Splash— Splash—
The urgent sound of paddling approached from a distance.
"Your Excellency Castorice! We're here to save you! Hold on!" Calanthe's tearful shout tore through the calm of the lake.
She sat in another, larger wooden boat, flanked by two steady-breathing elven swordsmen and an Elven mage holding a staff.
Under Calanthe's guidance, the wooden boat was speeding at full sail toward the central lake area from earlier.
However, when their boat successfully arrived at the battlefield, everyone on board was stunned.
Because there was absolutely none of the terrifying scene Calanthe had described—no permeating black mist, wildly dancing tentacles, or monstrous waves.
The bright sunlight shone down without obstruction, and the sparkling lake surface was perfectly calm.
If it weren't for a few small fragments of the wooden boat floating on the water, silently telling of the fierce battle that had occurred not long ago, Calanthe would have thought she was under an illusion.
In the center of this "battlefield," Castorice was still standing quietly on that pedal formed by the river of souls.
At this moment, Castorice had already put away that giant purple scythe. With her head slightly lowered, she was staring at the lake surface, lost in thought.
Hearing the commotion from Calanthe and the others, Castorice slightly raised her head and looked over, spotting the large wooden boat and the four of them.
"Your Excellency Castorice... are... are you alright?"
At this time, Calanthe's voice rang out.
Castorice turned her head to look and saw Calanthe gazing at her with an expression of disbelief.
"I'm fine."
After replying, her gaze shifted to the two Elven mages beside Calanthe.
"Who are you?"
"Your Excellency Castorice." At this moment, the mage stepped forward, his voice steady. "I am Lunarian, the accompanying mage of the Moon-marked Clan's guard squad. Calanthe reported the emergency that occurred here. May I ask what exactly happened just now? Where are the black mist and the attacker?"
Saying this, he took out a rhombus-shaped crystal stone emitting a soft white light.
Hearing Lunarian's words, Castorice didn't answer but shifted her gaze up to the rhombus-shaped crystal stone in his hand.
"What is this?"
Seeing this, Lunarian followed Castorice's gaze and knew she was asking about the crystal, so he said:
"This is a recording crystal. It can record the current visual and conversation."
Castorice nodded, indicating she understood. After thinking for a moment, she recounted her discoveries and the encounter she just had.
However, when mentioning the final fate of that unknown entity, her words paused slightly. She glanced at the calm lake surface again, a trace of confusion in her tone:
"...Right after that extremely ear-piercing screech, all the attacks, including the black mist and tentacles, instantly dissipated just as suddenly as they had appeared. The lake surface also returned to calm. As for that hidden entity... it didn't appear before me in a physical form, and I don't know why it suddenly went silent."
She didn't explain her speculation, nor did she say that this monster was likely angered so much by her that it quit the stage.
She merely stated the simple fact that after she held out for a while, the monster just disappeared.
Lunarian listened attentively to Castorice's account, the recording crystal in his hand continuously emitting a steady white light.
After hearing Castorice's description, his frown deepened, and his expression grew extremely solemn.
"I understand, Your Excellency Castorice." Lunarian nodded cautiously, then put away the Cleansing Light Stone.
Then, his tone began to turn serious.
"Crescent Lake is our clan's sacred lake. The appearance of such a bizarre and evil creature at the center of the lake is a matter of grave importance. Our clan will definitely do everything in our power to thoroughly investigate this! For the danger you encountered, on behalf of the Moon-marked Clan of Shadow-fold Valley, I express my deepest apologies. We will certainly give you appropriate compensation." Pausing here, he looked at Castorice again and continued to promise, "At the same time, we also thank you for discovering this potential major threat in time. If the subsequent investigation confirms that everything you said is true, we will also offer an additional reward."
"Alright, I understand."
Castorice nodded slightly, then looked toward the wooden boat and said softly:
"So, can I leave now?"
"Please, go ahead."
Lunarian stepped aside to make room and said.
Seeing this, Castorice stepped onto the wooden boat. At this time, Calanthe came forward to greet her.
"Your Excellency Castorice... thank you for saving me. I... I don't even know how to thank you..."
She came before Castorice, lowered her head, and said softly.
"It's fine," Castorice replied softly. "You were just dragged into it. This matter shouldn't have had anything to do with you in the first place."
"No, saving my life is saving my life, regardless of whether I was dragged into it or not." Calanthe shook her head, her expression resolute. "I will figure out a way to repay you!"
"Alright, I'll be waiting."
Seeing this, Castorice didn't insist on declining anymore and responded to her with a smile.
