Chapter 19 Surprise Plan: Two terrifyingly die-hard fans have appeared! ...
"I was just about to contact your father to take you away when I heard you have a great gift to offer me." Queen Melia looked down at them.
Lucas bowed his head respectfully.
“Please do not tell my father about this; I would be most grateful,” he said. “However, this gift will probably take some time to prepare.”
"What kind of gift is it?"
“This is a surprise, Your Majesty,” Lucas said. “You’ll find out at the Star and Moon Gala.”
The Star and Moon Party is a grand annual banquet for the elves, where they showcase their talents and can even find mates through their abilities. Following the party is the masquerade ball.
Melia smiled coldly, which seemed to be the only form of her smile.
"I don't believe you offered this gift with no ulterior motive. What else do you want besides your freedom?"
You know the answer in your heart.
"You're not talking about those so-called magical items that can lift curses, are you? Let me tell you, there are countless magical items in Ilovia. Even if a human spent a lifetime, they still wouldn't be able to find out which one it is."
Lucas didn't look at Melia, but turned to the painting behind her—the only one he hadn't heard of before. Elven paintings truly possessed a magical quality; he seemed to hear the melodious flute music of a musician emanating from the painting.
Normally, if you were to draw a picture of a musician and a tree, how would you draw it? You would probably place the musician under the tree, playing to his heart's content.
However, the elven flutist in the palace painting is playing directly at the sacred oak tree. This must have been intentional on the part of the painter.
“I know exactly what it is,” Lucas said calmly. “Unfortunately, it’s lost.”
The atmosphere in the palace suddenly became even colder than before, and all the elven guards held their breath, glancing nervously in the direction of the queen.
Lucas scanned their faces one by one. They were all richly dressed and had exquisite features. Some were carrying musical instruments, some were holding books, and some had even been drawing. They all looked very uneasy.
Only one red-haired elf, who was sketching, met Lucas's gaze, and nonchalantly continued drawing.
Queen Melia's fake smile crumbled like a mask.
She slowly stood up and approached Lucas dangerously.
How do you know about the Magic Flute of Nocari?
Ashlind looked enlightened, but chose not to speak. Lucas was relieved to find that she was no longer as impulsive as before.
Nokali, a familiar Elvish word. Lucas had mispronounced this word in Elvish class, and now it finally came in handy.
He had never heard of the Nocari Flute before and could only speculate. It must be an item that the elves had hidden very well.
“So, that’s its name. Nocali,” Lucas said in a soft but far-reaching voice. “It must be extremely important to you…”
He looked toward the empty stone shelf beside Melia's throne.
"So much so that it would always be kept by the Queen's side."
“Seven is a sacred number to elves. And with only six instruments left, it’s enough to drive all elves mad,” Lucas said. “It’s not a pleasant feeling to have the most important of the seven instruments stolen, is it?”
The flute corresponds to the elements of music and wind, and is represented by a simple vertical line next to a riddle.
Lucas knew he was right.
The Nocari Flute is one of the riddle items.
"Stop playing coy, Deville." Melia's gray eyes were fixed on him. "Do you perhaps know the whereabouts of the Magic Flute?"
“I assure you, Your Majesty, Miss Bailey and I know nothing of this,” Lucas said immediately. “However, if you can see the sincerity in our gift and grant us permission to help you retrieve the Magic Flute and borrow it for a while… we would be eternally grateful.”
Lucas smiled slightly.
“I never claimed to have any ability.” He stepped aside, allowing Ashlin to stand before the Queen. “Your Majesty, this Ashlin Bailey is a descendant of the forest goddess Silvina, the ‘Child of the Forest’ from ancient legends.”
The elves in the hall began to whisper among themselves. Aidan looked at them in surprise, then smiled; Melia looked somewhat shocked, but not convinced.
Suddenly, Ashlin's staff fell to the ground with a loud thud, echoing through the hall as if refuting Lucas's words.
"Excuse me!" She quickly picked up her staff, but her hat fell off her head and landed at the feet of Knight Commander Tara. Two cabbage white butterflies flew out of the hat and fluttered happily in the hall.
Lucas was struck by a strange longing; he suddenly felt a strong urge to pounce on the two butterflies. He shook his head, remembering that he was human.
"Butterfly!" a fairy shrieked, sneezing repeatedly.
