With the national machinery fully mobilized, the Clover Kingdom was undergoing a dramatic transformation.
Unlike in the original timeline, where the elves exploited a loophole through reincarnation magic and triggered collapse from within, things were vastly different now.
At this moment, the entire Clover Kingdom stood united like a tightly twisted rope, all its efforts focused outward, facing the enemy.
The ten Magic Knight squads were stationed on their respective frontlines, each led by their own captains who fought fiercely in the trenches.
Behind them, the civilians donated supplies, which were then transported to the front by the logistics division.
From top to bottom, every citizen of the kingdom was contributing their part to the war effort.
They all understood one thing clearly: When the nest is overturned, no egg can remain intact.
If the Clover Kingdom were to fall, none of them would have any hope of survival.
But right now, none of this mattered to Ethan Hayes.
Soaring high in the sky, Ethan shot forward like an eagle.
Only one thought echoed in his mind now—revenge!
Since the Diamond Kingdom had dared to act, then they needed to be prepared to suffer the consequences.
As for sayings like "An eye for an eye ends in endless vengeance"—what a load of crap.
He could accept being killed—if it had been due to his own lack of skill, he wouldn't blame anyone else.
But the villagers of Cachi Village had raised him.
When benefactors suffer, how could he just stand by and do nothing?
"I'm here..."
Descending swiftly from the sky, hidden in the shadows, Ethan landed in a small forest outside the Diamond Kingdom's capital.
He was definitely going to get his revenge—but he wasn't letting his anger cloud his judgment.
This was the Diamond Kingdom, not some small Diamond Village or Town.
It was a force that had stood toe-to-toe with the Clover Kingdom for decades.
If the Clover Kingdom's military power was vast, then the Diamond Kingdom's couldn't be that much weaker.
Of course, with a war raging, both the useful and the expendable would be sent en masse to the frontlines.
But there would still be people guarding the rear.
The Clover Kingdom had the Wizard King—but the Diamond Kingdom...
"Colin Crockett."
This was someone who hadn't appeared in the original story, but that didn't mean he didn't exist.
Within the Diamond Kingdom, he was known as the "Holy Archmage"—a title roughly equivalent in authority and power to the Wizard King.
And that made sense.
If the Diamond Kingdom didn't have such a stabilizing force, how could they dare to constantly harass the Clover Kingdom year after year?
Forget the Wizard King—if even half of the Clover Kingdom's Magic Knight squads were dispatched, the Diamond Kingdom would've been overwhelmed long ago.
It was only because both kingdoms had top-tier forces that were roughly equal that a delicate balance had been maintained.
But this balance made Ethan's situation all the more difficult.
"If I act rashly and get surrounded, that's the best-case scenario. If this Holy Archmage Colin shows up, I might not even be able to escape..."
Ethan contemplated his next move—it was obvious he couldn't just charge in headfirst.
Otherwise, he wouldn't just fail in his revenge—he'd lose his own life as well.
"I need to prepare…"
After pondering for a while, Ethan made up his mind.
The war wouldn't end overnight—he still had time.
If he was going to act, he had to make sure it was a one-shot kill.
White Dragon Slope — The Place of the Ten-Day Agreement
Six days had passed since the war began.
The whole world was engulfed in smoke and chaos.
But this place alone remained like a paradise—untouched and peaceful.
Under a pavilion built long in advance, the Wizard King sat with his eyes closed, conserving his energy.
Only Marx accompanied him, serving silently at his side.
"Wizard King, it's already past the appointed time…"
Marx glanced at the clock and couldn't help but speak.
The scheduled time had been 4 PM.
Now it was nearly 5 PM.
Still, there was no sign of their guests.
It seemed like this meeting might've been nothing more than wishful thinking.
The Wizard King remained silent, eyes still closed—almost as if he hadn't heard Marx speak.
But within a few minutes, he opened his eyes and stood up.
Far in the distance, several streaks of light were approaching rapidly.
"They're here!"
Seeing the arrivals, the Wizard King gave a slight smile.
Although this had been a one-sided invitation, the other side had no choice but to come.
This was their last chance.
If they broke the agreement, the Wizard King would destroy the magic stones—then they'd lose the opportunity to carry out their plan forever.
"As expected of the Wizard King, daring to come alone…"
Patolli's remark made Marx's eye twitch slightly.
Alone?
What am I, chopped liver?
"Vangeance? No… I should call you Patolli, right?"
Hearing the Wizard King's words, Patolli frowned.
"So Ethan Hayes already told you everything. Fine. Then I won't waste time—hand over the magic stones!"
"Easy now. You'll get them. But don't you want to hear a story first?"
The Wizard King waved his hand. This was the reason he invited them here.
The elves and humans—were never true enemies.
Not in the past. And he hoped, not in the future either.
The truth might be hard to accept, but that didn't mean it was impossible.
If given enough time, he believed everything would come to light.
"This story… begins with the first Wizard King…"
Gazing at the distant sunset, the Wizard King began to speak slowly and calmly—
Explaining the real cause behind everything.
Patolli and the others were visibly shaken.
Vetto's face turned red with fury. He pointed a trembling finger at the Wizard King and shouted:
"Liar! It was you humans! You were jealous of our elven talent and wanted our power! That's why you wiped out our entire race! You humans are still making excuses to this day!"
"I admit—human greed and jealousy are boundless. But the truth is, the elves were destroyed not by humans, but by the demon who deceived both sides. The demon was the true mastermind behind it all!"
Hearing this, the elves looked like they were questioning their entire existence.
They had endured so much, sacrificed so much, all for revenge.
And now they were being told that their target had been wrong all along?
Was everything they had done... meaningless?
"Heh, and you actually believe that nonsense?"
Patolli sneered.
No one noticed the black mist that flashed briefly through his eyes.
"Fine. Let's say, for argument's sake, you're telling the truth. Even so, humans still can't be absolved. If not for your jealousy and rejection of us, the demon wouldn't have had the opportunity to exploit the situation. In the end, you humans still pushed things over the edge. And now you want to sweep it all under the rug with a few light words? Julius, are you naïve, or just a fool in your role as Wizard King?"
"Listen to me—
Patolli turned to the others, expression solemn.
"The destruction of our race is an undeniable fact. Whether it was humans or that so-called demon isn't the point. What matters is that our people—our kin—are still waiting for us to bring them back."
"Julius, if you truly believe the elves were innocent, then shouldn't you help us make amends?"
"Yes. The elves were innocent."
"Then to atone for your past sins, shouldn't you help us?"
"Of course. That's why I'm here today."
"Then we want to bring our people back. And we need the remaining magic stones to do it. Will you give them to us or not?"
"That…"
Julius frowned.
From the standpoint of making amends—he should give them the stones.
But as the Wizard King, responsible for protecting the kingdom and its people, he couldn't just hand over something so dangerous.
If the elves were lying, he would be the one to unleash catastrophe upon the world.
Yes, the stones could be given.
But not yet.
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