Above the mage

Chapter 276 Deploying Troops to the Icefield Temple

The huge square, which was usually full of people, was now deathly silent.

No one stepped forward to respond to Gaode's statement.

But this is not because Zhenbingren disrespects Gaode, nor is it because Gaode's words have no weight.

On the contrary, his words carried immense weight, like a thunderclap, resounding in the minds of everyone in the square.

This completely stunned them, leaving them speechless for a moment.

Elder Claude, who was standing at the front of the crowd, suddenly felt dizzy and instinctively took a step forward, pointing at Gaudy with his finger, his whole body trembling.

He was an elder of the reformists and had been mentored by Donald when he was young.

He was once saved by Donald when they went hunting together.

Donald was both his mentor and his savior.

Therefore, he has always stood by Donald's side, and is Donald's "protégé" and a staunch reformer.

So at this moment, seeing Donald's head fall to the ground in front of him, he subconsciously wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Gao De simply looked at him quietly, his face expressionless.

His actions were both revenge and a test.

Whether it was the assassins who used the "Melt into Stone" technique to ambush Flora on the road, or Donald's direct attempt to capture Flora, both events indicated that there was already a deep-seated hatred between him and Donald, and that they could not "bury the hatchet."

If the former hadn't been so cautious, and possessed both [Detection Magic+] and the second-tier Mandela Eye, he would most likely have died at the hands of that third-circle mage's assassination attempt.

If it weren't for the protection of the Ice Jade Wutong, one can imagine what Flora would be like now.

How could such a deep-seated grudge be eased and forgotten just because Donald now makes a gesture of deep remorse?

The test was also something Gaode wanted to see: how much tolerance and obedience the Zhenbing tribe had towards their so-called "new king."

Just like in the ancient dynasties of his previous life, the subjects would not unconditionally obey any order of the monarch unless that monarch had sufficient authority.

He was not only an outsider, but also a first-ring mage. From any perspective, he was not worthy of the title "King of True Ice" and had no authority whatsoever.

Now, simply because of a magical prophecy, God has been placed on the throne.

The problem is that everyone has their own ideas and their own interests.

How much loyalty and patience will they have for a strange "new king" based on vague prophecies?

These are all things that remain to be seen.

Even those who obey the orders of the current war mother harbor disloyal intentions.

Would they truly respect and obey the prophecy of a mother who has been buried for countless years?

Gao De asked himself honestly, and he knew that at least he himself couldn't do it.

Under Gaudy's watchful gaze, Elder Claude ultimately failed to utter a single word.

His finger, which had been pointing at Gaode, drooped limply. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he lowered his head and silently retreated back to the line where he had originally stood.

This reflects not only Elder Claude's changing mood, but also the current state of mind of most of the reformist elders present.

Since the unexpected death of Glenn Boreas and the ensuing power struggle involving Donald, the Zhenbing tribe has been divided into two factions.

Even after Sunefa returned in triumph with the Blizzard and ascended to the position of War Mother, this division was not eliminated; it was merely forcibly suppressed.

During this process, Sunafa repeatedly convinced herself to tolerate Donald's overstepping of boundaries in order to prevent the Zhenbing tribe from falling into internal strife and division, all because of the so-called "unity" and "big picture".

But everyone knows that as long as the conservatives and reformers exist, they are a ticking time bomb.

Who could have imagined that on the very first day that the prophesied "King" appeared, the first thing the King did was to use the North Wind to eliminate this hidden danger.

After the initial shock subsided, Sunefa and the elders gradually calmed down and discovered that the current situation was, as God had said, a true "unity".

After beheading Donald, the reformist elders were left without a "head," so what other choice did they have but to support Sunefa?

The only choice is the best choice.

By removing Donald and leaving only Sunifa, there would be no longer a distinction between the reformists and the conservatives, thus eliminating the potential for division and defused the bomb.

Actually, everyone understands this principle.

Even if you understand, it's useless.

Donald is the Grand Elder of the Zhenbing tribe, second only to the leader.

No one could bring themselves to do such a cruel thing to the Zhenbing tribe.

