Chapter 117: Enemies Under Heaven

  "The casualties were ten times what I anticipated..." Sedros sighed, looking out the window. The wrinkles on his face seemed much deeper than three months ago. In the setting sun, his silver-white short hair and stubble appeared slightly dimmed. "Those were all elites of our forces... Krolin was also the chieftain of his clan."

  This was the central room on the top floor of Oufu's magnificent City Hall, the very heart of the building. The spacious room was very tidy. Apart from several large bookshelves filled with books and documents, there was no decoration or superfluous items. Sedros's desk sat beside the window. Looking out, one could see the Central Square below. A group of beastmen stood there in the square; the fatigue on their faces showed that even standing was an effort for them. This was the unit that had just rushed back from the Sanderfirth Mountains. Over ten days of rapid marching through the wilderness with almost no supplies had taken its toll, even on the beastmen.

  "I'm sorry. It was my mistake." Ethan sighed. In truth, if they had strictly followed the map drawn by Gru and the detailed plan formulated by Sedros, they probably wouldn't have suffered any losses.

  Sedros sighed too. He glanced through the raw ore brought up and nodded, saying: "But the harvest was twenty times what I anticipated... The purity and quality of the gems within this ore are absolutely top-tier. And the sheer quantity is truly astonishing. Oufu, a city originally completely disconnected from magic, can now compete with the Diya Valley or Celeste in this regard." He gave a wry smile. "It's just a pity that these are long-term values that will take time to uncover. At least for now, where in Oufu can we find enough mages capable of utilizing them? And then there are those two Behemoths..." He sighed again, his wrinkles deepening, his wry smile turning more bitter.

  Ethan asked: "Did something happen to the two young Behemoths?"

  Sedros shook his head with a wry smile. "They're completely fine. On the contrary, one of the werewolves who brought them back was bitten. Behemoths, such monsters, can eat meat right after birth and have incredibly strong digestive systems, making them easy to raise. I've already dispatched several of our most experienced Half-Orc beast tamers to a secret location to tame them, and I will personally oversee the taming strategy. If used properly, ordinary armies would be no match for such monsters. They will surely become Oufu's unmatched fighting force. It's just..." A mix of longing, hope, helplessness, and anxiety clashed on Sedros's face, weaving into a strange, bitter smile. It was like a pauper desperate for money to save his life finding a priceless antique but unable to cash it in immediately. "But this fighting power won't be available for at least five years. Behemoths only barely reach adulthood in five years, gaining sufficient size and combat power. During these five years, the meat they consume could pile up into a small mountain. And right now, we're about to face problems with even our most basic food supply. Where would we find so much meat for them?"

  "The rewards may be immense, but whether we can reap them is the key," Sedros sighed deeply.

  "Has something happened recently?" Ethan noticed that this old man, usually so vigorous and full of fighting spirit, seemed to sigh far too much today.

  Sedros nodded helplessly and said: "Three months ago, after a mass, Pope Magnus casually expressed his dissatisfaction with Oufu. He said that savage beasts actually had the audacity to establish a nation and stand on equal footing with the children of God—this was simply blasphemy. After all, beasts are just beasts."

  "Is that all? That shouldn't be a major problem. The Church can't just order a nation to attack Oufu, can they?"

  "Of course not. But two months ago, a merchant caravan from Erathia came here to trade. When they left, three werewolves accompanied them as escorts. But just as they were about to enter Erathia, those three werewolves suddenly slaughtered almost everyone in the caravan. Two escaping merchants said it was because someone in the caravan made a rather offensive joke that provoked them. But according to the beastman patrol who first discovered the horrific scene, the three werewolves didn't just tear all the people, horses, and even a Kodo Beast to pieces—they nearly tore themselves apart as well."

  Ethan thought for a moment and also sighed. "A mere joke having such an effect as a high-level mind-influencing spell... the person who made the joke must be no simpleton."

