PS: I'm working hard on updates. Next comes the harem, domain-building, and personal power progression arc. A full-blown romantic showdown is already brewing.
"Aaron, you should come and look at this."
Deep in Hulek Forest, in the Druids' Sacred Grove, Miss Cleric beckoned Aaron over to see her new discovery. "There are so many people imprisoned in the Druids' Sacred Grove!"
Aaron immediately followed Eleanor into the Sacred Grove. The clerics led by Miss Cleric, along with the Black Eagle Guard and the others, had already secured the entire grove.
The Sacred Grove was not particularly large, covering roughly fifty hectares, of which only about two hectares constituted the "Sacred Grove" proper. Its three rings of pillars consisted of three Standing Stones at the center, nine in the second ring, and twenty-seven in the third.
Standing Stones symbolized the Druids' claim to a "Sacred Grove." Druids liked to erect enormous Standing Stones to declare that they considered a place a "Sacred Grove." Each stone stood between three and nine meters tall. Clearly, that extremist Druid had been a master of earth magic; otherwise, even many Archdruids could not have completed dozens of Standing Stones in a lifetime.
"I remember Lady Silverstar telling me that these Standing Stones come in two varieties." Eleanor came to Aaron's side and pointed them out. "Magic Standing Stones and Nonmagical Standing Stones. Nonmagical Standing Stones are merely symbols of honor and territorial claims, while Magic Standing Stones can often provide protection, teleportation, echoes, or suppress volcanoes, floods, storms, and vicious beasts."
"These all seem to be Nonmagical Standing Stones." Eleanor pointed at the stones, their surfaces engraved with numerous Druidic markings, looking a little envious. "Living somewhere like this seems rather nice, doesn't it?"
At that, Aaron gently squeezed Miss Cleric's palm without saying a