“Hey, there! Calm down, will ya?”
“Now, if your legs are numb, why are you clinging to me like that??” Tillysha tried to turn over, but her beautifully crafted, ivory arms, akin to artistic masterpieces, were still lightly hugging herself. Despite the lack of strength in her embrace, Tillysha couldn’t break away no matter what.
Of course, she was in an incredibly weakened state now. Her Divine Authority and realm control seemed completely illusory, and even the slightest breeze might knock her over.
“Don’t move too much. Tillysha hasn’t worn any hair decorations, and her body is very weak right now. She shouldn’t be moving around,” Bilodis gently adjusted Tillysha’s head on her pale, plump thighs and meticulously smoothed out the slightly disheveled bangs on her forehead.
Tillysha noticed then that a faint streak of pale golden brilliance was diffusing from Bilodis’ body and slowly flowing into her like a tranquil stream.
Simultaneously, she felt her empty shell gradually being filled, as if inserting cotton into a hollow doll.
Turns out Bilodis had been holding her earlier in order to transfer power and vitality to her. She attempted to move slightly, lifting her delicate wrist, and it was indeed less strenuous compared to before.
After much ado, this so-called ‘cheap-o sister’ wasn’t just taking advantage of her weakness—she was actually giving her vitality… though it didn’t entirely clear her of any suspicion.
“How about it, Tillysha? Are you feeling a little better?”
“Uh… I… feel better,” Tillysha hesitated for a moment. “Thank you.”
“Why should you thank your sister, Tillysha?” Just after Tillysha said these words, she felt a cooling touch on her forehead. She softly exhaled “ouch” and lifted her head, only to gaze into those affectionate eyes resembling rippling lakes that were now looking indulgently at her, while hinting at a touch of feminine resentment.
“Can I… be let down now?”
“Before that, Tillysha, can you explain why you’re wearing this outfit?”
“Because of you.” Tillysha glanced at Bilodis with a slightly reproachful glare. “Do you even know what time it is? You lured me out in the middle of the night without giving me any time to change clothes. Of course, I’m wearing a nightgown!”
“This outfit certainly isn’t very elegant.”
“Uh… what?” Tillysha suddenly felt her elevation change, and before she realized it, she was lifted into a bridal-carry by Bilodis, her waist secured while her knees were supported.
“Where are you taking me?”
“These rags can’t stay on, so I’m going to find a proper outfit for you.” Saying this, Bilodis walked out of the palace hall into the expansive courtyard.
The golden wood palace was much bigger than it appeared, composed of numerous halls encircling a grand central courtyard.
Lavish flowing skirts dragged on the floor, translucent gold gauze flitted like butterfly wings, and an opulent crown embellished with wings and pure lilies, signifying the messenger of the Mother Goddess of the Forests.
The golden hair elf girl held another elf girl, who bore striking resemblance to her, as they traversed the central courtyard.
Through this, Tillysha got a view of the courtyard, with picturesque scenery: tranquil mountains and rivers, trickling forest streams, and butterflies dancing like flower petals in the bushes and among the flowers. Deer and magpies were spotted darting between the lush greenery, exuding natural peace and quiet serenity, perfectly blending architecture with nature.
The elves viewed all creatures as creations of the Mother Goddess of the Spring, hence coexisted peacefully with all life forms.
Compared to humans, animals had no ulterior motives or ill intent. The conditions to live peacefully with them merely required communication. Humans, on the other hand, were far more complex in their relationships.
In a certain sense, for elves, innocent animals were far easier to get along with than humans with intricate minds.
Tillysha noticed that these deer differed from the ones typically seen outside. Their antlers and size were much larger, and their antlers bore countless peach-colored blossoms, bright and extremely beautiful.
Moreover, among the jungle, there were occasional sightings of several unicorns with entirely purple bodies dashing through the woods.
Sensing new arrivals in the palace, these unicorns hid behind the bushes or tree trunks, observing Bilodis with curiosity.
It wasn’t due to fear—these magical creatures weren’t afraid of the elves—but were somewhat shy to approach. Especially the unicorns, as endangered magical creatures in Caleburn, were quite proud. They had high standards, allowing only pure-hearted maidens to ride them.