The wooden boat slowly started moving, heading toward the lakeshore.
...
It was still that quaint council room shrouded in a soft magical halo. Around the giant circular wooden table, six figures sat in silence, the air so heavy it felt as if water could drip from it.
Seeing that all the elders had arrived, Patriarch Thorne slowly raised his eyelids. His gaze swept over the five seated elders, and his deep voice broke the silence:
"I never thought I would have to convene all of you again after just one day."
The silence pressed down on everyone's hearts like a physical weight.
At this time, Elder Erishelde cast her gaze toward Maria opposite her, then took the initiative to speak:
"Yes, Patriarch. What's even more disturbing is that both emergency meetings seem to be closely related to the arrival of our 'honored guest'." She deliberately emphasized the words 'honored guest'. "Elder Maria, I recall you promised yesterday to dispatch reliable personnel to 'monitor' Your Excellency Castorice's every move. Then, how do you explain the terrifying incident that suddenly occurred at Crescent Lake today? Your 'monitoring' seems to have failed to prevent any of this from happening."
Facing Erishelde's reprimand, Maria's expression remained as calm as water, only the fingers resting on her lap tightened slightly.
"Elder Erishelde, I must clarify." Her voice was steady and clear. "The duty of the watcher I dispatched was to observe and record, not to interfere. From nightfall yesterday until the incident occurred, Your Excellency Castorice remained in the treehouse with no abnormal behavior. When she went to the center of Crescent Lake today, she didn't perform any strange rituals either."
"The outbreak of the black mist was a sudden crisis, and she is equally one of the victims."
"A victim?" Erishelde let out a short sneer, making no secret of her suspicion. "This is a bit too much of a coincidence! Our Moon-marked Clan has enjoyed hundreds of years of peace in Shadow-fold Valley. Yet on the very second day of her arrival, the perfectly sealed Nether Moon suddenly acts up? Elder Maria, don't you find this strange?"
"Suspicion cannot replace evidence!" Maria's tone raised slightly, carrying an unquestionable sense of propriety. "We cannot blame everything on an outsider who has rescued members of our clan twice just because of a so-called 'coincidence' before finding conclusive evidence. This is absolutely not the attitude our Moon-marked Clan should have!"
"Enough." At this time, Patriarch Thorne's aged voice rang out, instantly suppressing their argument.
His gaze, bearing a heavy pressure, swept over the arguing pair, and then he slowly spoke:
"The dispute regarding the outsider's identity will be temporarily shelved. Right now, we are facing an even more pressing and grim reality." He paused, every word weighing heavily. "Just today, right after the anomaly at Crescent Lake... the Nether Moon's seal has experienced a severe loosening the likes of which hasn't been seen in a century!"
"Wh...?!"
"A severe loosening?!"
These words were like a boulder dropped into calm water! Including Maria and Erishelde, the other five elders all had drastic changes in their expressions, their eyes instantly filling with horror. The air in the council room seemed to be instantly sucked away, falling into a state that was enough to suffocate someone.
Patriarch Thorne's deep voice hammered into everyone's hearts word by word:
"We all know that the periodic loosening of the Nether Moon's seal is normal. According to past patterns, it should be at least ten more years before its power decays to a level requiring intervention. However, today's anomaly has directly and completely shattered this timeframe! What this means, I believe you elders already know in your hearts."
A deathly silence shrouded the council room. Maria's face turned pale, and she spoke with difficulty, her voice trembling slightly:
"Patriarch... are you saying that the scheduled sacrifice ritual... must be initiated ten years in advance?"
"There is no other choice." Patriarch Thorne slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again, his eyes leaving only unquestionable resolve.
"This is the core issue of why I urgently convened all of you. Time is no longer on our side."
"Ten years in advance..."
At this time, a male elf with a handsome face that often carried a touch of melancholy spoke up.
His fingertips unconsciously traced across the smooth tabletop, his tone filled with hesitation and unbearable pity.
"Patriarch, Elder Erishelde, is this... not too hasty? Ten years of time, for that child, is incredibly precious time to grow, and it is also... the peaceful life she rightfully deserves."
His words were full of sympathy for an innocent life whose future was about to be prematurely stripped away.
"Elder Orion." Erishelde's voice was cold and realistic. She didn't even look at Orion; her gaze remained fixed on Patriarch Thorne. "This is no longer the time to discuss whether it is hasty. The abnormal loosening of the seal far exceeds expectations. We cannot even be sure that if we delay for another ten years according to the original plan, the seal will hold until the moment the ritual begins!"
