Raymond Morgenstern was Theodore’s father, a High Elf hero of ancient times.
Few had bothered to remember that name these days. Most simply called him “Fatmond” due to his portly proportions and womanizing ways.
Of course, they would only use such a name behind his back. As the patriarch of the Morgenstern household, Raymond Morgenstern also held a seat in the council of High Elf Elders. Despite his notoriety, the Morgenstern family name had earned the old man a place in High Elf politics.
The old patriarch Raymond was overjoyed at Theodore’s return, who was in fact Link in disguise. He decided to hold a huge banquet for his son, sending out invitation letters to every noble family in Andwar.
That night, everyone turned up at the Morgensterns’ manor. The banquet had a lively start at first. However, it took on a different tone when Raymond began hitting on his female guests.
Link did not join him. He simply watched on coldly in a corner.
Eight High Elf elders had turned up for the banquet. They all held important positions in Andwar. However, their behaviors were no less disgraceful than Raymond himself that night. They each had a hand wrapped around the waist of a High Elf maiden on both sides. It would seem that decorum had gone out of the window for all of them.
A lot of young High Elves had also shown up for the event. Most of them had completely shaken off the facade of propriety that they had to maintain in front of the ordinary folk during the day. Some of them writhed and spasmed in a wild dance. Some sang at the top of their lungs till their voices went hoarse. Some had already drunken themselves into a stupor. The place had descended into utter chaos.
The last 3000 years of prosperity and calcification of the High Elf’s hierarchy had been a fertile ground for decadence in the upper class of High Elf society, even back in the game world. Link was slightly surprised to see all of this in person.
That night, Raymond the old patriarch had even arranged for two beautiful High Elf maidens to be Link’s dates. Seeing that it would be bad form for him to leave the party before everyone else, Link decided to sit in a corner and quietly study the High Elf Elders’ every move while nursing his drink.
Soon enough, a foul smell filled the hall. Link’s nostrils were assaulted by a nauseating mix of vomit, urine and body odor that had wafted from the crowd of partying High Elves.
Link quickly rose from his seat and strode towards a nearby windowsill for some fresh air.
It is true that excellence can still be found among High Elf nobility. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to maintain their superiority over the other races in Firuman for so long, thought Link. However, peace and prosperity have made these people fat and indolent. The High Elf commoners are no better themselves. They have lived under the shelter of the World Tree for far too long, completely ignorant to the cruel realities of the outside world. Such a prosperous existence is obviously not without its faults. One might even argue that the world would be better off without the Isle of Dawn.
Link quietly sipped his wine. Originally, he had intended to minimize the effects of the realm fusion process. However, after seeing how low the High Elves had sunk, he decided to make the seamless fusion of the two realms his topmost priority. He could not care any less about the High Elves’ survival at this point.
Just then, a voice sounded behind him. “Mr. Theodore, you don’t seem to like it here.”
Link turned around and saw a female High Elf Magician. Judging from the Mana flow around her body, the Magician seemed to have Level-9 power. As a 40-year-old High Elf, this was quite an accomplishment.
After picking through the information that he had received from the innkeeper, Link soon found the female Magician’s information. Her name was Seve Feathermoon, a magical prodigy of the Feathermoon household and a favorite daughter of the household’s patriarch. She was also next in line to be the matriarch of the Feathermoon household.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Seve,” said Link with a small bow. He then gazed at the High Elf orgy currently going on in the middle of the hall. He said with a faint smile, “I find all this quite ironic. The Dark Elves of the Black Forest, the humans of Ferde, the Beastmen of the Golden Plains and even the Yabba people are all striving to forge a better future for themselves on the continent, while we High Elves seem to be going in the opposite direction.”
Seve retorted, “That’s because we have been blessed with the World Tree. As a race loved by the realm, we are naturally accorded with special privileges.”
“Are you sure this is a blessing and not a 3000-year-old curse that has made us weak and flabby?” asked Link.
Seve frowned slightly. She had none of the arrogance of the other High Elves. As a Level-9 Magician, she was extremely intelligent and observant. A few seconds later, she asked, “Mr. Theodore, you’ve wandered about the continent for more than a year. You must have seen a lot during your travels. You are obviously more powerful, more experienced than me. Do you think there will be a shift in the status quo on the continent?”
