Chapter 20 - The Farm in Irttat
In the Esti Mountains, deep within a sunless forest, two elves rode along a narrow woodland trail.
The warrior Daisy opened the map she carried with her, looked at it a few times, and reported: "High Priestess, Irttat Town is three kilometers ahead."
High Priestess Cecilia's voice was steady: "We won’t stop to rest at noon. Let’s ride straight through. The current mayor Javena has already replied. There will be a welcoming banquet tonight. We can rest properly then."
Warrior Daisy agreed and let out a long breath, her gaze complicated as she looked toward Irttat's direction.
The closer to home, the more timid one becomes. There was her daughter who had finally returned alive but whose life wouldn't last long.
Back then, she had led her squad in relentless pursuit of her daughter's trail, chasing all the way to the royal capital of that country called Eaton, then lost the trail.
She refused to give up and wandered alone in the royal capital for another half year. When Eaton fell, her daughter was still nowhere to be found.
What that implied, she dared not dwell on it. She had returned to the tribe in a daze.
Seeing this, Cecilia habitually patted Daisy's shoulder. After a long while, she said: "Little Sophia is a hero of the entire elven race. We will all remember her. If not for Sophia, we might never have learned of the sacred lake’s whereabouts."
Daisy forced a smile.
Just then, a sharp cry echoed overhead.
Cecilia’s expression sharpened. “It’s Keshia’s Kong Cui.”
Keshia is one of the ten priestesses who serve in the temple, and also her trusted confidante. When she left the tribe this time, she had Keshia temporarily take charge of the temple.
Kong Cui had a trace of dragon bloodline and possessed the ability to traverse space. Irttat commonly used Kong Cui feathers to make messaging tools, while elves attuned to nature could tame them directly for communication. They constantly traversed space, moving far faster than other birds.
It landed on Cecilia's hand. Cecilia stroked its feathers gently to soothe it and pulled out a rolled note from its leg.
"Your Eminence the High Priestess,
My greetings to you!
I am the god's loyal servant, your loyal subordinate Keshia. I have something to report to you.
Tonight is the evening of February 1st. As usual, we finished evening prayers in the temple. When we went out, we saw a lake appear below the royal court—as you know, the royal court and temple are adjacent.
We were greatly astonished and discussed it at length. We unanimously agree that it closely resembles the sacred lake recorded in our history. It can move, and it is said to reside beneath the royal court. These characteristics match precisely. However, we have not touched the water and cannot confirm whether it bears the divine blessing described in the records, the power to dispel disaster and ward off misfortune.
Isn't your trip to Irttat precisely to find the sacred lake? I think this news may be very important, so I urgently report to you, hoping to get it to you before you arrive.
Your most loyal, Keshia"
Cecilia’s eyes darkened slightly. If that's the case, then what is the sacred lake appearing in Irttat?
Things were becoming increasingly confusing.
She raised her head and looked toward Irttat, instructing: "Speed up. We must reach the town as soon as possible."
The matter of the sacred lake was a secret that, though semi-public among the elven race, still shouldn't be widely proclaimed. Fortunately, Cecilia had a ready-made excuse for her sudden visit:
Sophia had been saved and brought back by Irttat's residents. Both emotionally and rationally, the elves shouldn't continue blaming Irttat, and should even thank them properly.
As for how she was saved, of course it was Garcia's magic potions.
Therefore, on the surface, this visit was a diplomatic activity for the elven race and Irttat to restore old friendship.
Javena had already notified the townspeople in advance to participate in the welcoming festival, greeting the visiting elven friends and properly demonstrating the townspeople's warm hospitality.
Lucita also received Javena's notice and very much wanted to bring Violet to freeload a meal at the festival.
The festival was held with public funds. Every year residents paid a certain amount for town construction fees. Lucita would have to start paying this money at year's end too.
At present, for Lucita, this meal was free.
She and Violet had eaten vegetables and bread all day yesterday and were both craving meat terribly.
As for the high priestess also attending?
Who cares? They'd have to meet sooner or later anyway. What did it matter to meet earlier?
"Then what will you wear?" Lucita worried: "How about you wear my clothes? I have two sets anyway."
Violet's newly bought white dress wasn't that kind of bleached pure white but the natural color of cotton, with a slightly old dull yellow tone. There were cotton seeds that hadn't been completely removed woven in, showing as small knots on the fabric. Elsia had made it as cheap workwear for farming and raising livestock, a low-end product that was not worth mourning if torn. She'd even sewn an exaggerated large pocket on the front of the clothes.
It was fine for working around the farm, but wearing it to a festival would seem very impolite, like Ida attending in her butcher’s apron.