"Once the seal completely collapses, the entire Shadow-fold Valley, and even our Moon-marked Clan, will face a cataclysmic disaster! This is a life-or-death decision concerning the survival of the entire clan!" Pausing here, she took a deep breath, as if to suppress the equally complex emotions in her heart. Her voice, though carrying a trace of exhaustion, revealed a firm resolve. "As for fairness... in the face of the clan's survival, individual sacrifice is sometimes unavoidable. We must make compromises."
Finishing her words, Erishelde slightly lowered her head and muttered to herself:
"Besides... we are already unfair to that child. Even if another ten years pass, her life wouldn't change in the slightest."
"Sigh..." Seeing this, the male elf called Orion let out a long sigh, one filled with powerlessness and profound sorrow.
Following that, he lowered his eyes and said no more.
He knew that what Erishelde said was the cruel reality.
The ensuing discussion, though brief, was exceedingly heavy. Every elder had to face this choice that concerned the life and death of the clan.
Amidst the oppressive silence and brief statements of their stances, four elders ultimately nodded with difficulty.
Finally, everyone's gaze fell upon Maria.
Maria hung her head low, her gaze frozen on her clasped hands, her knuckles slightly white from exertion.
At this moment, she was clearly undergoing a fierce internal struggle. As the elder responsible for the clan members' welfare, she knew better than anyone what advancing it by ten years meant.
It wasn't just ten years of time; it was stripping a child of all her hopes and possibilities for the future.
Time ticked away second by second. This silence almost crushed the council room. Ultimately, under everyone's complex gazes, Maria extremely slowly... nodded her head.
She didn't speak, but that silent agreement appeared more poignant than any words.
"Mhm." Patriarch Thorne saw the result, but there wasn't the slightest bit of relief on his face, only a deeper solemnity.
He slowly stood up, his voice carrying unquestionable authority:
"Since the resolution is set, then begin preparations immediately. We will initiate the sacrifice ritual ahead of schedule. This matter is of grave importance, and not a single bit of negligence will be tolerated!"
After the Patriarch finished speaking, the elders stood up one after another, preparing to leave this suffocating room.
"Wait, Patriarch Thorne!" At this time, Erishelde's voice rang out again. "Regarding that outsider, Castorice... how should she be handled? The sacrifice ritual is our clan's highest secret; outsiders are absolutely not permitted to be present! Letting her observe is even more impossible!"
Patriarch Thorne paused his steps as he left his seat. He slowly turned around, his profound gaze looking at Erishelde, then sweeping over Maria, whose body had stiffened slightly.
Afterwards, he rubbed his furrowed brow and slowly said, "She took action twice to save our clan members. That is a fact. Regardless of whether this matter is related to her or not, our clan cannot ignore this favor."
"Therefore, after giving her a generous reward, let's send her safely out of Shadow-fold Valley before she discovers more secrets. If these matters have nothing to do with her, she shouldn't refuse our proposal. Meeting adjourned."
Having said that, Patriarch Thorne didn't linger. He took the lead, turning around and leaving the council room with slightly heavy steps.
Subsequently, the other elders also left in silence one after another, leaving only a heavy sorrow in the air.
In the blink of an eye, inside the spacious council room, only Maria, who remained standing stiffly in place, and Erishelde, who was preparing to leave, were left.
Erishelde walked to the door, stopped in her tracks, turned sideways, and cast her gaze at the silent Maria.
"Elder Maria, you heard the Patriarch's words very clearly just now."
Maria remained silent, like a frozen statue. Only her tightly clenched fists revealed her internal unrest.
Erishelde didn't seem to expect her reply either and continued speaking on her own:
"I know why you are so biased toward that outsider, but hasn't the truth been proven now? That outsider didn't bring any turn for the better; instead, she made things worse."
"Right now is the critical moment of our clan's life and death. We have already done everything we can out of benevolence and righteousness for this outsider of the same elven kin. Letting her leave with a generous reward, far away from the impending crisis, is the best choice... for her... and for us."
Saying this, she took one last look at Maria's silent and stubborn back. Her tone carried an unquestionable tone of command as she ordered:
"Therefore, regarding the matter of sending Castorice away, there is no need to trouble yourself. I will personally take over the subsequent arrangements."
"You... should spend more time with her while there is still time."
After finishing her words, Erishelde didn't linger. She closed her eyes, turned around, and left the council room.
The heavy wooden doors closed silently behind her, leaving Maria alone in this silence that symbolized the heavy choice.