Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 825: Chapter 621: Coron Followers’ Festival: Forest Communion of the Crescent Moon

Hill looked at Alessio, it seems that Coron’s followers don’t quite agree with that Lady of the Forest.

He suddenly realized that this former Exterior God of the Elf Deity System was primarily worshipped by Half-Elves, which led her transformation from a human Druid killed by a soldier of a human warlord into the daughter of Sylvanas and the Elven Goddess of Love and Beauty.

As for which version is true, outsiders cannot be certain, but Pureblood Elves all try to prove the first one.

Although Melikai incorporated Rangers as her followers during the Years of Turmoil, transitioning from Lady of the Forest to Goddess of the Forest and Rangers, it still doesn’t change the fact that she was elevated by the Elf Deity System but followed Sylvanas.

Even though the Father of Elves was completely indifferent to this matter, his followers and the Pureblood Elves were quite dissatisfied.

Especially the Pureblood Elves.

When Melikai became the first true Half-Elf Divine Power, they concocted many rumors, but by then, they had lost their dominance on the continent, and the rumors never left Eternity Island.

However, the Elven Goddess of Love and Beauty perhaps, at certain times, didn’t deny her charm could even attract the Lord of Oak Trees, so Melikai’s identity was more often assumed as the daughter of the Lord of Oak Trees.

Though back then, Melikai followed the Woodland Protector of the Elf Deity System, Lord of Leaves Ruorifen Lylefi, after becoming Lady of the Forest, and Elves always linked him with that giant oak tree central to the Avando Dominion of the God System.

This also led to the formation of a very friendly relationship between the Lord of Oak Trees and the Lord of Leaves, hence Melikai’s shift in allegiance likely had something to do with exchanges between those two deities.

The attitudes of Elves towards Melikai were overly disdainful at the time, given the Lord of Leaves’ quiet, contemplative yet protective nature, sending his favored Divine Subordinate to a place more suitable for her was quite normal.

Hill wonders how these Elves of Toril even dare to feel Melikai is a traitor when they blatantly defy the Elf Deity System’s demand for harmony and regard Half-Elves as true siblings?

The priests and followers of Coron showed no problem with their indifference towards Melikai; they never showed solemn respect to Coron, yet absolutely hold sincere love.

They love spreading gossip about him because Coron himself doesn’t care and even enjoys embellishing the stories further.

Hill feels they are more dissatisfied with calling Melikai the daughter of the Goddess of Love and Beauty.

After all, Coron’s Goddess Queen is a trinity goddess, and the Goddess of Love and Beauty is one of the three goddesses that compose the Goddess Queen.

Although the Goddess of Love and Beauty exists independently, with no direct relationship with Coron and having many lovers, many in Toril feel she is one-third of the Goddess Queen.

The more detailed the explanation becomes, the less pleasant it is.

No matter how much the Elves try to explain, it doesn’t help, so the trinity goddess Angrace, though she protects all aspects of the Elves, truly has very few followers. Priests even less than the number of demigod sons she and Coron bore.

Most of them are the independent priests of the three goddesses who incidentally offer a bit of worship to her as well, but this likely better aligns with Coron’s wishes, who wishes not to see another Rose-like Goddess Queen with real power appear.

Moreover, Angrace is merely the suitable Elven Goddess Queen and not someone he is enamored with, hence Coron never showed her significant attention, much less like Rose where he even sent away one of his Seraph leaders.

Over the centuries, Elves have essentially been downplaying the matter of the trinity goddess; Coron is often described as existing independently.

Because of this, for Mellikai, who is proclaimed as the daughter of the Elven Goddess of Love and Beauty Hanali Celanil, the priests of Coron exhibit this lukewarm rejection, without showing hostility but also preferring not to bring her up.

A joyful Lis interrupted Hill’s contemplation; she decided to inform the Captain of the Guard about this seed pouch matter, if they could purify the Supreme Forest, or even just the area near the Star Mountain Range, the Elves, at least those of the Star Mountain Range, could somewhat redeem themselves to the Treant Ancestral Court.

For Elves who have always had harmonious relations with Treants, the cold relations over the years have indeed been uncomfortable, but it’s a trouble caused by their own brethren, and compensation is difficult, as the Gates of Hell are positioned subtly and cannot be closed by anyone.

However, before leaving, Lis dashed into a vine-covered house in the orchard.

This house is expertly crafted, utilizing several types of vine fruits’ leaves in layers, with a touch of visual misdirection; superficially appearing like a plant-covered sloping frame, even Hill didn’t notice it was actually a small house.

