Chapter 297: The Queen’s Emissary

The hall was vast, yet its grandeur did not rely on gold.

Emerald vines crept along the pillars and walls, weaving through the architecture as though the structure itself had grown from the earth.

Leaves of deep, living green curled around smooth stone, their surfaces catching the light in soft glimmers.

Above, a chandelier shaped as a blooming flower hung from the high ceiling.

Its delicate petals shimmered faintly, casting a gentle, living glow that filled the hall with quiet warmth rather than blinding brilliance.

Sunlight filtered through tall stained glass windows, spilling into the space in hues of green and gold.

The rays danced across the vines and polished floor, making the entire hall seem as though it breathed with life.

Like a luxury that exuded a kind of grandness unlike anything shaped by human hands.

Every detail felt deliberate, yet effortless—a beauty that seemed not crafted, but born from nature itself.

The entire chamber felt less like a man-made structure and more like a sanctuary where nature and craftsmanship existed in perfect harmony.

At the center stood a long table, carved from pale wood and stretching almost the length of the hall.

Its surface was smooth and unbroken, lined with elegant seats on either side.

The caravan of the Midas Merchant Organization stood in front of the seats on one side, while an old male elf sat on the other side of the table.

Aurelia remained standing as she bowed slightly, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

Everyone else bowed with her.

This was something they had practiced beforehand, thus they were able to execute it flawlessly.

The old elf scanned them before nodding, "You are acknowledged. By the authority vested in me by Her Majesty, you may take your seats."

It was only then that Aurelia took her seat with a calm expression.

On her right sat Patti, Killian, Zild, and the others, while on her left were Auryn, Pandora, Marzana, and the rest.

Aurelia looked at the old elf in front of her, feeling nervous, ’This old man is Ranunculus, the Emissary of the Queen herself. He handled every trade with Dad in the past. He’s meticulous, so I should be careful with my words...’

Remembering every piece of information she knew about the person in front of her, she was able to mask her true feelings with a facade of calmness.

Just as she was thinking, Ranunculus broke the silence with a firm voice, "The Midas–Edenelia Concord is not due for another year. Why have you come so early? And where is Aurum? It is part of the agreement that only he—or those of his blood—may conduct dealings with us—"

"You..." Ranunculus narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the twenty figures seated across the table before settling on the three in front of him.

Among them alone, he caught the unmistakable resemblance to Aurum’s features, "Are you his..."

"Yes, Your Excellency. I am Aurelia, his youngest daughter."

"I am Auryn, the firstborn."

"And I am his only son, you can call me Patti."

Seeing their youthful faces, Ranunculus could not help but notice something was off, ’Eh? Why does the youngest look the oldest...?’

’It is inappropriate of me to judge them like this...’ He shook his head, feeling a little guilty in his heart.

The old elf then cleared his throat with a cough and smiled, "It’s nice to see Aurum’s children for the first time. Why have you come so suddenly? Had you sent a message first, we would’ve prepared something..."

Ranunculus expression and the small talk he was having with the three made it obvious that he was quite fond of them.

Furthermore, based on the stories he was telling about Aurum, it was clear that the relationship between the two was not as simple as a mere transaction.

There were even times when Aurelia, Auryn, and Patti could not help but let out a laugh.

After a few minutes of small talk, Ranunculus coughed again and smiled, "Pardon me, I got a little too excited meeting the children of my old friend. It is improper to keep you and your company in this hall while talking about personal matters, so let’s continue next time, preferably with Aurum as well."

"Moving forward, may I know what reason you may have that warranted such a sudden visit from the Midas Merchant Organization?"

Seeing the old elf’s expression get serious, Aurelia could not help but swallow her own saliva as she remembered the contents of the letter Regis had handed her before they separated.

In their original plan, they would be pretending to be a caravan from the Midas Merchant Organization in order to hide the fact that they were reinforcements from any possible scouts that the demonic worshippers might have.

After they entered the barrier, they would reveal their true purpose to the elves, and they would be guided to a meeting room wherein they would be assigned their positions and briefed about the current situation.

However, the letter Aurelia received from Regis stated that they must not reveal their true purpose under any circumstances and that they must wait for the trunk.

Thus, they had no choice but to stay true to their fake personas.

’Ugh, I don’t know. This old man seemed trustworthy... And I don’t even know what trunk that letter was talking about.’

Aurelia only felt conflicted for a second before she smiled respectfully, "Your Excellency—-"

"Just call me Uncle Ranun," Ranunculus smiled in a friendly manner.

"Then pardon me, Uncle Ranun..."

"Alright, you may speak," The old elf returned to his serious expression.

Aurelia began speaking after a moment, "We have already sent a letter to the queen, and she also ordered us to meet with her as soon as possible."

"Impossible."

Ranunculus frowned as he squinted his eyes, "I am the Queen’s Emissary. You should know what it entails, no?"

’Shit...’

Aurelia was tongue-tied, seeing the old elf’s worsening expression as doubt was written all over his face.

Everything she said was merely an impromptu statement on her part.

She was not really able to prepare too much due to the suddenness of everything that had happened.

’I was really counting on the small talk we had earlier to buy some time....’

Aurelia felt her heart beating loudly, ’I didn’t expect that he would find something strange as soon as I spoke!’

Just as she was panicking internally, Marzana stood up.