Next to the ornate marble sculpture of the Temple of the Elements, Suria took Asuna's arm with a reluctant look.

"Since Miss Asuna doesn't have to go back to Silvermoon City, why don't you stay at Rose Manor for a few days? I'd like to talk to you more. ”

Asuna glanced at Crito and replied with a smile, "There's still something going on over there in Gourard, we have to go back quickly." ”

Seeing this, Crito also walked up. "Yes, Miss Surlia has a chance to come to Gaural, where the scenery is not much worse than the Quiet Lake."

"Okay, I know you've coveted my position for a long time, so I'll give her back to you." Surya smiled and shoved Asuna's arm into Crito's arms, looking at the two of them narrowly.

But this move did not make the old couple so shy, they took advantage of the situation to hold hands, as if this action had been rehearsed countless times, extremely natural, and the two of them fit together perfectly, and they were natural.

I don't know why, Surya's heart suddenly darkened, and even the smile was a little reluctant.

"Then we'll go back, and remember to say hello to Mr. Shans for me." Crito waved his hand, and the two of them unfolded the transparent elemental wings behind their backs and flew into the sky together.

It was the six-ring spell "Symbiotic Wings" permanently engraved on the trench coat and cloak, and the two clothes were each half imprinted, and the wearer had to be close to each other to use it, and it was once very popular among lovers in Lokan.

There were several sets of similar clothes, but they were never worn.

……

On the bench on the shore of the Holy Lake, two elderly people in different senses finished chatting and were about to get up, when Lancelot suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky.

A black shadow descended from the sky, but the strong air currents did not even blow a single grass, as if it was cut off by an invisible barrier.

"Your Excellency Crito." Wynne hurriedly bowed.

Although the guardian of the Morning Star looked younger than his grandson, in terms of age and seniority, he couldn't even compare to the other party's grandchildren.

Crito bowed slightly, and then spoke, "Principal Wynne, I have two words for Mr. Shans. ”

Seeing that Lancelot looked accustomed to it, Wynne suppressed the surprise in his heart and hurriedly left.

This Mr. Shans ...... Who the hell is it?

Watching Wynn burrow into the portal that he had opened casually, Lancelot cast a puzzled look at him.

"There's a mysterious man in the Elemental Temple who isn't under me, and Asuna says he has the breath of necromancy in him." Crito explained.

Lancelot's brow furrowed slightly, and his expression was a little solemn.

"What about the other thing?" He asked. "You mentioned it the other day."

"Indeed, as you say, when we knew that I would accompany her back to Silvermoon City, the people of the Elemental Tower invited us into the study, and half an hour later, the elves permanently expelled Asuna on the grounds of 'mixed blood'." Crito said with a cold expression.

Although Asuna says she's nothing, she knows how sad an elf can be when she learns of her permanent expulsion. The two most important bonds in the life of this long-lived race, one from lovers, and the other from the population, are now erased by people.

"What the hell is going on, Mr. Shans, can you tell me? What would happen if I let her go back to Silvermoon City alone? ”

Lancelot motioned for him not to get excited, patted the vacant seat next to him, and Crito sat down.

"Remember Eliel? The chief priest who protected Asuna for you in the first place. ”

"Of course, I will remember his noble character for the rest of my life."

More than 400 years ago, not long after Lancelot taught him to slash stars, the black-clothed Sword Saint who broke through the legendary realm entered Silvermoon City alone, breaking into marriage and robbing people in one go. The incident was suppressed by the chief priest at the time, Eliel, who from the beginning advocated "respect for the will of the individual", but the parliamentary faction, led by the patriarch of Singir, insisted that the elves and humans could not be united, and the two sides were at a stalemate.

But fortunately, the elves are all dead to save face, and no one wants this matter to get out, and Elliel uses this as a threat to force many patriarchs to compromise, and finally let Krito take Asuna without going deeper.

Therefore, it is known to the world as a romantic and legendary version of "elves and humans fall in love and then live happily ever after".

This also fully shows that the truth is often far more cruel and complex than the story.

