Chapter 74: Return (Part 2)

Under the cover of night, Orford's army finally began its march toward the Church coalition forces, stationed a hundred miles away. This marked Orford's first offensive strike, and it would undoubtedly become an unforgettable event for every human soldier involved.

The generals of the coalition forces were no novices in warfare. Having fought on countless battlefields over the years, they had, of course, left behind forces to cover their retreat and had taken precautionary measures. However, their experience was based on battles fought between human armies. Orford, on the other hand, had never engaged the coalition forces head-on, nor had it revealed the true strength of its troops in combat. The speed of the orcs' march, their formation, combat effectiveness, and tactical capabilities—all these remained a mystery to the coalition generals.

Orford's long-held patience was about to erupt in a strike that promised to be a one-sided slaughter.

Leading the charge was Grutt, with Lord Borugan serving as the commanding officer. However, Theodorus himself stayed behind in Orford. Now, in the vast and empty city hall, only Theodorus and Asa remained.

"If I recall correctly, I still owe you two months," Asa said, lighting an oil lamp on the wall. The red glow of the flame was bright but couldn't fully illuminate the dark, spacious room.

"Two months and four days, to be precise—sixty days in total," Theodorus corrected softly. Reclining in his chair with his eyes closed, he slowly rubbed his temples with his thumbs. Under the lamplight, the deep wrinkles on his face appeared even more pronounced, carving out the fatigue and weariness of an old man.

Earlier, he had been the spirited and passionate leader, standing before thousands of orcs, exuding strength and resolve. Now, he seemed like an empty shell, barely able to summon the energy to speak.

The table in front of him was piled with unfinished paperwork. Even amidst the war, Theodorus strove to keep Orford running as normally and efficiently as possible—allocating resources, manpower, and crafting policies to ensure the city's survival and development. Asa knew that Theodorus was busier than ten typical leaders combined. Leisure was a luxury Theodorus couldn't afford; even sleep was limited to three or four hours a day. Asa often wondered how this old man managed to muster the energy and determination for such a draining task.

"What's the matter? Eager to finish your work and leave?" Theodorus opened his eyes slightly and glanced at him. "I thought you were enjoying yourself with that dark elf."

"Not really... It's just that there's nothing else to do," Asa replied, his face reddening slightly. He had no interest in administration, and Theodorus and Lord Borugan wouldn't have him involved in such matters. As a result, Asa and the dark elf had been the most idle people in Orford lately.

Theodorus chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll have something to do soon enough. I've never been one to waste resources, so I'll make good use of your remaining sixty days."

"More assassinations? Scheming? Or perhaps you want me to join the army in chasing down the coalition forces?"

Theodorus smiled bitterly. "The way you say it, I sound like some grand villain in a story..." He sighed, his voice filled with exhaustion. "But honestly, it seems like that's all I've ever done—scheming, plotting... I never imagined I'd one day give the order to slaughter tens of thousands of people."

"I remember you once said that war is the dullest solution, and fostering hatred through battle is the most foolish thing to do."

"I still believe that," Theodorus said, his smile tinged with helplessness. "But now, I have no other choice but to rely on these dull, foolish methods. I never thought it would come to this..."

"You never thought it would?" Asa looked surprised. It seemed unlikely that Theodorus—a meticulous strategist who had poured his life into building Orford—could fail to anticipate such a scenario.

Theodorus let out a long sigh. "I didn't expect Ronis to pass away so soon after Orford was established. It was always clear that Celeste and Dehya Valley wouldn't tolerate Orford's existence. But if Ronis had remained to balance the Church and suppress the Necromancers' Guild, this war could have been avoided. And if Orford had been given ten more years to grow, neither Celeste nor Dehya Valley would have posed a threat."

"Perhaps," Asa nodded. He had witnessed Orford's rapid development firsthand. In less than two years, the city had reached an astonishing scale. Under Theodorus' meticulous management, the orcs operated with efficiency far surpassing that of humans. Given enough time to replenish its population and resources, Orford might indeed have become impervious to the Church.

"With Ronis gone, both Celeste and Dehya Valley have shifted their focus to Einfast. However, they've hesitated because of various concerns. I also trusted that neither Roland nor my apprentice would allow the Church to interfere with the Academy of Magic, so I had little to worry about." Theodorus' voice grew heavier. "But I've just received new information—a new cardinal has been appointed by the Pope to succeed Ronis at the Academy of Magic. Celeste hasn't publicly announced this, and only a few cardinals are aware. My informant overheard this in a private conversation between two cardinals. It seems like a secretive and significant move."

"You have informants in Celeste too?" Asa was surprised. He knew Theodorus had a vast network of spies—one of Orford's key advantages over the coalition forces was its intelligence, while no human spies could infiltrate the orcs. But he hadn't expected Theodorus to have agents even in the Church's headquarters.

