Chapter 798: Familiar Faces
With the Second Elder and Elsa—now awakened to the bloodline of the Firmament—leading the way, there were no objections from the high-ranking members. As for the ordinary Dark Elves, they had even less reason to protest; if it weren’t for Leon, the Dark Elf Enclave would have been wiped out long ago.
There were no major issues among the Ashen Orcs either. The chieftain himself had issued the decree: of the Three Warlords, one was crippled, one had gone mad, and the remaining Flame Dragon Warlord had already met Leon before and knew full well the extent of his power. Now, seeing Leon emerge from the Tree of Life, even his mere aura was several times stronger than before.
Given the Ashen Orcs’ long-held belief in the supremacy of strength, those in power had no objections. The ordinary Ashen Orc warriors were even less likely to dissent. Most importantly, the tribe’s prophet stood firmly behind Guridan’s dying wish.
Leon solemnly accepted the allegiance of both the Dark Elves and the Ashen Orcs. Only then did he summon the Second Elder.
“The Forgefire Dwarves refuse to pledge loyalty?”
Leon’s brows furrowed slightly. To be honest, if not for his respect for the deeds of the Three Warlords, he wouldn’t have agreed to accept the three races at all. In ancient times, none of them were exactly benevolent. Bringing them into Northend World so rashly—who knows what kind of trouble that might stir up.
Especially after witnessing the true power of the Sky Rank, Leon had grown even more cautious. Strength was everything.
Now, if the Forgefire Dwarves refused to pledge loyalty, was he supposed to force them into it?
But if he let things slide, wouldn’t that mean breaking his promise?
The Second Elder saw Leon frown and couldn’t help but be startled. After all this time together, he’d come to understand Leon fairly well.
Now, sensing that Leon’s aura had reached the level of a First-Rank Title Archmage—and especially noticing the profound mystery within that aura, far beyond what a First-Rank Title Archmage should possess—the Second Elder grew concerned. Things had only just settled down; another major upheaval was the last thing they needed…
“My lord, that’s not the case. The Forgefire Dwarves aren’t refusing to pledge loyalty—it’s just that no one from their clan has shown up yet. Even the Dark Elves we sent to the Forgefire Clan haven’t returned. We’re not sure if something has happened. Should we send someone to check?”
Leon frowned. Had something happened to the Forgefire Clan? Harris was their king, and the only Sky Rank powerhouse among them. Now that he’d fallen, there was no way the clan wouldn’t react.
Just as Leon was considering whether to visit the Forgefire Clan himself, a Dark Elf suddenly rushed in from outside.
“Report, my lord, Second Elder—there’s a squad of Forgefire Dwarves at the gate!”
The Second Elder immediately asked, “Where are they?”
“They’re waiting in the front plaza.”
“Take us there.”
When Leon followed the Second Elder to the front of the Dark Elf Enclave, he immediately saw at the edge of the plaza an army of over a thousand Forgefire Dwarf warriors waiting. In the center of the plaza, a single figure stood alone.
Leon was taken aback when he saw who it was.
A pitch-black robe, emblazoned with the sigil of a black mage tower—it could only be Councilor Weiss, whom he hadn’t seen in ages.
Looking at Weiss, Leon immediately recalled what Cyrus had said before: Anthus carried a trace of Constantine’s bloodline, and with his death, the Watson Family could no longer enter the God-Demon Dominion.
The Black Tower, too, had someone with that bloodline—someone who could open the gateway to Constantine’s Dominion. After the battle with Oracis, the Black Tower’s people had been separated from the rest, and apparently, they’d managed to enter the Dominion.
Judging by the situation, the Black Tower’s people had already established themselves within the Forgefire Clan. Councilor Weiss’s aura had grown stronger as well—he was now at the peak of Eighth-Rank Title Archmage, his power roiling and unstable, seemingly on the verge of advancing to Ninth-Rank.
Weiss stood alone in the center of the plaza, one hand behind his back, his face proud. But when he saw Leon leading the way, followed by the Dark Elf Enclave, his expression shifted to shock.
A moment later, Weiss’s expression grew complicated—a flood of emotions playing across his face.
“Good day, Councilor Weiss.”
Leon inclined his head slightly, greeting him as a fellow mage.
Weiss’s face held a hint of nostalgia as he bowed slightly. “Good day, Lord Merlin. I never imagined that after all this time, you’d have broken through to Title Archmage. Your talent is truly enviable.”
Leon glanced at the Forgefire Dwarf army outside the plaza, then looked back at Weiss.
“Councilor Weiss, did you receive the message from the Forgefire Dwarf King? Are you here to negotiate on their behalf?”
Weiss gave Leon a complicated look and, after a long pause, sighed.
“Lord Merlin, the Black Tower and your family have always had a good relationship. I truly hate to see a rift form between us. This time, I can only offer you one piece of advice: let it go…”
Leon simply shook his head. “Councilor Weiss, you should know I promised Harris, the Forgefire Dwarf King, that I’d lead the clan out of here to Northend World. I have to honor my word.”
Weiss gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“Merlin, I know your temperament, and I know how strong you are. Even before you reached Title Archmage, you already shocked us. Personally, I have no desire to be your enemy, nor do I wish for a rift between you and the Black Tower.
But there’s so much you don’t know. Since we were separated last time, so many things have happened—more than in the past twenty years combined.
To tell you the truth, we’ve been in the God-Demon Dominion for a long time now. We’ve already taken control of the Forgefire Clan. We can’t let go. But personally, I still don’t want to be your enemy.