“Your Mother, Arwen, is the Saintess of the Elven Race,” James said with a smile. “She is the Guardian of the World Tree and her authority is equal to the Elven Council’s. When the Council begged her to seduce your father, she agreed. However, Arwen had no intention of marrying your father.
“Their plan was to only use your father to resist the Demon Invasion then give him ample rewards after the invaders were repelled from the Elven Lands. What they didn’t expect was that your father, Maxwell, was not only an expert in conquering dungeons. He was also an expert in conquering the hearts of women.”
James paused as another chuckle escaped his lips. “Even though your mother was a High-Elf and a strong-willed woman, she was still a maiden that had never known what love was. Maxwell was no fool. He knew what the elves were planning.
“However, he had also fallen helplessly in love with your mother. Like I said, my son had a weakness for beautiful women and your mother was the most beautiful woman that he had seen in his life.”
William was captivated with James’ storytelling skills and waited in anticipation for the continuation of the story.
“Three days before the elves planned to counter-attack the invading Demon Army, Maxwell snuck inside the Sacred Grove where the World Tree and your mother resided. What the Elven Council didn’t know was that Arwen had already fallen for your father’s charms and had secretly told him the hidden path that would allow him to enter the Sacred Grove without the guards noticing him.
“There, the two shared a night of passion. Arwen had surrendered herself to Maxwell, and the latter took responsibility for making her fall in love with him. In the original plan, this was not supposed to happen. The Saintess should only devote herself to the World Tree for the rest of her life. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Saintess couldn’t get married and have children.
“She can, but like I said this is not part of the Elven Council’s plan because a Saintess is bound by a very strict rule. The man who takes her chastity will be her one and only lover for the rest of her life. Not even the Elven Council could overturn this rule that the First Guardian had decreed since the World Tree was born.
“Back then, the Head of the Elven Council was planning to marry his son to Arwen. Unfortunately for him, your father was a step faster and the rest was history. Your father went to war and drove the invaders back to the Demon Lands.
“The Elders thought that they had succeeded in their schemes, but lo and behold, your father got your mother pregnant in that one night of passion.
“The Head of the Council was livid and his son almost went crazy when they heard the news. They initially planned to have your father assassinated, but who was your father? He was a Dungeon Conqueror. When he summoned all the Dungeon Monsters under his command, the entire Elven Council had no choice but to begrudgingly allow their marriage.
“Not only that, your father brute forced his way and had the Head of the Council resign from his position and placed Arwen’s father, Theoden Aeanarion, as the new Head. Naturally, the elves had no choice but to agree to his demand and thus, the bastard schemer was kicked out of his position.”
It was then when James heaved a long and deep sigh. “I thought that your father and mother would have a happy ending, but it was just wishful thinking. The Ex-Head of the Council, along with his entire Clan, rebelled and concocted a plan to help the Demon Race bring their Elite Forces into the Sacred Grove by using long distance teleportation.
“Their plan was to use the World Tree as a hostage in order to make the Elves submit to the Demon Lord. Their plan succeeded, but the result was far from their expectations. Although the World Tree was sacred to the elves, it didn’t mean anything to Maxwell.
“He summoned his army and fought the Demon Lords and his Elite Demons inside the Sacred Grove. The battle was so fierce, that the Demon Lord was severely wounded and the World Tree was cut in half. It was also during this battle that your father acquired the ring of Conquest from the Demon Lord’s severed arm.
“If not for the sacrifices of his subordinates, the Demon Lord’s life might have ended then and there. He managed to escape back to the Demon Realm, losing his army of elites, and his arm in the process.
“The Elders of the Clan that had betrayed the Elven Race were executed, and the rest were exiled. Even so, one major problem still remained and that was the World Tree. it was on the verge of dying.”
James refilled the cup with wine and drank slowly as if trying to wash away the bitterness that was stuck inside his soul.
