Chapter 242: Act 9 – The Territory (3) (Second Update, Please Subscribe and Vote for the Month)
“Yet I am a royalist,” the elder shook his head, “Do you think, my lord, I would agree?” He raised the water bag in his hand, “Or do you believe that a little kindness would be enough to sway me?”
“Master, you might as well let me finish,” Brendel replied, “Different matters hold different significance in various circumstances. Failing to adapt is a path to self-destruction. Lord Everton’s lesson, I am sure Master Berun has experienced first-hand.”
The elder let out a gentle hum, “Then tell me, young man.”
“Less than two weeks ago, with Queen Anna’s support, the eldest son of the king has already announced his succession,” Brendel answered, “Except for the Siphai family, he has backing from Marquis Clough of the Thornflower and his faction. Although Master Berun has been imprisoned for over three years, you must know who these people are.”
Berun gasped, “How could Clough hold the kingdom? What are Lord O’Falle and the others doing?” Suddenly he stopped, “What about Her Majesty?”
Brendel remained silent, only watching him.
The elder was momentarily stunned, his pale hair trembled, the wrinkles on his face deepened significantly, as if he’d aged ten years in an instant. “How could… how could it be… if that’s the case… our efforts have been in vain…” He muttered to himself for a while, but being a person who had weathered storms, he eventually stabilized himself and asked, “Alright, Lord O’Falle cannot be a mediocre individual. Tell me, my lord — they must have some reason to allow that clown Clough to seize the opportunity, right?”
Brendel nodded, though he thought to himself that Marquis Clough was no clown; he was one of the core members of the unity of all things, how could he be considered insignificant? Nevertheless, he slowly narrated a series of events that had occurred since the Black Rose War, and from his words, the significance of this war transformed completely, for at that moment, no one in all of Erluin likely understood better than him what astounding changes were happening in that dark neighboring country.
“Are you saying that Madara is invading?”
“Exactly.”
Berun’s complexion grew increasingly worse, and he finally raised his hand to interrupt, “So then, everything traces back to the Mercury Staff you mentioned?” A glimmer of light flashed in the elder’s murky pupils, “Are you saying that the Mercury Staff has returned to the world? That staff of Loki?”
Brendel was taken aback; he hadn’t anticipated that this master craftsman would know of such a thing. After all, the legend of the Mercury Staff was not widely circulated in the human world. Even in the game, players from Erluin and other human worlds only pieced together a series of background stories and quests related to the Mercury Staff in the second year.
“You know about the Mercury Staff,” Brendel asked, “Master Berun?”
“Of course,” Berun replied.
He suddenly dusted off his chest and stood up. Although somewhat unsteady, he still managed to straighten himself up: “I not only know of the Mercury Staff, but I also know the origin of that legendary Staff of Darkness.”
“Oh?” A trace of surprise flickered in Brendel’s eyes. Even in the game, he had never heard of the origins of the Mercury Staff; he only knew it first appeared in the hands of Loki and then, after countless years of silence, re-emerged in the land of Madara, where darkness thrives. However, what history it had prior to that, and whether it had belonged to that deity, he was completely unaware. What surprised him was that he hadn’t expected there to be an additional plot here, but he was unsure how much this master craftsman really knew.
“There is not just one Mercury Staff.” To Brendel, Berun’s first words felt like a paralysis struck him in place.
“What?”
“In fact, it is a set of divine artifacts,” the master craftsman said lightly, “I previously thought it was merely a legend, but today, my lord, you say the Mercury Staff has returned to the world, which means that this legend may be turning into reality. The next one—” He paused, lifted his gaze and stared intently at the young man, his murky eyes seeming to become unusually bright at that moment, “will be the Fire Scepter.”
“The Fire Scepter?” Brendel was slightly stunned, “What is that?” His curiosity intensified; he was confident he had acquired enough knowledge in the game, yet he had no recollection of whatever this master craftsman mentioned, not even the slightest impression. Logically speaking, treasures of this caliber would make waves the moment they appeared, just as the Mercury Staff did back in the day. Although Madara tightly sealed the information, it only took a year for it to be confirmed among players.
“My lord, have you heard the legend of the Four Sages?”
