Syl-Chapter 265: Gateway

Finally, the day of the gala had arrived, and I felt as ready as I could be. This was also the day that we were leaving for the elven capital, where, from what I understood, we would likely stay for the foreseeable future.

Vee described it as "out of the frying pan and into the fire", another one of her randomly profound phrases she liked to throw around. I certainly agreed with the sentiment, I was directly putting myself in the crosshairs of whoever was involved in this plot and away from the safety of the Feirelle tree.

My emotions were a whirlwind. On one hand, I was eager to claim my reward and venture out into the world again. Yet another part of me longed for more time to prepare, to ensure I was as ready as I could be for the challenges ahead.

I'd gained another race level from our hunting trips, putting me at twenty-two and only eighteen levels away from my next evolution. There'd also been no luck on unlocking the [Triangulate] skill from Vee or me.

Speaking of Vee, we finally swapped her class, and she'd gained an astonishing nearly fifty levels in her weaver profession! The backlogged experience was extraordinary, although, after the fact, we realized we had probably permanently locked her out of qualifying for free skill points from [Apex Hunter].

When swapping back to a combat-class, Vee had felt she had gotten all she needed from Shadowcaster and was looking for a new one to grab. To her dismay, though she hadn't yet unlocked a combat profession related to weaving, she chose the Trapper class as her next one to progress in. I would've thought she'd have jumped at one of her advanced classes, but she was concerned about catching up to me and my skill points and was happy to stick to the lower tier for now.

It's a pity neither of us has unlocked Riftmancer. I wonder what the requirement is. I would have guessed [Dimension Magic LV 3], but it might need a minimum of level five if it's an advanced class.

I'd been somewhat disappointed in the lack of knowledge there and the fact that, according to Llewel, it was hoarded by the "trunk." Paeris informed us that Loreleia had offered to look into it when she successfully ascended to High Elf and joined the branch.

Speaking of Loreleia, this was the first time we saw her since our agreement and my "naming" ceremony. I wasn't expecting her to wait on us hand and foot, as clearly that's why she assigned Paeris to us, but it was still a little odd that she didn't even have time for a chat.

Paeris came to fetch me and instructed me to dress for the occasion. I had to grab one of the many dresses provided for me, opting to pick one with hidden protection enchantments. I'd spent some time memorizing them myself, but unless I picked up tailoring, I'd be a little hard-pressed to recreate them.

Or maybe Vee and I could work together? Always a possibility.

Once dressed, Paeris informed me that the rest of my belongings would be brought over later while we were at the gala. He then escorted Vee and me to the pinnacle of the tree, where the gateway to the elven capital awaited us.

The gateway was a massive wreath of vines and branches intertwined oddly harmoniously. Along the outer edges was an array of flower buds, sealed as if on the verge of bloom.

I wasted no time trying to examine it with all my various senses. My hope was to gain some hidden insight into [Dimension Magic] since I knew this was a form of it, but if the living structure held a secret, it was either inert until activated or beyond my understanding.

Loreleia arrived shortly after and gave me an appraising look. After a brief moment of awkward silence, she gave a very soft smile and an approving nod.

"A prudent choice. I approve," she said.

"Thank you, Matriarch," I said, giving a head bow while holding my right arm across my chest.

I would have thought I'd get to call her by name, or at least call her mother, but apparently, that was not the correct thing to do per elven society. I was only slightly happy not being required to call her Mistress like Paeris. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

She tapped her temple repeatedly, and I sensed that she wanted me to establish a mental connection. I quickly did so, joining her with Vee and me.

"Excellent. This is most convenient," Loreleia said telepathically.

"I'm glad to have benefited the Matriarch," I replied almost automatically.

"You don't need to refer to me as that during these private conversations," Loreleia responded.

"Oh. Sorry, I had flipped my mental switch with [Roleplay]," I explained.

She nodded, "It's a handy skill, and it can become common if you aren't well-versed in using it. I'd suggest you consciously turn it off periodically, even if only to reactivate it immediately afterward. You do not want to lose yourself in the immersion."

"Thanks for the warning, I'll keep that in mind."

"I can always slap some sense into you if you go off the rails," Vee offered.

I nodded while holding back a smirk.

"Do you have any complaints about your story?" Loreleia asked. "It fits our purposes quite well, but if you have any objections, we can try to work around them."

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"No. It's maybe a little too embellished for my liking, but I'm assuming that's the point of it," I replied.

"Correct. It also helps establish that you've grown emotionally, mentally, and of course, physically during your travels. It also shows deep respect for our customs, and you could say it perfectly encapsulates a lot of our ideals. Your quick thinking regarding Vee shows a commitment to put aside your personal emotions for the greater good, and the solution kept our long-term partnership with the dwarves intact."

"Will they really believe it? Because it sounds like so much crap to me," Vee said bluntly.

"They will know we've added some garnishings to the truth, but that is to be expected. We want as glorious a tale as possible to the general public, as that is what they expect of a branch."

I nodded.

Loreleia smiled, "On that note, we also need to decide on your trial. When I announce your candidacy tonight, we must include how you will be evaluated. Your story, stated accomplishments, and my personal blessing are already quite satisfactory, and I will present you as suitable—but a final trial will still need to be performed."

"What are my options?"

"You can make a significant contribution to the elves as a whole. It could be a significant donation of resources or a scientific breakthrough, such as an enchantment that would revolutionize society."

"If I still had my obsidianite, that would have been an easy win."

"Can you not enchant something?" Vee suggested.

