Chapter 203: The Same Romina as Before

Romina, however, did not see it that way. These were troubled times, and hesitation would only make matters worse. She did not openly rebuke her deputy. Instead, she simply shook her head lightly before turning toward Nolan, her tone unwavering.

“Finley, there’s no need to worry. Nolan is an ally I personally invited. The people he brings are naturally our friends as well. I’ll explain everything to the Council of Elders myself.” Leaving no room for further objection, she added firmly, “I trust Nolan.”

Those five simple words carried more weight than any explanation.

Finley’s expression shifted slightly, but in the end he lowered his head and said nothing more.

Nolan felt somewhat apologetic. He knew this move of his was essentially forcing the matter through first and explaining later.

“I’m sorry for putting you in a difficult position, Romina.” He stepped forward and spoke sincerely. “The situation is urgent. I suspect cultists are involved in what’s happening with the Foundation of Life. I couldn’t feel at ease bringing only a handful of people. I don’t want to bring trouble to the Wood Elves, but I’d hate even more to see something happen to all of you.”

At the mention of “cultists,” both Romina and Finley’s expressions sharpened immediately.

Romina shook her head, a faint smile appearing instead. “What are you apologizing for? You’re a friend I invited personally. Of course I trust your judgment.”

She recalled everything Nolan had done inside that mysterious prison. If this man was not some master conspirator constantly scheming behind a mask, then he was simply an exceptionally righteous person.

“And besides, you came here to help the Wood Elves. No matter how detached from worldly affairs we may be, we’re not so stubbornly foolish as to push away our allies.”

As she spoke, she placed two slender fingers against her lips and released a clear, melodious whistle that sounded like the call of a forest bird.

Almost instantly, the shadowy figures hidden throughout the surrounding treetops vanished like mist scattered by the wind.

In the blink of an eye, aside from Romina, Finley, and two female Wood Elves carrying shortbows, every ranger had disappeared without a trace.

The sheer eeriness of such flawless collective concealment made Kayan and the Holy Hammer Division soldiers’ eyelids twitch. If a fight really broke out, they would not even know where the enemy was.

“They’ve gone ahead to scout the path,” Romina explained before turning to Nolan with a graceful gesture of invitation. “Come. I’ll take you to Forest Home.”

Following the four Wood Elves, the group officially entered the primeval forest.

The moment they stepped beneath the canopy, the noise of the outside world disappeared completely. Towering ancient trees sealed away the sky, leaving only scattered patches of sunlight to prove it was still daytime.

For the soldiers behind Nolan, who were accustomed to cities and open plains, everything here felt oppressive and unknown. Their heavy armor crunched loudly against the soft forest floor, each step painfully conspicuous in the otherwise silent woods. By contrast, the four Wood Elves ahead moved across the same terrain as lightly as ghosts, producing barely a sound.

The ancient forest was filled with hanging vines and tangled roots protruding from the earth. Clearly aware that these human outsiders could not travel freely through the canopy as Wood Elves did, Romina had deliberately chosen a relatively flat route with fewer obstacles. Even so, the march was far from easy for the heavily armored soldiers of the Holy Hammer Division.

After some time, Rehanna—who had been curiously observing her surroundings the entire way—finally could not hold back any longer.

“Captain Romina, may I ask something?” She stared at the seemingly identical giant trees around them with a deeply puzzled expression. “Everything in here looks exactly the same. How do you even tell directions apart? If it were me, I’d probably get lost within a hundred meters.”

Nolan could not help smiling at that.

Truthfully, he was curious too. Back in his previous life, whenever he entered the Borderlands as a player for quests, it had always been a nightmare. There were no proper paths in this cursed place, and the map system was practically useless here. Only classes like Eagle Rangers or Hunting Stalkers with specialized forest abilities could barely navigate using system-assisted orientation skills. For heavily armored warriors like him who lacked any tracking methods, survival depended entirely on memorizing landmarks—or even counting steps like an idiot while copying previous routes. That was exactly how he had reached the Gap of Ages before.

Walking at the front, Romina slowed her pace after hearing Rehanna’s question. When she turned back, there was unmistakable pride in the expression of one born of the forest.

“We Wood Elves are, in a sense, part of this forest itself,” she explained softly. “For certain reasons, we are born symbiotic with these woods. From birth, we can naturally sense the forest’s presence. To you, these trees may seem identical, but to us, their rings, the direction they grow, the density of their branches and leaves—they all convey information. We do not search for paths within the forest. The forest itself guides us. We can hear its breathing and communicate with the spirits of the woods.”

“Communicate with forest spirits?” Rehanna looked genuinely shocked before sudden realization dawned on her face. “No wonder… no wonder you hated it so much when Demont’s people were cutting down the forest back then. I originally thought it was just because of… well, environmental protection.”

Romina smiled faintly. “That’s naturally part of it as well. The forest is our home, our natural barrier, and the dwelling place of countless living creatures. If the forest suffers widespread destruction, the Wood Elves’ protection will disappear with it. To us, that isn’t merely the loss of resources—it’s a catastrophe that directly threatens our survival.”

Everyone was listening intently when Nolan suddenly added, “And for the Wood Elves, the forest is more than just a home.”

His words instantly drew everyone’s attention, including Romina and Finley.

Nolan looked toward a colossal ancient tree ahead, one so enormous it would take more than a dozen people linking arms to encircle it.

“For the Wood Elves, the forest is family,” he said quietly. “When a Wood Elf dies, their soul returns to this ancient woodland and becomes one with the trees. It’s said that many of these towering old trees house the souls of Wood Elf ancestors. In another form, they continue protecting their descendants while helping the forest itself grow even stronger and more prosperous.”

Rehanna and Vivi both stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Having grown up in human cities, they could hardly imagine such a profound symbiotic connection with a single environment.

Meanwhile, Romina and Finley, who had been leading the way, both stopped and turned to look at Nolan. Because everything he said was completely true.

Finley spoke first, astonishment plain in his voice. “Lord Nolan… how do you know these things?”

His surprise was understandable. Among elves, death was followed by a process known as soul ascension. Yet after the Wood Elves branched away from the higher elves, their traditions surrounding it had become entirely different. Isolationist by nature, the Wood Elves never revealed such customs to outsiders, and outsiders rarely cared enough to ask.

Yet this human somehow knew one of the Wood Elves’ deepest secrets.

Romina looked equally stunned. “Nolan… you truly are extraordinary,” she said sincerely. “You’re so young, yet unlike most outsiders, you don’t arrogantly label us as primitive savages. You genuinely understand our customs and culture. Have you really never interacted with Wood Elves before?”

Her gaze drifted toward the disciplined, heavily equipped soldiers behind him.

“It’s fortunate you’re our friend. If you were an enemy… the thought is terrifying. We Wood Elves have isolated ourselves from the outside world for far too long. Long enough to forget how vast the world truly is… and to forget the forms danger can take when it arrives.”

A sudden wave of emotion rose in Nolan’s chest. Not because of Romina’s praise, but because he had heard those exact words once before. Just like their first meeting all those years ago.

The time had changed. The place had changed.

But Romina was still the same Romina.