856 Talk in the Wagon
The atmosphere on the wagon became extremely weird. Douglas seemed to have forgotten the two sorcerers next to him. He kept asking strange questions one after another, and neither Fernando nor Lauren knew how to respond. Weren’t they all as matter-of-fact as the sun rising from the east and the fruit falling to the ground after they were ripe?
However, Douglas soon came back to himself. He said apologetically, “Excuse me. I tend to be absentminded once in a while.”
“It’s nothing. It happens to me when I encounter magic problems,” Lauren replied with a smile, as if he were not interested in Douglas’ strange questions at all. Fernando opened his mouth but did not say anything in the end.
After a brief silence, Fernando and Lauren introduced the situation on this side of the Storm Strait.
“Both the Sylvanas Magic Empire and the Asso Empire have been dismembered into scattered organizations that do not obey each other. Some of them have even escaped to the Boundless Ocean. It is safe to say that the situation here is even worse than the other side of the strait. At least, the western territory including Aalto is still in the hands of sorcerers…” Lauren sighed.
Fernando added, “The territory that used to belong to the Asso Empire has been divided into two parts, the Kingdom of Brianne and the Duchy of Calais. From what used to be the Sylvanas Magic Empire, the Kingdom of Holm and the Kingdom of Colette have been born. Our organization is mainly active in Holm, which is where we are in right now…”
Having investigated the situation before he passed the Storm Strait, Douglas was no stranger to the information. With a tranquilizing smile, he said, “As a matter of fact, I chose to pass the Storm Strait instead of running to Aalto, because I had more hopes in this place.”
“Is that so?” Fernando tried to be indifferent and narrowed his eyes, preventing his eyes from betraying himself.
The Union had always been analyzing the situation, and their final conclusion was similar to Douglas’. That was why they risked making attempts and changes.
Douglas said peacefully, “Because the nobles here are more powerful than the Church in general.”
His words struck Lauren like lightning. He finally understood why his organization changed its policy and asked Fernando to meet the greatest noble at the capital of Paphos County.
Lauren knew that it was meant to attract the nobles and sow discord between them and the Church. However, he had never known why they were doing in, and what they were contriving to do.
Fernando said nothing and simply looked at Douglas, waiting for what he was about to say.
“We did not know the specific conditions here, but according to my observation, after the fall of Antiffler, the clerics were more and more arrogant toward the nobles, and most Grand Cardinals and divine knights have been concentrated in Antiffler and Lance, ready to march west,” Douglas spoke of what he knew.
“In western cities such as Aalto, many legends have been gathered, and they even have the help of some vampires and dragons. However, they have serious internal contradictions, and the gap between them and the Church and nobles will be wider and wider. Unless the Silver Moon arrives, they will be swallowed step by step. On the other side, while we are weak in this place, the gap between us and the Church is not as huge.”
He compared with the overall strength of the Church and the nobles in the first time but only the Church in the second time. Both Fernando and Lauren knew his meaning well.
Fernando spoke in a weird accent that suggested he wasn’t a native of Holm, “After most of the senior-rank sorcerers were eliminated, the Truth Cult has mobilized more than half of the legendary clerics. Now, there is only one saint cardinal in Rentato and Cocus respectively.”
“Some of the legendary knights have been moved away too, but there are still five left. After all, this place is their hometown, and they are unwilling to attack Aalto far away even though they are devout believers. Also, they believe that the Church does not need their help. Obviously, the Church thinks so too.”
“But what’s the point?” Lauren frowned and asked in confusion. “As long as the Church destroys the legends in the west and sends most of the experts over, all our efforts will be in vain.”
Fernando glared at him. “Time. The time for us to develop, look for allies, sow discord, and seek balance.”
Douglas also smiled. “We aren’t the Church’s only enemy.”
“Right, if Aalto is lost, the Church will reach the Dark Mountain Range. Perhaps the Silver Moon will really arrive.” Lauren nodded.
Douglas suddenly seemed tranced. “Even if the Silver Moon does arrive, I think the pope will remain undefeated.”
“Is God’s Arrival really so powerful?” Fernando asked in shock and curiosity. Their intelligence was too untrustworthy on this side of the strait, and now they were faced with a living sorcerer who went through the Battle of Antiffler.
“His Excellency the Light of Stars perished without any resistance. Even the city defense of Antiffler was mostly destroyed. I don’t know how powerful a real demigod is, but I know that the Light of Stars was beyond top legendary when he fought in Antiffler…” Douglas recalled; his peaceful smile replaced by panic.
