"He gives me a complicated feeling. I still can't see through him. As an Asur, I know Druchi well, but he doesn't look like a Druchi. Instead... he has the same characteristics as Druchi. The middle value of Sur.
I really can’t understand why Malekith valued him so much and became the chief executive of Druch? In our understanding of Assur, Malekith will never regard him as the chief consul of Druch. The power in hand is shared." Belloda sat there and narrated with some confusion.
Queen Marist invited Belloda to have lunch in order to find out some about Darkus's deeds, personality, etc. Now they arrived at the place where the tea party was held in advance, waiting for Darkus' arrival and the High Council's meeting. held.
"Although I don't know the specific reason, I know that it has a certain reason because he comes from the Helban family. You should know the Helban family. You can talk about Caledo and the fog-shrouded island in detail. What happened?" Marist asked casually.
"Of course..."
Darkus, who was walking, suddenly stopped. He turned and glanced at Renn who was following him. After seeing Renn nodding firmly to him, he also nodded to Renn. nod. If he was right, his and Renn's feelings were correct. There were ancient holy things under the city. At least he had felt the existence of the stone slab.
Darkus is not in a hurry. Of course, this lack of worry does not refer to the slate alone, nor to the High Council and corresponding tea party that will be held next. He is now relaxed and he is not anxious about anything. Like a doctor who consults a patient, he pays attention to prescribing the right medicine.
Both forests of Erzin Alvin are inhabited by elves, but there are essential differences between the two that have been determined by their history. Malekith was born in Imperial Calendar -4458, the second Phoenix King Barshana was crowned in Imperial Calendar -4419, and the first elven colonies were established around Imperial Calendar -4164.
Although both Lauren Loren and Athel Loren were discovered during that period, Athel Loren's forest spirits refused to share the forest with the elven settlers, while Lauren Loren's forest spirits showed more Less hostility.
This less hostility means that the forest spirits can tolerate the elves building large-scale construction in the forest. The two large settlements in Lauren Loren were developed at that time, while Athel Loren is a no-man's land where no elves have set foot. Only when the War of Vengeance came to an end did the elves located west of the Gray Mountains have no choice but to enter Athel Loren. At that time, more than two thousand years had passed since the elves established the first colonies in Elshin Arwen.
Darkus has not been to Athel Loren, but he knows that there is no settlement similar to Tal Litanel in Athel Loren, and the Tal Litanel that has been preserved to this day should also be It is the only one in the entire world. In other words, Tal Litanel is the last colony retained by the elves in Elsin Alvin. The group of Asrais who took refuge might not even have stone buildings and could only live in trees.
The elves in the two forests have even more different ways of getting along with the forest spirits. Lauren Loren's Enil gives Darkus the feeling of being more like a colonist living in the forest, in a high state of 64 . Aslay of Athel Loren is a temporary resident, more like a third grandson? There are still some forest spirits who oppose Asrai living in Athel Loren. Of course, everyone adheres to the principle of peaceful coexistence with the forest and firmly protects the forest.
Aenir did not bind his soul to the forest through an ancient spiritual pact, unlike Asrai who bound himself to Athel Loren. Aenir's connection to the spirit of the forest was even weaker.
Now is the patient's decision-making period, and the medication period has not even come yet. It is a process. And this trade agreement is the medicine that Darkus prescribed specifically for Enil. This medicine is only useful for Enil. If it were the group of Aslays living in the trees who were simply asking for trouble, those Aslays would not answer him because they had no reason or motive.
Darkus, who was walking around, arrived late. The High Council had been convened for a long time before he came to the place where the tea party was held. It was said to be a tea party, but it was actually a place where the three-person council quietly observed the proceedings of the High Council. Like the side-on viewing position in a theater. After a few words each, he took his brother and their fiancées to their seats.
The two brothers of the Takaia family and Kewell stood behind as followers, but the three of them were more attracted by the High Council in the square. After all, this was a new thing that Nagarond did not have.
As for the other companions, they all found things to do on their own. Alyssa had to take care of Kukulkan, who had been sleeping, and exchange magic experiences with the sorceresses, dragon lizards, and Enil spellweavers. Genevieve and Edreze's Chosen went to communicate with their War Dancer neighbors in the Sun Zone.
Darkus smiled again and nodded to Queen Marist, and then turned to look at the High Council that was convening. Now the High Council should have reached the introduction stage. He could see a city-state elf councilor holding an information card high and elegantly introducing it. As the city-state elf councilor introduced it, the onlookers Aenir burst into uproar and discussion.
