The golden leaves coming from the huge Golden Tree dance in the wind, with a delicacy and beauty beyond normal.
Thanks to this, the entire combat platform once used against Morgott and then against Godfrey, now looks like a paradise on earth.
Above such an idyllic place, space seems to distort and with a mysterious wind, multiple golden leaves gather in one particular place.
"
With the completion of the mysterious words, the leaves are blown out to all sides and then a young man appears at that place.
It was Aldrich, who had used the miracle/enchantment of
...Aldrich pov....
"It works, the question now is whether I can get anywhere where the leaves of the Golden Tree are located."
It would be a rather useful way to get anywhere in the Midlands in the blink of an eye, obviously at a small mana cost.
"My lord!"
"Boc, what are you doing here?"
I didn't hide my surprise to see Boc here, normally this place is mostly deserted and understandably so, behind me is Marika's prison.
That's right, Marika is still trapped there and I can assure you she is in a much better state than expected. I guess having chosen her "End" has such consequences.
Erasing such thoughts, while completely ignoring the connection I feel with Marika from inside the Golden Tree, I start to leave this place.
"My, my, my lord. Al managed to sense something strange up here and I came to check."
"Without fear of what it might be?"
It was a real doubt, if someone managed to make it up here, they could literally sweep the floor with Boc and his zero combat ability.
"N, no, no, no, I'm not afraid! This is the city of the Lord and nothing can happen to me here!"
"How confident!"
"It 'sa fact!"
Surprisingly Boc's stutter had even gone, his fanaticism was one of the most extreme I had ever seen, but understandable considering his history.
...Some time later…
"I must be flattered by your speedy arrival, O Lord of the Circle."
Sitting at the top of the table, he looked towards the other end, the place where the Ranni witch is located.
She is still just as she is in my memories, it's also not as if she has a real body and not a puppet, so she obviously hasn't changed her physical appearance.
"I don't think 'Fast' is the right word, considering the current situation and your progress."
Obviously before entering the same room with the witch, I had learned about Leyndell's current situation and its complications.
I can only admit that it was an extremely clever plan, something quite on the level of Ranni "The Witch" and her scheming skills.
"Small details, nothing to be proud of."
"If we consider all your jobs, this is certainly a small one. Filling the power vacuum left by Marika, almost leading Leyndell into civil war, taking control of certain sectors"
"I see someone has done their homework."
It was strange, normally you never think that Ranni is plotting against you, but currently she managed to clearly sense her malice.
Perhaps she wished for me to feel those emotions on her part, perhaps in an attempt to get me to make a misjudgment of the situation.
"Always be ready for anything, I don't want to end up with a knife in my back."
With the end of my words, the room became absurdly heavy, not because of anything natural obviously. It was magical energy, there was so much of it and so pure that the air itself was distorted because of it.
"Are you blaming treachery on me, Aldrich? I'm not the one who changed my mind at the last moment."
This confirms that this is not her moving her emotions to deceive me, otherwise it would not be so clear the fury in her words and the bitterness there.
I guess controlling this puppet from a distance has its drawbacks, making her more prone to her emotions.
"Ranni... It was necessary."
"Why?"
All traces of emotions had disappeared from her words, it was clear that she had managed to get herself back under control and put aside all emotional fluctuations.
"Your decisions were no different than those coming from the God of frenzied flame. Without order, all that remains is chaos and barbarism. You can't deny it, you must have seen how Leyndell was."
"So you kneel before the Great Will and drag all the Earths in between with you."
Ranni didn't seem bothered by the comparison between her "Anarchism" and "Burn everything to ashes" of the God of Frenzied Flame.
"If necessary to maintain order in the Midlands."
"A decadent order, full of imperfections and fickle before the will of the so-called 'Gods' that exist."
What she says is true, the gods here are imperfect, something I had already commented on. But her option is not the best, leaving humanity free is absolute madness.
Even if we think of the best future, one where humanity isn't largely idiotic, Ranni's plan wouldn't work.
Think about it, she can take the Elden Circle along with the influence of the Great Will, but what about the other outer gods? Such as the Primeval Stream, the formless Mother, the God of Putrefaction sealed underground, the stars that are living beings....
"That age is now over. The repairing rune of the Golden Mask, has succeeded in fixing the imperfections in the Golden Order and preventing any outside influence on it."
"Any external influence, not all external influence. You can still change the established order and play with it as you please."
Insightful and accurate, I guess no weak point should be shown in front of Ranni.
Then about what you have commented, you are correct. The power of the Lord of Elden was granted by Marika, who controls the Elden Circle system, which forms the order in the Midlands.
Now that does not happen, I am the absolute authority, due to Marika's imprisonment and I can control her authority even against her will, thus giving orders to the Elden Circle.
"The laws will no longer be 'Rules'. The new secular order will be created by humans and enforced by humans themselves."
"How much trust."
"Obviously, how could I not trust myself?"
Nice flowery words, but ultimately I will make the laws, decrees and rules for order to exist.
Obviously I will not touch the Elden Circle and its rules, but they will be made the old fashioned way, through the scriptures.
"No difference at the end of the day."
"Before you run you must learn to crawl and walk, the same is true here. I will be the guide for the next generations."
Maybe, just maybe... I have a complex problem of always wanting to be in control of the situation. No, I'm just imagining things.