Chapter 959: Act 131 – The Millennium Empire
When the Duskgazer Dragon reached Odin’s generation, the civilization and governance of the Minren people had reached their zenith. Yet beneath this prosperity lay a dissonance: at that time, the protagonists of the land were not the Ironfolk, who now dominated Vaunte; they were merely tribes from the mountains and forests, while the main members of the Ironfolk — humans and Dwarves — were vassals of the Minren people. The Minren held a very indifferent attitude toward the Ironfolk, especially when the Duskgazer Dragon reached Odin’s era. The empire employed brutal oppression and became increasingly harsh towards its subservient nations. Odin had once conscripted the humans from the vast plains to build fortresses on the glaciers and displaced the Dwarves to the Cloud Mist Mountains. These two major migrations alone caused the Dwarves and humans to lose nearly half their population.
The Minren treated even their vassal nations this way, let alone the other Ironfolk, who were usually subjected to bloody suppression. As for the other races beyond the Ironfolk, they were not even regarded. At that time, the Silver Elves and the Mist Elves already had their own kingdoms. Although most remained secluded, they could not avoid interaction with the outside world. However, the Minren looked down from their lofty position, paying little attention to the People of Silver, and regarded the Bud people, who had established cities on the Glimmering Coast, with somewhat more respect — these wizards were said to be the guardians of the Tower of Heaven, descendants of the scholars of Archduke.
As for the dragons, they were embroiled in the infamous Otou Rebellion during that era and had no time for other concerns, let alone interactions with the outside.
The Minren grew prouder day by day, and their governance became increasingly strict, until one day, the brewing conflicts erupted like a volcano. As recorded in history, the catalyst came from Odin’s command for the Mist Elves to assist the Minren in battling the barbarians at the Great Glacier. This order deeply hurt the sensitive and proud self-esteem of the Mist Elves, and they naturally rejected this unreasonable demand without hesitation.
Odin was furious and immediately ordered Sibers to lead the army to attack the Mist Elf kingdom located in the Bay Laurel Forest, igniting the catalyst for the Saint’s War and launching the languid Moon War between the Minren and the Mist Elves.
“He had to be angry,” Wind said, sighing to herself at this point. “Odin is a clever man; he could see the internal contradictions within the empire. He wanted to use our submission to intimidate others, but what he didn’t expect was that we dared to refuse.”
Odin acted too hastily, Brendel frowned as he thought. When he accepted the legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon, he had once seen the emperor of the Minren in a dream; the impression left on him was not that of someone obstinate and headstrong. Yet, in attempting to gauge the mindset of the Elven races, he made a colossal mistake — the People of Silver had their own pride, and the Mist Elves were not subservient to the Minren; how could they bow down to them?
Seeing his expression, Queen Saint Ausoor knew what he was pondering. She shook her head and said, “The will of the Duskgazer Dragon is not easy to refuse. You cannot imagine how powerful the Minren were in that era. Brendel, you know the Silver Elves are brave and skilled in battle, but even they wouldn’t necessarily triumph against a single Minren army, let alone us.”
“Then you all…” Brendel asked, perplexed.
“We had prior notice,” Wind responded slowly, word by word.
“What!?”
“We had received the promise of the Bud people,” Wind lowered her tone and continued, “Actually, dissatisfaction towards the Minren on the continent has long existed. Without even mentioning the internal issues within the empire, no one among the Silver Elves or Mist Elves wanted to be marginalized on the outside. The promise of the Bud people was like an opportunity for us. Soon the Silver Elves also joined this secret pact. Coincidentally, as if destined by fate, at that very moment, the human resistance, oppressed by the Minren, led by the Flame King Gilt, crossed the wasteland and returned to Vaunte—”
“Today, we signed the pact that has been passed down to the present day in the White Stone Wilds, the one you refer to as the Sacred Pact. From that moment on, the Saint’s War commenced, and the events that followed, you already know.”
