14. The Elven Princess: Freshly Minted (Please support with monthly tickets at the beginning of the month!)

In the realm of the white-haired elves, the one closest to the great goddess was the white-haired elven maiden known as the “Saint”—Izalis. She did not command an army or retainers, yet she possessed the respect and adoration of nearly all her people. After all, within the kingdom of the white-haired elves, there existed but a single faith—the goddess who symbolized “Order.”

Izalis was far from being a mere figurehead thrust into power; even now, she faced skepticism from a small faction of elves who questioned whether she was truly a “Saint,” whether she could genuinely embody the will of “Order,” and even… whether she was merely a “sorceress” come to manipulate hearts, ultimately bringing chaos.

However, Izalis countered these doubts with methods that were nothing short of “miraculous,” employing “prophecies,” “manifestations,” and other acts that rivaled miracles, overwhelming one challenger after another with undeniable evidence. The slanders against her only served to further illuminate her image as a “Saint.”

Thus, the earlier “attackers” who nearly assaulted the Saint during the ritual, combined with the sudden arrival of three “outsiders” who were to replace the existing guards by her side, completely disrupted the plans of the elven elders in the kingdom of Rodland. They decided to convene at the agreed-upon time to “discuss a strategy.”

At this moment, deep within the Rodland royal castle, it was not the residence of the Saint Izalis, but rather that of the royal family members. The elven elders who had previously been by Izalis’s side had gathered here, awaiting the arrival of a “big figure.”

“What are we going to do about the Saint? Those three outsiders seem to have settled in under her arrangement, right?!”

“Even if we knew what to do now, it would be too late!”

The elders felt both “clear” and “vague” about the day they witnessed the three outsiders save the Saint. They all knew they had been present, but somehow, it ended with those three accepting the Saint’s request to stay! They absolutely could not allow unidentified individuals to mingle with the Saint!

Yet, the matter was now settled; they could not simply drive away the three outsiders, and this was the reason the elders had gathered here.

“With this, the Saint’s original guards will surely be replaced, right? If that’s the case, wouldn’t it mean…”

“There’s no way around it… Shh, the princess is coming; let’s hear what she has to say.”

The elders, who had been whispering among themselves, fell silent in unison. After all, their gazes turned toward the depths of the palace, where a figure had pushed past several elven attendants accompanying her, striding swiftly yet elegantly toward the elders.

The aged elven elders, upon seeing any elf of status within the kingdom, did not need to force themselves to kneel or anything of the sort. However, to express their respect, they all lowered their heads in unison.

“Princess Edrial.”

“Princess, you have finally arrived!”

The girl with long white hair tied into a braid did not wear the elegant gown typically associated with a “princess.” Instead, she was dressed in a top and trousers, styled almost like a boy, striding quickly toward the elders. This was the presence the elders had been waiting to meet—the second princess of the Rodlan Kingdom, Princess Aderel.

No one lamented why Princess Aderel, possessing beauty that rivaled any elf, chose to dress so boyishly. After all, the elders were already accustomed to the princess’s attire, and… it was not the time to discuss her appearance.

“Princess Aderel, there’s been an incident with the Saintess!”

As they approached the princess, the elders began to speak in a flurry, recounting their earlier experiences. They had originally stayed close to the Saintess, ostensibly to accompany her, but in reality, they were closely monitoring her every move. However, the unexpected arrival of the trio favored by the Saintess, who had requested protection, disrupted the elders’ plans.

After all, if those “insiders”—the guards—around the Saintess were sent away, the elders would truly have no way to keep track of her actions! Originally, there was no reason for the Saintess to suggest changing her guards, but the previous attack had indeed left the guards unable to protect her in time, providing her with a suitable excuse.

“Attackers?”

Before the elders could finish, Princess Aderel lowered her voice and questioned, “You sent them?”

“How… how could that be possible!”

The elders hurriedly defended themselves. Who would dare to send someone to attack the Saintess? Rather, if it were indeed someone’s orders, rather than the actions of an individual attacker, then…

In the next moment, the elders shivered slightly, wisely choosing not to mention the topic again. As for why they had to keep an eye on the Saintess, that was also a directive from this princess. Their presence here today, requesting to meet Princess Aderel, was merely to “report” the difficulties they had encountered.

After all, while Princess Aderel was a “martial type,” she was certainly no fool. Compared to the eldest princess, who approached everything with meticulousness and caution, Princess Aderel had many more followers.

“The Saintess is indeed a hidden danger; after all… she doesn’t seem pure at all and knows how to resist being monitored. So… elders, you understand, right? We absolutely cannot let her take any action.”

“Yes, yes…”

After a moment of hesitation, the elders nodded.

“Rather than calling this woman a ‘Saintess,’ it would be more appropriate to call her a seductress. She has taken away the faith of all our elves and will eventually threaten our position. This is why I instructed you all to keep watch.”

“Then… Your Highness, we will think of a way to deal with those outsiders later…”

“No, there’s no need for you elders to stay by the Saintess’s side any longer. I just want to clarify the dangers posed by this so-called ‘Saintess.’”

At this point, anyone could discern the meaning behind Princess Aderel’s words. However, given the situation, the elders’ only response could be to remain silent after a moment of hesitation.

“For the time being, you elders need not stay by the Saintess’s side. Instead, observe what the Saintess plans to do with those three outsiders, what actions and plans she has…”

Pausing, the girl turned and gradually disappeared into the shadows at the end of the hall.

“After that, don’t worry about anything else. I… will find a way to ‘resolve’ these troubles myself.”

——

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s October! First, I wish you all a happy National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival!

This month, in the prize draw for monthly tickets, we have added new clothing pillows for Kefir and Nilu. I will post example images shortly. There are many lottery activities this month, so I hope everyone can support with more monthly tickets. Recently, I’ve been preparing some celebratory gifts for the completion of this book. As long as everyone contributes more monthly tickets, with sufficient funds, I can definitely finish the illustrations sooner.

Additionally, this month we have introduced a trial run for a daily lottery based on tips, where you can earn lottery points. Please refer to the separate chapter for the October activities for more details.

In short, please support with more monthly tickets this month. Thank you, Eggplant! The list of winners from last month will also be posted shortly.

Hmph, ahhh.