Anshelin's face immediately darkened at the words. "Elder Boray, what do you mean by this?"
"Hmph! What do I mean?" Elder Boray sneered, handing a decree to Anshelin. "Anshelin, ever since you disclosed the recipe for Elven Biscuits, we Dark Elves haven't had a peaceful day. Now, not only have we fattened those Light Elves, who have been causing us trouble day and night, but our own people have also suffered from the backlash of dark magic."
"And it's precisely because of the appearance of Elven Biscuits that many of our people have been forced to leave their homes and become servants to the Light Elves, or even help them steal our wealth. Yet you, as the acting Archbishop of the Black Magic Association, have been unable to find a solution to these troubles. Hmph! Thanks to you, we Dark Elves are now in ruins and have achieved nothing!"
Anshelin was stunned by Elder Boray's words. She hadn't expected Elder Boray to openly criticize her work in such a brazen manner.
What surprised Anshelin even more was that after Elder Boray spoke, Elder Patrick also spoke up. "Yes, Anshelin! According to rumors, the Light Elves have been constantly causing trouble for us in trade recently, testing our limits and preparing to further invade our wealth, or even prepare for war."
"But as you can see, although Elven Biscuits can help us speed up the practice of dark magic, considering the current overall situation, Elven Biscuits have more often led to a decrease in our overall strength. In such a situation, once the Light Elves really engage us in a large-scale conflict, the result will inevitably be very unfavorable for us. And all of this has been caused under your leadership."
With Elder Patrick's words, it was as if he had firmly sided with Elder Boray, which was unexpected and unbelievable to Anshelin. Because Elder Boray, as a member of the original Elder Council of the Dark Elves, had always harbored strong feelings of resentment towards Anshelin and the twelve pioneers of black magic, including her.
But Elder Patrick was different. As one of the twelve pioneers of black magic, he was not only Anshelin's comrade-in-arms but also one of her closest friends. Moreover, it was with Elder Patrick's staunch support that Anshelin became the new acting Archbishop of the Black Magic Association.
But now, including Elder Patrick, the remaining eleven pioneers of black magic had all chosen to stand on Elder Boray's side, which made Anshelin feel betrayed and somewhat unable to accept it. But what Anshelin couldn't even dream of was that the reason why the elders had planned this coup was actually to sign a new trade agreement with the White Magic Association and privately agree to meet an additional request from the White Magic Association.
As for why the White Magic Association would propose that if Anshelin were ousted, they would be willing to once again supply reasonably priced Amadu Flowers and Egret Grass to the Dark Elves, it was mainly out of fear of Anshelin. Because they knew very well that as the first person to break through the bottleneck of dark magic cultivation, Archbishop Anshelin's strength was bound to be very strong, and she had a high prestige among the Dark Elves.
Therefore, even though Anshelin's governance had been challenged recently, if a war were to break out, the Dark Elves would still respond to her call and, under her strong leadership, confront the Light Elves head-on without falling into a disadvantage. And once a direct large-scale conflict broke out between the two sides, even if the Light Elves could win with their current comprehensive strength, they would still pay a huge price for it.
The cunning Light Elves naturally wouldn't do this, so even though they coveted the resources of the Dark Elves, they had always exercised restraint in terms of military threats. However, fear was fear. Since the Light Elves already had a plan to strike at the Dark Elves in the future and seize their resources, Anshelin, as the most potentially threatening figure to them, had to be removed.
As long as the strength of the Black Magic Association was continuously weakened, and the social stability of the Dark Elves was gradually eroded, perhaps in the future, the Light Elves could quietly control the entire Dark Elf tribe. At the same time, within the Black Magic Association, due to the repeated encounter of bottlenecks in cultivation and the serious backlash of the mind, the social structure of the Dark Elf tribe became more and more unstable, even to the extent that it threatened the dominant position of the Black Magic Association. So, the elders of the Black Magic Association severely questioned Archbishop Anshelin's leadership. Among them, the questioning voice of Elder Boray, representing the original Elder Council of the Dark Elves, was the strongest.
And the other eleven pioneers of black magic had to admit that the questioning of the elders was correct in the face of the facts the Dark Elves were experiencing. Moreover, these pioneers of black magic also knew that if they did not take action to protect themselves, then their positions and powers in the Black Magic Association would become precarious due to Anshelin's involvement. Therefore, even though they did not want to stand against Anshelin, out of consideration for their own interests and for the maintenance of the dominant position of the Black Magic Association, they had to choose to abandon Anshelin as their comrade-in-arms.
Thus, the internal evaluation of Anshelin within the Black Magic Association reached a consensus. However, because the elders were well aware of Archbishop Anshelin's strength, they did not dare to act rashly, but instead prepared to find the most appropriate time to legally and reasonably remove Anshelin from office.
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Against this backdrop, the White Magic Association, which sought to find a way to deal with Archbishop Anshelin under the guise of discussing the Amadu Flowers and Egret Grass trade agreement, contacted the elders of the Black Magic Association, who were seeking an appropriate time to impeach Anshelin. Then, under the guise of negotiating trade, both sides naturally brought the topic to Archbishop Anshelin and ultimately convinced the Black Magic Association to sign a new non-aggression and friendly cooperation agreement with the White Magic Association, with Archbishop Anshelin acting as a scapegoat.
In fact, because Elder Boray had always been at odds with her, Anshelin didn't feel surprised when she saw Elder Boray leading the charge against her. Therefore, Anshelin's expression was full of confusion, surprise, and frustration as she looked at the other eleven pioneers of black magic, hoping they could explain why they had acted in such a treacherous manner?
