I Was The Hero, But I Woke Up as a Phoenix Princess! – Chapter 815

Chapter 55 Two Envoys
The carriage guarded by the Sacred Tree Knights gradually slowed its rotating wheels. Three elves had already arrived ahead of time to wait in front of the Sacred Spring Town of Ebro’lar.
They had not brought any retinues, but whether it was their magical power level or their temperament, they were undoubtedly elves of high status and importance, able to command the attention of Verafia, who was rumored to have “attracted the attention of the Goddess of Life.”
“These few elves…”
Verafia lightly lifted her delicate and tender face, her golden eyes blinking slightly, and sighed in her heart. She could entirely imagine how much the ripple caused by the Goddess of Life would stir the entire Elf Royal Court. However, seeing the appearance of that elderly elf, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly about the significance of the Goddess of Life to the elf race.
“Does Veer know them?” Iggy asked beside her ear.
“Not at all.”
With a spoiled flick of her golden eyes, Verafia raised her pure white, snowy face and said proudly.
A hundred years ago, Ain’s sister, Lafornos, had taken her to tour the elves’ Sacred Tree and the Holy Spring of Life. At that time, she was not just Lafornos’s friend, but the most sought-after swordsman on the entire continent, and the importance placed upon her was no less than it was now.
A hundred years was enough for many old acquaintances to disappear in the river of time. However, for the elf race, which possessed a long lifespan, it was not much. Even the most ordinary elves had lifespans of over five hundred years, and for those who were of noble blood, or who had reached the Sacred Domain and perfected the level of their life, reaching a lifespan of a thousand years was not difficult.
“That very old Wood Elf should be the Grand Elder of the Wood Elves, I remember, his name should be Beltnan?”
Verafia’s lips moved slightly, and her gaze fell upon the Wood Elf leading the group.
This was an extremely old elf. The emerald color in his flowing hair had dissolved into a dim ink-silver, and time had etched traces of age onto his face. His wrinkles were like the withered branches of an ancient tree, yet they did not bring any sense of decay or withered vitality. It was as if one could feel the gaze of infinite wisdom.
While elves had long lifespans, their appearances also maintained their youth for many years… There were not many elves as old as Beltnan that even Verafia had seen.
She remembered that Lafornos had once introduced that Beltnan had already been a member of the Wood Elf Elder Council a thousand years ago. Today, he had a lifespan of over two thousand years, which was particularly rare even for ancient Wood Elves with their long lifespans.
“Esteemed Lorinda.”
A young elven voice sounded. The speaker was a Golden-haired, Gold-eyed High Elf. His attire was luxurious, and his handsome face was as elegant and noble as a noble’s. He gazed at the approaching Wood Elf girl and said with a smile:
“The Goddess’s protection, witnessing your safety, is truly a joyful matter… In Sky City, the Prime Minister is very concerned about you and that young lady, so he can probably breathe a sigh of relief.”
“I thank you for your and the Prime Minister’s concern.”
Lorinda bowed her head slightly and replied with a faint smile.
At this moment, another elven youth stepped forward. With green hair and emerald eyes, he was clearly a Wood Elf.
“The matter of the Goddess descending is not just concerning us. In the past few days, the Queen’s guards have eliminated several waves of Dark Elves who had infiltrated around the Sacred Tree. Among them, it seems there were remnants of the Abyssal Church among humans.”
The Wood Elf envoy paused. He glanced subtly at the smiling High Elf noble beside him and said with a look of worry, “They naturally want to take that young lady away. Even around the Sacred Tree, it is difficult to guess the conspiracies concocted by those fallen ones. Her Majesty the Queen is also worried about this.”
“…That High Elf. Hmm, I don’t seem to have seen him before, but the Prime Minister he mentioned is Lord Kainor. Lord Kainor is the current patriarch of the Golden Elves. Previously, he served as the Prime Minister in the court of His Majesty the Spirit King.”
Inside the carriage, Ain whispered, “Yes, I heard from my sister that thirty years ago, there was significant controversy within the Golden Clan. It was this Lord Kainor who strongly advocated for Silvia to become the Elf King. This High Elf must be the Prime Minister’s envoy.”
“So, the other one represents the Queen?”
Verafia blinked her golden eyes. Sitting in Iggy’s arms, she propped her little hand on her cheek, revealing a slightly worried expression. “Looking at this, the division between Queen Silvia and the High Elves in Sky City is not small at all.”
This was certainly not difficult to guess. As Prime Minister and Queen, their envoys here represented them separately. From the look in that Wood Elf’s eyes, one could fully sense the wariness towards the other.
“Why would the Elf Queen and the Prime Minister have a disagreement?”
Ophilia asked with confusion, “Ain just said that it was precisely because of this Prime Minister’s support that Silvia was able to become the Elf King…”
“That was thirty years ago. When facing danger, there will always be unity that sacrifices benefits. Moreover, the divisions and contradictions may have gradually arisen between the two races.”
Iggy shook his head.
In times of crisis, Kainor would support a Wood Elf to become the new Elf King, but he undoubtedly represented the Golden Elf clan.
After the Black Moon Tide, a Wood Elf girl became the first Queen other than a High Elf in ten thousand years. At the same time, the Golden Clan, which had left the World Tree, continuously declined, while the Wood Elves’ influence continuously expanded. Those arrogant yet unwilling to see their power diminish High Elves would naturally clash with the queen, who was also a Wood Elf.
Bether, the High Elf seen earlier, despite calling himself a noble, looked entirely cynical and harbored malice towards Silvia, the Elf King.
Verafia nodded in agreement.
SheSuddenly remembered that Ain had run away from home because she wanted to find her sister. Due to Niya, she had accidentally ended up in the human world and was even hunted by the Dark Elves.
According to the young Wood Elf girl at the time, Lafornos had gone to the court of Sky City at the invitation of the Holy Queen.
“Mmm, could it be that Queen Silvia wants to use the power of Lafornos and the others to counter the influence of the High Elves in Sky City?”
Political struggles had always been manifestations of games and conspiracies. Although Verafia had not been deeply involved in them, she could still understand such principles.
She suddenly shook her head forcefully.
“Outside, there are the Abyss and Dark Elves. Internally, there are considerable divisions, not to mention the traitors. No matter how you look at it, the current Elf Kingdom seems to be in a state of internal and external trouble…”
Although, given Verafia’s current disposition, it was unlikely for her to worry about others out of solicitude, she wanted to use the elves’ power to hide from Fatter. If the High Elves and Wood Elves were to fight amongst themselves…
Verafia quickly shook her head, clearing such unpleasant thoughts from her mind.
A thought suddenly emerged in her mind again.
The Elf Empire today eagerly awaited the return of the Goddess of Life, not only for her blessings and guidance, but perhaps they also hoped that under the Goddess’s brilliance, they could eliminate the divisions within the now broken Elf Empire and unite again.