Manor Lord of the Elf World

Chapter 239 Choice

Chapter 239 Choice
"It's a magical beast! What kind of magical beast is it?!"

"My lord, the monsters have attacked the city!"

"Are they enemy troops?"

In Shixiang City, countless civilians and soldiers looked up at the enormous figure in the sky, their eyes filled with terror.

Raven slowly landed in this unfamiliar city.

Perhaps because of the recent war, the city is far less prosperous than Columbus described in his report.

Some ruins and even specks of blood could be seen in the city, likely caused by the invasion of Galar's army.

Kyurem's body slowly landed.

Before long, a knightly order surrounded them.

The soldiers, clad in armor and wielding weapons, stared in terror at the enormous creature before them.

"I am Raven, the King of the Unova Kingdom. I come from the distant Unova region with no ill intentions, but simply to discuss important matters with your King," Raven said authoritatively, glancing at the crowd.

"The United Kingdom?"

The soldiers looked at each other, and soon some of them recalled that a fleet had indeed come from the United Kingdom several months ago.

"It seems... there really is such a thing..."

"They say they came from the Far East, crossing the sea..."

As the discussion gradually arose, the previously tense atmosphere subtly eased a bit.

The leading knight's eyes narrowed, suppressing the commotion among his men. He stepped forward, still gripping his lance tightly, but his killing intent had diminished somewhat.
"As distinguished guests of the United Kingdom, why bring such a massive magical beast to the city? Stone Fragrance City has just been ravaged by war, and the people are terrified. If they are disturbed too much, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Raven's gaze swept calmly over the city's devastation, his tone slightly somber:

"If I intend to attack the city, with the power of Kyurem, your entire city will not last even a stick of incense."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kyurem seemed to sense it, and he exhaled a slight chill from his body, instantly causing a thin layer of frost to condense on the ground.

The soldiers all took a half step back, their faces pale, but none of them dared to utter a word to stop them.

“I have come here to join forces against Galar,” Raven said in a commanding voice, leaving no room for argument. “Delaying will only hasten the spread of war here. Take me to your king immediately; I have important matters to discuss.”

The knight commander's expression changed several times before he finally slowly lowered his spear.

"...Please wait a moment, sir, I will go into the city to report immediately."

The knight commander dared not delay and turned to run quickly toward the depths of the palace. The guards along the way saw his flustered expression and were about to question him when he pushed them aside.

At this moment, the entire Shixiang City was already caught between war and an eerie calm, and everyone was on edge. Any slight movement was enough to make people's hearts jump.

Raven stood with his hands behind his back beside Kyurem. The ice-blue dragon stood quietly, but a chilling aura quietly enveloped the entire square, making the surrounding soldiers dare not even breathe.

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, a series of hurried footsteps came from the direction of the palace.

"My lord, please follow me!" the knight commander said.

Raven nodded slightly, then put Kyurem back into its Poké Ball.

The people around looked surprised, but they didn't show it.

The two walked along the road and entered the castle.

From a distance, Raven spotted a tall man ahead.

The man wore a dust-covered royal robe, his long hair was disheveled and draped over his shoulders, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was surrounded by an inescapable sadness and obsession.

“King of the Unity, what brings you to Carlos?” AZ’s gaze fell upon the young figure.

"I have a way to revive Floripod." Raven said succinctly. If he wanted to stop Az from activating the ultimate weapon and causing those innocent Pokémon to lose their lives, this was the only way so far.

As a trainer who has lived with Pokémon for a long time, Raven knows that if he were in Az's situation, he would probably make the same choice without hesitation.

Therefore, he had no way to stop AZ from resurrecting Flower Leafy, but instead tried his best to provide him with another path without bloodshed and sacrifice.

Upon hearing this, Az on the throne frowned slightly. He looked directly at the man below, his tone filled with confusion and bewilderment.

How do you know about this?

