Volume One: Lord of the Infernal World Chapter 41: The Island in the Lake

"What are you talking about?" Chen Gu looked at Allen with a puzzled expression. He disliked this kind of enigmatic person the most—someone who spoke in riddles and refused to clarify.

"The poetry of the Holy City, describing the Queen's life within its walls," Allen replied with a hint of helplessness. Upon hearing Chen Gu's question, he immediately recalled that poem. He couldn't fathom what could be problematic about it.

After thinking seriously for a moment, Chen Gu realized Allen might indeed be correct. According to the meaning behind Allen's words, the Elven Queen should typically appear either on the highest peak of the Holy City or at the lake's radiant pearl.

He looked south toward the opposite shore, where a towering mountain rose into the clouds. From where Chen Gu stood, he could see the mountain's entirety, and at its summit, there was indeed a marble palace. Like the Holy City itself, the palace was built in the ancient Roman style, though its hues leaned toward bright purples and luminous blues.

However, Chen Gu felt that he currently lacked the ability to reach that palace atop the mountain. The undead within the city alone were enough to keep him from approaching the peak. Thus, his only viable target was the pearl in the lake.

Unlike the highest mountain peak mentioned in the poem, the lake's most beautiful pearl was a metaphor. It could be an island, or perhaps a place beneath the waters. Chen Gu knew little about the Holy City of Elves, and with the great tree in the lake now fallen, the environment of the sacred lake had fundamentally changed. He could no longer spot his objective at a glance, as he could with the palace on the mountain.

On the lake, they could only rely on luck, or perhaps seek someone familiar with the Holy City to unravel the riddle.

"Let's stop at that island first. Disembark your troops to lighten the ship, then we'll circle the lake and search for more clues," Chen Gu proposed.

Allen was about to remind him that the islands in the Holy City were private estates of elven nobility, not open to casual visitors. But he quickly remembered—the elven kingdom was gone. Those nobles once residing on the islands had all become undead. No one would care if Chen Gu landed wherever he pleased.

Without further ado, Chen Gu steered the Fire Raven to the nearest small island, disembarking all of Allen's followers.

"Wait here. The Mars is no longer in danger—I’ll have it pick you up. Once it arrives, you start searching from this side, I’ll search from the other.

Let’s check all the islands. Anything useful, bring it aboard. We’re short on resources, so don’t dismiss anything as mere rubbish," Chen Gu instructed.

Allen couldn’t help but laugh. How could he not care about the remnants left on the island? He might be a commander under the Beta Legion, but he never reached the rank to reside in the Holy City. Anything from within its walls was a treasure in his eyes. Now he had a chance to obtain what he once never dared dream of—how could he scorn these items, no matter how long they’d been abandoned?

"Don’t worry, sir, I know what to do."

"Good. Use your own judgment. If you find anything, contact me immediately. Remember, our priority is to locate the Elven Queen—she’s the key. If we don’t succeed, we’ll have to enter the Holy City itself and find a way to seize control. You’ve seen the situation—the city is filled with undead. With our small force, we can’t hope to defeat many," Chen Gu said.

"I understand. I’ll handle everything," Allen replied. Seeing Allen accept his instructions, Chen Gu said nothing more. He jumped aboard the Fire Raven and led his men to the next island.

Allen entered the island to survey its state. Unlike the cities along the lake's shore, all these islands belonged to elven nobles. The great nobles occupied larger islands, the lesser ones smaller. Even the smallest had the size of a manor, not to mention the central island with its colossal tree reaching to the heavens.

The island Allen stood on was small; Chen Gu had dropped him off on a sandy beach, behind which stood a wooden villa. Beyond that, a low hill no more than thirty meters high, densely forested. Amidst the trees, several small buildings were hidden.

Allen led his followers to the villa first. At the sight of the crest outside, Allen was momentarily stunned.

"Iron Rider Wendy?"

The crest marked the identity of the elven noble who owned the island. Allen happened to recognize it—it belonged to one of the heroes of the Silver Pegasus Legion.

Unlike the Fafner Legion, the Silver Pegasus was a Gamma Legion. The rank wasn’t due to weak combat strength, but because their troops were singular. Beta Legions and above required a mixed force; Gamma Legions could be single-type, such as pure knight regiments or mage corps.

The Silver Pegasus Legion was a pure pegasus force: mainstay Silver Pegasi, heavily armored Iron Pegasi, swift Rainbow Pegasi, and so on. Iron Rider Wendy was one of the three defense heroes within the Silver Pegasus Legion.

Allen had forgotten why he once met this hero, but he remembered clearly that Wendy’s family’s greatest asset was a set of full-body pegasus armor. This armor even covered the wings, crafted from special materials that did not impede flight, were light in weight, and offered strong protection—a true treasure among pegasus troops.

So many years had passed, yet seeing the crest of the Steel Wing again, Allen couldn’t help but feel a twinge of emotion.

"Search inside."

After his brief reverie, Allen didn’t forget his mission, nor did he spare the island simply because it had once belonged to a friend. With a wave of his hand, several elven hunters entered the villa.

Soon, they emerged with some items retrieved from within. Meanwhile, many Fire Spirit Ravens and Blood Shadow Wolves had entered the nearby forested hills. There, they found numerous pegasus burial sites.

The Fire Spirit Ravens took no interest in the graves, but the Blood Shadow Wolves emerged carrying pegasus bones. As Allen looked at the hollow bones, he was about to protest—don’t be so excessive as to dig up someone’s pet’s grave—when he noticed one bone entwined with black iron-colored threads. His eyes lit up.

"Where did you find this? Lead me there!"