Chapter 548: Act 296 – The Plan Begins
Brendel, Antinna, and Margadale were led into a private box on the third floor of the auction hall. This was actually a terrace, shaped like a fan, offering a commanding view of the entire auction, which made Brendel very pleased. However, he was unaware that the attendant beside him, Miss Antinna, felt a bit surprised. In her mind, the auction venue hosted by Ampere Seale should be extremely luxurious, at least surpassing Bruglas’s opulent extravagance. Yet, the decorations here were rather unremarkable, even somewhat shabby in her eyes.
The surrounding walls were made of dark wooden boards that looked very plain, and the heavy drapes hanging from the ceiling had colors that seemed overly ordinary. The seats were not as finely carved as those at Bruglas’s trading event, but she found them surprisingly comfortable nevertheless.
However, the daughter of the minor noble from Bruglas would never have guessed that those seemingly unremarkable dark wooden boards were actually valuable black wood, a material typically used for crafting staffs. The fabric hanging from the ceiling also came from the wealthy textile crafts of the southern desert nations, and the cushions she sat on were made of camel fur. Each of these seemingly ordinary items would take an average family years of hard work to acquire, and the extravagant lifestyle of the Erluin nobility was far beyond her comprehension.
Although Antinna herself could be considered of noble birth, her family had long since fallen into decline, and she could not afford such luxuries.
The terrace was protected by a continuous soundproofing spell, with a layer of semi-transparent curtains preventing outsiders from seeing the identities of the guests on the terrace. The auction hall’s security measures were highly effective, but to be safe, Brendel still cast a soundproofing spell himself. Casting a spell of that level was quite simple for an elementalist of over level twenty. However, seeing Brendel perform the spell without relying on any ‘tools’, the Valkyrie glanced at him in surprise.
“I didn’t expect him to be capable of magic. A swordsman who has entered the realm of gold at just over twenty… how has Mister Brendel cultivated so far? Is the gap between genius and an ordinary person really that vast?” Margadale said curiously, slightly raising her fine brows, filled with astonishment. Although she always believed her close friend, Princess of Erluin, was a genius, when compared to Brendel, she felt overshadowed. This was still without knowing that Brendel had actually ascended from black iron to gold in just over a year; otherwise, she might have doubted whether he or one of his ancestors was a disguised dragon.
There were even rumors outside that this young man might be the most outstanding newcomer in Erluin in a century, but this newcomer came from the Yan Castle family and was closely associated with Princess Erluin, making some people gnash their teeth in envy. Only Margadale felt at ease, glad to have such a talent in her close friend’s camp.
“Alright, you may speak now, Your Highness. May I ask what exactly happened with the Temple? If I’m not mistaken, High Priest Wood should support maintaining the current state of Erluin. Is his opinion not representative of the upper echelon of the Temple? As far as I know, while there are multiple High Priests, there aren’t many within the Temple, especially given that Ampere Seale is such a special diocese. I want to know what caused this change in the Temple’s intentions?” After Brendel finished arranging his spells, he immediately turned to ask.
The beautiful Valkyrie was momentarily taken aback before returning to her senses. “It should be a letter brought by Merros. Originally, the ceremony for the handover of the High Priest at the Andeful Temple was scheduled for a month later, but Merros not only arrived early but also brought a letter. After High Priest Wood read the letter, he shut himself away; in fact, his last order was to forbid us from leaving the Temple at will. I had to find an opportunity to bypass the guards to meet you, Mister Brendel.”
“Wood isn’t one to consider personal feelings, but he is one of the rare people with unwavering faith. If that letter could make him go back on his word, it must have come from the core of the Temple. But why did the Temple suddenly change its stance? Generally speaking, the High Priest of a diocese represents the stance of the Temple, and historically, there have been few cases where their opinions completely contradicted the Temple. Therefore, there must have been some sudden event. Such cases are uncommon in history,” Brendel couldn’t help but frown.
Just as he furrowed his brow, the auction outside finally commenced on time. The first item was a magical sword, and the Ampere Seale auction was indeed several levels above Bruglas’s underground trading sessions. The quality of this magical sword was exceptionally high, surpassing even Brendel’s original elven sword, the Glimmering Sting, in every aspect, with an opening bid of fifty thousand Tor. Hearing this price, the attendant beside him couldn’t help but gasp lightly.
However, Brendel had little interest in the sword. The Earth Sword he held was already a top-tier weapon among fantasy gear, and its only flaw was its relatively low level. However, at the same level, it was indeed qualified to sweep away all armaments below artifact status; otherwise, it wouldn’t be called the Holy Sword of Earth. Few weapons among the Amber Sword could be considered holy swords.
“If only I could see the contents of that letter,” his attention was suddenly drawn to the uproar outside for a brief moment before he turned back to mutter to himself.
