Chapter 351: The Variable (Part 15)

  Ethan sighed and said, "If you hadn't captured me, none of this would have happened. And even if we all know the truth now, this is not the time to delve into it. Whether it's you going to settle the score with Inham, or the issues between Oufu and me, those are matters for the future. Let's talk about the present for now. You, release her first."

  Lancelot hesitated for a moment, then released Aimee. "I can let the two of you go, but what about these orcs here? What do you want me to do? Use griffins to carry them back to Oufu one by one?"

  "As long as you stand down and let these orc warriors withdraw from Celeste safely. And this hostage in my hand, of course, must stay with us until we reach the Barbarian Highlands safely."

  "Impossible," Lancelot shook his head. "Even if these orcs march as fast as they can, it will take at least two to three months to get from here to the Barbarian Highlands. I will never agree to let His Majesty stay with these orcs, who have already lost their senses, for so long."

  "But do you have a better solution?" Ethan said lightly.

  "You release him first, and I guarantee to let these orcs leave safely."

  "A guarantee? I'm sorry, Lord Lancelot, I don't really believe in such things," Ethan chuckled and shook his head.

  "You don't even believe my guarantee?" Lancelot's face looked unpleasant. The anger on the faces of Talise and the High Priests beside him grew even heavier.

  "I think we might as well look at this from another perspective. This stalemate is not good for any of us," Adela suddenly spoke up.

  "What do you mean? Let's hear it," Ethan nodded. "I don't want to be at a stalemate either. Holding a guy like you isn't exactly easy."

  "Since we know for a fact that Sedros is really dead, I can tell you clearly that I don't care much about the lives of these few hundred orcs. If you insist, I can let them go."

  "Oh? Isn't that perfect?"

  "So, what I mean is, since both Sedros and Gru are gone, these few hundred orcs are not worth us breaking our promise for. You can rest assured."

  "Worth it? I don't think Lord Lancelot would suffer any real loss from breaking his promise. At most, it would just be a loss of face. Don't try to fob me off with talk of morality and trust. If a penniless, hot-headed bandit said that, I might believe it. I've seen too many examples of people in high positions whose words and actions don't match. That's no longer a matter of character. Their position is too high, they hold too much in their hands, and it's normal for them to be unable to act as they wish."

  "I have to admit what you say makes sense. Only interests are the most trustworthy," Adela nodded, then suddenly lowered his voice to a level only Ethan could hear. "Then what if I were to give you the promise? I swear in the name of the Lord before all these people. Then you should see that the loss for me if I break my promise would definitely not be less valuable than killing these few hundred orcs."

  "Perhaps," Ethan thought for a moment and nodded. His current identity is still the acting Pope, even if it's just acting. After all, he is the Pope. It's impossible for him to go back on his word with this status, unless he doesn't even want to be the acting Pope anymore.

  "But if I let these few hundred orcs go, I can't give you this Leaf of the World Tree."

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  Ethan immediately shook his head: "It seems to me that you don't have any urgent need for this Leaf of the World Tree. But I do."

  "I do have an urgent need for it, I just can't tell you about it. In any case, I cannot let you take this Leaf of the World Tree," Adela's tone was unequivocal.

  "Then I'm sorry, but I must also have this Leaf of the World Tree. Since you've already told me your trump card, I might as well tell you. As long as I return this Leaf of the World Tree to the elves, not only can I resolve the grudge between them and Agrael, but I will also gain a most reliable ally and a safe haven. You know, for a person like me, if I can have a safe harbor like the Whispering Woods, I can sleep more soundly. The elves may be a bit foolish and not very flexible in their thinking, but this inflexibility also has its advantages. Things like morality and trust are more important than interests in their eyes. As long as I can retrieve their sacred artifact, they will be my most loyal allies for life."

  "So, this Leaf of the World Tree is the one thing I cannot let go of. To me, it's more important than these orcs. As you know, both Gru and Sedros are gone. I need this thing to find a safer place. There's no room for negotiation." Ethan then sighed deeply again. "I'm tired, really tired. You know, it's not easy to hold a hostage under Lord Lancelot's watchful eye. I must constantly ensure that I can turn you into a corpse before he strikes with his sword, and I also have to guard against a Paralysis Spell that might be suddenly cast by some Cardinal. Maintaining this level of concentration for a long time is truly exhausting. For your own safety, please don't bargain with me anymore. I'm afraid I can't control my strength and magic for much longer. This is no longer a matter of whether I'm willing or not."

