Aurellian stood within the forest, feeling its wonder and nature.
The world here was like a secret realm, natural and magical.
Bright sunlight passed through the treetops, falling sparsely onto the lush green grass. The warm, soft, moist air carried the cool freshness after a spring rain.
A babbling river kept crashing against the rocks, creating crisp, clear sounds.
Standing in the forest, one could even feel the gentle breeze drifting through this place.
If Aurellian hadn't known that she had entered from the outside, she would probably have felt that this was simply a mysterious forest that naturally belonged to the wilds.
"The Forest Paradise?"
"This place was originally prepared especially for the elves, so they would agree to cooperate with us."
Cassandra calmly explained to Aurellian, "The researchers of the Mage City made theoretical deductions through the magical fluctuations of an elven councilor."
"Once a creature like an elf is in a pleasant mood, they produce a large amount of natural energy."
"This energy then becomes the source of their magic, sustaining their growth and making them stronger."
A breeze passed by. Cassandra brushed aside the strands of hair lifted by the wind, looking at the mysterious forest before her.
Those elves seemed not to notice anyone entering at all, living very happily here.
They played and joked with one another. When they were tired, they slept. When they were thirsty, they drank dew or stream water. When they were hungry, they climbed trees to pick fruit to eat.
Carefree and unburdened.
"So, we experimentally extracted the natural energy produced by the elves through 'joy.'"
"The results were very significant. The elves' natural energy can be stored and used as a power source."
Aurellian was a little dazed.
Seeing her expression, the corners of Lady Cassandra's lips lifted slightly as she smiled faintly.
"Self-moving puppets, light bulbs that don't need magic to operate, even energy vehicles that can drive themselves."
"Everything you see is powered by this 'energy' produced by the elves."
"What, did you think at first that we were imprisoning the elves?"
Only then did Aurellian react, feeling somewhat embarrassed, her face faintly red.
Although she hadn't said it out loud at first, she really had thought that way.
"What benefit would there be in imprisoning them?"
"They have no money and can't generate profit. And harming them would bring the calamity of the spirits of nature."
"But once they are made to feel joy, that 'natural energy', which is unnecessary to them, can be used by us."
Cassandra took a deep breath, as if also savoring the fresh air coming from the dense forest.
The breeze kept lifting her hair, but Cassandra let it drift freely as her calm voice sounded, "This is what a win-win looks like."
Aurellian opened her mouth and asked the doubt in her heart, "Wouldn't they feel unfree, staying here all the time?"
"Unfree?"
Cassandra turned her head and looked at Aurellian in confusion.
"My niece, why would you think that?"
"In the contract we signed with the elves, we never said they had to stay here all the time."
Aurellian blinked, not quite understanding what Cassandra meant.
At that moment, the closed gate behind them opened again.
Several elves walked in, wearing clothes of various styles, as if they had just come back from shopping.
They carried large and small bags in their hands, filled with clothes and food, chatting and laughing as they entered the forest.
If Aurellian hadn't seen their long, pointed ears, she would have thought they were a few well-bred young ladies from some noble family.
When they came in and saw Cassandra, they froze for a moment, then reached out and greeted her warmly.
"Lady Cassandra, long time no see!"
"When did you come back, Madam? Why didn't you say so in advance?"
"I was even thinking of going shopping with you… How many days are you staying at home this time, Madam?"
Cassandra smiled and nodded back to them one by one.
After chatting casually for a bit, the elves headed deeper into the forest, until they disappeared completely from sight.
This caused countless question marks to pop up over Aurellian's head.
"They are absolutely free. They can come and go through this gate as they please, leave the estate, and go to the human city outside."
"Even more, the family gives them enough Gio every month for their expenses, so they can live in this city."
"Now, do you still think they're not free?"
Aurellian, "..."
She fell completely silent.
"In our cooperation agreement with the elves, there is only one restriction placed on them."
"That is, to stay as happy as possible."
Cassandra smiled faintly, seeming somewhat pleased that she could clear up Aurellian's confusion.
"Only if they're happy can the Lesser family obtain large amounts of energy and continue further research and inventions."
"The elves are the foundation of the Lesser family. How could we possibly harm them?"
Aurellian felt a little embarrassed, lowering her head, fidgeting slightly.
"I thought… you were always doing bad things..."
Suddenly, a hand rested on Aurellian's head and gently rubbed it.
Cassandra spoke softly, "Child, don't think of everything as too evil."
"But don't think of everyone as too good, either."
"You must understand that the world isn't black and white, it's a finely shaded gray."
As if sighing over something, Cassandra let out a light breath.
"You are a princess of the Empire. Everything should be considered for the Empire."
"I hope you still remember that I, too, was once a princess."
After saying this, she didn't look again at Aurellian's silent expression.
