Chapter 187: The Return (Part 2)

  Under the cover of night, Oufu's grand army finally began its attack on the Church's allied forces a hundred li away. This was Oufu's first offensive, but it would also absolutely be the most unforgettable attack for all the human soldiers.

  The generals of the allied forces were not ignorant laymen when it came to war. Having fought on battlefields for so many years, they naturally had arrangements for a rearguard and naturally had defenses, but that was all experience gained from battles between human forces. Oufu had never fought the allied forces head-on with its troops from beginning to end; that was because they did not want to expose the actual combat capabilities of their troops. The orcs' marching speed, marching methods, combat strength, impact ability, etc., and the tactics designed for these would absolutely be unforeseeable by the allied generals. Oufu's attack after enduring for so long, this pursuit could already be easily foreseen to be a one-sided slaughter.

  The leader of the troops was naturally Gru, and the commander was Lord Bolgan. Sedros himself did not go with the attack; he stayed in Oufu. Now, only he and Ethan were in the empty City Hall.

  "If I remember correctly, I still owe you two months now," Ethan said, lighting the oil lamp on the wall. Although the red lamplight was dazzling, it could not illuminate much in the vast, dark space.

  "Two months and four days, which is to say, sixty days. In another sixty days, our agreement will be fulfilled," Sedros added softly. He lay in the chair with his eyes closed, his thumbs slowly rubbing his temples. Under the light of the lamp, his wrinkles appeared even more like deep ravines. These ornaments of wisdom and experience now fully showed the fatigue and listlessness of an old man. The leader who, just moments ago, was so spirited, so full of passion and strength amidst the thousands of orcs, now looked like an empty sack, seemingly without even the strength to speak loudly.

  Many unprocessed documents were scattered and piled on the table. Under the conditions of war, he still had to maintain Oufu's normal operation and a certain speed of development. How to arrange and coordinate all available resources and manpower in the most reasonable way, how to formulate systems to operate... Ethan knew that Sedros, as the city lord, was busier than ten leaders in the ordinary sense. Let alone leisure, even his daily sleep could only be maintained for about three to four hours. Ethan often wondered how such an old man could have so much energy and such great perseverance to undertake such a hugely consuming job.

  "What's wrong? Eager to finish your work and leave? I thought you were having a good time with that Drow." Sedros opened his eyes slightly and glanced at him.

  "Not at all... It's just that there's nothing to do." Ethan's face couldn't help but turn slightly red. He had no interest in managing internal affairs, and neither Sedros nor Lord Bolgan would let him do these things, so during this time, he and the Drow were the most leisurely people in Oufu.

  Sedros smiled and said: "You'll have something to do very soon. Rest assured, I have never been one to waste things, so I will make good use of these sixty days of yours."

  "Another assassination? Or some kind of conspiracy? Or are you asking me to follow the main army to hunt down the allied forces..."

  Sedros smiled bitterly: "You make it sound as if I'm a great villain from a story..." He then sighed weakly again. "But in the end. It seems I've always been doing things like this... I never thought I would one day personally order the massacre of tens of thousands of people..."

  "I also remember you once said that war is the most boring way to resolve things. And that using battle to nurture hatred is the most foolish thing."

  "I still believe so to this day." Sedros still had a weak, bitter smile. "But now, besides these most boring and foolish methods, I truly have no other choice. I never thought things would come to this..."

  "You didn't expect it?" Ethan was taken aback. This might be possible with other matters or other people, but for someone like Sedros, who had painstakingly spent his life's blood to build the city of Oufu, it was truly unlikely that he wouldn't have anticipated such a situation.

  Sedros let out a long sigh: "It should be said that I didn't expect Ronis to die just as Oufu was being established. It was long certain that Celeste and Diya Valley would not allow Oufu to exist. But with his restraint within the Church and his suppression of the Necromancer Guild, this war would absolutely not have started. And as long as Oufu had more than ten years to develop, perhaps neither Celeste nor Diya Valley would be anything to fear."

  "Perhaps." Ethan nodded. He had witnessed Oufu's development step by step. In less than two years, this city had already reached an astonishing scale. The efficiency of the orcs under Sedros's orderly management was truly incomparable to humans. With enough time for the population to be replenished and grow, and for resources to accumulate, perhaps they truly would not need to fear the Church.

