Chapter 1175: The Sage Still Among Us

A warm summer breeze swept over the mountains and forests, rustling the leaves across this lush land. To the elves, these natural sounds brought no irritation—only a deep sense of peace and calm.

An aged elf stood atop the mountain, gazing into the distance as he had done for countless centuries. He saw the ancient empire bathed in the fading glow of sunset, slowly settling into quietude. The rolling hills, dense forests, and winding valleys looked almost exactly as he remembered them… No visible change had come to this land. Yet, in another sense, it had long since become a place he no longer recognized.

Since that day three thousand years ago, this was no longer the home he once knew.

The young apprentice remained silent, clearly moved by his mentor’s words. Yet a surge of emotion welled up inside him, finally breaking the silence. “So, even though you knew His Majesty never intended to let you return, you still—”

“She needed closure. Both for her heart and for reason, that closure was long overdue,” the elder replied with a faint smile, his tone as calm as if discussing someone else’s affairs. “No matter how much truth or falsehood there was in the news she brought back from that so-called ‘Alliance,’ once she decided to come see me in person and arranged for me to travel to that northern kingdom, the outcome was already sealed. If it was all lies, then those lies were meant to eliminate a stubborn dissenter like me who has endured for three millennia. But if everything she said was true…”

He suddenly paused, his eyes flickering with memories of ancient times. All those recollections culminated in a heavy sigh. “If it’s all true, then there’s no way I could ever come back.”

The young apprentice, Karl, only half understood. He didn’t grasp why his mentor ended with such a heavy sigh—after all, when the Silver Empress met with the elder, Karl had been “politely” asked to wait outside the room. But he knew some secrets were beyond his station, especially when his mentor chose not to speak of them. So he held back his questions, clenching his fists instead. “She can’t treat you like this. You represent—”

“She is the Silver Empress. She represents the will of the entire empire. I am but a rusted gear in this vast imperial machine, unwilling to fall out on my own,” the elder interrupted firmly. “From her perspective, what she’s done to me benefits this land. As much as I hate to admit it, I have become an obstacle to the empire’s progress.”

Karl opened his mouth, as if to argue, but then seemed to think better of it. His mentor chuckled softly and spoke with quiet resignation. “Do you know how many elves use my name to run their cults in the forests? How many druids, opposed to the royal court’s policies, have built their power under the banner of ‘restoring tradition’ to resist the new order? Their acts of sabotage have not escaped my notice. But for thousands of years, I have pretended not to see. Do you know why?”

“I… I don’t,” Karl lowered his head, feeling the weight of the topic, but his years of training compelled him to answer. “But I know you have your reasons…”

“My only reason is that I don’t know what to do,” the elder said with a wry smile, as if a great burden had suddenly lifted. “After the gods left, nearly all the clergy were lost. We fractured. Some chose to end their own lives and follow the gods into the beyond. Some followed the Morningstar family, becoming the orthodox priests of the new faith. And the rest of us… the weakest and most cowardly, unable to act, unwilling to take a step forward to follow the gods, yet unwilling to pledge allegiance to secular rule. What reason could I have? I was just stuck in place.

“The irony is that people like me, standing still, are seen by some elves as defenders of ‘tradition’ and ‘truth.’ They gather, reckless and restless, and I… I silently condone it, even support it, out of a faint, elusive hope. I can’t find my own path, nor dare to seek one, so I hope those bold enough to charge ahead might find a way to restore past glory. In the end, it’s just avoidance.”

Karl’s eyes widened. It was the first time he’d heard his mentor speak of himself this way. If anyone else had said such things, Karl might have been furious. But now, stunned, he could only remain silent. After a long pause, he finally forced out a few words. “You… shouldn’t judge yourself so harshly. You are the most respected elf in the province of Selandumen…”

“The most respected elf, and yet no longer qualified to judge myself?” the elder replied.

“Master, that’s not what I meant—”

Seeing Karl’s sudden fluster, the elder shook his head. “Don’t be so nervous, Karl. You have countless strengths, but your tendency to get anxious and lose confidence often overshadows them. I just want to tell you some things I’ve kept inside for many years before I leave. After all, there aren’t many elves on this mountain who’d truly want to hear me ramble.”

Karl nodded quickly, then hesitated, conflicted. Seeing the young elf’s troubled expression, the elder smiled softly. After a moment, he grew serious. “Karl, there’s something I need to entrust to you. Listen carefully.”

The apprentice straightened up, anxious. “Y-yes, Master!”

“After I leave, don’t stay here. Don’t get involved with those ‘followers’ gathered on the mountain. Go back to your homeland. With the knowledge you’ve gained, you will become an excellent apothecary and scholar. Treat this past century as a simple journey of study. Now that your lessons are over, it’s time to return home and live your own life.

“If you don’t want that, then pack your bags and cross the Bridge of Return. Travel the continent like other elves your age. See the world beyond. Your knowledge and heritage will be welcomed in most places on the continent of Loren. In lands ruled by humans, dwarves, and fae, you can learn far more than you ever could by my side. If you get the chance, visit the Mosswood Forest in the north—our distant kin, the gray elves, live there. Their ways will benefit you greatly.

