Chapter 3: Migration (Part 2)

"How about it, Inham? Can you tell why this stardust behaves this way? I know you're well-versed in magic, especially in the application of magic circles and magical materials. You're probably among the best in the continent," the Pope asked, smiling as he looked at the Marquis.

The Marquis tilted his head, thinking for a moment before answering, "Your Majesty, judging by the weight of this stardust, I believe... this was originally a whole, intact Star Eye. The scattered stardust, aside from triggering the power of the corresponding Star Eye, has no other effect. And because spatial magic has the worst control, the powers of the Star Gems can't resonate or combine with each other. Therefore, no matter how much stardust is gathered, it cannot possess the power of a Star Fragment. This amount certainly cannot be the result of stardust or fragments being used up. It can only be the residual traces left after a whole Star Eye was used."

"Good insight. I agree," the Pope nodded slightly. "But I find it strange—how did those elves manage to turn such a precious Star Eye into dust? Could it be related to their entire race vanishing?"

The Marquis smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid I can't tell, Your Majesty. I don't have the answer."

The Pope looked at the Marquis with a sigh, his gaze somewhat heavy. "According to Knight Tamik, it's not just the elves that have disappeared; even the ancient War Tree in the Turaleone Forest is gone... That tree is a relic from the ancient era, said to have been found by the Elf Queen Isabel five hundred years ago, a sapling taken from the ancient ruins and nurtured with water from the Sun Well in the Whispering Forest. It was in Turaleone that it grew. Back then, the young Pope, Saint Julian, had a close relationship with the Elf Queen and recorded all of this in his personal journals. Although I've read them, I never expected that the Ancient War Tree could have such power, enough to rival the mages of the Dehya Valley. That surprised me... Originally, I hoped to engage with them and exchange ideas, but when Knight Tamik arrived in Turaleone, all he found was an empty forest."

Adra couldn't help but glance at the wooden-faced Tamik. As someone who only took direct orders from the Pope and seldom appeared in public, his notion of "exchange and communication" was easily understood. Though Lancelote had failed in Turaleone, he brought back news of the World Tree leaf, and combined with the Ancient War Tree's immense power, these things were enough to justify less honorable methods.

The Pope turned his gaze back to the Marquis and asked, "Although Celeste has a wealth of magical texts, records on spatial magic are scarce throughout the continent. I can see that this is the dust from a shattered Star Eye and that the elves' disappearance is related, but I can't fathom the full circumstances. Inham, do you detect any clues?"

The Marquis smiled faintly and shook his head. "I truly can't make it out."

"You are being overly modest. Haven't you noticed?" The Pope's smile widened, and this time, it was not just polite—it contained an unmistakable admiration, and perhaps a subtle sharpness. The cold atmosphere in the room seemed to grow more acute.

The Marquis bowed slightly, maintaining his respectful posture, though his demeanor remained calm and composed. "I would never dare to show off my small skills in front of Your Majesty."

The Pope fell silent, no longer looking at the Marquis but focusing on the shattered fragments of the Star Eye in his hand. After a long, uncomfortable pause, the Pope finally spoke again. He looked at the Marquis and said, "Inham, you know that the war in Orford is not going well for Celeste. Not only have countries like Alrasia suffered heavy losses, but several Temple Knights and Cardinal Aescher have also tragically died. Now, the Glory Fortress is lacking those capable of handling matters independently... Since you once studied at the Magic Academy and are considered a Celeste native, would you be interested in taking up the position of Cardinal of Alrasia?"

For the first time, the Marquis' face showed surprise, and even Bishop Adra looked momentarily stunned. Only Knight Tamik, standing behind the Pope, remained as expressionless as ever, almost like a statue.

The Marquis paused for a moment before kneeling on one knee. "Thank you for your recognition, Your Majesty. I am willing to dedicate everything for the glory of our Lord."

The Pope looked at the Marquis with a calm smile, restoring the serene, peaceful expression he had earlier. "Spatial magic is profound and intricate. It is rumored that only the necromancers of Dehya Valley possess the forbidden magic of spatial conversion. I wonder if it could be related to such large-scale collective teleportation magic?"

The Pope's words seemed as though they shouldn't have been spoken in front of others. Adra stole a glance at Tamik, who remained as impassive as before. But Tamik now seemed less human than a statue.

"No," the marquis shook his head confidently. "Even Akibard has never used such a large-scale teleportation spell. Only necromancers recognized by the Black Star can collaborate to use the forbidden spell for spatial transformation, but it's an extremely dangerous magic. No one would willingly use it unless absolutely necessary. However, I've heard that the ancient elven magic culture was extraordinarily advanced... Perhaps what these elves used was a method passed down from the ancient elven race."

"Inham, you are well-read and knowledgeable. I wonder if you've ever come across any records about this?" The pope nodded slightly, his fingers continually pinching the blue gemstone fragments.

"It could be a Dimensional Gate," the marquis thought for a moment before replying.

Half a day ago, the blue light and massive tremors from the forest near Airi City were felt by all the residents of Airi.

More than a year ago, the heretical incident controlled by necromancers near here caused the population of Airi to decrease by nearly a third. The terrifying scenes from that day were forever imprinted in the minds of all the people of Airi. Later, the forest, which had been completely destroyed by explosions and flames, surprisingly began to regrow at an unimaginable speed, returning to its original state. Since then, no one dared approach that forest. So, when the tremors and the sky filled with blue light appeared again, the first instinct of the residents was the same: fear. They all hurriedly fled back to their homes to hide.

The local authorities, too, were holed up in the governor's residence, and no patrols were sent to investigate the forest. The Prime Minister's earlier decree had instructed them not to concern themselves with it. Thus, although everyone in Alrasia felt the disturbance, no one dared to look into it.

However, not far from the forest's edge, a pair of siblings who happened to be passing by had a different reaction. They not only saw the blue light and felt the tremor, but they also sensed the magical energy that filled the entire space.