I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Meanwhile, at the Royal Palace's administrative office.

Arwen stood before the long table, holding a newly compiled secret scroll in both hands. He waited for the Queen to finish approving the application for supplies to the southern ports before stepping forward and gently placing the scroll on the table.

"Your Majesty, the matter you asked me to investigate has yielded results."

Serenetil put down her pen, her gaze falling on the secret scroll, then glancing at Alwin, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised.

This Minister of Protocol rarely showed such an expression of "not knowing whether to speak or not".

"Speak, what did you find out?"

"Ophelia Roland's biological mother. The Roland family archives only record that her surname was 'Dawn Dew,' that she came from the human kingdom, and that she married Zeppelin Roland twenty-three years ago. Apart from that, almost no other official records are left."

Queen Sereneth immediately sensed something amiss.

"Morning Dew? Is there really anyone with that surname? There's no official record? But Zeppelin is the third in line to the throne, the betrothed of a high-ranking elven nobleman, yet no detailed origin of his name has been recorded?"

"That is precisely the problem, Your Majesty. The Roland family seems to be deliberately avoiding discussing this matter, but with the assistance of the Church of the Triune God, I have found her records."

Serenetil unfolded the parchment, her eyes quickly scanning the handwriting on the report.

[Susanna, whose original name is unknown, comes from a small town in the southern part of the human kingdom. She has never received formal magical education, but possesses an innate talent for divination.]

[...More than twenty years ago, she met Zeppelin at a large-scale magical academic conference...]

The head of the Roland family strongly opposed the relationship, but Zeppeli remained resolute, and the two eventually married in secret.

[Just one year after her marriage, Susanna became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Ophelia, which was undoubtedly a miracle for an elf...]

"The ability to foresee the future?" The Queen's gaze lingered on one of the lines of text.

"According to the investigation, Susanna's divination accuracy rate is astonishingly high. She has never been wrong, and her predictions often carry a certain vague direction. For example, 'When certain conditions are met, a certain result will occur.'"

The Queen placed the parchment on the table and pondered:

"In other words... she most likely knew she would die young."

"Yes, investigators speculate that Susanna seemed to know from the beginning that she wouldn't live much longer and never tried to change that outcome."

"This is the price of fortune-telling... She should have paved the way for her daughter by now."

"Your Majesty is incredibly insightful! Investigators believe that Ophelia's encounter with the current hero may have been part of her plan. Even the timing and manner of her departure from the Elven Royal Court were taken into account."

It is well known that heroes wielding holy swords or those of high rank cannot be divined or prophesied, but if one uses bloodline as a medium to prophesy the future of their own daughter…

A human woman, in the last decade or so of her life, used her talents to weave such a fine web for her daughter that she may have even rapidly shortened her lifespan as a result.

Even Celine Dil, who has been single for a thousand years, couldn't help but sigh, "If I were Susanna, I would do the same."

"His Majesty?"

"If a mother knows she cannot be there for her child as they grow up, there are only two things she can do: leave behind enough love and memories, and make sure her child has a path to follow."

Serenetil placed the parchment into the drawer and closed it gently.

"Don't tell anyone about this."

"Yes."

Alwin bowed and left the office.

……

Ji Tian said frankly:

"Not interested."

Zeppelin assumed the other was just young and impetuous, his gaze still fixed on the elves setting up the altar in the distance, as if that was what he truly cared about.

"The identity of a hero will not last long. The holy sword will shatter, the title will fade, and history will write you as just a line in a book."

But you are still alive, and to live is to keep moving forward. Ophelia will also keep moving forward—she moves slower than most, so slowly that those humans who walk alongside her will pass away before her.

He turned around and finally looked Ji Tian in the eye.

"I saw how her mother passed away, and I don't want to see that scene happen to my daughter again."

He spoke calmly, but at the end of his speech, his voice lowered again.

Ji Tian didn't rush to answer.

He knew what Zeppeli was worried about.

He has experienced it twice and knows what it feels like to face the aging of loved ones.

"What exactly do you mean by 'elf-like lifespan'?"

When Zeppelin saw that he had responded to that sentence, his expression relaxed slightly:

"The Elven Royal Court has an ancient transformation ritual that can connect the life essence of a non-elf individual with the roots of an ancient tree."

After the ritual is completed, the recipient will gain a lifespan equivalent to that of an elf, and their body will gradually transform in the direction of an elf, but their memories and consciousness will remain unaffected.

You can guess in a second who invented this so-called ancient transformation ritual.

"What is the price?"

Zeppelin turned to face Ji Tian and answered truthfully:

"You will lose your human identity and grow old as an elf. Your faith will be enveloped by the blessing of the goddess of life, and if the ancient tree is injured, you will also bear some of the damage."

"Does Ophelia know about this?"

"...She doesn't need to know. She can come to the Roland family to find me anytime she's ready."

Zeppelin didn't linger. He turned and walked along the shadows on the side of the street, his pace quickening as he had come.

Ji Tian stood there watching his back disappear into the crowd until the figure completely disappeared around the street corner before he turned around and walked back to the bookstore.

The wind chimes rang softly the moment the door was opened.

Elena was standing in front of the bookshelf, flipping through a book of elven poems. When she saw him enter, her gaze swept across his face: "Finished talking?"

"Um."

"How did the talks go?"

"It's better than I expected."

Ji Tian walked to the bookshelf by the door, took out the book "Biographies of Heroes Through the Ages, Volume One", glanced at the title page, closed the book, and walked to the counter with it.

"I'll take this book," he told the shopkeeper.

As Ji Tian walked out of the bookstore, Lilith was squatting by the door watching a butterfly perched on the edge of the stone steps, muttering something to herself. Ji Tian walked over and handed her the book: "Here, get ready to go."

Lilith looked up at the title on the cover and asked in confusion, "The Chronicles of Heroes Through the Ages? Master, are you starting to give us a crash course too?"

"It would be good to catch up on some lessons."

Ji Tian was also curious about how his fellow villager would be recorded.

Elena caught up with him, walking beside him, her voice low so only he could hear: "He's looking for you because of Ophelia?"

"right."

Elena probably already understood something.

The group strolled slowly through the streets of the royal capital in the afternoon, with Lilith casually flipping through the first volume of "The Chronicles of Heroes Through the Ages".

She flipped through a few pages, then suddenly exclaimed "Huh?" and looked up at Ji Tian: "Master, the first hero described in this book is quite different from what we heard in the treehouse?"

"What's different?"

"This book says that the first hero was summoned to the continent by the Holy Light. It says that he defeated countless monsters along the way and finally perished together with the Demon King in the Demon King's castle. Before his death, he entrusted the Holy Sword to the church for safekeeping."