Although the Elves had successfully defended their territory in the battle against the Vampires, and elders like Talia had been taught a lesson, the Elf Race’s casualties were also severe. In this battle, there was no winner or loser; for both the Elves and the Vampires, it was a pyrrhic victory.

After waking from her deep slumber, Olivia rejected Polly’s suggestion to rest more. Dragging her exhausted body, she went to the place where the bodies of the sacrificed clan members were laid. Many parts of their territory had been reduced to ruins by the battle. Flowers and grass were trampled, trees were burned to charcoal, and the once beautiful and dreamlike scenery was now a complete mess.

For the Elf Race, who struggled with procreation, the sacrifice of their people was far more heart-wrenching than the destruction of their land. Olivia stood amidst the ruins, her light green eyes lowered. Perhaps influenced by her mood, the clear sky above suddenly turned gloomy, and the brilliant golden sunlight dimmed. An atmosphere of silence and sorrow permeated the Elf Territory.

“Her Majesty the Queen.” Worried about Olivia’s condition, Polly carefully observed her. She found that although Olivia’s face was pale, her spirits were relatively good, and a heavy weight in her heart was slowly lifted. “Clan Leader Helen wishes to see you.”

Olivia glanced behind her but didn’t see Helen. She frowned and asked, “Where is she?”

“In the Wolf Race’s residence.” Seeing Olivia’s confusion as to why Helen hadn’t come with her, Polly explained, “It was Cynthia’s order. Before you woke up, all members of the Wolf Race were forbidden from approaching you.”

Olivia was taken aback. “Cynthia’s order?”

Polly nodded. “Cynthia has already returned to the God Race.” After saying this, she seemed to remember something and added, “It seems the God Race has also encountered danger. Before she left, she specifically sought out Clan Leader Helen to borrow the Wolf Race’s vice clan leader for support.”

Cynthia had always known about the relationship between their Elf Race and the Wolf Race. Why had she suddenly become so wary of them?

Olivia raised a hand to cover her mouth, letting out a muffled cough. She lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, then turned to leave.

Polly stared at the direction she was heading in, stunned for a moment, before quickly chasing after her. “Her Majesty the Queen, where are you going?” Clan Leader Helen’s wooden cabin was not in that direction.

Olivia didn’t stop, her tone flat. “To the Forbidden Land.”

Cynthia would never suspect the Wolf Race without reason.

The friendship between the Wolf Race and the Elf Race dated back to the reign of the previous Elf Queen. At that time, because the Vampires were indiscriminately hunting other races, both the wolves and the elves were victims. As both sides had the strength to resist, they secretly formed an alliance.

Later, Helen and the previous Elf Queen became friends. From then on, the Elf Race specifically designated an area for the Wolf Race, solely for hosting them.

The Elves favored simplicity. The residences within their clan were all simple wooden cabins. Though the decorations inside were plain, they exuded elegance and freshness.

Helen sat alone at a wooden table, sipping nectar. The white gauze covering her eyes seemed to conceal her emotions as well. She sat quietly, and even time itself seemed to stand still.

The cabin door creaked open. Helen’s hand, holding the cup, paused. She turned her head toward the door, a smile already gracing her lips before she could speak. Hearing footsteps approach and someone sit down opposite her, she put down her cup and asked with a smile, “Are your injuries alright? Why not rest a little longer?”

Olivia took her usual cup out of her Space Gem and poured a glass of nectar. She replied softly, “A brief rest won’t restore much spiritual power. It’s better to find a proper time to recuperate.”

“Judging by your aura, it seems to be mixed with the Power of Light?” Although Helen could not see, she keenly sensed a very distinct aura of light on Olivia. She asked with a puzzled expression.

Olivia glanced down at the Light Crystal in her hand, fell silent for a moment, and then said softly, “It’s Cynthia’s Light Crystal.”

When she woke up, this Light Crystal was beside her. She figured Cynthia must have left it for her to wear to help regulate her condition.

Helen raised an eyebrow and chuckled, shaking her head. “We have Cynthia to thank for repelling the Vampires this time. I arrived a step too late and wasn’t much help.”

Olivia shook her head. “Part of the reason Talia retreated was her apprehension of the Wolf Race reinforcements.” She lifted her cup and took a sip of nectar, changing the subject to ask about the temple. “Is it alright to just leave the temple over there unattended?”

“I left people in Yezreet to keep an eye on it.” Helen said, then pondered for a moment before adding, “The Vampires deliberately leading us to Yezreet was likely just a diversion. If Hanni hadn’t rushed over to report, I might still be unaware of the attack on the Elf Race.”

Olivia frowned. “Did you not receive my call for help?”

Helen froze, surprised. “You sent me a message?”

“After I discovered the Vampires’ intentions, I had Polly send a message to you.”

Helen tapped her fingers on the wooden table, her brow furrowing slightly.

Olivia glanced at her expression, then stated impassively, “While I was fighting Talia, someone entered the Forbidden Land.”

Helen didn’t know what she meant by this, so she didn’t interrupt, quietly waiting for her to continue.

“All the Elf warriors I ordered to guard the Tree of Life have disappeared, and there are signs that the branches at the base of the Tree of Life have been disturbed.” These were the anomalies she had discovered after investigating the Forbidden Land. “The barrier of the Forbidden Land was not broken, and Vampires cannot enter the Forbidden Land while the barrier is intact.”