"This is really a good start." Darkus turned his head, shrugged at Marist and said with a smile.
"You have posed a problem for me." Marist looked at Darkus with a somewhat unkind expression.
"Dear Queen, some things cannot be viewed from just one angle, but must be viewed from multiple aspects. If you look at the problem from one angle, it is not comprehensive enough at all, and you may even misunderstand it, or you may wrongly blame others." Da Keus said in a preachy tone.
"Oh? Then tell me, how should I look at it from multiple aspects?"
"We are not talking about history now, only about the future." After Darkus said it lightly, he took a sip of the dream wine in the wine glass, and then After a moment, he continued, "I think as a priest of Isha, you should be able to see some fragments of the future. The power of darkness is gradually increasing, and the power of the maelstrom is gradually disintegrating. She may have mentioned to you some time ago The appearance of Caledor and the incident on Albion Island are all signs. What else
can we do now? Once the maelstrom collapses, what awaits us will be the end, and everything we hold dear will be destroyed. With nothing left, we will all turn into nothingness, and our souls will suffer the eternal torment of Slaanesh."
Darkus' words made the atmosphere in the room heavy, and Marist closed his eyes and sighed heavily. , she knew that what Darkus said was correct, because as Isa's divine choice, she had indeed seen many visions of the future. For a long time, the contents shown in the visions were terrifying, and she often woke up in her sleep. , it was only in recent years that she saw a glimmer of hope and hope, but she could never see that critical point.
Thinking of this, Marist opened her eyes suddenly and looked at the Druchi in front of her with keen eyes. She vaguely understood why the Druchi in front of her was chosen by the four elves and gods, and there were so many others. The elven gods are connected with it. In her opinion, the Druchi in front of her was very annoying. She had never benefited from him since they met him, but as Asul said, he was very special.
"Once the trade agreement is signed, it will bring many positive benefits to both of us. We can leave aside the discussion about Druch for the time being. If my judgment is correct, the full amount of Enir in this forest is only 200,000?
Yuanyuan Continuous Sovereign and supplies can support Ainir's rapid development in the future. For example, you can formulate some policies and attraction mechanisms to allow Ainir's population to grow. As long as the population increases, the proportion of spellcasters will increase, and there will be More warriors will come to defend this forest. With enough Sovereign, you can sign a real trade agreement with humans instead of the current petty quarrels, and even restrict those humans' influence on this forest. Erosion," Darkus continued.
Marist nodded. Without diplomacy involved, she thought what Darkus said was correct. She even thought of how to use a steady stream of Sovereign to control those who bordered Lauren Loren. An imperial province. But what Darkus didn't say was that as the population grew, the conflicts between the city-state kin and the woodland kin would become even more exaggerated.
Darkus also knew this problem, but he had no better way. Unless something happens, the city-state relatives will never allow the woodland relatives to enter the High Council. Kaia's appearance has already caused a headache for the city-state relatives, and Marist must also ensure the interests of the city-state relatives.
Then we can only think of other ways, such as delineating specific areas, areas that are truly ruled by woodland relatives, such as the storm area? However, this approach treats the symptoms rather than the root cause. As time goes by and the population grows, it will only make Enir more divided.
Or share more of the cake, such as gradually giving seats to the woodland relatives, but not allowing the woodland relatives to have enough control rights, like controlling the so-called shares at 51%. Make some referendums or something more democratic, just like how some countries give seats to people of color. Otherwise, we will fight for seats in the High Council through bloodshed and reverse operations.
Darkus doesn't understand these things. He has always been accustomed to authoritarianism. These overly democratic things are too fashionable and unfamiliar to him. What's more important is that he is not ready to be a teacher and give advice, and one of them is not understanding. In addition, his relationship with Marist has not reached that stage. It's strange to say that he and Kaia get along very well, but Marist...maybe it's an eyesight problem?
The separatism of the elves is a problem that cannot be ignored. This problem has existed since the establishment of the Maelstrom. Because Aenarion comes from the Kingdom of Nagaryth, and because the elves of the Kingdom of Nagaryth have always followed Aenari Ang, causing the elves in the Kingdom of Nagaryth to think highly of themselves. With the establishment of colonies, separatism has intensified. The first and second generations may still remember where they came from. When the third generation comes... this also involves the issue of dividing the interests of the native and colonial countries.
