"Eliel, let's go," Delaisi called back.
At that moment, Eliel was turning to look at Burns, who stood silently in the cave, his gaze flickering.
Burns leaned against the cold cave wall, watching them leave, with the corpses of Queen Polly and her child beside him.
Seeing Eliel looking at him, Burns' resolute face softened slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled into a small smile as he said,
"Princess Eliel… go on."
His voice was rough, but still calm and collected.
"Eliel!" Delaisi said sternly.
Burns had failed to protect Queen Polly and her child and had failed to fulfill his knightly vows!
This was the price he had to pay!
"Father," Eliel turned her head, hesitated, and then slowly began, "Knight Burns… is not what you think."
"There's no need to plead for him, Eliel."
Delaisi frowned in confusion but was not angry, instead gently advising.
It seemed… Eliel felt pity for Burns being left alone, moved by compassion for him.
But in his view, Burns's solo survival was a taboo… Not executing him on the spot and leaving him a glimmer of hope was already very merciful.
Eliel… was still not wise enough.
However, with only the two of them remaining in the Holy Flame Royal Family, and his age already advanced...
Eliel was clearly the only hope left for the Holy Flame Royal Family… focus on cultivating her more in the future.
Colin turned back, frowning at them.
"That's not how it is."
Feeling Colin's gaze, Eliel felt a bit anxious and quickly spoke.
Then, without waiting for a response, she crossed her hands and placed them on her forehead.
Immediately after, an invisible spiritual fluctuation emitted.
Colin raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.
The next second.
A palm-sized human figure enveloped in White Light appeared in the cave and then gradually disappeared into the air the next second, like a drop of water into the sea, leaving no trace.
Seemingly sensing something, Colin closed his eyes, feeling carefully.
But he detected no abnormalities.
"Father, Lord Colin," Eliel began to explain quickly.
"This evening, after I received my sister Erica's urn, I discovered I had such an ability... or rather, triggered such an ability."
Colin interrupted Eliel's narration, curiously asking,
"Is that Spiritual Body still here?"
Without using witchcraft, his senses couldn't detect the presence of the Spiritual Body.
"It's still here." Eliel closed her eyes.
Whoosh.
The faint White Light appeared again, not far in front of Colin.
The White Light lasted for a while, then extinguished again, like a flickering firefly losing its light.
Colin was amazed in his heart.
When he was at Blackstone Island, he had heard that some people naturally possessed special Talents... but he had never seen one.
He never expected that Erica's sister would be such a rare entity.
"You just said... you just triggered the ability?" Colin asked, seemingly recalling something.
"Yes, Lord Colin," Eliel said, a bit nervously smoothing her hair by her ears.
"Over six, nearly seven years ago, right after the day my mother died, I gradually began to see an illusion occasionally and heard some strange sounds from it."
"Usually, I couldn't understand what the sounds were saying, or rather, the sounds did not make any sense, and the main form the illusions took was a white globe of light."
Speaking up to here, Eliel seemed a bit embarrassed, hesitated, but still continued.
"After my mother passed away, gradually no one talked to me, and the number of people I interacted with became fewer and fewer, so I started talking to the illusion…
Anyway, the illusion never responded until tonight, after I got my sister's urn… and then I suddenly found myself able to control it."
"Uh-huh," Colin nodded and then added,
"Continue, what do you want to tell Delaisi?"
Eliel's newly revealed Talent made him willing to give her more time.
"Thank you, Lord Colin," Eliel nodded and thanked him, then continued her narrative:
"Tonight, when Knight Burns was out with Queen Polly and Gallagher, I suddenly had an idea and summoned the illusion to follow them."
Hearing this, sensing something, Burns' expression gradually became agitated, and he couldn't hold back,
"Princess Eliel!"
Eliel just glanced at him and decisively said:
"So, Father King, I know everything that has happened."
"Queen Polly's death shouldn't be blamed on Knight Burns, it was her own doing!"
Then, she truthfully recounted the entire incident exactly as it had happened.
"...That's what happened."
Eliel finished her last sentence.
Thump!
Behind her, Burns suddenly fell heavily on his knees, his head deeply bowed.
On the other side, Delaisi also came to his senses, his complexion gradually paling, and he quickly knelt down to Colin.
'Queen Polly did such a thing, even though it wasn't successful, no one can guarantee what Wizard Colin might think.
The worst situation... is that Colin might feel this decision wasn't just Queen Polly's idea, but a result they had all discussed together.'
'But now, it's also not easy to explain that this was only Polly's idea and had nothing to do with them...
After all, if it backfires and makes Colin think they were shirking responsibility, then it's all over.'
Delaisi bowed his head, his thoughts chaotic and tangled. Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Rise," Colin said, not surprised by the reactions of Delaisi and the others.
But it was clearly Polly's personal idea, and he wasn't about to take his anger out on others.
"Ignorance is not a crime, Polly has already died and paid a sufficient price..." he continued.
Hearing this, Delaisi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He stood up, looked back at Burns with a ashamed expression... and thought of Polly, but the original sadness in his heart had already been replaced by anger and relief.
"Let's go, don't delay any longer," Colin urged.
After speaking, he took the lead and walked outside.
"Burns, keep up," Delaisi spoke, then hesitated before adding, "I wronged you..."
"No, it's not Your Majesty's fault," Burns interrupted.
Delaisi paused, his guilt deepening, and he let out a breath before continuing:
"Let's go, Knight Burns."
The group mounted their horses and slowly rode away.
*
*
*
One month later.
The chill of winter was gradually vanishing, and a hint of spring began to quietly emerge across the vast land.
It was now late morning.
In the forest, golden sunshine penetrated the dense green leaves, casting mottled marks on the riders below.
Renee shielded her eyes from the sunlight and watched the white birds flitting through the trees above.
Their long ribbon-like white tail feathers were something she had never seen at sea before.
"We're about to leave the forest, stay alert."
The gentle and magnetic voice came from ahead.
Looking forward, Renee saw a handsome figure in a gray and white Wizard Robe.
Ahead of him, there was a growing light... the exit of the forest was just in sight.
And if the map was correct, once they exited the forest, they would have nearly arrived at their destination.
Renee's eyes brightened, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.
It didn't take long for them, and soon the group emerged from the forest.
Colin took the lead, followed closely by the sisters Rene and Delaisi.
The warm sunlight shone down.
First, they felt the wind, a slightly moist breeze characteristic of spring.
Then, in the distance ahead, the large gray and white walls loomed like a long dragon.
This was Merredith City... the outskirts of the Meredith Kingdom.
Merredith City was a city within the Kingdom.
Its outskirts formed a huge kingdom inhabited by both commoners and wizards, surrounded by many other smaller kingdoms.
These kingdoms clung to Merredith City, also protecting it.
Colin gently exhaled.
As soon as he stepped out of the forest, he clearly felt an increase in the concentration of Magic Power... reaching the levels he had previously experienced at the base of Blackstone Island.
Although not high, it was much better compared to the places they had passed along the way.
Squeezing the horse's sides, they continued to ride forward.