I shook my head, "What could I offer? All my enchanting knowledge is common stuff or from bought patents. At best, I could try to research the few dungeon enchants more thoroughly, but I don't think my spell orbs would be enough to 'revolutionize elven society as a whole'."

Vee sighed, "Unless the elves want to revolutionize blowing themselves up, I have to agree that's a bad idea. What else do we have?"

"The second method would be a diplomatic trial. Prove your leadership by crafting a new alliance that benefits our nation. The most common are ones of trade, as we are quite hesitant to form any new military agreements other than our existing one with the dwarves."

"Oh! What about an alliance with the Adventurer's Guild?" I suggested.

"Brilliant idea!" Vee agreed.

Loreleia, on the other hand, shook her head. "While you very likely could pull it off, I do not believe it would gain the approval of the majority of the elves here unless you can somehow convince the Adventurer's Guild to immediately cease all relations with the Outeus Kingdom."

"I'd need to reveal a lot of the assassination information and the demon summoning for that to be even possible," I admitted.

"Even with that, I can't see the humans agreeing to it," Loreleia said. "Despite their disagreements, humanity tends to stick together over a different race entirely."

"I absolutely agree with that," Vee replied. "People would always joke that the only thing that would get human wars to stop was an alien invasion."

"A what?" I blurted out.

"Pardon?" Loreleia questioned.

"Aliens? Little green men?" Vee answered.

I pointed to one of the plant sprites walking around.

"No… Ugh!" Vee whined. "Forget I said anything. Okay, what other trials do we have?"

Loreleia gave Vee a lingering gaze, but eventually nodded, "Another trial is conquest, by planting your golden oak and successfully subduing an area as your domain."

"That sounds pretty simple," I replied.

Loreleia shook her head. "Planting and conquering an area might be simple for you, but the time it takes to fully establish your domain would be too long for us. Not to mention, it would be a hindrance to your leaving in the future, unless you've rethought our offer for you to stay permanently."

"No… sorry," I said.

"Yeah! No offense, as much as I love it here, we both want to explore the world some more. I've even got a personal quest to go visit the beach!" Vee added excitedly.

Loreleia sighed but nodded, "I understand. That leaves the final trial, and most likely your best bet—a trial of combat."

"Of course it's combat," Vee sighed. "Might makes right."

"Another nugget of wisdom I see," I teased.

"While a little crude, it is true," Loreleia admitted. "Even if you are a king, you might find yourself bowing to someone who's a higher level than yourself."

"I don't think my level is that high, though."

"Higher than mine," Vee quipped.

"Well, it won't be through raw levels," Loreleia explained. "The trial takes place in a dungeon with which The Grove has allied. This allows us to perform many custom-made ordeals for various positions with sufficient difficulty."

"You're controlling a dungeon?" Vee asked. "Actually, the dwarves managed one too, so maybe I shouldn't be too surprised."

Loreleia frowned, "I'd hardly compare them at all. What they've accomplished, while impressive, is more akin to beaten submission than an alliance."

"I'm assuming you're talking about a pact with the [Dungeon Master]?" I asked.

Loreleia paused before giving an almost defeated sigh, "I see you know a lot more about our world than I gave you credit for. Yes, we've made contact and established a relationship with the [Dungeon Master]. I'd request you keep such things a secret for your own well-being."

"We already have one group of elves against us, what's a few more?" Vee joked.

"No. Not elves, the [Dungeon Master] alliance," Loreleia said sternly.

"The dungeons have an alliance…" Vee muttered.

"I can't speak more of it or risk breaching our agreement, but yes. And it is certainly one that even the entire Grove dares not trifle with."

"How many dungeons are there in the world?" I asked curiously.

"Easily a hundred, if not more, as new ones continue to get established," she answered.

I gulped as I thought back to Simon. Could I take on over a hundred Simons? Even with fourteen extra lives, and if I had my slime mass reservoir full, I somehow doubted it.

Shit… I really hope that the dungeon I coerced into spawning that orange slime doesn't hold a grudge against me. Although maybe I'm immune to such consequences thanks to Gramps' influence? He did smite Simon for accidentally trying to kill me.

"So the combat trial then?" Vee asked, breaking my thoughts.

"Yes. It certainly sounds like my best opportunity," I agreed.

Loreleia smiled, "I guessed as much. From what Paeris told me, I couldn't imagine you being willing to sit in diplomatic meetings and trying to arrange an alliance."

"Even I'd grow bored of that, and I'm not nearly as fond of the leveling up as Syl here," Vee admitted.

"Indeed. So, shall we travel to the Grove? I believe we've gotten all our immediate concerns out of the way."

I nodded, and Vee raised her two front legs and did a little happy wave.

"Paeris, Llewel, we are departing," Loreleia said out loud in a commanding tone.

The two elves practically saluted as they stood at attention. I hadn't even noticed Llewel arriving, and Loreleia hadn't asked to include either of them in our conversation.

Loreleia then waved her hand toward the gateway and immediately all the flower buds opened into full bloom, a healthy and vibrant flow of Mana erupting from seemingly nowhere.

The roots and branches became gilded as the glowing light surged through them, and in the center of the archway, a silvery-green transparent film began to form as it wavered and warbled.

"Shall we?" Loreleia said as she gestured towards the portal.

"Damn, and I thought my [Rift Thread] portals looked cool," Vee whined.

I had to agree, as I tried to examine the portal with every sensory trait I had and was left with nothing but questions.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