  Adela's face was grim. He could clearly feel the hand on his neck tighten. A faint but fierce aura of Necromancy surged through the hand, like a giant venomous snake that couldn't resist sticking out its tongue to lick that spot. He could feel that the skin and muscle cells there were already devastated, a scene of carnage.

  Lancelot's face was no better, but he still held back from making a move. He believed that this man was absolutely capable of crushing Adela's neck and filling his brain cavity with Necromancy like stuffing a sausage before he could make a move. Power and magic had already gathered in his hand, like a fully drawn bow. At this moment, it was he himself who was pulling the bowstring with force to prevent this power from being released.

  Cold sweat appeared on Adela's forehead, but he didn't seem too flustered. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, as if thinking carefully at the fastest speed, weighing his options. Finally, he sighed and nodded, "Alright, then I'll let you have the Leaf of the World Tree. So, do we have a deal? What do you say?"

  Ethan finally nodded, his expression relaxing, but his hand did not loosen. "Fine. This stalemate is not a solution..."

  Adela raised his voice, raising one hand to the sky in the standard posture of a believer making an oath, and said loudly, "Fine. I, in the name of the acting Pope, swear by the Lord in heaven that as long as you let me go, I guarantee that I will not send anyone to kill these few hundred orcs before they set foot in the Barbarian Highlands. Of course, you and this little girl are included."

  His voice was loud, and not only the High Priests around him, but many people in the square also heard it.

  "Good. Since His Majesty the Pope has spoken, I can rest assured," Ethan's gaze swept over the faces of the High Priests and others around him, then he suddenly let go, pulling Aimee beside him and flying back towards the orc horde.

  Even so, he did not completely relax his vigilance, keeping an eye on Lancelot and Adela's movements out of the corner of his eye. As long as they made any unusual move, he could react in the first second.

  "Your Majesty, are you alright?" Lancelot stepped forward to help Adela. However, the way the surrounding High Priests, Cardinals, and Talise looked at the acting Pope was not very friendly. Talise seemed to want to say something to Lancelot, but in the end, she did not speak.

  "I'm fine," Adela rubbed his neck, watching Ethan and Aimee retreat into the orc horde with cold eyes. "I didn't expect this guy to be so difficult to deal with. I'm sorry that because of me, he took away the Leaf of the World Tree. Now I can only hope that he really uses it to form an alliance with the elves."

  "Your Majesty, why do you say that?" A look of gloom passed over Lancelot's face. "It's just... now we can only really let them leave. If Sedros and Gru are really dead, these few hundred orcs can't really make a difference..."

  Adela looked at the orcs surrounded in the center. His face was so gloomy it could drip with water. After a long while, he finally shook his head and said, "We can't let them go. This is a rare opportunity. Putting the orcs aside for now, if we miss this chance, it will be almost impossible to catch that kid and get the Leaf of the World Tree back."

  "But Your Majesty, you have already..."

  "It doesn't matter. I am still the acting Pope. My words are still effective, aren't they? I order the immediate extermination of these orcs, the capture of the kid named Ethan, and the recovery of the Leaf of the World Tree," Adela said coldly. He didn't need to look around to know that everyone was watching him. Except for Lancelot, everyone's eyes were filled with doubt, vigilance, and confusion. Adela's reputation in Celeste was not high, and the impact of Aimee's words on these people was self-evident. As soon as these words were spoken, their astonishment turned to disdain.

  "Don't be surprised. Quickly pass down my final order," Adela ignored the gazes of the others and continued coldly, "I will now step down from the position of acting Pope. I have broken the oath I swore in the name of the Lord, and I am no longer qualified to shoulder the heavy responsibility entrusted by His Majesty. I suggest that Lord Lancelot take the position of acting Pope. Does anyone have any objections?"

  Everyone who could hear this looked at each other in astonishment and uncertainty. The most surprised of all was Lancelot, who said to Adela in a protesting voice, "Your Majesty, how can you do this?"

  Adela, or rather, Magnus, who had occupied this young body, let out a soft breath. His face was neither happy nor sad, and he said softly, "This is the best way now. Since that kid dared to bet with his life, why can't I bet with this useless, empty title? This is not the time to hesitate. Let's make our move."