Chapter 624 475 Friends Enemies History (Careful)

"Darkius, can you... share with me your views on Duruchi and Asur?" Sarir walked side by side with Darkius, strolling, and he stood there looking at Darkius hesitantly.

"I don't think there is any need to talk about the past, because we can't go back to the past." Darkius shrugged and said, "Let's talk about the future. After Aenarion was crowned as the first Phoenix Queen, after the Great Invasion, the system of Ulthuan was divided into two sets, one is the Nagarys military group, and the other is the military group headed by Caledor and supplemented by Safri."

It was said that he would talk about the future, but Darkius still talked about the past first. At the end, he stopped and looked at Sarir calmly. The reason why the Caledor-Safri axis was formed had a lot to do with Hoth. This has to start with Caledor the Dragon Tamer. This skinny old man is a good student of Hoth. As for the Tal Caledor family, he and Sarir have nothing to talk about.

Mainly the Kingdom of Safri, this kingdom is the base of Hoeth's faith. After the great invasion, the ruler of the Kingdom of Safri, Cyriol, was from the Teriolan family. Moreover, he had another very important identity, he was a student of the dragon tamer Caledor...

This student's identity can basically explain the political form of Ulthuan. As a student of the dragon tamer Caledor, Cyriol was naturally a good friend of Caledor I's father. The reason why Caledor I and II were able to ascend to the throne in succession was not only because of the strong military strength of the Kingdom of Caledor, but also partly because of his support.

The Caledor-Safri axis represents force and magic. If Caledor II's nephew had not voluntarily given up the throne of the Phoenix King, the Tal Caledor family would have completely monopolized the throne of the Phoenix King, and the election would have become a family-based emperor.

When the Tal Caledor family no longer monopolized the throne of the Phoenix King, the fifth Phoenix King came from Caradrell of the Kingdom of Yvresse. The sixth Phoenix King was from the Kingdom of Caledor because of the war needs at that time, but he was not a member of the Tal Caledor family, otherwise there might not be any later events.

The seventh Phoenix King was succeeded by Bel-Khades from the Kingdom of Safri, who opened the second golden age of Ulthuan. Asur personally evaluated him as the greatest elven wizard after Caledor the Dragon Tamer. The White Tower of Hoth was built under his auspices, and he was from the Terriolan family.

The eighth Phoenix King was also succeeded by Edys from the Terriolan family. When it came to the ninth, it was Morville the "Reckless" from the Kingdom of Yvresse, but he was fundamentally different from the fifth Phoenix King Caradrell.

Just as Marin's father said to Tyrion: It took our family a full thousand years to push Finnubar to the Phoenix Throne. He was the first Phoenix King from the Kingdom of Itain. You don't know how difficult it was to make him the Phoenix King. This plan was actually planned before Finnubar was born.

Then Malin's father, Tyrion's grandfather, and Tyrion had a conversation.

Why is this so difficult? Although Tyrion had guessed it, he still asked.

The princes from the old kingdoms were strongly opposed. They had monopolized the Phoenix Throne since Caledor the Conqueror. Only Aenarion was not appointed by them. The other Phoenix Kings were chosen from their forces.

So why did they oppose Finnubar?

Because Finnubar was born in the Kingdom of Etain.

Isn't he part of the ancient bloodline of Asur?

Finnubar's family is as old as Caledor's family, and so is my family. We have been here since the founding of the kingdom. There is no law written, or a god stipulated, that our supreme ruler must have blood. In the past, some Phoenix Kings were just ordinary scholars or warriors, but in the end they became Phoenix Kings.

So they were elected by those princes?

Yes, they are chosen by the council of princes, from a pool of candidates they put forward, usually because the princes feel they can control them, or the princes owe them a debt, or they owe the princes a debt.

When you look closely at how the power machine works, it is always so dirty. But it does not mean that it is a bad thing, at least we did not let Malekith rule all the elves like Druki did, and that is the point. That is why he is not our king, and why we are still at war with Druki.

