Chapter 2093: Hidden Threats, the Mysterious Kelanni

The last time Xia Duo had such a strong premonition was not long ago at Master Eriwen's Ascension Ritual; that premonition was correct, and he figured this one would not deviate much either.

"Could it be that the chaotic war among the Southern Four Kingdoms has already ended?"

Xia Duo could not help but harbor such a guess. In the past, what the Northland knew most about the south was likely its chaotic situation, with the four great kingdoms fighting each other today and tomorrow, locked in a chaotic war that almost never ceased for a moment.

Perhaps it was precisely because of the chaotic situation in the south that the Southern Four Kingdoms had no spare energy to intervene in the Northland. But now, Xia Duo had a premonition that he would encounter something unexpected; although he could not yet determine if it was good or bad, it at least indicated one thing: the situation in the south had likely changed.

Once the Southern Four Kingdoms settled down, it was not impossible that they would set their sights on the Northland, a land of competition that was adjacent to them and also gradually moving toward unification.

Even if they did not intervene directly, just sowing discord within the Northland Alliance would be enough to make the already fragile Alliance suffer. What Xia Duo worried about more was that the Southern Four Kingdoms might change their tradition of fighting each other for countless years and instead turn to demonstrating the prestige of great powers by intervening in and controlling the conflicts between the countries of the Northland.

If that happened, the Northland might face a threat even harder to deal with than the Demon Descendant!

Nowadays, Xia Duo's trip to the south was no longer just to fulfill his previous dream of world travel or to accept the invitation of the Mairide Family, but because he had an incredibly strong desire to go there and understand on the ground what exactly was happening.

Although he could prove his premonition wrong simply by not going, Xia Duo did not choose this passive approach. Given his current position, being low-key and conservative was no longer the best strategy; being proactive was what he should do most.

……

Passing through the Portal hall, Xia Duo did not show any special interest in the Katemier Portal, but instead, just as he had when he heard the introduction, nodded in approval with politeness and poise.

Continuing west from the Portal hall and passing through a large square, one would reach the Tower of Governance, which Xia Duo was more interested in. It was located in the center of the city, with the Jiyi Zhi Ta and Zhanzheng Zhi Ta flanking it.

Of course, as special buildings created by Magic nearly a thousand years ago, although they generally retained their appearance from a millennium ago, their surroundings were no longer the barren state they were in when the city was first built.

In addition to the three special high towers created by the Elf divine sword, there were several shorter stone towers in the center of the city, connected to the three main towers by Xuan Kong Budao.

And on the ground, there were even more magnificent and grand palaces in the style of Aryvandaar, highlighting the identity and status of that master of a thousand years.

But unfortunately, Xia Duo's final destination was not the Crown King Palace, nor the Tower of Governance, but the Tower of Wind Song further west along Fengge Avenue.

……

Along the way, Xia Duo's human appearance and the Moon Elf Envoy with distinct attire drew the attention of many Elves in the city.

Some just watched him from afar, but others were not so discreet, constantly pointing and gesturing at him from the Xuan Kong Budao on the upper levels, and some even flew over his head riding giant eagles.

If it weren't for the Moon Elf responsible for the reception shouting loudly and calling over a team of patrol guards, Xia Duo felt he might not have been able to reach the meeting place easily.

However, this situation disappeared after he entered the Temple District. The Temple District of Kemansuoer was actually also the Mage District; here, not many dissolute Cormanthor Elves dared to be wanton at will.

But as the environment switched to the Temple District, the Moon Elf who was initially responsible for receiving him quietly left, leaving only one sentence in the wind—

"Lord Xia Duo, outsiders cannot enter the Tower of Wind Song. From here on, an Envoy from the Tower of Wind Song will take you there."

Xia Duo was somewhat unhappy with this behavior of not seeing things through to the end, but since he was in someone else's territory, he had to follow the host's arrangements.

Almost at the same time, a team of Gold Elf Envoys appeared in front of the road, led by a male Gold Elf dressed as a Mage, while the others were more like an honor guard.

Seeing this scene, Xia Duo's mood cleared up a bit. The treatment of being welcomed by a Gold Elf honor guard was not something an ordinary person could enjoy; even if it was only for this last stretch of the road, it showed the sincerity of the Cormanthor side.

