Lord of the Stars

"Your Highness, this..." Reno looked at the barrier in front of him with some surprise as a portal suddenly opened. Inside, starlight blazed, making it feel as if they were under a starry night sky.

"That's right, let's go in and see the legendary Star Elves!" Roland sheathed his sword and said calmly.

"Yes." Reno also sheathed the Dragon Pattern Sword.

"Whoosh!"

"Your Highness, be careful!"

"Clang!" Reno's sword deflected an incoming arrow.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the two stepped onto Singri's land, they were met with a "warm welcome" from the Star Elves.

"Who are you? How did you manage to enter here!" the Star Elf in front of them asked coldly, aiming its longbow at the two.

Roland carefully observed the Star Elf before him and found them to be truly different. They were all incredibly handsome with pale skin, and the most striking feature was their long, sky-blue hair. The elf in front of him looked like a ranger.

"Greetings, esteemed Elves. I am Roland, King of Lagrange on the eastern shore of Long Lake. I have come to visit your King with important matters to discuss." Roland bowed, placing his hand over his chest.

"Human King? How do you know the secret words to enter here?" As he spoke, the Star Elf's bowstring was drawn back further.

"Inheritance! My ancestors once received help from the Star Elves, and I come now for the sake of our friendship." Roland activated the Battle Qi flame unique to Paladins.

"..." The elf carefully examined Roland's Battle Qi and finally lowered its bow. It then reached out, pulled out a magic signal flare, and ignited it. Instantly, a golden star shot up a hundred meters into the sky before expanding and flashing.

"Wait here, someone will be here to pick you up soon!"

"What's going on?" A distinctive Star Elf led a team of Elf Rangers over. Why was he distinctive? Because unlike the other elves who wore light half-plate armor, he was clad in heavy plate armor.

"Dragon Knight!" Reno whispered nervously, his hand subtly resting on the hilt of the Dragon Pattern Sword. If the situation turned sour, he would fight to the death to protect his King.

As a Paladin who dominated the land, Roland was naturally very familiar with Dragon Knights who ruled the skies. The powerful dragon energy surged around their bodies; it was almost as if the words "Dragon Knight" were written on their faces.

"How did the secret gate open? Hmm? Humans?" After casually closing the secret gate, the Dragon Knight finally noticed the humans before him.

"..." Roland's lips twitched. Did he really have such little presence?

"Damn it!" Reno's pupils constricted. The secret gate behind them had closed, leaving them with no retreat. He instinctively drew his sword.

"Oh? Interesting! A fourth-tier Paladin Captain dares to draw his sword in my presence!" The Dragon Knight said with interest.

"Heh, with an unyielding heart, Holy Radiance illuminates the world! Mortals can stand shoulder to shoulder with gods! Paladins fear nothing!" Reno whispered, drawing his sword and blocking Roland's path.

"Interesting. How long has it been since humans have produced such a pure Paladin?" The Dragon Knight mused, looking down.

Could this be the Star Dragon Knight Peter Gro? Roland thought to himself. In the game, the Star Dragon and his Knight were already ancient, but this must be Peter Gro from thousands of years ago.

"Why have you come?" Peter Gro sized them up. Those who could become Paladins were all righteous individuals, unless they had fallen, of course.

"The north is already shrouded in darkness. Dwarves, Elves, and Humans are in grave danger!" Roland said gravely after some thought.

"Who are you?" Peter Gro couldn't help but be curious about Roland's identity. Judging by how Reno had stepped in front of Roland earlier, Roland was clearly the one in charge.

"King Roland of Lagrange!" Roland declared proudly.

"Lagrange? Is there such a kingdom?" Peter Gro pondered for a long time but couldn't recall. Although Singri was isolated, they always sent a small contingent to purchase various goods from different regions to enrich their lives, so their information wasn't entirely cut off.

"It perished long ago. We come from the East..." Roland stated concisely.

"Oh." Peter Gro nodded. After all, he hadn't paid much attention to the ancient kingdoms of the East.

"Come with me! I'll take you to see the King." Peter Gro decided to bring them to meet their Elf King.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Peter Gro, Star Dragon Knight," Peter Gro said as he led the way.

