Nephtalia’s will was unshaken as she stepped through the open door.
The sight of the room’s furnishings, still preserved in their usual simplicity, stirred a sense of nostalgia.
Morning light slanted down, illuminating a patch of floor behind the door.
Nephtalia saw a mess of items scattered across the floor— a few gold coins from the Holy Nation, a leather-bound notebook, several dried herbs and powdered medicine in paper bags, and an inexplicably verdant leaf.
Her expression froze when she spotted that leaf.
She turned her gaze to another important item on the floor: a hairpin, set with a dark green gem that gleamed with an unusual luster.
Picking up the hairpin, Nephtalia stared at the gem, murmuring as if to herself.
“It seems she never took your words to heart. Or perhaps… she no longer has any cherished possessions or people she wishes to reclaim.”
Closing her eyes, she adjusted her breath. Then she manifested her Soul Color, channeling magic into the hairpin in her hand.
The gem grew warm, its strange luster intensifying.
After a moment, a soft thud sounded from the courtyard—someone had vaulted over the wall and landed.
Nephtalia turned.
Sera, the small captain of the Stillwind Forest Realm Patrol Team, stood in the courtyard, dressed not in her patrol uniform but like an ordinary passerby.
She glanced at the scattered mess on the floor, then at the hairpin in Nephtalia’s hand, her eyes betraying no surprise.
“Miss Nephtalia.”
“What about those watching the place?”
“Our people caused a bit of a commotion and drew away the Fenglin City patrol members monitoring this house. But I imagine they’ll be back soon for surveillance, so I can’t stay long.”
“They don’t know I’m here, do they?”
“No, they don’t.”
Nephtalia nodded for her to enter and closed the door behind them. “Let’s keep this brief. You heard everything I did. That’s why I came to see my sister… to find out what happened to her.”
Sera approached, her gaze sweeping over the scattered items and the footprints still visible on the floor near the table.
“Since you left the Giant Tree, there’s been someone following you. She always kept the hairpin in her bag, so most of the time I could only hear sounds. But last night, she seemed to go out with it… When she came back, I could see images. You and Miss New Hero.”
“What do you think she was panicking about?”
“…I don’t know. She dumped everything out of her bag and then fell into that state of panic. It seems like after coming back last night, she emptied the bag and then… got lost in that fear.”
“Did you hear that scream of hers? And the panted murmurs after she went out?”
Sera lowered her head in silence.
She knew that the same sounds she’d heard had reached the young lady before her— the hairpin was a tool for both surveillance and communication, and both she and Nephtalia had one. It was meant to monitor Iyue’s actions.
The legend she’d told Nephtalia about the hairpin before parting was also conveyed on Nephtalia’s orders.
“I didn’t get to talk to her.” Nephtalia walked past her. “She ran when she saw me. I couldn’t draw her in. We’ll have to think of another way to deal with her.”
“Is she… afraid of you? Of you, her only remaining family?”
Sera hesitated, then finally answered, offering her own deduction. “I think so too. Let’s get back to the main topic.” Nephtalia gave her an easy smile. “You were on the street… How are things out there?”
Seeing no change in her expression, Sera continued her report.
“Yes. Soon after you left the mansion, officials in the Royal Court formally announced the Hero’s return and summons at Central Square. The news that she was back in the patrol uniform also spread among the citizens. Some think there might be more to it… but most have tied her to the patrol team, which will inevitably influence the neutral nobles and strengthen Captain General’s position against change.”
“This is within my expectations. And the citizens’ reaction?”
“Because the Instructor didn’t accept Captain General’s invitation, some… are holding their ground. It seems everything’s unfolding as your aunt expected. But I have one question—how did your aunt keep track of my sister and your team’s movements? You told me she and your Captain Alexis had a falling-out, and the captain promised not to reveal your whereabouts… Was she lying?”
A chill crept over Sera’s heart. Nephtalia still had her back to her.
“That’s what I find off too. The citizens blocked the slope, and the Captain General rushed there with her subordinates right after your dance ended. So it must have been planned ahead. I think someone in our squad used methods similar to ours to send messages.”
“So that’s what you think. It makes a lot of sense.” Nephtalia said slowly. “How is your squad now?”
“No orders or plans for now. But Captain General ordered Captain Alexis to stay at the station until the day of the audience ceremony. Do you want me to investigate?”
“No need. Even if you catch the person, it won’t affect the current situation… It would only alert the enemy. Just do nothing.”
“Do nothing…?”
“Not quite nothing. I have something more important for you and your people to handle. You heard my sister talking to that man, didn’t you?”
“Yes… He seems to be the contact providing information on relics for the Instructor.”
“Thanks to him, I finally know what she’s been doing all these years. He calls himself the butler of the Nelf family, doesn’t he?”
Nephtalia turned around, her gaze cold as she fixed on Sera.
“I want to thank him. Didn’t he say he’d come to pick my sister up this morning? Go out now and conduct an investigation. Find him for me.”
“…Yes.”
Sera took the orders and slipped out silently.
