Chapter 463: Act 213 – Preparing for War (2)
Brendel was quite taken aback by the situation of the Druids. The number of survivors from the Green Tower had already exceeded a thousand. The gathering numbers of Druid apprentices and treants from various settlements actually surpassed a quarter of the native population of the Loop of Trade Winds. This was far better than the catastrophic scenes seen in history after the Wolf Calamity, when countless lives were lost. Brendel initially thought that restoring the history on his own would require a greater sacrifice from the Druids, but it seemed he was doing better than expected. This indicated that the thousands of players in history may have had little influence, while the two Archmages of the Silver Alliance, William and Turiman, played a pivotal role like a stabilizing anchor.
The Druids welcomed them back from the Loop of Trade Winds with the highest level of hospitality. Although the city was in disrepair, over a hundred high-level Druids drew valuable mana from the Pool of Nature, starting from the Flower Wall ten miles away to pave a path of flowers for Brendel. On the day the group arrived at the Green Tower, the entire city almost poured out to greet them.
The young men were a bit excited because Brendel had jokingly mentioned that there might be elven beauties to greet them with kisses, lighting up the eyes of several noble youths. Of course, the imagined scene did not come to pass. The elven maidens remained modest and reserved, peering cautiously and curiously from the woods at these ‘foreign’ heroes.
No kisses were given, but at least everyone received a garland of flowers from the elven maidens, and Brendel received two. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to clearly see the faces of the two elven maidens who presented him the garlands.
Leading the Druid council to meet them was actually Quinelle. The leader of the treants strode up to Brendel, opened his arms, and gently patted the young man’s shoulders from side to side. This was the highest gesture of respect among hunters for their comrades, and it was clear that Quinelle had acknowledged the honor of fighting alongside Brendel; for the elves, this was a bond of life and death.
Then Quinelle took a step back and said in the treant tongue, “A’aton mess talar.” (The forest is evergreen with you, my friend.)
Fortunately, Brendel understood. He calmly replied in the treant tongue, “Atar os dar, X’dor mun.” (The forest is evergreen, and the bowstring sings long.)
A look of surprise flashed across Quinelle’s face. The language of the treants, developed from the woodfolk tongue, was completely different from the mainstream sylvan language. He hadn’t expected this human friend to understand what he said and had intended to explain afterward. To his surprise, Brendel not only comprehended but also responded in accordance with the etiquette of the treants.
The Druids behind Quinelle were also astonished. A human who understood their customs was an unbelievable thing in human society. They, of course, did not know that Brendel was not like ordinary humans; he had ‘lived’ in many places and understood many cultural customs that are unknown to most people.
At that moment, Quinelle smiled warmly. “You have not disappointed our expectations, and we will not betray our pledges. Now you are the lord of this land.” He raised his hands, revealing a white acorn in his palms.
Brendel was shocked upon seeing the acorn. “This is the fruit of the Saintly White Oak? You give this to me…?”
In the tradition of the treants, the Saintly White Oak is worshipped as the guardian and sanctuary of all the spirits in the forest. There was a Saintly White Oak where the fire seed was stored in the Green Tower, serving as the spiritual sanctuary for all elves and Druids. By giving Brendel this acorn, Quinelle meant to bestow upon him a symbolic recognition as their lord. Typically, only the Druid Grand Elder was authorized to hold the fruit of the Saintly White Oak.
“You should understand our tradition well, Brendel,” Quinelle said, cradling the sacred fruit in his hands.
Brendel nodded, looking somewhat bewildered at the smiling Quinelle and the group of Druids behind him. Did they bow down to him simply because he saved this place? That seemed a bit far-fetched.
Quinelle seemed to see Brendel’s doubt and explained, “Traditionally, we Druids would follow our customs and gradually migrate out of civilized areas to settle in the new Black Forest. However, milord, we have carefully considered your proposal. If you truly wish to pursue the path of reclaiming the ancients, we are willing to ally with you.”
“There’s also the consideration of recuperation, right?” Brendel asked.
Quinelle’s face lit up with appreciation. As treants, they rarely beat around the bush in negotiations. Brendel clearly understood their habits and was willing to adapt. He nodded, “Yes, both we and the Druids need years for recuperation. During those years, we will bear witness to your fulfillment of promises.”
“Years may not be enough, but if you just want to see if I keep my word, I don’t mind,” Brendel said, nodding with inner satisfaction. Things were going much smoother than he had imagined. His long-term plans for the Druids were designed to keep the treants and Druids, as well as the centaurs, around. Of course, now that the Green Tower had suffered considerable losses, although the population was better preserved than historically, most of the ten thousand people were elderly, children, and women. The warriors had suffered tremendous losses during the Wolf Calamity, and even if they joined him, they wouldn’t be able to significantly contribute to the upcoming war. It could only be seen as a long-term investment.