“Of course,” Brendel nodded, “The King of Flames, Gilt, Queen Saint Ausoor, High Priest Fanzan, and Saint Erlandta, how could I not know?”
Berun’s eyes flickered as if his gaze transcended millennia, returning to the era of the War of the Saints. He spoke with a reminiscing tone: “Back then, Gilt, Ausoor, Fanzan, and Erlandta gained the approval of the ancient kings to defeat the dark dragon.” He turned back, “This is recorded in the Crusian epic, the Poem of Light; surely, you are not unaware?”
“The four ‘Hermits’ defeated the ‘Emperor’ of darkness—” Brendel instinctively read aloud. But then he suddenly froze, and a scene appeared before him: in the darkness, beneath a bright, full moon, a tall, dark tower reached for the sky. He felt as if he were standing on a vast land, looking up at the endless tower that pierced the clouds, evoking a sense of smallness within him. He couldn’t help but shake his head to clear the illusion from his mind, and in a flash, he returned to reality.
“My lord?” Xi, who was beside him, noticed the beads of sweat suddenly forming on Brendel’s forehead, glistening in the light of the torch, and couldn’t help but ask quietly.
But Brendel shook his head, indicating there was nothing wrong. He took a breath, some doubts lingering in his mind, but he only asked, “I understand. What next?”
The elder glanced at him, “The four sages retrieved four divine artifacts from the ancient kings’ valleys, specifically the Fire Scepter—Odrefice.”
“Wait—” Brendel interjected, “Odrefice? Isn’t that the sword of the King of Flames, Gilt, known as the Flame Sword?” When he saw the craftsman staring motionlessly at him, he suddenly realized and subconsciously glanced at the Wind Queen’s ring on his hand, “So, the Wind Queen’s Hydra Ring, the Holy Right of Olamisol, the Holy Lance of Cangkong, all of these are…?”
Berun nodded.
The young lord was silent for a moment: “How did Master Berun come to know of all this?”
The elder looked at him, and quietly asked, “Do you believe an old man like me can trust you?”
Brendel was momentarily taken aback but exhaled, nodding, “I understand. But Master Berun, what have you considered regarding my previous proposal?”
“Before that, I have a question,” the elder replied, “Since you understand what the Mercury Staff signifies and know Erluin’s current situation is precarious, what gives you the confidence to restore Erluin?”
“I don’t have confidence,” Brendel replied without hesitation, “But that doesn’t matter. You just need to know that after the Black Rose War, civil war in Erluin is imminent. However, I have now decided to stand by the Corvado royal family. Lord Anlek is about to announce his support for the eldest son, and Her Highness the Princess is in a precarious position. I hope to lend her a helping hand at a critical moment. In this regard, even if you call me a royalist, it matters not.”
Berun looked at him in confusion and asked, “If that’s the case, why not join us? Don’t you understand that many hands make light work?”
“I’ve said before,” Brendel replied, “I have my position and my methods.”
“With all due respect, I don’t quite understand,” the elder shook his head, “Everyone has motives for their actions, but what is your motive?”
“My motive?” The young lord smiled, “My motive is—what am I doing here if I do nothing?”
The master craftsman was momentarily stunned, not fully grasping Brendel’s words, or perhaps he would never understand the implications hidden behind them. He scrutinized the young man carefully and slowly began to speak: “Even so, what do you expect an old man like me to do for you? If I could help the Corvado royal family, I would naturally go through fire and water without hesitation. However, speaking of it, you wouldn’t lack for a craftsman to forge private soldiers, would you?”
Brendel found himself at a loss dealing with the stubborn old man, pondering why a decayed royal house like Corvado could still have such loyal subjects. However, he knew he was still shallow-rooted; he could only say that he currently stood on the princess’s side. Thus, he simply shook his head: “Master Berun, while obtaining ordinary armor may not be difficult, the crafting method of the Erluin White Lion Armor lies only with royal craftsmen like you, correct?”
“White Lion Armor!” The elder was momentarily taken aback, looking at Brendel with an incredulous expression: “Erluin light armored swordsman, do you wish to form a regular army?”
Brendel nodded, but suddenly he furrowed his brows slightly.
He felt the Philosopher’s Stone in his arms beginning to tremble.
……(To be continued. To know what happens next, please log on for more chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)