The Iceborn and Elders of the Zhenbing Tribe could not do it; it would be insubordination, and they neither had the courage nor the ability to do so.

Sunefa has the ability, but she is not suited to do this, nor can she make up her mind to do it.

Solving internal problems through killing is not a good option for the War Mother.

This is one of them.

In addition, Sunefa is actually the "junior" to Donald.

While his mother, Glenn Poria, was still alive, Donald was very close to her and took good care of her.

It was because of this relationship that Donald hesitated to kill Sunefa when she left for Phoenix alone, out of consideration for their past relationship.

Although this became a decision that Donald regretted for years to come.

But it was also because of Donald's soft heart back then that Sunefa never considered killing Donald all these years—since you didn't go too far back then, I won't go too far now either.

This is the second.

Thirdly, Donald, as the tribe's elder, has made undeniable contributions to the Zhenbing tribe.

For any dynasty, such veteran officials and meritorious ministers would not be easily killed unless they committed serious crimes such as "treason".

But now, there's no need to hesitate or agonize.

Gao De has made a decision for the Zhenbing tribe with a very simple sword-wielding gesture.

Logically, he is the new king prophesied by the Zhenbing tribe, and his status is sufficient to support him in doing this.

As far as he was concerned, he had never received any favors from Donald, nor was he a member of the Zhenbing tribe, so he didn't need to care about Donald's merits and hard work.

Most importantly, Donald is dead, so any opposition is pointless.

Those who know the current affairs are handsome.

Donald is not the only outstanding person.

that is it.

The reformist elders looked at God on the high platform and at Donald, who died with his eyes wide open, their expressions extremely complex and varied.

Sunefa closed her slightly open mouth in shock; she had completely calmed down and accepted the fact.

Looking at the tribespeople with their various thoughts and ideas, she calmly instructed, "Prepare the body of Elder Donald."

Only now have the conservative elders who have always supported Sunafa realized what was happening, and their hearts are filled with excitement.

After a slight commotion in the crowd, someone quickly stepped forward, collected Donald's decapitated body, and carried it away.

Donald is a thing of the past.

The age of a new king has arrived.

"My King, is there anything else you wish to ask?" Sunafa looked calmly at God, her deep blue eyes like a tranquil ice lake.

In this situation, at this moment, Gao De no longer doubted the falsehood of the prophecy, nor did he doubt the sincerity of the other party.

"How powerful is the Zhenbing tribe?" he asked.

"The number of Iceborn who can be called combatants is about 20,000. Among them, there are five fourth-ring Iceborn mages, including myself, now there are four. There are about 200 third-ring Iceborn mages, nearly 1,000 second-ring Iceborn mages, and about 12,000 first-ring Iceborn mages. The rest of the Iceborn are in your foreign land and should be classified as apprentices," Sunefa answered without hesitation.

Even though he had some expectations, Gao De still couldn't help but marvel at how a tribe with only 500,000 people could possess such a powerful force; it was truly unbelievable.

Although this distribution of combat power does not actually conform to general rules.

Because the ratio of mages to ordinary people is too high, and the number of first-level Iceborn mages is even greater than the number of apprentice-level Iceborn mages.

Under normal circumstances, the number of Iceborn mages at each level should decrease as the level increases.

The reason why the distribution of Iceborn mages in the Zhenbing tribe is so strange is quite simple:

Their power does not come from cultivation, but from the Iceborn bloodline within them.

A stronger bloodline means a higher mage level.

"How does it compare to the Snowfield Guardians?" Gao De asked again.

"The Zhenbing Tribe is not only the largest tribe in the North, but also the largest power," Sunefa replied.

In a place like the North, the Zhenbing tribe is the most powerful.

"As far as I know, there are three fourth-ring mages among the Snowfield Guardians," Gao De said after a moment's thought, confirming further.

Originally, the Zhenbing tribe had five fourth-ring Iceborn mages, but after he killed Donald, only four remained.

Therefore, in terms of top-tier combat power, the Zhenbing tribe does not have a significant advantage.

"I can handle all three of them on my own," Sunefa stated calmly.

There was not a trace of arrogance in her tone, as if it were truly an extremely ordinary thing.

