Accompanied by Seria and Luna, Nolan walked through the elf village.
"What a beautiful village," Nolan said in admiration.
Although it was far inferior to the large cities in human territory, the place felt beautiful and soothing to the soul.
The elves did not live much differently from humans. There was a market selling various daily necessities, lodgings, and more.
Of course, they also used money as a means of transaction.
However, unlike currencies such as the Sharn of the Great Velmora Empire, the money used by the elves was called Fael.
It was neither paper money nor gold coins, but beautifully carved green crystals.
At a glance, Nolan sensed that Fael contained enormous natural power.
"Where did you get the Fael?" Nolan asked unconsciously.
Seria chose not to answer. It was an elven secret, and there was no way she would reveal it.
However, Luna, unaware of her grandmother’s intentions, answered quickly, "It comes from a mine southeast of the village, Singularity of Chaos!"
Seria: "..."
If Luna were not her granddaughter—and if she did not love her so dearly—she would have smacked the silly girl on the head.
Seria let out a deep sigh and explained, "Fael is a precious mineral that can only be found within elven territory. It contains extremely powerful natural energy because of its proximity to the World Tree."
Upon hearing the words "World Tree," Nolan’s heart began to race.
He had heard of the World Tree. It was said to be a tree that had existed since the creation of the world.
The elves also believed that their existence was tied to the World Tree.
Before he realized it, they had left the elf village and were walking through a passage formed by intertwined roots and leaves.
When they emerged, a breathtaking sight unfolded before Nolan.
A gigantic tree stood before him, stretching so high that its crown could not be seen.
"It’s huge! Is this... the World Tree?" he exclaimed in awe.
Compared to the trees outside, the one before him was dozens—no, hundreds—of times larger.
Seeing the shock and awe behind his mask, Seria could not help but smile smugly.
However, she quickly hid it and said casually, "Don’t be so corny. That’s embarrassing."
Nolan: "..."
This woman clearly still held a grudge over what had happened in the past.
"Luna!"
A woman’s voice suddenly rang out from their right.
Nolan turned and saw a beautiful elf running toward them.
Her face was flawless, and her long blonde hair was tied into a side braid.
She was tall, around 1.8 meters, with a slim waist and a graceful figure hidden beneath her green dress.
A green necklace rested against her neck, and Nolan could feel tremendous power emanating from it.
’The power of life? Did Seria manifest her power into that necklace?’ Nolan muttered inwardly.
"Mom!" Luna’s eyes sparkled as she ran toward her.
She jumped into her arms and hugged her tightly.
"Woaa! Mom, I missed you!" Luna sobbed, tightening her embrace.
The woman also began to cry, pressing her tear-stained face against Luna’s hair.
"I missed you too, my dear," she said hoarsely.
They embraced for a moment before finally parting. The woman looked Luna over from head to toe, then let out a sigh of relief when she found no injuries.
"Where have you been all this time?" she asked sharply, pinching Luna’s cheek. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? You—"
She continued scolding her, while Luna could only lower her head with a guilty expression.
"Pfft!"
A small laugh suddenly came from in front of her.
Startled, the woman looked up and saw a man in a black cloak standing beside Seria.
"Mother, he—"
She hesitated, about to ask, but Seria spoke first.
"He is the Singularity of Chaos. You should already know that."
The woman’s eyes widened in shock. The Singularity of Chaos was a renowned figure, especially among the Seven Singularities.
She had not expected Seria to bring someone so powerful to this place.
Seria then turned to Nolan and said, "This is Iris, my daughter. I believe I mentioned her once, didn’t I?"
When she said "once," she deliberately emphasized the word, clearly implying her annoyance.
Nolan pretended not to notice and replied, "Yes, I remember."
Iris quickly lowered her head and greeted him. "Welcome, Singularity of Chaos. I apologize for not preparing a proper welcome for your arrival. I hope you are not offended."
Her fingers clenched at her sides, betraying her nervousness.
Before her people, she was known as a firm and resolute figure, yet in front of the Singularity of Chaos, she looked visibly uneasy.
Nolan noticed this and let out a soft chuckle.
"Don’t worry about it. It’s nice to meet you too, Queen Iris."
Iris felt a sense of relief that was hard to put into words. She lifted her head and said, "In that case, let’s go inside the palace first. I’ve ordered the servants to prepare food for all of us."
"Yay! I miss the servants’ cooking! Let’s go!"
Luna grabbed Iris’s hand enthusiastically. Seria glanced at Nolan, then headed toward the palace to the right.
Nolan said nothing and simply followed them.
***
At the dining table, Nolan sat on the right with Seria beside him, while Iris and Luna sat on the left.
Various appetizing dishes covered the table—venison, rabbit meat, and an assortment of vegetable dishes.
The aroma alone was enough to make Nolan’s stomach growl.
"Please eat, Singularity of Chaos. Think of this place as your home," Iris said gently.
Nolan nodded. He touched the lower part of his mask, and it vanished instantly, revealing the lower half of his face.
Seria was startled. It was the first time she had seen Nolan’s face, though only partially.
Admittedly, his features were sharp and well-defined, with a jawline as keen as a blade.
"Why are you staring at me? Is there something wrong with my face?" Nolan’s flat voice snapped Seria out of her daze.
She snorted softly but did not reply. Instead, she removed the veil covering her face.
In that moment, her nearly flawless face—surpassing even Iris’s in beauty—was revealed.
Nolan glanced at her briefly, then immediately looked away. It had to be admitted—Seria was exceptionally beautiful, even more so than Rafine and Seira.
They began their lunch in silence. Luna ate the venison on her plate, the happiness on her face impossible to hide.
"It’s rare for you to eat meat, dear. Didn’t you always hate it before?" Iris asked, looking at Luna with curiosity.
In the past, Luna could not bear to eat meat. She had even asked for dishes that contained no meat at all.
Who would have thought that after disappearing and returning, her tastes would change so drastically?
Luna blushed and coughed lightly.
"Ahem! I didn’t realize before that meat could be this delicious."
Iris simply smiled and said nothing.
"By the way," Seria said as she cut into the venison on her plate, "tell me—and your mother—why did you disappear?"