Chapter 208: The Shadows of Forest Home

The moment those words left her mouth, silence fell across the platform.

Every Wood Elf elder stared at Nolan in astonishment.

A noble and powerful Moon Elf, a Heavenly Judgment Knight from ten thousand years ago, had just declared before all of them that this obscure human lord was their lord… and her partner.

The sheer amount of information packed into those few sentences was overwhelming.

Nolan stepped forward beneath the Wood Elves’ scrutinizing gazes, taking the initiative to break the awkward silence. He inclined his head slightly toward the Grand Elder, his voice calm and steady.

“A pleasure to meet you, Grand Elder. I am Nolan, frontier knight of the Elfin Kingdom and lord of Coldsteel City. I heard that Forest Home has fallen into crisis. In accordance with the ancient pact of mutual aid between humans and elves, I have come as both an ally and a friend of Romina’s to offer assistance.”

The Grand Elder had heard of that ancient alliance before, though only in legends. It dated back to before the High Elves and Wood Elves had even split apart, forged jointly by the first Moon Elf Spirit King and humanity’s Sage King. Long ago, it had faded into little more than a forgotten footnote buried beneath the tides of history.

Humans, in the elders’ minds, were usually short-lived creatures driven by greed and narrow ambition.

Yet this young human lord knew of the pact.

And now he stood before them not as a subordinate, but as an equal ally.

The way the elders looked at Nolan subtly changed. The dismissive scrutiny they reserved for inferiors disappeared. If even a Heavenly Judgment Knight held this human in such regard, then he clearly was no ordinary man.

Romina stepped forward at once. “Grand Elder, honored elders, this is the human hero I mentioned before. Lord Nolan was the one who completely destroyed Qroshu, one of the Demon Overlords.”

A wave of commotion rippled through the crowd. Not only the gathered Wood Elves, but even the elders themselves were visibly shaken.

A Demon Overlord. An eternal shadow standing opposite the world of order itself. 

And this young man, who looked barely past twenty, had eliminated one completely?

The Grand Elder was still the leader of his people. The shock on his face lasted less than two seconds before he swiftly regained composure and gestured respectfully. “Our apologies, Lord Nolan, Lady Ailindel.” There was no trace of arrogance left in his tone now. “We have failed to properly welcome such distinguished guests.”

He turned toward Romina.

“Romina, our guests have traveled far. Matters concerning the Foundation of Life need not be handled this instant. Arrange the finest accommodations for Lord Nolan and his companions so that the dignity of the Wood Elves is not lacking. Lord Nolan, Lady Ailindel, we shall meet again shortly.”

With that, the Grand Elder and the other four elders, all wearing similarly complicated expressions, bowed once more to Nolan and Ailindel before departing.

Finley stood off to the side feeling like an outsider from beginning to end. The punishment he had prepared himself for never came. The confrontation he had expected never happened. Instead of being condemned, these outsiders had been treated as honored guests.

As the elders departed, the tension on the platform finally eased.

Vivi, still stewing after hearing Ailindel openly declare herself Nolan’s partner, leaned closer and muttered under her breath, “What’s with those elders? Their attitude changed completely out of nowhere. Are they actually in a hurry to solve this problem or not? Feels more like they were trying to intimidate us.”

Nolan looked at her puffed-up expression and shook his head slightly. “That’s just how they are. They’ve been isolated from the outside world for far too long. Pride is rooted deep in their bones. And the Foundation of Life is the core of everything to them, so naturally they’re cautious.”

He recalled a famous incident from the game.

Once, a high-ranking ranger had relied on a Mythic-grade stealth cloak to secretly tail a Wood Elf patrol in an attempt to infiltrate Forest Home.

Naturally, he had nearly been turned into a pincushion before even arriving. Looking back now, Nolan suspected the forest’s will had detected him within the Tree Realm the moment he approached Forest Home.

