Chapter 298: Timeless Legacy

Li En has been getting along well with his teacher lately, as both have their own needs.

Though it sounds cold, both Li En and his master Alcastre Yanyu appreciate this teacher-student relationship based on mutual benefit.

"How is things with the Princess?" the Archmage asked about what concerned him most.

"I've made contact and delivered the letter. Didn't she reach out to you?"

"I asked, but you know she's busy now—so is the entire city. Let's hope for a formal meeting soon," the Archmage sighed; the planned meeting and trade had been postponed due to too many unforeseen matters.

"The Starburner" Alcastre is the Kingdom's Archmage and a leader of a half-elf organization.

At this critical juncture, he seeks a path to survival for his people, and Li En can offer him some assistance in this regard.

Because of this favor, he at least answers Li En's questions without hesitation.

For a newly admitted apprentice, this is already rare—ordinary apprentices must first serve as laborers for a time to prove their trustworthiness and usefulness.

Yet the Archmage clearly dislikes "Fistriion."

"Wait, let me find that piece—I remember using it recently."

Mage Chess is a board game originating from the elves, involving miniature magical constructs in a self-designed battlefield. Given this world's abundant martial power, it is undoubtedly a war-simulation game (in truth, nearly all board games across any world simulate warfare).

After all, simulating warfare and conducting strategic projections were the original purposes of sand tables and game boards.

Due to the elves' surplus of magic, their chess pieces are animated: the cheap ones are animated "statues," while the high-end versions are miniature golems—or even "gargoyles"—with inner realms.

Pieces come in many types: troop pieces, hero pieces, monster pieces, and terrain pieces—but the "Fistriion" before them is undoubtedly the most unusual of all.

"He's a sacrifice piece. By spending one turn's movement and adding two units of mana, you summon the thunderous divine punishment of the Elven King Siloselfen."

The way this piece works is like a "bomb"—you expend resources and activation cost, then a bolt of lightning strikes, obliterating everything nearby.

"Uh, what did he do?" Li En sensed the malice behind it.

"'Traitor,' 'Great Sinner.' During the elven civil war, he stole the holy relic of King Siloselfen, directly causing the defeat of the battle and the great purge of half-elves by the high elves."

Alcastre Yanyu spoke these words with a grim face.

From the half-elf perspective, betraying the elven main clan, deepening the rift between both sides, and triggering a massacre—labeling him "Great Sinner" is entirely justified.

"And then?" Li En was curious—what became of him after doing such a thing?

"He fled. Probably died in some corner—the times were chaotic back then."

Every race, in its heyday, has endured internal wars, and the elven civil war was said to be especially brutal.

But whether they truly hated this "Great Sinner" is debatable. The conflict between elves and half-elves is rooted in fundamental differences; wars between them have been frequent. One side's hero is the other's enemy, and both sides' historical records are a tangled mess.

Events from five thousand years ago? The elves can keep records—that's enough. For half-elves, whose lifespans are far shorter, Alcastre's own grandfather might not have been born yet—how much hatred could remain?

"I hate this piece because the 'Bomb Deck' built around it is famously cost-effective and devastating against mid-to-late game formations! I play late-game decks!"

Ah, so the grudge stems from this.

Clearly, this master is a hardcore Mage Chess enthusiast.

He not only took out his prized collection with interest, but also explained the rules to Li En and even recommended where to buy a basic starter set.

This game seems popular—but to activate the pieces requires regular mana support. If you're not a spellcaster, you must pay others to recharge them regularly, which is simply too extravagant.

"Using Fistriion as a core for a beginner deck is actually a decent strategy—but if you play too many self-destruct decks, be careful your opponent beats you up in real life."