Chapter 618: Lady Elastron
Chapter 618: Lady Elastron
"Lady of Hope, thinking of you brings sweetness to my heart. I wish I could be with you today in this city..." A bard sang a song praising the Seven Sisters of the North, and at this moment, he had just reached the part about Lady Elastron. The surrounding vendors and leisurely citizens began to join in the chorus.
"... You are like a lily in the valley, impossible to leave behind. Though we may sometimes feel sad and shed tears, our emotions uncontrollable, the thought of your face turns sorrow into joy."
As the song played, the crowd mysteriously parted, creating a gap. A young woman with silver hair, dressed in a simple white linen robe, did not join in the singing but walked through the gap toward the inn. Strangely, despite her noticeable presence, no one around her seemed to notice her, treating her as if she were invisible.
However, Liam noticed her when she was about ten meters away. This was due to his extraordinary perception, which had been enhanced after mastering the Alchemy Rules. As she continued to approach, Hermione also sensed her presence through her perception of Life.
The lady was a head taller than Liam but did not appear imposing; instead, she exuded an extraordinary elegance. To Liam, her charm was even more powerful than that of the Veelas he had encountered before.
From her silver hair and eyes, and the almost imperceptible magic she wielded, Liam and the others quickly recognized her as the local Master, the highest mage of Silvermoon City, the Lady of Hope, the Lady of Radiance, and the future Supreme Lady of the Silver Moon Federation.
"Welcome, chosen of the worlds' will. And this young lady who wields the power of death, thank you for helping that caravan. I apologize, but for safety reasons, I had the Harpers investigate you during your stay here with the Gandru Couple. However, it's strange that you left no trace before encountering the caravan, as if you had suddenly teleported here from some unknown place."
Lady Elastron, unaware that she had inadvertently revealed a truth, saw Liam rub his forehead in mild frustration. The biggest problem in these powerful worlds was that it was easy to be seen through. Since they had been found out and he had no intention of doing anything malicious, Liam abandoned his disguise and bowed. "May the Arcane Light forever illuminate you, chosen of the mysterious lady."
As a Chosen of Mystra, Lady Elastron could sense certain things about Liam, particularly his affinity with nature. Hermione, though wrapped in the power of death, seemed more like a Druid to Lady Elastron due to her path of the Cycle of Life and Death, rather than a Necromancer. Most importantly, both of them bore the unmistakable marks of World Consciousness favor.
Those favored by the World Consciousness were generally neutral or good-aligned and were welcomed in most places, especially in a city like Silvermoon City, which was dedicated to peace and order.
Moreover, Liam, to show his goodwill, had canceled part of his magical concealment. Upon sensing Liam's strength, Lady Elastron's face showed a hint of surprise. She had indeed come specifically to meet Liam and his companions, as Andoline, a Harper, had reported their arrival to Silvermoon City on the day they arrived.
Recently, Lady Elastron had been working to establish a united nation, and the internal conflicts and external threats had everyone on edge. Upon learning that a caster who had mastered ninth-level magic had come to Silvermoon City, a thorough investigation was initiated. However, strangely, nothing was found about Liam and his companions' movements before they encountered the caravan.
This naturally piqued Lady Elastron's interest, especially since, despite being a powerful Legendary Caster and the highest leader of the Silver Moon Federation, she was not a rigid and haughty noble. Each year, she sponsored and mentored many young men and women, helping them advance in their careers. So she decided to see them in person.
And this habit brought her a pleasant surprise today. She had not expected Liam to be a Legendary Caster, even if he was just at the beginning of that level. While Lady Elastron had no shortage of mages under her command, she had never had a caster of legendary caliber.
"Why have you come here? As a legendary caster, you would be welcomed wherever you go. Why Silvermoon City?" Lady Elastron asked the crucial question.
Liam had long prepared his response for this kind of question. He looked into Lady Elastron's eyes and spoke earnestly. "We come from a very distant place, primarily to seek knowledge and learn things we've never mastered before. We also hope to do some business and trade for what we need. As for why we ended up in Silvermoon City, it was purely an accident. Before we set out, we didn't know where the teleportation magic would take us. When we emerged, we found Silvermoon City to be the nearest, so we came here. Please rest assured, we have no hostile intentions towards Silvermoon City or you."
