YM778.TV Chapter 255 - 255 Holy Tree Duke
Back when the other party arrived, he seemed like just an ordinary human on a pilgrimage, not exuding the pressure of a top powerhouse. Although Ebony had never doubted the Matriarch’s revelation, he couldn’t help but grumble when he saw such a person walk in.
But when he offered his price based on the Matriarch’s revelation, the immense magic power that subconsciously overflowed from the other party almost suffocated him. Even under the suppression of the Holy Tree Matriarch Temple’s restrictions, the other party could create a considerable magic phenomenon. This meant that the human in front of him wasn’t as simple as he appeared.
Ebony even felt that with the other party’s strength, he might be a match for the b*tch who had taken his throne.
!!
The thought of the woman who had taken everything from him made Ebony’s mood instantly turn gloomy. Anger and humiliation mixed together in his heart.
For centuries, no, millennia, the leader of the Forest Elves had always been the Father of the Wilderness without exception. Even after the Unification War, the highest ruler of the Forest Elves had to be recognized by the empire’s emperor, but it was just an additional process for the Forest Elves and they had to change it to the ridiculous title of Holy Tree Duke for show.
Back in the days of the Unification War, Ravenwood Forest was a whole different story. Unlike the other provinces, it wasn’t defeated and conquered by the empire’s legion in a brutal head-on battle. Thanks to the unique cultural tradition of the Forest Elves and the protection of their deity-like Matriarch, the Forest Elves were able to maintain a level of autonomy even after Ravenwood and the surrounding areas were officially integrated into the Riel Empire.
As long as Holy Tree City recognized the rule of the Platinum Throne and paid their taxes on time, the empire pretty much left them alone to handle their own leadership elections in Emerald Province.
In Ravenwood, the highest authority wasn’t passed down through birth and bloodline like it was with the humans’ empire.
The Forest Elves may have been a peace-loving race, but their leader had to be strong and ruthless.
Every 20 years, during the Blood Moon phenomenon, all the tribes had to send their strongest warriors to a hunting ground to fight like wild beasts until only one person was left standing.
The winner would then eat the flesh and blood of the losers, absorbing their power and proving that they were truly powerful enough to lead the Forest Elves to prosperity.
After this, the victor would return to the World Tree to cleanse themselves and drink the sap of the Holy Tree to regain their humanity. Only then could they officially marry the incarnation chosen by the Matriarch and obtain the title and strength of Father of the Wilderness, giving them the authority to rule the Forest Elves and command all the Wilderness Spirits.
Hobien Ebony was the last man standing in the last Blood Moon Game.
Ebony was born into the unassuming Ebony tribe, and his contract with a spirit was weak, but he refused to let that stop him from proving his worth as a leader of all of Emerald Province. He relied on his own strength and courage to climb the ranks and earn his place as the leader of Ravenwood.
But at the final step of the divine marriage ritual, with the chosen incarnation of the Matriarch, the current Holy Tree Duke, things took a dramatic turn. With a wave of her hand, she sent Ebony flying out of the bedroom.
The scene was comical and ridiculous.
“You shouldn’t be Ravenwood’s leader,” the woman said coldly, looking down on him like he was an ant.
Ebony’s pride couldn’t take it. He summoned the Great Spirit engraved on his body and angrily prepared to fight back. He was the victor of the Blood Moon Game, and he wouldn’t let this woman get away with her insults, even if she was the Currere incarnation chosen by the Matriarch.
But the outcome was not what he expected. Despite being the ultimate victor in the Blood Moon Games, he was easily defeated by the other party in a single strike.
He didn’t even see the other party’s move clearly.
“Give up. You don’t have the right,” the woman said as she looked at him struggling to get up.
“Then who has the right?” Ebony asked, his mouth full of blood.
“Although I want to say that anyone other than you is qualified, I believe you won’t be convinced,” the woman replied calmly.
“Therefore, the person who defeated you has the qualifications—me.”
“You? What right does a woman like you have to become the Father of the Wild and rule Ravenwood with an antler crown?” Ebony asked with an angry laugh.
The woman replied indifferently, “Keep that crown if you like. I don’t need it. And I have to remind you that the supreme ruler of Emerald Province is the Holy Tree Duke, conferred by the empire, not the Father of the Wilderness. You can’t confuse the two just because their responsibilities overlap in the past. Do you understand?”
“Then, how do you plan on making others agree with your delusions? Do you think the various tribes, the Forest Druids, the tree spirits, and all the Forest Elves will believe you and support you as ruler?” Ebony asked, still with blood in his mouth.
But the woman only said calmly, “Other than all the Forest Elf commoners, I’ll talk to the rest one by one. As long as I negotiate with them, the commoners will naturally accept me. Don’t worry, since I’ve said so, I’ll definitely keep my word.”
The “negotiation” she spoke of was nothing but brute force. Utilizing her unparalleled strength, she took on every faction in Emerald Province one by one until they all fell under her iron will.
It may have seemed like a fairy tale, but in under a year, she made it a reality.
…
As William made his way to the chamber containing his remuneration, he couldn’t help but ask about the mysterious Holy Tree Duke, a woman who ruled Ravenwood. This was an impossibility in Forest Elf tradition.
“Just her alone?” William asked in shock as Ebony recounted the story.
It all sounded too unbelievable to be true.
William knew the strength levels of Currere well—most people could only master three spells, and the bottleneck for advancement had been stymied by the Astral Council. Back in the day, those who could only play a minor role in the Mage Guild were considered powerhouses now.
In contrast, the Forest Elves possessed a unique power system based on communicating with wild beasts, great spirits, and tree spirits. The dissipation of spells brought about by the Astral Laws didn’t affect the Emerald Province much. Although this power was limited to Ravenwood, the strength they could unleash was still considerable as long as it was within this territory.
Ignoring the fact that it was difficult for the Forest Elves to mobilize for war because of their special culture, it would be extremely difficult for the empire to send troops to control Ravenwood on the surface. It might even fail.
This could be seen from the Unification War 800 years ago—if it weren’t for the fact that Yeats couldn’t afford to fight the first generation Platinum Ring and had to set the mountain on fire, the empire’s legion back then wouldn’t have been able to defeat Ravenwood, who was willing to fight.
According to William’s calculations, even if the Holy Tree Duke reached Legendary level in all three spells, she wouldn’t stand a chance against all the transcendent factions in Emerald Province alone.
But what if the other party had already reached the Divine Realm in all three spells? Or what if she had bypassed the restrictions of the Astral Laws? Or could it be?
An ominous possibility flashed through William’s mind.
“She was alone,” Ebony interjected, “although she later formed a relationship with the empire’s royal family because of Erin and obtained a lot of support from the empire, that was only after she ascended the throne. At the very least, she relied on her own strength to become the Holy Tree Duke through her battles.”
If that is the case, then this is going to be a real problem.
William thought and asked casually, “By the way, after hearing your stories all this while, what’s the name of that Holy Tree Duke?”
Ebony replied with disgust, “Her name is Floral, a Forest Elf name that can’t be any more common.”
This name was similar to the names given to daughters by their parents in William’s previous world. It was a common name, suitable for any occasion.
But before William could say anything, Ebony continued, “But she’s a rare Forest Elf raised by humans, so she inherited her human parents’ last name—Kane. Floral Kane. Speaking of which, she has the same last name as the Eighth Holy Spirit the empire worships.”