Chapter 622: King Arthur and the Mage Merlin

While Donald was working on plans to eliminate Oscar’s threat, significant changes were taking place beyond the high mountains in the north of Dalaran.
The tribes of the plateau people, originally scattered across the Great Snowy Mountains and the Frozen Plateau, each governed themselves independently. This situation changed fundamentally a few years ago when Donald sent his follower, the young plateau man Arthur, back to the plateau.
Encouraged by Donald, Arthur successfully gained the position and power of his tribe’s chief and began challenging neighboring tribes, gradually conquering many of them over the years.
Inheriting the legacy of the human hero, the King of the Hills, Arthur surpassed ordinary plateau warriors in both strength and skill. Even other plateau warriors of his rank fell far behind him in terms of equipment and technique. After all, the plateau people had traditionally relied only on rudimentary combat skills honed through hunting, which could not compare to the traditions of other races such as humans and elves.
Moreover, three years ago, Donald sent his disciple Merlin to assist Arthur in ascending to the throne that would unite the plateau tribes.
Though this move had a somewhat peculiar motive known only to Donald, it was an excellent way to train his disciples and followers!
By now, Arthur’s strength had reached its peak, making him one of the greatest warriors among the plateau tribes. He had already conquered seven large tribes and thirteen small villages, rightfully becoming the chief of the largest tribe among them.
As for Merlin, the young mage who had matured late in life, he had already broken through the Bronze rank and become a Silver Mage, becoming the youngest Silver Mage under Dalaran’s rule.
When Donald became a true god, Arthur, the young plateau man, immediately became his follower. Donald then sent several mages from his domain along with followers of the Council of Nature Guardians to assist Arthur in building his domain.
With the help of these spellcasters, not only did the construction of the domain progress rapidly, but Arthur, as the tribal leader, also gained immense prestige.
It should be noted that the cultural traditions of the plateau people originated from the ancient giant race and the Ancient Arcane Empire, during which giants often fought alongside arcane lords.

In the era of the mighty magical empire thousands of years ago, the mage lords of Banai also had followers among the Highlanders. Thus, in the generations-old history and legends of the Highlanders, the profession of mage was described as extremely mysterious and powerful. With this belief, they would never miss such a good opportunity once they encountered a mage.

Moreover, according to legends, the Highland king thousands of years ago became the leader of the Highlanders precisely because he was a follower of a powerful mage, which enabled him to become the only king to unite all the tribes.

As a result, the spellcasters sent by Dalaran to the Highlands now all have their own followers, greatly enhancing their overall strength.

At this time, the Barbarian Stone Tribe is no longer just a small village on the Highland border; instead, towering cities and fortresses have been built on its original site, with many villages gathered in the vicinity, bringing the total population to five thousand. With a population of tens of thousands, it has become Beren, the first large city in the history of Highland society.

This name means “the sun that never sets” in the ancient giant language, referring to the eternal sun.

This city, which accounts for nearly one-tenth of the entire Highland population, has become the economic and trade center of the Frozen Highlands and maintains the only trade relations with Dalaran, the northernmost territory of the Celt Kingdom.

When news of the existence of the Highlanders reached the main continent, various forces became envious.

The vast Frozen Highlands cover an area comparable to that of the entire Northlands, making it a huge territory for all of human society. Even in the warmer plain regions, at least two or three kingdoms could be established.

If not for the Ucloud Mountains and the Great Snowy Mountains, these natural barriers, even though the Frozen Highlands have a harsh environment, they would have long been conquered by humans.

Not to mention the Ucloud Mountains, which are filled with craggy peaks and deep ravines, and most of which are habitats for magical beasts, making it impossible for ordinary people to cross.

Just the Great Snowy Mountains further north are a formidable obstacle even for the powerful Highlanders!

The snowy region is filled with towering peaks, deep ice, and numerous obstacles. With perpetual snow cover, it is not only uninhabited but also lacks even traces of wild animals. Although the sight of clustered peaks and connected snow-capped mountains appears magnificent, it is a true dead end for ordinary people.

This has become the biggest barrier between the Celts and the Highlanders!

However, now with the magical teleportation channels established by Dalaran, it has become very easy to cross these natural barriers.

Over the past few years, caravans approved by Dalaran have gradually arrived in the highland regions for trade. Goods such as food and daily necessities from the mainland are the most sought-after items by the people of the Frozen Highlands, while the precious furs, rare herbs, minerals, and gems from those lands are highly profitable commodities that attract merchants from the mainland.