  "Before this incident spread, a Half-Orc official on diplomatic business in the Erathian capital also had a dispute with a revered priest over religious matters. After killing the priest, he smeared feces and urine all over the church's idol. These two incidents combined have thrown Erathia into an uproar. Furthermore, an Ogre and several Half-Orcs infiltrated a village on the Tatalian border, raping and murdering several women. The alerted villagers and soldiers rushed over and managed to kill these beastmen. In a small town on the Ainfast border, children started disappearing one after another. Investigation revealed it was the work of an Ogre. The children's skins were peeled off and carried by the Ogre, their skulls strung together and hung around his neck. The evidence was so conclusive that even I felt there was no need to send someone to argue the case."

  "I see," Ethan also revealed a wry smile. "No wonder even you're so worried."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "Erathia has temporarily suspended all trade with Oufu. It seems only a matter of time before places like the Ainfast Empire follow suit. Although the situation hasn't yet deteriorated to the point of igniting war, I fear it's only a matter of time." Sedros looked towards the west and murmured, "After all, the Pope's words wouldn't have been spoken without reason."

  "You mean..." Ethan frowned, "But I don't think the Pope could possibly be manipulated by the Necromancer Guild..."

  The Pope, spiritual leader to tens of millions of believers on the continent, supreme head of the Church, was also absolutely one of the top mages on the continent. Leaving aside his own cultivation, just the countless priests in Celeste, dozens of Templars, several Temple Knights, and Cardinals under him... The Necromancer Guild, for all its formidable methods, could never possibly treat someone who could be considered the most powerful figure on the continent in every respect as a puppet to be played with in the palm of their hand.

  "I've said it before. The most terrifying thing about the Diya Valley isn't their combat power, but their hidden influence. If it were just a dozen or so Necromancers, I don't think they'd be that difficult to deal with. But more importantly, those are also a dozen or so individuals with absolutely brilliant minds and even more significant status. They don't need to control; they only need to influence. Besides..." Sedros pondered for a moment, then turned back to Ethan with a wry smile. "Besides, the Church itself would never allow Oufu to exist. That's why I said this situation was inevitable."

  Ethan nodded. For non-believers, the Church could try to convert and influence them. Even for heretic organizations, after eliminating the heresy, those lost lambs might still return to the Lord's embrace. But beastmen, in no conceivable way, could be called "lambs." They were more heretical than any heretic. It was unimaginable that they would convert to embrace a Lord who fundamentally denied their existence. In the past, when these sub-humans just roamed and gathered on the wastelands like beasts, it didn't matter. But now it had become not just a heretical nation, but a nation of a different race. To the Church, it was naturally a thorn in their side.

  As for the interplay between the Pope's statement and the subsequent, clearly orchestrated actions by the Necromancer Guild—who was using whom, who was the guest and who the host—was something no one knew.

  "In other words, Oufu actually has to face both the Church and the Necromancer Guild simultaneously," Ethan exhaled. "To put it bluntly, we are enemies with the entire continent."

  "Yes." Sedros nodded helplessly. He leaned his upper body out the window, overlooking the surroundings from the top of the tallest building, facing the setting sun.

  This was the very heart of Oufu. The room was high up, offering a panoramic view of most of the city. Outside the square, on the main streets, humans and beastmen of various races mingled, talking and hawking their wares. Leading horses, mules, oxen, and Kodo Beasts laden with goods, they came and went. In front of a smithy, dwarf craftsmen and some beastman apprentices hammered at iron. Half-Orcs shouted their wares at humans from stalls. Many originally crude and simple buildings were either being expanded or torn down entirely to be rebuilt taller and more beautiful. Ogre craftsmen moved stones and logs, stacking and hammering them under the direction of architects.

  Everything looked so vibrant, yet it was also incredibly fragile. The brewing turmoil could easily turn this place back into a barren wasteland.