The smile on Helen’s face faded slightly. She said in a deep voice, “Are you saying someone tried to harm the Tree of Life?” And this person was likely not a Vampire.

Olivia hummed in agreement. Seeing that Helen’s cup was empty, she casually picked up the nectar bottle on the table. As she poured, she said coolly, “I heard from Polly that Joanna arrived to provide support before the rest of you.”

Helen listened to the sound of nectar pouring into the cup without speaking.

“I need an explanation that can convince me, Helen.” Olivia pushed the cup to Helen’s side, her light green eyes cold and clear. “If you find it difficult, I can investigate myself.”

“I will not tolerate the presence of anyone who covets the Tree of Life.”

The atmosphere in the cabin grew somewhat frigid due to Olivia’s words. Helen rubbed the not-so-smooth wooden cup. The white gauze covered her eyes, making it impossible to discern her inner thoughts. Suddenly, a set of footsteps came from outside the door, and Polly’s voice broke the silence within the cabin.

“Her Majesty the Queen, Cynthia is here.”

The usually calm and composed Olivia was momentarily stunned. Although she quickly regained her composure, Helen still noticed. Helen looked up slightly and took the initiative to break the silence, saying with a smile, “I was wondering why Polly would obey Cynthia’s command. So, you’re the reason.”

“Although I cannot see, I’ve heard Hanni constantly praise how beautiful and powerful Cynthia is.” Helen chuckled teasingly. “I originally thought she was exaggerating, but even you’ve been charmed by her. It seems it wasn’t a lie after all.”

Olivia, who had just been wearing a cold expression, averted her gaze uncomfortably. She raised a hand to her forehead, letting her long, light green hair fall to the side, and denied it as if to cover up, “…I have not been charmed by her.”

The term “charmed” was too much of an exaggeration.

Helen knew Olivia’s personality very well, so she simply shook her head and smiled at this less-than-firm denial. “I have yet to attend an Elf Race’s Guardian Ceremony. Don’t forget to invite me when it happens.”

Olivia frowned. “…I might not necessarily choose her as my guardian.”

“Not necessarily…” Helen deliberately repeated, then teased, “It seems you’ve at least considered it.”

Olivia: “…”

Sensing that Olivia was about to become angry from embarrassment, Helen promptly reined in her teasing and tactfully found an excuse to leave, even though this cabin was her designated resting place.

As Cynthia arrived, she happened to run into the departing Helen. Although she harbored suspicions about the Wolf Race, her expression remained normal upon seeing Helen, and she greeted her with a smile.

Helen also gave Cynthia a slight nod. Despite having just teased Olivia for a good while, she didn’t exchange many words with Cynthia. After a few pleasantries, she left directly.

Cynthia watched Helen’s back until it disappeared before turning to enter the wooden cabin.

Inside, Olivia, who had been sitting at the table, had at some point risen and walked to the window, her back conveniently facing the door. When Cynthia entered, all she could see was her back.

“Is Her Majesty the Queen so unwelcoming of me?” Cynthia walked to the table and sat down, propping her head on her hand. She gazed at Olivia’s back and said with a grin, “I’m a little hurt.”

Olivia, who was feeling a bit flustered from Helen’s teasing, heard Cynthia’s words. Though she knew Cynthia was being deliberate, she couldn’t help but respond, “…Don’t make wild guesses.”

“Oh?” Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “So it seems I am welcome.”

Olivia was silent for a moment before turning back to the table, stiffly changing the subject. “Is the God Race alright now?”

“The Sethite wizards escaped, but the God Race also suffered heavy casualties. Chloe still hasn’t woken up.” Cynthia casually picked up Olivia’s cup and toyed with it, her tone absentminded. “The witches were also involved.”

“The witches?”

“From the memories of the Sethite wizards, we discovered that the God Race’s teleportation array was destroyed by the Anderson Witches, but it seems the witches were also attacked.” Cynthia’s brow furrowed slightly at the mention of this. After searching the minds of several Sethite wizards and getting the same information, Cynthia had made a special trip to Shastaya with Chelsea, but the Garcia and Anderson families were no longer there, and a fierce battle had clearly taken place where they had been staying.

Olivia’s attitude toward traitors had always been one of disgust, regardless of the race. “The Anderson line has always been extreme and cold-blooded. It’s not surprising they would do something like this.”

After Olivia spoke, she waited but received no reply from Cynthia. She subconsciously looked up, only to meet Cynthia’s gaze directly. The God Race opposite her was resting her head on one hand, her unique golden eyes focused and faintly fiery. But after a moment of eye contact, it seemed the fire was just an illusion; the silver-haired God Race’s gaze was as gentle as ever.

Olivia averted her eyes, staring down at her hands on the table. The atmosphere in the cabin became somewhat subtle and ambiguous. The feeling was unfamiliar to her. Just as she was about to say something to break the silence, she caught sight of a hand reaching toward her out of the corner of her eye.

Olivia instinctively dodged backward, but Cynthia had already retracted her hand. A flower wreath landed lightly on top of her head.

“I found this in the Forbidden Land. I don’t know who the owner is.” Seeing Olivia looking at her, Cynthia curved her lips into a small smile, her tone gentle. “Her Majesty the Queen, please help me find the owner of this wreath.”

“To be able to weave such a beautiful wreath, the owner must be a beauty as well.”