Chapter 651

【 SHE WILL NOT SUCCEED 】

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The sun dipped below the horizon as night descended.

Darkness gradually enveloped the sky, and the bustling port of Grey Haven welcomed the arrival of evening.

Points of light flickered throughout the city, illuminating the night with vibrant brilliance. These came from the magical streetlamps lining the roads, as well as the warm glow coming from household windows. Their occupants were either elves who had settled in Grey Haven, or members of Heart of Nature Guild and its affiliated players.

Sophia sat within the Heart of Nature’s Amway Tavern, her gaze slightly distant as she looked out the window.

Compared to earlier in the day, she appeared more at ease, and her mood seemed to have considerably improved.

That peace lasted only until a series of knocks sounded at the door, drawing her thoughts back.

“Come in,” the young woman said softly.

The door opened slowly. Holding a tray of sumptuous dinner, Demacia strolled in at a leisurely pace.

Upon recognizing who had arrived, Sophia’s expression instantly turned cold.

“Hey now… don’t chase me away yet. I am only here to deliver your food. I’ll be gone after I’m done…”

Meeting the girl’s look of utter disdain, Demacia spoke in exasperation.

Sophia let out a chilly snort, her eyes filled with contempt.

“Mr. Demacia, it seemed my appetite disappeared the moment I see you. I advise you to stay quietly at home. After all, this tavern does not allow pets to run loose.” She said in a tone cold as ice.

Demacia fell silent for a moment.

“This tavern is still one of my properties, you know…? Must you insult me for no reason…”

He muttered resentfully under his breath before placing the tray on the table.

Sophia cast him a disinterested glance, the kind one gives to background scenery, yet she ultimately did not expel him.Her attention drifted back toward the window.

Noticing her good mood, Demacia grew bolder.

He followed her line of sight to the window and let out a small chuckle.

“So? Miss Sophia, how do you like our city, Grey Haven? Quite a prosperous city, isn’t it?”

“Even the most prosperous city becomes displeasing once filthy rats appear in it.”

Sophia’s voice remained calm and indifferent.

Demacia again found himself speechless.

“…I should have known better than to start a conversation.”

He sighed and turned to leave.

“—However,”

Just as he reached the door, Sophia’s voice sounded once more.

“This is indeed a beautiful and joyful city. In my view, it is in no way inferior to Zelouan.”

Her eyes lingered on the lively city lights outside, and the joyous crowds filling the city plaza below. A faint warmth softened her expression.

“No way inferior to Zelouan?”

Demacia’s expression twitched strangely at her remark.

He almost wanted to point out that Zelouan City was not exclusively a noble district. Yet after recalling her sharp tongue and the earlier conversation between her and Big Sister, he held his comments back.

“Nevermind. No point arguing with an immature girl.”

He grumbled to himself, then waved a hand.

“I am leaving. Do not forget to report tomorrow. Also… take good care of the Goddess’s statue. You will need it sooner or later.”

Without waiting for a response, Demacia left the room, shaking his head all the while.

“Naive girl…”

His voice faded with the closing door.

Once he was gone, Sophia gradually withdrew her gaze from the window.

“The Goddess’s statue…”

She murmured quietly, eyes falling to the wooden table before her.

There stood a beautifully crafted holy statue of the Goddess, around thirty to forty centimeters tall.

According to those elves she met earlier, this was a statue of Evé, the Goddess of Life.

As Sophia looked at the statue, the voice of the Goddess’s Envoy, Zero Moonlight, echoed once more in her memory:

“Miss Sophia, this is a statue that’s capable of summoning the Elven Chosen Ones. Take it with you, and when you need aid, ask for help from the Goddess.”

Seek the aid of the Goddess of Life…?

Recalling the many rumors surrounding the Elven Goddess, Sophia hesitated briefly. Nevertheless, she carefully put the statue away, placing it into the storage ring she carried with her.

Then, with a hand brushing across her softly growling stomach, she could no longer resist approaching the table where the meal had been set. She wiped her hands with a wet cloth and began to dine with refined grace.

༺⟐༻

The night passed swiftly.

The next morning, having packed her things, Sophia arrived early at the port of Grey Haven.

Moored by the docks was a wooden, double-masted sailing vessel, roughly thirty to forty meters in length. Its white sails bore a golden iris emblem alongside the symbol of the Amway Trade Group.

It was a square-rigged ship built by players using shipbuilding techniques from Earth.

