"What did the Elven Council replied?" Mark asked, his voice calm yet tinged with a seriousness that made everyone glance at Nichole, waiting for his answer.
To that, Nichole responded with a subtle frustration, "They said that the caretaker of the World Tree is too young and is not experienced enough to handle a case as complex as this one."
Hearing that, Alice leaned forward slightly, her brows furrowed with concern as she asked, "Did you not even ask them to try, just once? Was there no room for negotiation or trust in their ability?"
Before Nichole could say anything, Maelis — Irvin's father — let out a low, derisive chuckle, and with an expression that carried both sarcasm and superiority, he turned to Alice and said,
"Why are you suddenly acting like you care? Weren't you the one who thought this was all nonsense just few weeks ago, claiming it wasn't worth worrying about?"
Alice's eyes instantly narrowed, her calm expression became dark as she stared at him.
