At this point, Lillian suddenly paused and said,
"On the surface, it's because of the Alus Association, but in reality, it's still about ancient grudges..."
"Because of the Alus Association...?" Colin stopped, at this moment they had descended one level from the top floor, coming to a room on the penultimate floor with a stone door tightly closed.
There were no locked rooms on the top floor.
"Let me do it." Lillian looked at the tightly closed stone door and said, extending her hand to press on the stone. A seed immediately took root and sprouted on the door, and as it grew larger, the door cracked open with a few snaps.
"That's amazing!" Nasi, who appeared from underneath his hood, expressed her surprise at the scene, seemingly reminded of something as her eyes flickered slightly.
Colin paid it no mind... This must be a High Level Elf's bedroom, and he stepped inside with Lillian.
"Senior Lillian..." Colin wanted to remind Lillian that she hadn't answered his question, but before he could finish, she spoke softly,
"The Hidosh Family somehow learned that you were chosen by the Supreme Council to accompany the Alus Association, and they wanted the mentor to voluntarily kick you out of the School, thus securing the vacant position... but how could that be possible! How contrived!"
After saying this, Lillian glanced at Colin and emphasized, "That's just their excuse, the real reason is still the old grudges!"
Colin moved his lips, unsure what to say, and simply nodded his head.
Silence fell between them, and the atmosphere inexplicably turned awkward.
They silently searched the room but found nothing of value inside the bedroom.
Lillian's expression clearly became more downcast.
'As long as we keep going, there will be hope.'
'We'll find something to cure Teacher Atbolde...'
Colin wanted to say something to break the silence but found himself at a loss for words on several occasions... After all, he was not Lillian and couldn't truly understand what it felt like for Lillian's family to live as outsiders.
"Senior Lillian, why have the High Level Elves gradually disappeared, where did they all go?"
After pondering for a moment, Colin asked.
A thousand years ago, living conditions for families like Lillian's were entirely different... The main reason must have been the High Level Elves.
If the High Level Elves hadn't disappeared and maintained friendly relations between the two clans, then the mixed-blood families in the middle wouldn't have fallen into such a situation.
"My grandfather told me that the Elf Clan could not endure the polluted world and chose to return to the Elf Kingdom, only occasionally would an Elf come out to wander... but ultimately, their numbers have dwindled, and even our families with Elf Bloodline could scarcely make contact with them."
"A polluted world?" Colin sharply caught the keyword and asked.
Lillian paused a little, and instead of explaining directly, she responded to Colin with a question of her own,
"Do you know that the world was not like this originally?"
"Not like this..." Colin was confused, not quite understanding what Lillian meant.
But Lillian's next words sent a jolt through his heart.
Turning her head to gaze into the void, she spoke word by word with a grave voice,
"A thousand years ago, this world actually had no such thing as pollution mutations... There were many more wizards back then, especially Wandering Wizards, than there are now!"
"These pollution mutations... are not something that have existed since ancient times?" Colin couldn't help but muse to himself, "I've never seen this information in any book or legend."
"The Supreme Council deliberately hid this truth..." Lillian explained, "I heard it from my grandfather as well."
Colin exhaled quietly, digesting this shocking piece of news.
The two then continued to search through all the rooms in the heart of the stone tree... but until they reached the structure built upon the lowest layer's branches, they still found nothing.
"Good giant."
Just as Colin and Lillian were about to forcefully break into the last room using witchcraft, as they had with the others, the little elemental spirit Nasi suddenly spoke up.
"Little Nasi seems to remember!" she said while waving her hand towards the stone door.
An invisible Spiritual Light flashed by, and with a snap, the stone door immediately opened.
Inside was a hall, the scene completely visible, empty and devoid of anything but tables and chairs.
"There's nothing left in these places, but Little Nasi knows where there are still things!" Nasi's eyes twinkled, as if she had anticipated this all along.