236. Chapter 236: Act 3 – The Letter (3) (Double Request for Monthly Votes, First Update)
Just as Brendel was about to mention Funiya, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open without warning. The young lord paused mid-sentence, slightly annoyed at the rudeness of the intruder. He turned around and was greeted by one of the three faces outside—a distinctive one, with a face that had rock-like angles beneath dark skin and deep-set light grey eyes beneath white eyebrows. Braided hair hung in thick strands at the back of his head, resting on a bear-skin coat. “Sir, you can’t—” the mercenary, who had been forced inside, stopped abruptly and turned to apologize to the young lord, “My lord, it’s them.”
Brendel waved his hand, indicating it was nothing. He raised his head to look at the tall Druid standing by the door; he recognized this Druid as Andrew, one of the elders of the withered wood council. The two individuals behind him were named Reid and Ram, both young members of the forest’s newer generation.
As the mercenary stepped outside, he closed the door behind him, and the room fell silent.
Andrew, with his keen, hawk-like gaze, scrutinized the furnishings inside the room. Just following a night of battle, the room had yet to be re-arranged. It maintained its original dark and red theme favored by Baron Grudin, but a sharp smell on the thick carpet caused the Druid elder to frown slightly.
Once the guard left, Antinna finally stood up, a bit angry. “What are you doing?” Despite her petite stature, she boldly glared at the visitors, questioning, “How can you just barge in like this?”
Brendel sighed at her words, thinking that those who spent all their days among beasts indeed lacked the manners to deal with people in the civilized world. However, he stopped Antinna when he noticed Funiya hiding behind the three towering Druids. Every time he saw the little girl’s vibrant, vine-like, long green hair flowing like a waterfall, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of refreshment and amazement. Funiya shyly smiled at him from behind the Druids. Brendel’s expression softened slightly, and he spoke up:
“So, what is going on here?”
He had already confirmed that the Druids were here for Funiya. The Druids of the forest were a special force in the Amber Sword; they adhered to their pact with Nia, residing beyond the civilized borders in the Black Forest. Besides documenting the effects of the magical moon on animals in the wild, they also monitored the growth of the Black Forest. However, some Druids had good relations with the local residents and would occasionally leave the forest to warn them of monster invasions. Nevertheless, the Druids from the withered wood council certainly did not belong to this category; their appearance here meant that something had happened in the forest—just what could it be that was related to a little girl like Funiya, who was so innocent to the world?
“My lord, we have come to take Funiya,” Andrew replied rigidly.
Brendel was not surprised. “What do you mean?” He asked while glancing at Funiya. But the little girl avoided his gaze, looking down and nodding—leaving him feeling a bit puzzled.
“So, what is it,” Brendel said, looking at the three Druids, “that you want from me?”
“Well, my lord,” the young man standing behind Andrew interjected, “we consulted with Miss Funiya, her father, and the elder of Viridien Village, but Miss Funiya insists on your consent before she leaves.”
“Is that so?” Brendel looked down at Funiya.
“Yes,” Funiya quietly replied, “Brother Brendel.”
The young lord glanced at her and then back at Andrew’s group. He pondered for a moment, increasingly feeling that something was off. “So what exactly is happening,” he frowned and asked, “just spit it out.”
“Miss Funiya requests that we form an alliance with you, my lord,” Andrew’s light grey gaze fixed on him, unblinking, as if assessing an element within the decayed aristocratic system of Erluin. He continued, “It is said that you got into trouble trying to save her,” Andrew’s stilted Cruz accent hit every syllable with force, “we considered it and found it acceptable, but there are several conditions—”
“Hold on,” Brendel interrupted firmly, raising his hand. “I’m not interested in human trafficking; you’d better explain this whole matter to me clearly.”
The room fell silent, drawing glances from Antinna and Flour.
The three Druids exchanged looks, then Andrew spoke, “Alright, my lord. This matter starts with the reason for our departure from the forest; a prophecy from the saint has emerged,” Brendel raised an eyebrow at this, but maintained his patience to listen further. The Druid elder continued, “The revelation mentions that a little girl, inheriting the will of Lady Nia, is to be born on this land.” He paused, “…and we believe this little girl is Funiya.”
“Revelation?” Brendel murmured softly—within the world of Vaunte, although gods manifested as laws, they possessed wills that could influence the world. When this will intervened in mortal history, a prophecy would descend, known as a saint’s prophecy. But he glanced at Funiya, first suspecting that these Druids might be deceiving him. However, Druids would never joke in the name of the forest god unless they were imposters—but they were certainly not imposters; there was no fooling Brendel’s eyes with Druid spells.
