[WMMaP] Elias de Alger Obelia

Elias 5.9

They were at Alexandrite Palace and stood in front of the remains of Chrys's heart. It was a broken and dry piece of trunk. It was clear to anyone who saw the tree that it did not even have a dust of life left.

Elias looked at Gavril hum in thought as he rubbed his chin. The prince had no idea what Gavril was thinking. The man did not express himself much other than smiling.

"Your highness, where is the previous emperor?"

Gavril asked.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing wrong but there would be something I would like to make sure of before coming up with a conclusion."

Elias nodded as he started to guide the baron to where the Grand Tree was standing.

On their way, Elias could sense the count's intense staring from behind. Feeling nervous, the prince turned to look at the count only to find him looking elsewhere.

Was it his imagination?

Elias tilted his head in confusion as he still made his way to his destination. Even then, he felt like Gavril was looking at him but every time he turned to see, the baron was not even looking but he would be coughing and covering his mouth.

"Baron Daphne, you are coughing an awful lot. Should I call the physician?"

Elias finally said as they neared his shared room. The tree was, after all, in the garden beside the room.

"That would be unnecessary, your highness. I just seem to have caught something in my throat."

The prince frowned a little as he opened the door. Claude was currently in his office so the room was empty. Elias guided Gavril to the other side of the room and opened the glass door to the garden. As the doors opened, the massive glory of the Grand Tree was there for everyone to see.

It had been a while since Elias had seen Chrys. Seeing it after a while, the prince could not feel anything but nostalgic. When he saw Chrys's face, the previous emperor truly looked at peace and content.

It made the prince wonder why he was so sad back then. Looking at Chrys's face it was clear as day the previous emperor loved him dearly. What was it that made Elias believe otherwise? No, what was it that made him so sure that he was hated?

Past life... what happened in his past life again?

"Your highness!"

Elias flinched as his head shot up to look at Gavril. The man was on his knees and his hands on Elias's shoulders. He looked alarmed.

"Baro... Daphne?"

Gavril let out a sigh.

"Please forgive me for raising my voice. You were not responding."

Apparently, Baron Daphne was analyzing the tree but Elias had been so quiet. Curious, the baron had turned to the prince. Gavril was alarmed when he had seen him unresponsive. His mana was also pulsing out of control.

"How are you feeling?"

The baron asked. At the question, Elias finally felt the tiredness that was waving in. He was not sure what exactly took a toll on him but he felt so exhausted. The world started to look so dizzying.

"I... I feel so tired... Could we finish the lesson for today?"

Gavril raised a brow but agreed.

They returned to the chamber and the baron called for Liora and Ilana, the maid. After Liora and Ilana arrived to help the prince change, Gavril left the room after greeting the future of Obelia.

All of this, Elias did not have the energy to keep track. He was so out of it. When he felt himself lay down, everything went black.

***

Gavril was deep in thought as he made his way to the emperor's office. From his analysis, Chrys's heart was as dead as it could be. There was no essence of mana and it was cold. It was also barren around the tree which didn't sit well with Gavril.

Usually when a dryad died, the cause would be if the tree was cut or broken down. The body would become a corpse but because the heart was where all the mana is stored, the tree, even though it was cut down, would grow a second time but it would be a normal tree. The mana would also be shared by the surrounding plants.

There was only one possible way to defy a dryad's death. If his hunch was right, then Gavril had to wonder just how Chrys got his hands onto that knowledge. So he had asked the young royal to see Chrys's corpse, hoping to see a tomb.

The prince did not guide him to the burial chamber and Gavril did not see a grave or an epitaph. He saw a tree so grand. Mana was clearly alive in the tree when he analyzed it. The surrounding plants were healthy and vibrant. There were even plants that should not be found in Obelia.

When Gavril placed his hand on the tree, it was warm. The baron gasped at the possibility. Baron Daphne was in a hurry.

When he saw the door, Gavril hastily stopped in front of the door and whispered to the redheaded knight to announce his arrival.

"Your majesty, Baron Daphne asks for an audience."

"Let him in."

The doors opened and Gavril stepped into the room and looked at Claude.

"Blessings and glory to the Obelian Empire. Good afternoon, your majesty."

Claude looked up apathetically.

"State your business. Or is something wrong with Elias?"

"Your majesty, could I ask to take a look at your mana?"

Claude raised a brow.

"Is there something wrong?"

"If you could excuse my impudence, before I announce anything, I want to make sure if my suspicion is correct. I would not want to give the wrong answer to your majesty."

Claude stared at the baron for a moment before he put down his quilt and nodded.

Gavril approached Claude and started to examine Claude's mana. Usually, mana was color blue for humans. Dryads' mana were green. As for the royal of the Obelian Empire, their mana were blue but it sparkled. Mana looked like it was crystal, just like their eyes.

Elias was the son of dryad and an obelian royal. When Gavril had seen Elias's mana, the baron had seen the most beautiful sparkling green mana. Gavril could not be sure of Chrys's mana, but from Elias's mana, it could be green crystal mana.

Claude was not a dryad descendant so if a mage looked at Claude's mana, they should see blue crystal mana. But if Gavril's hunch was right, then...

"..."

Gavril's eyes widened as he felt like his world had been turned over.

Claude's mana was the most beautiful green crystal mana.