Kingdom Era

Chapter 14 Precious Reward

Even though it was only for an instant, Alan was still able to sense the coolness of the liquid in the bottle, and he shuddered deliciously at the smell as if he were drunk.

Just one sniff, and he felt all the fatigue in his body swept away and his soul cleansed.

Compared to Alan, Gossen who stood behind him was taken aback as he stared at the delicate crystal bottle in disbelief. He then looked at Belinda in shock as he had guessed what it was.

At that moment, Belinda was glaring at Alan before she handed the crystal bottle back to him. “This is the Water of Life. We only managed to save a small amount of it, so don’t waste it.”

“The Water of Life?” Alan was shocked. How could he not have heard of this famous treasure? But truth be told, never did he expect to have the chance to see this item rumored to be as precious as a divine object.

It was said that people could come back to life with a single drop of Water of Life, no matter how badly they were injured and if they didn’t die on the spot.

Even their lost limbs could be regenerated easily.

It was something that countless people yearned for!

Unfortunately, only the elves could produce the Water of Life. According to historical records, a thousand years ago when the elves were active and lived in harmony with humans, the Water of Life would occasionally be spread to humans.

Subsequently, with escalating racial conflict and endless war on the Colum Continent, the elves gradually detached themselves from the world. Over the past hundreds of years, the Water of Life had become a legendary object and close to none had landed eyes on it.

“Belinda, this is too precious. I can’t accept it!” Alan returned the bottle to Belinda at once.

“Just take it. It wasn’t easy for me to steal it. If it weren’t for you, Betty and I may never be able to come back home!” Belinda stuffed the bottle back into Alan’s hands again.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Mother still has some Water of Life, anyway,” Belinda added by way of comforting him.

Seeing the determination in Belinda’s eyes, Alan knew he couldn’t refuse her kindness anymore. He accepted the bottle with a bitter smile which turned brighter as he asked, “Oh, yes. I seem to have acquired the same ability that you possess!”

As he spoke, he pointed to the huge tree next to him and told Belinda what he felt.

“What on earth is going on?” Alan asked curiously. He still had difficulties figuring out what had happened to him.

“You’re lucky. Mother wanted to bless you for sending Betty and me back. But it’s surprising that you’re fortunate enough to have your Heart of Nature awakened after the blessing,” Belinda explained as she looked at Alan with a strange look in her eyes.

With Belinda’s explanation, Alan finally caught on. It turned out that blessing was a special ability exclusive to the elves. Only elves whose strength had reached a certain level could bless others. After receiving the blessing, the recipient would become, to a certain extent, immune to magic and have an affinity with nature. What’s more, they would become healthier and immune to all kinds of diseases.

In ancient times when all the races got along, the elves even blessed many descents of some races.

The Heart of Nature was a kind of talent. Female elves were born with the Heart of Nature and had such a deep affinity with nature that they were able to communicate with plants and monsters. That was why the elves were known as the favored race of the Goddess of Nature and the children of nature, and it was also the reason behind why most of the leaders of the elves were women.

Of course, apart from the elves, creatures of other races might also have their Hearts of Nature awakened, such as the druids and the dwarves, although that probability wasn’t high.

“Besides, I have good news for you. Once you have awakened your Heart of Nature, you will develop a stronger sense toward the elements. I think you should be able to start learning magic right now,” Belinda added.

“That’s great!” Alan exclaimed in surprise. Being able to learn the magic of nature meant he had the chance of becoming a magician!

“In theory, you can pick up the natural magic of elves, but it’s all based on the Elvish language. It’s too hard for you unless you know Elvish,” Belinda said regretfully.

“Can you teach me?” Alan asked promptly.

“Yes, I can, but I can’t leave our tribe,” Belinda replied helplessly. There was one more thing she didn’t tell Alan – Her mother didn’t allow Alan to visit their tribe.

“It’s okay. We might have a chance in the future.” Alan smiled without feeling too discouraged.

“I’m running out of time, and I’ve got to head back,” Belinda lifted her head to look at Alan discreetly, but pulled her gaze away from him like a startled deer the moment she encountered his crystal clear eyes. The bird of light, which was not far away and busy grooming itself, had grown impatient as it let out some cries to urge Belinda to hasten.

“Going back so soon?” There was a trace of unwillingness in Alan’s eyes as he looked at her.

“My mother will get angry if I go back late,” Belinda looked back at him, reluctant to leave. She was well aware that it might be forever before she had the chance of seeing Alan again.

“Alright, then,” Alan had no choice but to nod helplessly. “Oh yes, if you can come out in the future, you can always go to Blackstone City to look for me.”

“Sure, I will!” Belinda mounted the light bird and waved goodbye to Alan.

“Goodbye!”

Alan’s heart felt emptied out as the bird of light spread its wings and soared off into the sky.

Gossen looked at the lonely young man before him with mixed feelings in his eyes. He reminded the prince gently, “Your Highness, we should head back now.”

“Thank you, Ser Gossen,” Alan sighed and forced out a smile after one last look in the direction where the bird of light disappeared.

On their way back, Alan and Gossen moved fast despite not having the divine streaked deer leading the way. They could do it because Gossen summoned his battle pet – an eighth-grade wind-thunder horse!

When the all-white wind-thunder horse that measured three meters tall appeared before Alan, sputtering thunder and lightning between each breath, he was totally struck with awe and saw Gossen in yet another new light!

Gossen was at least as powerful as a ninth-grade warrior to be able to subdue an eighth-grade monster, which meant that he was at least a seven-star knight of glory!

Knights and warriors were different. Knights must be equipped with mounts and had a specific method of practicing and improving their strength. They were good at attacking and defending, and cooperation and teamwork were important to them. Usually, it cost more to train up a knight compared to training a warrior. As such, only nobles and the Holy See could afford to train and keep knights.

Ordinary knights were divided into two groups – the chevaliers and the first class knights. Above that were the knights of glory who were classed from one to seven-star knights based on ascending levels of strength. The knight grade system corresponded to that of the warriors from the first to the ninth grade.

Was Gossen the legendary seven-star knight of glory?

Alan was happier than shocked at the thought. The stronger Gossen was, the safer he would be.

Could his father, who had never liked him, have arranged everything on purpose?

Alan was sensible enough not to ask any further, and Gossen didn’t explain things to him either. With the help of the wind-thunder horse, they managed to reach the peripheral area of the forest before it turned dark. They met with the other guards and headed back to Blackstone City together.

The moment they reached back, Derya and Daun rushed out to meet him with worried looks on their faces.

“Your Highness, bad news! News that we’re running out of food has been spreading in the city. Now, everyone in Blackstone City is in jitters and some even left the city.”

“What? How did this happen?” Alan shot him a glare.