Eruption

After all the other elves had withdrawn, only Maiev, Prince Tortheldrin, Elisande, and their respective guards remained.

"Elisande, I'm entrusting you with guarding the crystal. You must keep it safe."

"Yes, my lady."

"Prince Tortheldrin, I'm putting you in charge of keeping watch outside the city."

"Yes, my lady."

Prince Tortheldrin knew that Maiev's order to keep watch outside the city was a pretext. Her real purpose was to have him protect the crystal.

Once she had assigned their tasks, Maiev dismissed the elves.

Elisande summoned her trusted aides and drew up a detailed defense plan with them.

Just then, Prince Tortheldrin sought out Thalyssra and Oculus, whose meeting had just ended, and brought them to Maiev.

Meanwhile, at the nobles' gathering place.

The nobles were drawing up a plan of action based on Elisande's defense plan.

Most of Elisande's trusted aides had long since been brought over to the nobles' side by Advisor Vandros and Melandrus. Those who remained were people of low rank with little authority.

"This is the plan Elisande drew up. We can disguise ourselves as the guards coming on duty. Then all the defense forces around the crystal will be our people."

"What about the Hand of the Bright Moon? I don't want them coming out and interfering."

"Maiev had me station them in The Nighthold."

"We can send someone to lure Maiev out. That way, even Snyder won't be able to do anything to us."

The other nobles voiced their approval. Some had already begun imagining their lives after obtaining the crystal.

"You must promise to obey Lady Elisande's orders after we succeed." Advisor Vandros and Melandrus were fiercely loyal to Elisande, which was also the main reason they were cooperating with the nobles.

"Of course we'll obey Lady Elisande's orders," said the old noble of Eldre'Thalas who had founded the nobles' alliance. The other nobles chimed in with their agreement.

Their assurances gave the two men some confidence. They continued discussing the details of the operation with the nobles, and in the end, the parties settled on a course of action and how the benefits would be divided after their success.

"Are we really going to follow Elisande's command after we succeed?"

"Who cares? Once we succeed, won't it be up to us whether we listen to them?" Ambition shone in the old noble's eyes. He had already obtained an artifact powerful enough to support his ambitions.

Over at Maiev's place, their conversation was also drawing to a close.

"Did you both understand everything I said?" Maiev looked at Thalyssra and Oculus.

The two fell silent, both shocked by the news. These nobles were far too bold.

"I am loyal to Lord Snyder," Oculus, the teleportation technician, said first.

"I am also loyal to Lord Snyder," Archmage Thalyssra quickly added.

Seeing the two of them, Maiev breathed a sigh of relief and told them their tasks. Oculus was to open a portal outside the city leading into the square so the army could enter, while Thalyssra was to disguise herself as Prince Tortheldrin to lull the nobles into complacency. The real Prince Tortheldrin would lie in wait around the crystal with the Moon Guard, wearing Cloaks of Shadows to protect it.

"How much longer until Snyder returns?" Maiev asked Naisha after Prince Tortheldrin and the others had left.

"According to word from the Hand of the Bright Moon, Lord Snyder hasn't returned from the blessing ceremony yet. Our messenger has already told Jarod what happened, and he'll pass it on to Lord Snyder."

"I see." Maiev walked to the window. The sun was slowly setting, and night was gradually creeping across the sky. The common elves had all returned to their homes, unaware that by the time they woke, everything would have changed beyond recognition.

"Everyone, the time to act is now." At the old noble's command, the soldiers disguised from each family's sworn fighters were ready.

The soldiers sent to lure Maiev out had also set off.

The nobles' combined forces, led by Advisor Vandros and Melandrus, advanced toward the square.

The nobles' combined forces successfully took over the guard duty and temporarily short-circuited the magic crystal with a spell. They did not know that a group of dark figures had surrounded them.

By then, Maiev had also been lured out.

Elisande accompanied her.

"What happened? How could the crystal short-circuit?"

Maiev pretended not to know and played along with the group.

Elisande hurried forward to examine it. Guarding the crystal was her responsibility, after all.

The other nobles exchanged glances, then drew their weapons and surrounded Maiev. The nobles' combined forces around them also assumed defensive positions. The sight startled Elisande, who was inspecting the crystal.

"What are you doing?!" Elisande demanded angrily.

"Lady Elisande, stay out of this. We're doing this for your sake. As long as we have Maiev under control, we won't have to fear anyone, even if Snyder comes."

"Why are you doing this?" Maiev asked.

"The two of us are doing it for Lady Elisande. We can't stand having a stranger above us."

"Lady Elisande, rest assured, once this is done, we'll honor you as our leader."

"Stop now! I order you to stop!" Elisande roared.

"There's no stopping now, Lady Elisande. The arrow has already left the bow. Everyone, attack," said the old noble.

"Aah... aaah!" The soldiers' screams rang out.

It was not what the old noble had imagined. He slowly turned his head. Some of the nobles' combined forces lay in pools of blood, while the rest had been captured by the Moon Guard under Prince Tortheldrin's command.

"Now the attackers and defenders have switched places," Maiev said slowly.

"How is this possible, Prince Tortheldrin? Weren't you outside the city?"

"Sometimes the process doesn't matter, as long as the result is what we want," Maiev said, lowering her raised hand.

When Prince Tortheldrin saw Maiev's signal, he motioned for the Moon Guard to execute the rest of the nobles' combined forces. Their blood splashed over every member of the Moon Guard. Beneath the pitch-black night sky, moonlight shone on the bloodstained soldiers, making them look like demons.

The nobles had long since fallen into chaos. The greed in their eyes was gone, replaced by endless terror.

"What do we do? What do we do?!" one noble screamed in panic.

"Don't panic. We still have one last resort."

Forcing himself to remain calm, the old noble took out the artifact, the Eye of Aman'Thul, one of the Pillars of Creation. He began directing the surviving nobles to pour magical energy into it.

Maiev and the others were shocked to see the artifact the old noble had produced.

"Elisande, how could you give them that artifact?!" Maiev asked.

"I'm sorry, Lady Maiev. The artifact is usually kept in the storeroom. It seems they stole it without my knowledge."

Elisande explained.

"Lady Maiev, the most important thing now is figuring out how to deal with him."

Prince Tortheldrin spoke. After all, if they detonated it, not a single elf here would escape.

Maiev also realized that things were growing increasingly out of control.

"Hahaha!" The old noble let out a crazed laugh. With the crystal nearby, there was ample magical energy, so the Magic Eye charged quickly.

"No, it's still too slow. You can give me more!" The crazed noble began frantically draining the other nobles' life energy.

Amid the nobles' wails, the Magic Eye turned a vivid red, as though it might explode at any moment.

"All of you, die!" The old noble detonated the Magic Eye.

At that moment, a portal appeared in the square, and a vast elemental force enveloped the Magic Eye.