Chapter 231: Migration (Part 3)

  "A Dimensional Gate?" the Pope asked in astonishment. Even as one of the most powerful mages on the continent, he had never heard of this name.

  Marquis said, "I had a chance, by a fortunate coincidence, to peruse the notes left behind by Archibald, the head of the Necromancers. In his notes, there was a slight mention of this legendary magic. It's possible that even Archibald himself had never seen it, only roughly describing it as a teleportation spell used by the ancient elven race to move their armies. Your Majesty said that even the War Ancient Tree has vanished without a trace, which is why I speculated this might be the case. Furthermore, judging from this pile of dust, this spell likely consumes an entire Star-Eye per use. They must have sacrificed their own teleportation magic array to be able to cast this spell."

  "...No, sacrificing the teleportation array alone would not be enough to cast such a spell," the Pope said after a moment's thought, shaking his head. "Teleportation magic is a two-way effect. Since it is called a 'gate,' and according to Knight Tamika's report, the immense spatial fluctuation lasted for a short period, it must be a channel-like means of teleportation. To maintain spatial balance, there must inevitably be another identical Star-Eye at the destination. Therefore, this spell must consume two Star-Eyes."

  "Your Majesty's knowledge is profound and your insights are minute," Marquis nodded. This sentence was, indeed, a sincere compliment.

  Adela asked in surprise, "Two? But even Celeste only has one complete Star-Eye right now. And almost all the Star-Eyes on the entire continent have already been used as cores for teleportation arrays. Where could they find such an incredibly precious gem..."

  "Oufu. It must have come from Oufu," Marquis said flatly. "Oufu is so close to the Sanderfirth Mountains, and orcs are best suited for activity in the harsh environment of the Sanderfirth Mountains. Add to that the power of that half-elf, Gru. I believe that the top-tier magical gems like Star-Eyes they have on hand now might even surpass those of Diya Valley and Celeste combined."

  Adela nodded, "But that is two Star-Eyes, after all. That old man in Celeste must have received sufficient benefits from the elves to give them to Oufu, it's just a shame we don't know what those benefits were. Unfortunately, we cannot plant a spy among the upper echelons of Oufu; that is our greatest inconvenience."

  "It must be grain," Marquis answered almost immediately without thinking. "What Oufu lacks most is a food supply, and the elves' life magic is sufficient to make crops grow on the Barbarian Highlands. Although the elves' strategy has always been to avoid getting involved in the world's conflicts, for the sake of migration, I believe they had no choice but to compromise with Oufu."

  "It seems our strategy of slowly wearing down Oufu is no longer feasible. We must even launch another offensive as soon as possible," the Pope nodded slowly, his face growing increasingly grave. "And I truly hope that Oufu's condition was only this one... What if the elves also taught them the method to use this Dimensional Gate? Although a single use requires two Star-Eyes... I believe with Sedros's mind, a single use would be enough to turn the entire situation around."

  A teleportation spell capable of moving over ten thousand elves, and even a War Ancient Tree of unimaginable size, could naturally instantly transport thousands of elite orc warriors to any place they wished to go. To a place that could absolutely and drastically change the situation between the two sides.

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  Adela was so shocked he was speechless. But what shocked him was not only this deduction, but also the process of deduction between the Pope and Marquis. To be able to draw such a long-term and clear conclusion from the single event of the elven race's migration. And before this. The judgment of their respective stances and the agreement between the two, though subtle and concise, were distinct and decisive, fully revealing their deep-seated cunning and their courage to act decisively.

  Well-matched. Bishop Adela's gaze shifted between the two of them. He took a deep breath.

  The Pope looked at Marquis and asked again, "I heard that the elven sacred ground, the Whispering Woods, suddenly met with a mishap a year ago and was razed to the ground by a mysterious fire, is that right?"

  "Your Majesty is wise, seeing all and knowing all," Marquis said with a slight wry smile and a nod. "However, that place is covered by the divine power of the Sunwell. I believe the Whispering Woods should have mostly recovered by now. If the elves were to migrate, this would be their only destination."

  Bishop Adela stepped forward and said, "Since the matter is of such great importance, we must also obtain those ancient elven relics from them. At the very least, we must acquire the method to use the Dimensional Gate to make up for the gap between us and Oufu. The entire elven race is no more than ten thousand. But Celeste alone has twenty thousand priests and warriors, not to mention the great army we can muster. We could easily use force..."

  The Pope shook his head and sighed, "To be willing to sacrifice two Star-Eyes to move their entire race to the Whispering Woods is proof of their intention to completely disengage from the conflict between Celeste and Oufu. Back in Tulalion, we might have been able to shamelessly do so, but the Whispering Woods is within the borders of Ainfast, and Ainfast has just declared a break with Celeste due to some misunderstandings caused by Bishop Javi. Celeste's reach no longer extends there."

  "According to Knight Tamika's report, the elven War Ancient Tree reverted to a sapling and was transported in the form of a massive Treant. Although according to records, the War Ancient Tree consumes a large amount of Sunwell water during its growth, I estimate it would likely cause the anti-magic barrier of the Whispering Woods to fail for about three days. But once the War Ancient Tree has finished growing, and the power of the ancient tree combines with the Sunwell's barrier... it's possible that even a direct offensive from us would be futile."

  "And within three days, what way is there to muster a large force to go to the Whispering Woods?"

  The Pope sighed heavily again.

  Adela and Marquis said nothing, as if indeed, there was no other way. The Whispering Woods was located in the southern part of Ainfast, thousands of miles away from Celeste. Even traveling day and night by griffin, it would be impossible to arrive within three days.

  "It's just a pity... I did not foresee that the elven race would play such a role in our battle with Oufu. Now that I know, it is already too late..." The Pope's gaze fell upon the blue dust in his hand. His hands were well-maintained; his mastery of top-tier white magic made them look as slender and gentle as a young scholar's. The water-blue gem dust flowed between his fingertips and palms.

  After a long silence, the Pope let out a long sigh. He raised his palm slightly, and the Stardust, now without magical power, flowed from his hand like a stream of water out the window, scattering into the wind. "Forget it. Since they are gone, there is no need to think about them anymore."

  As he released the Stardust, the Pope's sigh seemed to be one of relief, and the chilly atmosphere in the study began to dissipate.

  Whether it was the grain or the magic of the Dimensional Gate, in Oufu's hands, they had indeed become two absolute trump cards. Although this situation was truly difficult to accept, since it could not be undone, one must let go when it is time to let go.

  Only by letting go of what must be let go, can one focus their energy on grasping what can be held.

  "Send word. Summon all the Cardinals to gather immediately. Prepare for a council on Oufu in the evening. Hmm... Inham, I will also announce your new identity as the Cardinal of Erathia at the meeting. At that time, the other bishops will surely have some objections to my decision. You should also make some preparations and study the texts related to Erathia well."

  "Yes, I will not fail Your Majesty's high expectations," Marquis said, kneeling and performing a salute.

  After Marquis and Bishop Adela withdrew from the study to prepare, His Majesty the Pope took three teleportation scrolls from his desk and handed them to the Knight Tamika behind him, saying, "You can set out once Bishop Inham returns for the meeting."

  After leaving the Pope's study, Marquis immediately returned to his room at the fastest possible speed. But he did not read any texts. Instead, he drew out a teleportation scroll and opened it. After a flash of blue teleportation light, his figure vanished from the room.