Rachel stood up, looked at the turbulent river in front of him, shook off the water stains on his hands, and said calmly: "Unfortunately, we can never step into the same river at different times. ”

As she walked towards the temple, Sabrina's gaze gradually lost focus, an expression of gain and loss appeared on her face, and her thoughts flew away into the unreachable distance.

Under the strange gaze of the followers of the Mother Goddess, Rachel walked through the hallway of the temple and stood at the door of Elder Eliad's room.

She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and reached out to knock on the door.

"Come in, the door isn't closed. ”

The old voice in the room made Richer stagnate.

Lowering her head, Rachel gently pushed open the door and whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm in." ”

Dressed in a gray robe, Eliad sat on his favorite carved wooden chair, his white beard almost hanging to the ground.

He put down the 'Compendium of Microbes' in his hand and looked at Richer with a smile: "You are more polite than in the past, I remember when you were young, you always kicked the door with your feet." ”

Rachel laughed twice and looked at the book in the old man's hand, "Are you reading the book written by Terrence?"

Eliad shook the book in his hand: "That old fellow, the problem of writing books has not changed at all. Obviously, the principle can be explained in two or three sentences, but he has to write a large paragraph of supporting evidence and analysis, which is a headache to read. ”

"Every lecture given by Master Terrence at the University of Twilight was always packed. In order to be able to listen to his lectures, some people are even willing to climb onto the beams of the house, holding the wooden rafters and taking notes at the same time. ”

Rachel's exaggerated expression and vivid movements made Eliad laugh.

"That old fellow's favorite thing is to write books and give lectures, and the more people who praise him, the happier he becomes, haha! Even if he is seriously ill, if someone invites him to give a lecture, he will definitely run faster than a rabbit!"

The happy old man like a child in front of him made Richer show a nostalgic look.

"You've been on good terms with Master Terrence for a long time. ”

Eliad laughed and shook his head, "No, no, no, it's not that the relationship is good, but in the Jade Alliance, he is the one who likes to argue with me the most." ”

Richer nodded, "I've heard you talk about the Jade Alliance, four young scholars who travel far and wide in search of truth. ”

"More than forty years ago, Theodore and I were stewards in the Presbyterian Church. In order to delve into academics, but also to stay away from the internal turmoil at that time, the two of us found an excuse to travel together and travel around the mainland. On the way, we met two more students from Taylor's Royal Academy, Aarrover and Terrence. ”

"After a few days together, the four of us found that we all have common pursuits and hobbies. So, the four young people, who didn't know the height of the sky, formed a nondescript club - the Jade Alliance. ”

"When I was younger, I called that Terrence guy stone. He has a foul and hard temper, and can argue with you for a word or a sentence for a day. If you refuse to surrender, he will even be nagging in your ear even while he is sleeping. ”

"Arrbrough is the youngest of the four, but his calm personality and thoughtful mind make him look like the oldest of us. Sometimes, he doesn't say more than three sentences a day, but sometimes, he says one sentence once in a while, and it can make you think for three days. ”

"And ...... Theodore, alas, that old bastard. When he was young, he was open-mouthed, reckless and aggressive. He once fought with a gang of hooligans for a rogue and almost lost his life. He was also jealous with a crown prince, and in the middle of the night he actually ran to someone else's bedside and peed on the latter's mouth...... But when it comes to scholarship and the study of truth, his enthusiasm is not lost to any of us at all...... It's a shame that he died......"

Seeing that Eliad was immersed in grief, Rachel did not speak, but quietly waited for the other party to recover.

When the old man's mood stabilized a little, Rachel said, "When I was a child, I heard you mention the Jade Alliance more than once. But consider that right now, out of the four, Terrence is the only one who has attained true academic freedom. ”

Eliad glanced sharply at Richer and waited for the other party's next words.