“Whichever path you choose, remember this: do not engage with those followers on the mountain. They may invite you, support you, even call you their new sage and leader. But don’t be blinded by it—leave immediately, and go as far away as you can.”

Karl’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You mean I should completely sever ties with your followers? But isn’t that too harsh? After all, they have followed you for so many years. Everything we need to live here comes from them…”

“Karl, did you forget what I just said? Don’t trust the loyalty and devotion those followers show. Once I’m gone, their loyalty will shatter like a reflection in water. The royal purge will come swiftly. When those rabble realize the Silver Empress is serious this time, they will betray everything they can. You will be the first ‘pawn’ to be sold out.”

Karl opened his mouth but lowered his head in the end. He knew his mentor’s judgment was unerring. As the last apprentice chosen by the elder, he was not so naive as to doubt this.

Beside him, the elder finally showed a faint, satisfied smile. Then he turned his gaze back to the distant mountains, watching as the golden sunset bathed the Bridge of Return in a radiant, rainbow-like glow.

In a fleeting moment, he seemed to see a figure from three thousand years ago—a high priestess clad in magnificent robes, standing like a divine messenger in the distance. She was the Silver Monarch of a bygone era, the empress he once served.

Long ago, that Silver Empress had extended an invitation to him—to become a blade of secular power, to stabilize the empire and restore the people’s faith. But he had hesitated then. He dared not commit the “heresy” of defying the gods. He watched the high priestess fight alone, watched her be branded a “fallen one” and “apostate” by countless priests and followers, watched her die prematurely.

Today, another Silver Empress had extended a new invitation—a summons to a “divine covenant.” The young empress had not spoken plainly, but the old priest, who had spent his life intertwined with faith, knew this was a one-way journey.

At last, he could make amends for the regret of those years.

“Your Majesty Ista… this time, I will gladly answer your call.”

The elder withdrew his gaze and turned toward the small cabin behind him. To his apprentice, he said, “Karl, go help me pack. The sun is about to set.”

…

“The sun is setting… and we’ve wasted so much time here.”

On a broad road at the edge of the dense forest, High Attendant Ilian glanced up at the darkening sky and murmured softly.

The mountain where the “sage” lived was gradually swallowed by the encroaching dusk. At its base, the wide road stretching from the valley was beginning to glow with bright lights—ancient stone markers lined both sides, covered in moss and vines like relics of a forgotten age. Atop each stood a glowing orb, shining as brightly as high-quality magic crystals. These uniquely elven “street lamps” were controlled by underground nodes linked to sensors in the treetops, which gauged ambient light and activated the lamps accordingly.

This simple yet reliable system had operated throughout the empire’s infrastructure for thousands of years, enduring countless renovations and still functioning with precision.

“Tonight, most of the Selandumen province should be quite cool,” the Silver Empress Belsethia remarked casually. “Good weather.”

Ilian turned to her. “Your Majesty, do you truly believe Sage Azmor will cooperate as promised and accompany us north? I worry—he has always refused royal summons and the honorary titles you personally bestowed.”

“He will,” Belsethia nodded gently. “Since he has agreed, there will be no further complications. I know him well, just as he knows me.”

“…Sage Azmor was once the most trusted high priest of His Majesty Ista. During Ista’s reign, he was regarded as the second eye of the god of nature,” Ilian said with a hint of awe. “Even after all these years, even though he has chosen seclusion, many elves still gather around him here in Selandumen…”

“Those gathered around him aren’t necessarily true followers of the God of Nature. And those who truly follow him… over the past three thousand years, most have already ‘gone with the god,’” Belsethia said calmly, then shook her head. “Nowadays, there are very few ‘ancient sages’ like Azmor still alive. To the secret cult members who are desperate to establish an order outside the Empire’s control, each of these sages is like a living ‘harbor’ or a ‘great tree.’ Over the last three millennia, some sages have faltered and were purged by the royal family when the opportunity arose. But there are still those like Azmor—quiet, neutral enough—that neither my grandmother nor my father could touch.”

“…Sending these sages ‘north to their appointment’ is essentially no different from forcibly purging them. No matter how justified your reasons are, many of the details behind this cannot be publicly explained,” Ilian said with concern. As one of the Silver Empress’s closest attendants and a representative of the Silver Empire within the Theocratic Council, she had recently learned many unsettling truths about the gods. “As long as the core facts remain hidden, your political enemies will seize the chance to stir trouble—and the elves who follow these sages will surely become restless.”

“A chaos like this was bound to happen sooner or later. We’ve known this since my father’s reign,” Belsethia said quietly. “My father left this problem to me, and I cannot pass it on to the next generation. These ancient sages are very old, but they were once blessed by the gods, and that blessing has yet to fade. Heaven only knows how many more years they have left.”

“I cannot allow these cults to keep drawing strength from the sages. I cannot let this endless cycle of ‘growth—destruction—hunt—purge—regrowth’ continue forever.”

“This divine ‘invitation’ at least gave me a chance to make a firm decision… and a reason to act.”

Ilian lowered her head, falling silent.

Belsethia smiled faintly, her gaze drifting away from Ilian. She glanced at the darkening sky in the distance and shook her head. “We should go, Ilian—the sun really is about to set.”

(The “Sword of Dawn” manga still needs your continued support.)

(End of chapter)