“…I don’t understand what you mean.”
The young man’s response left Luc feeling a bit confused… but Selene, standing by, seemed to catch onto something.
She didn’t recognize this young man… because the one who had saved her from that terrifying Hero’s illegitimate daughter that day was her lord.
But after escaping the Duke’s Household with Luc, Luc had told her everything that happened at the mansion that day, including who had rescued her.
So Selene’s gaze fell upon the shadow beneath this young man’s feet. She stood up and let her own shadow touch his—
“…He’s one of my kind.” Sensing the immense Magic Power contained within his shadow, Selene said to Luc. Then she furrowed her brow and murmured softly:
“Strange… how did I not notice earlier when we were shopping…?”
The tailcoat-clad young man didn’t deny it. He explained to Luc:
“As the other ‘Crescent Moon’ said, I am a Shadow Demon. The person you met that day wasn’t me; we simply used the same ‘Imitation,’ sharing the same face.”
“…Is that so?”
Luc glanced at Selene.
“How should I know? Generally speaking, our kind doesn’t use the same ‘Imitation’… at least, they’d avoid using it in the same setting. But if we really wanted to do something like that, it wouldn’t be that difficult… Yet why didn’t I recognize it at first glance?”
Selene’s expression was conflicted… she still seemed puzzled as to why she couldn’t immediately identify a fellow kin. So Luc cut straight to the point and asked the young man:
“We came here following the Demon Lord Highness’s guidance. Are you our contact person?”
“No. I am merely a guide.” The young man shook his head. “I have been ordered to wait here for two beautiful ‘Crescent Moons.'”
“You’ve been calling us ‘Crescent Moon’ since earlier… Does that have some special meaning?”
“Ah, so the lord hasn’t told you two yet.” Seeing Luc’s confused face, the young man pointed at the brooches on their clothes.
“The brooches you’re wearing are proof that you are ‘Crescent Moons.’ According to the organization’s structure, you two are my superiors.”
“The organization… is it the one founded by the Demon Lord Highness?”
“Most likely. So, does that mean we’ve joined the organization now? But the lord never told us about any of this…”
Luc and Selene exchanged glances, while the young man quietly waited for them to finish their whispers.
“You said you were waiting for us here… but we’ve been sitting here for almost an entire morning. Why did you only come up to talk to us now?”
“Because you two didn’t seem to be carrying the ‘item’ the lord mentioned. So we spent some time observing… and then confirmed your identities.”
The young man’s words made both of them freeze. They looked at each other, finally convinced that the person in front of them was indeed the one they were looking for.
“We ran into some trouble on the way. We were attacked by an Elf—”
“You don’t need to tell me about that.”
The young man bluntly cut off Luc’s embarrassed confession.
“Given my rank and position, I am not qualified to hear reports from ‘Crescent Moons.’ My job is merely to confirm your identities and lead you to the one who is qualified… the person who is your true contact.”
“So whatever you have to say, save it until you meet that person.”
Then he bowed deeply to them, his manner elegant, as if he were truly a dignified butler dressed for the part.
And at that moment, Luc suddenly felt a chilling gaze that made her skin crawl.
She instinctively looked around—a few passersby brushing past, some girls dressed as students chatting idly in the shade of a nearby tree, a couple sitting by the fountain playing in the water like them… they all simultaneously looked over and smiled at her, nodding in acknowledgment.
They were clearly members of this organization as well.
“…This is a joke, right?”
Selene had obviously noticed it too. She had been keeping an eye on the people in the plaza, but those smiling at her now had seemed like ordinary passersby just a moment ago.
When did these people start watching us?
“Well, without further delay, let’s get moving.”
The self-proclaimed guide made a “please” gesture, as if urging them to set off.
“…Where are you taking us?” Luc asked.
“As I said before, I’m going to treat you two to a drink… Over there. And your contact person is already waiting for you there.”
The young man pointed to a giant tree on the west side of the plaza.
