The world tree was alive; William knew that much from the novel. At one point in the story, the spirit of the tree had even manifested physically.
That memory alone was enough to make him cautious.
The spirit’s exact strength had never been fully explained, but William strongly suspected that it ranked among the most powerful entities on Aris.
There was even a possibility that its power surpassed the limits normally found within this world.
Because of that possibility, he remained careful and avoided attracting unnecessary attention.
After entering the inner plaza, William finally allowed himself to slow down and observe his surroundings. He had to admit that the Elven Capital was breathtaking.
Human cities focused on survival, and chaos was everywhere. The cities of the elves were entirely different.
Everything appeared harmonious with nature.
Elegant buildings blended seamlessly into enormous living trees. Crystal-clear streams flowed between streets lined with vibrant flowers, while bridges of wood and natural stone connected districts without disrupting the landscape.
There were no slums or financial division among people; there were just high elves and normal elves. Nonetheless, the quality of life of normal elves seemed good.
The city felt less like an artificial settlement and more like a living ecosystem blended with nature.
The elves themselves were renowned for their mastery of magical arts. Many races excelled in one field or another, but elves possessed exceptional talent across several disciplines.
Their expertise in alchemy and magical artificing was particularly famous throughout Aris. In fact, the greatest alchemist and the greatest runemaster, who was Professor Kevin, on the entire continent, were both elves.
That fact alone demonstrated the extraordinary level of advancement their race had achieved. As William wandered through the city, another detail caught his attention.
Medical facilities were surprisingly rare in this city, while the human cities had like a hundred of them.
The reason was simple. Most elves enjoyed excellent health. Diseases were uncommon among them, and even ordinary citizens possessed enough knowledge to create simple healing potions for personal use.
Their natural longevity and affinity for magic further reduced the need for extensive medical infrastructure. While considering these observations, William continued exploring the inner city and admiring its beauty.
Then something suddenly caught his eye. Not far away stood a luxurious establishment resembling a private theater frequented by nobles.
A group of people was currently approaching the entrance. Servants hurried alongside them while guards cleared the surrounding area to ensure an unobstructed path.
Several beautiful young women walked together, attracting considerable attention from nearby pedestrians. Yet William’s gaze immediately focused on only one person among them.
A hooded girl walked at the center of the group.
Her features were hidden beneath a flowing cloak woven from white and gold fabric. Despite concealing her appearance, the garment somehow emphasized her noble presence even more.
William recognized her instantly.
It was Seraphine.
Walking beside her were her close friends—Kara, Leila, and Kathrine.
As the group moved toward the theater, Seraphine suddenly slowed. She stopped for a brief moment before lifting her hood and turning her head toward the side.
Her eyes scanned the area with a confused expression.
"What happened?" Leila asked as she placed a hand on Seraphine’s shoulder.
Seraphine hesitated. "I don’t know."
Her gaze continued moving through the crowd. "For a second, I felt something."
Leila smiled gently and patted her head. "You’re just nervous about tomorrow."
Seraphine remained silent for a moment. Eventually, she nodded. "Maybe."
Even so, as she continued walking forward, she could not shake the strange feeling that someone familiar had been watching her from nearby.
Meanwhile, William stood hidden among the crowd, quietly watching her disappear into the theater.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
A few minutes later, inside the theater, a play was going on; several elven youths wore traditional costumes and displayed a skit of an elven folk story.
<"Your highness, I want to challenge Dalen for a duel under the oath of the world tree; I would like to fight for your honor, Your Majesty."
The distant dialogues of the play echoed in a private VIP chamber. The girls paid full attention to the skit, except for Seraphine; she was feeling a bit weird.
A strange feeling bugged her constantly, as if something were cheating her senses. Suddenly, she stood up and walked out of the room; a few maids followed behind her.
Seraphine walked along an empty corridor that had a section of it open as a balcony; she looked outside for a few seconds, taking deep breaths.
The maids stayed silent behind her.
To calm down her nerves, she took deep breaths.
Hooofff!!
Suddenly, she felt warm hands around her waist, and she flinched before using her instincts, releasing a burst of energy to throw away the person who tried to touch her, but suddenly, a familiar breath and voice calmed her down like magic.
"It’s okay; it’s me, Sera," William whispered in her ear.
Sera almost had a heart attack. "William...the maids must have seen you run!!" she spoke with panic.
"Why, are you scared to show them that I am your man?" William spoke with a teasing tone.
"Will my mom kill you?" Seraphine said, trying to get his hands off her and turn around, but his grip was too strong for her.
William chuckled. "For a charming woman like my Seraphine, I will gladly surrender my life."
"William, I am serious," Seraphine spoke in a distressed tone, trying to shake his hands off; she did not fall for his teasing at all.
William turned a bit serious; he felt her anxiety. "What happened? Why are you so restless?"
Seraphine stopped the struggle suddenly. "I...I...feel weird; it’s the same feeling that I used to get in the slave house when that slave master used to shout at us."
His hands clenched the railing of the balcony. "I feel weird," she said, her back leaning against Williams’s chest; he could feel the shivers on her back.
"Hey, come here," he said before turning her around.
He wrapped one of his arms around her face and head while the other wrapped around her shoulders and pressed her face against his chest tightly.
He gave a peck on her forehead and then started taking deep breaths. The lunar tidal energy of the moon’s sovereign physique manifested on his hands that rested on her face and her back.
He took deep breaths and used the energy mildly to calm her down. "It’s ok, you are alright, you are safe, I am here..."
William affirmed her safety with low, silent whispers around her ears.
Slowly and steadily, as she felt the rhythm of William’s breathing and his warm embrace, Sera’s own breathing started calming down. She started melting in his embrace.
All the coldness in her chest was replaced by a bloom of warmth, and all her nervous thoughts flushed out; she felt relaxed and calmed down.
"Oh lord... don’t leave me," Seraphine spoke as she kept herself snuggled inside his embrace.
William kissed her gently. "I am here with you; I will be keeping you company, alright?" He simply earned a light nod from Sera.
"Did you faint, maids, or something? Why are they so silent?"
William chuckled. "Why don’t you see for yourself?" he said before turning around and leaning her face to the back.
Seraphine looked from the corner of her vision. Both the maids were looking at them with open eyes; there were no emotions or fluctuations in their state, as if everything going on was normal for them.
Seraphine took a deep breath and her heart beat started picking up the pace again. "Wait a minute!"
William quickly calmed her down. "Relax, they are under an illusion."