Brendel, upon hearing this, did not ask further because he knew this was history he was familiar with. The elf elder was about to reveal another, less-known secret. Sure enough, after a brief silence, Wind spoke again, “However, there are several doubts throughout the entire Saint’s War. The biggest mystery is — later we privately confirmed with the Bud people that their reason for joining the war was due to the promise of the dragons, and they had never extended any invitations to us prior.”
“…As for the dragons, the situation was similar.”
Brendel raised an eyebrow, subtly catching a whiff of conspiracy from this statement.
“The Flame King Gilt crossed the dark wasteland after receiving mysterious guidance. In the early years, Gilt, Fanzan, and I had adventured together on the continent. Though we lost contact after he became the leader of the rebellion, I believe he wouldn’t lie about this matter — after all, Fanzan and Erluin had similar experiences.”
“So you’re saying that there was a force behind the scenes pushing the Saint’s War, and that force did not belong to any side of humanity, elves, wizards, or dragons?” Brendel could no longer hold back his inquiry.
Wind also halted her pace. The former sage gazed beyond the corridor toward the vast and azure sea, a strange light flickering in her pale purple eyes: “Yes, in fact, I encountered that person later. Her name is Sophia, a witch.”
“Witch… witch?” Although Brendel had already entertained various possibilities, he had never anticipated this particular group. They were the loyal adherents of the Duskgazer Dragon and, even to this day, remained unyielding against the order of the world. Furthermore, the Witch Queen was once the mistress of the Minren Empire. How could such a group betray the Minren?
Wind nodded, “This coven of witches are witches of the Law Mother, and they, along with the witches of the Thirteenth Moon Black Moon, are the two most unique covens in the witch world. Sophia is not her own name, each generation of this bloodline is called Sophia, just like the Duskgazer Dragon. After the conclusion of the Saint’s War, she personally came to find me and revealed all of this.”
“Why?” Brendel asked, immensely confused.
“Because of the Black Prophecy.”
“Black Prophecy?”
Wind skipped the question, deep in thoughts as she asked, “Brendel, do you think a clever person like Odin would fall victim to his own people’s schemes? Is it because he trusts the witches too much? No, not at all. I also pondered this carefully later; he probably already knew everything. When we revolted, even though humanity, Dwarves, elves, and the Bud people, along with a few other races like gnomes and halflings, united, we couldn’t say with certainty if we could genuinely defeat the empire. The strength of the Minren was inconceivable to the people of today—”
This was the second time she had said so, yet for Wind Queen Saint Ausoor, it seemed like an obvious matter because the Minren Empire ruled by the Duskgazer Dragon was indeed that fearsome. “But they were still defeated in the end,” Brendel tried to console.
“No,” Wind firmly shook her head. “It’s not as simple as you think, Brendel. The only forces from the Minren involved in suppressing our uprising were Sibers and Tumen’s legions. Sibers belonged to the Duskgazer Dragon’s forbidden army, while Tumen’s faction was just a militia. The Minren had seven legions, and none of them appeared throughout the entirety of the Saint’s War.”
“What!?” This time, Brendel was genuinely surprised. If the seven great legions of the Minren’s non-appearance during the early stages of the Saint’s War could be explained by their lack of importance, then after the climactic battle between the Four Sages and Sibers, it was evident that the Minren dynasty was already approaching its end. Even the Duskgazer Dragon Odin himself had to participate in battle. Under such circumstances, it was unlikely that the Minren were merely hiding their strength unless their so-called seven legions were an entire hoax. But could that be possible?
Wind continued, “In fact, up until we invaded the Alkarsh region, we still believed that the Duskgazer Dragon had devised a trap, making us think we had already won. The only doubt many, deep down, felt was whether our strength could truly compel Odin to take such drastic action. Only when Odin personally participated in the final battle and was defeated did we dare to believe everything was authentic, and in fact, up until that last war, Odin hadn’t even unleashed his full power.”
