The New Year bells rang out—dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong—nine times.
They marked the passing of one year and the arrival of the next. Flame Island had no snow, and the New Year atmosphere was not as rich as it had been on Black Horse Island, but the lively mood had only grown stronger.
With more and more elves around, the not-so-large Tinder Castle was noisy from dawn to dusk.
Chris and Paris had already gone back. The still-young Lucy and Ruth had fallen asleep in the guest rooms, while Emily had also been arranged to rest in a guest room.
Liszt and A Ke hid away on the study balcony, watching the stars gradually multiply in the sky.
He held A Ke in his arms, breathing in the fragrant scent from her azure hair, as illusory smoke slowly emerged before his eyes and formed a passage of Snake Script.
"Mission complete. Reward: one Dragon Elf."
His brow rose and his heart stirred, but he quickly regained his calm. The Dragon Elf would be his sooner or later; there was no need to get worked up.
He then looked at the new smoke mission.
"Mission: The time to establish a kingdom within three years is drawing ever closer. Yet the site of the royal city has only just been selected, and there remains a long way to go before the royal palace is completed. Perhaps construction should be accelerated. Please lay suitable foundations for the royal palace and royal city. Reward: a new variety of mangrove."
Neither the new mission nor its reward seemed particularly remarkable.
"A Ke, do you think the power of fate can be grasped?" A sudden feeling came over him, and he asked A Ke. He was the only one who could