Grandfather, you mean that Malekith wanted to be an absolute ruler like his father Aenarion, but the princes would never allow him to do so, so in the end they chose a Phoenix King that they themselves wanted to explain it all.

In fact, in a way, Malekith has more power than Aenarion, Aenarion is a leader responsible for war, because in times of war we need a clear command. But the difference is that Malekith wanted the same power in peace as Aenarion had in war, and so did his mother Morathi, or so it seemed at first. Our system is designed to prevent such concentration of power, which can lead to tyranny. The Duruchi have a completely different system of authority, and you can see what they bring.

It is obvious that they have Malekith as a tyrant, which gave rise to this corrupt system. Whatever happened to them, it was a reflection of Malekith's personality.

Or rather, it was their system that led to the birth of Malekith as a tyrant, and there was no other power to restrain him. He could do whatever he wanted, and he maintained his iron rule with fear. He did not need to consult with anyone else, nor did he have to consider the interests of others unless it would also harm him. I think this kind of power would drive everyone crazy, and believe me, kid, I have learned some lessons about the use of power in my life.

I have no doubt about it.

This kind of power is a tempting thing, just like when you are a captain, standing on the command platform and issuing various orders. You have to know that everyone must listen to your opinions and obey unconditionally because their fate is in your hands. And when you are not on the command platform, this kind of power will also distort your life.

What does this represent?

Let's take an example. When a captain sits on the command table of a ship and looks at his officers and crew, these officers and crew will welcome his jokes, praise his wisdom, and encourage his arrogance. The reason why these people do this is that they know that their prospects for promotion all depend on the captain, and the captain's evaluation and recognition of them will change their destiny. ※This is the charm of power, Prince Tyrion, I want you to remember what I said firmly when you hold power.

※I will.

※I know you will do it, which is why I am telling you this.

Grandpa, you told me about Finnubar's election to become the Phoenix King before. I want to know how difficult it is and how much it costs?

We need to convince many princes. We have provided loans to some princes or repaid the debts of some princes. We also gave some princes gifts that they could not refuse. Of course, if it were not for the time of Finnubar, we would not have been able to successfully push him to the Phoenix Throne.

What does this mean?

When Finnubar brought back news about Elsin Arwen, the princes realized that the world had changed and that we needed a new style of leadership. The new Phoenix King must be able to go beyond Ulthuan and establish connections with the other young races. The princes believed that we needed allies, and that diplomacy with other races should be handled by a Phoenix King who understood the world outside of Ulthuan. This is Finnubar's advantage, and this is also our advantage. When all the interests of both sides are combined, we become a new interest group and elect a leader. You see, kid, sometimes your idealistic views of the world are not as far from the truth as they sound.

(This conversation actually points out everything, the power system of Asur and Duruchi, Dacuus, Malekith, Finnubar, Tyrion and other characters, the past, present and future, if you understand it, you understand it, if you don't understand it, just pass it and watch the plot)

Due to Naggaroth's extraordinary acquisition of intelligence on Ulthuan, Dacuus heard some information about how Morville came to power.

But these are no longer important. What is important is that, in the words of the master, this Morville from the Corresin family messed up after taking office, messed up! The reason why the Kingdom of Iris is like this now and in the future is largely due to him, and the strength of the Kingdom of Irion and the Kingdom of Cosqui, which control the Asur Navy, has also been greatly weakened. After more than 400 years in power, he was exhausted under various influences and walked into the Holy Fire of Asuryan to commit suicide.

Now it is the tenth Phoenix King, Bel-Hasor from the Teriolan Family of the Kingdom of Safri, who has succeeded to the throne. He is the third Phoenix King from the Kingdom of Safri and the third Phoenix King of the Teriolan Family. In addition, the current Supreme Magic Swordsman Belannaer also comes from this family.

