When they arrived in the hinterland of the Island of Fairies, that is, the mage village, a large group of young mages had gathered.
Nidhogg and Guts looked at each other and curiously approached. They happened to end up at the edge of the crowd, where they met Serpico, Azan, and Jerome.
They were here, which meant Farnese was nearby.
And indeed, Farnese was not only nearby, but she was also the center of attention for this crowd.
She wore a mage's robe and a magic hat. She sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed, with her wand resting on her lap.
The "little witches" Schierke, Ivalera, Puck, and Puck's four goblin brothers, acting as protectors, either stood beside Farnese or circled around her.
At this time, Kuuka, Uni, and Thione, who had become friends with Schierke and Farnese, were also on the sidelines. The little witches' heads were close together, whispering.
Only was the exception. She sat on a flying broom, proudly looking down.
Nidhogg couldn't help but ask, "What are they doing?"
When Serpico saw Nidhogg and Guts approaching, he explained, "Lady Farnese is performing a magical ritual to communicate with elves and elemental spirits and sign a contract."
Nearby, Schierke also noticed the arrival of Nidhogg and Guts. But she wanted to help Farnese complete the ceremony. So she simply nodded to Nidhogg and Guts and remained in place.
Ivalera also noticed Nidhogg and Guts. She excitedly flew over to them, put her hands on her hips, and looked a little triumphant.
"This is how Schierke found me in the shallows of the astral world. I also chose her. So we signed a contract to always be by her side. I even told Schierke my 'true name.' "
In the world of elves, a "true name" is very important. Ivalera is just an abbreviation of her "true name." In fact, her "true name" is quite long. The same goes for Puck and Isma.
If an elf's "true name" falls into the hands of others, it means they are controlled by others, or even enslaved.
Part of the reason the Terrifying Emperor and the Dai Bakiraka could control some elemental spirits in battle was that they knew their true names and could command them.
Ivalera's willingness to tell Schierke her true name showed the depth of trust between them.
"So, will Farnese find an elf like you in the shallows of the astral world and sign a contract? From now on, will there be an elf by Farnese's side?" Nidhogg asked.
Ivalera nodded. "That's right, that's right."
Before Nidhogg could react, the one sitting on the flying broom was the first to speak: "I don't think that's good. Farnese is just a novice witch. She's still too inexperienced to complete this ritual."
Such a ritual hasn't even been successfully performed, so she doesn't believe Farnese is capable.
Serpico, Azan, and Jerome looked at her with displeased expressions.
Ivalera had long considered Farnese one of her own. So she glared at and said coldly, "Farnese will definitely succeed."
wanted to say more, but the three little witches—Kuuka, Uni, and Thione—hastily stepped in to smooth things over. They asked to stop talking and apologized to everyone.
Schierke made the final decision. "The magical ritual will soon yield results. Whether it succeeds or fails, we just have to wait and see."
wasn't a bad person, but she was used to speaking condescendingly.
Among mages her age, Schierke was the only witch she had ever encountered who could convince her. So when Schierke spoke, she remained silent.
And indeed, after a while, Farnese suddenly flashed with a bright pink light, like the cherry blossoms that bloom year-round on the cherry tree on the Island of Fairies.
Everyone couldn't help but be surprised and wait expectantly. Because at this point, it meant Farnese was very close to signing a contract with an elf.
Soon, the pink light gradually dissipated.
Farnese slowly opened her eyes. At the same moment, a small figure fell onto her shoulder.
She reached out her hand. The small figure jumped into her palm.
It was a delicate goblin with a small wreath on its head. It blinked a pair of large, clear eyes, curiously and timidly looking at the surrounding crowd. Its plump cheeks blushed.
Succeeded?
Did she really succeed?
The little mages watching were surprised.
Serpico, Azan, and Jerome were completely astonished.
As expected of the daughter of the Vandimion family!
Ivalera proudly raised her eyebrows, looking at .
was also surprised by Ivalera's provocation. She simply pressed her lips together and didn't reply, averting her gaze.
She even let her flying broom descend and jumped to the ground to get a closer look at the goblin in Farnese's hand.
"I did it!" Farnese was quite excited. She held the little goblin and showed it to Schierke. "I searched for a long time in the shallow world. Many elves rejected me. Just when I thought I was going to fail, I met..."
"Pip?!"
Farnese and Guts almost simultaneously shouted this name.
And Pip, called by name, turned her head and saw a tall man pushing through the crowd.
The girl tilted her head and looked at him for a while before vaguely recognizing the man from her childhood. Her eyes gradually widened.
"Gu... Guts?"
Pip raised her hands in surprise and covered her cheeks, looking astonished.
At this moment, everyone's surprise shifted from Farnese's ability to sign a contract with a goblin to the fact that Guts actually knew this goblin.
Nidhogg calmly identified the goblin in Farnese's hand and immediately understood.
Guts stepped forward and said to everyone who was still confused, "On the way to the Spirit Tree Pavilion, didn't I tell you the story of Pip the 'Flower Goblin' ?"
Schierke, Farnese, Puck, and Ivalera, who had heard this story, quickly reacted and looked at Pip in surprise.
So this Pip was that Pip!
Guts looked at Pip, whose face was still in shock, and said with a smile, "Little one, it turns out you're not dead. This has been bothering me for so many years."
Pip blinked widely and said, "I, I didn't understand what was happening back then. After treating your wound, I felt so tired and exhausted that I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in the shallows."
"There I met a group of goblins and lived with them, until just now I met Farnese and made a pact with her... You, you, you..."
It seemed she had just reacted. At that moment, her large eyes brimmed with tears. She rushed towards Guts barefoot, leaped from Farnese's fingers, and pounced on Guts.
Guts quickly caught Pip.
"Pip has seen flowers, seen many, many flowers!"
Pip exclaimed, tightly gripping Guts's index finger.
Guts gently calmed Pip. He didn't speak. He just smiled a rare, gentle smile.