Chapter 537: Chapter 537: The Uncovering of Identity

The Elf Village was vast, and their social life resembled that of humans.

Instead of permanent shops, they set up wooden stalls that could be easily dismantled or closed. Every day, the market buzzed with elves shopping and trading.

Although the income here wasn’t as high as in the imperial city market, the place was lively and fascinating.

At that moment, among the passing elves, Nolan and Luna appeared in striking attire.

Nolan wore a black cloak and a demon mask, while Luna wore a stunning golden dress.

The surrounding elves were clearly surprised to see them—especially Nolan, whose unusual outfit drew many curious glances.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness Luna. It’s wonderful to see you! Where have you been these past few months? Your mother was very worried," an elderly woman said with a relieved smile.

She was short and appeared to be around sixty.

But Nolan knew better than anyone that the woman before him was much older—perhaps hundreds, no, likely thousands of years.

"Hehehe... good afternoon, Grandma Tiva. I did go away for a few months because of an unexpected incident. I’m sorry," Luna replied shyly, scratching the back of her head.

Tiva studied her deeply, then smiled and nodded understandingly.

"I’m glad to see you’re alright. I made some chocolate peanut snacks for my grandchild, and I happened to make plenty. Later, come by my house and take some, okay?"

Luna’s eyes lit up at the mention of chocolate peanut snacks—her favorite treat.

The woman in front of her had once run a snack shop, but it had long since closed because of her age.

Whenever Luna craved those snacks, she would visit Tiva’s house to order them.

Who would have guessed that Grandma Tiva had already prepared some in advance?

With an enthusiastic nod, Luna replied, "I’ll come by, Grandma Tiva!"

Tiva chuckled softly at her adorable behavior. Then, her gaze fell on Nolan, and she asked jokingly, "And who is this man? Is he your boyfriend?"

"B-Boyfriend!?" Luna froze, startled by Grandma Tiva’s words. "N-No, Grandma! He... he’s Grandma Seria’s friend! He’s not my boyfriend!"

She hurriedly clarified, worried Nolan might misunderstand.

"Oh? Seria’s friend? I see..." Tiva nodded slightly, then looked at Nolan with a gentle smile. "Nice to meet you."

Despite the mask, Nolan returned her smile.

"Nice to meet you too, Grandma Tiva."

Tiva nodded, clearly satisfied with his attitude. After exchanging a few more words, she finally walked away.

Nolan watched her leave and asked, "Who is she? Why do you seem so familiar with her?"

Luna tucked her bangs behind her ear and explained, "She’s the owner of the chocolate peanut snack shop where I used to buy treats. But she had to close it permanently because of her age. Oh, and she’s also a friend of my grandmother."

Nolan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Seria’s friend? Luna, can you tell me... How old is your grandmother?"

To be honest, during his time with Seria in the past, he had never known her age.

He had asked her several times, but Seria always got angry and never gave a straight answer.

Nolan clearly didn’t dare ask again. Still, he had his own guesses about Seria’s age.

"Eh? Didn’t Grandma tell you?" Luna asked, surprised and a little hesitant.

Nolan shook his head. "No."

Luna nodded slightly. "If I’m not mistaken, Grandma is eight thousand years old, just like Grandma Tiva. They were childhood friends."

Nolan: "..."

He already knew Seria was thousands of years old, but eight thousand? That was something else.

Even so, imagining Seria’s shy demeanor in the past at that age almost made him laugh—but he quickly suppressed it.

"What’s wrong, Singularity of Chaos?" Luna asked curiously.

Nolan pressed his lips together and shook his head.

"Nothing." He patted her on the head. "Let’s go."

Despite her curiosity, Luna didn’t ask any further questions and continued walking through the market.

As they walked, Luna explained the history of the elf race and the World Tree.

Soon, they arrived at a story famous among the elves: the spirit of the World Tree.

"The spirit of the World Tree is very mysterious. It’s said to be both the embodiment of the World Tree and the protector of the elven forest," Luna explained, nibbling on the bread in her right hand.

Nolan leaned back against a tree trunk, lost in deep thought.

"Have you ever met her?"

Luna shook her head. "No, but my mother and grandmother have. My mother said she was very beautiful, like a goddess descended from heaven. Tall, with beige hair and green eyes, she liked to wear a whitish-green dress. I always imagined meeting her, but my wish never came true."

She lowered her head, a helpless expression on her face. As an elf princess, she should have been able to meet such a legendary figure.

Yet in reality, even at her current age, she had never seen her.

Nolan fell silent, lost in thought. The details Luna mentioned reminded him of that mysterious woman.

"Could she be the spirit of the World Tree?"

The thought made him narrow his eyes, and he sighed softly.

Finally, everything made sense. The spirit of the World Tree was directly connected to nature; in a sense, she was nature made manifest.

Those near her would naturally feel comforted and safe.

"I understand. Thank you for telling me, Luna," Nolan said softly.

Luna blinked innocently, then nodded slightly. "You’re welcome, Singularity of Chaos!"

She assumed Nolan was happy simply to hear about the history of the elf race.

What she didn’t realize was that his happiness actually came from finally solving the mystery that had been troubling him for days.

***

Nighttime...

Nolan put on his cloak and mask, then slipped out of his room.

His figure soon appeared at the lake, where he always met the mysterious woman.

"Oh? You finally came."

Her soft, soothing voice came from beside him.

Nolan nodded, walked closer, and sat down next to her.

"Have you been here all this time?" he asked.

"No, I just arrived," she replied, shaking her head. "Oh, right—I brought you some snacks."

She reached beside her and handed him a small box.

"Ta-da! Look at this!"

Nolan eyed the small brown box, a ribbon tied neatly around it.

He opened it to find chocolate candies shaped like little dice.

He picked one up, examined it carefully, and popped it into his mouth.

"Yum!" His eyes widened. "Is this... peanut chocolate candy?"

The woman beamed at his reaction. "Yes, it’s peanut chocolate candy. I made it myself, you know?"

She puffed out her chest proudly, and Nolan couldn’t help but laugh.

"Good job. Thanks for the food."

Her joy was so obvious that she swayed from side to side in delight.

While savoring the candy, Nolan said suddenly, "By the way... I already know who you are."

The words startled her, and then she smiled faintly.

"Oh, really?" she asked, a playful glint in her eyes.

Nolan nodded, meeting her gaze meaningfully. "You are... Grandma Tiva, the one Luna and I met earlier this afternoon, right? Or should I call you... the Spirit of the World Tree?"