Chapter 653: Act 15 – Siblings IV
“Your Excellency, the High Priest.”
Edsha walked through a corridor and immediately spotted the former High Priest Ampere Seale, who was trimming branches with scissors in the courtyard. The elderly man, wearing a robe and facing away from her, bent over with his head close to the green foliage, looking very focused.
It wasn’t until she spoke that Wood turned slightly in surprise. He smiled gently, “Edsha, you’re here.”
“Yes, Your Excellency, High Priest. Is there something you need from us?” Edsha bowed and asked.
Wood put away the scissors, turning around and casually placing a cut branch on the stone table in the courtyard. Edsha noticed his silver-gray eyebrows relaxed as he said to her, “Go call your master. If he wants to see that person, today is the day.”
The maid stood there in a daze, seemingly unable to react for a moment, but after a while, a glimmer of surprise shone in her eyes, “Your Excellency—”
“You don’t have to thank me on behalf of your master, Edsha,” Wood waved his hand, “I haven’t promised you anything; this opportunity was earned by him. But whether you can persuade Her Highness the Princess and that person will still depend on your own efforts.”
“Only you can give us a chance, Your Excellency,” Edsha replied earnestly.
“Then hurry up and get ready,” Wood responded.
Edsha nodded hurriedly, sincerely bowing to the former High Priest Ampere Seale before retreating. Wood watched her leave the courtyard, her figure disappearing at the other end of the corridor. The old man sighed and picked up the scissors again, but just then, the sound of rustling footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.
He paused slightly, stopping the movement of his hands.
…
The servant led Brendel, the Princess, and the others through the corridor, sunlight streaming from the neatly trimmed rows of flowering shrubs, casting striped shadows like a zebra pattern on the floor.
“Mister Brendel, I’ve left Prince Haruze in your care,” the Princess said softly as she glanced back at the silent Haruze following behind.
Brendel looked at the young prince as well.
In fact, Haruze was secretly looking at him, his eyes—a shade of deep gray unlike his sister’s—filled with anxiety and a hint of pleading. Brendel couldn’t help but smile a little; he hadn’t said much but merely promised to keep the young prince’s secret.
Of course, he would keep it, but not this one. He knew the true secret was that this young prince of Erluin might possess some extraordinary talent, just like what was described in a certain article on the forum in his previous life; being able to grasp spells from the obscure dark magic books with just a glance. Such a talent made even the Silver Elf wizard of Bud feel inadequate.
Yet now was not the time to reveal this secret. On one hand, he didn’t want Haruze to develop a sense of arrogance because of it. On the other hand, it was to protect this young prince of Erluin.
He nodded slightly in response to the Princess’s question.
The corridor brightened slightly; they reached the end of the holly hedge. The servant led them around the corner, and Brendel saw the former High Priest Ampere Seale.
In his eyes, Wood appeared noticeably thinner than half a month ago, but much more composed. It seemed the elderly man had been waiting for them for some time. Upon seeing them, he smiled slightly, “Princess Grifian, Mister Brendel, you are both here.”
Then his gaze looked backward, “Miss Antinna, Miss Romaine, Your Highness the Young Prince, I hope you all are well.” Antinna politely nodded, while Little Romaine waved energetically at the High Priest. Only Prince Haruze stood a bit timidly at the back of the group.
Princess Grifian sighed as she watched her brother and slightly bowed to Wood. “Your Excellency, High Priest,” the Princess raised her head and spoke straightforwardly, “we have come regarding the situation in the North.”
Wood was taken aback, then quickly understood. This Princess of Erluin was so direct, showing an uncompromising attitude, clearly indicating that she did not intend to make concessions on this matter.
Grifian’s attitude did not surprise him, but it made him sigh. He understood from the beginning that this Princess was resolute, but the Temple of Fire had thought it was secure, only to end up causing a huge trouble.
