Equipment Printing School Mage

"By then, anyone who has a grudge against him will surely face a miserable end. If you weren't afraid of this, there would be no need to disguise yourself before entering the Holy Land, right?"

Emilia's body couldn't help but stiffen slightly.

Sensing the man's reaction, Fenwë smiled again and blew gently on his neck. "Mr. Emya? If you want to cause trouble for the Archdruid, you won't stand a chance fighting alone, you know?"

"Want to form an alliance?"

Twenty-four Crystal Holy Swords: Confessor

As a young village pastor, Eswhite's education was naturally inadequate, not to mention that he had spent most of his life within the Hollow Corner. Therefore, despite his age, he felt that his knowledge was limited.

Even so, when he woke up and saw Emilia lying quietly on the bed of leaves, he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion.

"Even such a vigilant little fellow couldn't sleep after being tossed around all night."

Just at this moment, a mumbling complaining voice came from upstairs, getting closer and closer.

"I was so stupid, really. I got so carried away when I met fellow believers that I forgot that only official clergy carry holy symbols, and Mystra priests don't use swords."

"Who else could that Mystra priest be who could wield a sword? I'm such a fool to have spent an entire night entangled with such a person..."

Fenwei staggered down the stairs, his mental state visibly not good. He even painted his eyeshadow with green plant juice, as if he was deliberately covering up something - it looked like he hadn't rested well.

Eswhite pushed the long leaves on his body aside and was about to speak when he suddenly realized a fact out of the corner of his eye.

It wasn't just Emilia who slept so soundly. Mars was also the same person who could hardly wake up from his sleep.

The old pastor couldn't help but take a deep breath and quickly organized his words: "Miss Fenway, did what I thought happened last night?"

Fenwei covered her mouth and yawned profusely. As she descended the last flight of stairs, her legs gave way, nearly causing her to fall. She struggled to hold onto the inner wall of the treehouse and said, "Ah, it's nothing. I was overconfident, trying to handle two energetic young men on my own. I ended up spending the rest of the night on them. It's just that I didn't get enough rest."

"?!"

Just as Fenwei was about to continue, Emiya opened her eyes, shook her head vigorously, and struggled to her feet. "In short, last night the three of us discussed the more formal terms of the alliance, confirming in detail the habits and taboos between us to facilitate future actions."

At this point, Emilia couldn't help but look in Mars' direction. "Of course, this shouldn't have taken so long. But I seriously underestimated how nitpicky true lawful good people would be about the formal provisions. As a result, we spent the rest of the night mulling over each item one by one."

Although Emilia's voice was not loud, it was enough to wake a vigilant person from sleep.

Mars got up without delay, almost instantly standing up with his sword in hand. "Emmya, I think your wording is biased. I simply confirmed the unclear points of each clause in detail and corrected the inaccurate wording."

"If you think it's not, then it's not." Even a mage wouldn't want to argue with a paladin over the terms. That would only waste countless hours.

Emiya clenched his fist over his mouth, swallowing a yawn. He looked outside the treehouse, but unfortunately, due to the canopy of the holy land, there was no obvious change in light and darkness outside, so he couldn't confirm whether it was day or night. "So, should we set off now?"

"Stop, stop." Eswhite coughed repeatedly. "I went to bed early and just woke up. How long did you guys rest last night?"

Emiya felt her heartbeat.

The blood supply organs in the chest cavity were beating at an excessively fast speed due to the owner's hasty awakening.

"In my current physical state, I probably slept for three hours. I barely cast any spells yesterday. All the Phantom Pony were summoned using rituals, so they didn't need enough sleep."

Mars followed suit, clenching his fists and making a clacking sound. "I slept without armor this time, and it really felt much easier. Even if it was only for a short time, I got a good boost of energy."

The two men's bizarre answers made Eswhite's eyes widen. He asked the druid, "This old man has never gone out on an adventure. Are all the young adventurers nowadays like them?"

Unsurprisingly, this question was refuted by the druid: "How is that possible? Most young adventurers are just reckless men who rely on their bravery and hope to exchange their bloodshed for a year's worth of wine."

At this point, she snorted: "They are probably the so-called accusers... humph."

She didn't continue, but clapped her hands. "You said you didn't need to rest, so come with me. If we're any later and the other guests of the Holy Land wake up, the situation might become more troublesome."

"You're not the only one who covets that sword, Emya."

Mars said at the right moment, "The general meaning of coveting is unreasonable expectations and intentions. If the sword you are talking about is the same sword that Emilia is looking for, then Emilia has the rightful ownership of the sword. Even if you briefly possessed it during this period, the ownership has not been transferred. In this case, you cannot describe him as coveting."

Fenwei sighed deeply and said, "Now, Mr. Eswhite, you know what happened to us that night."

After quickly completing their morning wash, the group left the tree house where they were staying temporarily. However, the first scene after leaving the tree house made the newcomers sigh.