  "Once Ronis died, both Celeste and Diya Valley were actually eyeing Ainfast, but they both had their own reservations. And I also knew that neither Roland nor my apprentice would let the Church meddle in the Magic Academy, so I had been quite at ease." Sedros's voice sank. "But I just received another piece of news... The Pope has appointed a new Cardinal to go to the Magic Academy as Ronis's successor. Celeste has not announced this publicly; even only a few Cardinals know of it. My informant only knew of it by eavesdropping on a conversation between two Cardinals. It seems this matter is likely not simple."

  "You have informants in Celeste too?" Ethan was quite surprised. Although he knew Sedros had many informants, and one of Oufu's great advantages over the allied forces was that there were Oufu's spies hidden within the allied forces, while it was impossible for there to be human spies among the orcs, he never thought there were also people collecting information for the orcs at the Church's headquarters, The Radiant Citadel.

  "Not strange. Under any circumstances, people are always the easiest to bribe, at least much easier than orcs." Sedros snorted lightly. "This is also why I called you here. I believe Magnus wouldn't act without purpose, inexplicably sending someone who would have no effect."

  "You want me to kill this new Cardinal? What kind of person is he?" Ethan felt a bit of a wry smile as he asked this question. If that was the case, then the crimes he had committed against the Church of Light would be not only unprecedented but likely never to be repeated. Indeed, no matter how vicious and evil a person was, they would not specifically seek out a Cardinal of the Church to assassinate.

  A strange expression appeared on Sedros's face as he said: "According to the report, this new Cardinal is named Javi. He was previously just a very young Templar, promoted exceptionally to this position because of his outstanding achievements... This matter is a bit strange. No matter what the achievements, it shouldn't be enough for Magnus to entrust such a heavy responsibility to a young man who has been in The Radiant Citadel for less than a year... By the way, one of this Templar's achievements was rescuing a Temple Knight on the battlefield. It should be that fellow who rescued the bow-wielding Temple Knight from your hands. Do you have any impression of him?"

  "I didn't see him. At that time, a large squad of elite swordsmen came, and our side had suffered losses in the previous battle, so we didn't dare to clash head-on... But..." Ethan hesitated. For some reason, a figure he had seen in the Tulalion Forest suddenly popped into his mind. There was no reason to believe that person was this new Cardinal; it was just a strange, simple intuition that made him retrieve this image from his memory.

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  "But what?" Sedros asked.

  "Nothing, I must have remembered wrong." Ethan shook his head. After all, intuition could not be used for inference. "Should I kill him?"

  "It would naturally be good if you can kill him... But I advise you to be careful. I don't have the mental energy to spare to ponder and investigate the things about this person, but this should not be an easy matter to deal with... It's best for you to first infiltrate the Magic Academy and then act according to the circumstances."

  "Go back to Ainfast?" Ethan thought for a moment and smiled. "Perfect, I was originally planning to go back and have a look."

  "Be careful yourself. Although this matter is very important, neither Gru nor I have the mind to spare on that front. No matter what happens, we won't be able to send you reinforcements." He paused, sighed, and then said. "This may be the last task I give you. But as long as you complete it, so that the hands of both Celeste and Diya Valley cannot reach into the Magic Academy, and Ainfast can continue to maintain peace with Oufu, then there is still hope here for me."

  "I understand. I'll prepare to leave immediately."

  A blue light suddenly flashed outside the window, appearing especially dazzling in the dark night. It was the light of a teleportation magic circle.

  At noon, the teleportation magic circle in Diya Valley lit up, and a figure appeared in the valley.

  This was a gorgeously dressed middle-aged man. Although some signs of fatigue could be seen, the feeling he gave was one of tidiness that comes from meticulous grooming. His clothes, hair, and accessories were all bright and dazzling. His skin was fair, delicate, and well-maintained. Even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and his fine hairs seemed to have been meticulously groomed and sculpted by ten young maidens.

  "Thank the Lord, Norbolin, you've come at just the right time. Praise the great Archibald, it must be he who summoned you back. I went through great trouble to come here and must return to Celeste immediately, and I was just worrying that there was no one here." Bishop Adela, his face full of anxiety, walked over from nearby. His somewhat incoherent words revealed his current state of mind.

