Chapter 554: The Burden of the Sacred Covenant

The situation with the Magnificent Wall was even graver than Duke Pedinan had initially anticipated.

The elves were an ancient and proud people—not arrogant, but proud. Their long history, rich cultural heritage, and formidable innate powers made them as confident as the men of Gondor once were. Along with that confidence came a deep sense of responsibility. Since the fall of the Gondor Empire, when half of the continent’s civilization collapsed, the Silver Empire had taken it upon itself to uphold the Magnificent Wall and watch over the wastelands. For seven centuries, they had meticulously fulfilled their duties under the Sacred Covenant. Duke Pedinan knew full well that if the barrier hadn’t truly suffered a catastrophic change, the proud elves would never have sent envoys to warn the human kingdoms—or to ask for help.

The Grant Duke watched Emperor Rosetta’s expression closely. From the look on His Majesty’s face, he could tell the emperor had already verified the elves’ claims. Rosetta then turned to Shiva. “Your plan is to reinforce the barrier. But how exactly do you intend to do that? And what do you need from us?”

“We plan to install amplification devices near several key sentinel towers,” the elven envoy explained. “We have the technology, but not enough manpower or resources. Even if we did, there isn’t enough time to deploy them along the entire length of the Magnificent Wall.” He paused. “The wastelands in the continent’s center have severed transportation routes. Traveling from the Silver Empire to the northern continent requires a long detour. We managed to arrive here within half a month only by riding giant eagles—but those eagles cannot carry heavy cargo.”

At that moment, Emperor Rosetta Augustus finally spoke. “Typhon is more than willing to repair the barrier—it is, after all, our lifeline. But what about the other nations?”

“We have sent messengers to every human kingdom,” Shiva replied. “The envoy to the Ogure tribes should have arrived a few days ago. The one to Ansu left even earlier and should have reached their destination by now.”

“The Ogure tribes have long kept an eye on the Magnificent Wall. They will likely respond quickly to your warning. But Ansu…” Rosetta’s voice dropped. “That country is embroiled in civil war. I don’t know if they can still uphold their duties under the Sacred Covenant.”

“We have received reports of that,” Shiva said after a moment of silence, regret tinging his voice. Thanks to the Magnificent Wall’s communication network, the elves were well-informed about the continent’s affairs. The Ansu civil war had been known in the Silver Empire for over half a year. “It is unfortunate. Descendants of former allies should not be at such odds… But regardless, the safety of the Magnificent Wall is a matter of civilization’s survival. They must understand that now is not the time to continue fighting.”

“As you said, the peoples of the four human kingdoms are all descendants of Gondor. The ancient glory of our ancestors should not be tarnished by prejudice and shortsightedness. I believe that glorious blood still flows in the veins of the Ansu people. As long as they have not completely forgotten, they will know what to do,” Rosetta Augustus said solemnly. Then he stood. “As for Typhon… we will fulfill our duties under the Sacred Covenant and repair the barrier.”

The elven envoy rose and bowed deeply before the emperor. “You are worthy of the name Augustus.”

Rosetta nodded. “Please, envoys, rest for now. I must consult with my advisors about the logistics and personnel arrangements.”

The elven envoys were led away by attendants, leaving only Emperor Typhon and Duke Pedinan in the audience chamber.

The emperor sank back into his chair, his upper body swallowed by the shadows cast by the high-backed seat. “Duke Pedinan, do you think the Magnificent Wall’s condition has deteriorated this far?”

“The elves do not joke about this. And given their usual way of doing things, they would not come to the human kingdoms for aid unless the barrier had truly worsened.”

“I think so too,” Rosetta nodded slightly. “The astrologers have reported unusual solar activity, and border troops have witnessed strange phenomena along the Wall. The evidence is clear and cannot be ignored.”

“So we really must…”

“Fulfill the Sacred Covenant, without question,” Rosetta said. “I have seen the blueprints the elves brought. The repairs under Typhon’s responsibility will be divided into two parts: one in the southwest, where I will send Duke Seven, and the other in the northwest, near Winterwolf Fortress—I will go there personally.”

Pedinan blinked in surprise. “Your Majesty, you will go yourself?”

“Yes,” Rosetta nodded. “That tower is where the previous Typhon ruler died defending it. I must go in person.”

That was a reason no one could argue against.

Seven centuries ago, when the four kingdoms were first established, human territories were far less secure than they are now. To stem the ever-encroaching wastelands, the elves and the human nations had joined forces to build the Magnificent Wall. One critical node was on Typhon’s northwestern frontier—a sentinel tower that took three full years to complete. It was the last tower finished among all the sentinels and the final piece to close the Wall. Typhon had paid the heaviest price for that last step.

When the various sections of the Wall were activated one by one, the chaotic magical energies and endless mutated monsters from the wastelands were blocked from spreading. But the magical tide launched its greatest counterattack at the last gap in the barrier. The chaotic energies and mutated creatures surged toward the northwestern border of Typhon, where human and elven forces fought a fierce battle. The mutated hordes even pressed to the foot of the sentinel tower. To buy time for the elven engineers to activate the tower, the entire royal guard, led by the previous Typhon king himself, died defending it.

