Chapter 237: Act 4 – The Letter (4) (Double Beg for Monthly Votes, Second Update)
“Wait a minute,” Andrew interrupted Count Rendener as he spoke eloquently, “my Lord, what do you mean when you say Valhalla has always existed in this forest?”
“It means exactly what it says,” Brendel replied.
The Druid Elder shook his head. “Impossible,” he asserted. “If Valhalla were in the forest, we would not have been completely unaware—” Andrew suddenly became alert, realizing that Brendel might be trying to probe him, as they had originally come for Funiya. Somehow, he had let slip so many words, some of which even touched on the core content of the prophecy of Nia. He paused and abruptly stopped, “My Lord, let’s return to the original topic!”
But Brendel shook his head, “We have been discussing serious matters,” he said, “since Funiya has given me the authority to decide this matter, you cannot convince me, and you won’t take her a step away from this territory.” He saw Andrew raise an eyebrow, ready to speak, but interrupted him, “No need for unnecessary words. I know as much about you Druids as you know about yourselves.” Brendel said coldly, “Whether it’s the Stone Meld or the Forest Trace, either way, I have ways to capture you; feel free to try.”
Upon hearing Brendel mention those two spells, Andrew gave up on forcibly taking Funiya away. Mortals had a very shallow understanding of Druids, but this young man in front of him was clearly an exception. If he could accurately name his thoughts, it was unlikely to be an empty threat. After a brief hesitation, he replied, “Then, my Lord, what do you mean? We have made ourselves very clear. I believe you should trust everything we say, even swearing by Lady Nia’s name—we mean no harm to Miss Funiya; we only wish to take her to complete the necessary rituals to become a Druid.”
“Don’t you want to ignite the flame of Valhalla?” Brendel asked.
All three Druids were momentarily taken aback.
“What are you trying to say, my Lord?” The young man named Reid, who had been eager to speak behind Andrew, finally chimed in, “Of course, we want to ignite the flame of Valhalla; this is one of our main goals in monitoring the influence of magic on the natural boundaries in the Black Forest. Druids believe in Lady Martha as well, and this has been our longstanding agreement.” He replied, “But forgive me for saying so, my Lord, I don’t quite understand your meaning.”
“My meaning is very simple,” Brendel replied, “Valhalla has always existed within the forest!” He looked at Funiya and suddenly realized, “I understand now; you seem to have a misconception. In fact, what I meant about the Saintess in the woods awakening isn’t about igniting the flame but activating one of Valhalla’s abilities.” The young man paused for a moment, leaning back in his chair with a playful look, fingers intertwined as he replied, “Let’s make a deal.”
“What deal?”
“Help me find Valhalla, and I will ignite the flame for you—” Brendel articulated clearly.
“So you intend to become the natural lord of Valhalla in the guise of a Pioneer Knight?” Andrew gave Brendel a glance, realizing his true intention: “Actually, this proposal isn’t without merit. The Druids have no desire for power, but,” he shifted his tone, “I must reiterate, Valhalla is not in the forest; it is merely a legend.”
Brendel shook his head. “Well then, let me put it another way; I don’t need you to help me find Valhalla,” he replied, “I need you to delve deep into the forest and help me find a ruin.”
“A ruin?”
Are there ruins in the forest?
Reid suddenly whispered, “Elder, isn’t that the ruin we found last time at the edge of the Wind Ring?”
Andrew suddenly reacted, raising his head to stare at Brendel, questioning, “Are you sure that ruin is Valhalla? But I saw that ruin with my own eyes; it was simply a fragmented heap of ruins. It is normal for humans to have ventured deep into the Black Forest, leaving behind remnants of towns. However, we have thoroughly searched the area around the ruins and found no evidence related to the flame.”
Brendel listened and mentally checked through his thoughts. He asked, “The Wind Ring you’re speaking of, is it the monsoon pathway that surrounds the Karanjar Mountain range?”
The Druid Elder was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.
“That’s right,” Brendel affirmed. What he knew of Valhalla was indeed established on the monsoon pathway of the Karanjar Mountain range, where the abundant summer rains from the Sea of Mourning facilitated a flourishing cultivation within the territory. But that was not the key point; Brendel suppressed his excitement, “How long ago did you discover that ruin?”
Andrew, influenced by his seriousness, couldn’t help but respond earnestly, “About three years ago.”
“Can it still be confirmed in which direction?”
