As for why the elves are now on the brink of extinction, that's a story for another time. It stems from their lack of a powerful protector and the irresistible allure of their extraordinary characteristics.
Take the Sanguines, for example. With Lilith secretly watching over them, they've managed to thrive.
As for the giants' struggles, one could say the God of Combat has been less than gracious.
"But why would you help us?" Siatas asked again, her expression earnest, her gaze sharp. "What do you want from us?"
"Can't it just be that I want to do something good?" Alaric replied with a smile, his expression innocent and cheerful. "I mean, I saved you from the world within the book, didn't I? And I didn't ask for anything in return!"
Siatas fell silent for a few seconds before responding, "I believe you're a good person, but I don't trust the forces behind you. I don't believe any group would help the elves without a reason."
Huh, she actually believes me… Alaric blinked, then smiled again. "Alright, if you insist on an answer, I suppose it's because I... or rather, the forces behind me... need you to counterbalance the Church of the Lord of Storms."
That was the plain truth.
For one thing, the elves could serve as a conduit for summoning the Elf King.
And that was a trump card against the old pigeon!
Siatas froze at his words, then furrowed her brow. "Are you deceiving me? The elves of old might have been capable of such a thing, but the elves today…"
She trailed off, unwilling to voice the harsh reality: a single Sequence 3 from the Church of the Lord of Storms could probably wipe out what remained of the elves.
For Siatas, who had lived during the elves' golden age, this was a bitter truth to swallow.
"I'm not lying. You might not be capable of it now, but the future is another matter," Alaric said with a calm smile, his tone measured. "Besides, I don't actually expect you to take on the Church of the Lord of Storms directly. You're a contingency, a backup we could support if, one day, my mentor falls out with the Church."
"The Tyrant pathway is incredibly useful, both in daily life and in battle. So we need a contingency to ensure that, even if we part ways with the Church, we won't lack Beyonders of this kind," Alaric added.
Siatas's expression darkened slightly. She understood his meaning clearly: Alaric's group was currently allied with the Church of the Lord of Storms, and supporting the elves was merely a precaution for a potential future fallout.
"…And if I refuse?" Siatas asked, taking a deep breath to suppress her agitation. "What will you do?"
"I won't do anything," Alaric replied bluntly. "I won't slaughter the elves, but I also won't stop the Church of the Lord of Storms from taking any actions against you."
In other words, he'd leave the elves to fend for themselves.
Given their current state, without Alaric's intervention, the elves might face extinction in a matter of years.
Siatas pressed her lips together, her eyes reflecting a struggle within. After a moment, she looked at Alaric and said, "I can't make decisions like this. The King has fallen. Only the Queen can decide the fate of the elves now."
At that, Alaric smiled. He knew his plan to use Siatas as bait to reach Cohinem had likely succeeded. Siatas had clearly made contact with her.
He wasn't surprised. With another smile, he said, "I don't mind speaking with your Queen. If you're wary of me, I don't need her to come in person. An avatar or a projection of her will is fine."
"You can make decisions like that?" Siatas asked, studying him.
"I can. My position is probably higher than you think. If I agree to something, my mentor won't object," Alaric said with a smile.
Siatas gave him a long, assessing look, though she didn't seem entirely shocked. She'd been gathering information about "Jack" recently, after all.
"I'll report this to the Queen," She said simply.
"I look forward to our conversation," Alaric replied with a grin. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he added, "But before that, how about we visit another elven ruin to hunt Kalvetua? Gehrman still needs a marionette, you know!"
Siatas glanced at him, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say, "That belongs to the Queen," but she held back.
Siatas wasn't unreasonable. In the original story, she had traded the Ocean Songster potion formula with Klein for the goblet once used by Cohinem, rather than demanding it as "the Queen's property."
She understood that, after thousands of years, these relics had found new owners. She'd try to recover them when possible, but she no longer saw them as rightfully hers.
Besides, if the Queen had abandoned those characteristics, there must have been a reason… Siatas thought, though a faint sadness lingered in her heart.
Thousands of years had passed, and the world had changed, leaving her feeling both uneasy and out of place.
…
Regardless of Siatas's thoughts, since she didn't outright object, Alaric cheerfully led the group to the ruin where Kalvetua resided after pinpointing its location.
The ruin's interior was far from peaceful. Siatas's removal of the Book of Calamity had clearly affected Kalvetua, pushing the sea serpent into an increasingly unstable state, teetering on the edge of collapse.
When Alaric and his group arrived, Kalvetua was venting its madness. Lightning crackled throughout the ruin, and the desiccated corpses of Church of the Sea God members littered the ground.
"Wait... are we really just waltzing in to mess with Kalvetua? Is that okay?" Mobet Zoroast asked, dodging a stray bolt of lightning. He'd finally realized the gravity of the situation and couldn't help but speak up. "It's Sequence 3, isn't it?"
Kalvetua's reputation wasn't exactly a secret. Anyone familiar with the Beyonder pathways, its divine name, and the Church of the Sea God could piece that together.
"What's there to fear? Don't you have a grandpa tagging along?" Alaric said, glancing at Mobet with a smile.
Pallez's avatar was still with Mobet, after all!
"But the old man's avatar here is only Sequence 4!" Mobet said, clearly on the verge of panic. "Jack, you're not seriously expecting him to take on Kalvetua, are you?"
Alaric blinked, then said with a teasing grin, "What if I said yes…"
***
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