Lady Elastron nodded slightly. This was consistent with the analysis she and the Harpers had conducted before her arrival. Blessed with divine power by the goddess of magic, she possessed a special ability to easily see through anyone's intentions, though she could only use it once a day. It was a powerful, almost bug-like ability.
Once she was certain that Liam had no ill intentions towards her or Silvermoon City, Lady Elastron extended an invitation. "There's a private banquet at my palace this evening. I hope you will join us!"
"Of course, we will be there on time", Hermione promptly replied. Lady Elastron smiled and handed her two badges before disappearing into thin air.
"You seem to admire her quite a bit", Liam noted. As someone who shared a deep connection with Hermione, he understood why she had stepped forward to accept Lady Elastron's invitation.
"Of course", Hermione didn't hide her admiration. Through the Phoenix Mark, she told Liam, "I've long known of her dream. She hopes to establish a great elven city like the fallen Mithral, a Radiant City-State where all races can live together in peace, free from conflict and bloodshed."
"And she has done just that. Silvermoon City, under the protection of powerful magic, enjoys a peaceful environment. Moreover, she never acts superior; her people see her more as a trusted friend than a feared lord. In this medieval world, she is one of the few rulers who places herself in a position of service. How could I not admire her?"
It was clear that Hermione saw in Lady Elastron the embodiment of her own dreams, making her admiration quite understandable. Liam took one of the badges from Hermione's hand. It was a shield-shaped badge that could be worn around the neck on a silver chain.
If his readings were correct, this was called a Lassarl Mark, a temporary key granting access to certain restricted areas of the palace. It was usually returned after use.
For the rest of the day, Liam and Hermione focused on finding a place to stay. If they were to study magic, they would be here for a while, and staying in an inn would be inconvenient. Additionally, if they planned to engage in cross-planar trade, they needed a base of operations. So, they decided to buy a ready-to-move-in second-hand house.
As the core of the future Silver Federation and the most prosperous and important surface city in the Northern Lands, second only in population to Deepwater City, Silvermoon City's real estate prices were not low, especially for the kind of street-front properties Liam was interested in, which could double as shops.
Moreover, during a booming economy, the number of second-hand properties available was much less than expected. Fortunately, Andoline, who had grown up here and was well-informed, quickly provided information on several properties for sale.
After inspecting two of the selected properties, Liam and Hermione briefly discussed and decided to buy the Compound Garden Villa in the northern district, located on a commercial street.
In a city where elves made up one-third of the population, garden villas were not uncommon. The property they chose had a street-facing, two-story stone structure with an attic and a three-level basement, serving as a shop. On the other side was a refined villa with over a dozen rooms, and in between, there was a garden spanning at least 200 square meters.
The house's cream-colored marble walls were covered in ivy, complemented by brown tiles, and looked extremely beautiful. The garden fence was made of a specially cultivated, low-growing, green thorny plant. The entire house resembled those found in Japanese-Western fantasy games.
As soon as Liam and Hermione arrived, they fell in love with the house at first sight, and it met all their requirements. They briefly negotiated with the previous owner and then purchased the house, which was worth over a hundred thousand gold coins. Fortunately, in this world, gold, silver, and gems still held their value, and Liam easily paid the purchase price with a small iron chest of gold bars.
"Let's hurry and get ready, or we'll be late for the banquet tonight", Hermione said, glancing at the sun that was about to set, and she and Liam reminded each other to change into their evening attire.
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Revised and Polished:
In a city where elves made up one-third of the population, garden villas were not uncommon. The property they chose had a street-facing, two-story stone structure with an attic and a three-level basement, serving as a shop. On the other side was a refined villa with over a dozen rooms. In the middle was a garden covering at least 200 square meters.
The house's cream-colored marble walls were covered in ivy, complementing the brown tiles and creating a beautiful appearance. The garden was enclosed by a fence of specially cultivated, low-growing green thorns. The entire property looked like something straight out of a Japanese-Western fantasy game.
Liam and Hermione fell in love with the house at first sight, and it met all their requirements. After a brief negotiation with the previous owner, they purchased the house, which was worth over a hundred thousand gold coins. Fortunately, in this world, gold, silver, and gems still held their value, and Liam easily paid the purchase price with a small iron chest of gold bars.
"Let's hurry and get ready. We don't want to be late for the banquet", Hermione reminded Liam as they watched the sun setting. They quickly changed into their best clothes and prepared for the evening's event.
(End of Chapter)(End of Chapter)
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