Ren Isana looked at the forest before him. He raised his hand and cast several spells on Asuna and Ram. As the magic settled over them, the two finally began to feel a bit more comfortable.
"This is the place! Follow me, this way!" Emilia looked at the familiar forest, her heart swelling with emotion as she hurried to lead the way.
She was intimately familiar with every tree and blade of grass here. This place was effectively a restricted zone where no one ever ventured.
Because of the bone-chilling cold, everything around remained exactly as it was when she left. As Emilia led the group forward, Ren Isana pulled out several small vials and pressed them into the hands of Asuna and the others.
"This is Divine Blood. Keep it with you; it will help you resist the freezing air in this place." Apollo's blood was finally being put to good use.
As soon as they took the small vials, Asuna and the others felt a weight lift from their shoulders. A cozy warmth spread through their bodies; the effects of this Divine Blood were truly remarkable.
Holding the vials tightly, the three hurried to keep pace with Ren Isana. Under Emilia's guidance, they ventured deep into the forest until they came to a halt before a gargantuan tree.
She raised her hand and released a spell. In the next instant, the scenery shifted. An even more piercing chill erupted as a world of pure white, frozen in time, appeared before them.
A group of elves stood there, completely encased in ice. They looked as though they were dead, but Ren Isana could sense that their vitality was merely suspended. As long as they could be thawed instantly, they would be perfectly fine.
Ren Isana expanded his [Perception Magic], and the appearances of the various elves surfaced in his mind. Although they were all frozen, they were all exceptionally handsome men and beautiful women—especially the girls, who were quite striking.
Looking at her kin, Emilia's tears began to flow uncontrollably. However, the moment her tears hit the ground, they froze into ice. In a place like this, even a simple trip to the restroom would likely result in being frozen solid.
"What should we do next?" Ren Isana asked Emilia slowly. Thawing these elves was now the primary objective.
Hearing Ren Isana's question, Emilia took a deep breath and spoke softly. "Next, I need to set up a [Magic Circle]. Then, I'll use the power of that blood to break the seal on the entire village!"
Upon hearing this, Asuna immediately stepped forward and brought out her supplies. Emilia didn't hesitate either; she began to set everything up according to a method she had calculated countless times before.
Ren Isana and the others watched quietly from the side, as there wasn't much they could do to help. Gradually, Ren began to understand how the [Magic Circle] worked and why Emilia specifically needed Dragon Blood.
Aside from utilizing the intense heat of the Dragon Blood, she also needed its life-giving properties. Only with that vitality could she release all her kin at once. Otherwise, even if they were thawed, their life force would be instantly snatched away by the lingering frost.
If it weren't for that specific requirement, Emilia would have had countless ways to thaw them. After all, she already possessed [Temperature Control Magic]. Thawing them should have been simple.
With a bit of effort, she could have become a legendary mage. Unfortunately, she had no way to handle the locked-away vitality of her people, which was why she had been unable to act until now.
Once Emilia had everything prepared, she began to release her [Magic Power]. A [Magic Circle] large enough to encompass the entire elven village was activated. Holding the vial Ren Isana had given her, she walked into the center of the formation.
Taking a deep breath, she uncorked the vial and poured the single drop of golden, heat-radiating blood onto the ground!
The moment the blood touched the [Magic Circle], the surrounding temperature surged. The ice elements covering the village vanished instantly as if they had met their natural enemy. The wave of scorching heat swept across the entire area.
The ice and snow began to dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye. The [Magic Circle] erupted with a pillar of crimson light that shot into the sky, instantly dispersing the gloomy clouds hanging over the forest.
The frozen earth regained its vitality in that moment, and the elves who had been encased in ice began to stir once more.
The [Magic Circle] beneath Emilia's feet continued to pulse with power. The entire village shifted from pure white back to its original, vibrant colors. The world of white finally exited the stage of history.
The village and the forest both regained their original hues. Seeing her kin restored to normal, Emilia could no longer hold back and broke into sobs.
"Emilia!!" As the elves were released one by one, the cries they had shouted years ago just before being frozen finally echoed out again. To the elves, it felt as though they had just been living in the previous second.
