Three Faces of Ilan

The dossier, once unrolled, stretched for over ten meters, its columns aligning positions with names. Status diminished from right to left, with the first column on the right reserved for the Supreme Commander of the Holy Alliance—Sama, the Emperor of the Most Holy Gods! Next, naturally, was Grand Speaker Zigurd. These two undisputed positions warranted only a glance from Du Chen before he skipped down the list.

The entire roster was founded upon the Holy Alliance’s millennium-old structure, augmented by several contemporary positions, broadly divided into two major systems: military and political. The military system was spearheaded by nine key positions: the chief and deputy commanders of the three major war zones, the Admiral of the Navy, the Chief of Staff, and a Commander of Strategic Reserve Forces. These nine individuals would constitute the Holy Alliance’s Nine Marshals!

Beneath the Nine Marshals, thirteen major departments were established: the Staff Headquarters, Intelligence Department, Training Department, War Instruments Bureau, and so forth. The heads of these thirteen departments, along with crucial generals from the combat units, held the ranks of General and Senior General…

Du Chen bypassed the myriad minor departments below and redirected his attention to the political structure: a Grand Speaker on par with the Divine Emperor, three Speakers of equal standing to Marshals, and nine Senior Councilors equivalent to four-star Generals. These thirteen individuals formed the highest echelon of the Alliance’s political body, with lower-ranking Councilors and Senators filling out the more intricate roles beneath them.

With the basic framework understood, Du Chen scanned the names corresponding to the positions and nearly burst out laughing!

Some names were already filled in on the roster, but most remained blank. Bairu had his wish fulfilled, his name inscribed under the position of Speaker. Ferdinand, owing to his status as Dean of Battle God Academy, also secured a Speaker’s slot. Yet, ridiculously, the name of that boor, Mas, actually appeared beneath the Chief of Staff of the Alliance. “Chief of Staff Mas?” Heavens, what military strategies could *that oaf* possibly conceive!?

However, Du Chen quickly understood: the Pontiff’s arrangement was to keep the Alliance’s “brain” firmly under his control. Mas might be incapable of devising strategies, but he could execute the Pontiff’s orders without question or compromise!

And immediately after Mas’s name came… “His Eminence, Grand Marshal Francis, God-Granted Duke, Commander of the Holy Alliance’s Third War Zone Reserve Forces!”

Du Chen tilted his head back and exhaled softly, calming his slightly stirred emotions. Once this roster was stamped with the Divine Emperor’s Seal, he would become an Eminence second only to the Pontiff and his teacher…

“His Eminence, Grand Marshal Du Chen!”

Ferdinand chuckled, “Brother, no, Your Excellency Grand Marshal, are you satisfied?”

Du Chen casually tossed the dossier onto the table. “Satisfaction is irrelevant. Everything I do today is in service of Du Chen, the Divine, and this Grand Marshal position… is merely a temporary role for my God, who disdains social niceties! Speaker Ferdinand, what exactly is the meaning of showing me this list?”

Surprised by Du Chen’s unflappable demeanor, Ferdinand pointed to the dossier. “As you can see, the names already filled in for these positions are largely finalized; there should be no surprises there! However, there are still many blank spaces on this list… and I’ve come to you on behalf of the Pontiff to solicit Your Excellency Grand Marshal’s opinion. Whom, in your esteemed judgment, would be best suited to fill these remaining roles?”

His words were veiled, ostensibly seeking the Grand Marshal's opinion, but the underlying message was clear: “Francis, I, the Pontiff, have kept my promise and granted you the position of Grand Marshal. But after the Holy Alliance is formally established, each Marshal’s troops cannot be randomly reassigned. Though you bear the title of Grand Marshal, you will still command only your own soldiers! Thus, your mere tens of thousands of troops are hardly commensurate with the prestige of a Grand Marshal!”

“Furthermore, while now is the time to divide the spoils, how we apportion them is open for discussion. Yet, once we truly go to war with the Fiendkind, you, as the commander of the general reserve forces, will genuinely be campaigning across the Three Continents. In such a scenario, will your few tens of thousands of soldiers suffice?”

“If your troops are insufficient, it will be all of humanity that suffers! Therefore, to prevent the greater human cause from being hampered in the future, I offer you this opportunity: swiftly embed your trusted confidants within the Alliance now and forge your own faction!”

It had to be said, the Pontiff’s foresight was indeed long-term; he hadn’t lost his head in the slightest!

Du Chen rubbed his nose and tapped the dossier on the table. Ferdinand followed his finger to see Du Chen indicating the four-star General column, and immediately chuckled, “God-General Dud has traversed countless battlefields undefeated, and the Battle of Thorns was a shock to the world! It is only right and proper that he occupies a four-star General’s quota!”