“Mister Brendel, could you help Grifian? The Temple’s current intention is to assist the northern nobles in unifying all of Erluin, and even Duke Anlek may have been pressured into joining this alliance. As it stands, Grifian remaining in Ampere Seale would be extremely dangerous,” Margadale said anxiously.
“Do you think the Temple would make a move in Ampere Seale and leave the Princess and her party here?” Brendel couldn’t help but frown. While he doubted the northern nobles had the guts to do this, he had to consider the possibility. The Temple claimed it did not interfere in the kingdom’s internal affairs, but in history, they had a few precedents. “If even Anlek has been persuaded, the Temple’s attitude this time is quite firm. But what do they really want? Are they not afraid of provoking backlash?” He found it perplexing. The vassals of the Temple were not limited to Erluin; if the Crusian behaved this way, it could very well incite other vassal states to feel anguish for their fellow countrymen, and historically, the Temple’s interference in foreign affairs had always been for specific reasons. What could be the reason this time?
The Valkyrie nodded. “Merros’s attitude is very stern; he seems eager to end the civil war in Erluin. However, the royal faction still holds power in the south. If the Princess is returned to Vlada-Pas, it would take at least half a year for the north and south to end the war. The recovery period after the war may also take an unknown amount of time, and by the looks of Merros, he might not be able to wait that long.”
The uproar outside the auction intensified, with the magical sword being auctioned off for nearly one hundred twenty thousand Tor, eventually won by a swordsman. But the commotion outside did not capture the attention of the two in the box. Brendel’s brow was almost furrowed together as he asked, “Your Highness, how would you like me to assist? The northern nobles will surely try to delay, and if I’m not mistaken, the northern armies are already mobilizing. However, if Princess Grifian tears up the agreement first, the Temple will likely use that as an excuse to act.”
“At that time, if I were to stand with Princess Grifian, do you wish for me to declare war on the Temple?” Brendel replied calmly.
“Brendel…” Antinna jumped in shock; it seemed only Brendel would dare to make such a statement—declare war on the Temple? She couldn’t even muster the fear to feel afraid, as the kingdom had belonged to the fiery influence for centuries. Moreover, one of the five great temples, the Temple of Fire, did not merely control Cruz and Erluin; within its vast territory, Erluin was just a most inconspicuous pebble.
Margadale looked at Brendel with difficulty. She herself was a devout believer and of course knew how terrifying the power of the Temple was. Her tiny principality was entirely sheltered under the Temple’s protection, and her ability to retain her freedom, with her exceptional beauty surpassing most humans, was entirely thanks to the title of the Valkyrie—a title bestowed by the Temple.
It could be said that without the Temple, she would not have everything she had today.
“Mister Brendel, I know you have always leaned toward the royal faction. So, could you tell me how far you are willing to go to help Grifian?” Thinking of her dear friend’s situation, she couldn’t help but ask.
“No, you’re mistaken, Your Highness Margadale. I have never supported the royal faction, including their arguments, and I do not agree with your Highness’s stance either.” Brendel couldn’t help but frown at the name of the royal faction.
“Ah!” Margadale was shocked. “How could that be… Were your actions in Toniger merely for your own benefit?”
Brendel shook his head; he wouldn’t need to do any of that for personal gain. With his abilities, he could achieve a status that others could only dream of in Cruz, Greyshus, or even in the wind elf’s empire of Saint Ausoor, with no need to start from nothing in the desolate Toniger.
“I admit I have feelings for Princess Grifian. But not because of her current stance, nor because of chasing the lost glory of this kingdom. Firstly, I am not a knight, Princess Margadale. What I care about is something much more important: I just want to protect those I wish to protect, and I simply want tragedies not to repeat,” he said softly. “Do you understand my meaning, Princess Margadale?”
Princess Margadale stared at him in a daze, looking confused. “Sorry, Mister Brendel… I don’t quite understand. Are you trying to say… you like Grifian?”
Brendel nearly choked; this princess had quite a rich imagination. He quickly coughed twice and sighed. “Think what you will. But what I want to say is that I won’t be drawn into this political struggle because of supporting the royal faction or your Highness’s views; I am neither a player nor a pawn. Princess Margadale, if you truly want me to intervene, it must be done my way.”
At this moment, the painting of Ramona—the artwork from the Age of Radiance in the First Era—one of Brendel’s auction items, was placed onto the auction stage. This was the fourth item; the artistic talent of the wind elf nobility of Saint Ausoor was already very high, and Princess Ramona was renowned as a once-in-a-century genius. This painting was one of her masterpieces from her golden period, making it a treasure. The auction began with a starting bid of one million Tor, drawing Antinna’s attention.
The uproar outside continued, yet it could not quell Margadale’s gentle voice in the box: “Mister Brendel’s way?”
