Chapter 1035: Protector Of The Sylvan Realm [Part 1]


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    Ethan looked at the massive fortress in the distance that towered above all else in thend.


    The Fortress wasn''t made up of stone but wood, and it gave off a very ancient feeling.


    "I couldn''t enter this cest time because the Stone of Destiny was still sealed," Chloe exined. "Koko also told me thating to this Ancient Ruin might be dangerous, so he advised me to wait until the seal was lifted before I returned."


    Ethan nodded. "You said that the name of this ce is Sylvarath Aelindor, right? What does it mean?"


    "It means, the Protector of the Sylvan Realm," Chloe replied. "Like I told you earlier, this is thest bastion for the Firbolg Race. Their final line of defense to protect their bloodline from being wiped out from existence."


    "... Are you saying that Firbolgs might still be living in that Fortress?" Ethan asked, his gaze turning serious.


    Chloe nodded. "The possibility exists. That''s why I want you to apany me on this exploration. But, know this, Firbolgs aren''t aggressive beings. They are gentle by nature and like to settle things peacefully.


    "They only use violence as ast resort, which is why they chose to flee instead of fighting the Fomorians in Midgard.


    "ording to Koko, the Firbolgs follow the Five Commandments religiously. So, it will be best for you to also know them, so we don''t do anything to offend them."


    Chloe closed her eyes as she tried to remember what Koko had mentioned to him in the past.


    "Protect the bnce of nature," Chloe said. "Their role is to guard the harmony of the natural world against corruption-whether by mortals, monsters, or magic. The forest thrives not in abundance, but in bnce."


    "Their Second Commandment is to speak only when necessary. For them, words carry weight. Speak truthfully, with purpose, and never to harm without cause. Silence is often the greater wisdom."


    The youngdy opened her eyes and nced at Ethan with a smile.


    "Firbolgs cannot lie," Chloe stated. "It goes against their creed. It is very easy to see when a Firbolg lies because they will feel extremely ufortable when they do it.


    "Also, just in case you''re wondering, I have Firbolg blood in my veins. But, unlike the pure- blooded Firbolgs, descendants like us can lie without problems. Things might have been different if I grew up in a Firbolg Community. But that''s not the case, and the culture I''m more familiar with is that of humans, and well."


    The young man smirked because he understood what Chloe was trying to tell him.


    "What''s the Third Commandment?" Ethan inquired.


    "Take only what is needed," Chloe answered. "They will only hunt when it is needed, and they harvest fruit and other edible nts with respect. They will not try to stockpile more than what is needed to ensure that the forest will be able to heal and grow."


    "The Fourth Commandment is to protect the creatures and people who cannot defend themselves. All life has a role in the greater tapestry and deserves respect until its time isplete."


    "Andst but not the least, the Fifth Commandment is to honor the old ways," Chloe said softly. "Remember the teachings of the ancestors and the spirits of the forest. Traditions guide your path, even when the world around you changes."


    A bitter smile appeared on Chloe''s face after saying thestmandment.


    Ethan, on the other hand, was quite impressed with the Five Commandments, with the exception of thest.


    From what he could tell, the Firbolg Race was truly a peace-loving race that hated conflict.


    His only concern was theirstmandment.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Change was inevitable, and those who couldn''t adapt to change would go extinct. Still, since this Domain seemed to be a sealed-offnd, there was no problem with sticking to the Old Ways. As long as they were isted from the rest of the world, they wouldn''t suffer even if they didn''t adjust.


    "Let''s go, Ethan," Chloe said. "If there are indeed Firbolgs living within that fortress, just remember that we are the foreigners in theirnds. Although I believe they won''t hurt us, we still shouldn''t do things that might offend them."


    Ethan nodded. "Understood."


    Summoning his Wind Dancer, the two of them flew towards the Fortress.


    ''Sebastian, do you feel any life within that Fortress?'' Ethan inquired.


    "There are many Firbolgs living inside that Fortress,'' Sebastian replied. ''Even from this distance, I can sense their powerful life energies.''


    Ethan nodded before informing Chloe about the matter.


    The youngdy already expected that there were indeed Firbolgs living inside the Fortress, but she still breathed a sigh of relief because she made the right decision to bring Ethan with her to explore this ce.


    Since there were living Firbolgs inside the Fortress, Ethan decided to not fly over the Fortress and guided the Wind Dancer tond near what seemed to be the main entrance of the


    stronghold.


    Ethan nced at the nearly fifty-meter-tall Wooden Gate that had the same emblem as the one that was on the Stone Gate where they entered earlier.


    The emblem of an olive branch could be seen on the massive gate, which was probably the symbol that represented Sylvarath Aelindor.


    Right beside the Wooden Gate, two trees nearly as tall as the gate stood on its left and right side.


    Just as he was thinking of a way to enter the city, he felt a ripple of magic spread from the two


    trees.


    Suddenly, two people, both of whom stood ten-feet-tall, appeared behind the trees. They looked at Ethan and Chloe with guarded expressions on their faces.


    Ethan observed the two giants, who looked as much like humans as they were.


    One looked like a Barbarian, wearing leather armor with a sword strapped on his back.


    The other Firbolg looked a bit different from his partner. He had long ears that seemed to belong to the Fae, and he was holding a wooden staff in his hand.


    "Are you friends or foe?" the Barbarian-looking Firbolg asked with his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you doing in the Sylvan Realm?"


    "Did you two perhaps appear here by ident?" the Second Firbolg asked, his voice gentle, afraid that he might scare the two humans who suddenly appeared in front of their fortress.


    Ethan and Chloe exchanged a nce and nodded at each other.


    They had already discussed that if they were to meet with any Firbolgs, the one who would do the talking would be Chloe.