Both Fernando and Lauren fell silent. Neither of them had been to Antiffler before. Although Fernando was a native of the Asso Empire, Antiffler had been “Crown of Arcana” for all the time thanks to the lessons of their teachers and seniors. It was known as the strongest fortress on earth where the most powerful legendary sorcerers were gathered, but after only one attack of God’s Arrival, the consul and the capital of the Sylvanas Magic Empire were demolished.
Was God’s Arrival so powerful?
For a moment, they were grasped by intense desperation. What was the point of their work? It would be finished by one God’s Arrival after all.
Douglas put on a warm smile again. “There’s no need to be too worried. I don’t think it’s so easy for the pope to perform God’s Arrival.”
“How do you know?” The intelligence was too important and Lauren had never heard it before. He was even suspicious that Douglas was merely comforting him.
Douglas did not have any beard, which made him younger than he actually was. He smiled. “It’s been almost ten years since the fall of Antiffler, but the Church never marched west on a large scale. The pope has never attacked again, even though people are regathering and picking up their confidence. I think there’s a reason for that.
“Besides, the pope was surrounded by legends before, but he never used God’s Arrival. If it is so easy to perform, he could’ve used it to finish the battle quickly.”
He proposed his guess honestly, not bothering at all that the two sorcerers kept a lot of stuff to themselves.
“Well…” Douglas was deep in thought. The more he thought, the more reasonable it appeared to him, and the more wary he was of Douglas. They had known the facts for a long time, but nobody had ever connected them or pointed out the problem. Was it because Douglas always asked strange questions?
They stopped further communication. After all, they hadn’t really established trust yet.
The wagon stopped at the suburb. Fernando and Lauren led Douglas in the woods and approached a shelter.
In this forest, the Union of Sorcerers had three secret bureaus. One was still unactivated, one had been given to the three sorcerers as a shelter, and the last one was their destination.
“Let’s go there and take a look first,” Lauren said to Fernando in the telepathic bond.
Fernando nodded and knew that he wanted to observe the shelter where the three sorcerers were hiding because one of the traitors they suspected was there.
Douglas did not talk but followed them in silence. Fernando and Lauren, on the other hand, did not intend to show him the bureau. For all they knew, he could still be a spy of the night watchers.
Now that the Church had dominating advantages, more and more sorcerers who struggled in darkness and depression joined the Church and became night watchers who hunted their companions. Nobody could tell if their close comrades yesterday would become the enemy who ended their life the next day.
Several big magic organizations had been infiltrated by the night watchers and suffered destructive strikes. The other organizations learned their lessons and gave strict tests on every newcomer even if the newcomer was an archmage. It had to be noted that there were plenty of archmages among the top thirty night watchers!
Fernando and Lauren only intended to glimpse at the place from far away in case the secret bureau was exposed. However, after only one glance, Fernando’s face became so gloomy that a storm seemed to come.
The cave was half open, and the intense stink of blood had attracted three wolves.
“We’re one step late!” Lauren patted his head in regrets. He already knew what happened. They had the correct suspect, but he did not keep lurking, hoping that he was not discovered. The guy had killed two sorcerers and left immediately. He had to be under the protection of the night watchers now.
Douglas watched them examine the surroundings and followed them to the cave in silence. He saw the two bitten, incomplete bodies, as well as their faces that were overwhelmed with fear and confusion.
“Gary is dead, Prince is dead…” Lauren spoke to himself, “Gary’s little girl asked me to take care of her father, and Prince hadn’t even told his girl that he loved her yet… Damn it, Benson, they were your good friends! Gary even saved you before! I came too late…”
“They’re dead for at least a day and a half. It’s obvious they were soaked in the rain,” Douglas said in a low voice, suggesting that Benson attacked immediately after they arrived. Nobody could have helped them.
Fernando’s face was blue and red. He vaguely recalled that Gary’s daughter was a lovely kid. After a long time, he finally roared in a low voice, “I’ll let Benson regret this!”
A fifth-circle sorcerer and an elite who was very likely to be a senior-rank sorcerer had joined the night watchers just like that!
Lauren took a deep breath. “Let’s get out of here first.”
The two of them hurried to burn the bodies into ashes and kept them in their magic pouches.
The rest of the journey to their secret shelter was even more depressing. Douglas suddenly opened his mouth. “Actually, I am a sorcerer who prefers figuring out the reasons behind things to killing and fighting.”
Fernando was about to roar, but what Douglas said next left a deep impression on him.
Douglas looked at the sky and heaved a soft sigh. “However, only in a safe and steady environment and with the support of other people will it be possible to explore and research. Now, there isn’t even a place where we can install an alchemical platform stably, and the partners we explore the world together with are all dying.
“When a person is cornered, it will be time for him to change.”
