After the bath.
In the master bedroom's soft large bed, Morgiana's face was flushed with a languid and intoxicating red, her golden hair still slightly damp. She reclined against the plush pillows, half-sitting as she leaned on Ryan's shoulder, her tone filled with light contentment, "So, the wood elves are coming to see you?"
"Yes, the wood elves have sent their emissaries, reportedly Queen Eslar's Chosen Champion—'The Brave' Aralos, and the famed wood elf seeress, Lifer," Ryan sat on the bed, holding Morgiana's hand and smiling, "The Winter Festival isn't a wood elf holiday, so they're taking this opportunity to meet with me."
"Wood elves... I can't trust them anymore, not after their betrayal. If it weren't for our alliance, I would never have ended up in this situation," Morgiana felt very relaxed, enjoying the privacy of just being with Ryan.
The two often spoke more freely in private.
The beautiful snowscape outside was something the Lake Goddess Witch couldn't fully enjoy. She knew Ryan had taken a risk by bringing her out for the holiday, and Morgiana could only deeply regret her own carelessness and the betrayal of the dryads. So when Ryan mentioned the wood elves, she instinctively expressed skepticism and wariness about their visit.
"Dryads are dryads, wood elves are wood elves; we should be clear on that distinction," Ryan shook his head slightly, "Dryads have only ever had a cooperative relationship with the wood elves. I've conveyed your situation to King Olairen and Queen Alaire of the Woodland Realm. They claim that Dryad Therasa has long been missing, but they will still account for this matter."
Wood elves were a reclusive breed, and dryads seldom left the Esoloren Forest, leaving the outside world completely unaware of what transpired within.
Morgiana's beautiful face clouded slightly, "Sorry, Ryan, I've rested too long. What I mean is, I don't dislike being with you, but what's the point if I just lie in bed all day like a burden? If I were there, Kasvan would definitely not dare to declare war on the Empire."
"Rest easy, my lady. It's dangerous for you outside right now; vampires are certainly seeking you," Ryan interrupted Morgiana's complaints, gently stroking the back of the Lake Goddess Witch, "Not much longer, at most three years, and you'll be back to your old self."
Three years? Still too long, thought Morgiana.
She had prayed to the Lady of the Lake, admitting her faults. The Lady did not reprimand her harshly and allowed her to continue her relationship with Ryan, albeit not openly.
Ryan arranged the pillows and blankets better for Morgiana to lie down comfortably, holding her hand, "Tired from earlier? Rest well, I'll go check how Olica and the others are doing with dinner."
Morgiana had more to say but felt it wasn't the time. She gently kissed Ryan on the lips, "Go ahead, and tonight, come stay in my room."
"Is that an order?" Ryan teased, only to receive a playful scowl from Morgiana.
As Ryan left, Morgiana bit her lip in frustration. The bath had been relaxing yet physically demanding, and although she initially thought to have Ryan forget their intimate moments once she recovered, her feelings had completely reversed now.
Ryan closed the door behind him and was immediately met by Amelia, who was waiting by the door. The young maid was dressed in a daffodil-colored lady's gown, paired with a white fox fur coat, standing gracefully. It being the Winter Festival, the girl had specially worn white stockings and princess shoes with heels, her pretty face bearing a hint of maturity. Upon seeing Ryan, she spoke softly, "Ryan, the wood elf guests have arrived; they are downstairs now."
The wood elf visitors were not suitable for Morgiana or Olica to meet with Ryan; only Amelia was appropriate to accompany Ryan in hosting the guests. The young maid had dressed in her finest for this occasion.
"Amelia, you look beautiful today," Ryan observed his young maid for a moment and smiled, "Sulia bought this for you, didn't she?"
"Yes, a graduation gift from sister Sulia," Amelia twirled in front of Ryan, clearly delighted, "I chose it myself."
"Come with me, Amelia. Speak little, observe much," Ryan signaled for Amelia to follow him to meet the two wood elf guests on the first floor.