Although the Temple had made several concessions on the Erluin issue, today was clearly the significant turning point. If this Princess could resolve the issue in the North at once, then the unification—or even the revival—of Erluin would only be a matter of time.
The Cruzian people were not eager to see a resurgent Erluin, but there was currently no core conflict between the two. Compared to the Empire of the Eagles, Erluin was merely a small kingdom in a corner. For Wood, the same applied; he was first a faithful follower of the Golden Flame Doctrine rather than a Cruzian, hence he had once advocated for the Temple’s neutral position.
However, once that neutral stance could no longer be maintained, he would still support everything proposed by the Temple of Fire. It proved that those measures taken were all wrong. But now, the former High Priest Ampere Seale was considering how to repair the damage caused by these errors rather than questioning the Temple’s policies.
He pondered for a moment and hadn’t yet opened his mouth. But beside him, Brendel replied, “Your Excellency, after all, Erluin is a nation that believes in the teachings of the Flame. With the holy war approaching, the Temple surely wouldn’t wish to see its allies engulfed in internal strife. If Erluin stands, then neither the Hallowed Temple of Earth nor Madara would pose a problem for the Cruzian people.”
Wood’s expression stiffened.
His gaze shifted to Brendel; this was the fourth time he had seen the young man, and it was this person who had brought immense trouble to the Temple of Fire. Yet Wood bore no animosity toward Brendel; in fact, he held a degree of admiration.
“You mention the Hallowed Temple of Earth and Madara?” he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Mister Brendel, I’ve heard you were among the first to escape from Buche, experiencing that war. When you say this, don’t you feel it stems from prejudice against the Black Rose of Bramanth?”
Brendel smirked inwardly; the changes in Madara couldn’t have escaped everyone’s notice. Especially for the Empires of Saint Ausoor and Cruz, the Temple of Fire must have long been aware of the brewing threat from Madara; otherwise, why would they have acted so quickly during the first war of the Black Rose, ordering a retreat immediately?
However, it was vexing that the Cruzian people seemed to be intentionally indulging that group of skeletal figures. In their eyes, Erluin was merely a relatively important pawn but not one they couldn’t afford to lose. Judging by everything that had happened in another timeline, the Cruzian bottom line seemed to be that Erluin should at least retain some part north of Ampere Seale, which was why Madara’s advancements went so smoothly during the second Black Rose War.
The Cruzian strategy was to use Madara to distract Saint Ausoor’s attention. By the time Madara grew strong after the third Black Rose War, they would come to this realization. But by then, it was already too late, leading to that prolonged conflict.
Brendel couldn’t help but recall the war that had happened in the Alacash Mountains; he shook his head, seeing through Wood’s facade. He replied, “If it were just prejudice, I wouldn’t mention the Black Rose of Bramanth. Aren’t there enough enemies of the Erluin people?”
He paused, bluntly stating, “If Erluin blocks Madara’s path north and west, those skeletal figures will have no choice but to seek an exit to the east.”
Wood immediately fell silent.
It was clear the elderly man understood that this young person had seen through everything, including Madara’s intentions and the Cruzian plans. He regarded Brendel deeply, “Madara has regained the Mercury Staff; its rise is now inevitable. To my knowledge, their emperor has gained tremendous prestige in this war, and the time to consolidate this ancient nation is probably imminent. In a few years, the undead’s advance into the west will be ripe.”
“And by that time, can Erluin achieve unification and possess the capability to resist Madara’s invasion?” He glanced at Brendel as he replied. Wood this time spoke without pretense, knowing that anything less would only waste both their time.
But before Brendel could speak, he added, “Don’t forget, there’s another war awaiting Erluin in the north. The Hallowed Temple of Earth has already started the holy sword due to that sword in your hand, Mister Brendel.”
Princess Grifian quietly listened, and Antinna furrowed her brows. They had heard Brendel speak of Madara’s threat, and the Princess herself recognized it, but they hadn’t anticipated the urgency of the situation.