"Maybe he's the last truly noble elf to uphold the ancient elven tradition." Lancelot sighed. "Possibly, I mean maybe. Soon, even this fig leaf will cease to exist. Instead, a group of self-defeating puppets spread the war to the plains of the horses in the name of the gods. ”

"You're saying the elves are going to war on the humans?" Crito couldn't help but clench his fists.

"No, the war started a long time ago, it's just that no one is aware of it." Lancelot looked at the center of the lake, and the longsword notches that were clearly visible were not clear in the afterglow of the setting sun, leaving only the intricate pattern of thorns.

"And now there are more deceased, maybe it's my old acquaintance, maybe not, who can say for sure."

He suddenly chuckled and said, "Remember when you said that you couldn't control your emotions in front of me, and you didn't even have the courage to sword?" ”

Crito nodded.

"If one day, we are on opposite sides, hopefully you will overcome that then."

"The opposite? Why? Don't you want to guard the Morning Star? He asked.

"If the Morning Star is left with a soulless shell, then there is no need to protect it. Rather than making it a breeding ground for evil and sin, it is better to destroy it cleanly and let it be reborn from the ruins.

"Go back, kid, don't go into Silvermoon City alone like you did four hundred years ago, after all, you're no longer alone."

Crito's mind was still swirling with Lancelot's hypothesis.

Opposite? Will there be a day? When that time comes, will I have the courage to draw my sword?

He stood up, bowed deeply, and left.

------------------

Silver Moon City, Rime Square.

The fountain sculpture in the center was originally the work of the famous elven sculptor Neresky, whose friend Holbein was a famous painter, and both of whom taught in Surama.

Inspired by his dreams, the latter personified the golden and red twin moons to create the red-robed priest Tarina, who symbolized Nurintari, and the blonde swordsman Naris, who symbolized Solinari, and Neresky's masterpiece was based on his paintings.

In the original statue, the dignified Tarina holds a scroll and chants, while Naris gazes with a sword and looks around. The mist steamed around the two of them, reflecting a hazy magical brilliance.

But, those are in the past.

Six months ago, Neresky, who was coaching in Sulama, did not know what was going crazy, and suddenly ran to the rime square and destroyed his masterpiece with his own hands, saying that this was a blasphemy against the gods: the two moons are only the totems of the elves, and should not be "deified", and here should stand the elves' god of faith, Isu.

Because he was the creator of the statue, and the elves were indifferent by nature and didn't like to join in the fun, even the guards in the square wearing shuttered armor just watched him smash the statue and leave.

When Holbein heard about this, he made a special trip to the door to question him, asking if his former friend had gone crazy and ruined the joint efforts of the two with his own hands. The two of them, who were both Seven Ring Mages, even fought for this, and if it weren't for the former chief priest Eliel to stop it, the two would probably be able to kill people.

Even so, the two eventually broke off their relationship and no longer corresponded.

This is probably the first incident of breaking off friendship in Silvermoon City in more than a hundred years, and elves who have always valued friendship rarely go so far.

Later, the fountain sculpture in the square was literally replaced with the image of Isu holding a ball of water-blue liquid, the pure pale blue water suspended in the air like a ribbon, and the chant of non-existence echoed over the square, and everyone who passed by here would stop and listen for a while.

Slowly, more and more elves transformed from unbelievers to Asu believers, and the originally cold rime square was now crowded with people every day, and from time to time someone stood at the top and loudly praised the Lord of the Water and sang the greatness of the Elemental Goddess, and countless believers applauded and cheered below. In contrast, the poor unbelievers, who used to make up the majority and are now few, have become different, living under the strange eyes of others every day.

Today is the coronation ceremony of the new patriarch of the Night Whispering Family, and almost half of the high-ranking members of the Silver Moon Council will be present, so the rime square is crowded with people.

Lucy struggled through the frenzied crowd, and in her eyes, the once cold and watery city of Silvermoon was now stained with a greasy crimson color, like the blazing air of Imotru that night, with an ingredient that made the blood agitated.

The female elf managed to squeeze into a seat where she could see the high platform, and hurriedly stood on tiptoe to look for Tina's shadow.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry!"

Lucy accidentally stepped on a lady's foot and hurriedly apologized.

