Pillar of Yita

It was at just this moment that the crystal suddenly lit up.

The message was from Tianlan, who had directly used written communication:

”Brother Ade, are you there?”

Fang Hong saw this line and immediately realized that it might not be convenient for them to speak over there. He quickly typed: ”Tianlan, something happened, we might have been exposed, is everything alright on your side?”

The written response quickly appeared on his retina: ”Miss Atira and I already know, did you manage to get away?”

”We’re on the old river route, you should be aware, it’s the pre-determined escape route. For now, it is temporarily safe, but Orlenze should have already started lockdown.”

”Is it Miss Atira?” Elisa looked at the communication crystal in his hand and asked from the side.

Fang Hong nodded but gestured to everyone not to disturb, as Tianlan’s next message soon came through.

”Brother Ade, you don’t need to worry too much, we’ve almost got it figured out over here.”

”Got it figured out?” Fang Hong was full of surprise, ”Did Miss Atira find a way out of the city?”

Though he knew the Elf Miss was reliable, she would not easily make promises without assurance.

But he couldn’t figure out how the Elf Miss managed to connect with the local Thief Guild and find a way out of the city in just one day and night.

Especially under the complete city lockdown, which Thief Guild would have the guts to take such a risk?

First puzzled, then suspicious at once, could it be that the Thief Guild was playing some trick, planning an internal betrayal?

But when he voiced his doubts, Tianlan immediately responded: ”No, no, Brother Ade, you’re mistaken, Miss Atira didn’t find any Thieves Brotherhood.”

She typed, ”In fact, we found Miss Atira’s compatriots.”

”Miss Atira’s compatriots?” Fang Hong was stunned, are there any Forest Elf expatriates in Orlenze?

But he had never heard of the Forest Elves conducting a mass migration to the outside!

What Tianlan said next made him suddenly realize.

It turned out that Orlenze didn’t have any Forest Elf expatriates, but there was indeed a Forest Elf envoy group temporarily residing there.

Thirteen years ago, the Giant Tree Tarn was almost burned by the Empire’s magic guided weapon, leaving behind an ugly scar known as Osiris Trace.

Faced with this Ether-corroded scar on the Giant Tree, the Orlenze people were powerless and had to seek assistance from Ameya’s Holy Guards.

Out of respect for the Giant Tree, the Forest Temple dispatched a Druid envoy group to repair the scar on the Giant Tree ten years ago.

And with this stay, it has been ten years.

Measured against the time scale of Elves, ten years naturally doesn’t count as long, but placed in the human world, it’s enough to form a fixed settlement.

This is also the origin of Orlenze’s Elf District.

”To repair the Giant Tree, Forest Elves need to travel between Tarn Port and the Lower City Area, and the Orlenze people have granted them special permission to use flying beasts of burden to ascend to the Giant Tree,” Tianlan continued, ”Therefore, there is an animal pen in the Elf District, where many Giant Owls are raised.”

”Miss Atira’s compatriots are willing to let us in and lend us those Giant Owls, Brother Ade, we can ride the Giant Owls back to the Seven Seas Traveler.”

This indeed sounds like a crazy idea.

Riding the Giant Owls into the sky, returning to the Seven Seas Traveler, sounds easy, but what’s being challenged is the entire aerial control system of Orlenze Port.

Many years before the birth of airships, the natives of Eteliria had already started using flying beasts of burden. Their history above the skies may not be shorter than that of humans from another world.

And after airships came to dominate the skies, Eteliria’s Sky Sea became filled with numerous busy flight routes. With every advantage comes a disadvantage; Etelirians’ dominance over the skies also means cities across the continent face a threat from above.

This is especially true for air port cities like Orlenze.

Where there is a spear, there will be a shield; the sharper the spear, the stronger the shield tends to be. Facing all kinds of airships and flying beasts of burden, Orlenze—and any air port—will have a complete control system.

Behind this control system, there is an aerial alert force for its operation, the Port Authority’s patrol gunboats, harbor artillery, and a whole set of defensive installations. It would never be the case that a few people, a few flying beasts, or one or two airships can throw a port into chaos.

But generally speaking, such a defensive system is aimed at external threats. This time, it could be used against them.

Fang Hong could almost imagine what kind of situation they would face once the Giant Owl they were riding soared into the sky.

But it has to be said, the plan holds some degree of feasibility—

He put down the crystal, looked up and saw the huge shadow docked beneath Tarn Tree Crown, floating behind it were a dozen or so large and small hanging cargo containers.

That was none other than the just-docked Floating Island Whale.

...

Rubert, with a gentle gaze, was looking at the Elf Girl before him, respectfully placing his hand on his chest and performing the unique bowing greeting of the Forest Elves, ”Your Holiness Saintess, all is prepared.”

Not far away in the ancient hall, it was as if a wooden statue had naturally grown, the statue depicting the image of the Forest Goddess Ameya.

Under the Holy Elephant were two wooden lanterns, their faint firelight illuminating the quiet face of the Elf Miss.

”Thank you, Mr. Rubert,” Atira replied calmly.

”Serving Your Holiness Saintess, serving Lord Goddess, is our honor,” Rubert replied.

Atira gently nodded.

”Your Holiness Saintess,” after a moment of silence, Rubert asked, ”The Holy Tree Forest asked not long ago, wondering when you will return.”

Atira glanced at him.

”Soon,” she replied, ”Mr. Rubert, if the Holy Tree Forest asks again, just tell them that I will return soon.”

Rubert bowed his head, his silvery-grey hair falling as well, deeply bent over and bowed again.

Atira received the bow graciously, her gaze gently shifted toward the direction of the terrace.

There, surrounded by Emerald Forest, the gate leading to the Beast Pens was opening.

...