Chapter 935: Act 108 – The Nature Affinity Emblem VII
The Nature Affinity Emblem, or the Earth’s Seal.
Brendel’s understanding of it was limited to its role as a sigil of Erlandta, a badge gifted by the Sage Lord to several of her close associates, including a few great Druids of the World Ring. Beyond that, all legends regarding it in the world of Vaunte seemed rather nebulous. Some claimed it to be a sacred artifact similar to the Queen Wind’s Ring, while others insisted it was merely a symbol of special significance, serving only for honor and status.
But now, it appeared that the power of this brooch-like emblem surpassed any of the rumors surrounding it.
Before Brendel, a green light emanated from the sprite, forming a luminous barrier that pushed aside the silver glow of Tiamat’s Grip. He could now see that the silver light was actually a chain of light without physical form, which was being repelled by the Nature Affinity Emblem, remaining outside the barrier. This scene made it abundantly clear that the Nature Affinity Emblem was protecting the sprite.
In the world of Vaunte, there were many trigger-based protective items, some of which were high-tier and could actively ‘revive’, ‘teleport’, or temporarily shield the protector within another dimensional semi-space. The automatic generating protective shield he was witnessing was, in fact, quite low-level.
The issue was that this barrier was opposing a true divine artifact, an ancient item recorded in the myths of the Crusian people—Tiamat’s Grip—which could not advance an inch beyond the luminous screen produced by the Nature Affinity Emblem.
In fact, the power exhibited by the Nature Affinity Emblem was far from being as simple as it appeared.
As the green halo spread outward, Brendel vaguely felt the vibrations of another rule-line, a type he was all too familiar with, as it was likely some spatial rule. This vibration was subtle, and just as he was beginning to question whether he perceived it incorrectly, the reaction from Queen Gwendolyn across from him was much more pronounced — the change in her face answered the question Brendel was pondering.
“How did this thing end up here?!” the Dragon Queen exclaimed.
Then, to Brendel’s astonishment, the Dragon Queen suddenly withdrew Tiamat’s Grip’s offensive stance, looking somewhat apprehensive as she cast a glance upward — at that same moment, an inexplicable force radiated above the hive, calm and steady, yet possessing an inviolable majesty. It was like a pair of tranquil, ancient eyes, quietly observing everything happening in the darkness below. Under this gaze, nobody could muster the heart to resist.
Whether facing Marlaxias or Gwendolyn, who could both remain unflinching, Brendel suddenly understood who this gaze belonged to.
There was probably only one person in this world who could make the Dragon Queen display such an expression with merely a glance.
Gwendolyn frowned, her face showing annoyance and regret. She shot the sprite a resentful look, then turned to Brendel. Yet, though her lips moved, she lacked the courage to utter any harsh words, directly turning to hasten into the depths of the cave. By the time Brendel and QiYala reacted, the Dragon Queen had already vanished into the darkness, leaving nothing but a silhouette behind. In just a moment, she disappeared without a trace.
Silence enveloped the dark cavern, an eeriness settling over everything.
The pressure of the dragon race, the terrifying coercion brought by the artifact, and the impending sense of doom — sensations that had been all too real moments ago now felt like a mirage, suddenly dissipating into nothingness.
Brendel vaguely understood why Gwendolyn had left so abruptly. It was not merely the Nature Affinity Emblem on the sprite but the message that the Emblem was sending to an unknown space. If he guessed correctly, that message’s ultimate destination lay in the World Tree Hall of the World Ring — the dwelling that the Sage Erlandta hadn’t left since the Great Holy War.
And the terrifying aura that had appeared for a moment could only belong to one person.
Gwendolyn’s sudden retreat did not imply she was cowardly. On the contrary, Brendel found her decision to be extremely wise and reasonable. She clearly recognized the Nature Affinity Emblem on the sprite and understood its significance, which accounted for her dramatic reaction.
Brendel vaguely guessed the origin of this emblem.
It was indeed the sigil of Erlandta.
But it also wasn’t.
Because it was a leaf from the World Tree.
The Nature Affinity Emblem was actually a leaf of the World Tree — legends say that the leaves of the World Tree are permanently linked to its trunk. No matter where they fall in the world, fallen leaves are meant to return to their roots. The leaves come from where they are meant to return. Brendel recalled a saying from the game, where players were eager to find ways to enhance their relationships with legendary NPCs, as quests related to these NPCs were often hidden, high-level, or even epic quests.