“It’s hard to say,” Andrew shook his head, “In fact, that discovery was also accidental; we ventured deep along the Karanjar Mountain range to investigate the ecology of the depths of the Black Forest. If we want to find that place now, we will probably have to dispatch an expedition team again. However, with a general direction, it won’t take too much time,” he looked up, “Will my Lord go with us?”
Brendel shook his head. “No, I don’t have time for that right now,” he replied, “Complete this deal: you send someone to find that place, and once there’s concrete information, immediately notify me—” He looked at the three Druids. This deal was indeed unilateral in his favor, yet Brendel understood that Druids never thought this way. These beings living in the Black Forest held no regard for fame or profit, and dealing with them required clarity on their interests.
The flame of Valhalla was an irresistible temptation for these Druids.
Andrew and the two young men behind him nodded in agreement. From their perspective, Brendel’s proposal was equally beneficial with no downside. However, Antinna had been quietly listening to their conversation, and the previous situation had made it difficult for her to interject. But now that she found a moment to speak, as soon as Andrew accepted Brendel’s proposal, she immediately chimed in, “You’ve taken Funiya away, but her relatives in Viridien Village are still in Baron Fir’s domain. Count Rendener’s revenge might fall upon this place at any moment; haven’t you considered this?”
Andrew glanced at the noble daughter, and her alarming words made him furrow his brow. “Rest assured, my Lord. When I return to the council, you will receive the assistance of the Druids, but just as we mentioned before, we have a condition.”
Brendel looked at Funiya, who nodded. “Speak,” he asked.
“Our obligation is limited to defending your interests in Baron Fir’s domain,” the Druid looked at the young man, as if discerning the ambition hidden in Brendel’s eyes—he knew that the intentions of this young man might exceed that. But Andrew did not want the Druids to be tied to Brendel’s war chariot, so he reminded him, “Apart from this, we will not provide any more assistance.”
He anticipated some bargaining as expected, but to his surprise, Brendel nodded, “Druids are typically neutral; I’m already very satisfied with your words. So be it.” He thought for a moment and added, “But one more thing—the scope of protection also includes Valhalla.”
Andrew was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, “Certainly.”
Brendel secretly laughed to himself, thinking these fellows had been in the forest so long that they had dulled their own wits. Although the old adage about understanding human hearts was undoubtedly superior to Grudin’s ilk, they still fell short. The Druids were aware of his plans but overlooked the ambitions of other nobles. Just like the current situation of Toniger—Count Rendener would surely not let this matter rest; war was inevitable. Furthermore, even if one battle were to settle down, other nobles would also covet such a legendary territory as Valhalla. Human greed knows no bounds, and once he tied their benefits together, it would be only a matter of time before they boarded the war chariot.
Brendel understood well that he needed to save the crumbling Erluin from impending doom, and to combat the tremendous inertia of history, he must seek more allies. Toniger’s Druids were an opportunity and also a part of his already devised plan; this was a step forward for him, and after this step, whether great or small, history would change forever.
But he paused and looked at Funiya, asking, “Funiya, becoming a Druid is not an easy task. Although you are chosen by the Goddess Nia, one’s fate ultimately relies on one’s own grasp. Even if you stay here, you can learn many things.” He paused and softened his voice, “So do you still want to go with Andrew and the others?”
His words surprised everyone and especially Andrew. In the hearts of the three Druids, Brendel was no different from other nobles of Erluin, but at this moment, there was a slight shift in their attitudes.
But Funiya hesitated for a moment, then nodded resolutely. “I want to go, Brother Brendel,” she replied.
“Why?” Fleur looked at Andrew and the others with suspicion; unlike Brendel, she was not as familiar with Druids—she was very angry about Brendel handing Funiya over, but due to her identity, she couldn’t refute it. “Isn’t it better here, Funiya? Why go into the forest?”
Funiya raised her small face to look at Antinna, “Because Sister Antinna,” she answered seriously.
“I?” The noble daughter was taken aback.
“Sister Antinna has said that one cannot rely on others,” the little girl replied brightly, “Brother Brendel is very kind to me, but I cannot just accept without doing anything. Uncle Andrew said that once I become a Druid, I will have abilities similar to theirs.” She paused, taking a breath, “Then, I will be able to protect the people of the village.”
Brendel’s gaze softened.
“Well said,” he responded.
…… (To be continued. To know what happens next, please log in; there are more chapters. Support the author, support legitimate reading!)
