Chapter 207: Hello, This Is Our Lord

The vine cable car did not move quickly. After some time, it gave a slight jolt and came to a smooth stop. A fierce wind from the heights rushed in at once, whipping everyone’s cloaks and sleeves violently.

They had arrived at an enormous artificial platform built entirely from sturdy wood and intertwined vines, firmly anchored to the trunk of Forest Home itself.

This place stood at least three to four hundred meters above the ground, where the wind was especially fierce. Vivi instinctively grabbed the corner of Nolan’s cloak and cautiously peeked downward. The moment she looked below, her face turned pale, and she hurriedly recoiled.

“What’s wrong, Vivi?” Nolan rarely saw the energetic little Nightingale looking so nervous.

“It’s too high…” Vivi muttered, still shaken. “When I look down, I can’t stop imagining what would happen if I fell.”

The thought alone made her shiver again.

Only then did Nolan realize that his ace Nightingale was apparently a little afraid of heights.

Even the warriors of the Holy Hammer Division were visibly tense at such an altitude for the first time. Each of them gripped their warhammers tightly, as though the weight of the weapons alone could give them a sense of security.

Only Nolan and Ailindel remained completely calm.

Standing here, the view was unimaginably vast. An ordinary watchtower would not even reach a tenth of this height.

Stretching endlessly before them was a boundless ocean of green. For the first time, the immense scale of the Borderlands forest revealed itself in all its grandeur. The shock of seeing it from above was incomparable to merely walking through it on the ground.

The vine doors of the cable car slowly slid apart, unveiling the mysterious homeland of the Wood Elves.

Beyond the platform lay a forest city overflowing with the breath of nature. The pathways had been polished smooth, and treehouses of all shapes and designs lined both sides, their owners clearly expressing themselves freely through their homes.

More and more Wood Elves appeared along distant branches and at the windows of treehouses. None approached. They merely peeked out from afar, watching this rare group of visitors with equal parts curiosity and caution.

At the very front of the platform stood five Wood Elves. Unlike Romina and the other rangers, whose attire was light and practical, these elves wore far more solemn and ornate robes decorated with leaf and branch motifs.

The traces of time were deeply etched into their faces. They were clearly far older than Romina and her companions.

“The elders!”

Romina’s eyes widened in surprise. Lowering her voice, she whispered to Nolan, “They almost never leave the core district’s Grovekeeper Courtyard…”

Finley’s heart instantly sank.

This was bad. They were here to hold someone accountable.

He secretly glanced at Nolan and the fifty fully armed Holy Hammer Division warriors behind him.

The number of people brought this time far exceeded what had originally been reported.

Worse still, Captain Romina had broken an iron rule upheld by their people for thousands of years by allowing these outsiders to enter without blindfolds, exposing them to Forest Home’s ultimate secret. Although it had been the captain’s decision, if the Council of Elders truly pursued the matter, then as vice-captain, he certainly would not escape responsibility. And more than anything, he did not want to appear cowardly in front of the woman he secretly admired.

Sure enough, among the five elders, the sole female elder visibly frowned the moment she saw Nolan’s group, her eyes filled with undisguised displeasure.

We’re finished.

The five elders began walking toward them. Finley’s stomach tightened as he braced himself to step forward and accept punishment first. “Elders—”

Yet they walked straight past him, completely ignoring him as if he were nothing more than air.

Finley’s half-raised hand froze awkwardly in midair.

The elder leading the group was a man whose hair and beard had turned completely white, though his eyes remained exceptionally bright and sharp. Stopping before Nolan’s group, he inclined his head slightly. His voice was not frail with age, but firm and resonant.

“Welcome, guests from afar. For the first time in thousands of years, the Will of the Forest has expressed such joyful resonance. May I ask which among you carries the aura of an old friend?”

Beside Nolan, Romina quietly explained, “That’s the Grand Elder. The ‘Will of the Forest’ he mentioned is Forest Home’s own consciousness.”

Nolan nodded in understanding and gave Ailindel a subtle look.

She immediately understood his meaning. Stepping forward, her white armor reflected a gentle radiance beneath the sunlight.

“You flatter me, Grand Elder.”

She gave a slight bow, and the noble aura she carried from a forgotten age immediately drew the attention of all five elders.

“My name is Ailindel Morningsong. During the ancient wars, I had the honor of fighting alongside Gondos against powerful enemies.”

The moment the name Ailindel Morningsong was spoken, Forest Home released another deep pulse, as though responding to it.

Among all elves, that surname itself was legendary—a name known to every household.

The five elders stared at her in shock.

Romina hurriedly stepped forward to add, “Grand Elder, honored elders! Lady Ailindel is the Moon Elf hero from the era of the War of Heaven that I mentioned in my earlier report. She came specifically to help us resolve the corruption within the Foundation of Life!”

“The Heavenly Punishment Knight!”

“A Moon Elf!”

This time, not only the elders but even the surrounding Wood Elves erupted into commotion.

Before Romina had even finished speaking, the five elders—led by the Grand Elder—bowed deeply in perfect unison before Ailindel, pressing a hand against their chests in the most solemn ceremonial greeting of the Wood Elves.

Finley stood there utterly dumbfounded.

“Lady Ailindel!” The Grand Elder’s voice trembled with excitement and reverence. All traces of polite distance had vanished. “That you are willing to extend aid to Forest Home is a blessing beyond measure. Please, come with us.”

His attitude had undergone a complete reversal. Extending one hand, he gestured respectfully toward her.

Then he glanced at Nolan and the others standing behind her. Though his tone remained courteous, the pride ingrained deep within Wood Elf nature still seeped through.

The attendants of a Moon Elf… why were they all humans?

“And these… are your retainers? You must be weary from the journey. Romina, bring them to the Garden of Blossoms to rest and wait. The matter of the Foundation of Life is of utmost importance, and it would be inconvenient for outsiders to—”

Unexpectedly, Ailindel shook her head. Rather than accepting the invitation, she stepped back and returned to Nolan’s side, positioning herself half a step behind him.

The Grand Elder’s outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air.

He had no idea what this meant. Had his etiquette somehow fallen short?

Ailindel turned back and calmly met the elder’s stunned gaze. “Grand Elder, you misunderstand. They are not my retainers. They are the Black Armored Guard of Coldsteel City—the finest warriors of these lands.”

Her gaze shifted toward the man beside her. In those cool, elegant eyes flowed a gentleness and trust that only Nolan could truly understand.

“If anything… I am the subordinate.”

Quietly, Ailindel used soul energy to amplify her voice so that it spread clearly across the entire platform, overwhelming even the roar of the wind at such heights.

“This is our leader, Lord Nolan of Coldsteel City. And my partner. It was he who chose to extend a helping hand to the Wood Elves.”