...
“She really…said that back then?” Wendy burst out laughing after listening to Yezi's account. “What about that kid named Snake Tooth? Did he say anything else?”
“He just giggled along with her,” Yezi shook her head. “It probably wasn't easy to muster the courage to say those words. He likely used up all his courage in that one go.!”
“I think so too,” Wendy's smile widened. “Youth…is wonderful.”
“Speaking of which, is it okay for us to do this? Eavesdropping on the young ladies' conversations.” Yezi's green phantom fell from the branches, solidifying into her original form.
“This isn't eavesdropping, but fulfilling His Majesty's request.” Wendy said righteously, “He asked me to pay a little attention to their activities—and since I have to pay attention, then conversations are part of that, aren't they?”
That being said, it doesn't seem to be a problem at all.
“Besides, without my request, wouldn't you be eavesdropping on their conversations anyway?” Wendy looked at Yezi with a smile.
“Uh—” The latter cleared her throat, then raised the corners of her mouth. “I would.”
The two immediately looked at each other and laughed.
Yezi waved her hand, and a huge vine rose from the ground, carrying herself and Wendy slowly to the top of the canopy. Then the dense branches spread out, intertwined, and reunited, forming a green leaf terrace beneath them.
From this angle, the world was much more open. The dense forest that stretched all the way to the Dragon Spine Mountains looked like an emerald sea of trees, while on the other side was the vast and boundless prairie.
When she was still in the Mutual Aid Society, Yezi would occasionally build similar treehouses to shelter her sisters from rainstorms and muddy, damp ground. However, it often took the better part of a day to build a resting place back then, and in order to save as much magic power as possible, the houses were kept as simple as possible, basically shaped like silkworm cocoons. Even so, not everyone had space to fit in.
But now, the green leaf terrace was not only well-formed, but even had deck chairs and a coffee table. The coffee table even had two wide-leaf cups, and the light golden nectar inside shone brightly under the sun.
“Did you brew this yourself?” Wendy picked up a teacup and sniffed it gently, a faint, elegant fragrance entering her nose.
“Yes, I used morning dew, honey, and sugarcane wine, and added some half-open jasmine buds,” Yezi nodded. “Although it can't be compared to Roland's mixed drinks, the advantage is that you can drink as much as you want.”
“Your abilities are getting stronger and stronger,” Wendy said with emotion. “Although they all say that Princess Anna is a genius that appears once in a century, I don't think you're much worse than her. As long as you have enough time…you might be able to control all the jungles in the world, spreading your consciousness to every corner of the continent.”
“At the current speed, I definitely won't be able to do that,” Yezi waved her hand with a smile. “Just integrating this Maze Forest will take nearly ten years. By the time I can leave this place, I'll probably be old.”
“That's not necessarily true,” Wendy took a sip of her tea. “Agatha said that the influence between witches and magic is mutual. The stronger the witch, the stronger the body and the longer the lifespan. If the war hadn't been so cruel, those Transcendents might still be alive.” She looked up at the sky. “And your magic is even above theirs, which means you might be the one among us who lives the longest.”
Yezi didn't answer, but showed a hint of loneliness, but Wendy didn't notice.
“By the way, it's not just these two points, even appearance is related to magic power levels.” She paused for a moment. “Legend has it that the Meteor Queen Akaliss was incredibly beautiful, even Pasha and the others admitted that.” Wendy withdrew her gaze and carefully looked at the other party for a moment. “Hmm—I do feel like you've become a little different than before…how should I put it, from the moment you descended from the shade of the trees, you seemed like a forest fairy, it's really enviable.”
Yezi rolled her eyes at her helplessly. “This doesn't sound like the gentle and selfless Wendy who cares about her sisters wholeheartedly.”
“Who knows, maybe I just never had the mind to consider such questions before?” Wendy smiled
and said, “Besides gritting my teeth and surviving, what magic can achieve, what it will become in the future, whether it's ugly or beautiful, are all superfluous things.”
“That's true,” Yezi curled her lips. “Now you're starting to consider the influence of magic on appearance, could it be…that you also have someone you're in love with?”
“These are two different things. And you're not that much younger than me, are you? Aren't you afraid of following in my footsteps?”
“First of all, let's not discuss whether this 'not much younger' is debatable, I already own a forest, what else could I not be satisfied with? But even if you don't tell me, I have a way to find out. I provide Honey's animal messengers, you know.”
“Unfortunately, as the person in charge of the Witch Union, I have to review every one of her reports first.”
The two teased each other, enjoying this harmonious afternoon chat.
It wasn't until the sun gradually set that Yezi returned to the main topic. “So, are you leaving later?”
“Yes,” Wendy stood up. “I have to send Princess Anna and the others back. The Seagull can't fly at night, so it has to take off before four o'clock.”
“It seems that White Paper won't be able to spend the bonfire party with her little friends.”
Unlike other family members who visited by train, the little girl was transported directly to the front line by glider. The scheduled return flight couldn't be postponed for her sake, nor could she be left alone.
“That's just how it is,” Wendy spread her hands. “Whether it's for safety reasons or the needs of Neverwinter, she can't spend too much time on the road.”
“I'll call her for you,” Yezi transformed into a spiritual form again.
“Thanks.”
Yezi drilled into the tree trunk and reappeared in front of Wendy after a few breaths.
“Alright, she'll go to the airfield to meet you. She should already be saying goodbye to her friends. I'll take you there.”
Wendy nodded and turned around to wait for the terrace to descend.
“That…”
Yezi suddenly said softly.
“What's wrong?”
“No,” she hesitated, “nothing…”
Wendy sighed and turned back to say softly, “Don't bury any thoughts in your heart, I'm always willing to listen.”
“I'm just a little…”
“A little what?”
“A little—” Yezi clenched her fists and was about to open her mouth when she suddenly froze in place—her gaze passed over Wendy's head and solidified in the north of the forest.
Feeling her shock and surprise, Wendy couldn't help but follow her gaze.
Several plumes of black smoke rose from the dense forest, like a slowly unfolding curtain.
This is…a fire?