Rachel bravely met the other party's gaze and continued: "Aarrover has chosen to join the church and is now under house arrest; although you are one of the three elders of the Presbyterian Church, the people around you are only interested in coveting strength and power, and they are scornful of scholarship, and Theodore ......"

Eliad waved his hand and said, "What you want to say is that in the original Jade Alliance, only Terrence is now the most beautiful, and all of this is thanks to the Twilight West City. So, you're trying to persuade me to cooperate with Twilight?"

Rachel looked at the book on the table and whispered, "Elder Eliad, this is not a matter of scenery or not, but the most important thing for you, and only Twilight City can help you do it." ”

Eliad frowned, "What do I value the most?"

Rachel pulled out a document from her bosom and gently placed it on the table, "This is a royal decree issued by the Holy King of Twilight. ”

Eliad picked up the paperwork and read it on its letterhead: "Trial Measures and Related Regulations on the Popularization of Xenomorphism?"

"I grew up under your protection, and the thing I heard the most was how the alien race is discriminated against and persecuted in this world. Therefore, your greatest wish is to use what you have learned all your life to realize the freedom and dignity of the alien species. Richel's eyes sparkled: "This document is the answer I found." ”

After reading the entire royal decree, Eliad fixed his gaze on Todd's autograph, and after a long time, he suddenly looked up and said to Rachel: "I have received a letter from Theodore, in which he praised Todd Fischer as a person, and said that he intended to return to the Council of Elders and tell me in detail what he had seen. However, before he could return, the messenger brought bad news. ”

"Theodore is a proud man, one might even say he is a little arrogant. At the beginning, the position of elder of the Council of Elders, if it weren't for his personality, he had offended too many people, and it would not have been my turn to take the position. However, I am very interested that such a person can spend most of the time in his letter to praise a person. ”

Richel's eyes lit up, and he said hopefully, "So, are you willing to ......?"

"Wait a minute, don't worry, listen to what I've to say. Eliad said in a deep voice, "The Holy King of Twilight City may be an excellent man, and under his leadership, Twilight City may become a starting point for the prosperity of the Xenomorphs. But how long can this boom last?"

Rachel was stunned: "How long?"

"I'm sure anyone with a discerning eye can see what's going on in the Twilight City. The Southern Empire was about to go on the offensive, and the Church in the East was eyeing it. Twilight's reuse of xenos is more of a choice than a decision. ”

"In the face of an enemy who is better equipped and outnumbered than himself, Xenomorphs will become the best tool of war. The Ilia said earnestly: "But what will happen to the aliens after the war?"

Rachel anxiously pointed to the king's decree and said to Eliad, "However, the king has signed the document himself, which will encourage and increase the popularization of xeno, and you must know that the Holy King of Twilight City is himself an xeno......"

Eliad looked at the other party's expression and sighed deeply: "Richel, you got the point of the matter wrong. The reason why xenos are oppressed is not because this race is different from normal people, but because of the power of xenos, which makes those in power feel fear. ”

"If it is just an ordinary person, if it is dissatisfied with the people in power, the most it can do is to take a fork and a sickle and start a riot, but if the opponent is a different species, it is entirely possible that the person in power will lose his head while he is asleep. Therefore, any person or organization that gains power, regardless of whether he or she is a heterogeneous or not, will inevitably suppress the alien ethnic group after determining that the political environment is stable, because the alien ethnic group will pose a greater threat to those in power than normal people. ”

Seeing that Richer was deep in thought, Eliad patted the document with his finger: "If, I guessed correctly, the popularization of xenos mentioned by the Holy King will only open a limited number of abilities, and there will be corresponding restrictions on the power of xenos. This practice just shows his fear of xenomorphs. ”

Richer shook her head firmly, "Todd isn't that kind of person. ”

Eliad closed his eyes: "He may not be, but what about the heir he has appointed, or will the future ruling class of this kingdom allow the existence of a group of powerful people in the country who can overthrow themselves at any time?"

Rachel pursed her lips and remained silent.