"Yes, greetings, Sir Peter Gro," Roland and Reno said in unison.

"Come!" After passing through a cluster of cozy treehouses, Peter Gro led the two to a magnificent elven structure. Inside the vast elven hall, a slender figure reclined on a throne adorned with various colored gems, idly shaking a wine goblet.

"What's going on, Peter? Why have you brought two humans back?" the solitary King asked softly.

"Eowyn, they've come to seek aid," Peter Gro replied casually.

"Seek aid?" Eowyn put down his wine goblet and sat up.

"Yes, Your Highness the Elf King. Darkness has enveloped the north, and we have mobilized all our forces but are still no match for it. Therefore, I have come here based on my ancestors' inheritance to seek the help of the Star Elves," Roland said humbly.

"So, someone still remembers us?" Eowyn rubbed his chin.

"Where do you hail from?" Eowyn asked curiously. He wanted to know which people still remembered the reclusive Star Elves.

"I am the current King Roland of Lagrange, and this is my Knight Captain, Reno." Roland straightened his back. Considering the true heritage of Lagrange, they could easily handle these Star Elves.

"Greetings, Your Highness Roland. Pardon my rudeness. Please, have a seat." Eowyn stood up and gave an elegant bow, then arranged seats for the two nearby.

"Clap clap!" He lightly clapped his hands, and several beautiful elf maidens approached, serving them fruits and drinks.

"Please, try some of our Star Elf specialty fruits," Eowyn said with a smile.

"You can call me Eowyn. I am the current King of the Star Elves," Eowyn said seriously.

"Sauron has returned, and his forces now threaten the entire north! I need your help! The Star Elves are the last hope for the north!" Roland said impatiently.

"I'm afraid you don't quite understand the past of the Star Elves... We have been in seclusion for over three thousand years, and my people have grown accustomed to a peaceful life. We may not be able to participate in this war," Eowyn said with an apologetic expression.

"Have you forgotten your hatred for Sauron simply because of the heavy losses you suffered back then?" Roland was well aware of the Star Elves' past.

During the War of the Last Alliance, in addition to the allied forces commanded by Gil-galad, three other armies fought separately. One was the Woodland Realm elves led by Thranduil's father, another was the elves of the Golden Forest, and the third was the Vanya elves who lived in Rhovanion at the time. All three armies, despite their different marching routes, met the same fate—heavy losses.

The Vanya elves, nearly annihilated under the Black Gate, retreated with their kin to the present-day Mirkwood and migrated north. Fortunately, one of them gained the friendship of a stray Star Dragon whelp; this was Peter Gro. As a Dragon Knight, he followed Commander Inas, Eowyn's father, north. Along the way, no Orc armies dared to provoke this mournful band of elves.

Finally, upon their arrival in Rhovanion, the gravely wounded Elf King Inas eventually passed away. Eowyn inherited the kingdom. Deeply disappointed in the Vanya elves, Eowyn changed their faith, abandoning the Nature Goddess to worship the Star Goddess. From then on, they called themselves the Lords of the Stars. Their golden hair was covered by ice-blue long hair, and they became elves who bathed in the starlight of the night.

Though they dwelled in darkness, their hearts yearned for light!

Under the vast magical power of the Star Dragon, they created the Star Barrier and opened up a secret realm, living in seclusion thereafter. This secret realm was named Singri, and from that day on, the world gained an elf tribe that worshipped the stars.

"Heh, we were once passionate, we gave, we sacrificed... and in the end, it was all betrayal!" Eowyn still harbored resentment that the allied forces had ignored the three elven tribes fiercely attacking the Black Gate. He was also angry that the Woodland Elves had not offered them aid. (At the time, the three elven groups were employing a tactic of attrition; with few numbers, they attacked the city one by one.)

"Your Highness Eowyn, I hope you understand the principle of 'lips and teeth'—if Lonely Mountain and Long Lake are breached, and the Woodland Realm ceases to exist, then Sauron will eventually find Singri!" Roland said solemnly.

"It's useless. We can't help you; we no longer have the strength to fight another war," Eowyn waved his hand and sighed.