The next morning, while Yisela was still asleep, Seraphina and Sylvanas had already risen early and started browsing through the temple’s ancient texts.
Sylvanas spoke first.
“The news from the border is more troublesome than expected.”
“The Undead’s range of activity is pushing inland from the border of the Holy Light Kingdom. Our scouts in the Elven Forest have discovered at least three new gathering points of demonic energy along the eastern defense line. One of them has an unusually strong magical fluctuation.”
“They need someone who can break the deadlock to return and take command.”
Sylvanas took another sip of her tea.
“These monsters aren’t ordinary beast packs. There are high-level monsters in charge of command. If we don’t break up their command core before they fully assemble, once they converge, the border defense line could collapse entirely within a week.”
Seraphina was silent for a moment, her fingers unconsciously continuing to comb through Yisela’s silver hair.
She naturally understood what this meant. Sylvanas had to go back, and the sooner the better.
But she didn’t say it directly. Instead, she asked softly, “What about the curse? What did you find on your end?”
“The records about the succubus curse in the ancient texts are very scattered, but one thing is certain—the rank of this curse is extremely high, and it comes with a dark attribute.”
Sylvanas’s tone turned a few degrees heavier.
“This curse is devouring her Dragon God’s bloodline, and it’s doing so selectively. When she had her episode yesterday, I tried to touch the curse with the power of nature, but it repelled me. It’s not passively eroding; it’s actively collecting, as if waiting for some kind of timing to mature.”
“Even the Temple Master’s holy light couldn’t suppress it.”
Seraphina’s voice was very low. “Last night when I channeled holy light, I could feel the curse constantly expanding using her emotional fluctuations. This doesn’t seem like a curse from the Dragon God either.”
“Are you saying it wasn’t the Dragon God who cast the curse?” Seraphina asked in confusion.
Sylvanas didn’t answer. She picked up her teacup, the rim pressed against her lips, covering half her face.
After about two breaths’ time, she spoke again, her tone even heavier than before. “If one day this bizarre curse fully erupts and the holy light can’t suppress it, have you thought about what to do?”
“About her.”
Yisela was still asleep, her tail still coiled around Seraphina’s wrist, occasionally tightening slightly, as if afraid even in her dreams that this person would leave.
Seraphina lowered her head, looking at the small, defenseless face in her arms. She gently brushed aside a strand of hair from Yisela’s forehead with her fingertip.
“I will do everything I can to save her. No matter the cost.”
Sylvanas’s fingers tightened around the rim of the cup.
She set down her teacup and spoke in a tone that had regained its calm.
“Alright, don’t make it sound so tragic. This little brat can take more than we think. Last night when I was washing her tail, she still had the energy to call me an old woman.”
Seraphina was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her mouth lifted.
The topic was gently diverted by Sylvanas at this moment, not allowing the heavy atmosphere to continue spreading in the room.
The two tacitly lowered their voices and began chatting about Yisela’s daily life in the temple—about her “strategic reserves” of hiding cakes under her pillow, about her stubborn face when she got choked by bubbles in the bath but refused to admit defeat.
Sylvanas said that this little brat never showed mercy when pulling her ears, and it was practically a disgrace to the face of the Elven Queen.
Seraphina laughed and said that Sylvanas was the one who spoiled her like that—after all, every time after getting her ears pulled, she still prepared an extra portion of honey cake and roasted meat in the kitchen.
Time slipped away unnoticed in the low conversation.
Seraphina glanced at the sunlight outside the window and was about to say they should call Yisela up for a meal when suddenly a burst of hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor.
The sound grew from far to near, the frequency on the stone slabs extremely fast.
Sylvanas and Seraphina almost simultaneously looked up and exchanged a glance. Running was never allowed in the temple’s corridors, unless it was an urgent military matter.
An elven guard in green light armor appeared at the door.
His face was pale, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, and a few dried leaves that hadn’t been cleaned off were stuck to his breastplate. He had obviously flown a long distance from the Elven Forest.
He walked quickly to the bedside, leaned down, and whispered a few words into Sylvanas’s ear.
The ease on Sylvanas’s face vanished instantly.
The hand holding her teacup trembled, and a few drops of tea splashed onto the back of her hand, but she seemed completely unaware.
She was silent for a moment.
“I understand. Go prepare first. I’ll be right there.”
Her voice returned to that icy tone.
The elven guard gave a salute and hurriedly withdrew, his footsteps disappearing again at the end of the corridor.
The side hall fell silent again.
Seraphina spoke first. “Is it something from the Elven Forest?”
“The core barrier of the holy tree has been eroded by demonic energy. If I don’t return immediately to repair it, the natural force of the entire forest will be contaminated.”
“Also, a troublesome individual has arrived at the border of the Elven Clan. Many elven subjects have already been brutally killed and turned into collections.”
Sylvanas stood up, her movements still elegant and composed, but the moment she straightened, her fingers trembled against the back of the chair.
“When are you leaving?”
“Now.”
Seraphina was silent for a moment, looking seriously into her eyes. “If you need support from the temple, I can dispatch troops immediately.”
“No need.” Sylvanas’s reply was as crisp as ever. “Your side is about to heat up too. Once Yisela wakes up, the old men in the Elder Council won’t let you rest easy for long. The border needs you to hold the line. I can handle my side myself.”
She turned around, removed the emerald bracelet engraved with intricate patterns from her wrist, and gently put it onto Yisela’s wrist.
“Seraphina, take good care of this little brat.” She didn’t look up, her voice a little hoarse. “And tell her I’ll come back with the method to save her.”
As her voice fell, she turned and walked toward the door.
“Sylvanas.”
She paused for a moment at the door.
She didn’t turn around.
“When she wakes up, say goodbye to her yourself.”
Sylvanas didn’t answer, just tilted her head and smiled.
She pushed open the heavy oak door and transformed into a green streak of light flying away.
Seraphina watched the direction where the streak of light had vanished, remaining silent for a long time.
She lowered her head and looked at Yisela, still sleeping soundly in her arms, her expression complicated.
“Did you hear that, you little idiot?”
She gently poked Yisela’s soft cheek.
“That bad big sister who always bullies you—it’s not that she doesn’t want to say goodbye to you. She just doesn’t dare.”
Yisela seemed to sense something, frowning in dissatisfaction and muttering a dream phrase: “Old woman, don’t steal this princess’s chicken drumstick. Next time… next time, I’ll still help you wipe it.”
Seraphina was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her mouth lifted.
So this little brat was still thinking about last night in her dreams.
She pulled Yisela closer into her arms. “Don’t worry, no matter what this world becomes.”
“At least here, in my arms, you’ll be safe.”
She paused, looked out the window in the direction where Sylvanas had disappeared, and silently added in her heart, ‘We’ll meet again soon, the three of us.’
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