but I heard that you have to tie a rope to your body and go down to ensure safety. Although finding a rope of several thousand meters is difficult for an ordinary person, if it’s the royal family, you should be able to order a craftsman to make one, right?”

“Even if we can make a rope several thousand meters long, it definitely won’t be of any use. By then, the weight of the rope itself would be enough to snap it. My idea is that we go down together. You stay at a distance of fifty to a hundred meters above me. That way, if I run into trouble, you can use a tool to pull me up in time.”

Fia was not unprepared. She had read many records about the Abyss. Basically, the people who had been able to come back from it were all those who had tied a safety rope to their bodies and had prepared a large number of stamina and mana recovery potions. Those adventurous explorers would nail spikes into the cliff face as they descended, and would tie a knot in the rope at every certain distance. This way, even if they encountered danger, they could rely on the footholds and ropes they had made to climb back up—no one who had used [Flight] to descend had ever come back alive.

It seemed that there was likely an area in the Abyss that prohibited flight. For example, after descending to a certain distance, [Flight] would become ineffective—of course, it could also be a more direct prohibition of magic—so those who used it had never returned, while the explorers who relied on physical means had been able to come back alive.

In that case, as long as she had Claire provide protection for her from above, it would be fine. As for any possible monsters, they were not a problem for her. She was not afraid of monsters.

“Then should we tell your father? When you said you were going to the Abyss before, he said he also had to protect your safety.”

“…That’s not a good idea, is it?”

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“True.”

At Fia’s reminder, Claire nodded thoughtfully. When Fia and Clark had been discussing how to rescue Veronica two days ago, Claire had been listening on the side. She had also realized that if Yelido were to find out that someone had gone down into the Abyss and come back alive, it would not be a good thing.

“Are you two hiding something from me?” Mizuki asked, looking very concerned.

Fia stood up from her chair and waved her hand lightly.

“Some old stories. It’s fine if you don’t know, Mizuki. That’s all for the dance today. I have to go and see Veronica again.”

“Is it something I can’t know…”

As Mizuki’s ice-blue eyes showed a look of being left out, Fia couldn’t help but pat her head and smile.

“If you really want to know, I’ll tell you after it’s over.”

「Fia has become Mizuki’s mother.」 Claire teased her with a [Message].

Fia’s hand paused, and she answered with exasperation.

「Mizuki was not a mother to begin with. She has always lived in the deep mountains and lacks experience interacting with people. Her mental age is younger than mine. Help me confirm Yelido’s position, Claire. I need to go and see Veronica again.」

「See Veronica? Did she agree to the matter from that day? Although it’s to let her and Clark be together, she probably wouldn’t agree to the process easily, right?」

「She was indeed very hesitant, but after seeing the keepsake Clark gave me and knowing that he doesn’t have long to live, she said she needed time to think. I’m going now to confirm her thoughts.」

「I understand. If Yelido goes to find her or you, I will remind you immediately.」

「Mhm.」

After their secret exchange, Fia and Claire subconsciously looked at each other. Fia instructed Mizuki not to reveal her and Claire’s whereabouts to the servants, and that they would be back soon. Then, the two of them, with [Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea] and illusion magic respectively, left the room through the window.

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A barren world, devoid of any grass.

The air was filled with a strange red mist, and even the sky was a rusty color. A strong wind that made one have to close their eyes swept across the surface, kicking up one gust of sand after another. An oppressive and dead-silent atmosphere took root here, making it hard to breathe.

In sharp contrast to this was the vibrant scene on the other side, pulsating with vast life force. The flowerbeds, bathed in a golden light, spread down along the hillside. And in the center was the giant and holy Holy Tree, covered with tender shoots. Although only a few kilometers wide abyss separated them, the two sides were the difference between hell and heaven. Such a stark contrast made one have to marvel at the wonder of nature.

This was the other side of the Holy Tree, a vast land filled with dead silence.

“No wonder no one has ever snuck up on the Holy Tree from this side. This land itself is not right.”

Her feet landing on the ground, Fia, who had dispelled the disguise of [Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea], muttered to herself. She had been curious before as to why no one had ever attacked the Holy Tree from the other side. Now that she was here in person, she discovered that this land had a naturally formed [Citadel of Silence], and even the air had the effect of taking away one’s mana. No one could stay here for long.

Claire bent down and picked up a clump of earth. Her index finger and thumb just lightly crushed it, and the clump, as if it had lost all its moisture, quickly turned into reddish-brown sand and was scattered by the wind.

Claire frowned.

“There is neither element nor mana essence. The soil here is already dead. If you use magic here, it will be very difficult to recover your mana. No, if a person with insufficient strength steps in here, their own mana will be sucked dry by the air, let alone recover. Are you alright, Fia?”

“Mhm, I’m fine.”

It would be easy to be discovered if they went down from the side of the Holy Tree, so the two of them had chosen to come to this red earth on the other side of the Abyss, and go deep into it from this barren land.

“A battle of the Eighth or even Ninth Rank has happened here. That great war took away the life of this land. I guess it must have happened a long time ago.”

“I’ve read about it in a book. Ten thousand years ago, the Elf Saint and a leader of the Darkborn as famous as Absolute Evil had a great battle here, which turned the originally narrow Abyss into its current several kilometer wide state. The battle you’re talking about should be that one, right, Claire?”

“To choose to fight near the Holy Tree, they weren’t afraid of destroying it.”

Claire sighed as if she were helpless. Then a beautiful curve appeared on her lips, and she opened her arms slightly towards Fia.

“How are we going down? Shall I hold you?”