  "What's wrong, calm down. Respected Cardinal, Lord Archibald surely wouldn't like to hear you placing him after the Lord."

  "This is how it is, Javi has been sent to Ainfast by His Majesty Magnus..."

  The middle-aged man's face also became a bit unsightly after hearing this, but he quickly thought for a moment and then said: "But this doesn't seem like such a terrible thing, right? Since that young man is so confident, he must have his reasons. Although I also don't think he's likely to handle Sandro and then take control of the Magic Academy, he should be more than capable of protecting himself. The respected Sandro wouldn't do something as graceless as wantonly attacking a junior, would he? We should have faith in the wisdom and confidence of the young. Javi's mind is absolutely capable of handling any problem that arises, and his going there as a Cardinal is undoubtedly the safest way. Even if he is discovered, those people will be wary of his status and not act rashly. Do you think, given this delicate relationship, they would dare let a Pope-appointed Cardinal have an accident in Ainfast just based on suspicion?"

  "Then we must also inform Inham of this as soon as possible, to see who can go to Ainfast to look after him... His Majesty the Pope is watching me very closely during this time; I can't get away."

  The middle-aged man shook his head and said: "Regrettably. It's not just that you can't get away; I see that none of us can get away now. As for Javi, he can only rely on himself. I think the acting guild leader will definitely think so too, because we may soon have more important things to do."

  Adela looked at the middle-aged man, stunned, and said: "What do you mean?"

  "The gains from my trip to Nighon this time are so great, they will absolutely surprise you."

  "Has Nighon agreed not to attack Erathia before dealing with Oufu?"

  "Not just that. Do you remember the matter you asked me to investigate along the way?"

  "That one about..."

  "I not only inquired clearly about that matter with High Priest Tima. Most crucially, High Priest Tima also wishes to join our Diya Valley and become a noble and elegant Necromancer."

  "What?" Adela showed a very strange expression. "I'm afraid... that's not quite appropriate..."

  "Rest assured, whether it's High Priest Tima's peerless magical skill, his incomparably noble status in Nighon, or his wise mind, all of these are impeccable and fully meet the qualifications to become a Necromancer, and he is worthy of receiving the approval of the sacred The Black Star."

  "But... this High Priest should be a..."

  "If High Priest Tima joins Diya Valley, you can imagine how great an impact this would have on the great Necromancer Guild. Perhaps at that time, even Celeste will be under our influence." The middle-aged man's eyes flashed with a gleam, a light unique to merchants, a reflection of seeing countless shining gold coins, or rather, a benefit of immense proportions.

  Adela frowned and shook his head lightly. Although he couldn't say this was a bad thing, he felt that kind of gaze didn't quite match a Necromancer: "Although I don't quite agree, let's wait for Inham to return and hold a meeting to decide."

  About a li north of Oufu, a vast, boundless expanse of green was swaying in the wind.

  This was originally an image completely out of tune with the Barbarian Highlands. In this season, only the hardiest plants with the most tenacious life force could grow on the barren land of the highlands, but these were actually crops that should have been planted in the warm, humid south. Moreover, the growth momentum of these crops was so good, they had ten times the vitality and growing strength of crops in fertile fields bathed in spring rain and dew.

  Although the land here was a mixture of fertile soil dug from the Lizard Marsh at great human cost and local sand, and there was also a man-made ditch dozens of li long that brought water from the Donor River for irrigation, this was not the main reason for the excellent growth of the crops here. In the middle of these hundred mu of fertile land, over a hundred magic circles were at work, dispersing inexhaustible magical energy into the soil.

  Although the magical materials consumed by these magic circles were not top-tier, the cumulative quantity of over a hundred of them, if converted into money, would be enough to cover this hundred mu of land with copper coins. These crops were deservedly the most expensive on the continent, but correspondingly, their efficiency was also the highest on the continent. The magic circles were made by elven sorcerers, and the natural magic power within them not only allowed these crops to grow ten times more vigorously than under normal circumstances, but their growth rate was also ten times faster, allowing for a harvest every month.

  At the edge of this miraculous fertile field stood two old men talking to each other. One was the owner of this field, the other its creator. These two, who should have a very good relationship, had been standing by the field for a long time, haggling for a long time, and even the few young people behind them had long begun to show impatient expressions.

