The next morning, the crisp chirping of birds woke the girl up. When she opened her eyes, what came into her pupils was no longer the majestic body of the Yahevi Mountains, but the calm lake water that collected bits and pieces of sunlight.
Illusion created by magic? This was Katoli's first reaction, she turned around to watch vigilantly, but the green forest cut off her sight. Just when the paladin was at a loss, the ancient imprint gradually awakening in the blood and the pleasant sound of water in the ears calmed down the girl's heart in an instant, and she immediately understood everything.
"That's right, there's nothing wrong with it, this is the capital of the stars~! Finally arrived... the legendary capital of the stars." The girl murmured softly, staring intently at the scene in front of her. This was a place where Katoli had never been before, but the friendly aura penetrated into the girl's body like a substance, and made her blood boil.
"It's finally here, the capital of stars~! What a surprise~! It's great~!" Xiu Yin, who was awakened, repeated these words as if possessed by a demon, while staring at the other side of the lake without moving. However, there is a vast expanse of whiteness in front of the mage, and the dense mist on the water surface not only restrains the curiosity of the peepers, but also covers the legendary city with a veil of mystery.
"Just like what Josephine said, 'Only the blood of Katoli can open the way to the capital of stars'. I never expected that the persistent explorers have been looking for a legend that they have never seen in their entire lives, and now it will be like this Accept us easily." Ren patted the girl's shoulder with emotion.
"That belongs to Jiu's blood, not mine." The girl showed a thoughtful expression, "Residents of the Star City... what kind of reaction will they have?"
"That's not your fault. If the other party is willing to communicate, they will understand that matter." The paladin quickly replied.
"Well, thank you, Ren." Katoli hid her inner worries with a smile, "Xu Yin, does the Alliance not even have a copy of the information about the Star City itself?"
"Indeed there is none," the mage shook his head. "No matter whether it is about the city itself or about the residents in it, no specific details have been mentioned—including the materials written by the Dark Eagle. Therefore, the capital of the stars It will become a legendary existence."
"You didn't even mention that person..." The girl shrugged her shoulders. "It's meaningless to stay here anyway. Let's start the search first, advance in a column, and be vigilant."
The water surface on the west side was sparkling, and the forest on the east side was dense and gloomy. The three-person team was advancing aimlessly along the lakeside. In this vast and silent environment, no one knows what to do now. They don't know how they got here, they don't know how to get out of here, and they don't know how to find the place hidden in the mysterious fog. star capital.
Star Capital... This is a place that even Kaos doesn't know, right? Katoli subconsciously sighed. Now, countless unknown barriers have been separated between the man with water-colored pupils and himself, and it may never be possible to walk on the same path again.
Such a fate... maybe a relief for me. The tasks given by Luvis can be carried out smoothly, and the focus of the journey does not have to conflict with him. Yes, this is exactly the best ending, and... exactly what I wanted. The girl told herself so.
However, as a death knight, will Kaos have a way to enter this field
Just as the girl was thinking wildly, the sound of wooden oars paddling broke the damp and stagnant air, and then spread into her ears. Accompanied by this melodious and reverberating beat, a small boat emerged from the mist with its long and smooth body, approaching the shore unhurriedly.
There were two people who came to greet them. The one standing at the bow covered his face with a black cloak, looking like a ghost floating out of the water. The oarsman on the other side of the boat had dazzling blond hair—that was something Katoli was very familiar with and could never forget.
It's him... it's Kaos~!
As if struck by lightning, the girl's heart constricted for a moment, and then jumped up happily like a galloping deer. Confusion is mixed with firmness, retreat is wrapped with longing, and sadness is wrapped with joy. At that moment, countless emotions converge into a raging current, breaking through the dam in the girl's heart.
Katoli felt a little overwhelmed for a moment, but no matter how surging the vortex was, the voice from the bottom of her heart was still crystal clear.
Finally saw him again, it turns out that the relationship between me and him is not over yet~!
"Hey~! Kaos, it's us~!" Xiuyin cupped his hands into trumpets and put them next to his mouth, then shouted at the boat in the distance, and the demon hunter responded with a big wave of his hands.