  The golden glow illuminated Sedros's hair and every wrinkle with perfect clarity. Anyone could see clearly that this was a man over sixty years old. But it was this very man, who might not have much longer to live, who had single-handedly built this unprecedented city on the wasteland, and now was striving to defend it. Though the difficulties he faced were almost unimaginable, his wrinkles had deepened, his hair turned whiter, yet his back remained straight, and confidence and vitality still shone in his eyes and expression.

  "I rarely admire people. Rarely." Ethan looked at Sedros and suddenly said. "But right now, I quite admire you."

  "Oh? Admire me for what?" Sedros turned his head and smiled.

  "In many legends and stories, someone becomes supremely powerful and thus invincible under heaven. But compared to such people, I think you are more formidable. You are not invincible under heaven; on the contrary, the whole world is filled with enemies far stronger than you. But it seems you have no intention of being afraid or surrendering. That's why I admire you a little. Having enemies under heaven is more admirable than being invincible under heaven."

  "Hahahaha..." Sedros laughed heartily, looking at Ethan. "Enemies under heaven... But speaking of that point, you are more formidable than I. The number of people in this world who want your head is at least a hundred times greater than those who want my life."

  Ethan smiled. "But I haven't deliberately done anything; I'm just walking my own path according to my own will."

  Sedros also smiled. The wrinkles on his face seemed to come alive as he murmured, "In truth, am I not doing the same..."

  Ethan asked: "Do you think Oufu can win this battle? After all, those are the two most powerful organizations on the continent, both overt and covert."

  Sedros nodded and said: "Battle is only the last resort. Politics, economy, diplomacy, stratagems, weighing priorities—these are the real contests. Besides, even battle isn't a simple test of strength. So we still have a chance. Moreover, I was somewhat prepared for such a situation. General Gru and Lord Bolgan have already gone to Tatalia and Erathia respectively."

  "What are they going to do?"

  "Naturally, diplomacy. What Oufu needs most right now is time. So I sent Lord Bolgan as my special envoy to Erathia, to try and ease the situation as much as possible. Incidentally, to understand who actually holds Erathia's attitude towards Oufu—that is, to see who our enemies in Erathia are, and what capabilities they possess. Whether the situation is already irredeemable..."

  "Send him?" Ethan frowned. If there really was a Necromancer hidden there, no matter how useful Lord Bolgan's mind was as Oufu's envoy, in the hands of a Necromancer, he would be little more than an insect. "Isn't that too risky? Why not send General Gru?"

  "Because he has a more important mission in Tatalia. Surrounded by enemies as we are, we desperately need an ally."

  "Tatalia?" Ethan found it increasingly baffling. While Tatalia wasn't a religious state and thus wouldn't be influenced by the Church, it was located northwest of the Barbarian Highlands. The fact that it hadn't been swallowed up by the powerful Erathia over the years showed just how barren it was. Regardless of what kind of help such an ally could provide, getting such a nation to risk universal condemnation to help Oufu would be incredibly difficult. The key point was that diplomacy, by its nature, required verbal skill—a specialized art. But what General Gru excelled at was definitely not his mouth, but his fists.

  To gain an ally through one person's fists. Only a madman or an idiot would believe such a thing. But Sedros was absolutely neither. He smiled at Ethan and said: "You can rest assured about these two matters. In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be used. And extraordinary measures will absolutely have extraordinary effects."

  Ethan smiled and said: "Of course I'm reassured. Since the most arduous tasks have been given to those two, I should have an easy time for a while."

  "Not at all. I've been waiting specifically for you to return, to entrust you with the most important task..." Sedros's smile held a hint of cunning.

  "I knew it would be like this." Ethan sighed. He took a few items from his waist and tossed them onto the table. "Help me see what these are."

  "What things?" Sedros looked. It was a pair of boots, a necklace, and a pair of bracers.

  "Junk I picked up. I don't know if they're usable, what they do, or how to use them."