Yet among all the NPCs, the hardest to approach and understand was undoubtedly Sage Erlandta.
Erlandta’s reputation could not be overstated; within all of Vaunte, no player had remained unaware of her existence. If there was anyone in this world — regardless of the Silver People or the Ironborne — who could be considered the pinnacle of humanity, it would be Erlandta.
Countless individuals had sought ways to draw closer to this Sage, both in the early and late stages of the game.
But invariably, they had all failed.
In fact, since the Great Holy War, the Sage Erlandta had remained in the center of the World Ring — the World Tree Yard — without leaving, and aside from the star of the Sage shimmering in the night sky as proof of her continued existence, no one had seen her in a thousand years.
The wild elves could not and would not have imprisoned her, so the only plausible reason was that the Sage had isolated herself.
But had she truly become indifferent to the outside world?
Players speculated that it might not be so, as later in Chapter 4, when facing the head wolf Echis, the Druids of the World Ring acted with perfect timing. Although the Sage hadn’t made an appearance, many wondered whether she had secretly participated in that fierce battle.
Now it seemed clear.
The answer was affirmative.
The reason lay with these leaves of the World Tree.
These leaves were the eyes of Sage Erlandta. Their numbers scattered throughout the world may not be many, but each leaf was safeguarded by someone close to Erlandta. This Sage protected these individuals while also using them to observe the world. Though Brendel could not understand why she would do so, he was almost certain who this sprite before him was.
She could not possibly be a Druid.
So, she had to be connected to the royal family of the wild elves.
While pondering this, he suddenly heard the voice of Queen Saint Ausoor in his mind: “Brendel.”
“Lady Queen Wind?” Brendel was slightly taken aback, but soon understood why she, who had recently been elusive, would suddenly appear; clearly, she too sensed the familiar aura. For them, that Sage was an unattainable being, but for this noble soul contained within the Queen Wind Ring, she had once been a close comrade, an old friend.
“Do you feel it, Lady Queen Wind?” Brendel asked.
“You are not mistaken, that is indeed her,” Saint Ausoor responded, “and she has also sensed my presence.”
Brendel was slightly startled; he had not considered this matter, but since Erlandta noticed the Queen Wind’s presence, she would clearly be aware of him as well.
Being acknowledged by a Sage was a situation he could not quickly assess as good or bad.
After all, in the previous history, no player had ever achieved such a thing — this opportunity was a dream come true for players, yet they would never have expected that the spark would lie between the Queen Wind Ring and the Nature Affinity Emblem, and either of them existing alone would likely not trigger such a scenario. This was a rare opportunity, but for Brendel at this moment, it might not count as a good thing; engaging with higher beings often brought about greater troubles behind the scenes, aside from mere benefits.
In gaming terms, it likely meant this quest would be exceptionally difficult.
However, Brendel decided not to dwell on it for the time being; after all, there was little chance Erlandta would come looking for him anytime soon. Moreover, she had indeed helped scare Gwendolyn away, at least alleviating the immediate crisis. Furthermore, Lady Queen Wind had taken the initiative to find him, likely to offer him advice — after all, even in the face of a dragon queen, this Sage had been uninterested in saying a word to him. According to her theory, she was not Brendel’s nanny but his instructor; thus, she could impart knowledge to him but would not step in to protect him at such a time.
Occasionally, Brendel found this viewpoint annoying; who wouldn’t want a Sage to lend a hand whenever needed? However, he understood her good intentions.
Of course, the elf senior sister was not one to remain silent forever, and when the moment was right, she would always offer insights to her ‘prideful pupil.’
“She indeed noticed you, but not due to my presence. The secret of the Queen Wind Ring was already known to Erlandta back then; it was hardly a secret for her — the reason she noticed you, I likely need not explain,” Saint Ausoor said to Brendel.
“What reason?” Brendel opened his mouth, only to suddenly realize he had asked a foolish question, but he could not help furrowing his brow: “…she figured it out?”
“More or less, after all, we are long-standing adversaries, and we are very sensitive to his legacy,” Saint Ausoor replied.
Brendel’s expression shifted; although Saint Ausoor’s attitude towards Odin had led him to form different speculations about the relationship between these Sages and the Dark Dragon — historically, the four Sages and the Dark Dragon were considered deadly enemies, but evidence hinted it might not be so dire. It made sense, as the four Sages were students of Tumen, and considering Tumen’s relationship with the Dark Dragon, their connection to it was unlikely as terrible as the official narrative described.
