Chapter 124: Variables (Part 14)

In the center of the plaza, hundreds of battle-scarred orcs huddled together, completely surrounded by thousands of swordsmen, priests, and magicians. The strongest force of Orford had already fallen, and wiping out the remaining orcs was no longer a difficult task. However, not a single person dared to act recklessly, because the key to the entire situation was firmly grasped in someone's hands.

"I want the lives of all the orcs here, besides myself and this girl, to be spared. And, of course, I want this World Tree Leaf as well."

"You want to save these orcs?" Lancelote was momentarily stunned.

"Young man, my life isn't worth that much. At most, it's only worth the two of you," Adra snorted indifferently. "We have already won. These orcs are Orford' elite. If we let them go back, recover, and prepare, it will only mean the continuation of this war—tens of thousands more soldiers will die because of it. I will never agree to that."

Asa let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, how noble. Truly worthy of the title of His Holiness. You're willing to throw away your own life for the so-called greater good."

"It's not about throwing it away. It's about making a gamble," Adra replied calmly. "With the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and Celeste's victory as the stakes, I am willing to bet that you won't dare to kill me. Even if I truly die, compared to the tens of thousands of soldiers who would perish in the wastelands, it would still be worth it."

His face remained as strikingly beautiful as ever—almost like that of a woman. But the aura he exuded now was completely different from the gentle demeanor of the past. This was the presence of a true ruler, a leader, someone with the vision to overlook all under heaven.

"And you, boy?" Adra's eyes sharpened. "Are you truly willing to trade the lives of tens of thousands of your kin just to get what you want?"

"I'm not as noble as you. I just want to do what I believe is right," Asa said calmly. He did not possess Adra's imposing aura, nor did he speak with the perspective of one who overlooks the world, but he remained composed and unshaken.

"You… Do you really think your own life is more important than the lives of tens of thousands?" Talice glared at Asa in anger. But no matter how hard she tried, her expression and tone lacked the pure, righteous fury of a true warrior. Instead, they carried a strange sense of helplessness and sorrow.

"I don't know. I don't know how to weigh such things. Maybe they simply can't be measured," Asa replied indifferently, glancing at Talice. "You have your reasons, and I have mine. I only know that this is what I must do."

Adra and Lancelote exchanged astonished glances before both sighed inwardly. Their earlier words had been meant to shake Asa, to make him hesitate. The Pope knew Asa's nature well—he was not the type who could coldly disregard human lives and achieve his goals through any means necessary. If his emotions had been disturbed, if doubt and hesitation had taken root in his heart, even for a moment, it would have created an opening for Lancelote to strike.

But he neither mocked nor defended himself. There was no need for him to seek a standard to justify his actions. Like a mountain, unmoved by the shifting winds and rain, he remained steadfast, leaving no opening. After all, the essence of conviction does not lie in whether it adheres to a certain standard, but in whether it truly comes from the heart.

"Whether I am worth it or not doesn't matter. What matters is whether Lord Lancelote thinks I am," Asa said, looking at Lancelote. "Well? I know you must think so."

Lancelote let out a long sigh. "Your Holiness, let it go. Releasing these few hundred orcs won't change much. Grutt is dead, and Theodorus alone cannot hold everything together… The Glory Fortress still needs you, and the thousands of believers on this continent still need a Pope who truly cares for them. I am not willing to take the risk."

"What did you just say?" Asa was stunned. For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed his face. "Theodorus wasn't assassinated by your people?"

This surprise, though small, was still a flaw—one that should have been enough for Lancelote to act. But he did not make a move, because both he and the Pope were even more shocked than Asa.

"What? Theodorus is dead?"

Not only did the three of them stare at each other in disbelief, but the surrounding high priests and Talice also wore expressions of astonishment. Though they had long planned and imagined capturing, assassinating, or even burning the old leader of their rival faction at the stake, hearing this news now left them too shocked to even feel the joy they should have.

"Someone is scheming in the shadows," a cold gleam flashed in Adra's eyes. His life was still in Asa's grasp—he could neither move his hands nor feet—yet his imposing presence remained undiminished. "And the ones capable of such schemes… could it be…?"

"I think we need to get to the bottom of this, and luckily, we have a clue right here," Lancelote suddenly pulled Ayime forward. A surge of white magic flickered over her, and she slowly regained consciousness.

"Asa!" The moment Ayime woke up and saw Asa, she cried out in joy. But as soon as she took in her surroundings, uncertainty and confusion clouded her face.

"Young lady, it seems you had some sort of agreement with Bishop Inham, didn't you? Please explain everything to us." Lancelote grabbed her arm as he spoke.

Ayime didn't respond immediately. She simply looked at Asa and then at the Pope in his grasp. Asa nodded and said, "Go ahead, I want to know as well. So, you actually had a deal with that guy?"

Ayime hesitated for a moment before pointing at Adra. "It wasn't just with that guy named Inham—I had an agreement with him too. I knew they were both necromancers, so I traded the World Tree Leaf with them to get them to find a way to free you."

"Necromancers?!" The surrounding high priests all cried out in shock. Adra's face darkened. Though he was effectively the Pope, this revelation would undoubtedly cause him endless trouble in the future.

Asa's surprise was no less than that of the high priests. He asked in astonishment, "So the World Tree Leaf was something you got from the elves? How did you even obtain it?"

"A necromancer helped me get it, but he seemed to be on my side. He told me to bring it here to them so they could free you. And also… this dagger…" Ayime took out a strangely shaped dagger from her cloak.

"The Nyx Dagger?" "Agrenel?"

Lancelote and Adra spoke at the same time, their expressions tense. They were beginning to piece together what had happened.

"So, it all still comes back to you… And yet Orford somehow put the blame on us. They should have killed you first, then gone after Agrenel…"