They kept flying through the city even though it was prohibited to fly above it. However, that rule only applied to those without a permit. Eldrin as one of the commanders of the Sylvaris family had the privilege to fly without obstruction.
When the city guards initially wanted to alert them to land, they immediately spotted the Sylvaris family symbol on the wyverns' chests and returned to their posts. The city itself was so vast that one needed to fly higher to see its entirety. It had four gates in each direction, with the busiest road running from north to south and vice versa.
Aldrian and the group approached from the west and flew to the center of the city, where a giant tree with structures beneath it stood. Eldrin landed on the flat land under the tree's shade and was greeted by the elves guarding the area.
"Welcome back, Commander!"
"At ease. Is the mayor in the mansion?"
"Yes, Commander, he is in the mansion, currently talking with a guest."
"A guest?"
"Yes, they said he came from the capital."
"The capital? That's unusual." He thought.
"All right."
Eldrin then walked past them followed by Aldrian and Eleine. Not far from him, Aldrian noticed a beautiful mansion built under the giant tree. The mansion itself was created from the roots of the tree. During their breaks, Eldrin had explained that due to their affinity with the forest and its energy, elves could control the development of the forest and create or recreate structures from it.
Legend said that elves were creatures born under the blessing of the Heavenly Tree of the World. The location of this tree was unknown, but this belief had been passed down for generations. When elves wanted to build a permanent settlement, they prayed for the blessing of the Heavenly Tree of the World to create a World Tree at the center of their settlement.
It was said to be a token of blessing for their people, the larger the tree, the stronger the blessing, and the stronger the elves would become. However, if they were farther from the World Tree, their power would diminish. It's like—
"A domain." Aldrian thought, curious about the World Tree. Now, he stood under one of these World Trees—the World Tree of Balin City. Its shade covered 8 kilometers from the center of the city.
When they reached the front door of the mansion, the doorkeeper immediately opened it for them. Upon entering the mansion, Aldrian was surprised by the sight before him. He had expected the mansion to be full of nature-related elements, given that elves were creatures of nature. Instead, he saw smooth, clean white rock tiles, brick walls, and a beautiful hanging lamp on the ceiling. It resembled a typical luxurious mansion by human standards.
"Surprised?" Eldrin asked, noticing Aldrian's astonishment. Smiling, he thought of Aldrian as a peculiar person, different from his older sister. Unlike Eleine, Aldrian was more ignorant of the outside world. Eleine had mentioned that Aldrian spent most of his time training and cultivating with little knowledge of the world beyond. Eldrin wondered what kind of training Aldrian had undergone to develop such a killing intent but he didn't know and didn't want to know
"We elves have also adapted to human styles of living, It helps make other races comfortable when they stay here, but not all elves have adopted this style though."
Aldrian nodded. That made sense given that humans were the most populous race on the continent with a population of 150 billion, making up 70% of the total population.
Eldrin then brought Aldrian and Eleine to a luxurious VIP room on the second floor. After showing them the room he said, "Please wait here for a moment, my superior will meet you shortly."
"All right, Thank you for accompanying us Sir Eldrin." Eleine said.
"Oh no, it's my job. I hope you enjoy your stay here," he replied with a smile, then excused himself.
Aldrian looked around the room, noting the various pieces of furniture before walking towards the window. He gazed at the vast city outside in silence, still marveling at its enormity. With his new experiences and the time spent on the journey here, he closed his eyes to concentrate and feel more of the energy. This was how he trained himself—with self-comprehension and self-introspection, absorbing every tiny new experience he encountered. It was also how he tried to understand his visions.
I'm tied to the universe
I'm tied to nature
All of this is my own karma
Why I am different is also my destiny
Suddenly, he opened his eyes. A few moments later, he expressed his surprise, but before he could try to comprehend more—
Click.
The door of the room opened, and two handsome elves entered. One wore noble attire, and the other wore a monochrome suit like a butler. Aldrian put aside his surprise to look at them, trying to look the information about them.
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Thalion Sylvaris
Age : 62.250 years
Race : Elf
Cultivation : Peak King
Cultivation technique : The world tree encompassing the world
Attack techniques :, The forest of doom, Root of death, The wrath of the spirit, Wooden dragon, Earth spike, Silent arrow, Homing arrow.