It was second in size only to the Crown Giant Tree facing the plaza, and the numerous Elf buildings built atop it were elegant and beautiful—
“Is that the giant tree ‘Nelf’? The contact person is in the Nelf Family? That’s the family that guards the Fairy King’s Court…”
Luc said in disbelief.
“…If the lord could infiltrate the Hero’s wife’s palace and serve as Head Maid, it’s not surprising that she could plant a spy within the Nelf Family.”
Selene seemed calmer, but Luc could tell the news had startled her as well.
With Luc’s Magic Power sealed, the two could no longer communicate through Mental Sense.
But after all these days of acting together, they had gradually developed a tacit understanding that allowed them to know each other’s thoughts without words.
At that moment, they both thought of a rumor circulating through the streets of Fenglin City—the Hero’s Daughter was currently a guest at the Nelf Mansion and would soon be granted an audience with the Fairy Queen.
“Please follow me.”
The young man offered no further explanation. Under the watchful eyes of many organization companions and the two girls, he turned and walked into the bustling crowd.
Selene and Luc followed him out of the plaza.
The plaza connected to other giant trees either through intertwined branches or artificial suspension bridges… the path to the Nelf Mansion was the former.
It was an upward climb. The higher they went, the fewer ordinary pedestrians there were.
The shade of the tree canopy grew thicker, and the prosperity and noise of the plaza were left behind.
A timeless, fresh scent drifted through the air—
Luc thought this must be the smell of the forest. The only place with trees in the Demon Realm was the territory of the Spirit Demons… it was said that in the distant past, they had once been of the same race as these Elves.
Those Spirit Demons also lived in forests. But the withered woods of the Spirit Demon territory couldn’t compare to this forest of thousand-year and ten-thousand-year ancient trees.
No wonder during the War, it was the Demon Spirit Duke and his army who launched the main attack on the Sea of Trees… He must have been quite envious and resentful that these ancient kin occupied such a fine environment, huh?
Luc reflected on the history lessons she had heard at Nolan Academy, thinking this.
After winding through several branches and reaching a high-altitude corridor bridge, the Nelf Family’s giant tree was right before them.
At the end of this bridge stood an archway woven from giant vines, clearly the entrance leading into the belly of the Nelf Family tree.
Leaning over the edge of the bridge railing to look up and down, Luc could see dozens more such bridge entrances at various heights leading into the giant tree.
Those entrances ranged in size, and each was guarded by fully armed Elf guards. Their entrance wasn’t particularly large… yet it still had two vigilant guards standing watch.
“You’ve worked hard.”
But as the young man led them closer, these stern-faced guards simply lowered their heads slightly and stepped aside—no inspection, no questioning… the guards even bowed to them.
“What’s going on? Are those guards also our people?”
After entering the tree’s interior, Luc finally asked the young man.
“No. I am one of the many butlers of the Nelf Family… and I had already informed the guards that I was going to welcome my master’s guests.”
“So you really are a butler… How many companions do you have here?”
“This… I’m afraid I can’t give you a specific number. The organization is vast, and someone of my rank cannot grasp its full scope. If you’re interested, you might ask the contact person when you meet him.”
His words, though lightly spoken, sent a chill down Luc’s spine—just how long had the Demon Lord Highness been laying her plans? How far had her reach extended into the Sea of Trees?
The passages inside the tree were lit by magical lamps. Inside the giant tree, it was like a whole other world… platforms stacked upon one another, connected by spiral staircases, with passages crisscrossing like an ant’s nest through all the different areas.
“How ridiculous… Is this entire giant tree the Nelf Family mansion?”
“Indeed.”
The young man replied to her question while greeting the servants and guards they passed along the way.
Even Selene, who had traveled across the Empire and gathered intelligence by creating Imitations, couldn’t help but marvel at the strange sight before her.
This giant tree was like a castle, its splendor somewhat inferior to the Honglian Palace, but still far superior to the royal cities of many small Western nations.
“We’re here.”
Finally, the young man brought them to the door of a room.
