Chapter 518
The Thirteenth Ring
Eivass felt that if he hadn’t shown his affinity with the Unicorn, Grey would have intended to have the Hippogriff carry him. As the Spokesperson for the Pope, her Popularity in the Eternal Holy Kingdom was clearly very high—likely much higher than Eivass’s Popularity in Avalon. With her status, guiding Eivass from ring to ring would only serve to make Eivass famous. And she could tell that Eivass was not the type of person who liked becoming famous.
This was probably why she had brought three full groups of Pope’s Guard. On one hand, “Seven” was the Sacred Number of the Silver Crown Dragon; on the other hand, this was essentially them serving as drivers for Eivass and his entourage.
As they ascended in a straight line, the Unicorn exuded an iridescent radiance, and the Hippogriff also exuded a golden radiance. As these lights formed a semi-transparent barrier, they blocked the cold air—Eivass didn’t feel any cold or impact from the air currents at all.
Before long, their group reached the thirteenth level. They were already at a high altitude, and the pure white clouds were so close they felt like a tangible ceiling. Normally, at such a height, one would feel cold and experience oxygen deprivation. However, Eivass felt no abnormalities—in fact, he even felt that the oxygen was more abundant.
As soon as he stepped onto the Thirteenth Ring, Eivass clearly felt a completely different atmosphere and layout compared to the First Ring. Compared to the sun-drenched First Ring, the natural light here was much weaker. But torches were planted everywhere, illuminating the area like a grand library. The torches burned with deep red flames, unmoving. It was as if these flames were completely unaffected by air currents, stable like a graphic overlay.
The main color scheme here was reddish-brown. The space was vast, even larger than a football field at a glance. Not far from where they landed, there were many tables and stools, as well as numerous bookshelves. They were all made of wood, matching the color of the floor. But there were very few Elves here. Scattered sparsely, perhaps only a dozen or so. Each table could seat at least four people, but each Elf occupied their own table. The candles on every occupied desk were lit, and these Elves sat there quietly reading books. Even when they saw the Pope’s Guard and Her Highness the Saintess from afar, not one person stood up, nor did they show any particular expression. They simply reached out a hand to touch their forehead and shoulders, nodding slightly—this was their greeting. Some didn’t even look up, simply lowering their heads to read their books.
Sherlock’s eyes widened in astonishment. “So… this is how Elves normally interact?”
This was almost impossible in Avalon. Her Highness the Saintess likely held a higher status than Minister Moriarty. Let alone Minister Moriarty, even a mere minister appearing somewhere clad in armor and riding a Gryphon would immediately become the center of attention.
“This is normal… Mr. Hermes.” Grey spoke personally. “Because, strictly speaking, we Elves have no hierarchical differences. People respect me, or the Pope’s Guard, simply because they respect His Majesty the Pope; and they respect His Majesty the Pope because everyone respects their faith… and respects the Nine Pillar Gods. I am a Spokesperson, but only a Spokesperson. In reality, I have no power.”
—Not necessarily. Eivass added silently in his heart. The Eternal Holy Kingdom was essentially a large society structured around favors and goodwill, and the Saintess’s goodwill was clearly quite valuable… Elves had weak desires and an obviously excessive output. When their daily needs were fully met, the only thing they craved was for “someone to specifically do something for them.” In other words, it was a transaction of time. This “time” was the currency of the Eternal Holy Kingdom.
Watching Sherlock and Lily being gently dismounted from the Hippogriff by the guards, Eivass subconsciously wanted to dismount from the Unicorn as well. But Grey held Eivass’s waist and pulled him back.
“Don’t wander off, Eivass,” Grey said sternly. “The Thirteenth Ring is vast, and the architecture is complex. If you get lost, it will be difficult for me to find you. Since Lord Panxi can accept your touch, you can stay here with peace of mind.”
“…Then what about Sherlock and Lily?” Eivass was momentarily somewhat displeased. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable sitting on the Unicorn’s back… it was mainly because the Grey Saintess was too close to him. Previously, Eivass wouldn’t have reacted to this, possibly even leaning back comfortably. But now that he was in a relationship with Isabel, sitting here felt like sitting on pins and needles.
“As long as you are here, they won’t run off,” Grey replied calmly.
You really did say it right, Eivass thought. Soon, Eivass understood why Sherlock and Lily had been dismounted. After they all passed through a verdant green light screen, the Pope’s Guards bowed and departed. The Saintess then led them, walking through corridors with increasingly complex terrain. The corridors looked like successive rings winding inward… like a snail’s shell. And the place they had just landed was the entrance to the snail shell. As they ventured further inward, Sherlock discovered that this level seemed to be entirely filled with all sorts of books. The corridors here were not narrow, with a width comparable to a museum exhibition hall… and in every area, there were many tables and chairs. As they walked forward, they could see specimens fixed in mid-air by several rings.
“Cross-section of a Dragon’s Heart – Specimen A1”
“Adult Smog Species Gryphon – Specimen G2”
“Man-Eating Rabbit and its Family – Specimen A1”
…Sherlock was dazzled. In a daze, he felt as if he had returned to his childhood… the feeling of visiting a museum for the first time. He also understood why the Saintess didn’t let Eivass run around. —If it weren’t for keeping up with Eivass, he would have wanted to run around!
After walking a bit further and passing through another green screen, the surroundings were still filled with various books, but the style of the specimens had changed.
“Lunar Calendar Year 1765 – Steam Engine Prototype (Human)”
“Lunar Calendar Year 874 – First Generation Giant Stone Golem (Human)”
“Lunar Calendar Year 322 – Prototype of the Light-Forged Furnace (Dwarf)”
…Why Lunar Calendar? What did Lunar Calendar mean? A doubt arose in Sherlock’s mind. But as he continued to walk forward, he began to see things completely different from before.
“Amber Calendar Year 3266 – Elixir of Immortality (Snake People)”
“Amber Calendar Year 4315 – Hero’s Feast (Dragon)”
“Amber Calendar Year 2389 – Crystal Guardian (Elf)”
These were… inventions before Hengwo’s birth! Sherlock’s curiosity was instantly piqued! He finally understood what the Thirteenth Ring signified. It carried almost the entire history of the Elves to date.
But Sherlock was unaware of the intersection between the Amber Calendar and the Lunar Calendar. He saw the last invention, the water purification device invented by the Lizardmen in Amber Calendar Year 6449. So, the history of the Elves seemed to be less than ten thousand years? Considering the lifespan of Elves, this was only about a dozen generations…
Just as Sherlock was thinking this, they passed through another green light screen. It was even more serene than the previous area. Sherlock couldn’t help but widen his eyes slightly. Not only him, but even Lily subconsciously took a step back. Even Eivass held his breath. Because dense crystal sculptures were displayed here. Some were painting, some were sculpting, some were farming, some were preparing medicine, some were writing… each person was in the act of working. Some were red, some were yellow, some were purple… even the colors of the gems were completely different. And all these crystal sculptures were Elves. Below them were written their names, birth dates, and… the time and reason for their petrification.
Suddenly, Eivass saw a somewhat familiar back. He couldn’t help but call out softly—it was too quiet here, like a library. He subconsciously lowered his voice: “…Master Yanis?”
“Hmm?” Hearing Eivass’s call, Yanis, who was quietly standing in front of a painter’s sculpture, turned back with some surprise. “Eivass…?”
Chapter Two will be around six o’clock! There are already several hundred characters, and I’ll post it when it’s finished! Meow
(End of this chapter)