Additionally, the vegetation here was significantly different from what Tillysha had witnessed in Caleburn.
The dense forests seemed to block out the sky, and the trees were of unknown species, growing incredibly tall and wide, some akin to new sprouts but towering as high as a belfry.
Perhaps only such a unique ecological environment could allow these rare and exotic creatures to thrive here. Of course, overhunting by humans also played a role in driving these creatures to extinction.
Even though this was a separate dimension, it was a place isolated from conflict, hunting expeditions, and greedy humans. For these creatures, there could be no better home than this.
Tillysha was completely mesmerized by the sights in the courtyard, not even noticing the position in which Bilodis was holding her.
In her eyes, all these sights were incredibly fascinating, even though they hadn’t particularly caught her attention before.
As they were passing through the courtyard, a gaze shot out from the jungle, fixating solely on Tillysha cradled in Bilodis’ arms.
“This is the origin of the spirits of all things, the place where the Mother Goddess of the Forest was born, and it’s also where the Gold Holy Tree was born. Our elves are the tender sprouts that sprouted from the Holy Tree.” Noticing Tillysha’s curiosity about the courtyard, Bilodis gracefully curved her lips and tenderly stroked Tillysha’s hair as she explained.
“Moreover, it’s thanks to the nourishment of the Gold Holy Tree that this land thrives, with an abundance of vegetative varieties. Even a seed that has been stir-fried, when it falls on this soil, can quickly flower and bear fruit, and grow into a towering tree.”
“This is the grace bestowed by the Gold Holy Tree, a surging force of lush vitality like a gushing spring.”
Tillysha followed Bilodis’ gaze towards the giant tree beyond the courtyard, which seemed to grow right from the core of the earth.
The palace was located on the highest branch of this giant tree. Despite that, from this angle, you could still see the top of the tree heading towards the heavens.
The bark glistened under the lights, emitting a dull golden hue. The Golden Wood must have derived its name from here.
“Our Holy Tree is the biggest Golden Tree in the world. The elves, generation after generation, are protected under the shade of this ‘Mother Tree,’ flourishing in this fertile land.”
“This ‘Mother Tree’ of the elves is now in trouble, and now it’s our turn to protect it.” Bilodis’s voice carried a trace of melancholy.
Tillysha looked up at the crown of the Holy Tree. Indeed, many parts of it were withering. If it were a person, it would be akin to being severely balding.
She remembered Litte had once said that every leaf and branch of the Elf Sacred Tree represented a Gold Elf. When the Gold Elf’s life faded, so did the foliage.
After seeing the true form of the holy tree up close, Tillysha felt that this rumor wasn’t entirely correct. If each leaf represented a Gold Elf, the population of Gold Elves would be far too numerous.
Based on the current semi-dead status of the Gold Elves, it was highly likely that one branch or even one fork represented a Gold Elf.
If in the past, the branches of the ‘mother tree’ of the elves were lush and verdant, the number of Gold Elves might not be less than tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.
Now…
This tree on the verge of being bald? It was really uncertain how many branches and leaves remained.
What was referred to as ‘encountering trouble’, could it mean that the Gold Elves were facing extinction?
Tillysha couldn’t help but think.
Come to think of it up to now, she had only seen two Gold Elves: Bilodis and herself.
According to the robustness of the tree, it shouldn’t have been down to just her and Bilodis, right?
If that were the case, the Gold Elves would truly be finished, with only two female survivors and close relatives, utterly severing the possibility of reproducing.
Tillysha thought of another issue. Secret realms and other secondary dimensions, unlike the Caleburn built by the Seven Saints, couldn’t be so stable. To maintain the stability of the secret realm, it could only be continuously ‘fed’ by someone incredibly powerful.
Tillysha couldn’t help but look at Bilodis.
If that were the case, everything was finally making sense—why Bilodis couldn’t leave the secret realm, or even the hall.
This realm would instantly collapse without her.
The previous Elf King was presumably martyred in the war against the Demon race, leaving the future of the elf race to the eldest princess Bilodis all on her own, with her younger sister also perishing in the same battle.
