Chapter 1027: Act 199 – The Singing Spring
“Thank you very much for saving my daughter, Mister Brendel.”
Upon arriving in front of the Elven Queen of Erlandta, Brendel couldn’t help but be struck by her beauty, thinking to himself what a stunning woman she was. The Elven Queen wore a silver laurel crown, her slightly curled golden hair cascading over her shoulders, and her light green eyes were vast like a sea of stars, radiating with wisdom. Clad in a snow-white robe that tightly wrapped her slender figure, the opening in her chest was somewhat revealing, enough to dazzle mere mortals, yet on her it exuded a unique charm. A silver belt cinched the deep opening, nearly exposing the flat part of her abdomen along with the hint of her lower curves. In his past life, Brendel had heard much about the beauty of this Elven Queen but had never been fortunate enough to see her in person. After ten years of living in seclusion, the Saintly White Princess had taken on the fate of the Wild Elves from her, becoming one of history’s wisest princesses. He couldn’t help but glance at the little sprite, who was crying and sniffling, but as for now, the other party could only be viewed as a brat from any perspective.
The Elven Queen gracefully bowed her head slightly and thanked Brendel. Although her appearance shared some resemblance with the sprite, she appeared much more mature, revealing a classic beauty.
Brendel was somewhat surprised that she knew his name, but he guessed it must have been the dragons who informed her.
“Your Majesty—” he was about to speak.
The Elven Queen smiled and interrupted him, “The Sage Lord mentioned your name to me.”
There was clearly only one Sage Lord, and that was Erlandta: “The Sage Lord actually knows my name?” Brendel didn’t expect that he could attract the attention of the most distinguished individuals in this world, and the feeling of being a part of history, of possibly altering history, rose within him. He recalled the night he first crossed over to Buche, facing the invasion of Broamente’s Black Rose, when he was so insignificant that he didn’t even count as a pawn on the battlefield. Who would have thought that in this world’s most unremarkable corner, an unknown young man would soon change everything?
Seeing the expression on Brendel’s face, the Elven Queen understood his thoughts and couldn’t help but smile slightly, though her gentle nature led her to not directly debunk this lovely misunderstanding. Instead, she answered tactfully, “I knew you when you were very small.”
Brendel’s face instantly turned from red to white, then back to black.
Clearing his throat, he felt his cheeks burning, his expression a bit awkward as he asked, “Your Majesty, do you know my grandfather?”
The Elven Queen gently shook her head: “Your grandfather is a hero, but I do not know him.”
“Then who are you…?”
“Mister Brendel, you came to find me, so there must be something important to discuss?”
Brendel looked at the Elven Queen with some confusion, not understanding why she had changed the topic, but this was indeed the most pressing issue at hand. He nodded honestly, “It’s not so much an important matter; I just heard that Your Majesty possesses a Dragon Avoidance Pearl, and I recently…”
“You want the Green Wilds Trace?”
“Yes.”
“There are a few complications.” The Elven Queen replied with a smile unchanged.
Brendel’s heart sank. Although he suspected that borrowing the Dragon Avoidance Pearl wouldn’t be simple, he didn’t expect her to refuse so directly. However, it was understandable; after all, this precious item had been in Erlandta for a millennium, how could it simply be lent out as though it were nothing?
But the Elven Queen’s subsequent explanation quickly made Brendel understand where the difficulty of his request lay: “Mister Brendel, you do not know? The Dragon Avoidance Pearl requires a master to use it. So if we hand it over to you, we will not be able to reclaim this treasure.”
Hearing this explanation, Brendel’s heart sank further. He finally understood what the Elven Queen meant by complications: the Green Wilds Trace was a sacred relic that required a personal bond to be utilized. If the Wild Elves handed this treasure over to him, it would not merely be a loan but rather a gift. At least until his natural end or untimely demise, the Wild Elves would never be able to take it back. And the lifespan of a relatively powerful human ranged from one hundred and fifty to two hundred years, with someone like him, a student of elemental enlightenment, potentially living four or five centuries—when that time came, retrieving the Dragon Avoidance Pearl might be very difficult.
