Upon seeing the Wizard King's reaction, Patolli smiled inwardly.
It seemed the Wizard King was aware of some things, but not everything.
For example—the Elf Reincarnation.
Reviving the elves who perished hundreds of years ago… that was a miracle only a god could perform.
The magic of the Elf Stones was powerful, yes, but they alone couldn't bring the dead back to life from nothing.
A medium was needed.
Such as... the souls of the elves secretly attaching themselves to human bodies.
Maybe to a commoner.
Maybe even to a noble.
Even the very attendant standing beside the Wizard King—Marx—might be carrying a dormant elf soul.
Once Elf Reincarnation was activated, those possessed by elf souls would awaken.
They would no longer be human—
They would no longer retain any of their former human memories.
They would completely become elves.
Put simply, it was like a magpie taking over a dove's nest—it was possession.
If the Wizard King knew this, he would've rejected the idea without hesitation—
No, the discussion they were having now wouldn't have even happened.
After a moment of silence, the Wizard King finally spoke.
"I can return the stones to you. But I have a condition.
The remaining members of the Elf Tribe must come live in the capital for ten years—
No, make that five.
After that, I'll return the stones to you."
"Of course, you'll be free during that time," he added. "You'll live just like any other Clover Kingdom citizen…"
At this, Patolli chuckled coldly.
A clever move.
The Wizard King was trying to subtly influence them over time.
Five years… ten… maybe twenty.
But if that happened, Patolli's entire plan…
"Sorry. We cannot accept that proposal.
If you refuse to return the stones, then there's no point in talking further.
Vetto, we're leaving."
With that, Patolli turned and walked away, and the others followed.
Some of them still had doubts about all of this—
But if there was one thing they trusted, it was Patolli himself.
"Wizard King, are we just going to let them leave?"
Marx frowned as he watched them go.
Clearly, the group hadn't given up.
"What else can we do?
Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't try to fight…"
The Wizard King shook his head.
The stones meant everything to them.
Yet they'd all come just to speak to him, and hadn't tried to take them by force?
That was strange.
"They're afraid of you, of course. You are the Wizard King, after all."
Marx gave a wry smile.
It wasn't flattery—it was the truth.
Sure, the battle would've been difficult for them—
But no matter how many came, none of them could even scratch the Wizard King.
Let alone steal the stones.
Maybe that's why they didn't bother to try.
"Alright. Let's go."
The Wizard King turned away.
He had revealed the truth to them.
Even if they didn't believe it, they would surely investigate it for themselves.
Right now, the most urgent matter was driving back the Diamond Kingdom's invasion.
As he watched the group leave, a weight lifted off the Wizard King's heart.
One reason he'd pushed so hard was to atone for the Clover Kingdom's sins against the elves.
But more than that, he had to keep them calm—for now.
With a war raging against the Diamond Kingdom,
if the Eye of the Midnight Sun were to rise up now...
They would be facing enemies on all sides.
Giving them the truth now gave him space.
Even if they found nothing in their investigation,
it would buy time for him to deal with this matter more thoroughly—
Rather than pouring oil on a burning fire.
The return trip was peaceful.
They didn't encounter any ambushes from the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
But what Julius didn't expect—
Was to run into Ethan Hayes, who had been missing for days.
"Captain Hayes! Where've you been these past few days?
The war's about to break out—I've been trying to find you!"
Marx rushed forward, complaining.
In war, both soldiers and commanders were crucial.
He knew how strong Ethan was.
If he had joined the battle earlier, they might've crushed the Diamond Kingdom by now.
"Apologies.
Something came up that delayed me.
I've spent the last few days re-investigating the elves…
And I've uncovered a huge secret.
Wizard King—please give me the six Elf Stones you've been guarding.
I need them for something important."
Ethan's words made Julius narrow his eyes.
After disappearing for days, he returned—asking for the stones?
"What secret?
And what do you need the stones for?"
"…I can't say yet.
But trust me—this is crucial."
Ethan's tone was deadly serious.
He stared directly at Julius.
After a long pause, the Wizard King finally reached into his cloak and pulled out a small pouch.
"Here. They're all in here.
But once you're done, return immediately.
The war's not going well—we need your help."
"No problem."
Ethan nodded as he took the pouch.
He watched Julius walk away with Marx.
Only after they vanished from sight did the smile curl across his lips.
"Don't worry…
I'll be back.
We will."
His form began to shift.
Ethan's black, shoulder-length hair shortened abruptly.
A few silver strands appeared in his bangs.
Even his clothing transformed completely.
If anyone familiar with the Eye of the Midnight Sun had been there,
they would have recognized him instantly—
Rhya, one of the three Apostles of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
"My disguise magic has never been seen through…
Not even by the Wizard King."
He held the pouch in one hand, almost laughing in disbelief.
Honestly, when Patrolli first suggested this plan,
Rhya had strongly objected—
He thought it would never work.
But now? Not a single drop of blood shed, and they'd succeeded.
Perhaps this was the classic case of "hiding in plain sight."
Even Julius never suspected they had someone so skilled in disguise among them.
Let alone someone with the guts to deceive him face to face.
"Still, I suppose we have the Diamond Kingdom to thank for this…"
Even now, Rhya knew they'd been incredibly lucky.
If the Wizard King didn't already trust Ethan deeply…
If Ethan hadn't conveniently disappeared for a few days…
If the Diamond Kingdom's attack hadn't occupied so much of Julius's mind…
If there had been more people on this mission…
"But no matter what—our plan can finally begin.
Just wait, Licht.
I swear I'll bring all of you back."
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