Chapter 1839: Hidden Worries

Xia Duo saw Ougesi's barely concealed worry, but as the Evereska side had not yet made contact with the official envoys of the Five Kingdoms, he found it difficult to answer, so he could only offer a few words of comfort:

"After high-level Mages like Elder Ougesi and many others who wish to clear away chaos and establish order stepped forward, the trend toward Evereska Independent became unstoppable. The Five Kingdoms should have known this long ago; perhaps they are coming now to witness or even offer their blessings!"

"I hope so!"

Ougesi was not so optimistic; he knew very well that in the eyes of the Five Kingdoms' upper echelons, Evereska Independent meant a loss of their interests, and the negotiations with various countries over the past hundred years had proven this.

However, he did not refute Xia Duo's words; if a perfect ending were possible, who would want it to end in tragedy?

"By the way, Mage Asuosi, I wonder about your family—"

"This—"

Xia Duo hesitated for a moment. He knew this question might be stalled for a while, but it was ultimately unavoidable. A high-level Mage could not possibly have popped out of a crack in a rock; there had to be some traces of his past.

Yet, this very question was unsolvable for him.

If he told the truth, it would be too outlandish, and the hurdle of Shaerwen would be hard to clear; but if he lied, it would be easily exposed, which would instead offend the Elders of Evereska.

If possible, he still had to try his best to drag it out.

Xia Duo's troubled and hesitant appearance made Ougesi panic, and he hurriedly explained: "Mage Asuosi, I do not mean to pry into your family's secrets, but your public support for Evereska Independent might attract the attention of various kingdoms, which could hinder your family."

"Hm?"

Why this reaction? Xia Duo was also stunned, but he adapted quickly and hurriedly asked: "Then, in Elder Ougesi's view, what should I do?"

"This problem is not just for you; even I, and the ten others who have formed a covenant with me, face such tests. No one can guarantee that Evereska will definitely be able to move toward independence, and what's more, any accident could happen during this period. For this reason, several of us have moved our families to Saibohomu."

"Saibohomu?"

Xia Duo was no stranger to this place. Back in the 【Projection Plane: Cormanthor Birth】, Saibohomu had also responded to the call of the last Crown King of Jielunsita and eventually merged into Cormanthor.

However, that era was at least several thousand years removed from the current era of Evereska Independent, not to mention the differences in historical branches. Xia Duo was not sure if the Saibohomu he knew was the same as the one Ougesi understood.

Thus, he tentatively asked: "Does Elder Ougesi still have connections with the Elf Court?"

Saibohomu might have changed, but the Elf Court would likely not change much, especially since this Projection Plane had already seen the event where high-level Mages gathered at the Elf Court to declare Aryvandaar a kingdom of sin.

Saibohomu was close to the Elf Court, not far away, so Xia Duo's question was not abrupt. Moreover, he believed that if Ougesi and the other Elves did not have backing in the Elf Court, even with eleven high-level Mages united, they might not have the fairly decent situation they had now.

Of course, such speculation also had something to do with the reality of the Main Plane, where Evereska had backing from the Elf Court.

Other countries had it too, but it was never as broad as the connections of the melting pot that was Evereska. In its earliest period, Evereska gathered refugees from various countries, especially some ancient kingdoms that did not restore their nations later.

Perhaps the Elves didn't call it "sentiments of incense," but there was always that bit of connection. Plus, with the current atmosphere for independence or nation-building in the Northland being so favorable, it was not hard to understand the Elf Court's support.

One could even say that the true Elders of the Elf Court who had lost their homelands placed their only remaining bond to the mortal world on Evereska!

At the critical moment, Ougesi and his peers might not dare to risk their lives, but those true Elders who only had one breath left would not care about their own lives at all.

Seeing Xia Duo mention the Elf Court, Ougesi, who had been full of sorrow, suddenly revealed a confident smile: "Mage Asuosi, the Elf Court supports Evereska Independent. Although their support cannot be spoken of publicly and is limited to preventing war, I am on good terms with several Elders, and they will stand on our side at the critical moment!"

"Besides being close to the Elf Court, Saibohomu also has the blessing of the Mother Goddess; no Elf dares to take action there. I, Katunidede, and several others have entrusted our families there. If Mage Asuosi is worried, you can also send your family there; I will arrange the quota."

In reality, settlement quotas for Saibohomu were not so easy to obtain. After the Crown War, Saibohomu received the blessing of the Creation Mother Goddess, and infants born there were naturally healthier, stronger, and more intelligent than those born elsewhere.

Not to mention, there were faint rumors that Elves born in Saibohomu had higher magic affinity than those born elsewhere, making them almost natural Spellcasters.

Although such legends were complete nonsense in Ougesi's view, they greatly contributed to the scarcity of settlement quotas in Saibohomu.

It was only to make Asuosi feel more at ease in supporting the cause of Evereska Independent that Ougesi dared to make such a guarantee; if it were any other unrelated Elf, even a high-level Mage, he would not make such a promise easily.

But clearly, Xia Duo was destined to be unable to accept this kindness. As a Treant, what family could Xilin have? Was he supposed to move a few saplings over?

"It is hard to leave one's homeland; I will consider it further."

"No problem, whenever Mage Asuosi has a need, you can find me at any time."

Regarding Asuosi's refusal, Ougesi expressed complete understanding. In his view, Saibohomu, with the deterrence of the Mother Goddess and the protection of the Elf Court Elders, was absolutely safe, but Asuosi might not necessarily think so.

In fact, not every one of the eleven high-level Mages in the current Evereska Council of Elders had sent their families to Saibohomu, and there were even a few whose true identities Ougesi still did not know.

But this did not change the reality that they were already allies.

"By the way, Mage Asuosi, I would like to invite you to join the Evereska Council of Elders. I believe that with your joining, our cause will surely be even smoother!"

Ougesi looked into Xia Duo's eyes and said with a serious face: "Moreover, at this time, we also need such an event to boost the morale of the people of Evereska, and at the same time, it can attract more potential supporters to come. I hope Mage Asuosi will not refuse."