The Half-Elf Princess couldn’t help but take a light breath upon hearing the rumors about the Mercury Wand and asked, "The Mercury Wand? Could the rumors be true, that it’s truly Loki’s Mercury Wand?"
"Indeed." Wood nodded.
"How could this be? Why didn’t the Flame Temple inform us of these matters beforehand?" Princess Griffine couldn’t help but express her anger. She questioned, "Isn’t Erune also a country under the Flame Temple’s rule, just like the Kerkova Royal Family and the Xifah Royal Family? For generations, they have faithfully believed in the teachings of the Flame King because we believe he upholds justice and integrity. But Chief Priest Wood, what do you take us for?"
"Because the Cruz people never believed that Erune could withstand Madara’s invasion, and they are incapable of negotiating simultaneously with the Earth Temple, Saint Ausor, and Madara, they might have had no choice but to abandon some interests in Erune to redirect the trouble eastward, letting Madara’s undead cause problems for the Wind Elves, Your Highness." Brand replied.
Princess Griffine glared angrily at Chief Priest Wood. Wood was somewhat embarrassed; he didn’t understand why this young man always seemed to see through their intentions. He coughed slightly and replied, "It’s not entirely like that, but Mr. Brand isn’t wrong. The temple isn’t all-powerful, and the Cruz Empire has many enemies of its own. Ultimately, the Eruein people must save themselves. If Erune could resist Madara’s invasion, we might not have relinquished our interests here; I’m sure you can understand that."
The Princess took a breath and nodded calmly. "I understand, but now Chief Priest Wood, you’ve seen it yourself. The people of Erune have the will; doesn’t even the Flame Temple support this?"
"No," Wood shook his head. "Your Highness, you must understand. There are many factions within the temple, and not everyone supports you. Whether you can gain support from others depends on how you plan to resolve the issue. There are many deeply rooted noble factions in Northern Erune; you can’t expect them to sit by idly."
"But the issue now isn’t that I expect them to sit by idly; it’s that they want me to do so." The Princess pressed her lips together tightly and replied coldly, "The northern nobles are restless, each wanting independence. On this issue, I will never compromise with them. If they want war, I can only give them war. But I want to know, whose side will the temple stand on?"
She looked up at Wood, knowing in her heart that if the temple didn’t stand with the North, a large portion of the northern nobles might choose to compromise with her.
But Wood shook his head. "Your Highness, I can stand with you. But that doesn’t mean much; you should clearly understand this. Moreover, I am no longer considered the Great Priest of Ambeser. The temple can’t abandon its influence in the North."
It seemed like a deadlock. But there must always be a solution, Brand looked at Wood and suddenly spoke, "So, you have a way to solve this problem, don’t you, Chief Priest Wood? Why not share it with us?"
Wood was slightly taken aback and looked at Brand. Brand continued, "I recall you told Antitina, my Staff Lady, that you might resolve the chaos in the North."
"No," Wood shook his head. "Mr. Brand, it’s not me, but there is someone who can do it."
"Someone?"
Brand and Princess Griffine both paused, unable to help but look at each other in surprise.
"Who?" The Princess asked. She couldn’t imagine who could resolve the northern unrest. Could it be the Great Priest of the Flame Temple? The Emperor of the Cruz Empire? The Bujia? Silver Elves?
She even considered the Dragon Clan for a moment.
But Chief Priest Wood said, "That person indeed wishes to meet with you, but we must first obtain your approval. For certain reasons, you may not wish to see him, especially you, Princess Griffine."
"Me?" Princess Griffine asked curiously while pointing at herself. "Why? So who is it, Chief Priest Wood?"
"Princess Griffine," Chief Priest Wood asked, "Are you familiar with your brother?"
"My brother?"
The Princess let out a light exclamation.
(PS: Today’s offering... I’ve been a bit stuck recently, and my status isn’t too good, so I won’t be asking for votes for now. I’ll ask after catching up on the last month’s updates. Cheers to everyone.)(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)