After she left, Nephtalia picked up each scattered item from the floor and placed them on the table.
Once finished, she went into the courtyard and sat down on the bench her sister had occupied earlier.
She looked up, squinting at the light filtering through the layered canopy.
The morning light was faint, but to her, it was blinding. Her eyes ached and stung, but she didn’t look away.
“For you, is there something more important than me now? Like that girl named Lian. You call her family. When she disappeared, you couldn’t wait to rush to her side. But when it came to meeting me, you avoided it, pushed it away, even showed a scared face.”
She sat in the courtyard for a long time, until hurried footsteps sounded outside.
Milin dashed into the yard, breathless. The moment she saw Nephtalia on the bench, her face fell with apology.
“Natalia… I’m sorry. I couldn’t catch her. She ran too fast, and no matter how I called, she wouldn’t stop… I really didn’t think it would turn out like this.”
Nephtalia looked at her, no blame in her eyes.
“Don’t apologize.” She said to Milin. “It was my suggestion to come with you. If she runs away just seeing me, then it has nothing to do with you.”
She patted Milin’s shoulder to comfort her.
“I-I’ll find another way! I’ll definitely make you two reconcile—”
“Let’s go back.”
Nephtalia cut her off, taking her hand.
“Now?” Milin glanced subconsciously at the house. “Sister Iyue might come back… Didn’t you stay here to wait for her?”
“I stayed for you.” She led Milin to the door, hand on the handle. “As long as I’m here, she’ll never come back. She can run from me, but she can’t escape her oath or her fate.”
Milin froze. “Natalia… what are you talking about?”
“It’s best if you don’t understand. We’ll head back. If she comes again… then you can come alone next time.”
Seeing her resolve, Milin bit her lip and nodded. “Alright. Let’s go back.”
……
Back to last night.
Deep within the trunk of the Crown Giant Tree, Lian was led by two Guard Knights through corridor after corridor.
She had visited this place before. She still remembered the smooth walls, the exquisite reliefs, and the decorative vines trimmed like works of art.
But compared to before, the tree’s lighting had become more modern— she spotted many magic stone lamps similar to those in the Honglian Palace, only the lamp covers were replaced with flamboyant fairy-style decorations.
They stopped before a grand door, and the knights bowed to take their leave.
“We have arrived. Please rest here. If you need anything, you may instruct the servants.”
“When can I see… no, Her Majesty the Queen?”
She quickly called out to them, asking.
She had followed the Queen away from the Lower District earlier, but before entering the Crown Giant Tree, the Queen had parted ways with her, saying she had state affairs to attend to.
So she had her knights guide Lian through the trees where the palace was built, letting her sightsee until now.
“We have received no edict from Her Majesty regarding you. But she did say that if she has not appeared by this hour, you are to rest in the palace for the night.”
“Alright…”
With that, they marched away in uniform steps. The two attending maids slowly opened the door before Lian.
“…Ah?”
The moment she entered, Lian froze. She had been assigned a massive room—ten times larger than her room in Youlin Courtyard.
It was more like a small palace in itself. The furnishings were so intricate and lavish that it made her head spin.
From the beautifully crafted furniture to the decorations on the walls and ceiling, it could rival the Honglian Palace.
And she noticed a rising steam in the air. Looking closer, she saw a square bath on the distant terrace, steaming with hot water.
It was carved from a kind of jade, and about seven lightly dressed maids were using magic to heat the water.
Beyond them, the layered branches of the Giant Tree could be seen, and at the edge of the view, a lake reflected the bright moonlight.
At the far end of the lake stood the legendary tree known as the World Tree, and the massive, towering figure of Aitixila, practically spanning the sky.
“Esteemed guest, please allow us to help you change into your bath attire.”
“I-I don’t need… wahhh!”
No sooner had Lian stepped in than a swarm of maids surrounded her.
Their soft, boneless arms and slender, jade-like fingers soon stripped her down to nothing, leaving only the magic-suppressing ring she couldn’t remove.
To preserve her modesty, she closed her eyes and mentally chanted Melia’s name while they dressed her.
“What—what—what kind of shameless clothes are these! This is just nine pieces of cloth!”
Lian’s eyes snapped shut again. The “clothes” she was wearing were only a few strips of fabric covering certain parts.
“These are bath clothes. When we fairies bathe, we don’t go completely bare. Please step into the bath.”
“Stop carrying me! I can walk!”
She barely escaped the maids’ embrace and dived into the water.
She refused the maids who wanted to bathe her, then, amid their giggles, sank her head into the hot water.
After her bath, the maids finally brought clothes that weren’t so embarrassing.
Once changed, she was once again escorted to a long dining table.
Servants streamed in and out, bringing endless delicacies—enough to serve a party of ten.
The head maid, pouring wine beside her, smiled gently and said, “Her Majesty instructed us to take good care of you. Please feel free to choose what you’d like to eat.”
“I… isn’t this a bit too much?”
Lian said this as maids crowded around, placing small dishes before her and feeding her with silver utensils.
“Wait… can you all come one at a time! Didn’t you say I should pick what I like?”