The suddenly restored elves looked around blankly, utterly confused. They stared at the world around them in a daze—especially at the now fully grown Emilia. What on earth was going on?
Why had Emilia become such a graceful young woman in the blink of an eye? Had they missed something?
"Little Emilia, what happened? Why have you suddenly grown up?" An elder elf hurried forward to look at Emilia, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"I finally... I finally saved everyone!" Emilia wiped the tears from her face. At this moment, her heart felt a relief like never before. Seeing everyone restored filled her with immense joy.
These words left the elder elf stunned for a moment before she asked thoughtfully, "Were we... frozen, Little Emilia?"
Emilia nodded. As her other kin walked forward with worried gazes, she began to speak softly, recounting everything that had happened over the years.
Her people had been frozen for nearly a hundred years. The entire elven tribe had been out of contact with the outside world for a century.
As Emilia explained, the crowd found it difficult to believe. The elder elf hurriedly asked, "Where is Fortuna?"
Upon hearing that name, Emilia's tears became completely unstoppable, flowing like an endless stream. This sight told the other elves exactly what they needed to know.
Many of them found it hard to accept the truth. Looking at the sobbing Emilia, they sighed and stepped forward to comfort the child.
In Emilia's memories, her aunt and foster mother, Fortuna, had passed away. Ren Isana knew this as well, and though he knew Emilia's memories had been tampered with by the Witch of Vainglory, the general gist remained accurate.
"I'm fine, it's all in the past!" After her cry, Emilia wiped her tears and stood up, forcing her grief down to face everyone.
After adjusting her emotions, Emilia spoke slowly. "Everyone... I'm sorry... it was all my fault that you were frozen."
Emilia began to apologize. She believed she was responsible for everything—that it was because of her the village and forest had been turned into a frozen wasteland.
The crowd looked at Emilia with helpless expressions. The elves stepped forward again to comfort her; how could they possibly blame her? She had been so small back then.
Many things were beyond her control, and besides, everyone was safe now. Because of this, the elves harbored no resentment toward Emilia and instead did their best to console her.
Having received everyone's forgiveness, the heavy stone in Emilia's heart was finally lifted. She had finally done it; she had saved them all.
"Emilia, what are your plans for the future? Is there anything you need our help with?" An older elven woman stroked Emilia's head. As she looked at the hairpin Emilia was wearing, a flash of sorrow crossed her eyes.
That hairpin was a keepsake from Emilia's foster mother. Emilia had worn it all this time; it seemed Fortuna would always hold a place in her heart. This was likely a pain that would never truly fade.
"I plan to go to other worlds to study. I still have so much to learn... Oh, right! Let me introduce everyone to you..." Emilia began to introduce Ren Isana and the others to the group.
Upon learning the identities of Ren Isana and Asuna, as well as Emilia's future plans, the elven tribe was stunned. Leaving this world to study in another?
Was such a thing even possible? The elves were shocked, especially the younger ones, who looked at Emilia with wide, incredulous eyes.
Many of these elves had been Emilia's childhood playmates, but now Emilia had become a mature older sister while they were still little kids. Quite a few of them felt a bit depressed by the realization.
"If you want to go, you can actually come along. You haven't been in contact with the outside world for so many years, and now you've suddenly reappeared. This world is likely very foreign to you now. If that's the case, why not switch to a different world?" Ren Isana took the opportunity to speak up.
The elves had a hundred-year gap in their history. Most people they knew from the outside world were likely dead. They were complete strangers to the current era.
If that was the case, it might be better to leave this world entirely. Now that the permafrost had vanished, people from the outside would surely come to investigate. These elves might find themselves in danger once discovered.
After all, elves were extremely rare in this world. Rarity equaled value. Greedy individuals might take risks to target these elves for profit; many people cared only for Valis and nothing for others.
Ren Isana analyzed the situation for them, laying out the pros and cons. His words caused the elves' expressions to shift drastically. A middle-aged elf said in a heavy voice, "This gentleman is right. We have been frozen for a hundred years; this world is already very strange to us."
He agreed with Ren Isana's assessment. They might be safe initially, but a never-ending stream of trouble would eventually find its way to their door. That was very bad news for them.