However, when Brendel took the acorn, he did not make an immediate decision. After thinking for a moment, he said, “But I think we should maintain an alliance. This is my territory, but it is also your homeland. We share common goals and do not need those formalities.”
“Why?” Quinelle did not expect Brendel to decline. He could tell that the young man’s original goal was indeed this land.
“I need a wholehearted ally, not a subordinate who feels constrained,” Brendel replied. He understood that the treants and Druids couldn’t possibly adapt to living by human societal standards. Since that was the case, he might as well be generous; after all, the warriors among the Druids and treants would surely join his army to defend their homeland.
Quinelle regarded him intently, then looked back at the other Druid elders, each displaying satisfied expressions.
“You are the most unusual human I have ever met, Brendel. Can we be friends?” Quinelle asked.
Brendel nodded. Friends take time to verify. He understood the treant’s meaning.
“Then, my friend, may I invite you to our celebration in your honor?” Quinelle smiled slightly.
But unexpectedly, Brendel shook his head. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Quinelle. I need your help with something.”
“Help?”
“Yes. I’m about to temporarily leave here and return to my territory. But I need a batch of supplies, armor and weapons, and also a number of flying steeds to quickly get us out of the Black Forest,” Brendel answered.
At this, the surroundings fell silent.
Carglis and the elder swordsman Kuran, who were behind Brendel, suddenly understood why he was in such a hurry to return to the Green Tower. It seemed something had happened at the territory.
Quinelle was silent for a moment.
“Have you encountered trouble, my human friend?”
“Hmm, my territory is under threat. I must resolve this small issue before I can come back and fulfill our agreement with you.”
“Is it war?”
Brendel nodded.
The tall treant leader’s eyes showed a knowing light. He stood up straight, turned to everyone, and spoke loudly to the forest-dwelling kin, “Did you hear? Our human ally needs a battle-ready army. He single-handedly ventured into danger and rescued each of us from the darkest depths. Now, my compatriots, are you the kind of people who cherish your own lives?”
Quinelle’s voice echoed through the forest, leaving Brendel stunned. He understood the current predicament of the Druids; asking them to continue participating in the war was indeed a tall order. But the treant leader was rallying the army.
“Quinelle, you…”
“I want to fight alongside you, human companion,” Quinelle smiled at him. “You are right; this is your territory, and it is our homeland. How can we protect this precious treasure without bloodshed and battle?”
There was no passionate response.
But soon, elves wielding longbows began emerging from the woods one after another, many of whom were women, as most adult males had perished in the Wolf Calamity. Next came the centaurs, who would not step back in pursuit of glory in battle.
The Druids also responded to the call. This group of people was indifferent to the outside world, but that did not mean they were emotionally cold—just as they had promised, guarding their war was meaningful to them.
Even so, the army gathered outside the forest only numbered a few hundred. The losses of the Druids during the Wolf Calamity had been devastating, a circumstance that could not be helped. Unexpectedly for everyone, just as the elves were settling in, another group emerged from the forest. They were mercenaries and adventurers, humans dressed in a patchwork of armors from various places, resembling a beggar’s army, yet they all stepped forward.
When these people emerged, the forest fell silent again.
Soon, a man was pushed forward from among them.
“Milord, thanks to your grace, we survived this unfortunate disaster. Now I hear you need an army,” the scruffy-looking man said, blinking lazily while spreading his hands. “So, may I boldly ask, do you require an army specially born for war, one that is willing to be hired by you?”
Brendel suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
“What kind of price can you offer?” he asked in a deep voice, as if he were truly negotiating a price.
“One gold coin, how does that sound?” the man inquired.
Brendel looked at him—
“Good. Now you are my knights. For one gold coin, I promise to take you to witness my victory,” he replied.
There were no further words exchanged. The mercenaries drew their swords and raised them high, forming a forest of longswords. Then the elves placed their longbows on their strings.
An unusual emotion surged within Brendel. Humans and elves stood together again after centuries, and this sacred oath from the past seemed to be revived in this moment. No one would forget today’s alliance; each person witnessing this moment would likely cherish it for a lifetime.
The young men behind him also drew their long swords. The scene was so overwhelming that even the less certain Kuran and Mephistopheles couldn’t help but lose their ability to speak.
This alliance seemed fragile, yet it ultimately bore some magical quality capable of changing everything.
…(To Be Continued. If you enjoy this work, please go to qidian.com to cast your recommendation vote and monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