"His footsteps are really fast, and he arrived here one step earlier than us. Is the witcher really so magical?" Ren looked with complicated eyes.
"In any case, our strength has recovered, hasn't it?" The corner of the mage's mouth twitched. "You must ask after a while. How did he achieve this level? It's really amazing."
After just a few minutes, the exquisite boat had already slid across the mirror-like lake and landed on the shore lightly. Roland jumped off the boat first, while the man in black followed quietly.
"I thought I couldn't see you anymore." Katoli said softly.
"How come? I have never broken my promise." Roland smiled and opened the cloth bag in his hand, and handed the shiny dagger inside to the other party, "Thank you for your sword, it helped a lot. Besides, I have already avenged Josephine."
"Thank you, Kaos." The girl lowered her head, letting the ends of her hair hide her gaze, "Welcome back to the team."
"There is no need to thank... After all, he is also my companion." The death knight shook his head, then turned around as if remembering something, and made a "please" gesture to the man in black.
"The introduction is late, this is my lost companions, the envoys of the Luvis Alliance, who came for the World Tree."
"My name is Elena, a representative of Star Capital, I am here to greet you by the guardian's order." The other party took off his hood and replied in pure common language. The figure in the black robe was a woman with long night-sky-colored hair and mature eyes, but her marble-smooth skin, pale features, and eyes with crimson flames froze the atmosphere in an instant.
"Vampire~!?" The three of them couldn't help showing nervous expressions on their faces. Reason told them that everything was safe, but human instinct forced them to tense their muscles.
"If possible, I hope that everyone can call me 'Blood Race'." Elena said with a smile, her pleasant voice contained the unique arrogance and elegance of that race.
"After defeating Austin, I have been rushing on my way, but unfortunately, I had an accident when I crossed the watershed the day before yesterday, and my whole body was hung on the cliff. She happened to be patrolling nearby at that time, so I was able to escape It's a catastrophe." Roland smiled and recounted the experience of the past few days lightly, "Although the gap between the two different races was unavoidable at the beginning, after explaining the purpose and identity, Elena still took me Arriving in the capital of stars... this should be some kind of fate. I waited for your arrival with the guardian on the other side of the lake until this morning."
"Thank you for helping Kaos," Katoli held out her hand, "I am Katoli Orlande, Luvis' paladin."
"You're welcome, Your Excellency Orlander." The other party held her hand, and the cold touch immediately spread to Katoli's whole body along the palm, and the girl shivered subconsciously.
Are the death knight's hands so smooth and cold? She couldn't help guessing.
"I'm Ryan Brent, also a paladin." After witnessing the captain's reaction, Ryan decided to greet him with a knight salute to avoid physical contact.
"I'm Huin Weila, a high-ranking mage." Xiu Yin shook hands with each other vigorously—a real mage would never miss this rare opportunity, no matter whether the body would protest or not, "Can I ask a question? "
"Please."
"Are you a daywalker?" The mage pointed to the sun with his finger.
Elena, who was originally expecting this question, couldn't help being stunned for a moment when she heard this question, and then she covered her mouth and laughed lightly: "Your Excellency Xiu Yin's thirst for knowledge is really admirable, but unfortunately, I am not a day walker. .As for the reason why the vampires can move in the sun, I think it would be a good idea to discuss this issue while sailing on the Lake of Mirrors, please get on the boat first, the guardians are eagerly waiting for your arrival." She After speaking, he walked slowly towards the boat.
"The realm where the capital of stars is located is not the world, but the overlap between the world and the spirit world. In this place, the vampires don't have to fear the sun's burning, nor do they need to rely on blood to maintain their lives—we can directly obtain the four elements contained in the air. Extract power from it." Elena, who was sitting on the bow, explained.
"In other words, if we go back to the present world, we are still in the Yahevi Mountains. I just deduced this fact yesterday. It sounds incredible, right? Where the material world is dominated by jagged rocks, how many After being protected by the spirit world, it will turn into a city on the lake." Roland, who was rowing, added.
"It's unbelievable." Xiu Yin leaned out half of his body, gently stirred the clear lake water with his hand, the silky touch and clear reflection told the mage that all this was not an illusion, "We are coming soon, the capital of stars...then What kind of place is it?"
