“Then we should quickly enter.” Following the Third Elder, I entered the room. This room is so gorgeous! The floor was made of an unfamiliar stone with 12 pillars surrounding the center. On the roof there was an engraving and in the middle of the room was an extremely large oval table. Arranged around the table were roughly 30 to 40 chairs. On top of the table there were many different fruits displayed. It seems like they had already prepared for this. The Nature Elf King was seated at the head seat.
After seeing me, the Nature Elf King immediately stood up and said, “Magister Wei, you’ve arrived. Please take a seat.” The strength I had revealed yesterday could be seen by anyone with eyes so I didn’t find it strange at all that they knew I was a magister. However, this was the first time anyone had addressed me like this. I wasn’t used to it at all. He had me sit to the seat right beside him on his left.
“It’s fine if you just call me Zhang Gong Your Majesty.”
The Nature Elf King didn’t take a sit down with me, rather he deeply bowed to me. “I must first thank this powerful Magister’s kindness for the aid you have given to my people as well as for saving my life.” As he walked towards me, I sprang up straight just before I sat down and said, “By all means, you don’t have to mention it. Aiding you all is what we ought to have done. We also need some aid from you all so it’s just everyone mutually benefitting. That’s all. No need to thank me. Besides, I’m a person who likes peace. So I’m very happy with being able to repel the Dark Elves assault without causing any deaths.”
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Volume 3: Chapter 38 – Guidance to the Next Path
“No matter how you say it, without your assistance, we would have suffered a genocide. We still have to thank you.” I thought to myself, “This Elf King is far too polite; this is truly enough to tire me.”
Suddenly, I thought of a bright idea. I whispered in voice only he could hear into his ear, “If you truly want to thank me, then when I leave, you can send me off with all kinds of fruit wines. That will be enough.” Hearing my words, the Nature Elf King’s complexion changed, and whispered to me equally as quiet, “Magister Wei, yesterday your group drank half a year’s worth of wine. I can only give you little more.”
“If it is difficult, then forget about it.”
The Elf King smiled bitterly and said, “Do you know how much money we could make if we sell our elven made wines to human nations? A small bottle can be sold for 10,000 diamond coins or higher. When you leave, I will give you a few bottles. Be sure to tell those countless elves wanting to be your friends that I have already gifted you, otherwise they’ll all want me to…”
I sent an understanding glance toward him and smiled.
“What made you two so happy?” Zhan Hu and everyone walked in a line and sat one by one to the right of me.
I guiltily said, “Big Brother, you all came. Just now, I was telling his Majesty a joke.”
The Elf King said, “Third Elder, since everyone is present, tell them all we know about the Holy Sword.”
The Third Elder agreed and said, “First, I, on behalf of the entire Nature Elven race, express sincere respect toward all of you. Thank you for assistance in allowing my race to survive through this crisis.”
Zhan Hu laughed with a smile and said, “Please don’t thank us. If such a time ever comes again, all you would need is to give us a few more bottles of your hundred fruit wines.” Others one by one expressed their agreement. Even Dong Ri, who did not particularly like drinking, nodded. Sure enough, I gave the Elf King the correct answer.
I had to cheat everyone this time for my delicious fruit wine. “Let it go. Big Brother, yesterday we drank a whole year produced of wine. They don’t have any more in stock.” The Elf King and I looked at each other with a mutual understanding.
Zhan Hu disappointedly licked his lips and continued, “Had I known yesterday, I would have drank a bit less.”
I signaled Third Elder to continue. He continued, “The Holy Sword, it is said to be the remaining weapon of the king of all gods long ago. It has the might to destroy the heavens and exterminate the earth. According to the ancient legends of my race, it should be within the Forest of Gods.”
“The Forest of Gods? I’ve never heard of it before.” I asked in doubt.
“Right. That is how it should be. Since ancient times, Us Nature Elves have been named Emissaries of the Gods. That is why only we know of this secret. Actually, we’ve seen many treasure hunters like yours. However, those who searched in the Forest of Gods are few. Even if you find the Forest of Gods, you would not be able to pass the boundary created by the gods. In all this time, not one had found the Holy Sword. You are the first group in three hundred years to hunt treasure here.”
“Boundary? We can’t enter, even with our power?” The power of us six is enough to handle a small army.
“Your group’s power is truly strong. When I was young, I have seen power not inferior to that of your group of humans, but they were not able to enter. It is said that to pass through this boundary, not only do you need strength, but you also need to receive the acknowledgement of the gods. This is all we know. As to how to enter the Forest of Gods, even we do not know this. However, it should not be too dangerous. You’ll be able to drive away what comes.
I originally believed that because of our strength that completing this mission shouldn’t be hard, but I hadn’t expect this to be so complicated. I bitterly smiled and said, “Thank you for telling us this. So where is this Forest of Gods? We will go and try our luck.”
The Third Elder smiled and said, “Zhang Gong, don’t worry. I feel that you are the kind of person that gives others an unusual feeling of intimacy. Although the time we’ve known each other was not long, I am unable to not see you as a friend. The Gods should be fond of kindhearted people. In addition, you can also use light magic. Therefore the chances of the gods accepting you are quite high.”
Hearing the Third Elder’s Words, Xiu Si continued, saying, “That’s right. Xing Ao, Gao De and I all feel this way. At the start, we were not particularly convinced of him. However, the longer we were together, the more reliable he became. Unconsciously, he already became our friend.”
I looked at everyone. It really seems to be this way. I have no absolute enemies and people I spend little time with have exceptional confidence in me. Originally, I had believed this was because I was really handsome. But it turns out it was only because of my affinity with others. I was truly disappointed.
“That’s enough. Everyone stop praising me. Third Elder please talk about the location of Forest of Gods.”
The Third Elder chuckled, “Actually, you are already in the Forest of Gods.”
His words rendered us speechless. He continued on, “We’re only at its exterior. Where we are in the Elves’ Forest is the Forest of the Gods exterior. Head deeper in and it will be the Forest of Gods.”
Zhan Hu smiled and said, “Zhang Gong, our luck is so great. After a small detour, we’ll have to travel no further. Elder, we’ll have to inconvenience you to bring us there.”
Third Elder pondered, then said, “A rule of our elven ancestors is troublingly to never approach a hundred kilometers of the Forest of Gods. I can only tell you it’s approximate location. If you walk in the direction I told you, you should be able to find it.”
“That is also fine. Then we will now set off.”
Just as I stood up to leave, I saw the Elf King wear a troubling expression. It seemed he wanted to say something. “Your Majesty, do you want to say something else?”
The Elf King gave an embarrassed smile and said, “That’s right. Although this time the Dark Elves retreated, I still fear…”