She turned and walked toward the outside, calmly calling to Aurellian, "Let's go."
As the two walked, Cassandra suddenly stopped in place.
She narrowed her eyes, as if sensing something.
Her gaze, like a venomous snake, turned toward the nearby darkness.
"As a guest, do you have to sneak around when you arrive?"
Aurellian was confused, but just as Cassandra's words fell, a drop of pitch-black liquid slowly flowed out from the shadows.
That black shadow swelled, like rippling water, growing into the shape of a creature.
It was a one-eyed crow, with only a single eye.
It chuckled, carrying an indescribable sinister charm.
This made Cassandra freeze in surprise.
She couldn't understand it.
Why would a crow appear here?
But Aurellian recognized the crow. Covering her mouth, she cried out in shock, "It's… it's the teacher's crow!"
"Teacher?"
Cassandra turned around to look at Aurellian.
She naturally knew who Aurellian's teacher was.
It could only be that one person…
Suddenly, greenery spread as countless vines twisted up from the ground.
They seemed to form the shape of a wooden man.
The crow flapped its wings and landed on the wooden man's shoulder.
Then, suddenly, the wooden man moved.
His two hands stiffly came together, then separated.
Like he was applauding.
After that, the vines on the wooden man's head gradually receded, revealing a somewhat gaunt face.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile as he spoke to Lady Cassandra.
"Well said, Lady Cassandra."
Aurellian clearly saw who it was and was instantly shocked.
"T-teacher!?"
Even she hadn't noticed when Viktor had entered.
Lady Cassandra coldly stared at Viktor.
"So it really is you, Viktor..."
"What do you mean by appearing here?"
"To prove that you can bypass all the Lesser family's guards and watchful eyes?"
Viktor smiled faintly as the wooden body around him gradually turned into a trench coat draped over his shoulders.
"Don't get so worked up, Madam."
"That's not what I mean."
As the trench coat fluttered in the wind, Viktor's body seemed to completely transform.
He placed his hands back into the coat pockets and smiled confidently, "I just wanted to tell you that none of you can beat me."
Cassandra took a deep breath and glared at Viktor.
Aurellian stepped forward and grabbed Lady Cassandra's hand.
"Aunt, don't..."
"What the teacher said is true."
Cassandra looked down at her.
"So what? I am Cassandra, once a princess of the Empire! The one in charge of the Lesser family!"
"Am I supposed to just watch him act so arrogantly on the Lesser family's own territory?"
She turned back to look at Viktor. "Viktor, what makes you so confident?"
Viktor's gaze was extremely calm, with a hint of helplessness mixed in.
"There's something I once said to your son, Jess."
"I think that same sentence can be given to you as well."
He made no extra movements. Only the emblem on his chest, three shattered human heads, flickered with a bright blue light.
"Call me Councilor, Lady Cassandra."
Cassandra froze slightly, not quite understanding what Viktor meant.
She only blinked.
But in that instant, she seemed to appear in another world entirely.
Everything around her vanished.
Aurellian, the gate, the surrounding forest, even the ground beneath her feet.
All of it was replaced by barren, shriveled land.
Raging flames suddenly surged up, as if they were about to devour the sky itself.
Cassandra abruptly raised her head, sensing a looming danger.
She froze.
Before her appeared a monster.
A monster that humans could never hope to contend with, like a world-destroying behemoth.
It dragged its volcano-like body as it slowly moved.
Step by step across the sea of fire, its body flowing with extremely high-temperature magma.
Its eyes were blood-red, as if surging with dense flames of rage.
As though in the next second, it could incinerate countless things.
The towering inferno and the ashes filling her vision brought an overwhelming pressure and shock, even to Cassandra, who had been tempered by countless wars.
By now, she was drenched in sweat, her body stiff, only able to watch that world-destroying colossal beast walking endlessly across the withered land.
As if burning everything to nothing.
"This is… natural energy?"
Cassandra had dealt with elves for a long time and was extremely sensitive to natural energy.
That towering rage-beast wreathed in flames, it was like…
A conglomeration of natural energy.
If such energy could be used by the Lesser family, it could probably support the city of Tiepoh's energy consumption for over a hundred years.
But at that moment, Viktor's figure stepped out from the flames, one step at a time.
The fire seemed to have no effect on him at all.
"How is this possible..."
Cassandra stared blankly at Viktor.
The instant he appeared, she felt it.
This vast natural energy... was coming from Viktor.
She couldn't understand it, and found it hard to accept.
Within the heat of the flames, Viktor's trench coat kept swaying, gradually growing longer.
Red patterns spread across the entire garment, like a blazing scarlet flame.
He stood quietly atop the head of that fiery giant beast, looking down at Cassandra from above, "So?"
"You're not convinced?"
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