Du Chen smiled, his fingertip shifting lightly to another spot. “Miki Duchy is strategically located as a central hub of the Three Continents, crucial for overall logistical flow. So, Queen Liana…”

Ferdinand’s brow furrowed slightly. He gently pulled the dossier, making Du Chen’s fingertip slide left. “Miki ‘Duchy’ is, after all, a small coastal nation with a population of only a few million. That massive slice of The Grand Inheritance for Deputy Chief of Staff should really be reserved for the McAllen ‘Empire’… However, you do have a point. How about she serves as a Confidential Senior General Staff Officer, affiliated with the General Reserve Forces, while also attending the Senior Council?”

Du Chen didn’t reply, his finger pointing to another spot. “The Xino Dwarf race excels in special operations, and Prince Sem is a close classmate and friend of mine for many years; his capabilities are beyond doubt…”

Seeing Du Chen tacitly accept Liana’s proposed position, Ferdinand laughed heartily. “Brother, rest assured about Prince Sem. The Alliance isn’t just for humans; His Majesty has long intended to promote several non-human races to balance the aspirations of the various major species… Lieutenant General Sem, of the Xino Special Forces!”

“The parishes of Du Chen’s Divine Cult now cover the southern regions of Einz, boasting tens of millions of followers…”

“Councilor Brook, the Nether Blade!”

“My old classmate Jason is truly not cut out for cultivating battle qi, but when it comes to business…”

“Oh, the General Logistics Department is currently in need of a Quartermaster…”

The two exchanged proposals back and forth, quickly carving out Du Chen’s share of The Grand Inheritance. Finally, Du Chen nodded contentedly and asked with a smile, “Brother Ferdinand, in your estimation, who will be the true Eminences ultimately produced by the Holy Alliance?”

Ferdinand pondered for a long while, then hesitated. “The true core leadership will undoubtedly be the Nine Marshals and three Speakers. Bairu and I each hold a Speaker position. The remaining one… might go to King Yakun of the Namir, as he is the sovereign ruler of an entire continent, his dominion surpassing all other nations. It’s only right that he receives a position second only to His Holiness the Pontiff!”

“My Junior Brother Cassian should be graduating soon…” Du Chen remarked with a sudden sigh, then asked, “What about the Nine Marshals?”

This time, Ferdinand answered without hesitation. “First, it’s certain that the Family Heads of the Five Families of Fallen Gods will each occupy one of the five Marshal positions. Adding you and Mas, that makes seven Grand Marshals! The other two Marshals… Heh, word from the Skylands is that the Young Martial Venerable and the Lionheart King are still giving His Majesty some face, so those two Marshal positions will be reserved for them. I doubt the rulers of other nations, even if displeased with this allocation, would dare speak against it given their power!”

At the mention of the Lionheart King, Du Chen’s mind instantly drifted, his thoughts returning to that epic war on the Emerald Sea… The Lionheart King, Alonso, a prodigious talent of the Skylands, had dominated with such peerless might, decimating hundreds of thousands of enemy troops in casual conversation. Wherever his thunderous might swept, none dared to challenge his furious lion banner. His valiant figure was still vivid in Du Chen’s memory!

Alas, I wonder how that old lion is doing. I truly do miss him!

Carrying a strange sense of longing for the Lionheart King, Du Chen saw Ferdinand and Ilan out. As they departed, both sides agreed that Ilan would continuously provide intelligence on Bargnar’s movements, ensuring Lanning wouldn't cause trouble for Du Chen at the Alliance Assembly. As Du Chen watched Ilan’s retreating back, he suddenly felt much older. Several years had passed in a blink; he had established his own Clandestine Circles, and even the underlings he’d once elevated had long since climbed to prominence…

Du Chen knew Ilan was Lanning’s Minister of Rites, perhaps a future Prime Minister. He also knew him to be a Holy Church spy, a White-Robed Archbishop of the Shadow Temple. But… how many still remembered Ilan’s *other* identity!?

Ilan accompanied Ferdinand back to the Dean’s office. After closing the door, he suddenly shrugged. “These Red-Bloods are truly a chaotic mess! To form a mere anti-enemy alliance, they require so many under-the-table agreements and compromises between various factions… Hmph, if it were us Violet-Bloods, we could assemble an efficient alliance with just a few words!”

Ferdinand’s violet eyebrows twitched. “The Red-Bloods have enjoyed peace for too long, inevitably leading to numerous drawbacks! Still, this Hot Spring Mountain Assembly is truly too troublesome. The Alliance’s roster of positions changes daily! See, it’s changed again today after Francis divided his ‘Grand Inheritance.’ Number Five, quickly deliver this latest intelligence to Marshal Bonis!”

Ilan waved a hand feebly. “I’m simultaneously gathering intelligence on Lanning for the Holy Church, and intelligence on the Holy Church for Marshal Bonis. Now I also have to help Francis contend with Bargnar… It’s truly too much to handle! Please, trouble yourself to pass on this latest roster to the Marshal!”

Ferdinand nodded steadily. “Very well! I say, Ilan, in our Violet-Bloods’ ‘Eminence Project,’ others might at most be double agents, but you, you’re juggling three ships, a triple spy… Truly, your achievements are outstanding!”