At that moment, she paused: “You are also a mage traveler, Brendel. You know what kind of power a true mage traveler possesses; that is extraordinary might, power of an entire world. This power in the mage traveler’s world forms its own system, distinct from the magical or physical strength we wield. Unless we can oppose the mage traveler’s world with the power of our own world, it is impossible for us to win. To put it simply, a mage traveler is essentially a deity; it’s like a god arriving from a distant world. He possesses all the rules of that world, and all beings and powers in this world submit unconditionally to his commands. To compete against him, one must first become the god of our own world. But as it is widely known, the gods of our world already distanced themselves from worldly disputes. So theoretically, we should never have been able to defeat Odin…”
“But a mage traveler must also seize resources; he cannot recklessly squander his power. Odin merely changed his approach to draw strength from this world to support the power of his own. If you can find a way to defeat him from this source, there may yet be hope for victory. In fact, you have indeed been doing just that, my Lady Wind.”
“You and those of that era, like us, over-simplify the issue. The problem is that the Duskgazer Dragon is not a single entity; he can draw strength from us as well as from others. A grand emperor with so many supporters, would he truly dare engage in battle all alone against us?” Regarding this question, Queen Ausoor seemed to be well-prepared and calmly rebutted.
Brendel was struck dumb; he remembered that the last time the Lady Wind had not said this. Moreover, historically, this was not how events were described: “But he did challenge you all alone; could it be due to overconfidence?”
“Odin is no fool; he is the supreme ruler of a giant empire, and he wouldn’t recklessly act out for such empty renown… In fact, Fanzan and I suspected something during our battle, and later, before Odin died, he asked us to keep a secret, which confirmed my suspicion.”
“He wanted you… the Four Sages, to keep a secret? What was that secret?” Brendel questioned, only to realize the question et cetera was inappropriate and quickly added, “I’m sorry; I meant to say… if it’s not convenient, just forget it.” He suddenly thought that since Wind had mentioned this, she surely would not be untrustworthy; the Four Sages, as heroes, were unlikely to go back on their word.
But unexpectedly, Wind casually shook her head, “Actually, it’s nothing. I came out today specifically to tell you the truth. I’ve considered this; since you are Odin’s chosen one, some things ought to be shared with you.”
Brendel shut his mouth but subtly furrowed his brow. He vaguely sensed a tone of farewell in this elf elder’s words. He had a sense that this sage, who had cared for him like a guardian for so long, might ultimately choose to leave. Queen Ausoor paused for a moment before beginning to speak slowly, “The secret he wanted us to keep was quite simple: to ensure the outcome of the Saint’s War became a foregone conclusion. In fact, he had already foreseen all of this. He told us some things; the Duskgazer Dragon had never truly died. The first generation of the Duskgazer Dragon — the Knight of Azure merely inflicted severe injuries upon it, forcing it back into the chaotic sea. However, the clock of the Day of Judgment has never slowed.”
“There is a legend in the Black Prophecy that speaks of a hero arising from among mortals, wielding the key of fate, to open another great door for this world’s future. It is a rebirth of order in the ashes after the twilight of all beings and the gods. After experiencing the catastrophe at Babel Fortress, civilization once again fell upon the land. Many — including our generation — believed that the hero among mortals was indeed the Knight of Azure. Because it was he who caused the stars to fall and initiated the era of mortals.”
“Yet fate played a cruel joke on us; this is a secret known to only a select few. Since the establishment of the Minren Empire, they have been engaging in fierce battles against the Twilight Legion beyond the elemental frontier. Hence, Vaunte gained a brief respite.”
