Today was a tense day for Flor and the rest. The Rose Fairies that were staying at the edge of the Golden Sap Forest saw a large carriage accompanied by a group of fifty armored beast riders approaching. The carriage was very easily distinguishable because of the large World Tree seal by its side. In this area, only Fortuna City's official delegation had this kind of imagery on their official robes.
Moreover, behind Fortuna City's carriage, there was a caravan with twenty more people in different carriage designs. It was clear that most of the delegations that arrived a few days ago had sent new people, now with a more impressive line-up. Well, just being accompanied by Fortuna's delegation was enough to look several times more menacing.
Flor gathered the important people of the city and spoke with them. "What do you all think?"
Wert shrugged. "Our position hasn't changed, and everything we thought of and wanted until now hasn't changed. Just listen to what they want and react accordingly. While Fortuna City is a very important place, Liu Shu's buffs are better than hers. Overall, Liu Shu's value as a World Tree is much higher than Fortuna's. Of course, most of them probably don't know it yet because they've only heard reports."
The last sentence confused a few people in the room. Cinderielle asked. "If they received reports, wouldn't that mean that they are well aware of Tiantian's value?"
Verdantia explained. "Sometimes, when the leaders are too strict, the reporting people lie a little bit so that they don't place their superiors in a bad light. For example, if Golden Sap Town's value was already bigger than their city being this young, that could sound like an insult."
Cinderielle asked, still confused. "An insult? It is a fact, isn't it? How can it become an insult?"
Mariane looked at Cinderielle and smiled. "You know, the other day, I saw a Level 20 Fire Sylvan. She is even younger than you! I think her talent is much higher than yours, Cinder."
Cinderielle's brows frowned, and she asked, somewhat annoyed. "What does that have to do with what we are speaking about, Mariane?"
Mariane grinned. "And that's how a fact could hurt someone's feelings~."
The Fire Sylvan paused, and her eyes widened, reflecting on what just happened. "Wow. That was an effective way to explain it."
Wert nodded, and then, he asked. "By the way, who is this Sylvan? I might need to recruit her."
Marianne looked over and smiled wider. "She doesn't exist~; I made up that event~."
Everyone in the room stayed silent for a second, looking at the relaxed mothkin with a deadpan. Flor commented. "Anyway, they are going to be here in around an hour. Wert, the three Sylvans, and I will welcome the delegation. I want Cory from management and Eric from economy to be with me."
Eric pointed at himself, surprised. "Me?"
Flor nodded. "You've been exchanging shards quite efficiently in your free time for Liu Shu. I heard you even profited from the trades, gaining Liu Shu a few extra shards, right? While Lorena is excellent, I want her to continue overseeing the city's treasury. The last thing I want is for someone to try and empty our coffers while we are busy with other matters."
Lorena nodded. "Understood. Although, with Liu Shu's eyes all around and the funds in her vault, something like that happening is almost impossible."
Flor smiled, and her wings buzzed, lifting her up. "Okay. Let's go, then."
Around an hour later, the delegation carriages managed to squeeze through the forest. With many traders coming and going, a natural path toward the Golden Sap Town was slowly carved without needing manual labor.
Of course, this made the journey quite bumpy.
Once they arrived at the nearby area, the carriages stopped, and the people walked down with frowns. Most of them were wearing quite luxurious clothes and were helped down by servants. The instant they were down, all of them started complaining.
"The roads are in horrible conditions."
"My poor back is killing me, sigh."
"What kind of City Lord allows the path to their city to be so hard to travel? I am surprised that people are even bothering to come here!"
A woman's cold voice spread around between all the complaining. "Stop complaining. What are you, children?"
Her sentence cut all conversations like a blade would a thread, but nobody dared to respond angrily. One of them smiled. "Lady Neoflora, it is a pleasure to come here with someone of your status."
Eila Neoflora's purple eyes moved toward that person, showing no emotions. Her sharp gaze made that person's lips twitch. "No need for pleasantries. Most of us know each other, so putting up fronts is just annoying and a waste of time." Eila looked toward the tall wall and hummed. "The important thing today is getting to know our new neighbors."
Liu Shu looked at Eila. The second she stepped out of the carriage, a terribly unpleasant sensation ran through her body. It felt as if her body was oozing threat maliciously, making her hate the woman from the exact moment she laid eyes on her. 'That's a Sylvan's aura? It feels closer to that woman, Jolie's, aura…'
A man with canine features spoke with surprise while looking at the wall that surrounded the Golden Sap Town. "That's… taller than I expected it to be. Twenty meters tall? No… Probably thirty, right?"
A Sylvan woman looked at the massive trees mixed perfectly with the wall and asked. "This city is not even five years old, right? How did they grow those trees that much? They are at least sixty meters tall."
Eila kept looking at the wall and commented. "The impressive thing is this wall. It is a living being." The other delegation leaders were stunned and focused on the wall.
***
Level: 20
Race: Lignified Root Wall.
Aether Mana Shards: ?????
Phoer Body Shards: ?????
Anima Energy Shards: ?????
***
Most people's faces tightened when they saw the Level. "Level 20? That means that this wall can only be heavily damaged by those in the first sub-energy cycle and above… Typical World Tree, sending large armies is almost always useless."