"Maybe for people in this world, it's just legends and records. But the Star City does exist, and it has a proud history of more than a thousand years. This field not only has special significance for blood races, but also hates all disputes. It is irreplaceable for those who seek the truth. There are various races that are familiar to humans and unfamiliar, and all people can live in peace and make progress together.” The beautiful blood race narrated in a cadenced tone, “Of course, the star capital The people of China know that isolation is a wrong way of life, so we are not only willing to accept outsiders who are recognized, but also send envoys to understand the changes in this world."
"However, I have to explain one thing in advance. This time, the gate of Star City is opened for Jiujiu, not for anyone else." Elena's voice suddenly became cold, and her red eyes looked down carefully. The girl who said nothing, "My hometown felt the breath of my daughter, so I welcomed her with open arms, but we regretted to find that she was not the one who entered here. The incident is related, am I right, Princess Orlande?"
"I can't make an excuse," Katoli took a deep breath, "but..."
"No, there is no need to narrate here," Elena stopped the other party, "We will look at all this when we are in front of the guardian. At that time, I will also listen to the whole incident as the long-term guardian. For Star Capital For me, this matter is the most important, I hope you can understand and treat it with caution."
"Yes, I understand." The girl lowered her head again.
The noble blood nodded and closed his eyes to express that he would not continue the discussion. Ren then put his hands on Katoli's shoulders, and Xiu Yin stared at the white water surface in silence, while the death knight's water-colored pupils burst into flames of memory.
Half an hour later, the fog that obscured everyone's sight suddenly dissipated. The white labyrinth collapsed in an instant, replaced by the unrolled emerald lakeshore. Countless towering trees stand serenely on the other side, the warm sunlight sifts through the gaps in their branches and leaves, and the warm breeze lingers around them. Between the arms.
These houses and castles naturally formed by big trees are closer to nature than the kingdom of elves, and their owners are indeed as Elena said—from all corners of the world—humans, dwarves, elves, vampires, orcs, giants, etc. Devil and so on. The sight in front of them dazzled the eyes of the three outsiders who had just arrived, and it was believed to be enough for them to watch for a whole day, but the guide in black robes obviously had no intention of taking them around the city.
Elena silently walked quickly along the grass-paved streets, and the only thing Katoli and her party could do was to follow her closely. When the procession stopped, a tree that was older than its kind stood in front of them. And the huge oak tree, the luxuriant canopy even blocked everyone's sight.
"The guardian is waiting for you inside, follow me." Elena briefly introduced, and then stepped on the wide steps formed by the roots. She led the four of them through the winding corridors in the tree house, and finally entered a spacious room.
The furnishings here are ordinary and warm, more like a living room in a farmhouse than a VIP room for receiving guests. And in the center of the hall, the guardian of the star capital is leaning peacefully on a recliner made of green vines.
"I brought them here, teacher." The beautiful vampire quietly stepped aside.
The other party nodded, and then replied in a kind voice: "Welcome to the Spirit Tree House, I am Flora, the owner of this tree house."
The owner of the voice has a childlike face. Years have whitened her temples, and wrinkles have crept onto her forehead. Her shoulders under the plain clothes are thin and weak. Only the kindly expression reflects the heroic appearance of the beautiful witch many years ago. Along the way, Katoli had guessed the image of the guardian countless times—maybe it was an elegant elf, maybe the proud leader of the blood clan, maybe a majestic archmage, maybe a resolute old dwarf—but the girl had no idea at all. It turned out that the manager of the legendary capital would be such an old woman with kind eyes.
"Please forgive Elena for being impolite, because she is for me." Flora explained slightly apologetically, "I learned something about you from this witcher yesterday. You are on the way The request of Goddess Vess came here for the colorful aurora a few months ago—that is, the call of the World Tree. But we can settle this matter at night, now... If possible, I would like to know about Jiu Yuan thing. You're Cattorie Orlande, aren't you?"
"Yes." The girl replied in a low voice.
"Come here, please, and let me see better."
The girl's expression was a bit uneasy, but Flora quickly calmed down the atmosphere—the witch gently held Katoli's hand, her eyes were the exact opposite of the death knight's pupils filled with cold fire, without hatred, There is no hostility, only comfort and tolerance, and unbearable sadness.
