Aerialia nodded in agreement with Greta's words. She might be able to uncover something given more time.
At that moment, the door to the room swung open. Selene immediately appeared beside Crystalia's bed. "Will she truly be alright?" she asked, her trembling gaze roaming over Crystalia's unconscious figure.
Upon hearing Aerialia's words, Greta bit her lips before nodding, "Yes. I'm sure," she responded.
Orion approached Selene from behind, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. Without a word, Selene rose from her seat, turned, and clung to him, burying her face deeply in his chest.
He embraced her firmly, his left hand rubbing soothing circles on her back to calm her emotions and help her ease them.
Greta stood up silently and left the room, intending to inform the rest of the household about what had transpired. Although Orion, Crystalia, and Selene had spent time together on the last day of Crystalia's request as planned, it wasn't how they had imagined.
Aerialia remained where she was, her intense gaze fixed on the unconscious Crystalia. She searched for clues to uncover what had happened with the Divine Apostle Crest.
The Next Day
Orion, Selene, Seth, Zogar, Serephia, Greta, and Iris descended into Patriarch Rylan's open- fenced compound, instantly attracting the attention.
Leona and Lyndon sparred intensely in the compound while two little children, Astin and Eeva, watched eagerly. However, their movements halted abruptly as they noticed Orion and his entourage landing.Stunned by the sight, they rushed forward to greet them, the children's excitement dwindled as they recognized the high-ranking individuals.
Suddenly, the door to the main building swung open, and the rest of the Four-eared Elves, including Patriarch Rylan and Isadora, emerged to meet them. They quickly offered their respectful greetings.
"Supreme Leader, what have I done to be graced with such an esteemed visit?" Patriarch Rylan asked, his voice momentarily faltering as his gaze briefly rested on the Crimson Greatsword hovering beside Orion.
Though Orion had graciously allowed him to continue addressing him as Chief, Patriarch Rylan dared not maintain such informality in the presence of Paradise's four Key Leaders. Two of them were the strongest beings he'd ever known, their power unmatched.
The third, a Divine Apostle, was the very woman who had first introduced them to their new home-a face he would never forget, as she was the closest living proof that the legends of the divines were not mere myths but absolute truth.
The fourth woman was a renowned healer, famous for her ability to effortlessly heal and regrow limbs, organs, and other body parts. Standing beside her was another top healer whose proficiency in various professions could shame anyone who had spent their life studying just one. The abilities of these women were so extraordinary that even the gods' chosens had praised them, surpassing what any conventional healing technique could achieve.
And presently, all four of these individuals were gathered in his compound.
He might have been less tense if he had not known what transpired yesterday, but he did know.
Are they here because of what happened yesterday? Patriarch Rylan wondered anxiously.
If he had known that the woman accompanying Orion yesterday could sever his connection with Stoneback and harm him, he would have chosen his words far more carefully before responding to Orion's request.
Though Isadora was more accustomed to interacting with them due to her work, she still felt the pressure of their presence. Her heart raced, especially with all of them standing here together at the same time.
"There's no need to be so tense, Patriarch Rylan. I hope you can forgive us for barging into your home without notice. We had to come immediately and couldn't inform you in advance," Orion said reassuringly.
The tension in the air was perceptible, but he wanted to ensure their arrival didn't create the wrong impression.
"If that's the case, let's head inside and talk," Patriarch Rylan said with a sigh, stretching out his hand to lead the way.
Isadora and the others released their breaths in relief, glad they weren't facing any immediate issues.
"We won't be staying long. We just need to summon another spirit beast, but this time, one you're willing to part with," Orion said, shaking his head.
Patriarch Rylan's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't anticipated their visit's reason was simply to summon another spirit beast.
"Supreme Leader, this... is a delicate matter," Patriarch Rylan stammered. Every spirit beast he contracted had been acquired through great effort, making the idea of a 'disposable' spirit beast unthinkable.
"I'll grant you generous contribution points for yesterday's matter and today's request. With those points, you can acquire any artefact from common to pseudo-legendary-or even techniques from the guilds. I'll leave it in Isadora's hands since you might not be familiar with the process," Orion offered, clarifying his intentions.
He decided not to hold back on the rewards.
Patriarch Rylan didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this moment. If he had the chance to showcase his abilities before such an eager crowd, wouldn't he have seized it already?
"I'll handle it," Leif interjected from behind Patriarch Rylan, drawing everyone's attention. He stepped forward confidently and continued, "It would be challenging for Patriarch Rylan to summon a spirit beast for you, as all of them are valuable allies, crucial to him in various situations. Sacrificing one would be like losing a close companion. However, as one of the gods' chosen, I can summon a disposable spirit for you. There's just one issue..."
Orion furrowed his brows a bit before nodding in understanding. He had underestimated the value of the spirit beasts to the Four-eared elves.
"And what is the issue?" Orion asked curiously how the gods' chosens spirit beasts differed from an ordinary four-eared elf.
"We can only form contracts with malevolent or neutral spirits," Leif explained, his voice tense as he awaited Orion's response.
He hoped a malevolent spirit beast could accomplish their task, sparing them the worry of losing other spirit beasts.
Orion frowned. He wasn't sure if using a malevolent or neutral spirit beast would cause the Divine Apostle Crest to produce a different result, so he was hesitant to try it.
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