Chapter 83: Secret Confrontation
[Arthur : Her research is still in the very early stages. After all, restoring sight to the blind is not an easy task. Furthermore, this spell requires a huge expenditure of mana and demands a tight psychic link between the two people.]
[Kolgrim : You two are certainly close enough…]
Kolgrim sighed helplessly but did not hesitate in his step. Guided by Arthur's "Topographic Scan," he carried Ciri on his back and quickly navigated around the layers of tangled tree roots.
Red-Kite held tightly to Arthur's hand, her mind filled with confusion. The young man's steps were incredibly firm, showing none of the panic or unease expected of someone blindfolded.
"You're walking too fast!" Braenn angrily blocked the front of the group. She had been waiting all along for these humans to take a tumble, to properly put them in their place, yet these few humans were moving faster than she was!
"Red-Kite, I suspect they are cheating!" Braenn tore the black cloth strip from Arthur's eyes, but his gaze was clear and honest, showing no sign that he had been secretly peeking.
Arthur cracked a smile, a victor's smirk spreading across his face: "Why should magic be so inconvenient?"
Braenn grew even angrier. She slapped the black cloth back onto Arthur's face, covering his eyes again.
"Braenn!" Red-Kite roared quietly. She suppressed her own fury and apologized to Arthur: "Please forgive her rudeness."
"It's fine, I understand," Arthur spread his hands. His tone was calm, showing no sign of dissatisfaction at the humiliation, as if they were all participating in an amusing game.
Geralt, meanwhile, let out a low sigh in the mental link:
[White Wolf: Your method is truly good. It's much more convenient than them having to poke us with sticks to move forward.]
[Arthur: Naturally. This version of mine can scan all the obstacles on the ground. It's far superior to their clumsy methods.]
Just as they were chatting, the pace of the group stopped again. Braenn reluctantly announced: "We've arrived. That is Duén Canell ahead."
Red-Kite helped Arthur remove his blindfold, and the sight before him drew an involuntary gasp of admiration from Arthur: "This is truly beautiful!"
Before them was a town constructed entirely from trees and vines. All the houses in the town were grown from living wood. The structures varied in shape but all exuded a sense of natural beauty.
At the center of the town, a gigantic oak tree rose into the clouds. The tree's canopy was large enough to cover the entire settlement. This was the palace of the Dryad Queen—Duén Canell.
A woman in a long green gown walked out of the palace. Her skin was pale, and flowers and leaves were woven into her hair, making her look like a fairy of the forest.
"Welcome, our guests." Dryad Queen Eithné's voice was gentle yet full of authority.
[Arthur: Because the project failed! The spell matrix was matured long ago, but the medium required to permanently solidify the spell was too expensive. Even few nobles could afford it.]
[Kolgrim: Speaking of which, we are blindfolded, yet we're using magic to scout the path. Is that a little… unfair?]
[Arthur: The dryads only said we had to be blindfolded. They never said we weren't allowed to see the path.]
[Geralt: No wonder you agreed to the blindfold so readily.]
[Kolgrim: Isn't this a bit treacherous?]
[Arthur: From the moment we met, that little dryad has been trying every trick in the book to put us at a disadvantage. I won't allow her to manipulate me. We are here at Duén Canell to negotiate with the Dryad Queen. An unequal status will lead to disastrous consequences.]
Geralt tried to ask more about Triss, but Arthur stated that maintaining psychic communication while running shared navigation put immense strain on him, and he broke the link.
He silently followed the guidance of the white lines, and in this manner, they arrived at their destination without a hitch.
"Duén Canell is just ahead. You had better be honest in front of Eithné. Under her silver eyes, all tricks will be exposed." Braenn's face showed undisguised suspicion. These people were blindfolded, yet not a single one stumbled the whole way. There was absolutely something suspicious going on.
Her gaze swept across their faces, lingering longest on Arthur's.
But Arthur had no intention of explaining himself, looking around with unhurried confidence. The dryad hadn't noticed the topographic scan spell running, so now that the spell was off, her suspicions were useless.
Behind the dryad was a giant oak tree whose branches had already been petrified. Its sheer size led Arthur to involuntarily think of the 'World Tree.'
"Duén Canell, the Heart of Brokilon," Geralt murmured, removing his blindfold: "The beauty here is still heartbreaking."
Arthur felt the Witcher was exaggerating, but not by much. The scenery here was genuinely beautiful—bright, open, and full of vitality. Several streams meandered in from different directions, passing through hot springs, giant stones, and exposed soil, before plunging into a large hole beneath the giant oak's canopy. Clouds of warm steam rose from the area…
The concentration of magic in this place is so high!
It felt as though a constant tidal wave was washing over his body. Arthur's eyes widened with shock as he looked at the giant oak. This colossal tree was living magic!
"Hello, Braenn, Red-Kite."
Accompanied by a gentle voice, a pair of slender feet stepped into Arthur's vision. Before he could look up, a dryad quickly stepped down, using the mushrooms on the tree trunk as footholds. Her hair was as black as a raven, and her waist was so thin that one worried a strong wind might snap it. She smiled and waved at the group.
"Hello, Sîrsa." Seeing a companion, Braenn's mood visibly brightened. She leaned in, wanting to share a whisper, but the black-haired dryad Sîrsa's gaze remained fixed on Arthur: "Such a handsome young man. Are you an elf?"
Sîrsa's smile was innocent, but Arthur felt as though he had been inspected from head to toe. He tugged at his collar, saying awkwardly: "I am human. My companion was kidnapped by the elves and brought here. I'm here to retrieve him."
The black-haired dryad playfully pointed up at the tree houses: "A few days ago, an older man was indeed brought here. He is in that room; you will see him soon. However, I don't think your companion is very eager to leave. He looks… well, happy."
Arthur was utterly confused, but the black-haired dryad finished speaking and continued climbing up the trunk without offering any further explanation.
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