SWNOVELXO Chapter 527: It's Him!
'Shoot.'
Alex stood in the center of the clearing, adorned in his absurd floral disguise.
The young elvins' wide-eyed gazes of reverence felt more like spotlights burning into his very soul. He cursed inwardly, suppressing the urge to bury his face in his hands.
'Why did I agree to this?' he groaned internally. 'I knew this would happen. Who thought dressing up as a human bouquet was a good idea?'
His jaw tightened as a new thought struck him, one that made his cheeks burn even more. 'Which man would want to be 'flowery,' anyway? And if they did, they wouldn't be a man!'
He paused, letting out a small cough in his head. 'Okay, fine. Liking flowers and wanting to be one are two different things. Cough.' His thoughts spiraled for a moment before snapping back to the present.
Still, he had a role to play, and if he failed... well, he shuddered at the memory of the Queen's eerie smile.
Her promise of protection hung over his head like a guillotine.
Because he really needed it as he would attempt something dangerous soon, so having another life-saving card was really good.
'Darn, I need to return to acting.'
Forcing himself to focus, Alex straightened up, his floral cape rustling as he raised his voice. "Mother of Nature has instructed me," he declared, his tone rich with authority, "to test you all—your hearts and minds—to determine if you are worthy of her blessings!"
The young elvins gasped in awe, their murmurs spreading through the clearing like ripples in a pond.
Alex swallowed hard, his embarrassment boiling beneath the surface as he continued. "Each of you must approach the cocoon, embrace it, and allow Mother Nature's energy to flow through you."
One of the young elvins stepped forward, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Envoy, what will the test be about?"
Alex froze, his mind scrambling for an answer. After a moment, he straightened his posture and adopted a faraway, mysterious gaze. "The test," he said, his voice dropping to a solemn tone, "has already begun."
The young elvins blinked in surprise, their murmurs halting.
"It began the moment you entered the Trials of Blessings," Alex continued, his floral crown tilting slightly as he inclined his head. It's not like he was lying anyway. "Every step you've taken, every choice you've made—Mother Nature has been watching, judging. The test is within you."
'Woah, that sounded like what a cool fantasy character would say.'
Maybe so, there was a collective intake of breath, followed by fervent nods of understanding.
"Ah, so profound!" one of them whispered.
"Truly, Mother Nature's wisdom knows no bounds," another added.
Alex forced himself not to roll his eyes. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back, projecting an image of serene confidence.
Inside, he was screaming.
'There's no test at all! This is all her doing!'
He clenched his jaw, thinking back to the Queen's sly smile as she explained her plan. Yes, there was a test—but it wasn't what these young elvins thought.
The Queen of Nature had her own methods of detecting intruders. The real purpose of the so called test was to identify who among them were genuine elvins, who were Hunter trainees, and who were full-fledged Hunters disguised as Hunter Trainees. Yeah, there were hunters among them.
The energy flowing through the cocoon would reveal the truth to her, no matter how well they disguised themselves.
But why did she have to make him this ridiculous envoy? That part was clearly unnecessary.
As the young elvins approached the cocoon one by one, their reverence and awe palpable, Alex watched in silence, his floral crown slightly askew. Despite his inner turmoil, he maintained his composure, silently praying for this ordeal to end.
'She's doing this on purpose,' he thought darkly. 'She's definitely enjoying this.'
One by one, the young elvins embraced the cocoon, their expressions serene as the faint glow of energy surrounded them. Alex could feel the Queen's presence within the cocoon, observing each participant intently.
He held back a sigh, reminding himself that this humiliation was temporary. For now, he had a role to play, and he would see it through—no matter how many petals it cost him. Discover exclusive content at empire
Eh, that didn't sound right.
But whatever, nobody aside Queen of Nature would know it was him anyway.
'Hmmm?'
Suddenly, Alex sensed two almost intense gazes and glanced over - two elvins who hadn't passed the 'test' yet were staring at him a young male and female.
'...'
'Shoot.'
Alex cursed inwardly as he remembered something crucial.
'Princess Cassandra.'
Recognition dawned on him like a thunderclap.
'I forgot about her.'
He stiffened, his mind racing.
He easily recognized her even though she was in disguise, after all, they were experimenting with the Hunter amulets together before the exam. She too has seen his disguise. But what made him sweat was her ability that allowed her to discern truths others could not.
To see and look at things differently.
'She probably recognizes me,' Alex thought grimly, his fingers twitching at his sides. 'Darn it all.'
The realization made his blood run cold. If she had already seen through his disguise, it was only a matter of time before—
'No,' he told himself firmly. 'She has a good head on her shoulders. She won't sell me out. Yeah, even if she did, they can't prove it - Queen's that strong!'
Alex exhaled slowly, schooling his features back into an enigmatic mask, but his thoughts were far from composed. He stole another glance at her, noticing the faint confusion forming on her face as she looked at him and the male elvin beside her muttering something.
'Yep, she knows,' he confirmed with a sinking feeling.
Then his eyes shifted to the young male beside her, and something about him tugged at Alex's memory. The height, the broad shoulders, the facial structure—it was all so familiar.
Why does he look like someone I've seen before?
Alex's stomach churned as he stared at the male elvin, who stood silently, his sharp features devoid of emotion. His short greenish hair glinted in the sunlight filtering through the trees, but it was the way he carried himself that struck Alex—a calm yet predatory demeanor like a panther waiting to pounce.
And then it clicked.
'It's him.'