Ethan felt heat rising to his cheeks. "Nina, that's— I think the provided tents will suffice—"But it was too late. Seraphina perked up, oblivious to subtext. "If His Majesty is cold, I can offer my cloak or my company for prayer," she offered with a radiant smile. "I wouldn't want him to suffer discomfort."Eileen, who had been quietly sketching the outline of the moon, adjusted her glasses and added matter-of-factly, "From a practical standpoint, it might be safest if at least one of us stays near His Majesty. For protection in the wilderness."Celestia's eye twitched at "one of us," and she shot Eileen a look that could freeze lava. Fu Rong and Queen Israya exchanged wary glances; both wisely decided to hold their tongues, though Fu Rong couldn't suppress a tiny amused grin.The Empress rose to her feet in one fluid motion. "No need for debate," Celestia declared. "Ethan will share a tent with me. His bodyguard and his wife—two roles only I fulfill." Her tone left no room for argume

As night fell on the final day of Yanling's festival, everyone gathered on a broad hillside for the legendary firestone fireworks display. Anticipation crackled in the air. Ethan and Celestia stood amid their friends under a canopy of stars, all eyes on the sky.With a resonant boom, the show began. One after another, rockets streaked upward, bursting into blossoms of light. Red chrysanthemums of fire, emerald comets, golden dragons curling across the darkness—each explosion elicited gasps and cheers from thousands of onlookers. Through special mage crystals, the spectacle was even projected far across the Federation; in Carosso's capital and Shuanglin's snow-clad hamlets, people gazed upward to share in Yanling's dazzling celebration.Ethan watched in wonder as the final barrage turned the heavens into a shimmering tapestry. In that brilliant glow, he felt Celestia's hand quietly find his. He glanced at her—she was already watching him, soft pride in her scarlet eyes. He gently squeez

Encouraged, Kreia lifted her cup again and spoke more frankly. "Your Majesties... to hear you speak so is a comfort. In truth, we face a long road. The war left our coffers drained and our strength depleted. Proud as we are, we will need help to stand again." She bowed her head slightly. "We welcome any aid or guidance you can offer."She hesitated, then added, in the voice of an administrator reciting a line item: "And if your ministers know where the elven salt-traders have gone, I would be glad to hear it. Four caravans a year came over the Ice Dome road, every year since my grandmother kept the ledger. We had none this spring and none the spring before. I assumed it was the war." A dry, tired smile. "But the war is over, and the road is open, and they still have not come."Ethan said that he would look into it, and meant it, and made no note.Down the table, Nina did make a note. She wrote salt—elves—2 yrs? in the margin of her guidebook, next to a sketch of a pagoda, and then some

A bitter winter wind howled across the barren plain as Ethan and his entourage rode onward. Two days had passed since they departed Shuanglin, and now the spires of Carosso lay somewhere beyond the horizon. Ethan's breath misted in the frigid air. He was eager to return home for a well-earned rest, yet fate had other plans.From the swirling dust ahead emerged a lone rider galloping hard toward them. Ethan raised a hand, signaling his caravan to halt. Instinct tightened in his chest—this was no ordinary traveler. The rider bore a pennant snapping from his saddle: the crimson insignia of the Adventurers' Guild. An urgent messenger.The young courier reined in his lathered horse before Ethan's leading flank. Wind had chapped the youth's cheeks raw, and exhaustion lined his eyes. He half-dismounted and dropped to one knee in the road, bowing his head. "Your Majesty!" he gasped, voice hoarse from the ride. "I bear an urgent message from Guildmaster Garrick." In gloved hands he held out a t

At the very center of the continent stood the World Tree, a colossal tree whose crown pierced the clouds. Beneath its sacred branches lay Illyanfir, the hidden kingdom of the High Elves, protected from mortal eyes by a powerful enchantment. Within this timeless sanctuary, the High Elves lived in eternal harmony—guardians of ancient knowledge, magic, and art—untouched by the conflicts of the outside world.But beyond their borders, the world was changing.The rise of the Three Kingdoms Federation—Carosso, Yanling, and Shuanglin—had not gone unnoticed. Lands once sundered by war were now united under the banner of the Dragon Emperor Ethan, forging an alliance of peace and prosperity. The songs of mortal bards carried tales of how a war-torn realm had been reshaped into an era of hope. For the first time in centuries, the High Elves felt a stir of true curiosity… and perhaps concern.And so, from their sylvan halls, the elves listened.High Elves held a sacred tradition of preserving hist