It dawned on Tillysha that Bilodis bore no small burden.
For some reason, looking at Bilodis, who seemed calm on the surface, Tillysha couldn’t help but feel an odd stir of discomfort.
“We’re here,” Bilodis suddenly announced as she carried Tillysha to the eastern wing of the palace complex.
Warm, gentle lighting was reflected off the golden wood flooring, emitting a dazzling golden glow. Tillysha’s eyes swept over the spacious and luxurious chamber with a giant Ryu wood floor-to-ceiling window at its center, adorned with various kinds of clothing displays.
These countless pieces of clothing dazzled Tillysha.
Cool, elf-style jungle explorer costumes, opulent imperial ball gowns with décolleté, demi-human style windbreaker robes—styles and designs from virtually every race and country imaginable.
“Just me and Lailyn are left in this palace now. The tailors, maids, guards—they’re all gone.”
“Some of these designs are from the top elf designers, others acquired through trade. Four hundred years ago, after everyone left, I couldn’t bear the thought of all these clothes being left to gather dust, so I cast a preservation spell on every single piece.”
Upon Bilodis’ explanation, Tillysha noticed how these clothes shimmered with a soft, golden hue akin to morning mist—Bilodis’ preservation magic.
But…
Tillysha took in the endless corridor, unable to imagine just how many pieces of clothing there were here, and just how much energy it would take to cast a spell on each one.
Is Bilodis’ spirit energy reservoir really so monstrous?
“All the clothes here are new, most of them not even touched once yet, Tillysha, which ones do you like?” Bilodis asked with a smile.
“I think the one I’m wearing is fine.”
“No, it won’t do.” Bilodis interjected. “Tillysha, we’re back at the ancestral lands, it’s inappropriate to wear such loose fabric.”
“It seems there’s still much to teach you in terms of etiquette.”
“I’ll pick it myself.” After being carried around by Bilodis the entire way, as pleasant as it physically felt due to her soft, fragrant body, Tillysha couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, especially since it was Bilodis.
Her snow-white, porcelain feet touched the golden wood floor, which was not rough in the least but extraordinarily smooth, perfectly polished and maintained.
Lifting the oversized men’s pajamas that had fallen to her collarbone, Tillysha glanced over her shoulder at Bilodis standing behind her, hands clasped together, smiling naturally yet somehow still radiating a sense of curiosity.
“………I’m about to change.”
“Sure thing.” Bilodis agreed, her smile still present as she simply stood watching Tillysha.
“Umm, Miss Bilodis, can you please at least close the door?”
Seeing that she would have to clarify her intentions, Tillysha couldn’t help but add, “You need to leave.”
“Alright then.” But Bilodis acted as if she hadn’t caught the meaning behind Tillysha’s words, walking gracefully over to close the door.
The door was indeed closed, but Bilodis was still in the room, watching her incessantly as if it were perfectly logical and justified.
How was she supposed to change like that?
Watching Bilodis’ seemingly clueless and absolutely perfect smile, Tillysha finally abandoned her roundabout tactics and stated clearly.
“Miss Bilodis, can you kindly step outside, please?”
“Even I have to leave?”
“Of course, I’m changing, why are you still here?”
“Waaaah, Tillysha’s grown up! She doesn’t need her sister anymore and is chasing her out just for changing clothes.”
Saying this, Bilodis even mimed wiping tears, but Tillysha knew this woman wasn’t shedding a tear—she was simply fake crying.
Just pure drama.
Recalling Bilodis’ dignified and authoritative demeanor during their first meeting, then looking at this current version of her who had resorted to acting—these two personalities seemed impossible to belong to the same person.
“Didn’t you always call me to bathe with you and asked me to rub your back, saying things like rubbing helps growth…?”
“I never said anything like that!?” For some reason, hearing Bilodis say this, Tillysha reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, refuting immediately with a few blushes appearing on her cheeks, unsure if it was from sheer embarrassment or discomfort.
A moment later, Tillysha realized she was reacting too intensely.
Why was she even reacting like someone who’d been exposed? She didn’t even have any of these memories.
