I continued to receive the scolding quietly, as Servante spat me out.

"Why did you even agree to do this! Do you know what kind of trouble you've brought into all of this? It wasn't bad enough that we're being chased by the other clans of the kingdom, but now we'll likely have to deal with enemies of Anubis too!"

I added in."But the Anubian assured me that these matters will be covered by the attendants of lord Jorvus-"

"-And you trust them? You're a turtle! Not a citizen of the empire! How can you trust that they'll do what another has promised! You're not one of them!"

I shut my mouth, unable to explain that I was in fact, a former citizen, but now a turtle, and chances were, Jorvus likely knew as much and would at the very least, give Anubis some face in this regard.

Can't explain that, for that seems to be empire matters.

He must've found me stubborn, because he sighed exasperatedly.

"Ugh. "

Lenore interrupted at this moment. "Look, I'm sure he has his reasons for trusting the empire, right Earl?"

I nodded. "The empire can be trusted in this regard.One of the temple of Jorvus' greatest roles is managing relations between gods, so the followers of Jorvus will do what the Anubian has decided upon, because the last thing he wants is enmity from Anubis."

Anubis may be a fair being, but no one really wants to risk that.

"I hope so." Servante said unconvinced.

I had to move on from this though, since I had more important things to discuss.

"Here" I said as I handed over the recording crystal, much to the inquisitive look of Servante, and Lenore's look of understanding.

"So there was something down there important after all" she said, as she raised her eyebrow.

I nod as I hand over the recording crystal.

Taking it, she activates it, looking off into the distance, watching the recording in her mind.

After a while, Lenore takes a deep breath, her face in disbelief as she sees what I had wanted her to see.

She had a grave look on her face as she passed the crystal over to Servante.

Though confused, he obediently takes the crystal in hand, watching the recording, before the elf's face shows a look of astonishment.

"Heretics!" he shouted angrily, as hatred filled his face.

"You know them?" I asked, and he nodded seriously, with a trace of discomfort on his face.

"How could I not? They're part of the reason so many elves left"

"The elven immigration? They're the cause of it?" I asked curiously, as the revelation of the elven immigration was something that had long invoked the curiosity of people across the empire.

He looked at me for a moment, as if considering something, before finally speaking.

"What I tell you, cannot spread to the outside world, do you understand me?" he asked, with a serious look on his face Deadly serious.

Then why tell me?" I asked, and he sighed.

"Because in spite of the fact you've hidden this connection to Anubis, you've placed your life at risk for us multiple times. Besides, if you don't hear it from me, who knows who you'll hear it from."

He sighed before continuing.

"Over a millenia ago, a great divide happened amongst the elves of the elven kingdom after a great disaster overtook the elves.

Thousands of elves died in that first wave, before two different disasters following suit, with the disasters causing a wave of elves to flee the kingdom. That would be the first wave recorded in history.

Had that been it, it would've merely been a mark on our history.

However, this led to a divide.

A divide of faith"

A divide of faith!

Hearing that, I knew things were getting serious. The most bloody wars in history, whether it be the absorption of the egyptian gods or the nordic, and the war between the Qing empire and the Romana was one of the bloodiest battles in existence, with the cultivators of the spiritual transformation stage and the gods engaging in a war that shook the heavens. Even to this day, the battlefield still reeks of blood and death, with countless undead emerging from those lands.

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If this were of faith, then it was more surprising such a war hadn't exploded yet.

Servante continued, recognizing that the turtle saw the severity of the situation.

"People started questioning the Goddess.

Their Goddess, who was supposed to be the one to protect and watch over them, had done nothing as the disasters washed over them.

Some believed she had abandoned them,and that their Goddess no longer watched over them.

That they should find a new God.""

"And this God, they found, is connected to the roots I found."

Hearing this, Servante's face darkened.

"Yes, the usurper. That is what we call him nowadays. His faith spread rapidly, on the premise that if the Goddess would not watch over us, then we should seek a God who would.

They called him...

Pando"

"Pando?" I ask. "From where did this God come from? I know of no such Pando."

"From the Americas. It is said that it was not a God originally, but a powerful spirit who was found by elven explorers by chance.

And when there was a need for a new God, the desperate elves seeking a God found one in the spirit Pando" .

"And this Pando- he seeks the throne of the god of elves?" I asked uncertainly.

Unfortunately, the elf Servante found himself unable to respond to this.

"It's assumed so, yes. We haven't been the most receptive to a new religion. Especially when this religion seeks to overthrow the current one."

"Well, based off the fact that you said heretic, I'm going to assume they've failed so far."

Lenore but in, as she also looked quite upset "They were suppressed swiftly and mercilessly, so in theory yes but-"

"-But it's hard to tell. They might've disappeared on the surface, but they'e made appearances over the years." He added, looking at Lenore's angry face.