Violet thought of a solution: "Then let's both go help in the kitchen. We can eat while cooking. By the time the feast begins, we’ll already be full. Wearing this for cooking is normal, right?"
Lucita deeply agreed. The two hit it off and ran to the Irttat Activity Center to volunteer.
Violet's previous job was being the elven king. She couldn't cook at all.
Moreover, five hundred years ago, elves lived in the forest without contact with humans. They could be said to live on wind and dew, just relying on eating fruit and hunting to get by.
Fortunately, Lucita had some skills, and Violet had an elven face and was treated as a foreign guest. The two managed to stay in the kitchen with peace of mind.
Violet humbly assisted.
"Pass me three potatoes from the basket."
"Oh, okay. There seem to be three types of vegetables in the basket. One with green leaves, two that are chunks, one purple and one pale yellow. Which one?"
Lucita held her forehead: "The pale yellow one."
……
By afternoon, the festival's long tables were already filled in the hall. Beautiful roast goose, smoked ham, fried fish, tomato bisque, potato pancakes... different dishes were placed on different tables.
The leftover dishes from plating were the exclusive privilege of the cooks. Lucita and Violet joined them and ate freely.
Lucita ate a few pieces of fish and a few slices of ham and was about done. She took a handful of cherries and slowly nibbled them, watching Violet carry a small plate around scavenging.
The cooks didn't eat much. Many leftover dishes were packed in basins and placed in the kitchen.
Violet had originally wanted to sit next to Lucita to eat, but she ate too fast. Before long, she had to get up to add food. Finally, she simply stood in the kitchen eating.
Watching her bustling back, Lucita felt oddly like she was standing guard for her.
After emptying several basins, Violet's eating speed slowed down. Only then did she load a small plate of strawberries and sit beside her, saying contentedly: "This is the fullest I've eaten since coming out of the lake. Human food is really delicious."
Lucita: "I can tell."
At this time, the festival in the hall had already started. The temporary cooks had long since changed into their best clothes and gone dancing. Only Lucita and Violet were still eating in the kitchen.
When Violet was finally full, they slipped out quietly.
Outside the kitchen door was a corridor. At the end of the corridor was the back garden of the activity center, while the other end was the main hall where the festival was being held. They didn't go through the main hall, planning to go around through the garden.
Who knew that just as they left the corridor, they ran into Javena and Cecilia's group coming out of the reception room in the back garden.
Lucita thought: Here we go.
Violet looked at the clothing and deportment of the group across from them and probably guessed these were the mayor here and the high priestess who was supposedly visiting today.
At this time, Sophia should have met with the high priestess and the others and should know of her existence.
She nodded slightly.
Only Javena was still in the dark.
Weren't the visitors just the high priestess and her guardian warrior? How was there another elf she didn't recognize, and together with Lucita?
She was stunned for a moment before asking: "This is..."
Lucita was about to speak when Violet answered first: "I'm Lucita's friend, called Violet. I came to visit her a couple days ago. Very pleased to meet you, Mayor Javena."
It really is Violet!
Cecilia's pupils contracted.
It really was the last elven king's name.
Sophia had already told her the whole story.
The person who died five hundred years ago had come back. They originally didn't believe it.
Now meeting face to face, they understood why Sophia believed her so much.
Not just because she looked exactly like the portrait left in history.
The Violet before them was dressed very indecently, but she carried herself with effortless authority, as if at this moment she wasn't wearing work clothes after sneaking food from the back kitchen, but a monarch inspecting her territory who had encountered her subjects.
Cecilia and Daisy couldn't help but exchange glances.
With this elf who called herself Violet breaking the seal, the sacred lake had truly appeared below the royal court.
They had no choice but to believe this was the legendary last elven king.
Now that she had returned. What did she want to do? Restore her rule? Restart war with humans?
Five hundred years had passed. Was she still that king of theirs who was devoted to protecting the elven race?
They each had their own thoughts.
Javena didn't know about the undercurrents between them, but she could feel the atmosphere was somewhat strange. She couldn't help but smooth things over: "So that's how it is. Then you two go have fun. Change clothes and come dance later. High Priestess, we can enter the hall this way."
Lucita had originally very much hoped this high priestess would quickly take Violet away, but under Cecilia’s measured, guarded gaze, her chest tightened.
The big hole in Violet's chest hadn't healed yet!
Javena had given them a way out. Lucita's face still wore a smile, but her movements were extremely quick as she pulled Violet away.
The two groups passed each other.
Cecilia couldn't help but turn back for a glance. Violet's back was composed, gradually disappearing at the end of the garden.
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