359 I, The Proud Fairy King!

The Second High Reverend of Godsfall cult felt very confident, as though Baiyi's life was already in his hands.

Even his counterparts, the First and Third High Reverends, were surprised at the amount of optimism he had. However, the Third High Reverend soon became skeptical. "You are saying that destruction is the only fate that awaits him as though you have forgotten that he is the messenger of the ever-so-cryptic War God! He enjoys all the War God's privileges, remember? This same Hope forcefully pilfered a very powerful object that is rumored to be the legendary Book of Servitude. Against a foe like him, numbers are meaningless; regardless of how capable your fairies are, they are still leaps and bounds beneath the best the Church and the Northern Lands has to offer."

"But, right here and right now, he is in MY domain. I may be arrogant, but I am no fool. I don't know of anything that will hinder my success in this venture. So, if you hear me speak like this, know that I already have everything under control," the Second High Reverend replied.

"And as for the effectiveness of our attacks, my offensive capabilities are known to you both. Despite the rumors of Hope wielding tremendous power, he has continued to live like a mouse, till this day; why is that? Why does he still seek power? I do not, for one second, believe that someone as strong as he is purported to be... exist. His power must be confined by some sort of imposed rules. Could they be limitations placed by the War God? Or, could it be from one of the little girls accompanying him? Whatever the case may be, he can not be as difficult an opponent as the both of you make him out to be."

"Furthermore, I have one last trick up my sleeve. What is a mere messenger to a real god? By the time I make my move, not even his daddy War God will be able to save him," the Second High Reverend finished.

"I see. How can we not be moved by such a display of confidence? We await your good news, then. Removing a hindrance like him will be a great addition to the work we are trying to do," the First Reverend muttered. "I only hope that the Higher Power on our side can quickly sort the War God out…"

"Those are matters of their level. It is none of our concern; we should focus on what falls under our jurisdiction," the Third High Reverend replied, and his raven-black figure began to dissipate into nothing, leaving behind the suffocating air confined within the walls of the Basilica. The two vague figures followed suit and dissipated into nothing.

Meanwhile, far away in Marle, in the quaint and grandiose Capital City 0f the Fairy Kingdom — which is known for epithets like 'The Millennium City' and 'The Capital of Breaking Dawn'— stood a grand palace. Every arch, angle, vertex, and wall of this palace was made with the ingenuity of an artistic fusion between the elegance of fairies and the opulence of humans. Even the flowers and greenery at the side of the palace had been grown with the passion of their artisans.

The palace was so beautiful, it could pass off as an abode for gods! Those who had visited it could only exclaim in awe and wonder; esteemed individuals like the Emperor of Walthart Empire, who once visited for a friendly diplomatic mission, was blown away by the building's magnificence. "Only a place like this is worthy enough to be called an emperor's home."

The only small stain on this nearly perfect palace was the depth of its radiance. It lacked a radiance that had been baptized by history and time. The reason behind this was straight forward: the Fairy King built this palace only a few years back.

The owner of the palace — who was also the center of the most recent contentions, the Eighteenth Fairy King — stood alone in his private study, wearing a royal robe made only for the ruler of the Fairy Kingdom.

King Phineas Aeon-Star Dawn the Eighteenth, otherwise known as The Wise Mad King, was toying around with a delicately made jade thumb ring. His gaze was fixed on the life-like beasts and birds carved on the smooth surface of the ring. It almost looked like they were moving; this was a testament to the skill of the one who made it.

This jade ring was the Fairy King's most treasured war bounty, plundered from a Dwarf tribe he had conquered in the past. The best jade artisans in the world were said to be from amongst the Dwarves. This war lasted for many days, and victory was uncertain through most of it. Militia, resources, and energy were spent in droves for a chance at victory. Back then, the Wise Mad King pleaded with the aged representatives of the traditionalist fairies to lend him their Gale Snipers and Druids, all for the purpose of ending the war as soon as possible. However, his pleas fell on deaf ears because of the ancient pact the traditionalist fairies made with First Fairy King millennia ago.

This was the straw that broke the Fairy King's back — the act that fueled the hate he had for the old codgers.

However, fortune smiled on the fairies, and they — no, HE won the war. The victory was recorded as one of his greatest achievements. The spoils he earned from that war were a lot: a fertile steppe most suitable for farming; a mine containing unused, precious ores; a massive compensation from the losers — the Dwarf Kingdom; massively one-sided trade deals with the Dwarves, thereby maximizing profit for the fairy kingdom; the little jade thumb ring, and a group of highly skilled dwarf artisans. These all belonged to him. The spoils of war were much greater than the losses.