The Caledor-Safri Axis does not only refer to these two kingdoms and the two families of Tal Caledor and Teriolan. Just like Brandenburg-Prussia in modern Germany, this axis also has many affiliated kingdoms, such as Silesia... No, the Kingdom of Arion, Charis and Terenlock.

The Kingdom of Nagareth is ruled by Aris of the Anar family. Due to historical reasons and the character of the Shadow King, Nagareth is isolated from the political system of Ulthuan. It is a typical enclosure of self-entertainment. Successive Everqueens have absolute ruling power in the Kingdom of Avalon. They have one foot in the political system of Ulthuan, but one foot outside. Apart from religion, they have a transcendent political status in politics.

The Kingdom of Itain and the Kingdom of Cosqui support Finnubar. According to the two German political systems, they belong to the Rhine Alliance. Strictly speaking, the Kingdom of Yvresse is in this system, but not in this system.

Due to Moviel's tricks, the Kingdom of Yvresse, located between the two kingdoms, is currently in a chaotic political state. Admiral Siglin Sealight, the manager of Twilight Fortress, and Finarfin Stardragon, the captain of the Trident Bearer, are both from the Kingdom of Yvresse and belong to the naval faction within the kingdom.

Siglin and Finnubar are cousins, and the Sealight family is married to the Emerald Sea family. The Star Dragon Family that Finarfin belongs to is related to the Corresin Family that Moviel belongs to, but he follows the path of the Sea Light Family. This is one of the reasons why Finnubar made him the commander of the dragon ship after he succeeded to the throne.

Because Yrys is shrouded in mist, it is the poorest kingdom in Ulthuan, but barrenness does not mean poverty. Before Finubar succeeded to the throne, Tal Yrys with its port was once an elegant and miracle-filled city. , even more than Lothern.

Eltharion's fame and rise was not due to his attack on Naggaros, but to the integration of the political system of the Kingdom of Yris. He successfully united the competing princes and integrated the naval faction and the army faction together. In other words, it was some kind of compromise. The army faction headed by the Yris family compromised with the navy faction and stood together on Finubar's side.

In Darkus' view, the battle must be fought, but the battle is not fought blindly. He does not have the confidence to fight ten against one. There are too many past experiences and lessons. To give an example... I won't mention it. Strategic offense is not like strategic defense. Strategic offense requires a large number of troops, otherwise it will be impossible to fill the front lines and occupied areas. The more troops are fought, the fewer troops will be. In the end, they will be unable to move, and there will be a strategic stalemate or a situation where they come back.

If you don't fight ten, you have to recognize who is your friend and who is your enemy. In a complex political environment, correctly distinguishing the relationship between ourselves and the enemy is the key to success. So who is the friend and who is the enemy? It is now clear who the ancient kingdom Grandpa Tyrion refers to.

This is also the reason why Darkus wants to come to Elsin Alvin to see Finubar. He can promise Finubar that both parties will jointly develop Elsin Alvin and divert the attention of the sea-opening faction from the land of Ulthuan. To the old world or somewhere else. If Finubar becomes the eleventh Phoenix King, then Ulthuan's political system will evolve and become indestructible. By then it will really be one against ten, or one against eight plus two... Of course, if things happen If things really develop like this, he will keep Finubal here, stay in this ancient holy garden, and break the thousand-year layout of the Kaihai Sect.

What Darkus has to do now is to create a new political system by making more friends and fewer enemies. In his opinion, religion is conducive to rule, but not conducive to war. He didn't realize that there were some eternal guards blocking it yesterday. He couldn't carry those elves and gods out. The elves and gods would follow him wherever he went.

Cultural victory or religious victory may be feasible, but what about the secular voice behind it, the entire parliament? Wrangling every day? How many years does it take? Then should he implement the policy? The land is in the hands of the nobles and he can't expand the population. Should he unveil the next matryoshka doll and make a big plan?