“Before answering that, Princess Margadale, I want to ask how you wish for me to help the eldest Princess.”
The Valkyrie hesitated briefly, frowning as she answered, “Of course, I hope Grifian can leave this dangerous place. Ampere Seale is not safe for her, Mister Brendel…”
That was not her initial thought. At first, she did not believe Brendel could change anything; she merely hoped to persuade him to join the royal faction so that the power around Grifian would grow stronger, making her seem safer in Ampere Seale. Yet, she did not know why Brendel’s words unknowingly swayed her original thoughts.
Brendel replied, “But you must understand, if Princess Grifian chooses to leave Ampere Seale, she will forever lose the opportunity for the Temple’s support; she won’t even be able to maintain the original balance of power. The royal faction would be at an absolute disadvantage, and defeat would be nearly within reach; all that your Highness and the royal faction advocate would become illusions.”
Princess Margadale was slightly stunned, but she quickly replied, “I only care about Grifian; she is my friend.”
“Then I’ll tell you this: I am the same,” Brendel lowered his gaze slightly and replied.
“I understand now,” Margadale took a gentle breath. “But why does Mister Brendel dislike the royal faction so much? What you did in Toniger seems like what a true knight would do. Isn’t the royal faction’s ideology the path you seek? Why not choose to advance and retreat with them? There are fewer upright people like you in Erluin; why not unite, rather than let the old nobles of the north achieve victory? You love this ancient country too, don’t you, Mister Brendel?”
Brendel shook his head, answering lightly, “The Lionheart Sword in Freya’s hands promises to protect the people, not to serve as proof of a legitimate succession—Your Highness, the Valkyrie, and the residents of Buche, if even the guardians can’t protect those they wish to safeguard, then what significance is there in the very existence of the title of a nation?”
“A country, after all, is made up of people, and the knights fighting on the front lines do so to protect, not to sacrifice those they aim to protect. Do you understand? Simply relying on bloodline legitimacy and clinging to lost glory—what the royal faction calls insistence is merely the decaying hold of nobles, ultimately an illusion. Your Highness, have you ever been to Buche?”
“Buche?”
“You wouldn’t understand what Erluin truly needs. The sword of the late king Eke is a sword that protects everyone; what about the sword of the royal faction? It likely does not point toward the nobles, does it?”
The Valkyrie fell silent. She did not fully comprehend Brendel’s thoughts or those of Grifian or the royal faction, but she privately felt that perhaps Brendel was not entirely wrong. “Mister Brendel has a temperament similar to Grifian, but Grifian does not see it as clearly as he does. We were all mistaken; the royal faction never chose the right path from the start,” Margadale nodded.
She lifted her head, “Can I assist you in your endeavors, Mister Brendel?”
“I want to see the contents of that letter to confirm the Temple’s true attitude. If, as you said, Princess Margadale, I must forcibly take the Princess away,” Brendel replied.
“Of course. But in exchange, I hope you will no longer call me Your Highness but just Margadale,” the princess said earnestly.
“Is that okay?” Brendel couldn’t help but look back. At that moment, the bidding for Princess Ramona’s painting reached a staggering high of three hundred thirty thousand Tor, and even after deducting the commission, there was still over three hundred thousand in profit. Antinna couldn’t help but softly exclaim, and then turned back to look at her lord. But Brendel looked at Margadale and asked, “Miss Margadale, are you a believer of the Temple?”
“The teachings of the King of Fire instruct people to be upright and noble and loyal to friendship. While I respect the Temple, I respect the truth in my heart even more. I believe that even Lord Wood would support my decision,” Margadale answered. “For this, I am willing to pay any price, so you can rest assured, Mister Brendel.”
Brendel lightly said, “This princess is indeed as kind and upright as the rumors say.” Although he typically kept a distance from devout believers, he couldn’t help but appreciate this time. He thought for a moment and suddenly considered this princess’s future fate, unable to refrain from offering a cautioning remark: “Miss Margadale, have you thought about striving to dominate your destiny?”
The Valkyrie’s eyes widened, and the phrase “strive to dominate your destiny” deeply touched her. She did not know why Brendel could see through her internal struggle, and she could not help but be greatly surprised as she stared at him.
“I mean no harm.”
Margadale hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook her head. The Temple had granted her too much; she had no courage to rebel—just like Grifian, she knew the truth but still had to move forward. Seeing Margadale’s unwillingness to leave the Temple, Brendel could only sigh; he knew that this was unlikely, after all, this Valkyrie represented her own nation behind her. People are always unfree; he had only asked casually.
The auctioneer struck the gavel for the third time, sealing the deal.
“I await your good news,” Brendel replied. “Please be careful.”
“Mm.” Princess Margadale nodded.
…(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