Seizing the opportunity while Anshelin seemed dazed, Elder Boray quickly produced a decree covered in fingerprints and loudly began to read: "Anshelin, due to your repeated misdeeds, which have caused the entire Dark Elf tribe to fall into dire straits, and have led to serious consequences for the Black Magic Association, the elders of the Black Magic Association believe that you are no longer suitable to serve as the acting Archbishop of the Black Magic Association. Therefore, after serious deliberation by the elders of the Black Magic Association, it has been unanimously decided to revoke your right to continue serving as the acting Archbishop of the Black Magic Association!"
"At the same time, to punish you for the suffering you have caused to the Dark Elf tribe during your tenure, and the serious damage you have inflicted on our social stability, the Black Magic Association has decided to strip you of the title of one of the twelve pioneers of black magic, and to deprive you of all your powers within the Black Magic Association! This decision is effective immediately upon proclamation!"
Ultimately, Anshelin's efforts for the future of the Dark Elf tribe left her with a clear conscience. So when she saw several soldiers being dispatched to apprehend her immediately after Elder Boray finished reading the impeachment decree, the anger and sense of betrayal that formed from her sense of injustice were ignited in an instant.
"No! You can't do this! I, Anshelin, have worked diligently and wholeheartedly for the future of the Dark Elf tribe. Where have I gone wrong? How can you do this to me?" Anshelin gritted her teeth, angrily retorted. At the same time, a powerful dark energy began to gather around her, pushing the soldiers attempting to approach her away.
"Dare you! Anshelin, do you dare to defy the decision of the Black Magic Association?! Do you want to rebel and become enemies with the entire Dark Elf tribe?!" Elder Boray immediately widened his eyes and rebuked loudly.
At this moment, including Elder Boray, all the elders, were shocked by the sudden eruption of powerful dark energy from Anshelin. Although they knew that Anshelin had far surpassed others in her cultivation of black magic over the years, they never expected the dark magic aura emanating from Anshelin to reach such a terrifying level.
"Rebel? I, Anshelin, am willing to devote myself to the Dark Elf tribe until death. But you not only did not work with me when the Dark Elf tribe was in decline, but you also chose to undermine me. Hmph! In my opinion, it's you who want to rebel!" Anshelin's body trembled uncontrollably with anger, and tears of resentment and betrayal flowed down her cheeks.
"Anshelin, since everything you have done is for the good of the Dark Elf tribe, then now you should accept the decision of the Black Magic Association for the sake of the Dark Elf tribe. Step down and let someone more capable help us get out of this predicament as soon as possible and restore the prestige of the Black Magic Association among the Dark Elves." Patrick suppressed his fear of Anshelin's immense power and wore an expression that seemed to say, "I am considering the greater good, not betraying you," as he advised solemnly.
"Someone more capable? For the good of the Dark Elf tribe? Hahaha!" Anshelin laughed wildly.
Then, she suddenly stopped her wild laughter and said disappointedly, "Very well, since this is your decision. Since you think this is the best decision. Then, I can only hope that you don't regret your decision!"
With that said, Anshelin retracted the energy surrounding her, stopped speaking, and just walked towards the door with her head down under the supervision of the elders.
"Anshelin, where are you going?!" Elder Boray, seeing Anshelin withdraw her powerful energy and seemingly unwilling to resist, regained his confidence and shouted loudly.
"I am no longer a member of the Black Magic Association. Where I go is none of your business," Anshelin turned back, looking at Elder Boray with extremely cold eyes.
At this moment, the two tear marks on Anshelin's cheeks had turned blood red, making her look terrifying. Elder Boray, intimidated by the terrifying aura emanating from Anshelin, swallowed hard, then retreated repeatedly behind the soldiers, not daring to speak out.
Anshelin turned back disdainfully, and said coldly, "I can accept your impeachment decision, but I also have my conditions. My request is that I hope the Black Magic Association will allow me to continue operating in the Blackstone Castle. Of course, I only want to return to the laboratory on the fourth floor underground. I will practice in seclusion there and not go out anymore. At the same time, I will pray for the Dark Elf tribe there, hoping that the Dark Elf tribe can overcome the current difficulties under the leadership of the Black Magic Association. This is also the last right I, as the acting Archbishop, should exercise."
Hearing Anshelin's words, the elders were relieved. Since Anshelin had softened and verbally confirmed the effectiveness of the elders' impeachment against her, then let her go as she wished. Moreover, allowing Anshelin to seclude herself in the Blackstone Castle was equivalent to imprisoning her here. In this way, the elders could monitor Anshelin's every move at any time, while also concealing the impeachment of the acting Archbishop to minimize its social impact and achieve a sudden transition of power.
"Oh, right. Sevin is just a servant dedicated to me, he has done nothing wrong himself. So, I hope the elders won't trouble him. Once he helps me settle in the laboratory, just let him leave the Blackstone Castle and fend for himself outside," Anshelin added finally.
"Naturally. We won't trouble Sevin, we'll just let him leave the Blackstone Castle and never return," Elder Patrick immediately assured.
Anshelin nodded silently, without saying another word, and simply walked under the supervision of the elders towards the data room located on the fourth floor underground of the Blackstone Castle. After receiving Elder Patrick's assurance, Sevin did not show any relief on his face for avoiding punishment. He simply stiffly bowed to Elder Patrick in gratitude and then, as usual, respectfully led the way for Anshelin, accompanying her back to the data room.