“Oh, please! Compared to you and Number Two, what am I? Ah, speaking of achievements, I just remembered: I recently heard a piece of Clandestine Circles gossip from a friend on the Supreme Council—Number One, the most mysterious figure in our Eminence Project, has made a breakthrough!”

Ferdinand’s eyes lit up. “Quickly, what kind of breakthrough?”

Ilan spread his hands. “Even the Marshal isn’t privy to Number One’s affairs, so how could I explain it clearly? But I heard that not long ago, Number One, who had been silent for years, sent back a secret letter. After reading it, the Marshal wept tears of joy, sighed dramatically to the heavens, and declared that he could finally lead our people back to the Three Continents in his lifetime. What else could that be but a breakthrough?”

They exchanged glances, then burst into hearty, genuine laughter together!

From the perspective of the Violet-Bloods, they had every reason to laugh!

After his laughter subsided, Ilan tossed Ferdinand a few small vials. “Seriously now, these are Sir Philip’s latest medicinal concoctions. One vial can conceal our Violet Blood from Namir silver needles—the Red-Bloods are investigating rigorously these days, so be careful! The other vials are called ‘Heaven’s Tears’; their usage is detailed in the secret document. Once you formally assume the deanship, use them to control the Academy’s faculty and staff. We Violet-Bloods haven’t seen the light of day for a thousand years, and we desperately need Battle God Isle’s resources to replenish our…” He pointed to his temple. “…minds!”

Ferdinand’s expression turned strange after he received the vials, and he suddenly sighed. “If only Sir Philip were a Violet-Blood…”

Ilan fell silent. In his position, he naturally understood the current plight of the Fiendkind all too well—their population was already sparse, and after the calamity of the Huhuhu Beast, barely three million remained. Yet, the Undead legions and Netherbeast legions under Philip’s command now totaled over three million… Having more foreign soldiers than native population was historically a root cause of unrest, but with the Red-Bloods as their primary foe, this impending conflict had yet to erupt!

A moment of awkward silence filled the secret chamber. Ilan chuckled. “Let’s not dwell on that! Number Three, one last reminder: be careful when sending messages to the Marshal. I’ve received intelligence that the Life Tree and the Marshal have been at odds lately. Your messenger might encounter some minor trouble in the Labyrinth of Life!”

Ferdinand froze. “Didn’t the Marshal and the Life Tree have an agreement long ago? Why…?”

Ilan gave a wry smile. “It’s all because of the Fire Phoenix, one of the Imperial Divine Beasts!”

Ferdinand let out an “Oh.” He was aware of this matter: after the War of Fallen Gods, the Life Tree had imprisoned the Fire Phoenix, who supported the Red-Bloods, within its own body. However, times had changed; after a millennium, their respective thoughts and stances had diverged… The Fire Phoenix had long since abandoned the distinction between Red-Blood and Violet-Blood positions, intent only on finding her lost child! Marshal Bonis had seized upon this, forging an alliance agreement with the Fire Phoenix!

When attempting to steal Orbach’s corpse, the Marshal had dispatched agents carrying the Fire Phoenix’s blood to the human realm to search for her child. Yet, unexpectedly, those Violet-Bloods tasked with the mission were incompetent: they not only lost the Fire Phoenix’s blood but also alerted the Life Tree… Damn it!

Thinking of this, Ferdinand couldn’t help but curse those imbeciles under his breath, but then he immediately smiled again. For after that incident, Marshal Bonis, with nothing to lose, had personally led the recently born Nine Nether King Beasts to storm the Life Prison, forcibly rescuing the Fire Phoenix! Now, the Fire Phoenix was effectively an ally of the Violet-Bloods…

So, could the Life Tree still look favorably upon the Violet-Bloods?

Ferdinand felt uneasy and asked, “Will the Life Tree’s change of attitude affect our plans?”

Ilan chuckled. “Don’t you worry! Previously, the Marshal had to grovel before the Life Tree because we relied on it to complete our Violet-Blood Great Migration. But now we have the Nether King Beasts… Simply put, our dependence on the Life Tree isn’t as strong, so the Marshal now has the leverage to challenge and negotiate with it. The Life Tree wouldn’t dare go too far—my warning to you was merely a precaution!”

Ferdinand nodded. Indeed, twelve Nether King Beasts were equivalent to a Green Gourd. That Green Gourd back then had helped the Huhuhu Beasts complete a migration of millions. So, even after one Syngh was eliminated, the remaining eleven Nether King Beasts would be more than enough to assist the over three million Violet-Bloods in their migration!

The two discussed a few more minor matters, then suddenly high-fived, performing a very ancient ritual!

After seeing Ilan off, Ferdinand’s gaze hardened. He stood by the window, overlooking Battle God Isle, and murmured to himself.

“Father, Grandfather, esteemed ancestors, your child has taken sixty years, but finally accomplished the dream you bought with your lives… Rest assured, my forefathers. Ferdinand will ensure humanity’s spiritual faith and the source of its power serve the Violet-Bloods! Battle God Isle, the Battle God Isle belonging to the Violet-Bloods, shall be protected by me. No one will be allowed to harm it… for the right to live under the sun!”