"It's such a nostalgic look..." After looking at the girl carefully, Flora sighed, "The girl who inherited the blood of the past, can you tell me everything that happened?"
"Yes." Facing the sincere look in her eyes, Katoli suddenly felt that she had no room for excuses, "I am willing to explain the whole matter to you in detail."
"Please sit down, it must be a very long story." Flora clapped her hands lightly, and the clay puppets standing beside them immediately moved into action. These dwarves with a handful of grass growing on top of their heads were quickly arranged in the center of the room. Five chairs, then back in the corner again to await the next order.
"I was not born at that time, but because of my special status and status, I was allowed to read a black document in the alliance archives—that was the confession of my father, Wendam Olande in the Holy Capital." said At this point, the girl's tone trembled involuntarily, "About Roland, and about Jiuyuan, there are detailed records above. The person who recorded the confession was the great sage Kadar. As proof of the authenticity of this document, the three major holy knight orders Chief Nicholas, Joey, User, listener Loren August, and Pope Julian August all signed it. Not only that, there is no room for lies under the light of the Holy Circle I therefore believe that what is stated therein represents the facts."
"The specifics start from the winter of 216 in Luvis's calendar. On November 4th, Roland finally returned to Dalanla, the capital of Alazea..." Katoli's voice was slow in the room. The ground rippled.
Time flies, the morning glow quickly dissipates with the mist, the sun quickly climbs to the top of the big tree, and then slides down slowly along the transparent slope in the sky, dragging a long stretch for the people and things on the horizon of shadows.
"The last time - and only time - I saw Roland Strife was nearly eight years ago, during the Siege of Dalarra. By then he had become the Death Knight, as the Warriors of the Alliance called him For the 'Dark Eagle'. And when Roland raised his great sword, I could even feel the heat radiating from the flames in his eyes—it was as hot as burning everything, and I still Can't get rid of that nightmare." The girl hugged herself tightly with her arms, but didn't notice the sight from the witcher.
"After that tragic battle, Roland has never appeared again. There are rumors that he has fulfilled his wish, so he has truly rested in peace; there are also rumors that he was called back to the north by Ishutoli... maybe only Only the undead know the truth."
"Do you think he's still alive?" Elena broke the silence.
"No, I don't know, and I haven't looked for an answer, because it doesn't matter to me." The girl replied firmly.
Afterwards, the whole room fell into a cold silence. People subconsciously avoided their sights, and let their thoughts wander cautiously in their own narrow space, until finally Flora's old voice broke the silence.
"Jiu Yuan is my most beloved disciple and my adopted daughter. We have had many happy times. Since she left the Star Capital, we have completely lost contact with her. The ruler of Alazea has blocked all The news simply declared that Roland was a traitor to the country, but did not mention the existence of Jiu Yuan. It was a dangerous sign, but I still held a glimmer of hope and kept sending people to look for it. However, nineteen years have passed , there is still no news of her, and all I get are more and more terrible rumors." The guardian turned his head and stared out of the window in a daze. Through the staggered leaf shadows, the dim setting sun is covering the dusk sky over the silent capital of stars.
"Although I knew there would be such a day sooner or later, I didn't expect that the time to confirm the rumors would come so early..." As if forgetting the people around her, Flora whispered to herself, "I stopped my own time, but there is no way to change it This world is cruel."
"I'm sorry..." the girl bowed her head.
"No, all of this has nothing to do with you, and because of this special blood relationship, you must have worked hard all these years, right?" The other party shook his head.
"Fate is sometimes crueler than imagined. For small people, it is a deadlock that logic and morality cannot clear. I think that when pain comes, what we should do is try our best to heal it, instead of putting the same Forcibly impose the feeling on innocent people." Flora laughed hard, "I will not blame you for these things, the capital of the stars is willing to accept the envoys from the alliance."
"Thank you... I'm sorry..." Katoli couldn't help but stepped forward, tightly holding the guardian's warm hands.
"It's getting late," Flora responded with a light tug, "I'm so sorry that everyone couldn't have a hot meal at noon because of my wayward relationship. The guests in the capital prepare a medicinal bath, okay?"
