Chapter 1611 Empathy

After more than an hour of awkward greetings, Vahn was finally guided to the base of Yggdrillia by all seven of the High Elves that governed Elfenhof. They weren't necessarily the most senior of their species, but, as even the weakest among them was contracted to a High Elemental Spirit, they were, by a wide margin, the most powerful members of their race.

Though it was possible for more to exist, most High Elves were recognized as such after successfully contracting a High Spirit. Since it was almost impossible for two High Elemental Spirits of the same Element to occupy the same region, the maximum number of High Elves that existed within a given territory rarely exceeded nine. As for why there were only seven, this was due to the fact that two of the High Spirits that were traditionally passed down through successive generations had been killed during the previous war. It was very difficult to cultivate a new High Spirit, and, with only older Elves ever leaving Elfenhof, it could take several hundred years to nourish an Intermediate Spirit into their far-more-powerful High variant...

After guiding Vahn's party to the base of the massive 343m tall tree that represented the true body of Yggdrillia, the leader of the procession, a High Elf named Ruvyn, turned to the group and politely inclined his head before saying, "Welcome to our most sacred grounds, the base of the World Tree's descendent, our Ancestral Mother, Asha Yggdrillia..."

Though there was a lot more he wanted to say, Ruvyn's words gradually trailed off when a rather petite figure, standing only 154cm tall, dropped right in front of Vahn. It was a seemingly naked woman with healthy brown skin, long brown hair, pale-blue eyes, and pointed ears. What stood out the most, however, were the glowing runes that covered much of her body. They didn't appear to have much meaning at first glance, but, with his ability to interpret the structure and meaning of anything that could be converted into language, Vahn instantly knew the woman looking up at him with a mixture of incredulity and curiosity was none other than Yggdrillia herself...

With upturned eyes and slightly raised brows, Yggdrillia stared directly into Vahn's eyes for several seconds before slowly extending her rune-covered hand to touch his face. This was rather awkward, but, knowing the traditions of the Elves, Vahn managed to avoid smiling wryly as her surprisingly warm hand caressed his cheek. He couldn't completely conceal his thoughts, however, so, almost immediately after she made contact, Yggdrillia showed an apologetic expression as she withdrew her hand and muttered, "I'm sorry...I..."

Shaking his head, Vahn earned a pointed look from Eva, Arika, and even Asuna as he caught the demure young woman's wrist. This amount of contact was more than enough to establish a stable connection, but, following the initial flow of events, he returned her hand to his cheek and allowed her to peer into his mind. Things would go a lot smoother once she understood his intentions, and, as time was rather limited, he wanted to use the most direct means to achieve his goal.

Rather than appear startled, Yggdrillia showed more anxiousness than anything else in response to Vahn grabbing her wrist. She could sense a phenomenal aura lingering within his body, and, though it seemed impossible, she couldn't shake the impression that his energy was even purer than the original Yggdrasil she was modeled after. It had an almost irresistible pull to it, and, after her hand came into contact with his face, Yggdrillia felt as though her mind had been broadened to concepts far beyond the original scope of her abilities...

Since there was a fair chance Yggdrillia and her children would be accompanying him even after he departed the Record, Vahn decided to let her see and experience far more than what he had shown the rest of the Elves. He didn't reveal anything he shouldn't, but, at the very least, he implanted the methods to greatly improve the strength of the Elves in her mind. Even if he didn't take them with him, the methods he had provided would allow future generations of Elves to greatly exceed the average strength of their contemporaries...

Without realizing it, Yggdrillia had placed her remaining hand over Vahn's heart, her eyes seeming to stare off into eternity as vital energy leaked from her body. This caused various different types of flora to spontaneously erupt into existence, but, with Vahn regulating most of it back into the base of the mighty tree, nothing too drastic had occurred by the time he peeled Yggdrillia's hands away from him.

Feeling her connection 'severed', a rather pitiable expression spread across Yggdrillia's face as she turned her pale blue eyes up at Vahn. Though she didn't say anything, it was clear that she wanted to continue touching him. Rather, had he not taken the necessary measures to seal off his draconic aura, there was a fair chance she would want to do a lot more than just touch his face...

Offering an apologetic smile, Vahn brought Yggdrillia's hands together before releasing them as he said, "Though I find your form of communication novel and straightforward, there are many things I cannot afford to reveal. Be content with what I have provided..."

Following his words, Vahn ruffled Yggrillia's dark brown hair. It was incredibly smooth to the touch, and, as was often the case when it came to such beings, it cascaded down to her ankles. This greatly enhanced her charm, and, if he wasn't already involved with so many women, Vahn had the distinct impression she would have smitten him with her cute and vulnerable appearance. Everything about her screamed, 'please help me', and, if not for the vast ocean of energy surging through her body, it would be easy to mistake her as a completely helpless maiden...

Though he wasn't exactly complaining, far from it, Vahn had a number of draconic women in his harem. Even Fenrir had reawakened a mysterious draconic bloodline, so, if at all possible, he wanted to avoid adding too many from the outside. Theo was already a ticking time bomb, and, though Eva had been opening up to the idea of him having multiple lovers, he didn't want to arbitrarily increase the number by adding every powerful and exotic female he met into the mix...