“Uhm?” Link was somewhat surprised by her question. He had assumed that Seve was just like every other High Elf he had come across. However, his perception of her had changed completely. He could see that this female High Elf Magician’s magical education was not completely wasted on her.
He then said quietly, “I heard that the Lord of Ferde recently got his hands on a divine fragment and has become a Level-19 master with it not too long ago.”
Seve’s wine glass slipped out of her hands, which were now trembling violently. Her eyes were wide with horror. The faint purple light in her eyes quivered slightly as she muttered, “The dragon lord now has Level-19 power… This is horrible! The Isle of Dawn is done for!”
For a long while now, the High Elves had mixed feelings about the Lord of Ferde.
He was hated by some. The High Elves always found that they ended up worse than the humans of Ferde every time they came into conflict with each other. Ferde’s erosion of the High Elves’ monopoly over the magical gear business had also left them in an economically dire position.
He was respected by some. The High Elves definitely would not have held him in high esteem at all if he had just been a Warrior. However, he was also a top-tier Magician. Someone who had beaten them at their game deserved at least some modicum of respect from them.
He was also feared by the High Elves. Ferde had grown more powerful with each passing day. There was no telling when Ferde would attain enough power to uproot the World Tree itself.
Ferde now had a Level-19 Magician capable of going toe-to-toe with the World Tree. How was a High Elf supposed to stay calm after hearing about this?
Seve was completely shaken by what she had just heard. She began pacing around, her footsteps unsteady. Then, she looked at Link and asked, “Mr. Theodore, are you sure about this?”
Link shrugged, “I don’t see how I could be wrong about this. I didn’t want to come back to the Isle of Dawn. Everyone’s grown too soft here. However, one day, I was in the vicinity of Ferde when I saw a figure appear out of thin air a few thousand feet in the sky. When the Lord of Ferde appeared, the sky suddenly went dark. All the Mana in his surroundings were completely absorbed by him in an instant. I think he saw me back then. However, I could feel that I was nothing more than an insect beneath him. He probably thought I wasn’t even worth his time. I take it you’ve read “The Heart of the Strong”? You must know what this all meant.”
“The Heart of the Strong” was an introductory guide on the power and psychological state of a master at each level. It was a must-read for every High Elf Magician in the Isle of Dawn. Link had come across this piece of information back in the game world.
Seve was stunned by this. She then began to mumble, “What should we do? What should we do? What should we do?”
After mumbling to herself for a while, she suddenly looked at Link, “Mr. Theodore, you decided to come back to the Isle of Dawn even after everything you saw. Does that mean you have a plan?”
Link smiled bitterly. “Not really. I only came back out of a sense of duty…”
Seeing Seve’s despondent face, Link continued, “There is still a way out of this. If resistance is out of the question, the only thing we can do now is negotiate for peace with the Lord of Ferde.”
“Negotiate? Is that even possible? We’re still enemies,” said Seve in a low voice.
“Haven’t you heard? Enemies don’t stay enemies forever,” said Link with a smile.
Seve was now in deep thought. A while later, she said to Link in a troubled tone, “This is serious. I need to discuss this with my father.”
“As will I,” said Link. He then added, “The High Elf Queen might have already been made aware of this development. She probably did not take it too well.”
“What makes you say that?” asked Seve, stopping in her tracks.
“I could feel an unknown dark energy flowing out of the royal palace… God knows what’s going on in there right now.”
Link decided not to say anything further. The first seeds of suspicion had been planted in her.
Link now felt a bit better after seeing Seve hurry off. He had at first intended to observe the High Elves for a while before making his move. He did not expect to come across such an influential figure so soon.
Naturally, there was no way he would let such a perfect opportunity slip through his fingers.
Link decided not to linger around the hall any longer. Once outside the manor, he began making his way towards Andwar.
Due to the presence of the World Tree, the city of Andwar had quite a thriving nightlife. Even though it was already nightfall, the streets still bustled with life.
Link decided to take the opportunity to observe the World Tree up close. He finally stopped at the courtyard of a small inn called “the Light of the Lunar God” and began feeling the World Tree’s power.
In spite of the breadth of its power, the World Tree was still a magical construct. This was his chance to see how powerful it really was for himself.
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