It now appeared that the disputes between the two parties largely stemmed from moral grounds rather than personal animosities. However, the four Sages were distinct individuals. Saint Ausoor’s perspective did not represent everyone; Gilt was reputedly the most radical among the four, while Erlandta was known for her leniency. But after a thousand years, who could say for certain? If anyone could determine this, it would likely be this Sage’s old comrade.
Thus, Brendel humbly sought advice from the elf senior sister — his teacher: “What does Erlandta think? She wouldn’t want to eliminate her only disciple, would she?”
Saint Ausoor smiled slightly, finding Brendel’s remark amusing: “Not to that extent, however, had it been some time ago, I might not say the same; the deaths of us few heavily impacted Sister Erlandta, and she likely would not have spared you back then. But now, after a thousand years, our perspectives have shifted greatly since our youth. She didn’t say much to me just now, and regarding you, my ‘only’ student, she won’t go too far.”
Brendel heaved a sigh of relief and replied, “But there’s definitely something else behind this, right?”
He understood that even if Lady Queen Wind was in a good mood today, she would not have come to relay such trivialities without reason.
Saint Ausoor nodded.
“She saw Gwendolyn.”
“That dragon?” Brendel asked, slightly taken aback. “Didn’t you see her too?”
“I’m not the same as her,” Saint Ausoor replied testily. “Sister Erlandta has survived until now due to a pact among the four of us; what her task is, I don’t need to elaborate, you can guess. She has monitored this world for a thousand years, and she knows more than I do about the events of the past millennium. The appearances of Gwendolyn and Jotungrund seem strange to me, but they mean something different to her.”
“What’s different about it?” Brendel inquired, intrigued. This was something he had always wanted to know, and to his surprise, he received an answer from the Sage.
The elf senior sister shook her head.
“I can’t say for sure; after all, we lack direct communication. However, I can sense some of her thoughts. This matter likely pertains to you, Brendel.”
“Pertaining to me?” Brendel’s brow furrowed slightly; he first thought of his grandfather. At present, it seemed Gwendolyn’s and the others’ only connection to him was through this mysterious grandfather. Besides that, there was the Holy War and how Erluin, Jotungrund, and Cruz — three originally independent kingdoms — were now all tied together by this conflict. However, the only link Erluin had to the Holy War fell upon him, which could also count as something related to him.
What else could it be?
Xi?
Or perhaps the Queen herself?
Brendel shook his head; there were too many clues. Besides, another matter came to mind. Earlier, QiYala had told him that Gwendolyn stood on the side of the Silver Queen. The situation had been too urgent before for him to delve into it, but thinking back on it now, the implications were monumental. On one side represented Jotungrund, and on the other was the empire’s supreme ruler — the one Rogers and the others had long sought was actually the Queen?
This joke had gone too far.
“What should I do?” Brendel pondered the complexities but decided to ask directly — it was his good habit to be straightforward, which was, simply put, out of laziness. The Queen Wind shot him a disapproving look: “This is what Erlandta hopes you will help with; the situation in the Cruz Empire is quite unusual, and it seems to have exceeded her expectations — or rather, Gwendolyn’s presence has raised her alertness.”
Suddenly, Brendel recalled something, interrupting the Queen Wind: “You don’t want me to inform the dragon race, do you?”
“Eh, how did you guess?”
“Come on,” Brendel replied with some annoyance. “It’s obvious she knows about the agreement between the dragon race and the Cruz Empire, and at this point, I’m the only one left in the dark. Martha’s in on it.”
The Queen Wind smiled slightly: “And there’s one more thing — that little girl.”
Upon hearing this, Brendel blinked, as he didn’t need the elf senior sister to remind him; he had also recalled this essential issue.
Brendel turned his gaze toward the sprite standing anxiously beside QiYala, who resembled a child caught committing an offense, her head down, clutching her clothes nervously, too afraid to look at them even once. Seeing her like this, Brendel couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation; it was evident she was feigning innocence; earlier, she had been so bold, yet now she transformed into a demure young lady.
Who would believe that?
He could not help but chuckle, asking, “My dear Miss, we’re at this juncture, so you must introduce yourself.”
“I… I am a sprite,” she stammered, speaking weakly and uncertainly.
But unfortunately, this answer clearly didn’t satisfy Brendel.
