Chapter 657: Act 19 – The Azure Sky I
The world knows him as the Silver Storm.
As one of the twelve leaders of the male wizards of De Laura, his fame spread across the land before Erluin was established, and his legend even predates the songs of bards.
Before him, kings of mortals trembled, and even the four great temples had to retreat in the presence of this white-haired elder. He stood at the pinnacle of Silver Mountain, where even dragons bowed their heads in his proud presence.
If such a person exists, his name must be William Pister.
Folk illustrations depict the image of this great mage, rigid and clad in sky-blue robes adorned with silver wavy patterns, wielding the staff ‘Delaka’—meaning ‘Ruler of the Sky’ in runic language. He stands before the monks of the Sanctuary in Lionheart Palace, reading aloud the twelve articles of Bud to them, his figure now alive before everyone.
Makarolo and all present froze. To the nobility of Erluin, an emperor of the Crusian was already of the utmost status, akin to a breath-stealing giant of importance. But William Pister was a being that existed only in storybooks, a presence from legends.
In the Year of Revelation (Chaos 1517), the Light Temple threatened the male wizards against participating in the Holy War. Although the people of Bud had originally adhered to isolationism, the threat from mortals ignited their wrath. Three months later, during the War of the Flowing Fire, the Bud used three floating cities to retaliate.
The folk illustrations depicted the outcome of that battle: the Silver Storm swept away the White Book Knights, the highest fighting force of the Temple, a single person charging into Lionheart Palace, where he read the twelve articles of Bud to the Seventh Pope, forcing Fanzan to bow and admit mistakes.
The intimidation from that battle lingered long in the hearts of all, persisting to this very day.
“I never expected it would be you, Master William.” Brendel stood up with a wry smile, as if he were the only one capable of speaking among those present. He joked, “Surprisingly, isn’t the Silver Candle Society supposed to be monitoring movements in the wilderness south of Madara? I assumed the male wizards wouldn’t have such leisure.”
William paused, gazing deeply at him. Then, with a slight smile, he said, “My young friend Brendel, it seems you know quite well about the scenery above the skies of Vaunte; my foolish subordinates thought that mortals know very little so they could maintain a ridiculous sense of mystery.”
The pride of the Bud wizards made them regard themselves as overseers and rulers of the skies of Vaunte. The runic staff in William’s hand symbolized one of the supreme powers of the Silver Alliance, the mystical staff Delaka, fundamentally representing authority over the skies.
Mortals could not reach the heavens and naturally would think twice about offending these silver people. Perhaps dragons have their grievances regarding this, but this inherently lazy race might not seek out vengeance over a mere title.
Moreover, the silver people would not fear them.
“For mortals, you certainly are quite mysterious,” Brendel replied with a smile, “but I happen to be somewhat knowledgeable about the world of wizards. I have long heard that the Silver Candle Society is establishing a fortress for observation south of Erluin, called Naoki, am I not right? Do you plan to take action against Madara?”
“You little rascal, there’s no need to beat around the bush to pry into my words. The silver people will not intervene in the wars of mortals; we are monitoring other matters. Besides, those skeletons may not be a challenge for you.” To Brendel’s probing, William did not seem truly angered. Instead, he smiled slightly and answered directly, “…The reason I came this time is simply because you have unearthed something extraordinary.”
Speaking of the Azure Lance, Brendel fell silent. Indeed, the Azure Holy Lance could be considered an extraordinary item, an artifact the azure knights used to shatter the heavens. Folk tales, including those from players, always assumed it was merely a legend, but who could have guessed it truly existed in the world?
However, Brendel understood better than anyone present that the leader of the male wizards of De Laura was not likely here due to interest in the Azure Lance itself.
Indeed, William continued, “However, I am more concerned about the reason for its appearance. The Mercury Staff… never mind, there’s also the reaction it triggered. The emergence of ancient artifacts one after another has already garnered much attention.”
Brendel listened quietly, remaining silent because he understood: the era of turmoil in the future was approaching, and with the rise of Madara, Vaunte would plunge into a long period of war.
Everything he did in the Loop of Trade Winds was to prepare for the coming conflict. Many, including the princess’s followers, were quite critical of the compromise they made to the King’s eldest son this time, but Brendel greatly appreciated it.
Princess Grifian, like him, seemed to have already seen the storm clouds rolling in from the edge of the sky.
If one’s gaze is purely focused on the imminent civil war, Erluin would completely topple in the coming storm. This was a lesson from history, and Brendel of course would not repeat the same mistakes.
“Eh?” William seemed to sense Brendel’s thoughts, expressing some surprise as he asked, “Little rascal, do you know something?”
Brendel glanced at William. This was his second meeting with the elder mage shrouded in silver robes. In his past impressions, the leader of the male wizards of De Laura, the Silver Storm, was an NPC of immense authority, yet through actual experiences, William Pister left him the impression of a kind elder.
Although they had not previously known each other, this great mage’s help had been invaluable. The last battle against Andisha and the victory in the Ampere Seale War were both thanks to the assistance rendered by the Cloak of Puni this mage provided.
Of course, Brendel understood that this was William’s sentiment for his past friends and for Erluin. However, he was always one to reciprocate kindness, and he was not used to being indebted.
In the future, the Bud would also be drawn into that protracted war; the factions involved in the slate wars were too many and too complicated. Even the silver people could find themselves at a disadvantage. Thinking of this, he raised his head and spoke to remind:
“The Holy War is imminent, and the land will inevitably be engulfed in the shadow of conflict. At the same time, the Bud wizards must have already observed the impending great tide of magic. Master William, the rise and fall of magical tides have influenced the history of Vaunte for thousands of years, and this time will be no exception. There must be omens before the coming of chaotic times. I believe history is already sounding the alarm for the world.”