“If the World Tree dies, the elves will no longer be able to give birth and their race will lose their blessings. For the sake of his wife, and the child that was growing inside her body, your father decided to make a sacrifice.
“He used the power of the Dungeon Conqueror and fused with the World Tree. The tree recovered its vitality due to the immense power of the Dungeon Conqueror. You have to understand that your father, Maxwell, had conquered many dungeons. The magic power of Dungeons is almost limitless and they only grow stronger with time.
“It was more than enough to revive the World Tree. The elves survived the disaster, but many still held a grudge towards your father. Although we had told you that your father was dead, this wasn’t entirely true. He had merged with the World Tree, so basically, he is the World Tree. However, in doing so, he has also lost sentience.
“Even your mother, the Guardian of the World Tree, was unable to communicate with him. The only thing that remained of him was that ring on your finger. If my hunch is right, he stored the power of the Dungeon Conqueror within the ring. He did this to prevent another conqueror from being born.
“Perhaps he prepared the ring for you, perhaps not. I don’t really know. All I know is that your father has now turned into a tree, and your mother accompanies him everyday,” James said with a sigh.
“Perhaps Arwen felt that the old bastards were starting to scheme again so she decided to send you here to Lont. She was afraid that the Elders of the Council would use you as a hostage in order to force her to obey their command.
“Your mother is truly pitiful,” James lamented. “She lost her husband and her son. Like a caged bird, she can’t leave the Elven Continent and hold you in her arms. The only reason why they didn’t attempt to lay their hands on you, and your mother, is because of the tiny chance that your father might regain his consciousness inside the World Tree.”
What James didn’t tell William was that the elves were also dealing with another threat to their existence and that was due to the Elven Prophecy by the Rayleigh Family.
“Will, I believe that there is a way for your father to return to this world,” James said with a serious expression. “However, I don’t know what method it is. Also, the way you are now, you can’t go to the Elven Continent.
“If you go, you will not only endanger yourself, but endanger your mother as well. If you want to see her then you must become as strong as your father. That is the only way for the two of you to reunite.”
William clenched his fists in determination. He had felt his Mother’s sadness through her letters. The young boy could feel the deep longing in her written words. There were times when William wanted to travel to the Silvermoon Continent just to hug her tight.
“Grandpa, I want to meet her,” William said as he stared at his grandfather’s eyes. “I want to hug her. I want to kiss her and wipe the tears from her eyes. I want her to know how much I miss her.”
James didn’t say anything, instead he just looked at William with a calm expression.
“Have you found your purpose?”
“Yes.”
“And that is?”
William closed his eyes and pressed his right hand on his chest. “To reunite with my mother and find a way to make our family whole again. Also, I want to return a favor to the people who are looking after me from the heavens. For that, I will need your help, Grandpa.”
James was confused about the part about the people looking after William from the heavens. Even so, he still placed his hand on William’s shoulder and looked at him with solemn gaze.
“And you shall have it. Starting tomorrow, your training will begin. I will talk to the rest of the boys. However, William, remember this. I will not interfere with their training methods. No matter what happens, you are on your own. Do I make myself clear?”
William nodded his head. He finally found his reason to become stronger. He would reunite with his mother, save his father, and spread Gavin’s name to the entire world. Lily had secretly told him via telepathy that aside from him, Gavin had only one other believer.
A God who didn’t have any followers would cease to exist.
William wouldn’t allow this to happen. He was determined to spread Gavin’s name throughout the world and unlock the power of the Jack of All Trades, that hadn’t been seen for thousands of years.
—–
Somewhere in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, in a small hut that stood in the outskirts, a chubby man covered his face with both hands. Tears were streaming down his face as he bawled his eyes out.
Gavin, the God of All Trades, heard William’s words that came straight from his heart. He felt so happy that all the pent up frustrations, anxieties, sadness, and fear that he had kept deep inside for thousands of years finally burst forth.
That day, in that lonely hut, a God who was at the end of his rope, finally found a ray of light.
