Chapter 4: SO THIS WAS WHAT CAME AFTER DEATH

Meanwhile, in the majestic throne room, despite the turmoil gripping the palace, the chamber retained its unique beauty.

This circular chamber was dominated by a massive ash tree, its branches extending throughout the ceiling, creating a kind of leafy green dome. The floor was covered in fresh green grass, like a garden in full spring bloom. In the center of the room, facing the great tree, were two thrones carved from the very trunk of the ash tree, a symbol of the elven royalty's connection to nature.

At the feet of the great ash tree, beside the two wooden thrones, two figures stood out in the scene. A man and a woman, both fair-haired and of noble bearing, wore crowns resembling golden laurel branches atop their heads. Their white silk robes accentuated their royal status, and their gazes reflected the majesty of their lineage.

Facing them stood a man of powerful appearance, clad in battle robes and wielding a staff measuring a meter and a half in his hand. His hair was a deep black, and a carefully groomed beard framed his face. Unlike the royal couple, his presence exuded a simple and overwhelming strength.

The elf with the crown, looking at the other man, asked the question that weighed on their hearts. "My friend, have our children managed to escape the palace?"

The man with deep black hair responded solemnly. "Yes, my King. The princess and my son are safe, on their way to Thaloria."

The elven woman, with tears in her eyes, joined the conversation. "My two little ones... how I wish I could have accompanied them."

Both men shared a concerned look, sharing the worry for their children. The man with deep black hair sincerely thanked the elven woman. "My Queen, I truly appreciate all the care and love you've given to my son. Thanks to His Majesty, the child has been able to experience the affection of a mother."

Amidst tears, the elven woman smiled with gratitude and said, "Merlin, you are my husband's dearest friend, and your wife was like a sister to me. Thanks to her, this Queen had a genuine friend. The least I could do for her was to care for her son as if he were mine."

The elven King interjected into the conversation with a crucial question. "Merlin, are those accompanying our children trustworthy?"

Merlin smiled at the King and friend and nodded decisively. "Absolutely, Your Majesty. Besides my elderly father, whom I convinced to depart under his own resignation, I also sent Belassar with them, under royal order."

The King laughed sincerely. "I'm sure they are the two most trustworthy men in Viora."

However, before they could continue their conversation, the tranquil gathering was interrupted by a group of armed orcs who surrounded the elven nobles.

The three elves, surrounded by more than a hundred orcs in resplendent spartan armor, were in a desperate situation. The hundred orcs formed an impenetrable circle around the elves and the lush ash tree that silently bore witness to the treachery unfolding before it.

As Merlin and the elven kings began to prepare their magic spells, the chief instigator of all the turmoil in the palace entered. A tall elf for his kind, standing at 1.9 meters, with a muscular physique, wore powerful full-body plate armor that covered him from neck to toe. His hair was a deep white, and his face bore a cruel expression, along with numerous scars, making him look terrifying.

Merlin, upon seeing him, sighed in resignation and said, "Lancelot, I truly didn't want to believe that my brother was the traitor who brought orcs into our Kingdom."

The white-haired elf named Lancelot looked at Merlin sarcastically. "Of course, like you, my fortunate brother, who has been raised as a treasure and had the king's friendship, would understand what this unremarkable brother felt."

Merlin, confused, asked, "What are you saying, Lancelot? You were the Captain of the Royal Guard, even if you were born without mana. Furthermore, you possessed great wealth and status that any elf would have dreamed of."

Lancelot spat on the ground and pronounced each word with bitterness. "Crumbs from my generous brother," adding a mocking emphasis on the word "generous."

Lancelot, not bothering whether Merlin understood or not, decided to tell his story. "Do you think the damned position of Captain of the Royal Guard would hide everything I've been through? I was born as the first son of the Arcanus family. I was meant to have the title of Archmage, ME AND ONLY ME, the figure who would sit in equality with the king of a kingdom. But no, fate decided that I would be born without mana, and everyone despised me."

Before the two brothers could continue their conversation, a figure of enormous stature, nearly three meters tall, entered the room. The figure, with green skin and imposing muscles, wore only a studded loincloth and brandished a gigantic halberd. His face was concealed by a lion-shaped helmet.

As he entered, all the orcs, including Lancelot, knelt and shouted, "Long Battle to the Martial Prophet!"

This was the moment Merlin had been waiting for. He struck the ground with his staff, and the entire throne room was covered in pentagrams and diagrams of brilliant green.

Merlin shouted with all his might. "Spring, end the Winter and bring calm and nature to the world."

With those words, a multitude of rose stems sprouted and rushed toward the group of orcs. However, to Merlin's surprise, the orcs reacted unexpectedly.

The orcs began reciting incomprehensible prayers and, in turn, sacrificed several of their comrades. They cried out to the sky, "Martial God, grant power to your subjects to destroy these vile demons."

In response, their bodies became covered in luminescent tattoos, and Merlin's spells dissipated into the air. The situation grew increasingly dangerous.

The three-meter-tall orc, known as the Martial Prophet, looked at the three elves and declared fiercely, "Today marks the end of this kingdom of dirty heretics and demons."

And with those words, the tattoos on his body glowed with a dark green, and he raised his halberd to strike the ground with devastating force, unleashing a massive explosion that shook the entire place.