Chapter 55: Famous Name

A most unconventional welcome party had thus come to an end.

All the other races, under Jody’s guidance, obediently returned to their assigned rooms, waiting for Ailaira’s summons.

“What kind of hospitality is this? It’s basically house arrest.”

The Elf Race girl—Kabellin Gana—sat dejectedly on the soft bed, observing her surroundings.

The entire room was decorated in shades of green, natural motifs filling every corner.

Kabellin hugged a pillow to her chest, savoring its comfort, and noticed it was stuffed with the fluffy petals native to the Elf Forest—the basic material elves used for weaving.

“They did put effort into these details, but why did they act so aggressive at the start?”

After using Saint Light Healing to tend to her wounds, Kabellin lay beneath the familiar bedding, pondering the intent of that witch.

Since the vast Species War subsided, visits from other races were not uncommon.

Setting aside those magical beasts that couldn’t communicate, and the entirely worthless Demons, there was, at least on the surface, a passable degree of Peace and occasional exchanges between the various races, regardless of what schemes lay beneath.

This was not Kabellin’s first time representing the Elf Race on such a visit, but this particular trip was completely different.

First was the composition of the Visiting Delegation: in the past, delegations were always made up of a single race, never a joint mission involving multiple races to the Human Kingdom.

Secondly, this time, even the Dragonkind had joined—and not just any dragon, but their newly appointed Princess herself.

Dragon Valley was infamous for its isolationist policies and refusal to engage with others; not to mention, the pride woven into Dragonkind’s very blood made it unthinkable for them to humble themselves before humans.

More incredibly, it was the Dragonkind who took the lead in assembling this Visiting Delegation.

This, above all, was cause for deep suspicion.

What was Dragonkind planning, to the extent that they would set aside their pride—dragging along the other races if necessary—just to enter human lands?

Driven by curiosity about Dragonkind’s true motives and the possibility of sharing in the benefits, the Elf Queen had agreed to participate.

Of course, they would observe, but never allow the elves to be drawn into a conflict between Dragonkind and humans; that was why Kabellin remained silent during Kuchierkan’s argument with the humans, as did the other races.

She’d thought she could stay out of trouble, but who would have guessed that halfway through, a self-proclaimed witch would appear and—without the slightest logic—drag them all into the fight.

Just thinking of it made Kabellin’s arm tremble slightly.

After witnessing that magic formation blotting out the sky, she’d nearly lost all hope, almost believing she would perish for her race.

Fortunately, most of the power had been aimed at Kuchierkan, which allowed the rest of them to survive despite their lack of preparation.

Kabellin tucked her auxiliary Magic Staff into her sleeve, her snow-white neck adorned with a Mana Storage Necklace blessed by the Elf Queen.

On her wrist, she wore a Crystal Jade Bracelet, storing a potent Eighth Tier Magic; even the Silver Anklet at her slender ankle held a Space Magic spell for a quick escape.

This was her entire arsenal and livelihood; during her stay in this luxurious manor, she had to keep them on her at all times, to never again be caught so off guard.

“That witch wants to meet us one-on-one next… No, I need to be ready in advance.”

Once bitten, twice shy—the elf girl instantly summoned up Natural Magic, layering herself with a host of combat buffs in case Ailaira launched another sneak attack.

Only when someone knocked at the door did Kabellin stop, making sure she was in peak condition before trudging over to open it.

Jody stood at the threshold, bowing politely and inviting her with an elegant gesture.

“Our Miss requests your presence.”

Feeling apprehensive, Kabellin followed behind Jody to the parlor, only to discover she wasn’t the first to be “interrogated.”

The Fishfolk’s big fish was already flopping about on the floor, waving a fin at the door handle before hopping and bouncing its way out of the room.

Elf and fish happened to meet eyes in the corridor.

Kabellin saw a strange gleam reflected in those bulging fish eyes.

She glanced at Jody ahead, then, on a whim, braced her core and called out in the Fishfolk’s peculiar language: “Waibi bab (What did she do to you)?”

“Pili pala (She just shook my fin and asked me to cooperate for a few checks).”

Just as Kabellin was deep in thought, Jody squinted at her with a smile and replied in Fishfolk language: “Jili gulu (Please enter, Miss Elf).”

Now that was awkward—caught fishing for information right to her face.

Kabellin let down her golden hair to hide her reddening ear tips, lowering her head as she entered the parlor.

There was none of the interrogation atmosphere she’d imagined.

The elegant and luxurious room was filled with a soothing fragrance, enough to relax Kabellin’s tense body a little; even seeing Ailaira sipping tea on the sofa across from her didn’t seem so intimidating anymore.

She sat down on the sofa, letting herself relax—then her nose twitched as she tried to parse the scents in the air, realizing something was off.

Mixed in was the juice of the Miascent Flower, and the root of Icegrass—both herbal ingredients with hallucinogenic properties.

Though subtle in the blend, it was enough to induce relaxation.

“Looks like Miss Elf noticed. I used to have an elf friend with insomnia, so I developed this incense to help her relax.”

Ailaira spoke, revealing what Kabellin was thinking.

At that moment, she sat calmly, her posture graceful and noble—nothing like the rampaging witch who had just bombarded them with magic.

Just as Dragonkind loved collecting beautiful treasures, the elves also prized appearances.

Kabellin had to admit, in terms of looks, Ailaira held a powerful allure for elves.

But with her own life at stake, she wasn’t in the mood to appreciate beauty, so she could only offer some polite flattery: “I wonder which of my lucky compatriots could be a friend to such a woman—one who possesses both beauty and power?”

“She said she was just a nobody in the Elf Forest. Nothing worth mentioning.”

Of course, Ailaira would never tell Kabellin that the elf’s insomnia was due to being overworked by her, and that the incense had simply been developed because there happened to be demand at the time.

So she doesn’t want to say. I’ll have to conduct a thorough investigation when I get back—a connection to this woman is a ticking time bomb in the Elf Race.

“My name is Kabellin Gana. May I ask how to address you?”

“Ailaira Green. Or you may call me the Water Silver Witch.”

The moment she heard the name, Kabellin’s hand trembled slightly as she lifted the teacup; some of the hot tea splashed onto her sleeve.

But she barely noticed, her heart filled entirely by that name.

Before leaving, the Royal Princess of the Elf Race had sought her out and repeatedly warned:

“Kabellin, after you arrive at the Human Kingdom, you can ignore the royal family and the church. But there’s one person you must be wary of!”

“I don’t know her real name, but if you face her, you’ll know by her title—for this woman is truly ruthless.”

“Be extremely careful. The Water Silver Witch.”

Your Highness… Linlin, I might not make it back this time.