“I apologize, Your Majesty, I was being too presumptuous.” Understanding that his request was too absurd, Brendel didn’t push further, only expressing slight regret while his mind began to ponder how to prevent that ticking time bomb that might appear at any moment.
However, it was at this moment that the Elven Queen smiled and shook her head at him: “Mister Brendel, I never said I wouldn’t hand this treasure over to you.”
Brendel was taken aback, looking up at her in astonishment.
The Elven Queen continued, “You saved my daughter’s life, which is a great favor to our clan. While the Dragon Avoidance Pearl is indeed invaluable, it does not hold much significance for my kin. We have kept it in Erlandta due to issues with the dragons; the dragons do not wish for it to fall into the hands of those with ulterior motives.”
“But Mister Brendel is also a benefactor to the dragons, so they likely won’t trouble you. As long as Mister Brendel can obtain the dragon clan’s consent, this pearl is yours to use.”
It turned out that the root of the issue lay with the dragons. This made sense, as the purpose of this pearl was very targeted towards dragonkind; if it fell into the hands of someone with malicious intent towards dragons, those proud beings would inevitably have to live in constant vigilance—an unacceptable reality for them.
Having understood this point, Brendel quickly bowed to the Elven Queen to express his gratitude. Regardless, the other party could have used this excuse to evade his request, yet she sincerely offered him guidance, which moved him greatly.
But just as he prepared to bargain with the miserly giant lizards, the Elven Queen called out to him again:
“Mister Brendel, please wait.”
Brendel turned back, a bit puzzled. “Your Majesty, is there something else?”
“Mister Brendel, this pearl holds too little value for you. If we were to simply give it to you, others might say that the Wild Elves of Erlandta are ungrateful. Therefore, regardless of whether the dragons ultimately agree to allow you to take the Dragon Avoidance Pearl, we also intend to gift you another item.”
“This…” Even with Brendel’s inclination for maximizing benefits as a player, he couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed: “Your Majesty, this treasure already holds significant meaning for me.”
About that, he wasn’t lying. It indeed held great significance; without it, he could very well face a tragic end due to his involvement with that young female dragon. So in a sense, the Elven Queen agreeing to bestow the Dragon Avoidance Pearl upon him was tantamount to saving his life.
However, the Elven Queen smiled and interrupted him: “Don’t rush to decline. This gift is related to you in some way; it was left in Erlandta by someone who has a connection to you. That person initially did it as a favor to us, and today, we are passing it back to you, a fitting return of the item to its rightful owner.”
Brendel was slightly taken aback. He thought to himself that the only person who could be so influential and connected to him was his grandfather. However, considering that the Elven Queen didn’t personally know his grandfather, he grew curious about the identity of the person she referred to.
“Wait,” he asked, “Your Majesty, does that person have a connection to my grandfather?”
The Elven Queen nodded without hesitation.
“What is their identity? Are they one of my grandfather’s subordinates?”
For this question, the Elven Queen simply smiled enigmatically and shifted the topic: “I am not sure, but that item has been in Erlandta for many years. It has helped us significantly, and I believe it will be of use to you.”
At this point, the Elven Queen’s gaze extended toward the direction behind Brendel. Though he felt embarrassed to turn around, he could guess that it was likely where Margadale, Oni, and the others were. He was somewhat puzzled by the meaning of the Elven Queen’s glance, but he didn’t directly inquire. Instead, he asked, “What is that item, Your Majesty?”
“The Singing Spring. Have you heard of it, Mister Brendel?”
The moment Brendel heard the name “Singing Spring,” he couldn’t help but gasp in shock.
How could he not have heard of this name? In fact, it had another famous name in Vaunte—the Fountain of Youth. It was said that those who drank its water would remain eternally youthful and live forever.