It was just that he did not know why Crown King Yilisaier had not sent an Envoy to inquire, receive, or monitor anything.

It was just that although these Gold Elf Envoys looked quite grand, in terms of attitude, compared to the enthusiasm of the Moon Elf, they were far too cold, with almost no extra communication throughout the journey.

However, Xia Duo did not feel surprised by this at all. After all, the impression Elves always gave people was arrogance, especially for Gold Elves; this had almost become an instinct carved into their bones.

Even the Sluwende Elves, who were in a weak position, would reveal a sense of superiority from time to time, even when asking others for help.

Xia Duo was long since accustomed to it; this instinct of arrogance could only be shattered by constantly surpassing them with reality.

For now, humans did not yet have that ability, but he had confidence that once Daxia Territory developed, he would definitely be able to make the Gold Elves lower their arrogant heads and learn to look at other races as equals.

……

The avenue that Xia Duo walked along when he arrived, which almost ran through the entire Kemansuoer city area, was called "Fengge Avenue," while the place he was going to for his appointment was called the "Tower of Wind Song."

Thinking about it, one knew it was no ordinary place. In fact, it was the higher Magic Academy of Cormanthor, known as the cradle of high-level Mages; almost all high-level Cormanthor Mages had the experience of studying at the Tower of Wind Song.

And the Tower of Wind Song was actually not just a lonely high tower. Similar to the Tower of Governance, there were large ground buildings below, and there were also two large trees as tall as the tower surrounding it on the left and right, with thick branches connecting to the tower body to form a natural aerial walkway.

When he arrived at the entrance of the academy, something even more unexpected to Xia Duo happened—

As the Jieti opened, a group of Spellcasters with faces clearly showing reluctance, suspicion, or forced smiles were already waiting at the entrance.

After seeing Xia Duo, the elder in the lead, who looked quite kind-hearted, stretched out his arms toward Xia Duo, made a welcoming gesture, and announced loudly:

"Welcome, Lord Xia Duo, to the Tower of Wind Song!"

Afterward, he made a gesture of invitation and whispered, "The distinguished guest has been waiting in the Reception Room for a long time!"

Only then did Xia Duo realize that he had not followed the arrangements of the Moon Elf Envoy from the beginning, but had insisted on crossing the city, and although doing so allowed him to see many different landscapes, it might have also caused the people waiting here to wait for a long time.

Of course, as a man who had the 【Magic Moment】 constant on his body, Xia Duo was very conscious of time. At this moment, there was still some time before the appointed time, but he did not argue with the old Mage in front of him.

If there were no surprises, the other party should be a high-level Mage who was forcibly staying in the world, and those Mages with unhappy expressions were likely the other party's students. If he argued now after making their teacher wait so long, he might end up fighting on the spot.

Xia Duo did not yet know the true identity of that distinguished guest, and he could not gamble on how much weight his status as a guest had in the hearts of these Mages.

Even if he won the gamble now, it would be a huge hidden danger in the future.

Therefore, after the old Mage invited him with a gesture, Xia Duo immediately quickened his pace. After he was further away from those Elves who were suspected to be the old Mage's students, he began to explain in a low voice. This distance was just right; it allowed those Elves to hear him without having to chase after him, and his explanation was also a small compliment to Cormanthor—

"The City of Song is magnificent and beautiful; I was just so caught up in the scenery when I came here that I lost track of time."

The old Mage did not say anything upon hearing this, just nodded faintly. When they entered the main tower and arrived at the door of a Reception Room that was clearly of a very high standard, he reminded him again:

"The distinguished guest has an extraordinary status, do not be negligent!"

Xia Duo nodded, checked his appearance again, and finally touched the Jieti and walked in. There was only one person inside—no, he should say, only one Elf.

The moment he saw the other party, Xia Duo felt his heart pounding, and when the other party turned to look at him, he actually felt his consciousness go blank for a moment, followed by his heart beating even more rapidly.

Xia Duo hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the other party. The thought of wanting to return to the Floating City immediately and leave Cormanthor filled his mind, so he went straight to the point:

"I wonder why the distinguished guest wishes to see Xia Duo?"

"Lord Xia Duo, there is no need to be reserved. Relax, just call me Kelanni."