“Andersa and her Winterwolf Legion will ensure my safety,” Rosetta said calmly, looking at the old duke. “While I am away, you will be in charge of state affairs, Duke Pedinan.”

Meeting the emperor’s deep gaze, Pedinan took a deep breath.

“I will not betray your trust, Your Majesty.”

The duke left.

Only the ruler of Typhon remained in the room.

Rosetta Augustus sat alone in the large armchair, expressionless, staring into the fireplace. The flames flickered and danced, casting shifting shadows. Suddenly, two faint, ghostly figures rose from the firelight, their forms coalescing into humanoid shapes—golden hair, pointed ears, identical faces.

The Twins of All Things’ End chuckled softly and spoke to the emperor: “See? We told you—the Wall’s problems that the Silver Empire can’t solve… they’ve come to you after all.”

Rosetta glanced at the elven twins without emotion. “You don’t seem to care that you yourselves hail from the Silver Empire.”

The twins smiled. “Our cause transcends national boundaries. In a way, aren’t you and we the same?”

“I am not like you. I trust in the power of the state,” Rosetta said coolly. “You didn’t come here just to discuss this, did you?”

“Of course not,” their voices overlapped in a rhythmic harmony. “We came to ask—have you… given up on Ansu?”

“Of course not. It’s just not the right time yet,” Rosetta replied. “The cost-benefit balance isn’t optimal… Ansu’s blood has not yet run dry…”

The twins strolled casually around the emperor, as if in a leisurely promenade, murmuring in wonder: “Still calm…” “Calculating precisely…” “Full of confidence…” “Incredible…”

Finally, they spoke in unison: “You truly are an incredible man—so clear-headed after facing the truth.”

Rosetta regarded their impudent, even offensive behavior as if watching a farce. He waved a hand. “If there’s nothing more important, don’t waste my time. There are high-ranking rangers and elven envoys in this palace who won’t show mercy to exiles.”

The twins finally ceased their “chairside stroll.” Smiling, they faced Rosetta and took a step back toward the fireplace. “Ah, your threats are most effective. We are happy to cooperate…”

Their forms gradually faded into the air, merging with the firelight behind them. Before they vanished completely, Rosetta spoke: “Don’t forget what you must do.”

“Rest assured, the Twins of All Things’ End value their reputation even more than you do. Ansu’s blood will continue to flow…” Their voices drifted from the flames, growing more distant and ethereal. “We take only what we need. The rest belongs to you…”

With that, the twins’ forms and voices disappeared entirely, and the faint magical aura in the room dissipated.

Rosetta Augustus sat alone in silence for a long while before murmuring to himself, “There must… be a strong empire.”

He rose and approached the now ordinary fire, its magic spent. Watching the flickering flames, he bent down and carefully placed the fireguard adorned with sharp spikes in front of the hearth.

At the same time, in the Ansu royal capital of Saint Suniel, a gray-brown giant eagle spread its wings and soared across the sky.

The citizens of Saint Suniel were familiar with griffins, the favored mounts and messengers of the nobility and royal family. But few humans had ever seen the giant eagles from the south—massive raptors that swept over Iron Cross Street and Crown Street like dark clouds. Their tail feathers and chests were decorated with green and silver ribbons. They flew straight toward Silver Fortress, drawing the curious gazes of many onlookers.

Only those with the sharpest eyes caught a glimpse of the riders atop the eagles—elves.

On the upper terrace of Silver Fortress, Victoria Wilde quietly watched the sky as the giant eagles landed on the griffin platform on the fortress’s flank. There were no perches for giant eagles here, so the griffin platform had been cleared to accommodate the elven mounts. The white-feathered griffins, temporarily displaced to the northern tower, poked their heads out of the tower windows and let out loud, piercing cries at the gray-brown eagles.

“The elven envoys have arrived,” murmured Grant Duke Berdewin Franklin beside Victoria.

“It seems the Magnificent Wall’s situation is truly dire,” Victoria said, a chill in her voice. “It’s laughable—just yesterday, the nobles were still debating whether the Southland Duke’s warnings were some kind of conspiracy.”

On the griffin platform, the elven envoys dismounted gracefully. One female elf with short golden hair glanced with mild annoyance at the noisy griffins in the tower. “The northern griffins have the worst manners.”

“The griffons have always been the best at cursing,” another messenger said helplessly. “I’m afraid our giant eagle has taken over their nest.”

The short-haired elf curled their lip and glanced at their giant eagle, which turned its head in return, looking at its owner with a puzzled expression.

The elf sighed. “All that size, and it can’t even argue properly.”

“Goo-goo?”

“I’m telling you, there’s definitely something wrong with this eagle—its accent is really thick…”

(End of chapter)