Of course, this was an exaggerated claim; nothing in this world was truly eternal. Even the undead of Madara would eventually face annihilation. However, it was undoubtedly true that those who drank from the Fountain of Youth would preserve their youth—whoever drank from it would have their appearance permanently fixed at the moment they took the sip. If they were a child, they would remain that age forever, either fifteen or sixteen.
Because of this effect, the water of the Fountain of Youth was a rare treasure that drove everyone—especially noble ladies—wild with desire. Besides this benefit, the Fountain of Youth could also heal wounds. Its efficacy might not exceed that of high holy water, but it could regenerate limbs and heal disabilities, leading many to offer any price for it.
However, the Fountain of Youth only appeared in the Black Forest and often had extremely limited capacity; most could fill just a few cups before running dry. This made the water of the Fountain of Youth extremely rare on the continent, appearing only twice in the Year of Celestial Conjunction and the Moonlit Year.
Now the Elven Queen was telling him that there was a Fountain of Youth in Erlandta, which had been in use for nearly half a century without drying up. What did that imply?
What shocked him even more was that this item had been gifted to the Wild Elves by someone connected to him. How immense must that gesture have been?
No wonder the Wild Elves didn’t hesitate at all in their decision to give him the Dragon Avoidance Pearl; compared to such a great favor, the pearl was indeed of little consequence.
The moment Brendel heard the words “Singing Spring,” he was instantly moved. He couldn’t help but be excited. Setting aside his promise to use the Fountain of Youth to restore Dierphir to her former self, in recompense for the sacrifices she made during the battle with Ampere Seale, this item might also be useful for the Centaur Lamia’s crystallization condition.
However, these weren’t the key points; the most crucial aspect was that most Fountains of Youth were associated with another item.
That was the Singing Silver.
Only the Fountain of Youth imbued with Singing Silver could truly be called a Singing Spring. This item was far more rare than the Fountain of Youth itself; even deep within the Black Forest, legends of it existed only as myths.
And Singing Silver was linked to another crucial item for Brendel: a little-known secret in Valhalla. Once he had a continuous supply of Singing Silver, Bud and his divine craftsmen would be able to restore the Valkyries’ armor continuously. Valhalla could then truly have an eighth-tier army—the Brynhildr and her Valkyrie companions.
Although resurrecting the Valkyries would also require river gold, the Teeth that Cut the Future, and the Windrider Horses, river gold was far less valuable than Singing Silver. Not to mention, the dragons certainly had some. As for the Teeth that Cut the Future, Brendel had already planned to ask the Kehua sisters for some of the broken teeth from their past wars.
In this way, aside from the Windrider Horses, the other issues could be readily resolved. As for the mounts for the Valkyries, he could venture to purchase them from the Wind Spirits; though the price was exorbitant, simply trading one Windrider Horse for a single combat-capable eighth-tier being was an incredibly profitable deal that Brendel was determined to make.
He was momentarily lost in beautiful fantasies when the Elven Queen seemed to see through his thoughts, gently reminding him, “Mister Brendel, before the item is returned to its rightful owner, I must remind you about the issue concerning that Singing Spring.”
“Your Majesty, what do you mean?” Brendel came back to his senses from his daydream, slightly stunned, as he asked, having never heard of any side effects from the Fountain of Youth. This belief was precisely why people regarded it as Martha’s blessing.
“The Singing Spring you mention was discovered in the Aljan region; it is a rare active spring, continuously generating water. However, due to some past issues, that water has become contaminated and may have some side effects,” the Elven Queen explained. “It is said that the dragons once used special methods to extract the power from that spring, which allowed it to become tainted by dark magic. While the water still retains the general properties of the Fountain of Youth, those who drink it might experience some bodily changes.”
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand…”
“In short, those who drink from it will immediately stop aging and maintain a certain stage while losing all powers—including both natural and supernatural abilities, and…”
“And?” Brendel’s brow furrowed; the side effects seemed astonishingly severe. If the Elven Queen was not deceiving him, then those who drank this water could become completely incapacitated—at least by the standards of this world.
“And… will lose their fertility.”