“Gree-thehb！” The lady with a diamond-shaped crystal diamond on her forehead burst into a foul mouth, and a ring of resistance fire immediately swung on her body, and the scorching heat spread to Lucy almost instantly.

Colorful mage shields lit up all around, like a glass wall, just enough to trap Lucy inside.

Just as the girl was about to draw her sword, a slender hand appeared out of thin air and lightly touched the ring of fire, and the element instantly disappeared into invisibility.

"Lord Eliel."

The surrounding elves saluted, and the voice pulled Lucy back from her panic.

"Ah, Lord Eliel?" She exclaimed in the same way.

The silver-haired elf squeezed in out of nowhere, and instead of answering her, bowed slightly to the lady and said, "Forgive her for her recklessness." ”

The woman glared at Lucy indignantly, and then stopped pursuing it.

"Your mercy is like the light of the two moons."

"It's as clear as a quiet lake, Lord Eliel." The woman retorted. "The bi-moon is just a totem, and we must be firm in our faith."

Eliel spread his hands helplessly. "As you wish."

With that, he turned around and grabbed Lucy's hand, and the two of them turned into white light and disappeared in place.

The brief riot ended quickly, or people didn't have time to care about it, because tonight's protagonist appeared.

The patriarch of Xianjir took Tina's hand and slowly walked up to the high platform, bathing in the cheers of the crowd.

The latter's long hair was raised high, revealing a slender neck. She wore a long white dress, a royal blue cape over her shoulders, staggered across her chest, and held in place by a red crystal. The long cloak dragged to the ground, and the lake spirits from the Lake of Tranquility held the edge so that it would not get dusty.

Tina's face was as cold as ever, even a little more sacred than usual, and Sengil was like carved out of the same mold.

She holds a short arrow in her left hand, one of the symbols of the Nightwhispering family. Legend has it that the longbow Senjira was originally paired with four short arrows, all of which came from the same phoenix tree and could be connected to each other. It's just that over the years, the arrow has been exhausted, and now this one remains, so it is no longer a weapon, but more of a symbol.

Standing on the edge of the high platform, Singier looked at the crowd of black oppressors and said:

"Today, the Nightchildren standing here, allow me to introduce you to a noble elf!"

This sentence was like a spark splashing into an oil barrel, and the crowd instantly fell into a boil, but in the noisy sound, Sengil's passionate voice was still clear.

"Tina Nightwhisper, a truly noble elf!"

"Tonight, at this moment, she is not only a patriarch, but also a noble queen! The first queen of elves ever! ”

The crowd fell silent suddenly, and even the noisy chirping insects in the trees were wiped out by the guards standing on the edge.

Everyone understands what "Queen" means, but the elves have never been a "nation", they are a race, a race ruled by the Silvermoon Council, and there is no need for such a thing at all.

"Nightchildren, I know what you're thinking."

There was a mocking smile on Sengil's face.

"You're thinking, 'What is this crazy woman talking about?' Doesn't she know that the Children of the Night are as free as the wind and as free as water?' I understand, I certainly understand, your minds are full of freedom, romance, and freedom, and you think that you are like that.

"What do you think you are? A group of noble children of the night?

"Nope! Standing in front of me is a bunch of incompetent wasters! A race that moans in humiliation!

"We are elves, born mighty, the finest race of Lokan, Mia's most outstanding creations, worthy of dragons!

"But what about now? Look up at this small sky! Open your eyes and look at the crowds around you! You breathe turbid air! Tranquil forests are not fertile soil! It's a cage! A cage that symbolizes humiliation and ridicule!

"Really fertile land, really sweet air, really wide space, all behind that mountain range! Firmly occupied by greedy and shameless humans!

"Open your eyes and see! Let your senses listen! Silvermoon City is full of humiliation and oppression, like a pool of stagnant water! And you, soak your noble bodies and minds in stagnant water, like old men in the twilight!

"What's the use of giving you a long life!

"What's the use of giving you outstanding talents!

