CH 38

After a night of preparation and rest, Pei Xia and the group, led by Princess Sofia of the Elven race, headed in another direction within the Sapphire Forest.

The terrain inside the Sapphire Forest was complex, and without someone familiar with the area, it was easy to get lost.

Sofia lightly bit her lower lip, moving gracefully through the forested mountains. She appeared worried, lost in her thoughts.

Gradually, they began to come across traces of blood and signs of battles ahead. The group dismounted and slowed their pace.

Sofia gazed into the distance with her excellent Elven vision and spotted figures ahead. She whispered, “Not long ago, the Dark Elves invaded the surface in force, scattering many of our forest Elf people and capturing some. Those of us remaining are gathered outside the Tree of Life, resisting their onslaught.”

Lucifer asked, “The Dark Elves’ target is the Tree of Life?”

“Yes, the Dark Elves have great difficulty reproducing, and a long time ago, they sought to corrupt the Tree of Life. This led to a war between our two races, with the Dark Elves retreating and hiding underground in the Sapphire Forest.”

Lucifer pondered, “If that’s the case, why are they trying to return to the surface now?”

Sofia’s gaze shifted momentarily, and she looked away, avoiding the question. “I don’t know.”

“Very well, let’s go take a look.”

Lucifer’s group consisted of eight people, and in uncertain circumstances, it wouldn’t be wise to directly intervene in the war between these two races. They decided to first visit the Elven Court to gather information.

Sofia led them, avoiding the frontlines of the battle. She returned to the rear of the conflict, where an Elf stood guard in the trees. Upon seeing Sofia, the Elf’s expression lit up with joy.

He jumped down and exclaimed, “Your Highness, you’re back!”

Sofia nodded and said, “Yes, I’ve brought back some humans skilled in Light magic. I believe they can be of great help in dealing with the demons.”

The guard Elf looked somewhat skeptical, “Can humans really be trusted?”

Sofia held his hand and nodded firmly, “They healed my wounds. I believe they are not bad people.”

As she spoke, Sofia turned her head, and her long green hair seemed to flutter like a small meadow. She looked at Pei Xia, Lucifer, and the others, offering them a grateful smile. “We are friends, aren’t we?”

Lucifer slowly revealed a smile and said, “Of course, it is our duty to drive away demons for our friends.”

With Sofia’s assurance, the forest Elves quickly allowed them to pass. As they walked towards the Elven Court, Pei Xia noticed many distinctive buildings.

Elven houses were mostly in the trees, adorned with flowers, vines, and plants, seamlessly blending with nature. It was a sight that filled one with joy, and one might want to close their eyes and quietly savor the serenity and beauty of the forest.

Deeper inside, stone structures were constructed against the slopes of the enormous Tree of Life. This was the residence of the Elven Queen.

The Tree of Life had a sturdy trunk, towering above and casting a shadow with lush green leaves. Beneath it, the Elven Court was grand and elegant, bearing the marks of time, which only added to its charm.

Passing through the Elf guards forming a protective wall, Sofia excitedly ran ahead and called out, “Mother, I’m back!”

Pei Xia and the others followed. They saw the Elven Queen, adorned with a floral wreath and holding a wooden staff. Despite her youthful appearance, she was nearly a thousand years old. Upon seeing her child return, she briefly showed excitement but quickly composed herself.

“Sofia, what has happened? I heard you brought some humans with you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Sofia stepped back and introduced Lucifer’s group while recounting the story of their encounter and what had transpired afterward.

The Elven Queen pondered for a moment and then turned her gaze towards Lucifer, her expression becoming more serious. She asked, “Are you the Holy Son Lucifer of the Light Church?”

“That’s correct.” Lucifer gave a slight bow.

The Elven Queen suddenly descended, her long gown trailing on the ground. Her face was youthful and beautiful, yet her eyes held the calm wisdom of an elder.

She walked over to Lucifer’s side, seemingly examining something with a hint of vigilance in her gaze. This piqued Pei Xia’s curiosity. While the relationship between the Elves and humans wasn’t great, it shouldn’t make them feel threatened, should it?

Finally, the Elven Queen broke the silence, “Holy Son of the Light Church, I’m very grateful for your assistance. Despite our different beliefs, I believe that when faced with evil, we should all unite. Allow me to express my gratitude on behalf of the Forest Elves.”

Lucifer’s smile remained unchanged, as if the Elven Queen’s demeanor had no effect on him, “You’re too kind. Eliminating demons is the purpose of our journey. I believe cooperation between our sides is entirely normal.”