"Yes, teacher," the blood race got up and opened the wooden door on the other side of the room, "please follow me, everyone."
"I will prepare a sumptuous dinner for everyone, then let's discuss the purpose of your trip." The calm and kind expression returned to the guardian's face, "Of course, there is also the question of this mage, I will also answer them one by one."
Katoli and her party left the room one by one, but Roland stayed behind. The death knight stared at the silent old man with worried eyes, then knelt down on one side of the rattan chair, leaning forward slightly.
"Grandma, are you really all right?"
"Don't worry about me, child." Flora patted Roland on the head.
"But why do you want to listen to it again?" The other party shook his head, "I have already told you all about this yesterday. There is no need for such painful memories..."
"I also want to know what everything is like in the eyes of others. People should not escape the facts and their own hearts. And..." the guardian smiled kindly, "If you want to know a person who not only inherits the blood of the past, but also The girl who is still valued by Roland, I think it is the most appropriate to listen to her, what do you think?"
"Maybe." The death knight was noncommittal.
"Okay, hurry up and chase your companion, it's getting late, I should prepare dinner."
"Well," Roland stood up, but asked again, "Are you really all right?"
"Death and sorrow are eternal companions. Fate is cruel. Even gods probably cannot escape the shackles of that huge vortex?" Flora looked out of the window again. The sun had almost completely sunk below the horizon, but But the field of vision is still very wide - because the cold moon has somehow embedded into the corner of the sky, like a piece of hard jasper, covering the silent forest with a layer of silver-white feathers.
"I have always believed that no matter what fate a person has at birth, the right to choose the road is always in his own hands. Nineteen years ago, when Jiu Yuan decided to embark on a journey with you, I supported her decision. Now I am very sad, the passing of Jiu Yuan will be etched in my heart forever. However, I have never regretted entrusting Jiu Yuan to Roland," the guardian stared at him quietly, "It was so in the past, and it is still the same now."
Everything in the steam shroud seemed hazy. All kinds of unnamed medicinal materials float on the water surface, the light fragrance permeates the air, and the warm heat seems to permeate every part of the body, not only relaxing the muscles and nerves, but also softening the consciousness.
I never even dreamed that there would be such a leisurely time during this journey... and it was still in the legendary star capital. Katoli sighed in satisfaction, and then leaned comfortably against the edge of the bath.
But the next moment, the wooden door was suddenly opened, and the vague figure that appeared at the door of the bathroom surprised the girl.
"Who is it~!?" She asked sharply, and quickly grabbed the towel beside her.
"Don't be nervous, it's me." Elaine replied lazily, "Although the blood in the body is no longer flowing, this does not prevent us from taking a hot spring. If you don't mind, let's take a bath together?" Without waiting for the other party's reaction, she had already left He went into the bathroom and gently unwrapped the towel that wrapped his body. The graceful figure displayed in front of the girl was like a magnet, firmly attracting Katoli's attention—even though she was also a woman.
It was a tall and perfect figure—a slender and elegant neck, a curvaceous chest, a slender waist as smooth as jade, and slender legs. In order to avoid getting her hair wet, the beautiful vampire put her long hair in a high bun, which further brought out the unique sexiness and charm of mature women.
Could there be such a beauty among vampires? If you walk on the street, maybe even the priest in the temple will run out, right? Under the strong stimulation, the female-specific jealousy immediately swarmed out, and instantly occupied the paladin's entire thinking. If I also grow my hair long, I don't know if I can achieve the same effect... But I'm not as tall as her, and in terms of figure...
"The breasts seem to be smaller." Elaine bent down and examined the girl critically. "How about it? If you want, I can tell you the secret of the blood race to maintain a perfect figure."
"Ah? What? No, no need~!" Came back to her senses, Katoli quickly buried her body in the water, and replied in a panic. The teaser couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's embarrassment.
"I'm not even interested in the secret breast enhancement recipe that women dream of. Paladins are really old-fashioned." The blood clan immersed his whole body in warm water, only his head was exposed, "But... do you want to know about Jiujiu?"
"Long ago..." Katori murmured the name intertwined with her own destiny.