"You only think about 'freedom' and 'romance', but that is freedom in a cage, romance under oppression! In this limited, cramped, crowded space, how ridiculous is self-righteous and unrestrained, like a chocobo with its head buried in the sand! You're the stag you've been kept in captivity to watch!

The crowd was still deadly silent, but it was as calm as before the storm, as every elf gasped with red eyes, and many loosened their bow ties in an attempt to breathe a little easier.

They were like a bunch of beasts in gorgeous evening gowns.

Sengil looked around, pleased with the elves' reaction.

"Some people may ask, is it the elves who want to start wars, to expand outward, to trample on the dignity of others?"

"No, it's not like that.

"What we need is not a piece of land, not a bunch of slaves, not a violent occupation and conquest.

"We don't want tangible territory, not vast spaces, but real freedom!

"I hope that one day, those small, short-lived races, hearing the names of the elves, will feel trembling from the soul, will feel trepidation, will understand their own insignificance and humility.

"I hope that one day, a defenseless elven child, who strayed into human territory like a lost fawn, will also be loved like a king, because he has the noble blood of the Children of the Night in his veins!

"I hope that one day, even if other races become slaves of elves, they will be proud and proud of it, because their masters are truly noble elves!

"I will shed my last drop of blood for that day to come! Fight for freedom, fight for true nobility!

The crowd erupted in a tsunami-like cheer, and the Bloodless Restless Detonated Brilliant Elements in the air, unleashing their frenzy.

Sengil took off the crown carved with a blue diamond on his head, placed it lightly on Tina's head, signaled to be quiet, and continued:

"Gentlemen, remember. This is not a war, but a recapture of what is rightfully ours. ”

"The council has been dissolved, and in its place is the Silvermoon Empire. And Tina Nightwhisper, who stands in front of you, is the first queen.

"She will lead the great children of the night together! Lead us to that day!

"Elves, destined to stand at the top of the Lokan clans! The banner of the Silvermoon Empire will be planted on the highest peak of Hogarth!

"Until then, all your fellow Nightchildren, please chant her name with me!"

"Queen Tina! Queen Tina! ”

The shouts resounded like a tsunami in the mountains and resounded through Silvermoon City.

The water balloon in the hand of the statue of Isu also flew over and landed in Tina's free right hand, and such a miracle set off a climax in Rime Square again.

If Mu Yan was present, he would not have dared to believe that this was the group of dead tsundere elves, who looked even more savage and fanatical than the orcs of the Kadra Heights.

……

On the balcony of the tree house far away from the rime square, two figures stood on it.

"Lord Eliel, they ...... Why did they become like this? ”

Lucy looked incredulous.

It was her first time back to Silvermoon since returning from the Windy Firmament, and until then, Elliel had taken her out of the city to stay with the other races who had joined the Silvermoon Alliance, and she had been living in the village next to the Forest Spirit Tree House.

Elliel didn't answer her, but asked kindly, "Little Lucy, do you think what Patriarch Sengil said makes sense?" ”

Lucy shook her head.

"I can't tell, but I know she's starting a war, and that would kill more people. We have been living in the quiet forest since ancient times, and the plains of herding horses were not taken away from us by humans, they belonged to them. ”

Eliel smiled

Lucy suddenly felt a little uneasy. "I ...... Am I not right? Lord Eliel? ”

"No, you're right, I think so. But," Elliel shrugged, "as you can see, it doesn't help us to think so. ”

"What then? Is the Patriarch of Sengil a bad guy? Who will save them? ”

"No, no, Sengil...... She. Ariel looked complicated and was about to explain something, when a long shadow suddenly squirmed behind the two of them, and out of it came a male elf in a black evening dress.

The sword at his waist was like frost, and his cloak was like a shadow dragging on the ground.

"Patriarch Memeon." Eliel's eyes narrowed, and his right hand behind his back swayed slightly, slowly slicing through an invisible portal.

Memeon ignored him, and instead stabbed Lucy with a sword, and the shadow struck the two of them like vines.

Eliel grabbed Lucy's arm and pushed her through the suddenly open portal.

"Go where you came from, and don't go back to Silvermoon City."

The sword flashed, but it only slashed to the end of Lucy's scream, and nothing else touched it.