The Elven Queen nodded without excessive politeness and proceeded to explain the situation.

In reality, the Forest Elves and Dark Elves had long been in a state of mutual control. They were evenly matched, with one side excelling in wood magic and the other in nighttime combat. They had an unspoken agreement to divide the Sapphire Forest into two parts, daytime and nighttime, surface and underground. During the night, even if the Dark Elves ventured to the surface, as long as they didn’t clash with the Forest Elves, they wouldn’t engage in serious conflict.

However, the Dark Elf King had now chosen to ally with demons to seize the Tree of Life. This increased their strength during the night, causing the Forest Elves to retreat, resulting in many casualties.

The key issue was the demons. After some contemplation, Lucifer said, “Demons are not known for keeping their word. I believe the Dark Elf King must also understand this. Therefore, the sudden alliance with demons cannot be taken lightly.”

The Elven Queen sighed, “Our forest Elf tribe specializes in wood magic and is not familiar with the light magic that can counter demons.”

“Please do not worry. Our purpose in coming here is to address this issue.”

Lucifer chuckled, “In truth, we do not have the authority to meddle in the internal conflicts of the Elf tribe.”

The Elven Queen nodded with a hint of helplessness, “Indeed, if it were just a conflict between the Forest Elves and Dark Elves, I would not involve you.”

“But now, with the involvement of demons, it’s a different matter.”

Lucifer continued to explain his plan, “The battles in the Sapphire Forest are currently scattered, and it’s better to strike at the root by destroying the altar the Dark Elf King uses to summon demons rather than getting involved in skirmishes with demons that may appear during the fighting. We can then consider our next steps.”

However, in doing so, Lucifer would have to venture deep underground, which was undoubtedly dangerous.

Pei Xia quietly tightened his grip on his sword. It was true that in the original story, Lucifer faced significant danger while underground. But now…

Pei Xia scratched his head, contemplating whether he should advise Lucifer to proceed cautiously. Although Sofia and Lucifer had become friends, their relationship didn’t seem close enough for Pei Xia to expect Sofia to readily intervene and save Lucifer in a critical situation.

“My Lord Lucifer, perhaps we should gather more information about the Dark Elves’ strength and characteristics before taking action,” Pei Xia whispered, trying to persuade him to be more cautious.

“Very well, I’ll follow your suggestion,” Lucifer nodded in agreement.

Dark Elves typically emerged at dusk, and their movements were elusive and hard to predict. Pei Xia couldn’t help but worry about the upcoming challenges they might face. Even though Sofia was now their friend, her assistance might not be readily available in a dangerous situation.

“Sofia, do you know how to access the Dark Elves’ world?” Lucifer suddenly asked.

Sofia, who was in the midst of climbing a tree, was startled and lost her grip, tumbling to the ground.

Pei Xia was taken aback and quickly reached out to help Lucifer. Sofia fell to the ground with a thud.

Lucifer, appearing flustered, leaned on Pei Xia for support and patted his chest, attempting to make it seem less obvious. “It’s quite dangerous. Please be careful, Princess Sofia.”

Pei Xia nodded in agreement, “Indeed, it’s quite risky to climb trees using only vines without any built-in staircases. Princess Sofia, please take care.”

Sofia slowly stood up, dusting off her clothes and forcing a smile, “No worries, I’m fine.”

“That’s good to hear. You’re a resilient princess,” Pei Xia praised her.

Lucifer added, “Indeed, using only vines to climb trees without any precautions is very dangerous. Princess Sofia, you should be more cautious.”

Sofia, with a strained smile, replied, “Thank you for your concern.”

Sofia’s mouth twitched, and she pointed to several treehouses above, saying, “Please rest here for now. There are living amenities inside. I won’t demonstrate how to use them for you.”

After that, Sofia left, and the group entered the treehouses. Pei Xia curiously explored the interior and found many magical conveniences, such as a water faucet that allowed for easy handwashing even in the trees.

Soon, some elves brought fruits, and Pei Xia descended to retrieve them, only to be told that Sofia wanted to speak with him urgently.

Pei Xia was puzzled, “What’s the matter? Is it something urgent?”

The elf shrugged, “I don’t know. I’m here to guard Lord Lucifer. This place is different from the City of Atna; it’s not safe.”

“No worries, I’m already here,” Pei Xia replied.

At some point, Sofia had changed into a different outfit—a white and green dress that made her look fresh and natural. In her hands, she held a piece of clothing, the coat that Pei Xia had lent to her.

