Chapter 4: Migration (Part 3)

"A Dimensional Gate?" The Pope was surprised. Even as one of the most powerful magicians on the continent, he had never heard of such a thing.

The Marquis replied, "I happened to come across some notes left by the leader of the necromancers, Akibad. In his notes, he briefly mentioned this legendary magic. Akibad may not have even seen it himself, but he described it as a teleportation spell used by the ancient elves to move armies. Since Your Majesty mentioned that even the Ancient War Tree has disappeared, I deduced that this might be the case. Moreover, from the dust here, it seems this magic might consume an entire Star Eye. They may have sacrificed their own teleportation magic circle to cast this spell."

"…No, simply sacrificing the teleportation magic circle wouldn't be enough to cast such a spell," the Pope thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Teleportation magic has a dual-phase effect. Since it's called a 'gate,' and according to the report from Knight Tamik, the massive spatial fluctuations lasted for a while, it should be a form of transmission through a portal or similar method. To maintain the balance of space, there must be another identical Star Eye at the destination. So, this magic would require the consumption of two Star Eyes."

"Your Majesty is truly knowledgeable and insightful," the Marquis nodded, genuinely admiring the Pope's wisdom.

Adra asked in astonishment, "Two? Even Celeste only has one complete Star Eye at present. And almost all the Star Eyes on the continent have been used as cores for teleportation magic circles. Where would they find such precious gems..."

"Orford," the Marquis replied calmly. "Orford is the only place. It's so close to the Saundfest Mountain Range, and the orcs are best suited to operate in the harsh environment of the mountains. Plus, with that half-elf named Grutt's power, I believe they now possess even more Star Eyes and top-tier magical gems than both Dehya Valley and Celeste combined."

Adra nodded. "But after all, we're talking about two Star Eyes. That old man Theodorus must have received enough benefits from the elves to give them such treasures, but what exactly did he get in return? Unfortunately, we can't infiltrate the upper echelons of Orford, which is the biggest inconvenience."

"It must be food," the Marquis immediately answered without a second thought. "Orford is most lacking in food supply, while the elves' life magic can help crops grow even in the wild highlands. Although the elves' strategy has always been to avoid getting involved in worldly strife, I believe they had no choice but to compromise with Orford for the sake of migration."

"It seems that our plan to slowly wear down Orford is no longer feasible," the Pope said slowly, his face growing more serious. "In fact, we may need to launch another offensive quickly. I also really hope that the conditions Orford received weren't just limited to this... What if the elves also taught Orford how to use the Dimensional Gate? Although it requires two Star Eyes to use it once... I believe with Theodorus' mind, just one use would be enough to turn the tide of the entire situation."

A spell capable of relocating tens of thousands of elves, and even a gigantic, unimaginable Ancient War Tree, could easily teleport thousands of elite orc warriors to any desired location. This would undoubtedly cause a dramatic shift in the balance of power between both sides.

Adra was so shocked that he was speechless. But it wasn't just the conclusion that stunned him; it was the process by which both the Pope and the Marquis had reached such a far-reaching and clear deduction from the elves' migration alone. Furthermore, the subtle yet decisive agreements and judgments they had made beforehand revealed an incredible depth of strategy and cunning.

Both were evenly matched. Bishop Adra glanced back and forth between the two men, letting out a deep sigh.

The Pope turned to the Marquis again and asked, "I heard that the elves' sacred land, the Whispering Forest, suffered a disaster a year ago, when it was reduced to ashes by a mysterious fire. Is that true?"

"Your Majesty's wisdom is unparalleled; you see everything clearly," the Marquis replied with a slight smile and a nod. "However, there is the divine power of the Sun Well covering the Whispering Forest. I believe it has mostly recovered by now. If the elves are migrating, this would be their only destination."

Bishop Adra stepped forward. "Since it is so critical, we must obtain the ancient elven heritage from the elves, at least the method to use the Dimensional Gate, to bridge the gap between us and Orford. The elves number only around ten thousand, while Celeste's warrior-priests alone are twice that number, not to mention the large armies we can mobilize. We can force—"

The Pope shook his head and sighed, "To use two Star Eyes to migrate the entire clan to the Whispering Forest is precisely their declaration of severing ties with the conflict between Celeste and Orford. When we were in Turaleone, we could lower our pride to do so, but the Whispering Forest lies within the borders of Einfast. And Einfast has already clearly indicated its break with Celeste, due to some misunderstandings caused by Bishop Jarvis. Celeste is already out of our reach."

"According to Knight Tamik's report, the Ancient War Tree was restored to a sapling. Only in the form of a gigantic treant could it facilitate the teleportation. Although it is said that the Ancient War Tree consumes a large amount of Sun Well water during its growth, I estimate that it will cause the magic barrier of the Whispering Forest to lose its effect for about three days. But once the Ancient War Tree fully matures, and the power of the ancient tree combines with the barrier of the Sun Well, even if we launch a frontal assault, it would likely be futile."

"And in three days, what can we do to mobilize a large force to the Whispering Forest?" The Pope sighed heavily again.

Neither Adra nor the Marquis spoke. It seemed that there was no solution. The Whispering Forest was located in the southern part of Einfast, over a thousand miles away from Celeste. Even with griffins traveling day and night, it would be impossible to arrive in three days.

"It's a pity... I didn't foresee the elves' role in the conflict between us and Orford. Now that I know, it's too late..." The Pope's gaze fell on the blue dust in his hand. His hands were well-maintained, looking as delicate and soft as those of a young scholar, with the top-tier white magic technique enhancing their appearance. The blue gemstone dust flowed between his fingers. After a long silence, the Pope sighed deeply, raising his hand slightly. The star dust, now devoid of magical power, flowed like a stream from his fingers out of the window, scattering in the wind. "Forget it. Once it's gone, there's no need to think about it anymore."

With a release of the star dust, the Pope's sigh seemed to indicate relief, and the cold atmosphere in the study seemed to dissipate.

Whether it was food or the magic of the Dimensional Gate, in Orford's hands, they truly became two absolute trump cards. Though this situation was hard to accept, now that it was irretrievable, it was time to let go.

Only by letting go of what must be relinquished could one concentrate their efforts on seizing what can still be grasped.

"Notify everyone. Gather all the Cardinals immediately for a meeting on Orford's situation tonight. Hmm... Inham, I will announce your new position as the Bishop of Alrasia during the meeting. Other cardinals will likely disagree with my decision, so be prepared. Study the records on Alrasia thoroughly."

"Yes, I will not fail Your Majesty's expectations," the Marquis kneeled and bowed.

After the Marquis and Bishop Adra left to prepare, the Pope took three teleportation scrolls from his desk and handed them to Knight Tamik, saying, "You can depart after Inham returns for the meeting."

Once out of the Pope's study, the Marquis immediately returned to his room at the fastest speed, but instead of studying any texts, he pulled out a teleportation scroll and opened it. With a flash of blue teleportation light, his figure disappeared from the study room.