Everyone pulled out their handkerchiefs and started blowing their noses, but no elves left. The elves treated it all like a performance.
"Her? The Child of the Forest?" Melia scoffed. "A divine-blooded mage who can't even wear a hat properly. Next time you lie, Prince Lucas, you'd better put some effort into it."
She lowered her hand again, and Melia raised her eyebrows.
“Okay, there aren’t any plants in the hall.” She laughed nervously. “I can’t prove it. Oh my god. Sorry.”
The elves sighed in disappointment. She looked like just a somewhat spoiled little girl; how could she possibly be a descendant of the forest goddess?
Lucas patted her on the shoulder reassuringly.
“The Forest Child’s magic has its limits,” he said. “Please give us a chance to show you her true power. And this chance will be our gift to you. We will present you with our most precious magic at the Star and Moon Gala, just to obtain permission to help you find your lost treasure.”
“This doesn’t sound like a gift,” Melia said, stroking her chin. “It sounds more like a transaction.”
"Interpret it as you see fit, Your Majesty."
“Even if she truly is a child of the forest,” Melia said, “why should I believe that a human descendant of the forest goddess could bring the magic flute?”
“If it weren’t for Sylvina and her oak tree, Ilovena wouldn’t be so prosperous. And now, just as the sacred oak tree is dying, it is no coincidence that fate has brought the children of the forest to Ilovena,” Lucas said clearly. “Nokali means ‘life’ in Elvish.”
“Your Majesty, Ashlin is destined to bring the Nokali Flute back to Ilovenia, to heal the Divine Oak with its music, to grant it eternal life, and to restore Ilovenia to its former glory, making it the most dazzling kingdom on the continent. This is the will of the gods, and is not something I, a mere mortal prince, can control.”
Until one of the elves shouted:
"Let the Children of the Forest reclaim the Magic Flute!"
The other elves immediately erupted in excitement.
"Take back the Magic Flute! Take back the Magic Flute!"
"Silence!" Melia commanded, and the palace fell silent once more, but the elves still watched the two humans with anticipation.
Even though Ashlin hasn't unleashed her magic yet, Lucas's words are enough to give them hope. Their oak tree has been sick for too long; they need some new power.
Lucas could tell that Melia was deep in thought.
What good would it do her to refuse the gift?
She finally wavered.
Do they really look that bad? Lucas felt it was time for him to take a hot shower.
Aidan sighed. "Sister! There's no need to be so harsh."
“I won’t.” Lucas bowed deeply and withdrew with Ashlin.
"What on earth are you up to?" Ashlin demanded as soon as they stepped out of the palace. "I don't have any presents that would be presentable at the party!"
“Elves love art and performance, and Queen Melia is no exception,” Lucas explained. “We just need to use your forest magic to create an exquisite work of art that will win Melia’s heart.”
“I don’t think Melia has a heart. She doesn’t even have an expression, let alone a heart.”
Lucas cautiously looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. The garden was quiet except for the soft patter of the fountain.
“She did have it, but her heart fell asleep long ago with Sheeta’s death. Therefore, this artwork must be related to Sheeta.” He lowered his voice. “And we need to obtain a portrait of Sheeta to complete this work. Otherwise, we won’t know what she looked like and won’t know where to begin.”
Ashlyn's eyes widened: "You mean the one Aidan was holding back then?"
Lucas nodded.
“Perhaps Hida has other portraits, hanging in very prominent places,” Ashlin suggested. “The princess of the Elf Kingdom, the princess of art, couldn’t possibly have only one work.”
“It’s an elven rule: no elf can possess a portrait or sculpture before the age of seventy,” Lucas said. “That portrait must be unique and took a long time to find, otherwise Aidan wouldn’t have been so excited.”
Ashlin looked at him: "How do you know so many strange little facts?"
“I read about it in a book. I didn’t really remember it, but the elf in the dungeon mentioned it, which reminded me.”
“This isn’t an easy task. You’d be perfect for this, but Aidan is allergic to cats,” Ashlyn sighed. “I don’t want to be my idol’s thief.”
"On the bright side, you'll have a chance to meet him, or even go through his closet."
"I'm not a pervert, thank you."