With this in mind, Vahn resisted his almost instinctual urge to tease the pouting Yggdrillia. Instead, he gently caressed her head, skipping all other formalities by asking, "So, what is your decision? The war between Megalomesembria and Hellas draws nearer with each passing day. Moving everyone is a simple matter, but, if you want to transplant the entire forest, it will take a few days."

Recalling the expansive paradise Vahn had created for them, including images of what seemed to be an actual World Tree, Yggdrillia didn't have to think about her decision. She had virtually given up all hope that her children would be able to avoid destruction, yet, just when things had started to turn grim, Vahn showed up out of thin air. There was still a chance he was trying to deceive them, but, believing it was impossible for someone with malicious intentions to have such a pure aura, she readily chose to believe in him.

The only thing Yggdrillia was confused about was 'why' Vahn had chosen to help them. Thus, before agreeing to move the entire population of Elfenhof, she asked, "Why do you want from us? There is nothing we can give someone with so much to give others..."

Shaking his head, Vahn adopted the sincerest smile he could manage as he said, "The only thing I want from you and your people is for you to be happy. What you have been forced to experience simply isn't right. Since the world has failed you, I will create a world where you can live without the fear of being hunted down for the sake of profit and politics. If you want to repay me, work hard to prevent Elves from following in the same path as the other races. I will be sending other victims to reside in that world, so, when the time comes, I hope your people will be able to guide them to live a better life than the one that had been decided for them here..."

Though she had doubts about other races cohabitating with Elves, Yggdrillia didn't think it would be a problem so long as Vahn continued to watch over them. At the very least, she could groom a few powerful children to become the protectors and guardians of the Elven people so that a repeat incident will never occur. She would never allow her children to suffer again, so, while she would do her best to adhere to Vahn's request, her foremost priority would always be the Elven people.

After forming her resolution, Yggdrillia gave an understanding nod before adopting a demure smile as she said, "My children have always pursued peace and coexistence. So long as they are willing to peacefully cohabitate with us, we will never be the first to draw blood. I will treat all the children of your Realm as my own...so long as they never forget the reason why they were allowed there in the first place..."

Sensing the resentment contained within Yggdrillia's words, Vahn couldn't help but release a small sigh. He couldn't actually blame her for harboring a bit of negativity towards the people that had persecuted her children for thousands of years. Mothers could be extremely overprotective, and, if he had been forced into a similar situation, Vahn knew he would have gone on a rampage if his own children had suffered a similar fate. Thus, rather than offer words of reproach to try and 'correct' her point of view, he expressed understanding as he said, "I will never allow what you are worried about to happen."

Since she could sense his intentions through the palm of his hand, Yggdrillia knew Vahn wasn't just offering false promises. He might not be able to truly guarantee nothing would happen, but, for the time being, he was serious about preventing a repeat of the same tragedy. This was more than she could have ever hoped for just hours prior, so, in a heart-wrenchingly adorable manner, Yggdrillia demurely peered up at Vahn as she said, "Thank you...I choose to believe in your words. Please, call me Asha from now on. You will be the Guardian God of the Elven people from now on...though you seem to have some inhibitions towards me, it would put my heart at ease if you permitted me to serve you..."

Hearing a familiar ping in his mind, Vahn did his best to maintain a sincere smile as he said, "Very well. Henceforth, you will bear the title of Dragon Priestess. It might be redundant considering you are an Ancient Dragon but that is the title traditionally bequeathed to my most fervent believers..."

Though it was indeed a little redundant, Asha didn't mind being labeled as Vahn's Dragon Priestess. It was a common term that had existed since the Age of the Gods, and, though she had abandoned the practice a few hundred years ago, there had been a time when the title of Dragon Priestess had been passed down just like the title of High Elves. They had always been the spiritual leader of the Elven people, and, much like how Theo was able to summon Vrixho, her Priestess had been able to freely manifest both her physical form and power...

With a bit of hope visible in her pale blue eyes, Asha nervously combed through her bangs as she asked, "Does that mean you will be marking me...?"

Understanding what Asha was talking about, Vahn lightly chuckled before nodding his head and saying, "Sure. After we transplant your True Body into the World Tree, I will place my mark upon your back. For now, it is more important for us to gather your people and transport them into the world I have prepared. I don't doubt there are many eyes and ears keeping tabs on Elfenhof, so, before anyone can react to what we are doing, I want to complete transferring everyone over."

Though she felt a surprising amount of disappointment, Asha decided to abide by Vahn's words. Her people were far more important than the fulfillment of her desires, so, rather than insist he inscribe his mark upon her, she was willing to wait. She wasn't quite sure what compelled her to desire his mark so badly, but, the longer she spent around him, the more Asha felt like it was her place to remain at Vahn's side...

Doing her best to prevent a pout from showing on her face, Asha nodded her head in agreement before turning to Ruvyn, wordlessly extending her hand. He understood her intentions perfectly, so, with as much reverence as he could muster, Ruvyn approached Asha and allowed her to place her hand upon his face. Immediately after that, he shared what he had learned with everyone else, and, like a ripple spreading through a pond, each of the Elves began touching each other to convey the intentions of both their Ancestral Mother and Guardian God...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Other races: Spend hundreds of years to produce a High Spirit. Vahn: Exist for a few years, casually producing several...','Asha be like, "Well hello there..."','Vahn's has a lot of 'luck' when it comes to Dragon xD...')

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