It's like the elves all came from the same place, and then due to various reasons, each became an independent existence. Nagaros in the New World is very similar to that country, but it is not the same thing. It is not colonization, but running away and having nowhere to go. Lauren Loren and Athel Loren are more like...the two countries in Oceania that were formerly federations. They have the beauty of skipping the federation stage directly and jumping directly to the stage of the late twentieth century.
At the very least, the Assur rulers of Ulthuan can order Aenir and Aslay to move, let alone send Federation soldiers out as cannon fodder like in the two world wars, such as Dieppe and Garibald. Good landing.
From Darkus' point of view, neither Asul nor Druchi, who replaced Asur to rule Ulthuan, would gain anything by recognizing or not recognizing Lauren Loren's independence, and war might break out. It is better to strengthen the binding of interests and use Lauren Loren as the outpost of Ersin Alvin to strengthen the connection between them.
Darkus believes that the urine of elves always needs a catharsis point and a goal, rather than like the previous golden age. In addition to the eternal tone of fighting against chaos, returning to Elsin Alvin is also a good idea. choose. As the rapid and powerful sound of the halberd hitting the ground came, Darkus was drawn to his attention. He turned his head to look at the High Council and saw the skinny old arbiter named Yado who was hitting the square with his halberd. marble floor to maintain order in the High Council. Soon, he knew why Yado wanted to maintain order, because a city-state relative who participated in the audience reported the number of transactions each year.
Just as Darkus expected, this number that the Enils could not imagine became a flash point, directly igniting the emotions of the Enils. The knocking sound of the halberd echoed continuously, but it could not suppress the noise and discussion in the venue.
"I think...he hasn't been like this for a long time, right?" Maranur said with a smile.
"Yes, the last time this happened was when my grandmother signed the Treaty of Leaves with humans. At that time, there was no Nordland, only various baronies. The treaty allowed humans to travel between the Salz and Demster rivers. Let’s settle here.” Marist narrated calmly.
"Is it the current area of Hagendorf and Sessenmund, the capital of Nordland?" Darkus asked casually.
Darkus knows that one cannot discuss Nordland without Lauren Loren, and similarly one cannot discuss Lauren Loren without Nordland. After all, the capital of Nord Territory, Sesonmund, is in Lauren Loren. This is A strange pair of beings. If he remembered correctly, the powerful Marist seemed to have beaten Sesonmund once in the past hundred years. If it hasn't happened yet, it means it will be next! Maybe he could put his foot on the gas? To obtain his own interests, such as Yinshan?
"Yes, it was signed when my grandmother was here, and I shouldn't be talking about it, and I shouldn't be talking about it in front of you, but I always think that was a wrong decision! I don't want the next trade agreement to be The same mistake as the Treaty of Leaves!"
Sure enough... Although Marist seemed very weak and passive in front of Darkus, this did not hinder Marist's own strength.
"Time will tell everything!" Darkus said while looking at the noisy High Council.
The agenda of the High Council was advancing intermittently amidst the noise and chaos, and things developed as Darkus expected. He could feel the suppressed surprise and greed of those city-state relatives. All he had to do now was wait. , rather than doing something or saying something.
"You are about to succeed, Chief Consul Druch. I can feel that this forest is changing." "
Maybe my appearance can bring about some good changes in this forest. I can feel that this forest is changing." Like the maelstrom, it has been weakening, and this place is complementary to the maelstrom." Darkus knew that he had to step up at this time, and Marist's last words related to his other identity.
"Can I understand that this is a condition and a threat?" Marist said angrily, her words filled with coldness and a trace of anger.
"Actually, we don't have to be like this, respected Queen Marist. As I talked to you when I was in the Golden Pool, I have two identities, and these two identities do not prevent me from doing something at the same time. Even trade The agreement was not signed in the end, and I will also try to find out the reason why the forest fell into decline, because it involves many, such as the Ancient Sages, the spiritual network and the Maelstrom. There is a reason why this place can become the garden of the Ancient Sages. The will of those forests is not Knowing it doesn't mean that Umak, the ancient saint, can't be found!"
Darkus continued to add weight. In his opinion, there was no reason for Marist not to feel that the forest was in decline, and various evidences and phenomena also Indicates the situation.
There are three towering spiers in Tal Litanel, one of which is called the Tower of Spirit Fountain. In the early days, a great prophet named Salil lived there. Now Aenir will He is revered as a demi-god, and his worshipers regard him as the dream god. He once predicted that Lauren Loren would die with the disappearance of the last gold and silver forest, a bit like the World Tree in other worlds.