The people of the highlands have lived there for thousands of years and have adapted to the harsh, cold climate with thin air. However, for those from other parts of the mainland, it is often unbearable! At such times, magical accessories produced by Dalaran’s alchemy workshops, capable of protecting against the extreme cold, become bestsellers and symbols of status.

It is not only the resources and lands of the Frozen Highlands that arouse the greed of various powers; they value the utility of the Highlanders even more. Ordinary Highland youths, even before reaching adulthood, usually possess combat skills comparable to those of human bronze-level warriors, and upon reaching adulthood, they all have silver-level strength. If organized on a large scale, they could form a powerful military force that surpasses the elite troops of any kingdom.

The bloodline of the ancient giants endows the Highlanders with exceptional physical strength. Geniuses like Arthur, who possess strong hereditary talents, though rare, can be found in every generation. If it weren’t for their lower fertility due to these powerful hereditary traits, they would have conquered human society thousands of years ago and need not have been forced to migrate to the cold, desolate Frozen Highlands!

If such a group could be brought under control and trained into a mighty army, it would be possible to conquer the mortal world and even become the ruler of a new empire across the continent!

Unfortunately, after the fall of the Banai Empire, a clause was added to the Pact of the Gods prohibiting them from directly interfering in changes in mortal kingdoms. This treaty played a significant role in allowing the nations of the continent to keep most gods at bay with the help of a few demigods. Although the gods can still influence the succession of royal power in other ways, it is generally maintained in an orderly manner. No one dares to defy the Pact of the Gods, as such an act would incur the wrath of all gods.

There was once a true god who defied this rule, but now that god has been suppressed by the gods and the various kingdoms, forced to live on the fringes of the main world, with his divine status reduced to its lowest level.

There is a precedent for this. Even the gods would at most cross the line slightly, never truly attempting to interfere directly with the secular powers of the main world. Even a powerful being like the Lord of Dawn only allowed his Sendel Kingdom to encroach on most of its neighbors’ lands after internal strife arose in the Icu Kingdom. The direct forces of the Church of the Three Radiant Gods never actually intervened. Such a situation prevented other forces from reaching out to the plateau people’s territories; they could only resort to petty tactics. When Donald’s avatar arrived in the city of Beren, the city lord’s residence was brightly lit, clearly marking some joyful occasion. For the sparsely populated plateau people, the birth of a newborn in their family is undoubtedly the most festive event of their lives. A year earlier, the young Arthur met the plateau girl he admired—daughter of the chief of a powerful tribe in the central frozen plateau. A marriage based on affection strengthened the relationship between the two tribes, and it was with the help of this large tribe that Arthur was able to conquer the other tribes in the central plateau so quickly. A year passed, and his new wife successfully became pregnant. Now, the great chief was about to have an heir, and the entire city of Beren was filled with excitement. Arthur, soon to become a father, no longer carried the dignity of a chief but stood outside the delivery room, as excited and nervous as any other father. Just as the child was about to be born, a holy golden light descended from the sky, visible to everyone in the Beren region. At the same time, the followers of the Natural Guardian in Beren remembered the sacred words—the great Natural Guardian had sent down his oracle: this newborn born in Beren would be a child under his protection, destined to lead the plateau people to prosperity and strength. The Beren residents, who had initially been celebrating the birth of the chief’s heir, were immediately stunned by this oracle revealed by the followers of the Natural Guardian. Over the years, the Natural Guardian became the most worshipped true god among the plateau people. It should be noted that the plateau people, who had had no faith for thousands of years, were highly resistant to foreign religions, as evidenced by the repeated failures of agents sent by various other true god churches to spread their faith through merchant guilds.

The reason why Donald, this true god, was able to establish his religious status in the region of Beren City was twofold: first, he was an officially recognized true god and a great figure followed by the chieftain; second, Donald’s followers were mostly mages and other spellcasters, unlike other true gods whose followers were primarily priests and holy warriors. Even Merlin, the sole disciple of the Nature Guardian, was a powerful mage who was highly revered among the plateau tribes in this area. The plateau people were far more interested in becoming spellcasters on par with mages by worshipping the Nature Guardian than in becoming holy warriors by worshipping other true gods! Thus, in the eyes of the plateau people, Donald was a god of powerful mages. Although not many truly worshipped him devoutly, they generally held him in great respect. As a result, the people of Beren City spontaneously held enthusiastic celebration ceremonies for the birth of this special “newborn,” with tens of thousands gathering in the city to share their own foods and drinks.