"It's not surprising. Humans are always the easiest to bribe—far easier than orcs," Theodorus said with a faint sneer. "And this brings me to why I called you here. I don't believe Magnus would send someone without purpose or deploy a person who serves no function."

"You want me to assassinate this new cardinal? Who is he?" Asa asked, half-amused. The idea of targeting a cardinal of the Church seemed absurd, even by his standards. Few in history, no matter how infamous, would ever consider assassinating a Church cardinal.

Theodorus's face took on a strange expression as he said, "According to the reports, the new cardinal's name is Jarvis. He was a very young holy warrior before being promoted to this position due to his outstanding achievements. But there's something unusual about this. No matter how great his accomplishments, Magnus wouldn't entrust such a heavy responsibility to someone who has been in the Glory Fortress for less than a year. Oh, by the way, one of this warrior's achievements was rescuing a Temple Knight on the battlefield. That should be the guy who saved the archer Temple Knight from your hands. Do you remember?"

"I didn't see him. A squad of elite swordsmen came at that time, and since our side had already sustained losses in prior battles, we didn't dare to confront them head-on... but..." Asa hesitated. For some reason, an image from the Turaleone Forest suddenly surfaced in his mind. There was no logical reason to connect that person to the new cardinal, but an inexplicable, pure intuition brought this figure from his memory to the forefront.

"But what?" Theodorus asked.

"Nothing, I must be mistaken." Asa shook his head. After all, intuition alone wasn't enough to base a deduction on. "Should I kill him?"

"If you can, certainly... but I advise you to be cautious. I don't have the energy to investigate this person, but I doubt he'll be easy to deal with. You'd better lie low and return to the Magic Academy for now, then act as the situation dictates."

"Do I need to go back to Einfast?" Asa thought for a moment and smiled. "Perfect timing, I was planning to go back anyway."

"Just be careful. This matter is important, but neither Grutt nor I can spare any effort to help you. No matter what happens, you'll be on your own. This might be the last task I give you. However, if you succeed in preventing Celeste and Dehya Valley from interfering with the Magic Academy, and if Einfast maintains peace with Orford, then there's still hope for us."

"I understand. I'll prepare to leave immediately."

Suddenly, blue light flashed outside the window, piercing the dark night. It was the glow of a teleportation magic circle.

At noon, a teleportation circle in Dehya Valley lit up, and a figure appeared in the valley.

This was a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothing. Though his face showed some signs of exhaustion, he radiated an air of meticulous refinement. His attire, hair, and accessories were all impeccably maintained, and his pale, well-cared-for skin, with even the wrinkles and fine hairs seemingly groomed by a team of ten maidens, added to his striking presence.

"Praise the Lord! Nopolinot, you've come at just the right time. Praise the great Akibard—it must be His guidance that brought you here. I came here with great effort to meet Celeste, only to find no one around," the flustered Cardinal Adra rambled as he approached. His somewhat incoherent words betrayed his current state of mind.

"What's going on? Calm down. Respected Cardinal, Akibard would surely dislike hearing you place him after the Lord," the man replied.

"It's about Jarvis. Magnus sent him to Einfast…"

The middle-aged man frowned after hearing the story, but after a moment of thought, he said, "This might not be a bad thing. If the young man is so confident, he must have his reasons. While I doubt he can outmaneuver Sandru and take control of the Magic Academy, he should at least be able to protect himself. Sandru is far too dignified to act recklessly against a junior. We should have confidence in Jarvis's wisdom and capabilities. Furthermore, going as a cardinal ensures his safety. Even if someone discovers something, his status will deter rash actions. Do you think anyone would risk harming a cardinal appointed by the Pope over mere suspicions?"

"Still, we must inform Inham as soon as possible and send someone to keep an eye on Einfast. The Pope has been keeping a close watch on me lately, and I can't leave," Adra said.

The middle-aged man shook his head. "Unfortunately, it's not just you who can't leave. None of us can. Jarvis will have to handle this on his own. I suspect the Acting Guild Leader thinks the same because we're likely to have more pressing matters to deal with soon."

Adra stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"My trip to Nigen yielded results that will astound you."

"Did Nigen agree to refrain from attacking Alrasia before dealing with Orford?"

"Not just that. Do you remember the matter you asked me to investigate while I was there?"

"You mean that…?"

"Not only did I confirm the details with Shaman Timmah, but the key is that Timmah wishes to join Dehya Valley as a noble and elegant Necromancer."

"What?" Adra's expression turned odd. "That seems… rather inappropriate…"

"Rest assured, Shaman Timmah's mastery of magic, his unparalleled status in Nigen, and his brilliant mind all qualify him as a Necromancer. He is worthy of the sacred recognition of the Black Star."

"But… isn't the Shaman…?"

"If Timmah joins Dehya Valley, you can imagine the impact on our great Necromancer Guild. Even Celeste might fall under our influence then." The middle-aged man's eyes gleamed with the light of a merchant, as if envisioning countless golden coins—or an enormous profit.

