"Ancestor!"
Gloria looked at Rhodes with deep reverence. To her, his words were absolute truth.
No matter what title he carried, it wouldn't change his importance in her heart.
"From now on, you and this banshee will be responsible for managing the Forest of Tranquility," Rhodes instructed, glancing at the banshee, whose massive wings had regrown.
A portion of the banshee's power resided within those wings, and with their return, she had regained her full combat strength, making her a force at the Sanctuary level.
"One demigod and one at the holy realm should be sufficient," Rhodes mused, knowing that the appearance of the Ancient Sun Tree would undoubtedly draw many unwanted eyes.
The Holy Church, demons, and even the elves themselves might be watching.
After all, just because they were elves didn't mean they were necessarily allies.
Take the drow for example—a race of corrupted elves who now lived in the depths of the underground world. They were once regular elves but were seduced by the Mother of Evil, causing their souls and bodies to be twisted. Now, they were known for their lustful, cruel ways, rivaling even the succubi in their openness.
Other corrupted races like the dark elves shared a similar fate. These twisted versions of the elven race were mortal enemies to all true elves. And compared to them, the rise of the High Elves posed a similar threat.
Ordinary elves could be transformed into more powerful High Elves by bathing in the Pool of Life. But the emergence of this new race threatened to carve away the faith and reverence that originally belonged to the Elven Gods. The High Elves could very well find themselves at odds with their own kin.
Regardless of race or religion, whether they were elves or humans, as long as the stakes were high enough, even the kindest and gentlest could raise weapons and commit mass slaughter.
Faith was a cruel battlefield—one that would only end when one side was completely annihilated.
With the matter of the Forest of Tranquility settled, Rhodes made his way back out of the woods, heading towards the castle.
As he approached, he noticed the palace grounds teeming with heavily armed soldiers. Count Francis, donned in his military uniform, stood anxiously, eyes fixed on the now enormous forest in the distance.
Just an hour ago, the Forest of Tranquility had exploded in size, stretching from its original boundary to nearly the gates of the castle itself. The citizens could even glimpse the towering trees from inside, especially the gargantuan golden tree that spanned over a thousand meters, radiating a divine brilliance. It was enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed just by looking at it.
The castle was in a state of panic.
Francis had no idea what had happened but feared the worst. The banshee must have been involved, and in the worst case, the hero—Rhodes—might have been killed.
If that were true, the Kingdom of Francis would face the wrath of the Silent Forest.
At that moment, Francis caught sight of a familiar figure strolling towards the palace.
"Why's everyone so tense?" Rhodes grinned, his axe resting on his shoulder.
"Lord Rhodes... the forest—what happened over there?" Francis asked, his voice filled with shock.
"All the issues have been taken care of. From now on, people can freely come and go in the Forest of Tranquility. As long as they don't provoke the monsters or cut down too many trees, they won't be attacked."
"However, the princess's curse still requires my personal attention to be fully lifted."
Francis hesitated, half-doubting Rhodes. The battle that had taken place in the forest had been too intense, and even the residual energy had shaken the entire castle.
Still, he didn't know if Rhodes had truly defeated the banshee.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened—the princess has suddenly fallen unconscious!"
A maid burst in, her face pale with worry.
Francis's eyes widened as he immediately bolted towards the palace, with Rhodes following leisurely behind.
Due to the rapid growth of the Ancient Sun Tree, the banshee's magic had surged, intensifying the curse on Princess Aurora. Originally, the curse wasn't expected to activate for several days, but circumstances had caused it to trigger prematurely.
When they reached the princess's chambers, Aurora lay on the bed, her nightgown still on, a serene smile on her face.
"Who brought in a spindle?" Francis roared, his voice full of fury. "I ordered every spindle in the castle to be burned!"
"Find out who hid one away, and I'll have their head!"
"It's not a spindle," Rhodes interrupted, shaking his head as he examined Aurora's hands. Her soft, pale fingers were uninjured.
"Not a spindle?" Francis asked, confused.
"But it's the banshee's curse!"
"A spindle doesn't have to physically prick her," Rhodes explained. "If she's pricked in her dreams, the curse can still take effect."
Francis blinked in disbelief.
Did he really think a banshee's curse could be that easily avoided?
"What do we do now?" Francis's voice wavered, his usual composed demeanor cracking.
"What else? Get out of the room and leave the rest to me." Rhodes' voice was calm, though a glint of amusement shone in his eyes as he glanced at Francis and the Countess.
"Right now, I'm the only one in this kingdom who can save the princess."
Francis's expression shifted. Whether he believed Rhodes or not, there was no one else he could turn to. With a reluctant nod, he ordered everyone to leave the room.
Once the chamber was clear, Rhodes approached the bed. The princess lay there peacefully, her delicate features calm as she slept.
"Sleeping beauty indeed," Rhodes muttered, brushing his fingers lightly over her cheek.
With a soft rustle, the exorcism ceremony began.
In her sleep, Aurora frowned, a pained sound escaping her lips. As the radiant power of the sun filled the room, combined with holy water's baptism, the curse began to dissolve.
"What... happened?" Aurora's voice was soft as she slowly opened her eyes. Looking at Rhodes standing over her, she noticed something off about her body.
To ensure the exorcism went smoothly, Rhodes had to remove her clothes.
The princess, who had never been seen in such a state by another man, flushed deeply.
"You fell asleep, so you probably didn't notice," Rhodes said, flashing her a comforting smile. "But there's still a bit of the curse left. We'll need to continue the treatment."
His tone was gentle, as though he were coaxing a lamb.
"Alright..." Aurora murmured, still blushing. She could sense that the curse hadn't fully been expelled.
Several hours later, Rhodes finally stepped out of the room.
Though exorcisms were physically draining, he was well-practiced. A minor curse like this was no big deal.
With the Holy Spring constantly replenishing his vitality, he felt back to full strength after just a drink of water.
"How's my daughter?" Francis rushed forward, his concern evident.
"The curse has been lifted," Rhodes announced, his words causing a wave of relief to wash over the count.
"However, she's exhausted from the process and has fallen asleep. It would be best not to disturb her right now."
"Make sure no one disturbs the princess!" Francis ordered at once, waving his hand to dismiss anyone lingering nearby. He wasn't in a hurry to check on his daughter now that the worst was over. Instead, he turned to Rhodes with a beaming smile.
"Lord Rhodes, you've exceeded my expectations once again."
"I will throw a grand banquet to celebrate your saving of Princess Aurora and the entire Kingdom of Francis. The people must know of your deeds."
"And, as promised, since you've completed all three of my trials, I shall announce your engagement to Princess Aurora at the banquet. You will be named the future heir of the Kingdom of Francis!"
"Have you thought about when you'd like to marry the princess?"
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