Particularly, the half-elf Princess couldn’t help but draw in a breath upon hearing the rumors of the Mercury Staff, asking gently, “The Mercury Staff? Could it be that the rumors are true, and it really is Loki’s Mercury Staff?”
“Indeed,” Wood nodded.
“How is this possible? Why didn’t the Temple of Fire inform us of this earlier?” Princess Grifian couldn’t help but feel anger as she questioned. “Isn’t Erluin also a nation under the Temple of Fire? Whether it’s the Corvado royal family or the Siphai royal family, they have been loyal believers of the Flame for generations. We believe the Lord of the Flame can uphold justice and integrity, but Your Excellency, High Priest, what do you think of us?”
“Because the Cruzian people never believed Erluin could withstand a Madara invasion, and they are incapable of mediating with both the Hallowed Temple of Earth, Saint Ausoor, and Madara at the same time. So they may have to abandon some of their interests in Erluin to divert the calamity eastward, allowing the undead of Madara to trouble the Wind Spirits, Your Highness,” Brendel replied.
Princess Grifian stared angrily at High Priest Wood, who looked a bit embarrassed. He didn’t understand why this young man seemed to always see through their plans. He cleared his throat and replied, “It’s not entirely like that, but Mister Brendel has a point. The Temple is not omnipotent, and the Cruzian Empire has many enemies as well. Ultimately, the Erluin people must save themselves. If Erluin can withstand Madara’s invasion, we wouldn’t necessarily abandon our interests here, and I believe you understand that.”
The Princess took a deep breath, calming herself, and nodded. “I understand, but now, Your Excellency, High Priest, you see it too. The Erluin people have the will to resist; is it too much to ask that the Temple of Fire supports this?”
“No,” Wood shook his head. “Your Highness, I believe you also understand. The Temple is divided into many factions; not everyone supports you. Whether you can gain the support of others depends on how you intend to resolve this issue. There are many entrenched noble forces in the North; you can’t expect them to sit idly by.”
“But the current problem is not that I expect them to sit idly, but that they want me to remain passive,” the Princess tightened her lips and coldly said, “The northern nobles are restless, each wanting independence. On this issue, I will never compromise with them. If they want war, then I can only give them war, but I want to know, which side will the Temple stand on?”
She raised her head to look at Wood, knowing in her heart that if the Temple did not stand in favor of the North, a significant portion of the northern nobles might choose to compromise with her.
But Wood shook his head, “Your Highness, I can stand by your side. But that doesn’t mean much; you should understand this well. Moreover, I am not the High Priest of Ampere Seale now. The Temple cannot abandon its influence in the North.”
It was like a deadlock. However, problems always have solutions. Brendel looked at Wood and suddenly said, “So, you have a solution to this issue, right, High Priest Wood? Why not share it with us?”
Wood was slightly taken aback as he looked at Brendel. But Brendel continued, “I remember you told Antinna, my aide, that you might be able to resolve the turmoil in the North.”
“No,” Wood shook his head, “Mister Brendel, it’s not me; it’s someone who can do it.”
“Someone?”
Both Brendel and Princess Grifian were taken aback, unable to help but pause to look at each other.
“Who?” the Princess inquired, unable to comprehend who could untangle the chaos in the North. Was it the High Priest of the Temple of Fire? Or the Emperor of the Cruz Empire? Perhaps the Bud people? The Silver Elves?
For a moment, she even thought of dragons.
But High Priest Wood replied, “That person wishes to meet you as well, but first, your consent is needed. For certain reasons, you may not be willing to meet him. Especially you, Princess Grifian.”
“Me?” Princess Grifian pointed at herself in confusion. “Why? Who is he, High Priest Wood?”
“Princess Grifian,” Wood asked, “are you well acquainted with your brother?”
“My brother?”
The Princess suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
(TO BE CONTINUED. If you enjoy this work, please consider supporting it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
