Unlike the rapid assault with the Misbegotten on the way there, the return journey took a considerable amount of time because they had to carry the bodies of the Misbegotten who fell in battle, as well as Mills and others who had voluntarily surrendered.
Furthermore, Arthur also followed the marks Rogier had made on the map, conveniently picking up the hidden treasures on his way back.
It was early June when Arthur arrived in Thorndale, and by the time he returned, it was almost the end of the month.
He had been away for nearly a month. When Arthur returned to his territory, he immediately noticed that the Erdtree had grown taller and larger by several degrees.
It was afternoon, and sunlight spilled across the boundless plains, with a few white clouds drifting in the sky.
Mills and the others saw a tall castle and a towering tree within it from afar. A little girl, obediently sitting on Torrent's back, asked Arthur, who was leading Torrent by his side, in a clear, crisp voice, "Sir wizard, is that your territory? That tree is so tall and bright!"
Arthur was still marveling at how quickly the Erdtree had grown in just under a month. Upon hearing the little girl's words, he immediately smiled and said, "Yes, that is the Erdtree. This tree is very magical; it will make you no longer afraid of catching colds or getting sick."
"Can it bring my dad back to life?" the little girl asked with a touch of longing.
When Mills heard the question the little girl asked, he immediately whispered nervously, "Doris, don't ask strange questions. Be sensible and don't trouble Sir Arthur."
Arthur first waved his hand, indicating to Mills that he didn't mind, then seriously answered the little girl's question: "I'm very sorry, the dead cannot be brought back to life. I cannot revive your father, but he surely wants you and your mother to live well."
"Sorry, Sir Arthur, Doris just misses her father too much," the little girl's mother came over, apologizing cautiously while subtly patting the little girl's back.
Although the little girl was a bit disappointed after hearing Arthur's words, her mother's pat made her realize she had asked an inappropriate question, and she immediately apologized: "I'm sorry, Sir Arthur..."
Even the other two little boys sitting on Torrent's back followed suit and apologized, and the adults around them stopped talking, holding their breath and not daring to speak easily.
These people were afraid that the little girl would displease their future lord.
How cruel were your previous lords, to make you so terrified just because a child asked a question? I'm not going to eat you.
Arthur grumbled inwardly while signaling that the matter was over.
However, he understood what his status as lord meant to Mills and the others, and he understood why Mills and the others were nervous, as these people's fates were truly in Arthur's hands.
The Misbegotten, who had once been slaves, also understood the thoughts of these people and cast sympathetic glances at Mills and his companions.
The group fell into silence, and even the three children sitting on Torrent's back instinctively sat up straight.
Just as Arthur was trying to think of something to say to break the awkward atmosphere, a patrol of Haight soldiers discovered them and immediately came over to greet them.
"Arthur, Your Majesty, congratulations on your victorious return from battle."
The leading Royal Army soldier, along with his comrades and auxiliary troops behind him, knelt on one knee in unison directly in front of Arthur, speaking in a loud and respectful voice.
Your Majesty?
Mills heard the soldiers' address and his heart skipped a beat. He exchanged glances with his compatriots who had heard the same address.
It seemed Sir Arthur's status was even nobler than they had imagined. The admiration and fanaticism in the soldiers' eyes when they looked at Arthur were almost overflowing.
Mills had no doubt that even if Sir Arthur ordered them to commit suicide, they would not hesitate.
Arthur stepped forward, openly accepting the soldiers' kneeling salute, then told them to rise and spoke to the patrol leader: "Thank you for your hard work on patrol. Send someone to inform Kenneth Haight that we have local refugees here who have pledged allegiance to our Erdtree. Have him arrange a separate area and find suitable lodging for these people."
Arthur was not yet clear about the Golden Lineage's acceptance of outsiders. If he rashly allowed Mills and these other outsiders to live among the Golden Lineage right away, he worried it might cause conflicts.
After all, even the Dwarves and Elves living in this world had conflicts, let alone people whose values and living habits were completely different.
And it was also fortunate that the lion hybrid's expedition to Thorndale this time took all the Misbegotten away.
Otherwise, Arthur would probably have a headache dealing with the triple relationship between the Golden Lineage, the Misbegotten, and the local refugees.
Accepting outsiders must be done gradually; one cannot try to do too much at once.
The patrol leader immediately nodded and replied, "Yes, Arthur, Your Majesty. We can also help escort them back to Haight Fort. We have just finished our patrol in this area and are preparing to return to Haight Fort."
Arthur glanced at the still-frozen Misbegotten corpses, thought for a moment, and then agreed to the soldier captain's suggestion: "Very well. I still need to return these glorious fallen Misbegotten to the tree, so I will leave these people to you. Please note that these people have just been freed from the orcs' enslavement and have traveled a long way, so their bodies are quite weak. Arrange a place for them to rest and food to fill their stomachs as soon as possible."
The soldier captain stood at attention: "Understood, Arthur, Your Majesty."
Then the soldier captain waved behind him, instructing his team members to go and help Mills and the others carry their worn-out bundles, which could barely be called "luggage."
Arthur approached Mills and the others, who were bewildered by the soldiers' enthusiasm but dared not move, and said, "Mills, you don't need to worry. These soldiers will take you to Haight Fort, and then there will be special people to arrange your lodging. Of course, it won't be like the orcs' communal housing, but your own individual houses."
Mills could only nod blankly. At this point, they could only choose to trust Arthur.
Arthur's behavior along the way also made Mills and the others willing to trust him.
"See you at dinner; I will come then to supervise them and make sure they have arranged your lodging properly." Arthur's words served as a reassurance for Mills and the others, allowing them to leave with the soldiers.
The two groups separated, and Arthur led the Misbegotten towards Morne Castle.
Mills saw the soldiers cast envious glances in the direction Arthur had left. Following their gaze, he found that they were envying the frozen Misbegotten corpses.
This made him curious, and he speculated that it might be some custom of the Erdtree, but he was afraid that asking rashly would displease the soldiers.
However, the captain, who had recovered his senses, noticed Mills's hesitant expression and proactively said, "Are you curious why we envy those Misbegotten corpses?"
Mills nodded repeatedly.
The captain looked back again, saying with contentment, "Because they can return to the tree..."
Return to the tree?
Although Mills was unsure of the specific meaning of "return to the tree" from the soldier captain's mouth, he made a mental note of the phrase.
Meanwhile, Arthur, upon getting closer, realized that the Erdtree's appearance was somewhat off.
It wasn't that there was a problem with the Erdtree itself, but simply that its external appearance was a bit unusual.
Arthur noticed that the Erdtree, which had originally grown straight upwards, began to branch out from a certain point on its trunk.
Golden light shone through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the starting point of the branch.
From that moment on, the trunk was no longer monotonous.
It began to grow in an incredible double helix structure, spiraling upwards in an intertwining manner, like the tightly entwined arms of a pair of lovers, weaving a sight Arthur had never seen in The Lands Between.
No, wait. This is the Erdtree's original, normal appearance. The Erdtree in the Royal Capital of Leyndell was tampered with.
Arthur suddenly realized that he had actually seen this situation in The Lands Between, but in The Lands Between, the double helix Erdtree was separated.
One tree was in the center of the Royal Capital of Leyndell, while the other was separated on the dark side, where all records and traces had been erased.
Arthur looked at the branch that emitted a noticeably weaker but still pure golden glow compared to the other end, and couldn't help but blurt out in a low voice: "Shadow Tree?"