"Have you seen the painting in the room?"
"Yes, is that Jiu Yuan? She is so beautiful." The girl nodded, lost in thought.
The girl in the painting has a quiet and beautiful appearance. She holds a book and reads quietly under the shade of a big tree. Her emerald-colored eyes are focused and bright, and her long night-sky-colored hair flutters gently in the breeze. It was a lifelike oil painting. The passionate brushstrokes of an unknown artist vividly reproduced the graceful figure of the girl. When Katoli saw this painting for the first time, she even felt that she could feel the long-lasting Gentle breath.
"That's Jiujiu," Elena's tone was full of nostalgia, "The girl who is called the 'Child of the Star' by the people of Star Capital."
"Children of the Stars?"
"This name doesn't have any special meaning, as long as it is understood literally." The other party smiled, "Because Jiu Yuan has no parents, she was born from the stars that fell from the sky."
"What~!?"
"It happened in Luvis's calendar in 1999. One night in June, a dazzling star pierced the silent night sky and finally fell into the forest on the other side of the Lake of Mirrors. This is a very important thing for us. It's an incredible phenomenon—although there are indeed meteorites falling to the ground due to gravity, but that is the situation in this world—theoretically, it is absolutely impossible to see meteors at the overlap between the world and the spiritual world, so we headed there immediately observe."
"But it was completely different from what we imagined. There were neither huge craters nor flames on the ground, and we didn't even hear any noise. Finally, after walking through the forest in the middle of the night, we finally found the guest who fell from the sky—— A beautiful baby, she is sleeping peacefully, and the light flowing from the pendant around her neck gently surrounds the baby. Just as we hesitated, my teacher—that is, Flora—was the first to step forward I went to pick up the baby. When the light faded, the baby woke up, not only did not cry, but giggled at the teacher, it was so cute~!"
"This is simply a plot from a fairy tale... how could such a thing happen?" Katoli stared at the other party with wide eyes.
"It's really hard for people to believe, but that's the truth, and the arrival of a long time has brought us a lot of joy-you know, the Star City has never received new blood for nearly thirty years before that." Elena also said Leaning comfortably on the edge of the bath, "We can all see that Flora is the happiest. For more than four hundred years, the teacher who has frozen his own time has been leading everyone through difficulties one after another in obscurity. Life is not always the same, but with eternity is always tired and dull. Now, this very gifted and understanding girl obviously has a whole new world for her. The teacher has taught many students, they all She has become an excellent prayer priest, but not the top one. And this time, she intends to teach Jiu Yuan all her knowledge and let her inherit everything she owns."
"It's just that now, it seems that good things will always go away without knowing it. Seventeen years of upbringing have passed in the blink of an eye, and the waiting and suffering after that have no end in sight. From this aspect Look, I really hope you can come earlier, so that the teacher won't be so haggard." After the blood race finished speaking, he stood up from the hot spring, and wrapped his charming body tightly with a bath towel.
Speaking of which, that idiot Roland would delay returning to Star Capital because he was afraid of facing the past, so he should be taught a lesson. Thinking of this, Elena couldn't help sighing.
"Flora's beloved daughter Jiuyuan, is that so..." Katoli subconsciously pursed her lips. It wasn't until this moment that the girl finally realized that the sadness in the guardian's eyes was an abyss that no amount of compensation could eliminate.
"Don't blame yourself. The teacher has already said that it's not your fault. It's definitely not a polite word, but a feeling from the heart. And it can be seen that she likes you very much."
"Does she have a crush on me? Is it true?" The girl asked eagerly, and Fei Yang's eyes flashed across the emerald eyes in an instant.
"Of course, it's just..." the other party shrugged, "I don't know what the author of that painting would think when he faced you."
"The author of that oil painting? He is?"
"It's Roland. My long-time lover, Roland Strife." Elena admired the girl's mixed expression of surprise, anger and confusion with interest, and then lightly blew out the dangerous fire, "In short, the truth That's it. After all, many things are beyond the moral and logical standards, so you don't have to think too much, it will only make you feel overwhelmed. Let's wash up and prepare to enjoy the sumptuous dinner cooked by the Guardian himself. "