  Finally, after half a day of negotiation and haggling, the two sighed in relief at the same time, looked at each other and smiled, declaring the end of this battle. One of the old men waved a hand to signal those behind, and an elven maiden, so beautiful that she completely overshadowed the boundless green vitality, walked over.

  "May Mafa forgive me..." Luya sighed, taking out a small pouch of seeds and handing it to Elder Lloyd.

  Elder Lloyd took the small pouch of seeds with a bitter smile. Looking at Luya's eyes, although there was bitterness, there was more doting love: "It's not your fault. Mafa understands your piety and purity. I will bear everything."

  After Elder Lloyd took the seeds, he then handed them to Sedros, and Sedros also took two blue magic gems from his robe and handed them to Lloyd.

  A layer of strange magical energy swirled around these two magic gems. If any other sorcerer had seen this transaction, the only thought would be that these two old men had gone mad, because the top-tier magic gems, of which there are no more than a dozen on the entire continent, the Star-Eye, were being used to trade for such a small pouch of seeds.

  Sedros took the pouch of seeds, looked reluctantly at the Star-Eye in Elder Lloyd's hand, and smiled bitterly: "Is such exaggeration necessary? It's just a transaction, do we still need Mafa's forgiveness?"

  "Using the power of the Leaves of the World Tree to forcibly change the growth nature of a creature, these crop seeds, strictly speaking, are no longer plants that should exist in this world. In essence, this is the same as Necromancers creating undead like zombies and skeletons, no, it can even be said to be an even more wicked act. These plants may disrupt the balance of nature; they are not things born of nature."

  Sedros said with a smile: "But it's just making these crops easier to grow, yielding more food, and having a shorter growth cycle. In my opinion, this is simply a good deed that benefits the world. Mafa should be pleased by such a magnificent feat."

  Elder Lloyd snorted disdainfully, looking at this man, who was undoubtedly one of the wisest in the world, and said: "The laws of heaven and earth, of nature, how can they be fathomed by the likes of you and me? A feat in the eyes of man may ultimately evolve into a disaster for the entire world."

  Sedros shrugged and said: "Compared to such distant things, I only care whether this small pouch can truly free Oufu from food problems forever."

  "Rest assured, these plants are different from the crops nurtured by these magic circles. Although their speed and yield, etc., will not match the effects of this magical power, they have fundamentally altered the attributes of the plants. They and their descendants will no longer need any external force to possess nearly the ultimate growth and reproductive power of plants. The land of the Barbarian Highlands is barren to other plants, but to them, it is equivalent to fertile soil piled with fertilizer. As long as they are carefully cultivated and reproduce a generation in two months, I dare guarantee your orcs will never go hungry."

  "Truly amazing power. Otherwise, just maintaining these magic circles would eventually drain me into a pauper." Sedros clutched the small pouch in his hand, sighed in satisfaction, the wrinkles on his face showing a vitality and energy unseen for a long time. He intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Luya. "Actually, with the power of you elves, as long as you unite with Oufu, where would you need to expend such great effort to move and hide? If you just think a little deeper, you will know that if the Leaves of the World Tree are used well, it is absolutely a power that can change heaven and earth. Even if you have no ambition, it is more than enough for self-preservation. You could easily defend against both the Church and the Necromancer Guild. For example, that ancient elven War Ancient Tree could actually..."

  "Don't mislead the young." Elder Lloyd waved his hand, interrupting Sedros, and sighed: "No matter the motive, the pursuit of power is the beginning of destruction. Power will eventually break free from control and tear you to shreds. This world is already being driven off course by desire, so I would rather become a sinner in Mafa's eyes, just to lead the elves home. Let us return to the Whispering Woods; that is enough to resist those external disturbances. As for you humans, if you want to fill your world with filth and chaos, let you be."

  Elder Lloyd looked back at Ethan behind him and said: "What do you say, young man? Consider this one last favor for us."

  Ethan shrugged and replied: "It doesn't matter. It's probably something that can be done within these sixty days anyway, and I'm just passing by."

  Elder Lloyd nodded, "Truly a trustworthy tone. Worthy of someone who has the right to possess the power of the Leaves of the World Tree and the Sunwell."