In addition, in addition to religion, Asul also has secular life, including family, friends, relatives and kingdom. At the end of the day, not all the people of the Kingdom of Caledor responded to Imric's decision, and some stood on Asur's side against Druch.

"I understand. It seems that war is inevitable." Looking at Darkus who was speechless for a long time, Salil sighed, his eyes far-reaching and sad.

"War is the echo of past mistakes. Every conflict and every bloodshed is the reappearance of our unresolved contradictions in new time and space. The ideal of peace is often broken by the coldness of reality, and we can only live in this endless world. Struggling in the cycle." Salil said while looking up to the sky, as if looking for some ancient answer.

"Perhaps, what we can do is to minimize the pain and mistakes in every cycle. Find new hope, establish new friendships, and try to turn enemies into friends. Only in this way can we be able to survive in this endless world. In the midst of war, find a moment of tranquility and true peace.”

Darkus nodded in agreement after listening to Salil's words. He felt a deep helplessness and heaviness. The history of the elves is full of glory and pain. The alternation of peace and war is like the wheel of fate, constantly crushing the souls of the elves. He said nothing more and walked slowly forward.

After reuniting with Dursu, Darkus and Salil still walked a long way. The reason why he walked so far must be asked by Ariel.

After Ariel returned to Athel Loren from Naggaroth, she began to fall ill, becoming more sick than before. (Told in Chapter 454)

Finally, the ancient tree people elders could no longer tolerate Ariel's behavior, and they mobilized all the forest spirits they could mobilize to advance towards the Oak of Ages. Civil war broke out, and in the end Adanhu had no choice but to make a desperate move. It found Ariel's soul through the webway and transferred the corruption to himself.

Adanhu died in the clearing shrouded by the oak tree of the times, but his body is not in the clearing now, but far away from the clearing, but it is also under the oak tree of the times. Who made the oak tree of the times so big?

Darkus stood there quietly, staring at Adanhu's huge tree body, feeling an invisible power surge in his heart. It was a huge tree with a thick trunk, like a natural sculpture. The bark was covered with deep cracks and scorched marks, as if it recorded the pain and sacrifices it had experienced. The branches still stretch out tenaciously. Although they are no longer covered by green leaves, they still reveal an unshakable majesty and power.

The sun shines through the treetops, casting mottled light and shadow, dancing on the tree trunks, as if mourning for Adanhu. The roots of the tree are deeply rooted into the earth, strong and powerful, as if declaring to the world its loyalty and protection of this land. Each annual ring tells its story, a chapter full of glory and sacrifice.

Darkus approached the tree body, stretched out his hand and gently touched the rough bark, feeling the temperature and texture. The bark was cold to the touch, but he could feel a faint warmth, which was the remaining strength and spirit of Adanhu. He closed his eyes and silently paid tribute to this great guardian, his heart filled with respect and gratitude.

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten," Darkus said softly, with firmness and determination in his voice.

"Not long ago, another ancient tree man was born." A moment later, when the four members of the Ancestral Elder Council also gathered around, Darkus turned to look at Saril and said.

"You mean?" Saril's eyes were filled with astonishment. He pointed at Dursu for confirmation as he spoke.

"Yes, I named it Radisson and you will see it in the near future."

"That's a good thing. Is there anything I need to do?"

"certainly."

Then, Darkus told Saril about his previous thoughts. It is the water-changing theory that kills the corrupted Kolodi, allows the power of the Trinity to return to Dursu, and then draws out the power of Dursu to complete the resurrection of Adanhu. Ersu, Adanhu and Redisan became the new trinity. This operation method is not on the slate, so he needs to consult these spellcasters to see if there is room for manipulation.

Salil did not respond immediately, but fell into deep thought. His expression was constantly changing, from doubt to deep thought, from suspicion to approval, and finally became serious and solemn. His eyes were locked on Darkus's eyes, as if he was exploring Darkus' true inner thoughts.