The elf elder smiled faintly, her smile tinged with fatigue: “We believed we were doing what was right; the Saint’s War was merely a war against oppression, yet from the very beginning, while we guessed the beginning correctly, we failed to predict the outcome. Ironically, it was our own people who delivered a fatal blow to the Duskgazer Dragon from behind. At the final moment of the dynasty’s collapse, Odin commanded the seven legions to remain stationed permanently beyond the elemental frontier. Moreover, he joined forces with several mage travelers to seal the passage from Vaunte to the chaotic sea. This was the last gift he left us. He was a foolish man, but this gift was nonetheless invaluable, as it drained the strength of him and all those around him, thus becoming the reason for his inevitable failure.”
Wind sighed softly: “In fact, this was also the reason for the witches’ betrayal against him. Odin did not believe in destiny; everything he attempted was merely to prove that everything spoken in the Black Prophecy was not necessarily true, that the world did not need to be destroyed before it could be reborn, and that no savior would ever exist. But the witches firmly believed in the power of prophecy. The Day of Judgment must come, and Odin had proven he was not the one foretold in that prophecy, thus the Minren must cede this stage to the Ironfolk. They awaited the arrival of that final prophecy in the Black Prophecy. The witches of the Month of Laws were the executors of this prophecy.”
Brendel was rendered speechless for a long time. He had long suspected a portion of the truth, but only today did he receive confirmation: this is the legacy of the foolish — a struggle of an arrogant man who did not know his limits. Though utterly laughable, it was worth remembering forever.
Because people would never bow to fate —
Everything had become clear, and he couldn’t help but touch his chest. From a certain perspective, he was also that man who did not know his limits. Whether in the eyes of the Erluin nobility, the Princess, or perhaps in the eyes of others, even those who secretly supported him, the Bud people, even those closest to him might not understand his ideals. He knew many were merely faithful that he could change certain things, standing by his side without necessarily agreeing with his deeper thoughts.
What exactly did he want this world to become? Brendel did not answer, for his gaze had already pierced through the lofty inland sea. He knew beyond it, beyond the borders of civilization, lay countless uncharted lands. Civilization need not confine itself to a single place, and the power of twilight was not insurmountable.
These thoughts seemed somewhat discordant with the deeply entrenched world, even too distant. It was like the Crusian could never partner with Fanzan’s people, and the Wind Elves could never wholly integrate into human society, let alone the Undead and countless troubles and contradictions. Would he, too, become a fool like Odin? Brendel felt momentarily at a loss to answer the question he had posed to himself; it could be, or it might not be, much like he did not agree with all of Odin’s thoughts.
“Perhaps the issue does not lie there,” he slowly said.
“The brilliant deeds of the Four Sages, the alliance of the continent’s hundred races, might not have been a mistake. Odin may have been doing what he believed was right, but there are numerous methods to accomplish something. He firmly believed that destiny could be altered, yet placed himself in the role of savior—”
Brendel gazed at the sweeping view beneath the fleet. The thick clouds scattered like cotton pushed by the wind, revealing the dazzling sea surface, while his mind lingered on so many other thoughts.
…
(A diligent little Heihei has launched a new book; come and give it a strong recommendation. It feels like a significant improvement from the last book.
Book title: “Aiming for the Sky,” Book Number 3296695, Synopsis:
“With a thought, all laws adhere; with the end of a thought, the moon shines clear.
In the vast land of the Nine Continents, there exist billions of miles. The Son of Heaven divided the world to shepherd the people; the Daoting resides above in the nine heavens, enlightening the Nine Continents.
Outside the Nine Continents lies the Northern Wilderness Demon Country, eyeing hungrily. The Southern Barbarians’ witch cult still harbors ambitions. To the west lies the Sava Buddha Land, preaching to the Nine Continents, flourishing yet.
Having read various classics since childhood, a Confucian youth crossed into this world.
Battling the wild witches, fighting hordes of demons. Discussing paths with Bodhisattvas, smiling as Dao Lords bloom flowers.
Building a heavenly court, establishing a nether realm, opening the Six Paths of Reincarnation, achieving the Heavenly Emperor!)