Salil disappeared after the Earthfall. Yes, the Earthquake was the big job done by Malekith. Darkus speculated that Salil's disappearance should be related to the Catastrophe. The Catastrophe at that time not only caused the Tyranlok Kingdom of Ulthuan to disappear more than half of its territory, but also had an impact all over the world. The tsunami destroyed the coast of Lauren Loren. The settlements, now Lothrach and Ildenfane in Stormwind, and later Eshor Talarian, were submerged in the Sea of Claws.
Just like the second-generation Slann magic priest on Obion Island who never appeared in the history of the lizard people, this Saril demigod related to dreams should have done something at that time, which led to his demise. Maybe Salil is the incarnation of Hoth, just like Daith of Athel Loren is the incarnation of Vaal.
As he walked along the boulevard, Darkus could see the amphitheater of Tal Litanel, whose entrance was now blocked by a sleeping dryad, its roots embedded in the marble. Leaving the amphitheater in tatters. Only by awakening these tortured spirits to end the nightmare can the door be opened again, but the Enils have never been able to find the reason. He believes that this situation is likely to be related to something underground.
There is also a terrible plague in the Frostfall area near Sesonmund, which worsens Lauren Loren's situation.
"Although I don't like you, I must admit that you are... special. Maybe this is the reason why you can become the messenger of the ancient saints. There will be so many gods who will choose you and watch you." Marist observed. Darkus finally said after a long time. After she sighed with difficulty, she continued, "This trade agreement will be signed, and Enil will establish friendship with Druch. In exchange, I..."
Before Ma could wait, After Rest said this, Darkus stood up and extended his right hand in a friendly manner. He knew that it would be of no benefit to both parties to let Marest say the next words.
Marist stopped talking when she saw Darkus getting up. Amidst the cheers at the High Council meeting, she stretched out her right hand under the gaze of the elves present, and held it tightly with Darkus's right hand. Together.
Belloda, who had been sitting there, sighed secretly. She knew that what Darkos made was a kind of conspiracy-like decision-making, not a common conspiracy in Ulthuan. If it was a conspiracy, she could still think of something else. Method. But even the ruler of Lauren Loren cannot stop this conspiracy. Why does she have an unidentified Asul? Even if she asks Fenubar to come over now, the problem will not be solved. And she had a vague feeling that maybe this was a good thing?
Darkus knew that the matter was done. Perhaps Lauren Loren's High Council passed a resolution today to break the previous record and become the fastest speedrun. Next, he will deal with his other identity. As for the specific negotiation of the trade agreement, he does not need to personally do it. This will be a long process. Although the wealth of the New World grew from the ground, it could not be squandered casually. Shuangfeng would argue for every clause and he believed that the Druchi around him would handle this matter well.
In the next few days, Darkus, accompanied by Kaia, visited many places in Tal Litanel. One was just like traveling to Itaza, and the other was for investigation.
Darkos first visited the Asuryan Temple adjacent to the city square. Like the Asuryan Temple in Ulthuan, it also maintained an eternal flame. The strange thing is... the silent Asuryan priest in the temple seemed particularly friendly to his arrival. What's even stranger is... when he stood not far from the Asuryan holy fire, the holy fire exploded, as if it was coming with him. With his arrival, the Holy Fire had a corresponding reaction.
The visiting elves and Asuryan priests closed their eyes to avoid being stung. When they looked at the holy fire again, the holy fire returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened before, and there was no vague figure. The promise in the sacred fire appears.
Among all the elves present, only Dacus did not close his eyes. He seemed to have seen and heard nothing. The previous explosion of the holy fire was not just an attack against all the elves present, but not against him. Like an illusion. He stared at the holy fire, at the holy fire that had always remained in a soft state, at the golden runes embedded around the holy fire, and at the several lifelike phoenix carvings next to the holy fire altar.
Darkus seemed to be hypnotized, and a majestic voice kept calling and urging in his mind. He walked slowly and uncontrollably towards the holy fire, and his hand unconsciously stretched out towards the holy fire.
At the moment when Darkus's fingers were about to touch the holy fire, Maranur behind him rushed out suddenly, grabbed his waist with both hands and pulled him back, and the other Druchi were at this moment They also reacted and joined in the procession, dragging him beside the holy fire out of the range of touching the holy fire.
The Asuryan priest standing behind closed his eyes again. Before closing his eyes, he showed a sure look, as if what happened just now was what he expected. He knew that Darkus' fate was not here. But on the island surrounded by the sea.
It wasn't until this moment that Darkus came back to his senses. He didn't even know what had just happened. (End of chapter)