Hendrix just blinked his eyes with sheer confusion and shock. "How? When?"


    But ine was ecstatic. "Royal Blood! They are closest to the bloodline of the Goddess… Everything is connected….!"


    "When did Mother Xavia go there? And isn''t the Elven king married? It makes no sense." Hendrix questioned, still not believing it.


    "No!" ine interjected. "Dear, it makes perfect sense! His Holiness was born to inherit the will of the Mother Goddess."


    Sylvester didn''t borate more on his background or how Xavia conceived him. But he watched as ine disyed even more fanaticism than he expected. However, he understood that this was a rare case and that the other elves would never believe that he was their God or the reincarnation of Remira.


    In truth, the faith of the elves was even more tightly woven than the faith of Solis. After all, humans were epting of all species as long as they believed in Solis. Meanwhile, the elves only epted elves within theirmunity and faith.


    There was no way a radical paradigm shift could be brought to thatmunity. And Sylvester had no such expectations.


    "That is what you feel about me, Lady ine. I''m merely a simple man possessing some degree of power. As for golden eyes, they aren''t that rare. I know two kids who have them." Sylvester told her. "For now, all I wish to do is prepare ourselves for whatever conspiracy that is going on. That includes getting stronger, and if elven magic can help, I want to learn it from you."


    ine lowered her head with respect. "If that is what you desire, then that is the duty fate has ced upon me. I would be honored to be able to help you master Elven Magic."


    "Then let''s start it right away." Sylvester prepared. "I don''t have much time, Lady ine. I''ll be returning to Sandwall County tomorrow, as it is my new base. I have to prepare for the war."


    Hendrix sighed and sat down a distance away. "It''s not that hard if you have already acquired Elder Magic. You know how to master ancient magic, which no one can. You know how to manipte the Srium, which none other do."


    Sylvester nced back at Hendrix. "It seems like you did plenty of research in Elder Magic."


    "Once you be a Grand Wizard, you know you have plenty of time to pursue different things. Otherwise, insanity creeps in," Hendrix replied, not borating further. But a hint of jealousy was evident.


    Sylvester, no matter what, wasn''t going to spread Elder Magic around anytime soon. It was too overpowered, and if it were to fall into the wrong hands, it could bring about the world''s destruction.


    "Then, what''s the fundamental concept of Elven Magic? How is it different from normal magic? And what are the basics of mastering it?" Sylvester asked ine and Hendrix.


    "First of all, you have to be an elf," ine replied. "There is no Elven Magic if you don''t have the blood. Because our magic is tied to it."


    At that, Hendrix spoke as he knew of the more intricate details. "Lord Bard, elves have evolved with nature around them and even worship it. Despite their source of magic being Srium, whiches from the Sun, their special magic is connected to the trees, the nts, and nature."


    "So it''s like Green Magic?" Sylvester asked. "Don''t the Holy men despise those with Green Magic?"


    "Despise my old beard!" Hendrix cursed. "They are fools—there is no corrtion between elves and Green Magic. Only the most pathetic of the Holy men hold that view, which happens to be most of them."


    Sylvester''s brows twitched, but he refrained from saying anything. He hadn''t forgotten the tale of the Pope who lifted a mountain and died to protect the innocents—only for his name to be forgotten because he possessed Green Magic.


    "Then how is it different?"


    Hendrix smiled. "It''s the same as when you used Srium Crystals, Lord Bard. What is nature around us? What is this entire? It''s a giant Srium Crystal."


    "Then… Wait…" Sylvester stammered and stepped back to his chair, his mind filled with various thoughts. "You are telling me that elves can squeeze out Srium from the very nature around us?"


    "nts mostly." ine blurted as if it was the mostmon thing. "But it''s also our curse. You see, the reason elves live for so long is that our ancestors absorbed too much Srium, and slowly as we evolved from generation to generation, our lifespan only increased. However, absorbing too much Srium also disrupted the equilibrium within our bodies. Eventually, making it extremely hard to procreate. On average, an elven male and female can produce one offspring every five hundred years."


    Sylvester nodded his head, understanding the concept behind it. "But… I''ve been feeling the Srium in my surroundings since I was young."


    "..."


    "..."


    ine and Hendrix had simr faces. Then, they nced at each other and nodded, reaching a mutual understanding.


    "If that''s the case, then it would make sense how you were able to be so strong so fast," Hendrix said. "It''s not normal to see a twenty-five-year-old Grand Wizard. You have to understand, Lord Bard, that no matter how talented you are, there is a physical limit to how many mutations your body can handle at a time. Ranking up is a slow process where your veins grow bigger, Srium reserves increase, and your body''s overall structure strengthens, from bones to muscles. The fact that you did it means you either suffered too much, or there''s a secret."


    "Both, I''d say," Sylvester replied. "This may answer why I''m so strong, but the abilities I learn depend on my intellect as well."


    "I never called you dumb, Lord Bard," Hendrix interjected.


    "..."


    "I never said you did…" Sylvester focused back on ine. "How do I master it? I can feel it, but I can''t absorb it on my own."


    ine thought about it. "The way we learn it is slow and takes years. We simply be aware of it slowly and start mastering it through official training after that. However, for you, the key to mastery is through practice draining Srium from a nt."


