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So this was what renewing the contract meant?

The other party’s answer stunned William. Recreating the past to affect the present—it sounded like ritual magic.

No…

Ritual magic merely reproduced myths, and those myths were based on creation. Reproducing those myths could trigger corresponding phenomena.

However, the birth of the Forest Elves was real and recorded in history. Moreover, the Holy Tree Matriarch was a deity who could manifest Her divinity on Her own. Instead of saying that Their actions were similar to ceremonial magic, it was better to say that they were…

“Is this not a threat to the Holy Tree Matriarch you believe in?” William asked in disbelief.

However, the other party shook his head and said, “It’s not a threat, it’s reconstruction. We plan on reconstructing our mother.”

“Reconstructing a god?” William asked.

Perhaps seeing the surprise on William’s face, the other party asked curiously, “What’s wrong with that? Gods are created by the faith of mortals. We created Her, and then we believe in Her. Gods aren’t isolated entities. Gods themselves include the concept of believers, just like a mother includes the concept of a child.”

William looked at Ebony, trying to decipher if he was pious or heretical.

Ebony’s devotion to the Holy Tree Matriarch was real, but at the same time, he had a rational understanding of faith and the essence of gods. Yet, he still sincerely believed in Them.

It was the same for all the Forest Elf clergymen, according to the history that William had learned.

After a long time, William continued, “What happened then? Did Nehe agree to your request?”

The other party shook his head as he had expected and said, “No. After learning the details of the ritual, he rejected our request and had a conflict with the entire Oak Council. He killed many members of the brass before leaving Holy Tree City and freezing Fairy Lake in a fit of anger.”

That sounds like something Nehe would do… William thought.

The idea of Nehe spreading Undead corruption and killing innocent people in exchange for his salvation was something that Nehe would fight William head-on if he had proposed the plan.

“So, what happened? I noticed that you still follow certain customs, like Holy Communion,” he continued asking.

“Not long after Nehe left, a woman stepped forward, claiming to have received a vision from the Matriarch. She claimed to be the new Wilderness Bride. The Oak Council had no choice but to hold a Blood Moon Game as a last resort and choose a new Father of the Wilderness to perform a divine marriage ritual with her. And to everyone’s surprise, it actually worked. The entire matter was like a farce,” Ebony replied.

Was it a farce? William didn’t think so.

There were too many red flags, from the inexplicable deaths of the two leaders to Nehe being invited to Ravenwood as a consultant, the theft of the core of the World Tree, the ritual to bring back a god, and the final solution that seemed like a joke.

Every detail was a breeding ground for conspiracy theories. William was at a loss on how to proceed with his investigation.

Even the authenticity of the historical information provided by Ebony was up for debate.

William had no intention of blindly following Ebony and helping him seize the throne.

Moreover, this wasn’t a breach of contract. After all, the Judgment equipment the other party had promised as remuneration was fake.

Hence, William stood face to face with a woman named Floral, the most likely inheritor of his late friend’s legacy and posed his question.

What price was needed to buy the other party’s loyalty?

If there was really a conspiracy in those matters back then, the changes brought about by that conspiracy had lasted for more than a thousand years.

William stood in front of the woman, taking in her methods and personality. He wasn’t a fan of her ways, but he knew one thing for sure—she was a disruptor in the Emerald Province.

In a way, she was someone he could trust.

William was confident that the woman thought the same of him, being an outsider to the factions that had been present in the province for over a thousand years. He was someone who could be trusted.

The woman considered William’s offer, looking at him calmly.

“I should be the one asking this question, right? What will it cost me to hire you?”

William smiled, shaking his head.

“You can’t afford me, so name your price. I can theoretically do everything a human can do. Most things that only gods can do, too.”

The woman looked skeptical at William’s confident tone.

“I don’t believe there’s anyone in the empire who can offer better conditions than Erin.”

As she spoke, she tapped the armrest of the throne and continued, “Even if there is, they should have their own throne, not someone like you who only exercises sovereignty over a small part of the territory.”

William’s sphere of influence may have been vast in magic, but his territory—Blackwater Province—was barren and resource-poor, not a wise choice for the woman to get involved with—no matter what price the other party could offer.

Just as she finished speaking, a replica of the Withering Throne appeared in front of her through a spatial door.

No, it wasn’t a replica. The throne formed by the intertwining roots of the World Tree emitted a majestic life aura that couldn’t be faked at all. However… this thing that used to be placed at the core of the World Tree but later had its name changed to the Withering Throne should be the only one in the world.

The other party didn’t explain, instead sitting down unceremoniously and placing his elbow on the armrest and crossing his fingers.

“So, your first request is that the partner has to have a throne? A throne that can be on equal footing with you?”

Floral’s shocked expression was reflected in the other party’s eyes as he smiled and said,

Taking a deep breath, Floral finally asked, “So, which Moon Realm Sovereign are you representing?”