The ranger, considered a top-tier expert even among humans, ended up imprisoned by the Wood Elves for four full months. Only after they confirmed he knew nothing about their secrets did they throw him out and permanently ban him from ever setting foot in the Borderlands again.

The incident had exploded across the player forums back then, giving everyone a clear understanding of just how stubbornly xenophobic the Wood Elves were.

Compared to that, the treatment they were receiving today was practically state-guest level.

Nolan glanced toward the distant Wood Elves still secretly observing them and said quietly, “You have no idea. They’re already being extremely polite, and that’s entirely because of Ailin.”

Romina approached with an apologetic expression. “Nolan, I’m sorry. The elders mean no harm. They simply… don’t know how to interact with outsiders. Most Wood Elves are like this. Other than the patrols, many of them go their entire lives without ever seeing a human.”

“It’s fine. I understand,” Nolan replied with a wave of his hand.

When dealing with a bunch of stubborn old relics who had lived for centuries, even millennia, patience was essential. Without it, nothing would ever get done.

“Thank you for understanding, Nolan.” Romina gave him a grateful look before turning toward the ranger patrol behind her. “All right, there’s nothing more for you here. Dismissed. Return to your posts.”

“Yes, Captain!”

The patrol answered in unison before dispersing.

Only Finley lingered behind, repeatedly glancing back at Romina with a conflicted expression before finally sighing and leaving with the others.

“You’ve all had a long journey,” Romina said, turning back toward Nolan’s group with a sincere smile. “Come. I’ll take you to Dreamwell so you can rest for a while.”

Under Romina’s guidance, the group crossed the platform and officially entered the vertical city built upon the colossal tree.

The ground beneath their feet was paved with some kind of specially treated wood polished so smoothly it almost gleamed. Countless vine-woven suspension bridges and elevated walkways crisscrossed the air, linking different districts and levels while Wood Elves moved gracefully along them.

The Wood Elves had inherited the elegance of the elven race. Their attractive features, combined with physiques honed by constant life among the branches, made them strikingly beautiful. Their clothing was light and revealing, leaving the young warriors of the Holy Hammer Division blushing furiously.

There were shops, taverns, even blacksmith workshops ringing with the sound of hammering steel.

At first glance, the city functioned much like any human settlement. The only difference was that every structure was crafted entirely from nature itself.

Their arrival was undoubtedly the biggest news the city had seen in ages.

Romina was clearly well known here. Everywhere they passed, Wood Elves greeted her respectfully before turning curious, wary, and probing eyes toward Nolan’s group of strangely dressed outsiders.

They wanted to approach, yet did not dare. Instead, they simply watched from afar and whispered among themselves.

As a Nightingale, Vivi was highly sensitive to attention. Being constantly stared at made her deeply uncomfortable, and she unconsciously edged closer to Nolan again. Still, sensing no real hostility, she ultimately ignored it.

“Captain Romina,” Rehanna asked curiously, fascinated by everything around her. She pointed toward a blacksmith shop in the distance with smoke rising from its chimney. “You use open flames here? Aren’t you worried about fires? Everything’s made of wood.”

Romina smiled proudly. “Don’t worry. The wood of Forest Home doesn’t come from the surrounding forest. It comes directly from Forest Home itself. After being nourished by the Foundation of Life for countless years, it’s no longer ordinary wood. Its hardness rivals steel, and it’s extremely difficult to ignite. The arrows used by our ranger patrols are also crafted from Forest Home’s branches. The techniques required to process this material exist only among the Wood Elves, and the material itself can only be found here.”

Nolan accepted one of the arrows for a closer look, immediately understanding.

This was Living Woodsteel, the top-tier strategic material that had driven countless warriors and master smiths mad with envy in his previous life.

As they continued deeper into the natural city, chatting along the way, none of them noticed the eyes watching from the shadows of a distant treehouse.

After observing for some time, one of the Wood Elves disguised as a ranger patrol member made a subtle hand signal to his companion.

The other immediately understood. With a quick nod, his figure blurred into the darkness and vanished without a trace.