Raven shook his head: "You don't need to know. I just want to tell you that I can help you revive Flower Leaf, and this path is more perfect than the one you chose."

"In what way?" AZ pressed.

"I've heard that a Pokémon named Xerneas lives in the Kalos region. That Pokémon is known as the God of Life, and it has the power to revive the dead."

“Once you find Him, Flower Leaf will be resurrected and return to your side,” Raven said.

Upon hearing this, Az fixed his gaze on Raven, as if he were pondering the truth of what he had said.

In those bloodshot eyes, despair surged for a moment, and then a faint but dazzling flame ignited in the next.

"Xerneas, the god of life?" AZ murmured.

But the next second, a hint of bitterness and self-mockery instantly distorted his face.

"Hahaha...hahahaha!" AZ suddenly burst into wild laughter, the sound so shrill it shook the dust off the roof. "You dare to use such a legend to mock me? Raven!"

He slammed his hand on the platform in front of him.

“Xerneas…the god of life. If he is a god, why doesn’t he take action to drive away the invaders who have invaded this land?”

AZ's voice suddenly rose, carrying a scream on the verge of collapse.

"Where was God when Galar's iron hooves shattered my city? Where was God when my petals fell in pools of blood?!"

He staggered to his feet, his royal robe slipping off.

AZ's voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows.

"All I want now is to save my only companion, but you want me to wait for a... god who doesn't even exist?"

Raven looked at him quietly without refuting him.

After a moment, he finally spoke, each word striking AZ's heart like a hammer blow.
"Whether you believe it or not, Xerneas is real, and only He can bring Flower Leaf back to life truly, completely, with all its memories and emotions."

The hall fell into an instant, deathly silence.

AZ's body trembled violently. He stared intently at Raven, the madness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a complex mix of hope, fear, and disbelief.

"Your Highness Az, please make your choice!"

"If you choose to sacrifice the innocent lives on this land and activate the ultimate weapon, I will stop you."

"If you choose to believe me, and borrow Xerneas's power, I will help you."

Raven said calmly.

Upon hearing these words, AZ fell into an eerie silence.

Does he want to gamble?

We're betting on Xerneas's existence, betting on the sincerity of the United Kingdom.

Is it better to stain the throne with blood and plunge into an abyss of no return?

Or should they choose to trust a stranger, gamble Carlos's future, and exchange it for the resurrection of Flora?
AZ slowly closed her eyes, tears streaming down her deeply lined cheeks, dripping onto the broken stone platform and spreading out a small, dark stain.

After a long while, he opened his eyes.

However, Az did not make a decision immediately. Instead, he looked at Raven and said:
“The messenger named Columbus told me many things about you last time.”

"You have gained the approval of the dragon, stopped the war single-handedly, and unified the Unova."

"You led your people to live alongside magical beasts, creating a new kingdom." "If I'm not mistaken, you also have many magical beast companions by your side, don't you?"

"If they die, what choice will you make?"

Raven remained silent.

“I won’t let them die,” he said.

Az paused slightly, his crimson eyes now filled with unwavering resolve.

"it is good."

His voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear.

I'll trust you this once.

"Your Majesty Raven, Carlos wishes to form an alliance with the United Kingdom."

"Gallar's ambitions, I will discuss them with you."

"I pray with you for the revival of the flower petals."

“But remember this—” AZ suddenly looked up, a fierce glint in his eyes, “If you lie to me, I will take the entire Carlos with me and perish together with you!”

Raven: "..."

When the time comes, the final weapon's shot will probably land on the heads of their Unova region, right?

Raven bowed slightly.

“AZ, I, Raven, hereby swear—”

His voice pierced through the gloom of the ancient palace and resounded through the heavens:
“I will return the flower petals to you, and I will join you in protecting the peace of Carlos.”

Outside the palace, night was falling.

An alliance that would change Carlos's fate was thus forged.

*
Late at night, Raven and his Pokémon rested in the room that Az had arranged for them.