    Sylvester nodded and walked over to a nt set by the window. "So… If I can drain the Srium in it, I''m using Elven Magic?"


    Sylvester closed his eyes and tried to sense the presence of srium within the room. It was a simple part of his Elder Magic, so he easily saw the flow of Srium in the nt''s body. It was stagnant at the moment since there was no sunlight.


    "I should take it…" Sylvester ced his palm near it.


    "You don''t need to do such things, Your Holiness," ine interjected. "It should be a passive ability."


    Sylvester nodded and lowered his hand. ''How can I take the Srium distantly like that? Wait, how does my body absorb it from the sun? Pores? Photosynthesis?''


    He tried to feel the same sensation as he did when sunbathing or eating a Srium Crystal. It was a sensation that one could easily overlook because it was a daily part of one''s life.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Take the Srium…"


    Sylvester furrowed his brows and concentrated. He didn''t raise his hands, but his face constantly scowled as he made the effort.


    Soon, ten minutes passed.


    "Nothing… I don''t understand how to initiate it. Should I perhaps eat the nt?" Sylvester wondered vocally. "But then, it won''t be a passive thing."


    "It''s not easy, Your Holiness," ine said. "It takes decades for us Elves to acquire such knowledge. But as long as you practice, I''m sure you will understand it."


    Sylvester sighed and decided to call it a day. "Thank you, I will keep that in mind and continue practicing it. I''m sorry I kept you from resting. Let''s meet again in the morning."


    "Finally!" Hendrix instantly stood up and pulled ine along. "Good night."


    Sylvester also exited the room and made his way toward Xavia''s chambers. He wanted to spend more time with her before leaving.


    However, when Sylvester arrived outside the room, he found a certain blond-haired boy drowsily standing in ce, clutching a pillow and nket.


    Sylvester nced at the sky from arge window. "It''s past midnight, Rex. Why are you still awake?"


    "Godfather?!" Rex''s drowsiness disappeared in an instant, and he chirped. "I wanted to hear stories from you. I''ve heard about so many of your adventures and the songs… Please… tell me some takes."


    Sylvester chuckled. A kid was a kid, after all. So what if he was a prince, his heart was still young and naive.


    "Hmm… Perhaps the story of a little boy and his lion friend will excite you." Sylvester muttered.


    "Lion? But that''s so ordinary."


    "The lion was magical and had wings," Sylvester added.


    "Yes, Sir!" Rex eximed, brimming with excitement. "I wanna hear that."


    "Come right in then. I''m sure my Mum won''t mind." Sylvester invited him in.


    He was supposed to be the boy''s godfather and teach him things. Why not start that very night, he reckoned.


    …


    Holy Land


    Sanctum Council Chambers


    Nights had be sleepless, and days had be restless. Niel Grey, the First Guardian of Light and the self-proimed Pope of faith found himself cornered by Sylvester''s strange methods of swaying the people.


    "How is he making those parchments?" Niel questioned the room coldly. Before him sat the Sanctum Council, consisting of the same members as the ones before. "If this continues, the pilgrimage shall be made to Sandwall County, not here—the true Holy Land."


    "Saint Sylvester is popr and loved by the people." Saint Wazir voiced. "He spent all his life helping them."


    Niel looked furious at those words. "Don''t! I ordered you not to address him as Saint."


    "But he is." Saint Seer, the spymaster, spoke. "It''s a fact that Saint Sylvester defeated the Mountain Barbarians, united the Sorrow Kingdom, and cured the gue before it killed millions. He may be your enemy, Pope Niel, but he still remains a man of the clergy."


    Niel gnashed his teeth and looked at his newly appointed General of all Armies. "Sir Maxim, you may belong to Gracia, but you are a ve due to your heathen actions—you are bound to carry out my orders."


    Sir Maxim, a Grand Wizard from Gracia, who once opposed Sylvester and was defeated by Bloodrain, softly nodded his head, avoiding eye contact with themanding voice. "Your order is my duty."


    Niel folded his arms and looked at the map of Gracia on the table. "I need you to go out with a garrison of the Holy Army. Go to every single vige, town, or city that lies along the Green Road, all the way to Pitfall Town."


    The other Sanctum members straightened their backs, curious about what the so-called Pope had in mind.


    "To do what?" Saint Wazir questioned.


    "Sylvester Maximilian wants to lure me out of the Holy Land—but what if he''s forced toe out instead? Sir Maxim, I want you to go and massacre half of the poption of each ce I mentioned—leave the other half to tell the tale. Let the word spread; what happens if they dare defy me—their Pope—their only faith!"


    rmed, Saint Wazir couldn''t bear it any longer. "Your Holiness… That will grievously weaken humanity''s strength! We need people! Faith exists because of their belief in us."


    Niel ignored him and strode toward the door. "They breed like filthy rabbits; no harm if a few die. Sir Maxim, I want this done this instant."


    "Understood." Sir Maxim stood up. "It will be done, Your Holiness."


    "May the Holy Light enlighten us." Niel still had the audacity to say it.


    ____________________


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