The guests, a man and a woman, were both distinctively dressed. The male wood elf wore a golden antlered helm and was clad in a lake-green magnificent scale armor and a large handmade green cape, his black hair draped over his shoulders. His handsome face bore a strong confidence and pride, and his black eyes filled with defiance yet also some acknowledgment and respect for Ryan.
This wood elf's muscles were streamlined, and Ryan could feel an explosive strength emanating from him, sensing a hint of danger.
In a way, the two were similar.
It was said that every new moon night, Aralos would wander the forest with his falcon, seeking his beloved goddess—Lilith. Thinking of this, Ryan almost laughed, finding Aralos's gaze increasingly complex.
The female wood elf wore a white and blue patterned silk gown, holding a staff adorned with many willow branches tightly wound together. Her elongated equine face, thick lips, and small eyes might not be considered attractive by human standards, but she exuded the wild ferocity unique to wood elves.
Most notably, the female wood elf's hair was coiled up and tied into a nearly half-meter long topknot at the back of her head, then styled into a giant ponytail, making her small stature appear quite tall.
"Good day, Lord Ryan Markado, Count. I am Aralos, the chosen champion of Queen Alaire, and this is the seeress Lifer. We have come to visit you and bring greetings from King Olairen and Queen Alaire. May you be in good health, and happy Winter Festival!" The male wood elf extended an equal greeting to Ryan.
"Hello, Lord Aralos, Lady Lifer. On behalf of all the subjects of the Glamorgan Count's domain, I extend holiday greetings to the wood elves," Ryan stood and nodded, replying in fluent Elvish to Aralos's greeting, "Please, take a seat!"
The grand hall on the first floor of the wine castle was already set with seating and refreshments, including wine and pastries. The two wood elves curiously observed the luxurious human dwelling, having rarely ventured out of the forest despite their centuries of life.
"Thank you." Aralos's attitude was somewhat haughty, but fortunately, he maintained basic respect for Ryan, whose strength was well-known even among the secluded wood elves.
In Aralos's view, as both were chosen champions—Ryan for the Lady of the Lake and himself for Queen Alaire of the Wood Elves—they were equals in status and not far apart in strength. Thus, even the proud Aralos presented himself approachably, trying to speak calmly with Ryan, though Ryan's Elvish leaned more towards high elf dialect, which Aralos
didn't quite favor: "Lord Ryan, we are very sorry about what happened to the Lake Goddess Witch."
"Why did this happen? I want to know, why did the dryads leave the forest, and why didn't you notice?" Ryan's tone was rather harsh: "I thought all the berserk dryads were under Eslar's control."
Seeress Lifer and Aralos exchanged looks, the female wood elf taking the initiative to speak: "We've come specifically to explain this incident. It was 'Shadow Curse' Mogul, Lord Ryan. Last year at this time, the holy beast king Shadow Curse Mogul attacked the Esoloren Forest. Due to the cold weather, the majority of the dryads were in hibernation, but during that crisis, we had to awaken some of the dryad elders and our own to defend against the orcs' assault. Dryad Therasa was also awakened then, and indeed fought alongside us. However, after the war, she disappeared."
Aralos continued, "Later, in the Battle of Yarton, we struggled mightily to defeat Mogul. By then, Therasa had vanished. We thought she had gone somewhere to hibernate. If not for Lord Ryan's information, we wouldn't even have known that Therasa had left the forest and conspired with vampires in such a grave matter."
"So, none of this is your fault?" Ryan scoffed, his hand forming a fist, his elbow resting on his chair's armrest, his fist supporting his face: "We in Brittany respect the non-aggression and mutual aid pact with the wood elves, which is why Lady Morgiana went to negotiate with Elder Therasa and was ultimately ambushed and severely injured. And now you tell us this matter has nothing to do with you, Eslar?"
"We're not shirking our responsibilities! Lord Ryan, please do not view Eslar as a faithless race!" Aralos spoke angrily: "Eslar has said it would provide an explanation. We have a pact with the dryads and cannot interfere with their activities."
It seems, as Francois had said, in the forest, the relationship between wood elves and dryads is indeed one of cooperation, and many dryads still do not accept the wood elves. Ryan frowned at this situation.
