The group led by Lord Jones naturally rode on horseback, except for William. Perhaps it was because the undead aura emanating from him was too overpowering, the unicorns innately rejected him. As soon as he mounted one, the unicorn would begin to grow restless. However, once the undead energy was suppressed, the issue was resolved.
Actually, it wasn’t just William; the others faced similar issues. Dariana gave specific instructions: "Unicorns are semi-magical creatures and have an aversion to negative energy, such as dark magic power or undead magic power. I know the Blood Clan carries both kinds of magic power, so I hope everyone can suppress the magic fluctuations around them. Otherwise, it will negatively impact the unicorns’ performance."
"Performance in what way?" Jones asked, puzzled.
After all, they had already mounted the unicorns and were handling them with ease. There was indeed little difference from riding horses.
"For instance, in this kind of control." Turning the unicorn she was riding, Dariana demonstrated to the group: "Follow my actions—shake the reins slightly, then squeeze the unicorn’s flanks, and it should..."
Before she finished speaking, the group watched as Dariana shot forth on her unicorn like a gust of wind, moving even faster than Jones could fly as a bat!
Moreover, the area around the unicorn pulsed with an unusual concentration of light-based magic, resembling a magical shield of sorts.
Everyone present, whether it was Jones or Dora, was utterly awestruck. Even William couldn’t conceal his amazement, except for Belle, who had long been privy to such sights.
After a while, Dariana galloped the unicorn back. As she neared Jones, she suddenly tugged sharply on the reins. The unicorn reared onto its front hooves, letting out a piercing whinny before coming to a halt.
The light-based magic shrouding Dariana evaporated in an instant, and everything returned to normal.
Catching her breath, Dariana smiled and said to Jones, "That’s roughly it—riding a unicorn isn’t vastly different from handling a horse, save for a few finer details."
Taking note of their dumbfounded expressions, Dariana paused for effect and added proudly, "You wouldn’t be able to pierce a unicorn’s shield without magical arrows. This shield consists of four layers, with some unicorns capable of manifesting six layers."
Her tone carried a distinct air of boastfulness.
Dora muttered softly, "Lord Jones, perhaps we could buy some unicorns to form a powerful knight troop. Aunt Yilin and Uncle Benedict would surely find them useful."
As soon as those words left her lips, Dariana’s face clouded over. Before Jones could respond, she cut in coldly, "Miss Dora, that joke is not amusing."
"What’s the matter?" Jones asked.
With a stern expression, Dariana replied, "Unicorns are the treasures of the Elf Clan, and it is strictly forbidden for other races to possess them. Smuggling unicorns alone is a capital offense in Luo Ge Xian Ni. So, Miss Dora, I hope you refrain from making such jokes in the future."
"My apologies. I apologize to you sincerely," Dora lowered her head.
Only then did Dariana’s demeanor ease slightly.
"I don’t think Dora was joking. In fact, I was thinking the same thing. If we hadn’t agreed to keep quiet, I’d have brought it up before she did," William’s voice sounded in Jones’s mind.
"I understand." Jones replied softly to William, then bowed slightly to Dariana and said, "I apologize for Dora’s words."
"Let’s forget this unpleasantness, shall we? You are honored guests of the Elf Clan," Dariana said, forcing a smile.
"I honestly don’t see where the honor lies in how she treats us," William grumbled quietly in Jones’s mind.
By now, even if he were a fool, Jones had recognized the challenges this mission entailed.
Belle whispered to Jones, "Now you understand why negotiations took half a year just to arrange a meeting, right? My father tried his best, but the elves are simply... too bizarre."
Led by Dariana, the group set off. They activated the powers of their unicorns and galloped down the long forest paths south of the harbor, their speed indeed as swift as the wind.
Although Jones wasn’t an ordinary human and his flight as a bat was nearly as fast, occasions like these—darting swiftly through wooded paths—were rare experiences.
The scenery around them blurred into streaks, nearly disorienting in its rapidity. All that seemed stationary were his companions and the silvery moon hanging overhead. Moving so swiftly and so close to the trees, one could easily imagine colliding with them if they made a mistake. Thankfully, the unicorns knew to dodge obstacles on their own; otherwise, controlling them at such speeds for hours would have been utterly exhausting.
Throughout the journey, Dariana rode her unicorn alongside Jones and carefully explained the itinerary. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel_fіre.net
"We are expected to reach Holy Land Cartier before dawn. A special accommodation has been arranged for Sir Hydra Knight, where you won’t need to worry about sunlight even during the day, allowing you to move freely without concern. Upon arrival, you can rest for the day. Lady Cornelia will come to your lodging during daylight hours to meet with you. You can initially discuss your objectives with her. I understand your purpose here is to secure certain agreements. You may share these details with Lady Cornelia—she will relay them to Her Majesty."
"Why can’t I just speak directly with the Queen? If this matter ultimately requires her decision, isn’t it more efficient for me to talk to her myself?" Jones asked.
"That’s impossible, Sir Hydra Knight. The Queen won’t meet with you unless a preliminary agreement has been established. While the Queen is the final decision-maker, the actual implementation will fall under Lady Cornelia’s purview. Building rapport with Lady Cornelia will only benefit you."
"Do you even know what I’m here to propose?"
"No, but from what I can gather, it won’t be easy to achieve. Cornelia is the most open-minded among the ruling officers, and if you can’t convince Lady Cornelia, then persuading Her Majesty will be out of the question. Of course, miracles aren’t entirely unthinkable—after all, you carry the reputation of the Elf Slave Liberator."
"This doesn’t sound promising at all, not one bit," William muttered under his breath in Jones’s mind. "She even used the word ’convince,’ implying that this agreement is entirely for our benefit, making it sound like we’re begging them for favors. I already foresee major trouble."
"I agree it seems an uphill battle, Lord Jones," Dora added. "She just described persuading the Queen as a ’miracle,’ suggesting they have no plans for meaningful negotiations."
"This is commonplace when dealing with Blood Elves," Belle said to Jones in his mind. "With more interactions, you’ll realize just how peculiar they are. The easiest negotiations in this world are always with merchants—they have to negotiate to make a profit, and the question is simply who gains how much. But elves are different; they lack any concept of commercial thinking. This can be advantageous or disadvantageous; the advantage is that sometimes you can acquire precious items from them at surprisingly low costs, but the disadvantage is that communication might be outright impossible, let alone striking a deal. My father has been trading with them for over a thousand years, spanning four queens. Yet while he tightly controls the Blood Clan’s trade channels with the Blood Elves, he hasn’t cultivated any cordial relations with them. You deal with someone’s great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and now them, yet you’re no closer to knowing them. It sounds absurd, but that’s precisely how my father’s relationship with the Blood Elves functions. Perhaps ours will be the same."
Hearing all this left Jones somewhat deflated.
Indeed, he was dealing with a truly challenging race. Nevertheless, he had no other choice but to negotiate. After all, the Blood Elves held the only known mineral veins on the continent. Even the raw stones Jones experimented with had been brought back from Luo Ge Xian Ni by Belle’s father.