It was easy to tell that Lenore had her own personal grudges. I decided not to ask for now.

"So this is new for them?"

"Of course this is new!" Servante shouted angrily, no furious Absolutely livid. "How dare they! It's one thing to stir up internal conflicts, but to deliberately target a high elf! This is not a case of personal interest, but racial interest! The high elves are one of the most important assets to the kingdom. To target them is to target the kingdom's very power! Are they mad?!"

I slapped him with a vine sternly, causing him to look at me in confusion, as I point him to face the two children listening in on the conversation.

He had a confused look on his face, at a loss for words.

Though the child in question did not seem to have much of an expression on her face, she clenched Leon's hand tightly, who in turn glared at the mean adult spouting such cold words.

He may have been a child, but it did not make him ignorant. On the contrary, it made him more sensitive to the feelings of others.

He glared angrily at Servante before leading Willow away, taking her away from the cruel, indifferent words of the other elf.

Lenore couldn't help but shoot him an angry look before following the kids.

Servante looked at me helplessly, but I could be of no help.

"Kids can be sensitive to the feelings of others you know. It means they're hurt more deeply by the things they feel true.

You may not have meant it that way, but that was the way she heard it, and though she didn't say anything, I'm sure she felt it."

Servante sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I'm not good with kids."

"I'm convinced."

He sighed at my response, looking to me for guidance.

"You'll have to apologize by yourself, and with sincerity too. I unfortunately have other things to attend to."

"The root?" He asked seriously, before continuing. "That thing has to be destroyed. If it is part of that God then it cannot be allowed to live."

I could only shake my head helplessly. "That's not up to me, and frankly it's not up to you either unfortunately. It belongs to the kobold, and him alone. I might be able to argue to keep it for myself, but if so, I'd be just as unwilling to destroy it just because you're wary of it."

He was insistent, continuing. "You have to destroy it, it's too dangerous to simply remain in the hands of a kobold!"

"That kobold, as it were, is a cursed dwarf. He may be a lizard now, but his proficiency in forging has yet to disappear. Do you really think he'll listen to your requests?" I emphasized, and he scowled, recognizing the point I had made.

By revealing the fact that he was once a dwarf, admittedly with a lie mixed in, he recognized the fact that of all the things a dwarf would do, destroying valuable crafting materials at the request of an elf, a knifear, was not one of them.

He'd laugh in their face first frankly.

Still, Servante was hopeful. "Perhaps you could ask Anubis for help and-"

I interrupted firmly. "And help an outsider cause trouble with a comrade?"

"What do you mean comrade? He was cursed" Servante asked confused, and I could only snort.

"And for whom did you think the S-rank dwarf showed up to protect? Me? You?"

Servate's eyes widened as he realized. "You mean he was sen by the dwarven gods?"

"Yes. I heard it was Brok and Sindri no less. So stop having unrealistic ideas." I say, shutting him down firmly.

Amongst the dwarven gods, these two were some of the most respected for the things they've made, among which was the hammer of the Thorston family, a hammer that controlled storms, and was said to be so heavy that it caused a dragon to fall with just one blow.

They were also said to be involved in the creation of one of Jorvus' weapons, the spear of Helios, a spear containing the remnants of a forgotten god of the sun.

They were not someone a foreign goddess could easily challenge, not without disregarding the leader of the Gods.

Servante clearly knew that as well, as acceptance and hopelessness appeared on his face.

"If it makes you feel any better, he's a dwarf at heart, and will tear that thing to shreds making a new weapon. Whatever it once was, what it'll be after this will no longer be connected to the Usurper." I said sympathetically, patting him on the back.

He nodded with reservation, but unfortunately, that's the best he'll get in this situation.

As for me? I have to get moving. This is all in theory after all. Who knows who will end up with the root in question.

----------------------------------------

I returned to the bar ran by the S-rank dwarf Dudley.

The serpent was still resting outside, though this time as I approached it woke up to look at me, nodding in recognition before returning to slumber.

Walking into the bar, there was a familiar sight.

A very familiar trench coat, with some poorly disguised kobolds. It might work if you didn't know, but once you discover the illusion, it falls apart quickly.

A skaven, muttering and ranting quietly was also there, as it played with the drink in its hand.

As for Philly?

...

I couldn't help but feel a little speechless looking at him.

The kobold's actions had led me to believe him smarter than the average kobold, yet here he was, wearing a trench coat, top hat, and shades as he downed a beer.

He thought he was on the downlow, but he was very much high and out.

Everyone was looking at him, and even Dudley was shooting him a humorous look.

When the dwarf saw me, he could only show me a helpless look, a sentiment that I shared.

It seems that he had more in common with the average kobold than he realized.