The corruption of chaos is a continuous and prolonged process for the entire world. The dryads of Esoloren were once a race yearning for peace and goodness, but over thousands of years, under the subtle corruption of chaos, most dryads have become ferocious and belligerent. Many no longer distinguish between benevolent travelers and malicious invaders; any creature entering the forest must be eliminated.
Even the kindest and friendliest dryad elder, Durus, had become a berserker, relying on instinct to kill and eliminate enemies. He no longer embraced elf society, seeing the elves merely as allies in the joint defense of the forest.
Ryan knew that questioning this was already pushing the limit; he could not speak for the entire kingdom, only for himself and the Lady of the Lake. Seeing the wood elves explain, he finally nodded: "Then I'll wait for your explanation."
"Queen Alaire deeply regrets this and has sent us to apologize. This was indeed an oversight by the wood elves. Trade has benefited us mutually, solving many problems. Therefore... we've brought this as our Winter Festival gift," Aralos was displeased with Ryan's attitude. As Alaire's chosen champion, he realized he could not afford to lose his temper, sensing danger in the person before him. Wood elves had spent decades finding a reliable and honorable trading partner outside the forest, and he could not let his race's efforts be in vain.
The two wood elf visitors signaled their subordinates to bring in a large wooden box, which they opened to reveal many acorns, sealed and wrapped in satin. The acorns looked quite large.
Ryan stood and walked to the box: "What is this?"
"This is berry wine, personally brewed by Queen Alaire using the spring of life and berries nurtured by the Age Oak. Drinking this wine allows the user to heal any injury within three minutes—remember, any injury!" Aralos said proudly: "This is Queen Alaire's apology. Wood elves have never sold or given away such an incredibly precious item by any means. I believe this gift will satisfy Lord Ryan and erase any displeasure between us."
Berry wine brewed from the spring of life and Age Oak berries?!
Ryan narrowed his eyes. The wooden box contained four large acorns, obviously storing four pots of berry wine. In critical moments, these were essentially four lives!
"I feel Eslar's sincerity," Ryan nodded. Such a generous gift was not to be demanded more of.
"By the way, is the berry wine useful against the ancient tree spirit poison that Lady Morgiana has been afflicted with?" Taking advantage of Aralos and Lifer's presence, Ryan asked the question he cared most about.
If the berry wine worked, Morgiana wouldn't have to continue recovering this way.
"Uh... Lord Ryan, the ancient tree spirit poison... was also made using the spring of life and Age Oak berries," the seeress Lifer said awkwardly: "It won't work, and also, the berry wine only works on the living."
"I see, Amelia, bring that up," Ryan waved, signaling his young maid to bring out a small box: "Since our Eslar friends are so sincere, I never let my friends suffer losses."
Opening the box, Aralos and Seeress Lifer's faces also showed uncontrollable elation.
It was amber! High-quality large pieces of amber—seven or eight pieces in total!
With these pieces of amber, wood elves could use their special ritual ceremonies to train and convert more elite troops!
Thus, the meeting ended happily for all. The wood elf guests left satisfied, even declining Ryan's invitation for dinner in their haste to return to the forest to bolster their fighting forces during the cold winter, when dryads hibernate and only the wood elves themselves can guard the forest.
...
An hour after the wood elves departed, Ryan and the others prepared to dine. A succulent turkey was placed in the middle of the table, and everyone prayed to their respective deities, thanking them for the food provided.
Just then, a shrill cry came from outside the wine castle: "Help! Help! There's a monster!"
"What?!" The prayer interrupted, Ryan and Olica rushed to the window.
In the darkness, within the vineyard, a huge sphinx with a scorpion's tail appeared in Ryan's view, and the wine castle's manager Durand was being gripped in its giant pincers.
Snap—The pincers tightened, cutting Durand's corpulent body in two at the waist, his halves falling to the ground, dead on the spot.
Roar—The sphinx let out a ferocious howl in the night, resounding through the vineyard.
Updated! Asking for votes!
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