Although it was adapted from Earth’s marine vessel technology, it was exceptionally well-suited to navigating the deep waters and strong winds of Vymur River. Engraved along its keel was a magical array of Weight Reduction, allowing the ship to lighten its draft near the shore and dock with ease, thus avoiding the risk of running aground.

For this reason, it was commonly used by players as a merchant vessel, even capable of transporting livestock.

At that moment, several elves were guiding large, powerful steeds aboard.

Each horse was far more imposing than the finest warhorses Sophia had seen at her own castle, and their bodies were covered in dense scales.

“Dragonscale Horses…”

The half-elven girl exclaimed in surprise.

She recognized them immediately. These steeds must have consumed dragon blood, marking them as rare and valuable mutated magical horses.

One of the books she read described them as incredibly swift, making them ideal as mounts for long travel.

After inspecting the ship and steeds, Sophia withdrew her gaze.

If her guess was correct, this would be the vessel delivering her upstream along the Vymur River to meet Duke Lawson. The dragonscale horses were likely mounts provided by the elves.

Her attention then shifted to the port itself, wherein many elven individuals had gathered. Some faces were familiar, others entirely new, but all shared that same graceful bearing unique to their kind.

In total, more than twenty elves stood ready, men and women alike, fully armed and adorned with ornate equipment. Each individual radiated the strength of Low Silver rank, a fact that immediately captured Sophia’s attention.

While ambient mana across the continent continued to rise and more experts broke through their ranks, achieving such strength still placed them among the notable elite.

The elves stood in two tidy rows, their upright postures rigid and disciplined.

Among them were familiar figures, the ones she already knew by name like, Li Mu, Demacia, Dōngdōng, Meng Zhihan, and Moon Jasmine were all present.

They were gathered around the Goddess’s Godwarden, Zero Moonlight, and the Saintess, Alice Galewind, who were engaged in conversation.

Upon seeing the two Elven leaders, a spark of anticipation brightened Sophia’s eyes.

She stepped forward and respectfully lifted the hem of her garment in greeting.

“Good morning, Lady Zero, Lady Alice.”

“Good morning to you as well, Miss Sophia.”

Alice returned the elven courtesy with a graceful nod, her tone warm and soothing.

Zero followed with a faint, composed smile.

“Good morning, Miss Sophia. Did you rest well last night?”

“Quite well. The elven cuisine I was provided was exquisite, and the bed scented with incense made for a pleasant sleep.” Sophia responded with dutiful politeness, hands folded neatly before her.

Yet the faint shadows beneath her eyes betrayed her lack of proper rest. Even so, her spirit still seemed to appear bright, her determination unwavering.

Zero chose not to comment on it. Instead, she turned and gestured toward the armored elves standing nearby.

“Miss Sophia, these are the Iris Knights of the Guild, Heart of Nature. Every one of them possesses peak Low Silver-rank strength. They will serve as your escort during your travels, assisting you in your efforts to meet Duke Lawson.”

The Iris knights of the Heart of Nature?

Sophia was momentarily taken aback.

She examined them more carefully and noticed the identical golden iris emblem displayed on their chests.

Her expression straightened as she again lifted her skirt in a respectful bow.

“Sophia von Wells greets the esteemed Iris Knights.”

Her courtesy prompted the players to return the gesture. A few, however, exchanged subtle glances toward Demacia standing stiffly within the formation.

Unbeknownst to Sophia, the teasing had already begun elsewhere…

Within the Iris Knights’ private chat group:

> Natsume: “Didn’t you all say she was a sharp-tongued girl? She seems perfectly polite to me.”

> Jasmine: “Maybe Demacia once again did something to piss off that NPC?”

> Dōngdōng: “Ahahahaha… You have no idea. That punk ate a garlic-fruit and then forcefully kissed her. The fact he’s not being hunted right now proves how thick-skinned he is, lmao…”

> Natsume: “Dude… you really are something else.”

> Demacia: “Dōngdōng, stop making things up! I was performing CPR! C. P. R!”

>Dōngdōng: “Oh, really? You expect us to believe you had no ulterior motive? I was there too, remember. You just pounced before anyone else could react.”

> Demacia: “(T_T) ”

> “As expected of you…”

> “Yeah, you deserve to be hated.”

> “Hahaha! Demacia, your suffering will always be my greatest source of joy!”

The chat instantly flooded with gleeful mockery.

Meanwhile, outwardly, the group maintained the image of steadfast professionals. Each player appeared to be a disciplined soldier on an important mission.