"Alright," Gao De nodded, and finally said slowly, "Make preparations. We will send troops to the Icefield Temple in five days."

After saying that, Gao De kept his eyes fixed on Sunafa's face, wanting to see her reaction.

But Sunefa's expression remained calm, as if he had only said something insignificant.

However, the elders standing behind Sunafa below the platform had a strong reaction to Gao De's words.

There was confusion, surprise, frowns, and also hesitation and worry.

There is no doubt that his statement was unusual.

Because the Icefield Temple is the headquarters of the Snowfield Guardians.

More importantly, Phoenix is ​​a distance of five or six hundred kilometers from the Icefield Temple.

In the North, there are no traditional "roads" to speak of. This journey of five or six hundred kilometers can only be undertaken by wading through snow, and it takes about half a month to reach the destination.

The food and logistical burden required for a two-week march would be an enormous strain on a "primitive tribe" with a population of over 500,000.

As for the returns, at least for now, there's no sign of them.

The Snowfield Guardians are an ancient sect whose doctrine is to protect the snowfield. Even if they have some wealth, it is definitely not enough to make up for the losses incurred in sending troops.

Therefore, it can be said that this was an extremely irresponsible and absurd order.

Gao De had expected Sunafa to object, or at least ask for specific reasons.

But it didn't.

She simply nodded calmly, "Okay."

She then turned to face the Zhenbing tribe members, "You should have heard our king's order: to send troops to the Icefield Temple in five days. Any questions?"

After a few seconds of silence:

"No!"

A sound as powerful as a mountain resounded.

After the noise subsided, Sunefa continued, "Sending troops to the Icefield Temple is of great importance, and time is of the essence. Everyone, please step back now and begin preparations."

After everyone knelt on one knee again, placed one hand on their chest to salute Gaode, they orderly withdrew from the square.

The square, which was originally packed with people, quickly emptied out, leaving only Gao De and Sunaifa.

"Aren't you going to ask me why?" Gao De asked.

"The first guidance we received from the prophecy is to believe in you. Since we have already chosen you as our new king according to the prophecy, we will follow that guidance and believe in you unconditionally."

Even if the decision I made was wrong?

"The outcome is still uncertain; who can know whether the decision is right or wrong?"

"Okay," Gao De rephrased, "even if my decision seems absurd to you?"

Sunefa shook her head. "What is considered absurd is simply a difference in perception."

"When something is unexpected or contrary to one's own understanding, it often seems absurd."

She paused, then continued, "But if your decisions are all within our expectations, within our understanding, then we can do everything ourselves, so why would we need you? And how can you be called the hope for recovery?"

"It is precisely because we know that we cannot restore Zhenbing to its former glory on our own, nor can we unify the North, that we need a hope."

"And the more unusual your decisions are, the more they prove the prophecy to be true."

"Just because of a prophecy, you believed a complete stranger like me and handed over a tribe of over 500,000 people to an outsider?" Gao De asked again, "Don't you think that's incredibly irresponsible towards your people?"

"Even in ritual magic, I only see a glimpse of the future, and I can't be sure of anything, but the decline of the Iceborn is indeed true."

"The Northern Territory hasn't produced a fifth-ring Iceborn mage in a thousand years, and the Zhenbing Tribe, apart from me, hasn't produced a fourth-ring Iceborn mage in a hundred years."

"If this continues, in just a thousand years, the Iceborn may disappear completely, just like the Dragonborn," Sunefa revealed some secrets.

"We have no time to test the waters or wait any longer. All we can do now is to believe."

"I'm just a first-ring mage," Gao De shook his head and told the truth.

How to solve the problem of the declining Iceborn bloodline?

Sunefa believed him, but he didn't believe himself.

At least for now, he has absolutely no clue.

"Just for now."

"During the ancient Iceborn ritual I performed, I could not see your face or figure clearly, only a blurry outline coming from the mountain peak. I could not see your future, only that you are closely connected to our Zhenbing tribe."

"Of course, none of that matters. What matters is that I see a powerful force in your blurry figure."

"And this powerful force can change everything."

(End of this chapter)