Eswhite raised his head, looked at the dark sky, and exclaimed: "-So, it's really daytime now? Isn't it still almost dark?"

The towering sacred trees refused to give way to each other, their dense leaves intertwined with each other, blocking all the sunlight out. Even though the whistling wind brought the sound of leaves blowing through the forest, it could not bring even a ray of light into the treetops.

It may be daytime now, but the only light source they can rely on is the light magic in their hands.

"Competition between plants is also cruel," Fenwei said with uncanny calmness. "The tree house you live in might have been the most vigorous descendant of the Holy Oak a few decades ago. However, even such a tall tree eventually lost all its sunlight to the Holy Oak."

"So it withered and died, and over the decades, its interior was completely hollowed out. That's how I was able to move in—and that's why druids' treehouses are always near sacred trees. There's always a shortage of old trees that eventually died."

"So druids are often considered inhumane—after all, in the eyes of druids, the world is inherently cruel."

Mars raised his eyebrows: "If everything is to be run according to the laws of nature, then what is the use of druids?"

Fenwei was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing: "Indeed. So this is why we need the Holy Land -"

She concluded with a statement that was inimitable to that of a Mystra believer: "Only magic can bring change to this bloody world."

The group walked around the "foot" of the sacred oak tree, crossed one thick root after another with great difficulty, and finally arrived at the core of the holy land.

The eight sacred trees formed a rough circle, but rather than being an open space, it was more like a battlefield where the roots of the sacred trees battled against each other.

Countless roots weaved through the earth, colliding and entwining, eventually emerging from the surface, sweeping the soil aside. Like arms clasping each other, the densely packed roots took up most of the space.

The extremely rare small open space has become the best place to hold ceremonies.

Emiya stood on a protruding root and glanced casually, and saw the only remaining light in this holy land.

In the distance, presumably in the direction of the sacred beech tree, several standing stones stood majestically. Together, they formed a simple yet profound magic circle. Each stone was engraved with golden runes, and rich magical energy flowed from them into the ground.

Fenwë's voice chimed in at the perfect moment: "That's the beech tree that Archdruid Korhal is responsible for. It's because of that stone formation that the sacred beech tree is growing so rapidly—perhaps in a few hundred years, the remaining seven trees will also wither."

Emiya was silent for a moment, then asked, "From what I've learned, each standing stone is powerful enough to become a sacred site in a forest. After years of worship by the druids, they gradually gain power. And Korhal alone possesses several such massive magical standing stones?"

Fenwë sighed. "These standing stones were acquired through the combined efforts of Korhal and their apprentices. I'm not sure of their exact origins. After all, there can only be one winner in this competition. Therefore, it's natural for druids who already belong to the same faction to cooperate."

"So, Mr. Emiya, I can guarantee that if you don't give your all, then the winner will definitely be Korhal."

"No need to emphasize this anymore." Emilia shook her head, retracted her gaze, and turned to Fenwei, "My sword...where is your ceremony?"

Fenwei showed a slightly mischievous smile on his face: "Turn left and take three steps forward."

Emiya turned around as instructed, and then hit the wooden barrier with a bang.

He covered his forehead, pursed his lips, took a step back silently, turned around and asked, "I did it, and then what?"

"What a boring reaction..." Fenwei sighed, opened his mouth, and spoke a strange language that was extremely difficult to understand.

That is the Druid language, and there are countless rumors about it - it is said that its history is so long that it makes all races feel ashamed; it is said that this is one of the Druids' greatest secrets, and anyone who leaks it will be hunted down immediately; it is said that even magic cannot decipher the true meaning of the Druid language.

Some even say that druids use this language to communicate with nature.

Then, the dark pillar began to move.

With the sound of heavy footsteps, it shook its body and said in the most authentic Common Language: "Lord Fenwe, you know very well that the two of us do not understand Druid."

As its body shook, the sound of rustling leaves was heard.

At the same time, a slow voice echoed from the other side: "Cuye, you've forgotten again—Lord Fenwei asked you not to mention this matter in front of outsiders. At this time, you should say, "Lord Fenwei, why did you wake us?"

They were actually two ten-meter-tall tree men.

The tree man named Thickleaf was stunned for a moment, then rubbed his head in a very human manner: "Ah, I remember now, Longbranch, you are much smarter than me. Lord Fenwei, why did you wake us up?"

"...Tsk." That was Mars's uncontrollable laughter.

Eswhite had a strange look on his face, and he had to tense up his facial muscles to avoid losing his composure.

Finwë blushed, coughed heavily, and forcibly changed the subject: "Longbranch, what happened in the forest while I was away? Has Khal Druid returned?"

This was obviously the information the three newcomers needed most, and they immediately pricked up their ears.

Longbranch answered methodically, "Baldur's Gate, Beregost, Candlekeep, Driltown, the dryads of Sharpfang Forest—most of these former visitors have left. They couldn't stand the gloom of the holy land."

“Only Eltoril’s guests remain with Lord Narcissus.

