The midsummer evening wind blew through the mountains and forests, stirring up the sound of leaves rustling on this lush land. However, these sounds of nature did not annoy the elves at all. Instead, they brought peace and tranquility to their hearts.
The elderly elf stood at the top of the mountain, gazing into the distance as he did for thousands of years. He saw that the ancient empire was slowly descending into silence under the afterglow of the setting sun. The undulating mountains, forests, and valleys were almost exactly the same as he remembered … Nothing had changed in this land, but from another perspective, this place had already completely transformed into something he did not recognize.
From that day 3,000 years ago, this place was no longer the hometown he was familiar with.
The apprentice was silent, seemingly deeply touched by what his mentor said. However, a strong emotion surged in the young elf's heart, and he finally broke the silence. "So, you know that Her Majesty has no intention of letting you come back, but you still..."
"She needs an end. Logically speaking, this end has been too long overdue." The old man seemed to smile, and his tone was flat as if he was talking about someone else. "No matter how true the news she brought back from the so-called 'Alliance' was, when she decided to meet me in person and arranged a trip to the northern kingdom for me, the outcome was already decided. If everything is a lie, then the purpose of these lies could only be to get rid of me, a stubborn dissident who has been stubborn for 3,000 years. If everything she said is true... "
The old man suddenly stopped. There was a flicker in his eyes, as if he was recalling something from the ancient times. All the memories eventually converged into a sigh. "If everything is true, then it is even more impossible for me to come back."
The young apprentice did not understand. He did not understand why his mentor would be so emotional. When the Silver Queen and his mentor met, he was' invited 'outside the room. However, he knew that there were some secrets that an elf of his level should not pry into, especially when his own teacher was unwilling to take the initiative to speak. Therefore, he did not pursue the matter. He could not help but clench his fist. "She can't do this to you. You represent …"
"She's the Silver Queen. She represents the will of the entire empire. I'm just a rusty gear in the huge machine of the empire that doesn't want to leave." The old man once again interrupted the apprentice's impulsive words. "She can treat me this way. From her point of view, it's good for this land. Although I don't want to admit it, I … am indeed an obstacle to the functioning of this country. "
The young apprentice opened his mouth as if he wanted to refute his mentor's words, but as if he suddenly thought of something, he could not say anything. His mentor, on the other hand, smiled and said calmly, "I know how many elves have used my name to run their churches in the forest, and how many Druil, who do not share the political views of the Royal Family, have been running their forces against the new order of the Empire in the name of 'restoring tradition'. Not all the destruction they have caused has escaped my eyes. However, in the past thousands of years, I have pretended to turn a blind eye to it all. Do you know why?"
"... I don't know." The apprentice, Carl, lowered his head. This topic made him feel even more pressured, but the habit he had developed over the years made him have to answer every question of his mentor. "But I know you have your considerations …"
"My only consideration is that I don't know what to do." The old man shook his head with a smile as if he had suddenly let go of a heavy burden. "After God left, almost all the priests did not know what to do. We fell into a split. Some members chose to end their own lives and follow God. Some chose to follow the Morning Star family and become the future priests of the Orthodox Church. In the end, the rest are us... the most incompetent and cowardly group. We have no choice and no decision. We don't dare to take a step forward to follow God, but we don't dare to find another way to pledge loyalty to the secular imperial power. What considerations do I have? I'm just walking in the same place.
"And the most ridiculous thing is that people like me who are walking in the same place are regarded as the defenders of 'tradition' and 'truth' by some elves. They gather and act recklessly, and I... acquiesce and even silently support them, just because of some illusory wishful thinking. I can't find my own way, and I don't dare to find a way. So I hope that those elves who have the courage to roam can really find a way to rebuild their past glory... In the end, it's just an escape. "
The apprentice, Carl, widened his eyes. This was the first time he heard his mentor say such things about himself. If it were someone else who said these words, he would probably be furious. But at this moment, he could only be stunned and speechless. After being stunned for a long time, he finally squeezed out some words from his throat. "You... shouldn't judge yourself like this. You're the most prestigious elf in Therandus Province..."
"The most prestigious elf doesn't even have the right to judge himself?"
"Mentor, that's not what I meant..."
Facing the apprentice's sudden panic, the old man shook his head. "Don't be so nervous, Carl. You have countless strengths, but the two weaknesses of being easily nervous and losing your mind have caused most of your strengths to be covered in dust. I just want to tell you some things that have been buried in my heart for many years before I leave. After all, there aren't many elves in this mountain who are willing to listen to me talk about these things. "
Carl quickly nodded, but then shook his head hesitantly. Looking at the young elf's troubled look, the old man could not help but laugh. After a moment, he put away his smile and said with a slightly serious expression, "Carl, I have something to tell you. Listen carefully."
The young apprentice hurriedly straightened his body. "Yes... Yes, mentor!"
"After I leave, you don't have to stay here, and don't have any dealings with those 'believers' gathered in the mountain. Go back to your hometown. With the knowledge you have already grasped, you will become a very, very excellent potion master and scholar. Think of these 100 years as an ordinary journey to study. Now that you have finished your studies, it's time for you to go home and live your own life.
"If you don't want to do that, then take your luggage, cross the Homeward Bridge, and travel the continent. Like other elves of your age, you can see what the outside world is like. Your knowledge and racial talent will make you welcome in most of the places in the Loren Continent. In the places ruled by humans, dwarves, and fairies, you will learn more and more knowledge than you can from me. If you have the chance, you can also go to the Moss Forest in the north. Our distant relatives live there. The way of life of the gray elves will benefit you a lot.