Defense technique : Earth wall, Roots wall
Supporting technique : Blessing of the forest
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Elthar Evergreen
Age : 81.363 years
Race : Elf
Cultivation : Low Emperor
Cultivation technique : The blessing of the heavenly tree
Attack Techniques : Swamp of the death, The forest of destruction, The wrath of the world tree, The curse of world tree, Wooden dragon, Earth spike, Homing arrow
Defense technique : Earth wall, Roots wall, Curse repellent shield
Movement technique : Wind path
Supporting technique : Blessing of the forest, Eyes of the Truth
-----------------------------------
"King stage and Emperor stage!" Aldrian was shocked by their information. He didn't feel any aura or pressure that usually comes with higher cultivation from them. He looked at Eleine, who stood up to show her respect, seemingly clueless about their level. He also noticed one of their surnames.
"Evergreen? From the imperial family?"
The two men smiled at them, and the one in noble attire raised his hand to shake hands.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Livrin Sylvaris, mayor of Balin City." he introduced himself. Eleine took his hand in a handshake, followed by Aldrian. The other elf stood in the corner like a statue, making Aldrian unsure how to react. Eleine was surprised that the mayor himself was receiving them, but it also made her nervous, wondering if something was wrong. She had never met the Balin City mayor in person, but here he was right in front of her.
Aldrian, who already knew their names, was confused by his introduction.
"Why is he hiding his identity? No wonder the energy surrounding them flows in such an orderly manner—the disguise technique, of course." Aldrian thought.
"I heard about what happened at the outpost from Eldrin. I will not ask for compensation for the Orb of Origin, so rest assured." 'Livrin' said.
"And I'm not going to ask your reason for your disguise. I will not only give you permission to settle but also grant you privileges. However, I want you to answer my question truthfully," he said, staring at Aldrian for a moment before returning his gaze to Eleine. Aldrian and Eleine were not surprised that their disguises were seen through by the man in front of them, he was a King stage cultivator and could see and sense more accurately. They were however, confused by the generous offer but could do nothing but nod.
"How old are you?"
Aldrian and Eleine were stunned by his question. Why ask about their age?
"I'm 150 years old." Eleine said.
"I'm 12 years old." Aldrian said.
Livrin looked at Aldrian, his eyes trembling slightly before asking again.
"What were you doing two months and a week ago?"
Eleine felt more nervous than ever because that was the day they came out of the secret realm. However, given the situation, they had to tell the truth to avoid offending the mayor and making things difficult for them. Her young master's safety was her priority.
"To tell you the truth, at the said time, we had just come out of the secret realm from the Everlasting Silent Forest. We didn't do much and don't know much." Eleine replied.
When 'Livrin' heard her answer, there was a glint in his eyes and in those of the 'butler' before he gave them a smile.
"Okay, thank you for your cooperation and honesty. I'm sorry if we disturbed you, but it was a necessary process. We will provide you with accommodation as compensation during your stay in this city. Please feel free to enjoy Balin City of the Ivory Empire."
'Livrin' made a gesture of 'please' towards the door, which opened to reveal elf maids standing in front of it. Aldrian and Eleine also had questions in their minds.
"Just like that? You are asking our age and what we did? Your compensation? It should be ours since we destroyed your artifact." Aldrian thought.
"Thank you for your generosity Mayor Sylvaris, we appreciate it." Eleine said, bowing, followed by Aldrian. They were then guided to their accommodation by the maids. After they left leaving only the two elves behind, 'Livrin' asked his 'butler'.
"The chances are very likely the signs point to that boy. Even I can't read his karma, and his energy is unlike any other. I don't know how to describe it. Plus, a 12-year-old High Viscount? I have a feeling this continent will be in uproar amidst the rising tensions."
"Even you cannot read him?" 'Livrin' was shocked by the confession of the person in front of him. There was no one who could evade his eyes, which could peek into karma and even look into the glimpse of the future. So it surprised him that someone could not be seen by him, and that someone was a 12-year-old boy no less. It also made him tremble and shocked, 12 years old and a High Viscount? What nonsense is that? He began to lean towards believing that 'he' was the one they were looking for.
"By the way enough with our disguise, your city's mayor is still nervous waiting for us in his room."
"Well we didn't want to agitate our guests so we had to lower our status a bit right?" 'Livrin' and the 'buttler' face suddenly change shape into another face different from before.
"Well whatever you want grand duke, please keep them safe and serve them to your utmost. I will report this to his majesty first"
"Will do your excellency."
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While the two elves talked about their own topic, Aldrian and Eleine walked towards their accommodations with the maids. At this moment, Aldrian focused solely on the screen in front of him, because now he could check the sudden notice from earlier before the mayor came.
Integrating with the world tree of Balin City....10%