Raven looked out the window at the gloomy sky and couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

Shouldn't he have refrained from interfering in the conflict between Carlos and Galar?
However, he couldn't bear to watch those innocent Pokémon be devoured by the ultimate weapon.

To exchange the lives of millions for the resurrection of a single Pokémon is not redemption, but sin.

Perhaps it is for this reason that the resurrected Flower Leaf chose to leave Az.

But... Xerneas, where are you?
Perhaps Zygard knows the answer to this question.

Raven fell into deep thought.

Zygard is the overseer of the ecosystem, and He has been maintaining the ecological order in the Carlos region.

Az's actions will undoubtedly cause great destruction to the ecosystem of the Carlos region.

In this way, he could cooperate with Zygarde to find Xerneas and ask Him to resurrect Flowerleaf.

Thinking of this, Raven said to Kyurem, "Kyurem, can you find that green Pokémon from the daytime?"

Kyurem's voice soon echoed in Raven's mind.

"It's right outside."

Raven was stunned for a moment, but he quickly realized what was happening.

Following Kyurem's directions, he quickly found Zygarde in an inconspicuous flowerbed within the castle.

Although it was just a tiny cell, Raven knew that Zygarde could see and hear everything that cell went through.

These cells are countless, scattered throughout Carlos, and Tiggerd watches over the land.

Raven took the cells back to the room.

He gently placed the faintly glowing green cell in his palm, his movements so gentle as if afraid of disturbing even a wisp of light.

The cell remained motionless in his hand, like a dead object.

Raven sat cross-legged, gazing at the cell that represented Carlos's ecological will, and slowly spoke:

“I know it’s you, Zygarde.”

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the other person's consciousness.

The cells did not react at all.

Raven continued, "The Carlos region is facing a major crisis that could affect the stability of the world's ecosystem."

"The king of this country, having lost his most important Pokémon partner, wants to activate the ultimate weapon to forcibly reverse life and death at the cost of the lives of thousands of Pokémon."

"That approach will only cause the life on this land to wither completely, and the Pokémon in this area will never see the sun again. I think that's an ending you absolutely don't want to see."

The green cells swayed gently, as if they had heard his words.

Raven continued:

“I have made a pact with AZ not to use the ultimate weapon or sacrifice innocent lives, but to seek out Xerneas, the god of life, and ask Him to bring Flower Leaf back with the pure essence of life.”

"Once we revive Florifolia and defeat the invaders, I will work closely with AZ to guide the humans and Pokémon living on this land to integrate and live together, building a new kingdom where humans and Pokémon can coexist peacefully."

"So, Ziegler, I need your help, no, to be precise, your cooperation."

"Please tell me, where in Carlos does Xerneas sleep?"

"And I will help you maintain the ecological order of this land, so that humans and Pokémon can work together to create a better world."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

A gentle night breeze blew outside the window, and moonlight pierced through the clouds, falling on that tiny cell.

A moment later, an ancient, vast, and emotionless consciousness slowly flowed into Raven's mind.

There are no words, only images and will.

—In the towering forests and the ever-blooming flowers, on that vibrant, verdant land, the god of life, Xerneas, slumbers in the form of a tree amidst the blossoms.

Raven closed his eyes, memorized all the information, and when he opened them again, his gaze was resolute.

Kidgerd agreed to the collaboration.

"I understand."

He gently opened his palm, and the green cells slightly raised their heads and moved, as if to greet him.

The next moment, it transformed into a glimmer of light, quietly flying out of the window and re-entering the night in Carlos.

Inside the distant final cave.

Zygard, who resembled a giant serpent, suddenly opened his eyes.

His gaze was fixed on the distance.

This question does not require an answer from Him.

Because Xerneas and Yveltal are already on their way there.

That foreign "dragon" possessed supreme power.

His existence has awakened Xerneas and Yveltal, stirring a sense of crisis within them.