Chad led Colin and his companion into the study and then left.
The gloomy-faced Yeats, sitting in a chair holding a book, did not rise, calmly watching them as he quietly asked,
"Speak then, what 'important' news do you have in your hands?"
Colin stepped forward, somewhat displeased with Yeats's manner of questioning.
But realizing the gravity of the situation, he didn't dwell on it and quickly informed Yeats of everything in a concise manner.
As his words unfolded, Yeats's lips began to curl into a smirk.
Before Colin had finished speaking, Yeats set down his book, chuckled lightly with a somewhat playful interruption,
"So what you're suggesting is—the Tree Elf Clan are traitors?"
A slight heaviness settled in Colin's heart as he paused before adding in a more somber tone,
"What I mean is that there's a possibility. What I can be certain of is—the Elf Clan, especially the Tree Elves, must have already sided with the Divine!"
He had anticipated that Yeats wouldn't easily believe what he said; after all, his influence was minor, and the news too outlandish...
However, he was prepared, and continued,
"Councilman Yeats, when I was in the Elf Kingdom, I once..."
"If the Tree Elf Clan are indeed traitors, then I also have reason to suspect that you are a spy sent by the Divine to incite discord between the Wizards and the Elf Clan!"
Yeats interrupted him again.
Regardless of how Colin had entered the Elf Kingdom and how he had safely left the so-called corrupted realm,
from his own perspective,
instead of believing the bizarre message delivered by an unexpected visit from a First Rank Wizard, he was more inclined to trust the judgment of the High Rank Wizard council members.
Zehtti, standing aside, couldn't help but frown at this point.
But she did not know the information about the Elf Kingdom as Colin did, and... Yeats's doubts at the moment were not unfounded.
Thus, Zehtti chose not to speak, silently standing by, waiting for Colin's response like Yeats.
'For the greater good...'
Colin took a deep breath and silently pulled several fresh sheets of manuscript paper from his Storage Ring on his right hand.
These were remnants he had kept from when he had studied the odd facial memories in the Treasure Vault palace, turning them into books.
The writing on them was hasty and twisted, yet retained a bit of the mysterious charm of those original inscriptions.
'If only I had avoided risk at the time... whether it was the war treants I encountered on the road, or the corrupted trees and flowers everywhere, I didn't retain a shred.
The same goes for the powdery residue from the branches of the Ancient Tree of Life...'
Colin felt a twinge of regret.
At that time, he didn't know that the Tree Elf Clan had reappeared and even formed an alliance with the Wizards... otherwise, he would have surely brought back some compelling evidence!
But now, the only thing he had that could be considered connected to the Elf Kingdom was these manuscript papers with strange inscriptions.
The Storage Ring of that half-blood Tree Elf held no useful information either...
Perhaps Liya'er's Storage Ring might have had something, but that ring was currently in the hands of Senior Lillian.
As for anything else, he couldn't think of anything else that could be connected to the Elf Kingdom.
Even Nasi.
If Nasi appeared as a Flower Elf now, she might have been convincing, but she currently just looked like a little Elf with unique features.
To use her to prove the Tree Elf Clan's betrayal to the Divine would be even less reliable than the manuscript papers, not to mention it would bring a multitude of risks.
While musing over this, Colin began to wonder why Yeats in front of him didn't take the manuscript papers he was offering.
"Which School do you belong to... ah, let me think, it's the Tin Saint, right?" Yeats suddenly asked in an indifferent tone.
"Hmm," Colin responded with a nearly imperceptible sound through his nose, and silently held out the manuscript papers to Yeats again with both hands.
"Without a Family background... you are not a Pureblood Wizard? Who is your mentor?" Yeats finally took the manuscript papers, but carelessly placed them on a small table nearby, continuing to ask casually.
It seemed he was more curious about this minor Wizard standing in front of him and what madness had driven him to speak such far-fetched words than about Colin's bizarre story.
Zehtti, who had been standing aside, gradually showed signs of displeasure. Although she couldn't completely believe Colin's words,
based on her past impression, she already believed at least eighty percent of what Colin had said.
She had intended to use Yeats's queries to see how Colin would respond, but the somber-faced Wizard had suddenly changed the subject...
Whoosh!
Zehtti took a light step forward.
The previously seated Yeats sat up straight away, his brow furrowed slightly, and became more alert.
However, Zehtti was not aiming for him, but rather for the manuscript papers on the small table.
"My mentor is Atbolde Rudolph," Colin continued in a soft voice.
Yeats withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to Zehtti, who was examining the manuscript papers closely.
"Atbolde." He pondered with a frown.
Nonetheless, Colin, at that moment, was unwilling to continue entangling in these trifling issues and couldn't help but insist in a more forceful tone,
"Councilman Yeats, I assure you on my honor and knowledge that every word I speak is true!
There is no small matter in war. If you do not believe me, then at the very least, please pass this information on to the council members."
As his words fell, Yeats's expression suddenly turned grave.