When Brendel spoke of the mortals’ Holy War, William did not take it seriously. Mortals and the silver people belonged to two different worlds. Aside from that arrogant provocation during the Year of Revelation, the four great temples and the Hallowed Temple of Earth had never impacted the Bud. However, when the former mentioned the great tide of magic, the mage leader’s brow began to furrow gradually.
“Brendel, do you think Vaunte will replay the history of the Holy War?” He turned back and asked earnestly. His address to Brendel had also elevated from ‘little rascal’ to his proper name, indicating that at this moment, the mage leader at least viewed him as an equal for discussion.
The reason was quite simple; even the Bud astrologers had only recently realized that this time the magical tide was unusual. And as Brendel mentioned, the rise and fall of magical tides had influenced the historical shifts of the continent for thousands of years. Any sudden monster attack could completely alter the historical process of Vaunte.
William had to consider this matter seriously.
“It may not necessarily be a replay of history; there may be new dangers.” Brendel thought for a moment and described it somewhat euphemistically.
“Haha,” William suddenly laughed heartily, “you speak just like the witches of Burnoson.” He suddenly noticed Romaine beside Brendel, initially taken aback, then seeming to realize, “Little rascal, have you been studying astrology recently?”
This seemed quite out of place. William’s joke left Brendel both amused and exasperated. The old wizard might think Brendel was merely joking around, but sometimes when one ambiguously describes potential future events, it indeed sounds like those witches’ cryptic prophecies. If said plainly, one would likely be dismissed as a charlatan.
“The Dark Dragon is long dead, yet the chaos at the borders of civilization may present a problem.” William then continued.
Upon hearing this, Brendel’s heart stirred. It turned out this was what the Bud wizards were concerned about. The floating fortress built by the Silver Candle Society over the Eternal Dark Sea to monitor the borders south of Erluin was originally for this reason.
But unfortunately, they were misguided in their direction.
Brendel recalled the history following the two Black Rose Wars: in the year 1st.385 of the Silver Age, the Azure Song stated that after three days of light and three nights of dark, eternal night would fall. The Tiamat law was fundamentally altered amid the magic tide, the slate of war surfaced, and chaos descended upon the land.
However, he could not express any of this; he could only hope that William would grasp adequate importance from his previous words.
This conversation left others puzzled, with only those in the know, including Princess Grifian and Antinna’s group, apprehending a part of it. Yet, speculations about the continent’s future were matters beyond their capacity, and in fact, for Brendel, this understanding itself was already somewhat extraordinary.
Nobles cared about immediate benefits; even Princess Grifian was merely concerned with the rise and fall of the Erluin Kingdom. The fate of the continent and the changes of history seemed not to be matters ordinary mortals should ponder.
Fortunately, William did not seem to delve deeply into this issue.
Makarolo appeared to finally catch on, as he gathered from William’s words that this renowned mage had come for something important. Yet, he had never heard even a hint of this important matter from either side until now.
He looked at Princess Grifian with visible dissatisfaction.
Princess Grifian seemed prepared, answering calmly, “Lord Overwell, Lord Makarolo, the reason for your presence here today will not be hidden from you. However, this matter is of great significance, and everything must be handled with caution; please understand.”
Upon hearing this response, Makarolo frowned slightly.
“Mortals, put aside your dissatisfaction. She speaks truthfully; for the miracle you are about to witness, your selfish desires are merely dust upon the gemstones,” William suddenly cast a sharp glance over, coldly reminding.
His words instantly silenced everyone.
In that moment, the formidable authority of the Silver Alliance’s mage leader was fully revealed.
Brendel then commanded Babasha and the others to lead everyone into the underground ruins. They traversed through a long passageway, and this time, the spider queen in the darkness seemed to sense William’s presence, just as if by some primal instinct, allowing these uninvited guests to pass through its tunnels without making an appearance. This fact left Brendel very frustrated.
It was like understanding that a player brought an advanced NPC to easily farm a BOSS, but the BOSS cunningly hid away.
The group did not progress quickly in the darkness.
Unlike the last time when they were fleeing, everyone had time to leisurely observe the scenery around them. The underground passage stretched through intertwining cracks, some of which were artificial while others were natural wonders. The fissures branched out in all directions, making the entire underground ruin resemble a gigantic spider web.
In this aspect, it certainly suited the nature of its owner.
Half an hour later, everyone finally arrived at the chapel of prayer. The chapel retained its appearance from that day, shrouded in darkness, even the magical array still intact on the ground.
William Pister glanced at the array and softly said, “This is a witch’s legacy; they indeed have a connection to that thing. It is said that the Minren brought it into the glaciers, but in truth, the history of the witches is far older than that of the Minren.”
Probably only Brendel and the elf lady Tanyia, who stood behind the old mage, understood this statement, while the white cat in Romaine’s arms blinked its eyes mischievously. The great mage spoke of the history before the Babel Fortress’s fall, which concerns the bloodline from which the Azure Knights descended.
The great mage placed his hand on the teleportation array, then frowned and withdrew: “This array is also a bloodline legacy; it can almost be considered the strongest precaution.” He turned back to look at Brendel and asked, “But you should have prepared countermeasures already, right?”
“Of course,” Brendel replied, turning back. “JarSugar.”
……
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