34. The Three Treacherous Chiefs!

"Certainly. They, too, have the right to be enlightened."

Aerian recalled the events that transpired when he first brought the mages to this village.

"I told the people of the Elf Village that over three hundred years ago, it was the Moon Elf Prince, Seymour Moonwhisper, and his attendants who taught humanity magic—and that was indeed the truth."

"Therefore, magic is a gift bestowed upon humanity by the elves, a bridge for humans to become truly elven. Only by learning magic can they best emulate the elves."

"I also told them that certain spells are potent enough to reshape flesh and appearance, allowing them to transform into the likeness of elves."

"Driven by such motivation, the people of the Elf Village welcomed the magic schools and the resident teachers with open arms."

Recalling this, Aerian smiled.

Is that really the way it’s done? Little Gretel felt it was all rather strange.

"Honestly, I thought Your Majesty would view them as traitors. I never expected you to be completely indifferent," little Gretel said, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Because it is the truth. The Elven Court is simply far more powerful than we are. It is only natural for some humans to harbor such thoughts."

Aerian gazed toward the west, his eyes seeming to pierce through the verdant woods.

"The elven race on this continent boasts forty-two legendary mages. High-level casters like you or General Thor are countless."

"Those legendary elven mages can even join forces to unleash incredible high-level elven magical rituals, powerful enough to rend the continent asunder and banish true gods."

"The Elven Court occupies the most fertile and beautiful lands in the heart of the continent, the Fae Woodlands overflowing with ethereal magic, and the finest mithril mines. They leave us to struggle and fight against orcs, goblins, and kobolds on the barren, desolate lands at the edge of the continent."

"Above the Elven Court, there is the most powerful pantheon in the current universe—the Elven Pantheon. The elven high god, Corellon, is a mighty deity of magic and war. There are even ignorant fools who believe that the elven high god, Corellon, is the source of all magic in the universe..."

Why is Your Majesty telling me this? Gretel felt somewhat lost.

After speaking, Aerian placed a hand gently on the boy's shoulder.

"This is why we must strive."

"The reason we are building this nation, why we are spreading magic across the land, and why we have the undead laboring in the fields to feed a larger population, is so that the human children born in the future of Eldoren will not have to walk the path the Elf Village is taking today."

"Perhaps one day, when the Empire surpasses the Elven Court and even the Elven Pantheon, the elves will, in turn, worship us and cut off their long ears to imitate us..."

At this point, Aerian chuckled with a sense of humor.

"By the way, little Gretel. I shall use a spell to turn you into a young elf. Let you go to the Elf Village and experience firsthand the treatment elves enjoy. Would you like to try?"

Little Gretel was startled.

"But, but, I don't know what habits elves have. What if I don't act like one..."

Aerian smiled and shrugged.

"Do not worry. Whatever you do, in the eyes of the people in the Elf Village, it will be considered orthodox elven behavior. If it doesn't match what they have in mind, they will simply assume they themselves are mistaken."

"Very well... Your Majesty."

Gretel agreed, feeling slightly apprehensive.

Aerian chanted a spell softly.

Little Gretel's ears grew long, his frame became slender, and his features underwent a series of changes, suddenly taking on the appearance of an elven child.

"Go in and play for twenty minutes, and then I will meet you here."

Aerian waved his hand, watching little Gretel depart and enter the Elf Village.

Having temporarily sent the child away and watched him disappear from view, Aerian let out a long sigh and turned around slowly.

"Very well, since you have arrived, there is no need to hide."

"My three Chiefs, I trust you have been well!"

A man with sharp eyes and a handsome appearance.

A woman with beautiful golden hair.

A slightly bloated, bald man.

The three figures simultaneously dispelled their invisibility and emerged from the night.

"Gute, Helen, Cade. What brings the three of you to find me so late?" Aerian asked.

"What do you think?"

Gute, the Chief of Evocation, locked his eagle-like gaze onto Aerian.

"The best time to kill me has already passed," Aerian said, his tone devoid of surprise.

"The voices of opposition began to fade two months ago—most of the mage nobility, whether they approve or not, have accepted the reality."

"The resident teachers have become well-acquainted with the villagers. Magic education is progressing in full swing on the surface. In most villages, there are already clever students who have successfully cast their first cantrip..."

"After the three great orc clans were purged, every village has been reclaiming wilderness they once dared not step foot in. With those undead working the fields, they can till more land and feed more people. In just a few years, the human population on this land will double..."

"We will put an end to all of this!" Gute interrupted Aerian.

"As long as you are dead, everything can be settled."

"You do have loyal subordinates, mainly that annoying General Thor."

"But if you no longer existed, the die would be cast; what could he do then?"

"Even if he wished to avenge you, would those battle-mages under his command be willing to risk their lives for a Supreme Mage who no longer exists?"

Gute became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his face flushing crimson.

"Aerian, you must pay the price for your folly!"

"After tonight, once the Empire's Supreme Mage vanishes into thin air, I will become the new Supreme Mage and set things right."

"I will destroy those useless surface schools, recall all the resident mages, and slaughter the ignorant fools in three villages as a celebration."

"It is time to bring this farce, which has dragged on for over half a year, to an end!"

"In the history books of the future Great Eldoren, everything that happened this year will only be recorded as a misguided detour."

On the other side, the golden-haired woman, Helen, said in a cold tone:

"What Gute said is also what I want to say."

"Aerian, after you disappear tonight, I will support Gute to become the new Supreme Mage!"

Listening to Gute's righteous words, Aerian sensed something quite peculiar.

It was not the greed of someone blinded by gain, but the firm conviction of one who believes they are on the side of absolute righteousness!

"Gute, in your eyes, is the tradition of Eldoren so important?" Aerian asked.

"The word 'Eldoren' has only existed for three centuries. And it has been barely a hundred years since the mage nobility took their floating cities deep into the high heavens. The history of the Empire is not even half the lifespan of an elven commoner (700+ years)."

"Why are you willing, even after the best opportunity has passed, to still risk the great danger of potential retaliation from General Thor and my other supporters, just to assassinate me?"

"Is the tradition of Eldoren—the tradition of isolating mage nobility from surface commoners—the one thing you would risk your life to preserve?"

Gute fell silent, seemingly unwilling to answer.

Aerian smiled, his tone exceptionally calm.

"So, are you willing to answer these questions for a dead man?"

"Future Supreme Mage of Eldoren."

After a brief silence, Gute let out a cold snort.

"Aerian, you will never understand."

"Have you ever seen a god, Aerian? A true god!"