Mann entered the palace, and two well-equipped elven warriors immediately approached him, one in front and one behind.
Compared to the warm and gentle Cui Si, these two were clearly more cold and serious.
Judging by the quality of their equipment, it wasn’t hard to guess they were elites—likely the king’s personal guards.
Based on their magic fluctuations alone, their strength was probably on par with his father, Count Matthews.
“Hey, outsider!”
The guard walking in front of Mann spoke with an unfriendly tone.
“When you see the King, you’d better not put on that frivolous expression. If you offend Her Majesty, we won’t hesitate to punish you.”
The guard behind him didn’t say a word, but her gaze alone made it clear she despised him as an imperial.
He was, after all, the one who had returned their holy relic—the Armor of Time—to them. Such rudeness was truly inexcusable.
But it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be staying here long anyway.
Mann couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. He simply treated them as if they were air and walked on in silence.
After passing through a corridor that wasn’t particularly long, a luxurious and exquisite grand meeting hall appeared before him.
From the outside, one would never have imagined such a vast space existed inside.
“No mistake—I sense the presence of Helgort.”
The girl’s voice was like silver bells, but her tone carried a certain aged quality.
“Welcome, Messenger of the God of Time.”
Following the sound, Mann saw a girl dressed in golden robes. She looked no more than a teenager, with a noble aura and an indescribable beauty.
Yet there was a hint of melancholy on her face—the kind that came from having experienced many things.
From the way she directly addressed Helgort by name, Mann wouldn’t have been surprised if she belonged to the same era as him.
If that were true, she might be several thousand years old.
At that thought, Mann could barely keep a straight face.
But no matter how much he wanted to complain internally, he had to maintain a decent facade.
Seeing the guards beside him bow, Mann intended to clumsily imitate them.
But just as he began to move, the girl stopped him.
“No need for formalities, Messenger of the God of Time… or rather, Mann Matthews.”
She turned to the guards and spoke gently:
“You may withdraw. I have something to discuss with Mr. Mann alone.”
“But—”
“We can’t let an imperial bastard—”
“I said…”
She looked at them, and her gaze instantly turned cold. Mann wondered if it was his imagination, but he felt the temperature drop.
“Withdraw.”
As the words left her lips, the two guards visibly trembled, all their earlier arrogance gone.
“…Yes.”
After they hurriedly retreated, the queen returned to that melancholic expression.
“My subordinates have some issues with imperials. If they said anything too harsh to you, consider that moment just now their punishment.”
How did she know?
Though Mann wondered silently, he replied politely:
“Actually, I can’t really blame them. The relationship between the Empire and the demihumans is… hard to explain.”
“Heh, you don’t have to humor me. And you’re right—Helgort and I are indeed old acquaintances.”
Damn, she really knows what I’m thinking!
Mann had to admit he was genuinely panicking.
“As for my age…”
“Uh… is it too late to apologize now?”
“Hahaha…”
The queen covered her mouth and laughed softly. Mann realized he had been teased.
“You’re quite amusing.”
She sat down across from Mann, her expression turning serious.
“First, let me introduce myself. I am the Elven Queen, Ai Li Ke·L·Wa Lun Ti Er Ni. Address me as you like—I don’t really care.”
“Also, please bring out the Armor of Time. I need to confirm the extent of its damage.”
Mann did as she asked, placing the shattered Armor of Time on the floor.
“Yes, it was forcibly dismantled using the Time-Melting Dagger…”
Hearing this, Mann’s eyes lit up.
Coming here was definitely the right call!
Maybe the queen before him could actually repair the Armor of Time.
“How can it be fixed? And what do you need me to do?”
“Let me finish first.”
She interrupted him, her expression troubled.
“It can be repaired, but the process will take a very long time.”
As she spoke, she rose slowly and picked up a short magic staff, pointing it at the fragments of the Armor of Time.
“The Armor of Time—it’s equipment that Helgort forged using Rune Script.”
“He tempered it with the power of time and then transformed it.”
“Its original form can be derived into the Holy Spear of Divinity. You must have seen it already.”
Mann nodded lightly.
So the Armor of Time was woven from Rune Script. No wonder it could withstand the Holy Spear’s attack.
“Actually, besides the Holy Spear, there is another artifact born alongside it.”
“Do you mean… this dagger?”
Mann laid the dark-golden dagger on the floor.
“Correct.”
“Since this dagger can forcibly dismantle it… could it also repair the Armor of Time?”
But Valednilney shook her head.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Because I am not a Rune Master. At best, I can only barely stabilize the outer form of the armor.”
“The actual repair work will require you, as a Rune Master, to comprehend the structure of the Time-Melting Dagger on your own. But even so, the time needed is incalculable…”
“You’d better prepare yourself mentally…”
…
Mann’s expression darkened. Her words were like stomping out the flames of hope that had just ignited.
But having come this far, how could he give up so easily? Even if the chance was slim, he had to try.
Thinking this, he let out a long breath, and his gaze turned resolute once more.
“Good. It seems you’ve made your decision.”
The queen studied Mann, a hint of admiration in her eyes.
“As expected—Helgort never chooses the wrong person…”
“With that, let’s end the small talk. Since we’ve reached an understanding, give me some time. Once the armor’s outer form is stabilized, you can take it. Return it after it’s been fully repaired.”
She gently gathered the fragments of the Armor of Time, and it was clear from her expression that she too felt some sorrow.
Mann wondered what kind of past she and Helgort had shared. He hesitated about whether to voice the question in his mind.
He turned and began walking slowly toward the exit.
But as he connected the recent events one by one, the more he thought, the stranger it seemed.
In the end, he decided to probe cautiously, if only to put his mind at ease.
“Actually… ever since I learned about the theft of the Armor of Time, I’ve had one question.”
“You deliberately orchestrated the theft—even the destruction—of the Armor of Time, didn’t you?”
Valednilney remained silent. As the seconds ticked by, Mann felt the pressure mounting rapidly.
It seemed he had hit the mark.
“…What are you after?”
“Mann Matthews…”
Her voice came from behind, icy cold.
“Everything in this world exists because it is bound by rules…”
“The same goes for you and me.”