After playing the game for so long, joking in chat while keeping a stone-cold façade before NPCs have become a necessary skill for these veterans.

A quick toggle to lock their expressions kept smiles from slipping out during even the most important quests.

Sure, it could be inconvenient at times, but it was far better than awkward misunderstandings or tanking favorability just because someone snorted at the wrong moment.

In short… masking their antics from NPCs had become an art form, perfected only after countless costly mistakes.

Meanwhile, the unaware noble girl saw only dignified composure in the players’ expressions, causing her to silently approve of the superb professionalism of the Iris Knights.

After introducing the knights who would serve as her escort, Zero turned her attention toward the docks and gestured at the vessel moored there:

“This ship is called Gaia, the swiftest vessel in Grey Haven. It will carry you and the escorting knights upstream through the Elven Forest. In about half a day, you will reach the human port town of Riverbend upstream, which is no longer part of Maple Leaf Territory. From there, another half-day’s journey by horse will take you to Morningstar City, where Duke Lawson’s forces are stationed.”

Sophia’s eyes brightened, hope stirring in her gaze.

“Lady Zero, you have already confirmed Duke Lawson’s whereabouts?”

“Ahem. Our Amway’s intelligence group was the one who actually discovered it. In fact, our connections extend throughout the western empire.”

Demacia interjected proudly.

Yet the half-elven girl did not even spare him a glance. Her focus remained solely on Zero, treating him as if he were little more than a gust of wind.

Seeing her lack of reaction, his confident expression froze in place, leaving him awkwardly stiff.

Meanwhile, Zero spared Demacia a brief look before continuing toward Sophia:

“For now, this is the most reliable information we have. According to the latest reports, the imperial military is gathering mercenaries in that region. It is highly likely Duke Lawson has aligned himself with them.”

Sophia’s expression lifted further, gratitude warming her tone:

“You have my deepest thanks, Lady Zero. I will not forget the generosity and aid you have granted me.”

Then a flash of light shimmered as a fresh scroll appeared in her hand.

“I wrote this contract by hand last night. I have sworn upon my soul that I will fulfill the promise I have made once I return to my family and reclaim authority over my lands.”

Sophia’s expression was solemn as she handed the scroll to Zero.

Evé accepted it, though she seemed rather indifferent to whatever terms it contained. Without even reading it, she stored it away and nodded with a knowing expression.

“Miss Sophia, may fortune favor you. And when hardship comes, remember to seek aid through the Goddess’s statue.”

Sophia paused, then nodded earnestly.

“I understand.”

After bidding farewell to the two elven leaders, the noble girl finally boarded the ship alongside the Iris Knights.

The sails rose, and the vessel departed from the harbor, slowly heading toward the distant horizon…

Watching the ship gradually disappear beyond the river, Alice’s serene expression wavered. She spoke in a soft voice that carried the faintest trace of concern:

“Lady Zero, do you believe that girl will succeed?”

Evé, still wearing the guise of Zero, lightly shook her head.

“No. She will not.”

Alice blinked, startled by the certainty in her tone.

“What makes you so certain?”

Evé: “…”

“She is too idealistic.”

Her voice remained steady, almost contemplative.

“Idealistic? Is it because of her elven blood?”

Alice’s curiosity deepened, her eyes narrowing slightly.

After a brief pause, Evé continued:

“For human nobles, having an elven blood is not a problem. In fact, it can serve as a political advantage.”

She glanced in the direction the ship had sailed.

“Even so, Duke Lawson will never accept a noble who clings to such idealistic views.”

“…Why?”

Alice asked again, seeking a clearer answer.

“Because of the nobles’ position,”

Evé exhaled slowly, her gaze distant as if seeing things only she could perceive.

Alice studied her carefully.

“You seem to understand the nobles of the Empire very well…”

“I simply ‘see’ far more than most.”

Evé replied, shaking her head with a faint smile.

“See more?”

Alice echoed in puzzlement, but Evé offered nothing further.

Instead, she shifted topics with quiet authority:

“Prepare the next objectives for the Chosen Ones. Soon, the elven mercenaries will most likely take to the battlefield. If fortune favors us, perhaps within a few years we will celebrate Harvest Festival in Maple Leaf City… and the Goddess will gain a new, loyal believer.”

With her instructions given, Evé turned gracefully and departed down the port.

Alice remained where she stood, the gentle wind tugging at her robes, her thoughts drifting like the ship that had already sailed beyond sight.

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