"Respected Giant Snake City Lord, Sir Hydra Knight, liberator of elf slaves, Lord Jones Dracula, when you chose to liberate the slaves and become friends with the Blood Elves, you earned unrestricted access to Luo Ge Xian Ni. Not just Luo Ge Xian Ni, but also the sacred sites of the Blood Elves, including the Divine Wood Library, will be open to you."
"Is that so?" Jones asked softly, a hint of surprise flickering across his face.
"Of course. Your name has long reached the ears of Her Majesty," Dariana said respectfully. "Upon hearing of your arrival, Her Majesty expressed great anticipation and specifically entrusted Lady Cornelia to host you. You must know, for outsiders, this kind of directive from the Queen is nearly unheard of."
Jones’s expression stiffened noticeably: "Is that so?"
Dariana appeared oblivious to Jones’s change of expression and continued speaking: "Since you’ve made such a long journey, we should have arranged for you to rest immediately. However, as you’re of the Blood Clan, we’ve heard that Blood Clan members are unable to move about during the daytime. Therefore, our suggestion is to proceed straight to the sacred site. This way, Lady Cornelia can meet you sooner."
As she spoke, she stepped aside, making a ’please’ gesture.
A short distance behind her, there stood unicorns equipped with saddles.
There were only seven unicorns in total, with several of their reins tied together. Judging by the situation, they were brought here by Dariana and Jiaais.
"There might... be some issues," Jones stammered hesitantly.
"Issues?" Dariana widened her eyes in puzzlement.
"Yes." Jones turned to look at the wooden platform where the airship was moored. The attendants were busy unloading crates from the ship. The crates contained the group’s luggage as well as gifts for the Blood Elf Clan: "Perhaps what we need is a carriage or maybe a few."
"But we didn’t prepare any carriages..." After a brief hesitation, Dariana glanced at Jiaais and said, "How about you accompany Sir Hydra Knight’s attendants later and help them procure a carriage?"
"Understood." Jiaais bowed slightly, signaling his agreement.
"Would that be suitable, Sir Hydra Knight?" Dariana turned back to Jones.
"Yes, of course it’s fine," Jones nodded awkwardly.
Dariana headed off to prepare the unicorns, while Jiaais crossed paths with Jones, moving towards the attendants unloading luggage. Jones and his group stood motionless, seemingly caught off guard.
Dora whispered, "They’re unexpectedly friendly. Maybe this trip will go smoothly?"
"I don’t think so," Jones muttered in a low voice. "Didn’t you notice that only two people came to receive us? Just two people—to welcome us of all things? And he mentioned that the Queen eagerly anticipates our arrival, yet the supposedly responsible ’Lady Cornelia’ isn’t even here at the port to meet us. Doesn’t that seem inconsistent with their apparent friendliness?"
As he spoke, Jones and Dora turned to look at Belle.
"You’ll get used to it soon enough," Belle shrugged.
"Used to what?" Dora asked. Check latest chapters at noⅴelfire.net
Belle rolled her eyes and replied, "Used to the arrogance of the Elf Clan. I’ve been to Luo Ge Xian Ni three times. This is the most elaborate reception I’ve ever experienced. They even arranged unicorns for us."
"Arranging unicorns counts as elaborate?"
"Absolutely. Haven’t you noticed these unicorns are much taller than the ones we saw on the Kolin Peninsula? These are purebred unicorns. Purebred unicorns exist only in the Elf Forest and are sacred beasts shared by the Blood Elves and Wood Elves. Normally, they wouldn’t let anyone else ride them, especially Blood Clan members. Anyway, this is my third visit here, and I’ve never been allowed to ride one before. Also, notice the emblem on her arm."
Jones cast a distant glance at Dariana, who was untethering the reins.
"The three-leaf clover on her arm?"
"It signifies her status within the Elf Clan."
Jones turned his gaze to Jiaais on the other side: "His emblem shows a single leaf."
"Indeed. A single-leaf clover, three-leaf clover, five-leaf clover, seven-leaf clover, nine-leaf clover—the more leaves, the higher the status."
"Why are they all odd numbers?"
"That, I don’t know." Belle sighed and continued, "I only know that ordinary elves don’t even have a single leaf. A one-leaf clover signifies at least the rank of an assistant squad captain, while three leaves represent a full squad captain. The highest we’ve ever seen before was a three-leaf clover. The fact that a three-leaf clover came to greet you shows they value you. Oh, and by the way, the Queen wears a seven-leaf clover."
"Uh... the Queen only a seven-leaf clover? Then who has a nine-leaf clover?"
"The Great Priest. The Great Priest holds the highest status among the Elf Clan. However, we are unlikely to meet him."
As they were speaking, Dariana had already guided the seven unicorns over, handing one of the reins to Jones, then to Dora and Belle. When she reached William, her expression subtly shifted, but she handed the reins to him nevertheless.
She kept one unicorn for herself and distributed the remaining two to the two Blood Clan attendants accompanying them.
"You’re all knights, so you should know how to ride, right? Unicorns are exceptionally gentle—much easier to ride than horses."
After a brief preparation, the group set off southward under the cover of night.