Chapter 145: Liana Zyd

The witch possessed fair skin, a lovely face, and a tranquil demeanor. Long, supple red hair cascaded over her shoulders, fluttering in the breeze like a tree of maple leaves. Delicate, pointed ears peeked from her temples, and a crown woven from willow twigs rested upon her head, her wine-red hair made all the more enchanting by the embellishment of tender green willow leaves.

As Joan stared blankly at the beautiful and mysterious lady who had suddenly teleported before him, he abruptly felt a burning sensation in the palm of his left hand, and a warning from the "Tear of God" flashed through his mind.

— Tier 3 Mythic creature detected! Higher Fey!

Having just been wondering whether the uninvited guest opposite him was an elven female or a fey, Joan felt his heart skip a beat upon receiving the prompt from the "Tear of God." He hurriedly put some distance between himself and her, remotely controlling the lightning blade with his Mage Hand. Every nerve in his body tightened as he prepared for battle.

Noticing his guard, the unknown mythic fey on the opposite side wore a peculiar smile on her lips. She turned around with unhurried poise and walked straight toward the spring, seemingly paying no mind to the human youth behind her who had already drawn his weapon.

Joan quickly retreated to the side of his black foal, freeing his left hand to grab the reins. Just as he intended to mount and ride away, the female fey, standing by the spring with her back to him, suddenly spoke.

"The watergeist in the spring—did you kill it?"

As if worried that Joan might not understand Sylvan, she repeated the question in crisp, flawless Common.

"A watergeist?" Joan frowned. "Are you referring to that transparent monster lurking in the spring?"

The female fey turned around, nodded lightly at Joan, and observed him with keen interest.

Seeing no hostility in her eyes, Joan hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell the truth, briefly recounting how he had been ambushed by the aquatic monster just moments ago.

The female fey listened patiently to the end. With her hands clasped behind her back and holding the parchment scroll, she paced back and forth by the spring, breaking the silence only after a long while.

"If I had arrived a step earlier, this conflict could have been avoided. But alas, the watergeist is already dead, and my trip was in vain."

"Ma'am, what kind of monster is this 'watergeist' you speak of? Why did it suddenly attack my horse?" Joan asked curiously.

"A watergeist is a water elemental creature native to the Elemental Plane of Water," the female fey replied, turning to point at the nearby spring. "I summoned it to the Material Plane using magic and commanded it to guard the clear spring you just passed by. When a watergeist is completely submerged in water, it remains invisible. It is no surprise that you failed to notice its presence initially. Had the spring not been contaminated, driving the watergeist somewhat mad, your horse could have drunk freely without being attacked."

Contaminated? Mad? The more Joan listened, the more confused he became.

Sensing the bewilderment on his face, the female fey smiled and explained, "Like most elemental creatures, watergeist have no concept of good and evil. However, their disposition changes according to the water quality of their habitat. Those living in clear, sacred waters tend toward goodness and typically do not prevent passersby from drinking. Conversely, those living in foul, virus-ridden waters become evil and frantic, even actively attacking creatures that approach the water source—just like the situation you and your horse encountered earlier."

The female fey sighed and continued, "The watergeist dwelling in this spring was originally very kind. Not long ago, a venomous snake wandered over from the direction of the Serpent's Cascade and used its venom to pollute the spring while I was away. When I returned and found the watergeist behaving abnormally, I discovered it was the handiwork of that vicious wretch—perhaps she was even hoping I would be ambushed and killed by the maddened watergeist!"

Joan noticed the resentment in the female fey's eyes when she mentioned the "venomous snake" that had polluted the spring, and she used the feminine third-person pronoun. This suggested that the adversary might not actually be a mere snake, but rather a witch skilled in poisoning or an evil fey.

"To restore the watergeist to normal, I went deep into the jungle to visit a druid friend and asked her to help transcribe a *Purification* scroll. With this scroll, I can cleanse the polluted spring. Once the spring is clean, the watergeist inhabiting it will regain its rationality and shed its evil urge to kill." The female fey glanced down at the scroll in her hand and said disconsolately, "Too bad I arrived a step late; this scroll won't be of much use anymore."

"Will my horse be poisoned from drinking the contaminated water?" Joan asked with concern.

The female fey shook her head with a light chuckle, "The concentration of toxins in the water is negligible—far from enough to poison humans or livestock. Besides, snake venom can only enter through the bloodstream. Your horse merely drank a few mouthfuls of spring water contaminated with a snake's saliva; it wasn't bitten by a venomous snake, so how could it possibly be poisoned so easily!"

Joan breathed a sigh of relief and said somewhat apologetically, "I'm sorry. I didn't know the watergeist was your friend. I had no other choice at the time and had to kill it."

"Not a friend, merely an unintelligent servant," the female fey brushed the matter aside lightly. "I am the guardian of this forest, and people call me Liyanan-Sidhe. Since you understand Sylvan, you likely have some understanding of our fey culture, so I needn't explain my origins."

Hearing her state her name, Joan felt a surge of awe and bowed deeply to her respectfully.

"Liyanan" was the female fey's personal name, while "Sidhe," the surname-like suffix, was actually a title in fey society denoting noble status, akin to human titles of nobility such as "Sir" or "Your Highness." None of the fey Joan had previously encountered possessed a noble title as exalted as "Sidhe." For instance, Mira the dryad's social standing in elven society compared to Liyanan-Sidhe was that of a country bumpkin beside a noble lady.

"Respected Lady Liyanan, it is an honor to meet you. My name is Joan, a traveler passing through." Out of caution, Joan did not give his full name. After all, the other party was an unfathomable fey noble and mythic creature; if she were to learn his full name (his true name), she might possess the magical means to control his mind.

Liyanan straightened her slender, graceful waist, accepting Joan's respectful bow with poise, then lifted the hem of her skirt and curtsied in return, inadvertently displaying an elegant and noble demeanor.

"Master Mage, I am quite interested in the technique of remotely controlling a dagger that you just demonstrated. As it happens, I also excel in similar magic. I wonder if I might have the honor of receiving a few pointers from you."

Hearing her speak so politely, Joan could find no reason to refuse. He could only bite the bullet, draw his dagger, and accept her challenge, hoping that this combative fey lady would not strike too harshly.