"

"This guest is very interested in the sword and has mentioned it several times."

"Also, Archdruid Korhal and his followers have yet to return to the Holy Land."

Hearing this topic, Emilia and Mars couldn't help but lower their heads.

There is no way Korhal's followers will return.

It is really difficult to predict what Khar is doing at this moment - however, Emiya plans to contact the Arm of Friendship immediately after confirming the safety of the Holy Sword.

Mars had visited Eltoril before and was well-versed in the situation there. The paladin immediately took over the conversation, "The Hell Knights of Eltoril aim to cleanse Hell. Therefore, they are interested in all sacred objects. The Crystal Sword is, of course, among them, which is not surprising."

"However, those guys can be a bit too enthusiastic sometimes. I don't really like their style of doing things."

Hearing this, Fenwei frowned: "-Longzhi? Has anyone actually tried to snatch the sword during this period of time?"

Long Branch replied, "Ah, Lord Fenwei. You worry too much. If anyone had tried to seize this treasure, Coarse Leaf and I would surely be dead."

"Oh, right." Having said this, Changzhi patted his head. "Lord Fenwei, I want to protest again - a treasure should have its own name. Pronouns are extremely disrespectful."

Having said this, Fenwe hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply and extended his hand in the direction of Aimia. "Then, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Aimia, a noble mage. He is the true owner of the holy sword, and he wishes to confirm its condition. You may ask him for his name."

Coarse Leaf slowly turned his head and exclaimed in genuine wonder, "Ah, even I knew that. There's no way a treasure like that could just fall into the forest."

Changzhi said, "Master Mage, please satisfy my curiosity—what is the origin of this sword? The tree people rooted in the land have never seen such a treasure."

Emilia replied, "This sword was given to me by my mentor. He said that its original name had been abandoned. Its original owner lived in a state of unforgivable yet unavoidable guilt due to unforgivable dereliction of duty, so it was called the Confessor."

Changzhi sighed sincerely, "You appear to be a promising young wizard. Your mentor must also be renowned. Thank you for your generous sharing of knowledge, Lord Fenwei. May I ask if you would like to return the item to its original owner?"

Fenwei snorted. "We've already agreed that we should at least take out this... Confessor and have him examine it once. But after that, I'm sure you two will need to watch over it for a while longer."

"understood."

As they spoke, the roots of the two treemen emerged from the earth like feet, revealing the space they had enclosed.

Mars and Eswhite, who were trying to hold back their laughter, suddenly felt as if their necks were strangled and they could no longer make a sound.

Just as Emiya had said, a giant sword was quietly embedded in the earth. It was nearly ten heads taller than the humanoids present, a true behemoth.

But what is most breathtaking is its unusual blade.

Although according to Emiya, there were silver cracks running across the blade, it seemed that those so-called cracks had come alive.

Dense silver cracks danced on the sword's edge like silk threads, and they cheered within the blade like leaping silver flames.

The silver thread obviously contained extraordinary energy. At this moment, the entire giant sword had been ignited by it into a blazing green beacon.

The moment it appeared, it instantly illuminated half of the Sacred Forest like a star. Brilliant light, centered on the Holy Sword, traversed an immense expanse of space, illuminating almost the entire Sacred Oak.

It's like the scorching sun in the sky.

Twenty-five Swords in Fire

This sudden change obviously caught everyone by surprise, even Emiya herself.

The Confessor is no ordinary sword—anyone who sees it will immediately draw an ordinary conclusion.

Even though it was covered in cracks and looked beyond repair, Emilia couldn't bear to recast such a magnificent work of art.

Although his teacher was quite nonchalant about it: "You can do whatever you want. It can't get any worse anyway."

This attitude is obviously debatable, but it also illustrates one point—although the Confessor still looks majestic, it is undoubtedly a completely ruined sword.

In fact, there was almost no magic effect in it. So far, Emilia had only managed to give it some enchantments that were better than nothing with the help of her teacher.

At present, the Confessor is more of an enchantment testbed for Emiya than a holy sword.

——Why would such a rotten sword suddenly burst into such brilliance?

Emiya didn't have time to think about this matter carefully.

This is the core of the Holy Land and the most important area in the entire circle. Any changes here will immediately attract the attention of all druids.

This was undoubtedly something Emiya didn't want to see at all.

Ultimately, his biggest reason for coming to the Sharptooth Forest was certainly for the Confessor, but that didn't mean he was willing to be drawn into the vortex of greed and ambition.

It would be fine at any other time, but a druid would not be interested in a straight scimitar.

Now is a crucial time for druids to compete for leadership of the Circle. Even if we exclude the shadow druids represented by Korhal, the other druids should also be vigilant: Fenwë has proven that magic items are effective in cultivating sacred trees. It is inevitable that other druids will be tempted.

Even worse, these druids generally already had connections with outside forces. Even if the druids weren't interested, their newfound allies would be tempted.

—In short, the Confessor had become a hotter subject than he had imagined.