Clover Kingdom – Capital.
One after another, the nine Magic Knight squads returned from their mission to search for magic stones. Based on the intel gathered from Fana and the Eye of the Midnight Sun, there was no longer any need to continue the search.
There were ten elven magic stones in total.
Six were now in the hands of the Clover Kingdom.
The remaining four were with Patolli.
This meant the Kingdom had successfully gained a major upper hand, effectively crippling the enemy's reincarnation ritual. After all, without Langris's identity as a cover, Patolli would have no chance of killing the Wizard King.
As long as the Wizard King lived, even if the reincarnation were to somehow succeed, their enemies would be powerless to do anything substantial.
This was what absolute power meant—overwhelming dominance.
"But what should we do with her?"
Looking at Fana—currently unconscious and being probed by Marx's memory magic—Yami scratched his head and spoke up.
From her memories, it was clear she was indeed a member of the Elf Tribe. The words of the wind spirit had not been a lie.
And precisely because of that, this made things tricky.
If she had been a true enemy, they could've just executed her. But the truth was, she had only been manipulated by the devil—used as a pawn in a cruel game.
What's more, the Clover Kingdom did owe the elves a debt from the past.
"Let's detain her for now," the Wizard King said with a sigh. "When she wakes up, we'll explain everything to her. Whether she believes it or not… that's up to her."
He didn't want to give up on trying.
With the majority of the stones in their hands, they held the initiative. The enemy no longer had any realistic chance of completing the reincarnation.
That gave them a bargaining chip—one that could bring both sides to the table for a real conversation, a chance to uncover the truth.
"Marx, spread the word. In ten days, we'll invite the Eye of the Midnight Sun to a parley at White Dragon Cliffs. Tell them we possess the truth they're seeking. And if they don't show—every single magic stone will be destroyed."
"Yes, Wizard King!"
Marx nodded and left the dungeon.
The others were left deep in thought, each with furrowed brows.
Was this plan truly viable? Or would it lead to an unpredictable disaster?
"Yare yare… relax, everyone," the Wizard King said with a smile. "I'll personally carry the stones on me during the meeting. What? You think someone could take them from me?"
His voice was calm, yet carried unshakable confidence.
And rightly so.
Taking anything from the Wizard King? That was nothing short of delusional.
Even Ethan Hayes didn't raise any objections. From his perspective, the enemy had already lost their chance.
Three Days Later – A Hidden Location
Patolli and his group were huddled together after receiving the message.
The importance of the elf stones couldn't be overstated.
Even missing one would render their ritual impossible. And right now, they were missing six.
But it was the Wizard King's invitation that left them confused.
A peace talk? A hidden truth?
"What do you think, Patolli? Isn't this obviously a trap? A way to lure us out and wipe us out?" someone asked.
"Obviously a trap," said Catherine, echoing the sentiment. "They're trying to bait us with the stones."
"Yet… they said if we don't show, he'll destroy the remaining stones," Vetto said, scowling.
They'd already lost the initiative. Trying to retake the stones by force would take too long.
And now, the enemy had put a ten-day deadline on them.
Miss that, and their entire plan would be gone for good.
"We're going," Patolli said firmly. "But first… let's contact the Diamond Kingdom."
"You mean—?"
Everyone looked up, startled.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Given their long-standing disruption in Clover, the Eye of the Midnight Sun had always been eyed favorably by Clover's enemies.
Especially the Diamond Kingdom, which had always harbored ambitions of conquest.
The problem was, a true alliance had never formed.
First, because after completing the reincarnation, they would have more than enough power to take over Clover on their own—there wasn't much point in sharing the glory.
Second, they still needed the land of the Clover Kingdom to rebuild their own elven nation. Letting the Diamond Kingdom meddle would only cause future complications.
Why let another faction squat next to their bed?
But now, with the tables turned, they had no choice but to seek outside help.
The situation was getting worse, and one more misstep could mean they'd lose everything.
"Fine," said Patolli. "Contact them. But remember—our goal is the magic stones. I suspect they'll all be on Julius Novachrono's person. So how do we take them?"
That was the desperate question.
Becoming Wizard King wasn't something just anyone could do.
Even facing just the captains of the nine squads would be overwhelming, let alone Julius.
They'd already been pushed to their limits fighting Ethan Hayes alone.
Now there would be more like him?
They were at a massive power disadvantage.
"I know," Patolli said, eyes gleaming. "That's exactly why they'll be overconfident. And the more confident one is, the more likely they are to slip up."
He leaned in and whispered something to Rhya.
Rhya's eyes lit up.
It might just work.
Or rather—whether it worked or not, this was their only chance to reclaim the stones.
"Alright," Patolli said. "Get in touch with the Diamond Kingdom. In seven days, we'll see whether their strength prevails—or whether Lady Luck finally smiles on us."
-------------------------
To Access 30+ Advance chapters head over to Patreon:
patreon .com / Samorash
~~Do leave a comment!