"Can you feel Adanhu's will?" After a moment, Salil finally spoke, his voice low and powerful. He asked the key question just like Darkus saw Dursu.

"It's very weak... I can feel it lingering in my will..." Dursu, who had been standing there, did not answer Salil's question directly when he heard Salil's question. Instead, he turned to look at Darkus. After Darkus nodded, it spoke slowly.

"Darkus, I have to admire your wisdom. Your plan is bold and complex, but it is not impossible. I can feel that the corruption of Kolodi has threatened the entire Athel Loren, and we must take action. However, extracting Dursu's power and re-forming the Trinity requires extremely high skill and perfect timing." Salil nodded after receiving confirmation.

"In this way, the meeting will be held normally. I need to communicate with the Slann Demon Priest and the forest elves. In addition to the spell casters and Asrai spell casters you brought... and the Asur envoy, I will summon all the most experienced spellcasters to study your plan in detail. We must ensure that every step is flawless. Any mistake will have catastrophic consequences." Salil paused, took a deep breath and continued. said.

"Don't worry, I won't embarrass the Assur envoy, except of course Fenubar." After receiving the confirmation, Darkus nodded and said, then he looked at the open space through the gap. The morning exercises in the open space had stopped. The four elves returned to the camp to prepare for the next meeting. He yawned first, and then said to Salil, "Do you know how to communicate with the Slann Demon Priest? You know, because you are Heth. In this case, I will sleep for a while."

After saying that, Darkus leaned on the tree shell left by Adanhu and took a nap. He was sure that it was safe here. Dursu was protecting him, the Ancestral Council was protecting him, the forest spirits were protecting him, and the Garden of the Ancient Saints was protecting him.

I don’t know how long it took, but Nestra and Arohan appeared not far from Dacus. Looking at the sleeping Dacus, they turned to look at each other. After looking at each other for a moment, they both looked at each other at the same time. He nodded and walked towards Darkus.

"Is it about to start?" Darkus asked as he opened his eyes.

"parliament,"

"here we go."

"Let's go." He leaned against the body of the Dakoos tree and looked at the Twilight sisters. He wanted to see something from the Twilight sisters' faces and eyes, such as sadness and hatred, but there was nothing, only calmness and indifference. He knew that this was related to the formation of the Twilight Sisters. As he spoke, he stretched out his left hand and handed it to Arohan. Arohan was stunned for a moment, and then pulled him up.

"Do you think you are still elves? Forest spirits? Or something in between?" Darkus, who was walking in front, stopped and asked a question to the Twilight sisters who were following him.

"Both,"

"between!"

As Darkus' footsteps stopped, the Twilight sisters also stopped. After hearing Darkus's question, they turned to look at each other again. After a while, they spoke one after the other.

Darkus didn't say anything, but nodded, and then walked forward without looking back.

The Twilight sisters are not Aslay nobles, they are just commoners, or Ariel's daughters, maids, spokesmen, and maids, and enjoy aristocratic status in the legal sense. Nestra and Arohan were once one and the same, and while there are many rumors trying to fill in the blanks, no one except Ariel knows the true origins of the sisters.

Some say they are the split halves of a young Asrai who was lost in the wildwood long ago, reshaped to better serve the ways of harmony. Some say they embody the darkest and brightest parts of Ariel's soul, and Ariel separates her passion and kindness from her soul so that these emotions no longer dominate Ariel as they once did. Others say that they are as divine as Ariel and Orion, but the most common legends and songs hold that they are simply Ariel's daughters.

The Twilight Sisters' question was complicated, even more complicated than Darkus had thought before. He had asked the Twilight Sisters on the way to Athel Loren, but the Twilight Sisters did not give him an accurate answer. He also asked Twilight's sister's aunt, but Liv didn't know. Maybe only Ariel knew, but Ariel now... Of course, no matter what explanation or statement, it essentially denies Twilight. Sisters are still elves. Whose elves can split from one into two? These are not twins.