“This is for you,” Sofia said in a low voice, handing the coat to Pei Xia.

“Thank you,” Pei Xia accepted it, but he noticed Sofia’s sigh.

He was puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

With a somewhat melancholic tone, Sofia replied, “I’m just feeling a bit lost.”

“Lost?”

“Do you know why I dressed in women’s clothing?”

Pei Xia asked, “Isn’t it because you like it?”

“No!” Sofia bit her lip and said sadly, “Actually, it’s because I like men.”

Pei Xia blinked in surprise, “Oh. That’s quite a coincidence. I do too.”

Sofia blinked with hopeful anticipation as he1from this point on, I’ll be using “he” for Sofia looked at Pei Xia and said, “Last night, after you discovered my true gender and didn’t show disgust, I thought maybe you could understand me.”

Pei Xia nodded, “Actually, it’s quite normal. There are many people who like the same sex.”

Sofia then asked, “What about you, Pei Xia? Last night, I noticed that you have a very close relationship with Lucifer. Are you two…”

Pei Xia was taken aback and blurted out, “No!”

Sofia raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t even say what I was thinking.”

Pei Xia nervously rubbed his hands, feeling his heart in turmoil, “In any case, there’s nothing more between me and Lord Lucifer.”

Sofia’s eyes held a thoughtful expression as he asked, “So, it’s just nothing for now. But do you like him?”

Pei Xia: “…”

At this moment, he found this question incredibly difficult to answer.

Did he like Lucifer? Undoubtedly, he often felt a flutter in his heart for him, but it was wrong, it shouldn’t happen!

Pei Xia had been avoiding thinking about this aspect. As long as he didn’t think about it, he wouldn’t feel this pain.

But if he said he didn’t like him, it would be a lie to himself, and if he said he liked him, it would be too frivolous.

And it was very dangerous.

He stammered, “Why would you think that? I’m just his subordinate.”

Sofia’s eyes showed a hint of contemplation, “So what about Lord Lucifer? Does he like you?”

“Please don’t say such things,” Pei Xia said earnestly, “Lord Lucifer doesn’t have feelings for men, and he would be unhappy if he heard such talk.”

He is a heterosexual male who is afraid of homosexuality, so he would definitely get angry if someone suspected him of liking the same sex.

Sofia: “Oh~”

Pei Xia: “Oh?”

Sofia covered his face as if sobbing and said, “Actually, it’s because I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t have. I thought both of you were like me, so I wanted to seek advice from you.”

“I see,” Pei Xia replied.

“Falling for someone you shouldn’t is indeed very painful,” Pei Xia sympathized, “Why can’t you be together? Does the other person not like men?”

Sofia choked up, “I don’t know. At first, he thought I was a girl, and I didn’t know his true identity either. But later, I didn’t know how to face him, so I left. Now, we stand on opposing sides, and it’s really painful!”

Pei Xia hesitated, “Well, you see, I’ve never been in a romantic relationship.”

Sofia was shocked, “No wonder.”

“No wonder what?”

“Nothing,” Sofia shook his head and glanced upwards, “I’ve been seeking a way to free myself. Perhaps we’re wrong, and I should fall in love with someone else.”

“Moving on can indeed be a solution,” Pei Xia advised seriously, “You can find someone you can be together with.”

Sofia blushed and smiled shyly, “So, do you think I’m a suitable candidate?”

Pei Xia replied, “You’re a good person.”

“What I mean is, would you like to be with me?”

Pei Xia was startled: “Your Highness, you’re not suggesting that you want to try it with me, are you?”

Sofia nodded gently, his eyes wandering, and he smiled mysteriously: “Although I may not be as beautiful as the Holy Son, I do have a heart that loves men.”

Pei Xia: “You make a valid point, but I can’t agree to try it with you.”

“Why?” Sofia was puzzled. “Am I not good enough?”

“Of course not, you’re great.”

Pei Xia sighed softly: “It’s mainly because we’re both attracted to the same gender!”

Sofia shook his head with regret: “Well, I admire you a lot. If you ever change your mind, please consider me.”

Pei Xia politely said: “Alright, and I hope you find your true prince charming.”

Sofia waved goodbye, and Pei Xia’s heart began to race as he listened to Sofia’s lament. He patted his heart, turned around, and was about to climb the tree while holding the fruit. When he looked up, he met the expressionless face of Lucifer above the tree.

Seeing Pei Xia, Lucifer slowly revealed a perfunctory smile.