Chapter 88: The Silent Watcher

Nolan followed the direction of the voice, but all he saw was a dense canopy of leaves. There was no sign of anyone at all. He laughed inwardly. These Wood Elves really hadn’t changed one bit.  At the same time, he felt relieved. As long as they were willing to talk, things could still be negotiated. What he feared most was a silent attack without warning.

The Wood Elves were potential allies worth winning over. If blood was shed now, any future negotiations would become much more difficult.

“Before we speak openly,” Nolan replied casually, “shouldn’t you at least show yourself first? That’s basic courtesy, isn’t it? Besides, you’re hiding so well I don’t even know which direction I’m supposed to look. It makes me feel rather rude.”

Another silence followed.

Behind him, Vivi muttered under her breath, “What’s wrong with them? Why do they pause for half a day after every sentence? Are they slow or something?”

The moment the words left her mouth, another sharp whistle tore through the air.

Whoosh! An arrow flew toward Vivi’s face several times faster than the earlier shots.

Her expression changed drastically. The attack was too sudden and far too fast for her to react.

Just as she tried to dodge, a large hand shielded her. It was Nolan. Without even turning around, he casually reached backward and caught the arrow midair by the shaft. The tremendous force behind it sent a slight numbness through his hand and arm, but his grip remained perfectly steady.

Cold sweat broke out across Vivi’s back. Her heart pounded violently as she stared at the arrow in Nolan’s hand, its tip only centimeters from her nose. She obediently shut her mouth and did not dare say another word.

“Oh?” The female voice sounded again, this time carrying a trace of surprise. “So the sly human has some skill after all.”

As her words fell, the trunk of a nearby tree shimmered strangely.

A tall figure slowly emerged from what had appeared to be empty space.

She possessed long green hair that cascaded like a waterfall, with pointed ears peeking through the strands and revealing her race immediately. Her outfit was woven from vines, enchanted fabric, and monster hide, exposing only the necessary areas while outlining a lithe yet powerful physique. In her hand rested a massive longbow nearly as tall as she was. Pale green light glimmered faintly across its surface, and blades extended from both ends of the bow.

Clearly, close combat was not a weakness for this archer.

Barefoot, she stood effortlessly atop a tree trunk more than ten meters above the ground as though standing on flat earth. Her sky-blue eyes remained fixed on Nolan.

“As a basic courtesy toward the strong, remaining hidden the entire time would indeed be impolite.”

Nolan’s heart skipped violently.

Romina Greenshadow.

In his previous life, she had been one of the most legendary Wood Elf rangers in the entire southern region of the Elfin Kingdom. The future leader of the Forest Home. The famed Silent Watcher, Romina.

Even Nolan had not expected to encounter this future legend here and in this manner.

Damn… this is perfect.

Excitement surged through him. Knowing who she was made things much easier. Others feared the Wood Elves’ isolationism and coldness, but Nolan did not. He had experience dealing with the renowned Silent Watcher.

Suppressing his excitement, Nolan maintained a composed expression and gave a slight bow toward the elf above. “My respects, guardian of the forest. I am a Pioneer Knight of the Elfin Kingdom and the current lord of Coldsteel City, Nolan—”

Unfortunately, she clearly had no interest in that.

“Human political status means nothing within this forest,” Romina interrupted coldly. “Even if your king stood before me, he would be no different from the Ironhide Boars you killed earlier.”

Nolan choked slightly on his words.

Something felt off.

In his memories, the Wood Elves were indifferent toward the affairs of human civilization, but they were not usually this openly hostile.

Romina herself was famous for seeming cold on the outside while being warm-hearted underneath. Unless someone showed clear intent to damage the forest, she normally would not behave this aggressively.

Could it be… Archduke Demont’s expansion expeditions had already clashed with them?

That seemed very likely. Perhaps those expeditions had done something even worse, leaving the Wood Elves highly defensive toward outsiders.

Countless thoughts flashed through Nolan’s mind, and he remained silent for a moment.

Vivi nudged his arm quietly. “Nolan… what now?”

Nolan snapped back to attention and gave the others a reassuring look. “It’s fine. Leave this to me.” He immediately adjusted his approach. No longer mentioning titles or rank, he spoke calmly and directly, “We mean no disrespect toward this sacred forest, nor do we wish to become your enemies. We only came here to accomplish something extremely important. Once it’s done, we’ll leave immediately. We will not threaten you or harm the forest.”

“Conduct business in the forest?” Romina’s tone remained icy as she slowly raised her bow once more. “What business could humans possibly have here? Speak your scheme.”

“Before discussing our purpose,” Nolan replied with a shrug, “how about having your people show themselves first? I don’t enjoy speaking while dozens of bows are aimed at my head. If we’re going to negotiate, some sincerity would be appreciated. I’m willing to talk peacefully, but not while being interrogated. We haven’t done anything shameful. I ask only to be treated as visitors.”

Romina stared at him coldly, as though trying to pierce through him.

This human man had repeatedly sensed her group’s pursuit along the way. Although she had complete confidence in her forest-concealment techniques, such sharp instincts were extremely rare among humans.

And… he seemed unusually familiar with Wood Elf behavior.

Nolan met her gaze openly and without hesitation, allowing her to study him while calmly observing her in return.

She looked even younger than in his memories.

Honestly, elf skin really was unfair.

Her proportions and appearance were flawless, while her exposed arms and legs carried both graceful beauty and explosive strength. It was no wonder slave hunters were willing to risk horrific casualties for the chance to capture Wood Elves.

After a long silence, during which Nolan had nearly started counting the knots woven into her outfit, Romina finally seemed convinced he was not lying.

She lightly clapped her hands.

In the next instant, a scene unfolded that nearly made Little Donnie and the others’ eyes pop out of their heads.

The surrounding trees suddenly rippled like disturbed water. Areas that had seemed like ordinary bark and leaves shimmered as figures emerged one after another from thin air. Wood Elves dressed in green stepped into view atop the branches, each carrying a drawn longbow. Every tree held at least two or three of them.

At a rough glance, there were no fewer than thirty or forty. Yet based on the scale of the earlier arrow volley, Little Donnie and the others had assumed there must have been over a hundred archers firing simultaneously.

The three exchanged stunned looks, deeply shaken by the Wood Elves’ concealment techniques and archery skills.

The elves resembled ghosts of the forest itself, silently surrounding the clearing from every direction. Every bow was drawn halfway, every sharp arrowhead gleaming lethally beneath the faint forest light.

Little Donnie, Vivi, and Renee immediately tensed again, tightening their grips on their weapons. Only now did they fully realize that from the moment they stepped into this forest, every movement they made had been monitored closely by these rangers.

And these newcomers were anything but friendly.