Alright, Hill comforted his disgruntled inner vision: it’s a visual art created by an artist; not seeing it is normal.

Biting his cheek in frustration, Hill couldn’t accept this kind of self-consolation; Alessio is an artist, while he’s into construction~

He was merely dazzled by delicious fruits and didn’t notice the surroundings at all!

Especially after seeing real tea leaves, Hill’s emotions have been somewhat scattered.

That should be the Dragon Well tea passed around Ferun Great Land; he only saw finished products before, this is the first time seeing the plant.

A dozen short shrubs stood spiritedly at a corner of the orchard; they can only be planted individually rather than attached to some larger trees, and Hill spotted them almost immediately.

His hometown actually has tea gardens too, but people there enjoy brewing strong tea, which is very bitter.

Hill never liked drinking tea since childhood, and even after learning that green tea can be brewed with just a few leaves, he couldn’t get used to it.

But now, he’s trying hard to recall the steps in processing tea leaves.

Tightening the strings in his mental sea where he had been careless, Hill smiled and greeted Lis, who came out holding a huge box.

Lynn’s mother, probably overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, seemed ready to give away everything in the house.

Glancing at the orchard that was soon to be harvested again, Hill gladly accepted Lis’s generous gift, not wanting his actions to cause any pressure on this warm-hearted lady.

But those seeds were something he had already prepared for the guardians of the Star Mountain Range, and only the seed pouch was a proper response to Lynn’s parents’ warm hospitality.

This was actually the lowest level of gift that Hill could present; the rest of his practice works could be sold outside, but giving them as gifts to friends he acknowledged didn’t sit right with him.

Even if others didn’t know, Hill was aware of it; he didn’t like using things that didn’t require any effort as a way to brush off friends.

Although the seed pouch was only of a Legendary Level, it was indeed something he had crafted diligently, using a great deal of effort, making it suitable to respond to Lis and Alessio’s enthusiastic hospitality.

Initially, these two were just Lynn’s parents, but when Alessio brought him to the Silverfish Creek and taught Hill earnestly how to cultivate and proliferate silverfish, Hill raised their status in his heart to that of friends.

Sincerity must be met with sincerity. Alessio could have just given him some silverfish, with perhaps a reminder to come back for more once consumed, rather than teaching him all the farming techniques.

Lis quickly bounced away from the orchard, heading towards the highest point of the mountain range.

Alessio softly said, ”Lis has always been grateful to the Captain of the Guard, who not only took us in but also helped Lis transition from a sea warrior to the Curved Blade Warrior she is today, rather than only being able to become a Ranger.

Had she wanted, Lis could have long since become a Ranger, but deep down, she disagreed with the ethos of Rangers, so we wandered the continent for so long without finding a place to stay.

Actually, elves on the continent prefer using long swords; it’s really rare to find a master so proficient with curved blades.”

Alessio looked at the peak and suddenly said, ”The Captain of the Guard will surely go to those Treant Druids by Tulang’s side to ask about the effect of your moss. If it’s truly useful, there should be a ceremony offered to Coron by tonight when he returns.”

Hill looked at Alessio with surprise; are these seeds really that important?

”In theory, the Supreme Forest should celebrate the Toquel Festival every new moon; it’s the Forest Communion brought to us by Coron, and it’s the most commonly held festive celebration of Coron’s followers.

Because of astronomical influences, most other festivals occur only once every few decades.

But since the great retreat of the elves, the Star Mountain Range has not celebrated this festival.

The guard members, apart from occasionally eating some fruits, have not even had a formal meal; they feel they don’t have the qualification.

The fact that the Star Mountain Range survived the great demon invasion back then wasn’t due to their valiant combat but because it’s Coron’s greatest Sacred Land.

No Protector would ever allow demons to taint his place of worship.

But with your moss seeds, the Captain of the Guard might feel that this is Coron’s forgiveness for their inaction.

Especially, Hill, didn’t you notice? Today is precisely the Day of the Crescent.

And elves all know that you carry the bloodline of Coron, which to Aevraestar’s Sword, essentially means Coron is telling them: I forgive you, you are qualified to once again partake in the Forest Communion.”

Hill blinked and looked up at several figures riding the wind towards the Treant Ancestral Court on the peak; when Lis and her group went to watch the excitement, they seemed to run from the ground.

Apparently, this matter is indeed very important to that Captain of the Guard.

Hill had almost forgotten he had such a label on him. Or rather, he had been making efforts to dilute it, especially since the arrival of the Undead Tribe.

After all, anyone without much thought could figure out where Hill’s Coron bloodline came from.

Every time he thought of this, Hill felt his heart race wildly.