“If it were me, I’d definitely want to know what new pieces he’s written over the years,” Lucas said wistfully. “I’d open his drawer, rummage through the sheet music, and secretly study the outfits in his wardrobe…”
Ashlin shuddered.
"My God, you're terrifying! I could only keep one of his hairs at most."
"Wait, who's more terrifying?"
They stared at each other.
“I’m a huge Aidan fan,” Lucas said. “Do you know how many of his sheet music I own?”
"I don't know, but it's definitely not as much as mine."
"Two hundred and seventy-six books."
Ashlin's jaw dropped to the ground.
"God, you win. I only have 271 books."
"Not only that, I have also played his music in front of various lords."
Ashlin looked at him suspiciously.
"You, are you playing?"
Music is one of the few skills that Lucas can rival Elaine's.
"Looking forward to it, Your Highness." Ashlind lifted her non-existent skirt and returned the greeting in a perfunctory manner.
"But what happens after I steal the portrait? How am I supposed to use magic to complete the artwork? My artistic skills are on par with my pitch, and you've heard me hum a song."
Lucas said confidently, "Don't worry, I already have a plan. As long as we get our hands on the portrait first, everything will be fine. Will you accept this task, Ashlind?"
"Of course. But you should know that I don't like it when you keep your plans from me."
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the sacred oak tree again.
It's only early autumn, but the sacred tree has plunged them into the dead of winter.
The sacred tree felt a profound sense of sorrow, and Lucas suddenly lost confidence in his plan. What was he thinking? Did he really believe he could persuade the Elf Queen and retrieve the missing magic flute from Ashlin?
The future is bleak; all things will eventually wither and return to chaos.
He rubbed his eyes, moved a little further away from the tree, and then felt a glimmer of hope for the world again.
Ashlin gazed at the sacred tree with teary eyes, the green fluorite on her staff glowing faintly, as if she were praying for the tree.
“I don’t understand how this could happen. This place should be full of power… but now, I can’t sense the presence of the forest. Something very evil has corrupted it, not even ordinary black magic.”
Can you sense the source of evil?
Ashlin closed her eyes and muttered something. The green fluorite glowed brighter and brighter, and soon the entire garden was filled with Ashlin's green light.
A cool breeze caressed Lucas's cheeks, lightly swirling up fallen leaves like a lively young girl.
Lucas smiled faintly. Ashlin's magic was much more restrained and precise than before.
Fallen leaves, like willow catkins, gradually surrounded the two, forming a small, harmless tornado.
Ashlin's eyes remained closed, her pupils darting restlessly beneath her eyelids, completely oblivious to the leaves or sand flying onto her face.
Suddenly, the wind picked up, the green light turned eerie, and the fallen leaves flew about in all directions, like startled birds.
"What happened?" Lucas asked, spitting out the leaf that had flown into his mouth.
Ashlin frowned and did not answer.
Finally, the wind stopped.
Ashlin's eyes widened, and she staggered backward as if waking from a nightmare, almost falling into the fountain.
Lucas quickly helped her up and brushed the fallen leaves from her shoulders and golden hair.
“The labyrinth,” she gasped. “The Edoro Labyrinth…the virus of dark magic came from there.”
Lucas's mind was buzzing. How could this be? The dark magic in the labyrinth had long been kept under strict control.
Unless, of course, Lucas's earlier guess was correct.
Knox.
According to Sanova, Knox went to the labyrinth to break the curse sealed by the dark witch Cynthia. Sanova had thought the labyrinth's dwarves and sorcerers would hinder Knox, but Zak gave him a map of the labyrinth.
Knox was unable to lift Cynthia's curse. But it now appears that he unleashed some of the dark magic within the labyrinth.
That makes sense, since no one would be so bored as to go to a maze and unleash dark magic.
The problem is that while the Labyrinth of Edor is also located in the east, it is still quite a distance from Ilovania. If the sacred oak tree of Ilovania is tainted by the labyrinth's shadow, it indicates that dark magic has a way to reach it.
Could Knox be hiding in Ilovenia?
No, elves are not that foolish. They are a wise and perceptive race; if a dark wizard were hiding in the Elven Valley, it's impossible that the elves wouldn't have discovered him.
So how did black magic travel from the distant labyrinth to the secluded valley?
A note from the author:
I fixed some bugs, and then fixed some other bugs.
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