Adra frowned and shook his head lightly. Though he couldn't outright dismiss it as bad news, he felt this mercantile gaze didn't quite suit a Necromancer. "Though I don't fully agree, let's wait for Inham to return and convene a meeting to decide."

Outside Orford, about a mile north of the city, an expanse of vibrant green swayed in the wind.

This scene seemed entirely out of place on the barren highlands. In this season, only the hardiest plants could survive in the impoverished soil. Yet these were crops that should have thrived only in the warm and humid southern regions, growing here with tenfold the vitality they would in fertile lands.

This miraculous growth wasn't due solely to the mix of swamp soil and local sand or the artificial canal that brought water from the Donau River. At the heart of these lush fields were over a hundred magical arrays, diffusing magical energy into the soil.

Though these arrays weren't made of top-tier magical materials, the cumulative cost of over a hundred of them would still be enough to cover the land in copper coins. These crops were undoubtedly the most expensive on the continent. In turn, their efficiency was unparalleled, with harvests occurring ten times faster than usual—monthly instead of yearly.

At the edge of this magical farmland stood two elderly figures deep in conversation. One was the owner of the fields, the other their creator. Their negotiation had lasted so long that the younger people behind them were visibly impatient.

Finally, after hours of haggling, the two men sighed simultaneously, exchanged smiles, and declared the end of their battle. One of the elders gestured to a radiant elven maiden standing behind them, her beauty surpassing even the verdant life around her.

"May Fahma forgive me…" Ruya sighed, pulling out a small pouch of seeds and handing it to Elder Lloyd.

Elder Lloyd took the pouch with a wry smile, his gaze full of both bitterness and affection as he looked into Ruya's eyes. "It's not your fault. Fahma knows your sincerity and purity. I'll take responsibility for this."

Lloyd then handed the seeds to Theodorus, who reluctantly produced two blue magical gemstones from his pocket and gave them to Lloyd.

The gemstones radiated a strange magical aura. Any mage witnessing this transaction would have thought the two men insane, for these Star Eyes, among the continent's rarest and most valuable gems, were being exchanged for nothing more than a small pouch of seeds.

Theodorus held the pouch of seeds, unwilling to let go of the Star Eyes in Lloyd's hand, and said with a wry smile, "Was this really necessary? It's just a trade—no need to ask for Fahma's forgiveness."

"Using the power of the World Tree's leaves to forcibly alter a species' fundamental nature... these seeds are no longer plants native to this world. Strictly speaking, this is no better than Necromancers creating zombies or skeletons. In fact, it might even be worse. These plants could disrupt the balance of nature, as they're not naturally occurring."

Theodorus chuckled. "All we've done is make these crops grow more easily, bear more fruit, and shorten their growth cycles. If you ask me, this is a blessing to the world. Fahma should celebrate such an achievement."

Lloyd snorted disdainfully. "The laws of nature are beyond our comprehension. What seems like a miracle to humans might one day become a disaster for the entire world."

Shrugging, Theodorus replied, "I'm more concerned about whether this small pouch of seeds can truly solve Orford's food problem for good."

"Rest assured. Unlike the magically enhanced crops, these seeds have been fundamentally altered. Their growth and reproduction rates are near the limits of any plant. To them, the barren highland soil will be like a bed of fertile loam. After two months of careful cultivation and reproduction, your orcs will never go hungry again."

"Such incredible power. If not for this, merely sustaining these magic arrays would sooner or later bankrupt me," Theodorus remarked, holding a small pouch in his hand. He sighed with satisfaction, the wrinkles on his face faintly revealing an expression of rare vitality. His gaze, intentional or not, drifted toward Ruya. "Honestly, with the power of you elves, you could easily ally with Orford instead of expending so much effort relocating and hiding. If you thought about it more deeply, you'd realize that the World Tree's Leaf, if properly utilized, holds the potential to reshape the very fabric of reality. Even if you have no ambitions, it's more than enough for self-preservation. You could easily fend off both the Church and the Necromancers' Guild. For example, that Ancient War Tree from the Elf Wars could be—"

"Stop teaching the young ones nonsense," interrupted Elder Lloyd with a wave of his hand. He sighed and said, "No matter the intentions, the pursuit of power is the beginning of destruction. Power will inevitably spiral out of control and tear even its wielder to pieces. The world is already veering off its course, driven by unchecked desire. So, I'd rather be branded a sinner in Fahma's history if it means I can bring the elves back home. Let us return to the Whispering Forest and be content with merely warding off external disturbances. You humans can wallow in your own chaos if that's what you desire."

Elder Lloyd turned to glance at Asa behind him and said, "So, young man. Consider this your last favor to us."

Asa shrugged and replied, "Doesn't matter to me. It's something I can wrap up in the next sixty days anyway. Just a side task, really."

Elder Lloyd nodded. "What a reassuring tone. It's no wonder you're worthy of bearing the power of the World Tree's Leaf and the Sunwell."