279 A Hasty Glance
As they stepped out of the hall, William proposed they visit the reception room and retrieve his subordinate, Nizemar. Without hesitation, Floral agreed.
But she refrained from using her Mage King Nation powers to teleport them both there. She wasn’t ready to let her guard down around William, a formidable magic chanter. Teleportation spells could easily be altered, and without the support of the temple, she would be no match for William.
The two of them strolled down the lengthy White Bone Castle corridor in silence. As they approached their destination, William suddenly posed a question.
“May I ask about the contract you signed with the Lady of Starvation? Destroying the World Tree’s core doesn’t seem to be in your best interest?”
As the Holy Tree Duke of the Emerald Province, Floral didn’t need to take such drastic measures to destroy the foundation of Forest Elf culture even if she had a fervent belief in the superiority of the empire’s system over the Forest Elf traditions.
“Will you abandon this deal if I don’t give you a reason that satisfies you?” Floral asked.
“No,” William answered simply.
He wasn’t truly interested in helping Floral destroy the World Tree’s core regardless of the reason. He was merely curious.
Years ago, William had used the Lady of Starvation’s power to destroy half of the World Tree’s core to stop the Luxuriant Calamity, but it had led to a long period of corruption and pollution in Ravenwood Forest. During the Moon Realm crisis, Camilla even used the pollution to expedite her invasion of Currere.
If William went through with destroying all the cores, who knew what would happen.
However, after this brief interaction, William sensed that Floral wasn’t someone who could be forced into submission. He had other motives for going along with the deal.
Floral shrugged and replied, “Consider it a personal interest. Likewise, I can view your proposal as simply wanting to hear the sound of a big portal closing.”
This way, both of them avoided delving into each other’s reasons and treated it as a simple exchange of interests.
She didn’t finish her sentence. She strode past the guards guarding the door of the reception room with a sense of urgency. Their respectful greetings fell on deaf ears as she grabbed the doorknob and pushed open the door.
“My time is running out. Remember to tell Lord William the stakes. Sacrifices are inevitable. This sin has been accumulating for millennia and there’s no escape from it. Even with Lord William’s help, stopping this disaster and Ravenwood’s destruction will be difficult. Focus on stopping the spread of this disaster to maintain the stability of reality and save more lives.”
As she pushed open the door, William was greeted by the sound of a young female voice.
He turned to see a teenage girl, sitting on a leather sofa with her back to him, speaking to Nizemar. Nizemar looked at him, clearly taken aback.
“Presiding Judge, you’re here…”
After a brief moment of surprise, Nizemar hurriedly stood up. Then, she kept glancing between William and the girl in front of her.
The moment she heard Nizemar say ‘Presiding Judge,’ William noticed that the girl’s shoulders trembled involuntarily. William couldn’t help but compare her reaction to a student who was caught gaming in class.
“Were you talking about something amazing?” William asked, trying to piece together the situation.
He turned to Floral and pointed at the girl.
“Is she the next leader chosen by the Blind Sisters? This girl named Elise Silence?”
Floral nodded.
“Then, would you mind if I talk to her alone?” William asked.
Floral pivoted her gaze toward William.
“So, are you still interested in the Eighth Holy Spirit’s treasure? Is that why you asked to come to the reception room first?”
“No, that’s not why. The truth is…”
But before he could finish his sentence, Nizemar interrupted with a pointed finger, her expression one of oddity.
“Presiding Judge, I think you should know that this girl claims to be…”
As she spoke, the girl slowly turned to face William, her ghostly white eyes meeting his. Nizemar stopped mid-sentence, as if realizing the implications of what she was about to say.
William was struck by the girl’s eyes. He felt as though she wasn’t real, like a fleeting shadow or an echo in an empty valley.
Though she was standing in front of him, her aura was illusory, almost as if she had never existed.
The last time he felt this way was at the Black Crow Gaze, when he participated in the birth ritual of the King of Hope and Despair.
Back then, as he gave up his chance to become the 14th Void Sovereign and chose to use the power of the Seed of Hope to revive Blake, he saw illusions that shouldn’t have been possible.
“I knew that you’ll be back.” The girl said something inexplicable to him. Before William could respond, she added, “This is all I can do in the past. You’ll have to handle the future, Lord William.”
With those words, she leaned back, closing her eyes as if her mission was complete. Nizemar rushed to her side, catching her and gently placing her on the couch, checking her vital signs.
William stood at the door for a long time, silent and thoughtful. After Nizemar confirmed that the girl’s heartbeat and breathing were stable, she finally asked, “You were about to say who this young lady claims to be?”
“…Sibylla Silence from the past. She wants to relay some very urgent news about Ravenwood Forest through me.”
