Queen's Palace, main hall.
This was the Royal Hall where the Elf Queen usually received audiences.
Unlike the audience halls of ordinary human nations, it was neither resplendent with gold and jade nor overly decorated. It was simply a vast, open hall, allowing one to glimpse the Elves' simplicity and affinity with nature.
In the hall, the Queen's throne stood high at the very back, much like the Royal Hall of any other nation.
However, after entering, Sophie did not walk up to her throne. Instead, she tapped the ground with the staff in her hand at the very center of the hall.
"Knock, knock—"
Amid the clearly audible tapping, vines suddenly sprouted from the floor.
The vines entwined and interwove with one another, eventually forming a circular wooden platform.
Sophie solemnly placed the bundle in her hands onto the platform.
Shien and the others immediately gathered around.
It was worth mentioning that Artemis, who had left earlier, had indeed been invited back by Nadula, just as Nadula had said.
She merely stood silently to one side beside Nadula. She did not look at Shien or Lilith again, only glancing at Lasha before fixing a grave gaze on the bundle atop the platform.
The group arranged themselves around the platform, conveniently forming a circle.
"Well?" Yulin asked, unable to hold herself back. "Aren't we opening it?"
At that, Sophie looked toward Nadula, seemingly waiting for her to decide.
Nadula nodded to Sophie.
"Open it."
The reason Nadula did not step forward herself was not because she was unwilling to handle such a trivial matter, but because she could not be sure whether rashly touching the Stone Tablets would cause some sort of problem.
After all, back at the ruins, Nadula had been unable to enter them successfully.
The Demon King