I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

While Ophelia was still pondering the meaning behind her father's words, Ji Tian spoke up:

"Do you have a way to bring the dead back to life?"

Qi Beilin shifted his gaze from his daughter to Ji Tian's face, trying to determine whether the other's question stemmed from curiosity or some more practical consideration.

Well, there are no bad guys among the heroes, and he's even the captain of his own daughter's hero team, so he decided to reveal some things to him.

"It's still in the research stage, and it will take some time before it's successful, probably three to five years."

Is it still under research?

"Three to five years" is a specific timeframe, indicating that Zeppeli has moved beyond the "can it be done" stage and entered the "how long can it be completed" stage.

He watched Zeppeli turn and leave.

The dark silver figure walked through the scattered crowd at the edge of the square, its steps more steady than when it came, as if the weight of the matter had lightened after it was spoken to its daughter.

Ophelia stood there, watching the figure walk away before speaking, "He never used to say these things to me."

"Because he wasn't sure if he could do it."

Lilith peeked over from the side. She was standing a few steps away, and after thinking about coming over, she felt she shouldn't disturb him, so she tiptoed and whispered to Ji Tian:

"Master... what are you talking about?"

"It's nothing," Ji Tian turned around, "Let's go."

At this moment, a very faint emerald green light pattern suddenly appeared on the ground between the roots of the ancient tree.

The light patterns spread along the veins of the root system towards the high platform, like a silent stream of water, gathering and rising not far from Ji Tian's feet, gradually condensing into a phantom human figure.

The outline was woven from emerald green light, the face blurred, but the high priest's aged face could be vaguely discerned, and He was now closer to the existence of the "tree" itself.

The light patterns swayed slightly in mid-air, emitting a low hum from the heart of the tree, the same kind of hum that came during a ritual.

"...They're gone?"

Ji Tian raised an eyebrow, not believing that the other party was incapable of sensing whether someone had left or not, but then he thought that the other party might be trying to strike up a conversation, so he said:

"We've been gone for a while."

"That's good. I'm usually not suited to appear at such lively occasions. The royal court's officials would think 'the ancient tree has manifested its power,' and then they'd have to write a long report."

Ji Tian sensed the relaxed tone in the other person's voice, so he followed up with, "Then why are you out now?"

"I can't help it, if I don't say something to you, that little maid in the palace will probably come and bother me."

...Little girl? That queen who reigned for over seven hundred years?

It didn't linger. The emerald green light patterns began to fade, the edges of the outlines gradually blurred, and finally it turned into a thin strand of light, as fine as a hair, which drilled into the cracks in the stone slab, merged into the vast network of the ancient tree along the root system, and disappeared without a trace.

Calmness returned to the high platform.

As dusk settled again, the outline of the ancient tree was tinged with a dark silhouette.

At the edge of the square, a royal attendant hurried toward Arwen and whispered a few words of report.

Arwen nodded, his gaze sweeping discreetly over the high platform before turning and walking through the corridor toward the side gate of the palace.

Inside the government hall, Queen Serenethil, as usual, dealt with government affairs after the spring festival, holding a reply letter regarding the supply of the southern port, which had not yet been signed.

Alwin stopped outside the door and knocked lightly on the door frame twice.

"His Majesty."

"Enter."

Arwen pushed open the door, walked three steps to the table, stopped, and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, an anomaly has just occurred in the core area of ​​the ancient tree. The High Priest briefly manifested in the form of light patterns and had a brief conversation with the hero's team, without touching on any confidential or forbidden matters."

The Queen put down the letter in her hand and speculated, "The High Priest has come to regard the hero as one of his own."

Alwin nodded slightly: "Then should we adjust the operational range of the Hero Squad?"

"No need. Arrange the ships as originally planned, and do not send additional personnel to follow."

"Yes."

Night had completely enveloped the capital.

In the side hall of the embassy where the hero's team was staying, Ophelia was standing by the window, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the laurel flower she had brought back from the treehouse, and then she began to pluck the petals again.

She held the petals in her palm and looked at them for a long time.

As Ji Tian passed by the side hall entrance, he paused for a moment and asked, "Where are we going tomorrow?"

Ophelia lifted her gaze from the petals: "...I want to go and pay my respects to my mother."

"I'll go with you."

"……good."

The next morning, before dawn, Elena and Lilith were still asleep.

The streets of the capital were almost deserted, and the silver ribbons on the ancient trees fluttered gently in the morning breeze.

Ophelia changed into a plain light gray robe, and her short silver hair was slightly lifted by the morning breeze.

She wore no jewelry, except for the bracelet her father had given her, which remained on her wrist.

Ji Tian stood at the embassy entrance and silently followed her when she came out.

The two walked north along the main street of the capital, passing shops that were not yet open in the morning mist and silent treehouses. They passed through an old gate on the edge of the capital that was half-hidden by weeds and entered a path in the woods that was almost covered with fallen leaves.

The path winds and twists, the ancient trees on both sides grow denser and denser, and the morning light filters through the gaps in the canopy, like tiny golden fragments scattered on the damp earth.

After walking for about an hour, Ophelia stopped in front of a low hill.

The view from the top of the slope is expansive, offering a view of the lights of the capital city below and the distant, rolling forests.

Ophelia stopped in front of a stone tablet under a tree.

The tombstone was an unpolished stone with only one line of Elvish script engraved on its surface:

[Susanna Morning Dew—She came, she loved, she stayed.]

There are no birth and death dates, no family crest, and no titles.

Ophelia crouched down and took a few white petals from her sleeve, placing them on the soil in front of the monument.

The petals gleamed warmly in the moonlight, as if they had just been picked from the branches.

"Mom, the laurel tree we planted has blossomed a lot this year. I picked some and put them on the windowsill of the treehouse, where you used to sit and read."

Ji Tian stood a few steps away, not moving forward, and listened quietly.

She talked a lot, her voice sometimes soft and gentle, sometimes even and straight. She talked about the laurel tree, about Elena teaching her to play chess, about Lilith always pestering her to ask about the rules of the Elven race, about Ji Tian leading them over mountains and valleys, from the Western Frontier to the capital, and from the capital to the Elven Royal Court.

"...I'm doing fine now, so don't worry about me too much."

After she finished speaking, she remained silent for a long time.

A morning breeze swept across the hilltop, blowing stray hairs behind her ears. She gently pressed her fingers on the ground in front of the monument, as if trying to steady herself with the slight coolness, before standing up.

"I'm all better."

"No rush."

"It's really healed."

Ji Tian looked at her and judged from her reddened eyes that she had probably shed tears just now.

"Let's go then."

He turned around first and took two steps down the slope.

Ophelia followed with lighter steps than before, tilting her head slightly as she reached his side, her gaze falling on his hands hanging at his sides.

She also slowed down her pace accordingly.

The morning light cast their shadows on the gravel road, a short distance between them, neither too close to be intrusive nor too far to be distant.

"Captain Zong..."

"The captain of the hero's squad? That's a nice title... What's wrong?"

"Could you walk with me for a while?"

"They're already leaving."

She looked down and saw that the two shadows on the ground had somehow gotten close together.