Chapter 270: Opening Pandora's Box
Fidel had also proposed giving various benefits in an attempt to glean some inside information from the dwarves, but the replies he received remained unchanged. The only thing that could make their attitude so resolute was the thing dwarves valued most: honor.
But that made it even stranger.
Rhodes listened quietly until the end, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the tabletop.
He had a deep understanding of dwarven stubbornness and trustworthiness.
For them to guard a secret so strictly, what the Emperor paid was likely not just astounding wealth, but perhaps some other unknown promise or means.
"Legate is ambitious. Although his invasion was repelled last time, he will never give up," Fidel's worry was palpable. "I suspect that for him to trade with the dwarves at such a staggering cost, what he seeks is definitely not ordinary weaponry."
"It is very likely something capable of shifting the balance of power on the continent."
"A strategic-level weapon, or perhaps... something similar to The Light of Ersten?"
When Fidel voiced this speculation, he himself felt a chill of alarm. But various signs forced him to think in this direction. He looked at Rhodes, hope in his eyes. "Lord Rhodes, you are knowledgeable and a high disciple of Lady Serie. What do you think? From a magical perspective, what could possibly require such a massive amount of top-tier materials?"
Rhodes was silent for a moment.
In his perception, although the Southern Unified Empire was powerful and ambitious, it was essentially still an internal conflict among humans.
His initial wish was to see a peaceful world where humanity could live stably and then face external threats like the demons together.
Legate's forceful unification, though his methods might be drastic, wasn't necessarily a completely bad thing in terms of results.
But Fidel's concern, combined with the abnormal secrecy of the dwarves, caused a shift in his initially indifferent mindset.
If Legate's goal wasn't just unifying the human race, but forging some powerful weapon to conquer the entire continent, the nature of the situation changed.
A powerful force in the hands of an ambitious man often signaled greater disaster.
He recalled the vague prophecy mentioning internal strife among humans. Was it related to this?
However, he instinctively disliked participating in human infighting.
The stability of this continent was something he, Norne, and their other companions had worked hard to establish.
They had even paid a very painful price for it.
Just as the saying went, civilization finds its own way. The path of humanity should be decided by humans themselves.
Rhodes only needed to step in when they encountered problems or disasters they couldn't solve on their own.
"Your Majesty," he spoke slowly. "Based solely on the materials and the dwarves' level of secrecy, it is difficult to deduce exactly what it is. Although a Holy Sword is possible, I don't believe a Holy Sword of the same caliber as The Light of Ersten can appear in this era."
When The Light of Ersten was reforged back then, it had gathered the strength of the entire allied forces.
Basically, all famous dwarven craftsmen participated, combined with unimaginably rare materials. From the day its reforging was successful, The Light of Ersten had become one of the strongest Holy Swords in the world.
Could the current Dwarven Kingdom really forge a legendary Holy Sword of that level again?
In fact, Rhodes wasn't sure either.
He continued, "As for speculation from a magical perspective, aside from large-scale magic circles, the only things requiring such top-tier materials would be powerful magical items. But that range is too broad."
A trace of disappointment flashed in Fidel's eyes, but he understood.
It was indeed asking too much.
Looking at Fidel's anxious expression, Rhodes sighed softly in his heart. He didn't want to intervene.
Internal strife among humans was, to him, a troublesome and meaningless cycle.
He possessed powerful strength. He could even forcibly suppress everything and shape the peace he wanted.
But he knew deeply that such peace would be fragile, born of fear rather than agreement.
Moreover, he did not have the talent to be a king.
Repelling the Southern Unified Empire's army last time was already the maximum degree of partiality he could show, for the sake of the Kingdom of Ersten's special nature.
But now, Fidel's intelligence, combined with the dwarves' anomaly, made it impossible for him to completely ignore the situation.
"However—" Rhodes changed the subject, looking at Fidel. "Your Majesty's worries are not unreasonable. The behavior of the Southern Unified Empire is indeed abnormal. Continuing to leave it unchecked might lead to unforeseen consequences."
"I will find time to personally go to the Southern Unified Empire to investigate the situation. Perhaps I can find some clues."
Hearing this, Fidel was instantly overjoyed.
He had only intended to give it a try; he hadn't expected Rhodes to actually be willing to help.
The ability and methods of a high disciple of Serie were far beyond what ordinary intelligence agents could compare to.
"Wonderful! Lord Rhodes, thank you so much," Fidel thanked him repeatedly. "If you need anything, my country's intelligence system will fully cooperate with you."
"No need to mobilize so many people," Rhodes waved his hand gently. "It is more convenient for me to act alone. Of course, please keep this matter confidential, Your Majesty."
"Certainly! Certainly!" Fidel nodded repeatedly.
With the main business concluded, the atmosphere relaxed considerably.
Fidel sighed with emotion again. "Speaking of which, it really is thanks to Lord Rhodes's Magic Association."
"Recently, many mages who passed the exams have been willing to join my country's service. This has greatly alleviated our pressure."
His tone carried a hint of complex emotion. "Perhaps it is also because the Southern Unified Empire has long been using mages on a large scale for military purposes, even incorporating them directly into combat units."
"The millennium-long tacit agreement that 'mages do not participate in internal human conflicts' is rapidly breaking down. It is truly lamentable."
Rhodes's hand holding the teacup froze slightly.
He had naturally noticed this point as well.
It was he who had written that commandment in the Codex of Origin, hoping that the power of magic would be used more for exploration and resisting external enemies, rather than humans slaughtering each other.
For a thousand years, although not absolute, this commandment had indeed formed an invisible restraint in the hearts of most mages.
But now, that restraint was collapsing.
Had the times changed?
Or was it that as long as humans possessed ambition and conflict, the weaponization of power was inevitable?
He created various magics hoping to bring a better future to humanity, but it seemed he had also personally opened another Pandora's box.
"The use of power ultimately depends on the person wielding it," Rhodes said softly, as if answering Fidel, but also as if speaking to himself. "Rules can be established, and they will eventually be broken. All we can do is try our best to guide, and when necessary, correct those deviations that are too dangerous."
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