"No matter which path you choose, you have to remember: Don't have any dealings with those believers gathered in the mountain. They may invite you, they may support you, they may even call you the new sage and leader, but don't be blinded by them. Leave immediately, as far as you can."
Apprentice Carl's eyes widened as he looked at his mentor in disbelief. "You mean to say that I should completely cut off all ties with your followers … But isn't that too heartless? After all, they have followed you for so many years. Everything we need to live here is also because of them … "
"Carl, have you forgotten what I said just now? Don't trust the loyalty and devotion of those believers too much … After I leave, all of their loyalty and devotion will shatter and disappear like a reflection in water, and the royal family's reckoning will follow. When those rabble realize that the Silver Empress is serious this time, they will immediately sell everything they can, and you will be the first 'bargaining chip' worth betraying. "
Apprentice Carl opened his mouth but lowered his head in the end. He knew that his mentor's judgment in this regard was accurate. As the last apprentice chosen by his mentor, he had a good eye for things.
Beside him, a satisfied smile finally appeared on his mentor's face. Then, the respectable old man once again looked at the mountains in the distance, watching the golden sunset that covered the mountains and plated the Homecoming Bridge with rainbow colors.
In a trance, he seemed to see a figure from three thousand years ago. It was the highest priestess in a gorgeous robe, standing in the distance like a messenger of God. That was the Silver Monarch from two generations ago, the Queen he had once pledged his loyalty to.
A long, long time ago, the Silver Queen had once extended an invitation to him. She invited him to be a sharp blade of the secular imperial power, to stabilize the situation of the empire, and to rebuild the faith of the people. But at that time, he retreated. He did not dare to do those things that "went against God". He watched the former highest priestess fight alone, watched her be condemned by countless priests and believers as a "fallen one" and a "false believer", and watched her die early.
Today, another Silver Queen had once again thrown an invitation to him, inviting him to a 'God's Appointment'. The young Queen did not say anything, but the old priest, who had dealt with his faith all his life, knew that this invitation was a one-way trip.
He could finally make up for the regret of the past.
"Your Majesty Ista … This time, I will gladly accept the appointment."
The old priest withdrew his gaze and turned back to the hut behind him. At the same time, he said to his apprentice, "Carl, go back and help me pack up. The sun is going down."
…
"The sun is going down … We have wasted so much time here."
On a wide avenue at the edge of the dense forest, the high-ranking maid, Irene, looked up at the gradually darkening sky and muttered softly.
In the distance, the mountain where the 'sage' lived in seclusion was gradually swallowed by the spreading dusk. At the foot of the mountain, both sides of the broad road extending from the valley were lit up brightly. The light sources came from the neat rows of simple stone tablets on both sides of the road. The stone tablets looked like some ancient ruins covered with moss and vines, and on top of them floated light balls that were as bright as high-quality magic crystals. These 'street lamps' with unique elven characteristics were uniformly commanded by the network control nodes buried in the ground. The nodes collected sensor signals from the treetops, determined the illumination, and transmitted the activation instructions to the light units on the stone tablets.
This simple and stable system had been operating in the infrastructure of the Empire for thousands of years. After countless renovations and maintenance, it was still sensitive and reliable.
"It should be cool in most parts of Therandus Province tonight," the Silver Queen, Bersetia, said casually. "Good weather."
Irene turned around and looked at Bersetia. "Your Majesty, do you think Sage Azmol will really do as he promised … and cooperate with us to the north? I'm a little worried. After all, he has always refused the invitation of the royal family and the various honorary titles that you personally conferred. "
"He will." Bersetia nodded gently. "Since he has agreed, there will be no more twists and turns. I know him very well, just as he knows me very well."
"… Sage Azmor was once the most trusted high-ranking priest of His Majesty Ista. During Ista's time, he was once regarded as the second eye of the God of Nature," Irene said after a moment of silence. "Even after so many years, even if he has chosen to live in seclusion, a large number of elves still gather around him in Therandus Province …"
"Those who gather around him are not necessarily true followers of the God of Nature, and those who really follow the God of Nature … most of them have really 'gone with the God' in the past 3,000 years," Bersetia said faintly, then shook her head. "Now, there are not many 'ancient sages' like Azmor who are still alive. Each of them is equivalent to a living 'harbor' and 'tree' for those members of the secret cult who are trying to find ways to build another order outside the imperial order. In the past 30 centuries, some of the 'sages' have made mistakes and been dealt with by the royal family. But there are still some who are low-key and neutral like Azmor … Neither my grandmother nor my father could do anything about them."
"… You sent these sages to the north for an 'appointment'. In essence, it is no different from a forced liquidation. No matter how good your reasons are, there are many things behind this that cannot be explained publicly," Irene said with some concern. As the closest person to the Silver Queen and one of the staff members of the Silver Empire in the Theocratic Council, she had recently learned many truths involving the gods. "As long as the core facts are not made public, your political opponents will definitely find ways to make an issue out of it. Those elves who follow the sages will definitely be agitated."
"There will be such a chaos sooner or later. Since my father's reign, we have known that it will happen," Bersetia said quietly. "My father left this problem to me, and I can no longer leave this problem to the next generation. Those ancient sages are very, very old, but they have been blessed by the God, and the blessing has not dissipated until today. God knows how long they can live.
"I can't let those secret cult groups continue to gain cohesion from the sages. I can't let them continue this cycle of 'breeding, destruction, hunting, liquidation, and breeding' indefinitely.
"This' appointment 'of the gods has at least given me a chance and a reason to make up my mind."
The maid, Irene, lowered her head and stopped talking.
Bersetia smiled faintly and looked away from Irene. She glanced at the sky in the distance, shook her head, and said, "We should go, Irene. The sun is really going down."
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