A relationship only occurs when there is a motivating need. Whether it's the bond between a child and their parents or a romantic relationship between two lovers, Ez referred to it as "Needs Motivation."
These motivating needs can be material or immaterial, depending on the deficiencies a person feels, they will seek it from others who can fulfill them.
For instance, a child cannot survive independently in this world, so they will develop a dependent relationship with their parents. Parents, in turn, fulfill the needs of their children to continue their lineage and meet their responsibilities.
Despite its apparent complexity, the motivation behind a relationship can be seen clearly. Therefore, for Ez, claiming that a relationship happens purely due to love is the most hypocritical statement someone could make.
Whether they are humans, elves, or arion, they are all social creatures. They cannot exist in this world without depending on one another. A powerful mage may be capable of toppling mountains or draining seas.
But can they become a mage without a mother who gave birth to them?
Can they become a mage without a mentor to teach them?
Can they become a mage without an alchemist making mana potions for them?
Can they become a mage without mana?
Thus, even the most powerful mage's life is dependent on the creatures around them. While their reliance may decrease with their growing strength, it will never disappear.
Therefore, no creature in this world comes into existence without a cause and motivating need driving it.
Now the question is, what is the motivating need behind the Elves Alliance wanting to have a good relationship with the Arion Species?
Ez had considered several possible motivations behind the Elves Alliance's need. However, he lacked sufficient information to prove his assumptions. Therefore he uses each of Gundrid's questions as a measure of the truth of the possibility of the Needs Motivation.
He began by considering the need for magical resources. With the mana species inhabiting the Bog Forest, all the resources within it would also belong to them. This was not only due to their control over the territory but also because the arion species knew the intricacies of the Bog Forest better than anyone else.
Thus, the Elves Alliance wanted to establish a good relationship with the Wilwatikta Kingdom because they sought to engage in trade with them. However, this idea was quickly dismissed when Ez saw how closely the Elves Alliance was situated near the Bog Forest.
Although the Alliance of Elves did not have a specialized organization responsible for harvesting resources within mana fields like the Human Alliance guild, they did have powerful mages who could freely enter and exit the Bog Forest. However, their frequency of visits was much lower than that of humans. This was because the Elves Alliance had a vast territory and advanced technology to maintain mana fields compared to humans.
As a result, the need for magical resources was not as urgent for the Elves Alliance. At least not urgent enough for them to forget about the villages destroyed by Nezena's Raid Army and Raiden The Necromancer, whom Moku killed.
The second motivating need was that the Elves Alliance wanted to establish a good relationship with the Wilwatikta Kingdom to uncover the secrets of their unique mana usage. However, Ez rejected this notion.
Why?
Because Gundrid did not inquire further about why the arion species lived beneath the Bog Forest. This should have been highly intriguing for Gundrid if the Elves Alliance's motivating need was genuinely to uncover the unique mana usage techniques of the arion species.
All mana species lived on the surface, and none of them resided beneath the ground. While the Night Elf and Volcano Elf lived in caves, they never claimed to be living beneath the ground.
Nezena once mentioned that the term "living beneath the ground" for Night Elves meant living in a place lower than the roots of a tree. Thus, Night Elves would usually dig the earth around the Giant Elf Tree to create their dwellings.
Moreover, the Bog Forest, being a mana field, still remained a mana field despite the arion species living underneath it. It was a well-known secret among mana species that no mana field could survive if there were mana species living nearby, let alone within it.
It required special barriers and mana purification with mana stones to maintain a mana field as was done at the military academy. However, these artificial mana fields could not rival the magical resources present in pure mana fields.
If someone could achieve it without using special barriers and mana purification with mana stones, then they undoubtedly possessed a highly unique method. Especially if the mana field had abundant resources comparable to those of a pure mana field.
However, Gundrid seemed uninterested in discussing how the arion species managed to maintain the Bog Forest as a pure mana field despite living within it. It could be said that he was not particularly concerned with the tricks the arion species used behind the scenes.
Or more precisely, those currently in contact with Gundrid and giving him orders were not interested in it either. This implied that they did not prioritize the arion species' mana usage techniques as their primary motivating need.
Ez found himself perplexed.
Other motivating needs also crossed Ez's mind, but he continued to reject them as Gundrid posed more questions. Until finally, Gundrid asked about the arion species' king for the second time.
The strength of the arion species' king had been previously discussed between Ez and Moku. They wanted the king to be the strongest among the arion species but not so strong that it would drive the Elves Alliance away. His power had to be substantial enough to prevent the Elves Alliance from underestimating the arion species.
Then, Moku explained to Ez his vision when he unlocked his fifth evolution gate. Moku knew that at that moment, he could truly be considered the governor of a vast territory in the Mind Realm. He could divide his Orb Intent into several parts and give them to other asuras to create their own territories in the Mind Realm.
This also meant that Moku no longer had to rely on Pandava to manifest his imagination in the real world. At that point, he was closely connected to the Mind Realm, and even in the Astral Realm, he could use his powers as if he were in the Mind Realm.
He could turn night into day and day into night at will. Although this did not mean that these changes truly occurred in the real world, he could create temporary illusions while his powers were active. Perhaps he could even bring new living beings into existence solely through his imagination, as long as his dragon prana remained.
Though this power was god-like, Moku was confident that there were some individuals in the world capable of such feats. Ez had been worried that Moku's description might be too overwhelming and frighten the elves away. However, Moku assured him that Stent Gaht was even stronger, and there might be someone as powerful as Stent Gaht within the Elves Alliance.
True to Moku's words, when Ez explained the strength of the arion species' king to Gundrid, he seemed unfazed and merely nodded in understanding. This implied that if the King of Terramore was as powerful as Moku imagined when he unlocked the fifth evolution gate, then it aligned with Gundrid's expectations.
One more thing Ez noticed about Gundrid was the beaming expression on his face when he explained the strength of the arion species' king. From this, Ez understood that the motivation of the Alliance of Elves was somehow connected to the arion king's power.
Then, when Gundrid asked how the arion species' king unified his people, Ez understood what the Alliance of Elves sought from the Wilwatikta Kingdom.
Mutiny.
With the promise of avenging their tribe members who were killed during the unification war, the Elves Alliance wanted the arion species to revolt against their king.
"But for what purpose?" Ez grew even more confused.
Yet, he remembered Moku's words, a quote from a renowned detective, "When you have eliminated all which is impossible then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
If it wasn't for the magical resource, not to unveil the unique mana usage techniques of the arion species, and not for other motivating needs, then there was only one answer...
The Elves Alliance wanted to become heroes.
Of course, after the rebellion occurred, the Elves Alliance could assist the rebels by promising to save the people suffering under the cruel tyranny of the arion king. But why would they go through all that trouble just to become heroes?
The more Ez pondered, the deeper he felt like he was unraveling the world's biggest secret.
However, before he could delve further into his thoughts, a commotion erupted outside the tent. Ez turned to Gundrid, who had a sour expression on his face.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, it seems there's a commotion outside. Don't worry; my troops will handle it. If Your Highness permits, I would like to go out and address the disturbance directly," he said, forcing a smile.
Ez simply nodded, "hmm... Hurry and resolve it, then come back immediately," he replied. At the moment, he wanted to think in silence, and Gundrid's overly enthusiastic presence was a bit bothersome.
But before Gundrid could stand up from his seat, a sudden strong gust of wind blew through the tent, causing it to sway wildly. A woman's voice could be heard screaming from outside the tent.
"QUICKLY HAND OVER MY FIANCéE'S KILLER TO ME!!!!"
Ez's face turned pale. Finally, his luck had truly run out.
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