It would be even more terrifying if Ariel detaches her emotions. Her connection with Athel Loren is so deep that she can connect to Athel Loren's core to create essence. She is a beggar's version of Elsa, who created the Twilight sisters just like Elsa created her.

The Twilight Sisters appeared a long time ago. As early as 1325 years ago in the Imperial Calendar, they were usually active in the Pine Cliffs, where the dragon's nest of Sethin-Hal and the eagle's nest of Gwendalore were located. They never left each other, often even finishing a sentence together, not knowing whether they were trying to ensure accuracy or correct what the other had said. It was not until Ariel was purified by Ahudan that they officially entered the stage of history. At that time, Ariel, who was in self-isolation, sent them as her envoys.

But in fact... Aslay had a negative attitude towards them and did not listen to their words, because they were strangers to Aslay, while the spirits remained silent.

The two sisters were carefully respected, but were not allowed to enter the King's Grove, now the Glades. Unlike Nestla, who forgave Aslay for his distrust of her and never raised her voice to roar, Arohan responded with angry threats.

This problem was solved when Orion appeared again. He felt Ariel's aura from the Twilight sisters. Although he didn't like the method Ariel chose, he still reluctantly confirmed the authority of the Twilight sisters.

Later, the Twilight sisters inherited Ariel's position in the council. During the debate in the council, they did not sit on Ariel's throne, but stood on both sides of the throne. Unless the atmosphere in the council was tense, they would not sit on Ariel's throne. Rarely speaking, and when she does speak is distinctive, Nestra most often speaks in the summer, trying to calm down excessive wildness, while Arohan speaks in the cold, especially when Aslay becomes overly cautious or It's a time of lifelessness.

The reason why Darkos asked whether the Twilight sisters were forest spirits was because of the wood and sea tree spirits from the next era. There is no relationship between the Wood Sea Tree Spirits and the elves. The few Asrais left in the next era will not mix with Alarielle. Alarielle's subjects are all composed of Wood Sea Tree Spirits, that is, forest spirits. , it’s just that some forest spirits look like elves. (Related to chess piece inventory)

Perhaps like the Twilight sisters said, they are somewhere between elves and forest spirits. When they appeared, they were destined to be part of Athel Loren.

The reason why Darkus asked this question was also related to what happened next. He prepared three packages for the Aslays. He walked forward slowly, watching the elves in the distance sitting on the chairs with various moods under the guidance of the sorceresses. A smile appeared on his face. This smile did not come from his control of power. , but something else, he changed history.

At this time, Finubar visited Ersin Alvin, and Malekith, who got the news, also sent a Druchi mission. The two envoys were greeted "politely" by the Aslays, but Aslay did not let the two envoys with stupid brains stay in the same hotel like Rabbit, and they knew each other's existence. Sly doesn't sell arms either...

Asrai spent a lot of effort to isolate the two missions, preventing both sides from seeing and discovering each other's existence, so much so that both sides went crazy in Athel Loren. When the two missions left one after another, both sides did not Be aware of each other's existence.

But this does not mean that the three parties have achieved significant diplomatic results. Asrai refused to listen to the wishes of Druchi and Assur. Assur regarded Athel Loren as a colony that had been separated from Ulthuan for many years. rather than a sovereign state. Contrary to Asul, Druchi promised to share the glory with Asrai, but Asrai believed that Druchi's words and heart were hollow, and he did not know what the Druchi delegation would suffer after returning to Nagaros. What good fruit.

In the end, both ambassadors were expelled from Athel Loren and were not allowed to return, leaving Asrai to find his own path as before.

Now, under Darkus's series of coquettish operations, Druch, Asul, Aslay and Enil sat at the table under the oak tree of the era, surrounded by forest spirits and lizardmen. After thinking about this and seeing Ren who was starting to paint, he smiled even harder. He turned his head and looked at the silver mirror with a smile, and then he quickly came to the table. (End of chapter)