This news caught him off guard; if Funiya was born under such a command, did that not make her a chosen one? Brendel further recalled Grudin’s actions against Funiya, and perhaps even Madara’s undead had received some revelation from this prophecy. Moreover, it was possible that the Baron had also received wind of this from those skeletal remains; thus, the previous mysteries became comprehensible. It appeared that the connections between Count Rendener and Madara were not merely a simple matter of mutual exploitation… From this prophecy, the possibility of a deeper alliance could not be ruled out. But involving both the Druids and Madara’s undead in one prophecy would likely not be a simple matter concerning just Nia.
Brendel could not help but think that the forest goddess and the undead were irreconcilable, and that the dark dragon could only seek refuge with Madara.
With this, the matter had become complicated.
“How can you be sure that the one mentioned in the prophecy is,” Brendel asked earnestly, “Funiya?”
“My lord, we have ways to confirm.” Reid replied.
“Ways?”
Andrew nodded and immediately bent down and spoke to Funiya, “Miss Funiya, could you please turn around?” The tall Druid made a respectful gesture toward the small girl, who was not even half his height, bending down like a heavy bear, appearing quite amusing. However, Funiya obediently nodded, turning around and tucking her long hair behind her pretty ears with her hand, allowing Brendel to see a beautiful pattern on her snow-white nape.
It was a leaf-shaped pattern, radiating from a thumb-sized green gem at the center, forming a network of veins. When Brendel saw that pattern, he nearly leapt out of his seat, “Nia’s holy mark!” he exclaimed, instinctively gripping the table as he blurted out, “By Martha, the Daughter of the Forest!”
Andrew nodded to Funiya, who let her hair fall back down and turned around to shyly smile. But the tall Druid’s expression became serious again as he looked at Brendel, “My lord,” Andrew began, “do you know this legend?”
“Are you referring to the Saint of the Forest?” Brendel managed to calm himself and nodded, “I forgot to introduce myself—actually, I am not Viscount Gunstin; that was merely an identity I used to deceive Grudin. You can call me Brendel; I am a Highland Knight. Mr. Charles, whom you met earlier, is my wizard retainer,” he paused, “In fact, I have learned many things since studying under my mentor, and I heard about the legend of the Saint of the Forest during that time…”
Brendel half-truthfully finished the clichéd lie, and the three Druids showed no opposition but instead seemed somewhat enlightened. Wizards were knowledgeable, making them an excellent excuse for Brendel to conceal his identity; furthermore, Charles would never expose this lie. However, their expressions changed instantly when the young lord said one more thing: “The Saint of the Forest is the key to Valhalla—”
“You mean Valhalla?” Andrew nearly lunged forward to grip Brendel’s collar, but then stopped upon realizing that this seemingly ordinary young man seated in the chair was, in fact, a formidable golden-tier fighter. He hesitated, stopping to ask, “My lord, are you saying there’s a connection between Valhalla and the Saint of the Forest? That mythical land that only exists in legends?”
“You don’t know?” Brendel was taken aback. The Saint of the Forest was the one chosen by Nia, the Daughter of the Forest. The only heir of the Valhalla bloodline had a substantial connection with this group of Druids; he found it hard to believe they were entirely oblivious. But he shook his head, “Valhalla does not only exist in legends; on the contrary, it has always existed within this forest.” He raised his head, “But I am quite curious; having lived in this forest all your lives, how could you remain ignorant?”
The Druids exchanged glances before quietly discussing among themselves for a moment, then calming down. “The existence of Valhalla has long been a legend in this area. It is said that this lost land is one of the few guardian places left by Lady Martha,” Ram said, “As for stories that are so ancient, no one can confirm. However, it is said that Valhalla possesses a ‘primordial spark’, and if it can be reignited, the Black Forest south of Toniger will transform into a realm of order and guardianship,” He couldn’t help but swallow, “In that case, the work of the many Druids of the Withered Wood Council guarding this land for generations could finally conclude, and we would have something to report to Lady Nia.”
“So,” Brendel glanced at them, “this is the significance of the ‘revelation’.”
……
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①: The Forest Goddess
②: A kind of wilderness. The Black Forest lies on the borders of Vaunte, a vast forest beyond civilization. It stretches from southern Erluin to the areas bordering Saint Ausoor, the Knight Order’s territory of Grey, and even to the borders of Erlandta. Long ago, during the dark ages, humanity had already learned to explore and develop new guardianships within the Black Forest. (To be continued. To find out what happens next, please log in for more chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)