The Wise Mad King was standing in front of a large mirror, which was gilded in pure gold, adorned with intricate flowers. In the mirror, there was nothing but a swirling black fog, which did not reflect the image of anything in the room, including the king, who was standing directly in front of it.

He paused and furrowed his eyebrows. The black fog swirling in the mirror instantly disappeared, leaving behind the reflection of a gallant, young face, which had eyes brimming with ambition.

The Wise Mad King returned to his modest-looking desk and closed his eyes, as though lost in his thoughts. After a while, he reached out his hand and knocked on a bronze bell sitting atop his desk.

The door of his study opened, and a silent belle came in and bowed a little in greeting.

"Summon the Principle Advisor for me," the Wise Mad King ordered in a rare calm tone, which was completely different from the boisterous countenance he usually had.

Very soon, a man wearing a large, loose black robe walked into the king's study. The hood of his robe was draped over his head, hiding his face from view. The man's appearance would make anyone think he was a street thug, but the Wise Mad King thought differently and gave the man a position as sensitive as the Royal Principle Advisor.

"Your Majesty, you called?" The Royal Advisor asked softly as he bowed.

The Wise Mad King did not answer; instead, he snapped his fingers, and a Silence Barrier immediately loomed over them.

Suddenly, the Royal Principle Advisor fell to his knees and assumed a kowtowing position, then he exclaimed, "The Most Eminent High Reverend! Is there anything you would have me do?"

From the drastic change in greeting and behavior, it was clear that the title of Fairy King could not hold a candle to the title of High Reverend of Godsfall!

"Grand Butler, sit," the Wise Mad King said in a relatively calm tone of voice, then he grabbed a secret report he had received the day before from the Fairy Kingdom's border security. In it was news of the sighting of a man with a hideous appearance, who was closely followed by a group of angel-like girls and some strange beings. Only that bastard Hope fit such a description. The name he had given at the custom office, which was now on his identification card, was 'Peho'— but the pumpkin-like head on his shoulders, the bandit-like veil covering his face, and the group of beautiful little girls following behind him made it easy for anyone who already knew him to identify him, rendering his attempt at hiding his identity pointless. 

"So, what happened to this Hope after he passed the border?" The Wise Mad King asked, tossing the report aside for the time being.

"He raced to Eom Village," the Royal Principle Advisor answered.

"To meet up with those old codgers? How predictable," the Wise Mad smiled, and an expression of confidence appeared on his face. "With the number of men we have now, what are our chances of successfully assassinating him?"

The Royal Principle Advisor's next words did not contain the answer the Wise Mad King sought. "Before I answer, might I ask... why did he come here at this time? Is the intention behind it his own, or is it the will of his mysterious patron?"

The Mad King retorted, "What do you think? He came here at such a critical moment, has been out in the open, and only made a very lazy attempt at disguising his identity."

"Understood," the Royal Principle Advisor replied and nodded. "It looks like our plan to detain did not work out, at all. I just wish we knew what his mysterious patron is thinking—"

At this point, the Wise Mad King angrily snapped, cutting the advisor's speech off. "You ask too much! Someone else will deal with these matters. You have only one job, and I suggest you focus on that if you could be so kind."

"F-forgive me!" The Royal Principle Advisor lowered his head back to the ground with a loud bang before stuttering in reply. "With the manpower we currently have — and without having to use our Demigod powers or take people away from our main projects — we only have a 20% chance of winning."

"Twenty?" The Wise Mad King smiled. "You're telling me that after all the years of the hard work and dedication I put into training my people, we would have only a 20% chance of defeating just one man? Haha… Hahaha."

"Just why?! Are you idiots so afraid of him?! Where are your balls? Did they shrink when you saw him?" The King bellowed, shocking the Royal Principle Advisor into complete silence.

Fortunately for the Advisor, the Wise Mad King did not stay mad for too long; after a few bated breaths, he regained his calm demeanor. "What if Gru is with us?"

"Our chances… will not increase by much," the Royal Principle Advisor replied honestly. "It is vital that Gru's people remain in key areas of our fortification, hence the number of people from there we can mobilize is, frankly, limited. However, we may not need so many people if we just change our target to his students?"

"How naive." the Wise Mad King replied with disdain. "Do you think we have not tried that before? He cares about those girls more than an old sow cares for its piglets. Taking out his girls in front of him? Haha. Moreover, he has now allied himself with those druids. Those old codgers sure know how to pick a shield to hide behind…"

"Looks like we have no choice but to face him head-on. Without using our trump card, we should still be able to overwhelm him using the Caudillo Butterfly."

"I know that very well!" The Mad King replied impatiently. "The problem is… Where are the Caudillo Butterfly and the Zephyr?"That is so New Age level name, man. I would think the dude hugs tree and doesn't wear clothes in the woods.