Absolute Choice

“The Holy Tree is blooming.”

With her eyes closed, Pixie Queen Heermann sat at her throne, breathing in the floral fragrance from the Holy Tree. The floral fragrance of the Holy Tree was considered toxic to other races, but to the pixies, it was akin to the source of life, a treasure that could extend the lifespan and youthfulness of the pixies.

The Holy Tree’s blooming was a rare event, one not seen in a thousand years. Many pixies would fail to encounter the miracle of the Holy Tree’s blooming their entire lives.

Heermann was supposed to enjoy a grand ceremony for the blooming of the Holy Tree, but her expression was not of delighted intoxication. Instead, it was extremely heavy.

“Granny, how many times has it bloomed?”

Heermann slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at a silver-haired pixie sitting beside her. The silver-haired pixie was extremely beautiful, even prettier than her. However, every pixie addressed her as Granny.

No one knew what Granny’s real name was. They addressed her Granny only because that was how she had been addressed all this time.

The pixies even knew that Granny was the oldest living pixie. Her age could very well be as long as the history of the pixies’. Granny was also the strongest pixie. Even Queen Heermann was brought up by her.

The pixies adored Granny. Apart from having the greatest beauty, seniority, and strength, it also had to do with her being the only person who could communicate with the World Holy Tree.

“This is the eighth time,” answered Granny.

Heermann whispered, “A long, long time ago, Holy Pixie Maya once made the prophecy that the World Holy Tree can only bloom nine times. The ninth blooming would imply the apocalypse. Now that the Holy Tree has bloomed eight times, do you believe that Maya’s prophecy is real?”

“Perhaps,” answered Granny.

The answer filled with uncertainty and a hint of perfunctoriness made Heermann frown.

Although the blooming was a rare occasion, it would imply that the apocalypse would be a thousand years later even if Maya’s prophecy was true. As pixie queen, it was difficult for her to have a lifespan of a thousand years, so she did not need to experience the predicted apocalypse.

However, if the foretold apocalypse was true, where would the pixies a thousand years from now go?

The only thing Heermann could do was determine the authenticity of Maya’s prophecy so as to warn pixies of the future. And the only person she could ask was Granny who had experienced eight bloomings of the Holy Tree and had lived at least eight thousand years.

Heermann asked once more, “Granny, are you also unable to determine the authenticity of Maya’s prophecy?”

“Yes.”

Seated on a snow-white mat, Granny nodded her head nonchalantly. Her body trembled a little as her black dress moved a little, revealing a tiny part of her ankle which appeared even fairer than the mat she was on.

Heermann gave a cursory glance and felt envious. Even as pixie queen, she was unable to withstand the devastation of time. Her skin would one day turn old, sallow, and be covered with wrinkles. However, Granny did not seem to share the same fate despite having lived all these years. Eternal youth was a dream all women yearned for. The pixie queen was no exception.

“Granny, would you still enjoy eternal life when the apocalypse comes?” Heermann could not help but ask.

“Perhaps,” said Granny.

Heermann was taken aback. She had a nagging feeling that something was amiss with Granny today.

She turned her head and noticed that Granny was indeed preoccupied with some other thoughts. Hence, she asked, “Granny, has something happened? Why do you look like… there’s something weighing on your mind?”

Granny remained silent for a long while before saying something that left Heermann baffled. “I’ve waited ten thousand years, and he has finally come.”

“He?”

Heermann asked, “Who’s he?”

Granny revealed a rare smile. The smile suffusing the corner of her lips made her gorgeous face an incomparable sight. “He is someone I’ve been waiting ten thousand years for.”

An answer that did not let on and her somewhat innocent tone left Heermann dumbfounded. Was this still the cold and aloof Granny she knew? The one that was no longer restricted by a mortal view of the world?

Who was it that made Granny act so strangely?

Besides, ten thousand years. How long was that?

Heermann asked out of curiosity, “Granny, who exactly is he?”

Granny laughed with her mouth covered. “You will soon meet him.”

Heermann was slightly taken aback as she turned even more intrigued.

At that moment, a series of hastened footsteps sounded outside the palace. A female pixie in imperial guard clothes rushed in.

“No good, Your Majesty!” The imperial guard rushed into the queen’s private quarters, shouting with an anxious tone.

Heermann frowned. “Imperial Guard Captain, what’s the urgency for you to rush into my private quarters?”

The imperial guard in front of Heermann was Lotus who she had conferred personally. She had always been responsible with her duties, so for her to rush in so anxiously without giving any prior notice, it had to be something of great urgency.

Upon hearing that, Lotus came to a realization that she had forgotten to knock on the door. She immediately knelt down and apologized, “Sorry. It’s just that this matter is too… I was being too anxious, so please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Heermann waved her hand. “Forget it. Since it’s urgent, speak quickly.”

Lotus still seemed in a state of anxiousness and alarm. She stuttered, “Her Highness, Her Highness…”

Heermann knitted her brows. “What is that lass up to this time?”

Heermann had always been dissatisfied with her daughter, Kali Willich. She always found her too hyperactive and despite her cultivation talent being quite mediocre, she often played in the forest. It was difficult for her to amount to much and probably lacked the qualifications to inherit her throne to become queen.

Heermann only wished that the child didn’t embarrass the imperial family, but apparently, something had happened that exceeded her expectations.

Lotus said with a trembling voice, “Her Highness… brought back a human!”

“What!”

Heermann widened her eyes in disbelief as she immediately stood up from her throne.

…

…

“Hey, I’m begging you. Stop following us!”

Cherryblossoms wore a dreary expression as she pleaded with Shi Xiaobai who was bent on following her. If they proceeded any further, they would enter the pixies’ territory. Trouble would brew if the imperial guards saw a human following her and the princess.

Ignoring her grave mistake of bringing back a human, it was important to note that pixies always held hatred towards humanity. Despicable human traffickers would capture pixies and sell them as slaves to aristocrats. This resulted in an irreconcilable grudge between the two races. If the imperial guards were to see a human appear at the entrance to their territory, they would immediately kill him without a word.

Although Cherryblossoms also hated humans, she had to admit that the young human who was unwilling to hurt the princess at the cost of injuring his arm wasn’t that detestable. Her kind heart did not wish for the youth to die.

Cherryblossoms stopped and said with a heavy expression. “Stop following us. I already told you that pixies hate humans the most. The imperial guards will not listen to your excuses nor show you mercy. They will kill you on sight!”

Even though the youth had demonstrated extraordinary strength, he was ultimately at the Postnatal realm. Even the strongest human was not necessarily able to beat Pixie Queen Heermann. Besides, there was the even more unfathomable Granny. The youth was doomed if he dared barge into the pixie’s territory.