Eila waved her hand and spoke. "Enough looking around. Let's go. I hope that these walls give you a sense of awareness. We are not dealing with a little town but with a growing World Tree City. Remind me to change the name from Golden Sap Town to Golden Sap City when we return."
"Understood, City Lord." A Sylvan by Eila's side took out a notebook and wrote it down.
"Huh?" A man asked, confused. "Lady Neoflora, when did you get the City Lord title? Weren't you a temporary Academy Head?"
Eila answered briefly. "Not anymore. You will probably receive a resignation notice soon if you are affiliated with outside powers. Golden Sap Town's presence has increased the value of this area several times over."
Everyone was surprised. After all, Eila was an entity that had no business being placed in this area permanently. Of course, that was the truth unless… Everyone's eyes turned toward the Golden Sap Town with complex emotions.
Some felt it was a bit of a shame but understood; others felt resentful because Liu Shu's existence forced their leaders to substitute them; others felt a malicious intent growing in them. All in all, the emotions were negative. After all, they didn't want to be substituted because this area suddenly gained value.
When the type of beings who were immensely greedy for power and influence wanted to stay in power, they would go as fast as burning the place to the ground and lower its value, keeping their position, rather than nurture the place and eventually be substituted.
One of them approached Eila and asked. "Lady Neoflora, why are we trying to negotiate in the first place? Isn't this Lady Fortuna's land? We should just destroy this place in a joint attack and be done with it. Two world trees just a few dozen kilometers apart will end in a war ninety-nine percent of the time!"
Eila stopped walking and turned to look at the man who spoke to her. Her purple eyes had lightning flickering in them as she asked. "Did you just propose to kill a World Tree to me? Are you so blinded by greed that you even thought asking to kill a World Tree was a good idea?"
The man's face paled when he realized that his words were exactly that. He just asked a Sylvan to kill a World Tree. He stuttered. "L-Lady Neoflora, wait! I misspoke. Please forgive me! I was just blinded, and I swear that I won't speak about it again!"
Eila squinted and looked at his clothes. Then, she spoke. "
The Sylvan behind Eila wrote down Eila's words, making all the blood drain from the man's face. Fortuna City was the best place to create the main mansion for families that were not on the level of Stormrider, Liferoot, or similar families. It was a relatively neutral ground that allowed smaller families to thrive.
The rest of the people shook their heads and continued walking. While everyone had probably thought of that, saying it aloud was the most stupid thing ever. Not only because of Eila but also because of the area they were currently standing in.
Liu Shu was naturally paying attention to their conversation, and she spoke aloud to them even before they could face Flor and the rest. "You seem eager to see me disappear, human."
Her voice fell down on them without holding anything back, making the grand majority of them feel like the weight of the sky was suddenly resting on their shoulders. A strong sensation of dread and tightness surrounded them, making many gasp for air.
Eila stood like usual, looking straight toward Liu Shu as if her gaze could pierce the tall walls. "World Tree Tianlian Liu Shu, I understand the offense is deep. However, they are the delegation that was entrusted to me. I won't let you harm any of them like you did last time. Hold your aura."
Liu Shu looked at Eila and analyzed her. She hated her presence, but that didn't mean she would not want to know what kind of system she had.
Eila felt the gaze of the World Tree on her and frowned, using an item to try and defend herself from the World Tree's prying gaze. But it wasn't enough.
Liu Shu saw a message pop up.
[Detected
Eila, who was fairly confident in her item, felt the item on her hand crack, signifying that Liu Shu managed to break through her defenses. 'What!? Impossible!'
Her expression completely changed for the first time since she arrived as her anti-analyzing defense was pierced through with relative ease. 'Huh? How? Not even Fortuna can completely see through!'
Eila spoke loudly and quickly for the first time. "TIANLIAN LIU SHU! STOP ANALYZING ME RIGHT IN THIS INSTANT IF YOU DON'T WANT A WAR TO START!"
Liu Shu instantly stopped analyzing Eila and hummed. "Interesting…" Then, her presence vanished from the place.
Eila's face was dark, her heart beating anxiously. 'How much did she see? Does she know? To start with, how was she able to see through!? Isn't she just a Level 18 or so World Tree? Not even a Level 40 World Tree I met in the past could see past that item!'
Everyone behind Eila remained as silent as possible, looking at her cautiously and fearfully. This was the first time they had ever seen Eila Neoflora lose her calm. Not even in the past, when Fortuna once went wild and tried to fight her off, did this woman lose her temperament.
A Sylvan that ruled lightning, as cold as a storm but as strong as the most tempestuous hurricane, with a face as cold as an iceberg, and a heart that didn't move for anyone or anything. That was the image that Eila Neoflora had in the surrounding area.
However, right now, that woman's aura was chaotic and clearly worried, leaving everyone baffled.
Meanwhile, Liu Shu was looking at the system page, which she had managed to unlock.
***
Name: Eila Neoflora
Race: Begoniacae Fulmenare
Titles:
Energy Method:
Level: 31 [0/52,640]
Aether Mana Cores: 10.56/10.56(1,056,666)
Phoer Body Cores: 5.91/5.91 (591,034)
Anima Energy Cores: 6.11/6.11 (611,122)
Attributes: ???
Affinity Percentage: ???
Resistance Percentage: ???
Talents:
????
Passive Skills:
????
***
Liu Shu couldn't help but be intimidated. 'Wow…So strong. QAQ!'