“This is… a dressing room?”
They peered inside and saw large wardrobes and exquisite vanity tables with mirrors.
“Yes. Please choose a dress that suits you… in your current attire, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be fit for a dance party.”
“Oh, right…” Selene looked down at her and Luc’s outfits.
This was the Imitation she had taken from two Elf village girls when they entered the Sea of Trees. So their clothes looked much more rustic compared to the Elves living in Fenglin City—
“Wait! We’re supposed to meet the contact person, aren’t we? Why are we going to a dance party?!”
“Because that person is also at the dance party right now. It’s a social dance party for honored guests. You two will be staying as guests in this mansion for a few days… so it would be better to get familiar with the other guests.”
The young man smiled at the flustered Selene.
“Selene… even if we want to leave, we have to wait until the Grand Teleportation Array is fully charged.”
“I know… Since it’s the lord’s arrangement, I’ll follow it obediently.”
Selene let out a resigned sigh and went into the room with Luc.
“Ugh… These clothes are over the top.”
“I think they’re fine. This dress is much simpler than the one you wore when you pretended to be a princess.”
A moment later, the two emerged from the room in their changed outfits.
They had chosen dresses in white and green… the two plain colors favored by Elves.
But even with such simple colors, the intricate designs and lavish decorations on the dresses made the two, who had originally looked like country bumpkin Elves, appear as dazzling noble ladies.
“You two are absolutely radiant.”
“…Cut it out. You know this isn’t our real form.”
“Just a joke. Please follow me.”
So the young man led them to the dance party venue. Along the way, he explained the false identities he had prepared for them.
“Have you both memorized that? If anyone strikes up a conversation with you, answer accordingly.”
“Got it. We’re Elf nobles from Shadow City in the Southern Shadow Forest Domain, of the Rickwood Family. My name is Grier…”
“And I’m her sister, name’s Ceres.”
Luc and Selene said in turn.
“Excellent. Now, please enter. I’ll also be serving as a waiter inside… If you have any questions, just come to me.”
After everything was ready, the young man led them out of the tree’s interior to an open-air platform suspended on a giant branch.
This platform was the dance party venue. Its edges were decorated with intricately woven leaf ornaments that rustled in the wind.
The entire platform seemed to be made of glass, and the melodious music drowned out the clicking of guests’ heels on the floor, with soft light flowing like ripples across the surface.
The two stepped into the venue, swallowed up by the low, dense chatter and laughter of the crowd.
“Compared to humans, Elf dance parties seem quite restrained.”
“You mean their voices? This bunch of Elves is naturally a quiet race—”
“No, I mean the way they eat.”
“…”
Selene silently followed Luc’s gaze… and had to admit she was right.
The free-to-eat food and exquisite desserts laid out at the dance party rivaled or even surpassed those at the XÄ«long Pavilion banquets.
But the surrounding Elf nobles barely touched them. They only took a little when nearby waiters offered fruit wine and champagne… as if they weren’t interested in food at all.
“No wonder these Elves have such slim figures… they don’t eat when they should.”
“This is a social dance party, for socializing! The time for eating is called a banquet!”
Seeing Luc’s disappointed expression, Selene couldn’t help but retort. Then she spotted an Elf by a dessert table not far away, wolfing down the pastries on her plate:
“Look, there’s someone else there who can’t tell a dance party from a banquet. Look at her, like she’s never had a full meal in her life, isn’t she just like you—”
“Just like what?”
Selene’s mocking words died in her throat. Curious about what could stop her sharp tongue, Luc looked over at the dessert table as well.
“Natalia… aren’t you eating a bit too much? You had three servings for breakfast, you know.”
“Chew… chew… Not at all. Isn’t it noon now? I’m just having an early lunch.”
“Please ignore her, Miss Milin. Let her eat until she bursts.”
Luc also saw the Elf Selene was talking about. But what caught Luc’s attention wasn’t the Elf—it was the red-haired girl gently patting her back—
“The Hero’s Daughter…!”