Hendrix just blinked his eyes with sheer confusion and shock. "How? When?"
But Elaine 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!" Elaine interjected. "Dear, it makes perfect sense! His Holiness was born to inherit the will of the Mother Goddess."
Sylvester didn't elaborate more on his background or how Xavia conceived him. But he watched as Elaine displayed 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 accepting of all species as long as they believed in Solis. Meanwhile, the elves only accepted elves within their community and faith.
There was no way a radical paradigm shift could be brought to that community. And Sylvester had no such expectations.
"That is what you feel about me, Lady Elaine. 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."
Elaine lowered her head with respect. "If that is what you desire, then that is the duty fate has placed 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 Elaine. 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 manipulate the Solarium, which none other do."
Sylvester glanced back at Hendrix. "It seems like you did plenty of research in Elder Magic."
"Once you become a Grand Wizard, you know you have plenty of time to pursue different things. Otherwise, insanity creeps in," Hendrix replied, not elaborating 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 Elaine and Hendrix.
"First of all, you have to be an elf," Elaine 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 Solarium, which comes from the Sun, their special magic is connected to the trees, the plants, 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 correlation 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 Solarium Crystals, Lord Bard. What is nature around us? What is this entire planet? It's a giant Solarium 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 Solarium from the very nature around us?"
"Plants mostly." Elaine blurted as if it was the most common thing. "But it's also our curse. You see, the reason elves live for so long is that our ancestors absorbed too much Solarium, and slowly as we evolved from generation to generation, our lifespan only increased. However, absorbing too much Solarium 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 Solarium in my surroundings since I was young."
"..."
"..."
Elaine and Hendrix had similar faces. Then, they glanced at each other and nodded, reaching a mutual understanding.
"If that's the case, then it would make sense how you were able to become 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, Solarium 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 Elaine. "How do I master it? I can feel it, but I can't absorb it on my own."
Elaine thought about it. "The way we learn it is slow and takes years. We simply become aware of it slowly and start mastering it through official training after that. However, for you, the key to mastery is through practice draining Solarium from a plant."
Sylvester nodded and walked over to a plant set by the window. "So… If I can drain the Solarium in it, I'm using Elven Magic?"
Sylvester closed his eyes and tried to sense the presence of solarium within the room. It was a simple part of his Elder Magic, so he easily saw the flow of Solarium in the plant's body. It was stagnant at the moment since there was no sunlight.
"I should take it…" Sylvester placed his palm near it.
"You don't need to do such things, Your Holiness," Elaine interjected. "It should be a passive ability."
Sylvester nodded and lowered his hand. 'How can I take the Solarium 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 Solarium Crystal. It was a sensation that one could easily overlook because it was a daily part of one's life.
"Take the Solarium…"
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 plant?" Sylvester wondered vocally. "But then, it won't be a passive thing."
"It's not easy, Your Holiness," Elaine 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 Elaine 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 place, clutching a pillow and blanket.
Sylvester glanced at the sky from a large 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 exclaimed, 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 become sleepless, and days had become restless. Niel Grey, the First Guardian of Light and the self-proclaimed 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 popular 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 plague 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 slave 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 the commanding 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 village, 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 to come out instead? Sir Maxim, I want you to go and massacre half of the population of each place 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!"
Alarmed, 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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