บท 87: The Coveted Rings and Conspiracy
(3rd Person POV)
Weeks had passed since die-hard "Lord of the Rings" fans began scouring every nook and cranny of the Morningstar Kingdom, desperate to unearth powerful magical rings like those in the film.
But this wasn't just a local phenomenon. The "Lord of the Rings Craze," as media outlets had dubbed it, had spread like wildfire across the globe. From the Moonlight Kingdom to Wales, from Deutschland to the Leaf Kingdom in the Evros Continent, it had taken root. Even countries like Kanata, Aztec, and Empirica in the Empirica Continent weren't immune. The fervor reached as far as the South East Anatolia and East Watch kingdoms, and even touched parts of the vast Eden Continent.
People worldwide had thrown themselves into the search with reckless abandon. Adventurers, in particular, had taken it to extreme levels.
Some brave souls set sail for distant islands, their logic simple yet compelling. When questioned by curious journalists, these seafaring treasure hunters all gave variations of the same answer: "Remember the end of the film? Frodo was on a boat, heading to some island to hide the ring from Sauron's forces. It only makes sense to check the islands."
It was a reasonable assumption, but it came with unforeseen consequences. Reports flooded in of these adventurers clashing with pirates, who, as it turned out, were after the same prize.
Not all seekers were drawn to the seas, though. Some adventurers and mercenaries turned their attention to towering mountain peaks and deep, dark caves. These individuals didn't just rely on "Lord of the Rings" for inspiration; they pored over ancient tomes, following cryptic clues in their quest.
As the search intensified, ordinary folks found themselves pushed to the sidelines. Even dangerous mobs had joined the fray, adding an extra layer of peril to the already risky venture.
The world had gone ring-mad, and there seemed to be no end in sight to this "Lord of the Rings Craze."
***
In the Eden Continent, the Lunar Kingdom stood as the pinnacle of elven civilization. Its high castle, though dwarfed by the towering Eden tree that pierced the sky, served as the capital for the elven race. This kingdom held sway over almost all other elven realms, which followed its directives.
Citizens of the Lunar Kingdom enjoyed special privileges when traveling to other elven territories or even some human and dwarf cities.
Within the castle's grand throne room, a serious atmosphere prevailed. On the throne sat a beautiful elf queen, her body adorned with intricate leaf designs and her head crowned with an elegant leaf circlet. Before her knelt several elves in robes, their faces concealed by animal-themed masks.
The elf wearing a gorilla mask spoke, his voice low and urgent. "My queen, our latest intelligence from Dolphin suggests that pirates have spotted magical rings. Dolphin and the others lost track of them, but we assure you, we will retrieve these artifacts."
Despite her ethereal beauty, the queen's expression remained grave. "We must secure these rings before they fall into the wrong hands. The Solarus faith cannot be allowed to claim them." Her voice hardened. "We've been on the back foot against the Solarus for too long. As servants of the Moon Goddess, it's our duty to bring her glory and honor."
The masked elves bowed their heads in unison. "We will not disappoint you, my queen," the gorilla-masked elf vowed.
***
Unbeknownst to Arthur, the "Rings" had caught the attention of powerful and influential figures across the globe. While adventurers, pirates, and treasure hunters scoured the lands, they remained oblivious to the involvement of religious organizations, royals, and governments in the search.
In the Evros Continent, within the Apollo Kingdom - the heart of the Solarus faith - stood the most influential and popular church. The Holy Land bustled with worshippers from all walks of life, coming to pay homage to their Lord. However, beneath this pious facade, a clandestine meeting of high-ranking church officials was taking place in a concealed room.
"Where's the Pope? His presence is crucial for a meeting of this gravity," a cardinal said, his tone serious.
Another cardinal replied, "The Pope's been missing for quite some time. Last I heard, he was seen in the Thorn Kingdom."
"What? My sources place him in Choson, in East Watch," a third interjected.
"You're both mistaken. Word has it he's in Japon, crossing swords with samurai," yet another added.
As the cardinals and archbishops continued to debate the Pope's whereabouts, one cardinal, clearly wielding more authority, spoke coldly, "The Pope's location is irrelevant. He's been absent for years, neglecting his duties. If the Angels of Solarus didn't insist on keeping him, I'd have replaced him long ago."
His words silenced the room.
"You're right, Senior Virtue," one cardinal conceded.
Another muttered, "I too question why the Angels want him to retain the position."
Murmurs of agreement filled the room until Virtue raised his hand. "Enough," he said firmly, waiting for silence before continuing, "We must focus on the matter at hand."
His expression grew grave as he spoke, "Our priority now is to secure these ancient rings. We cannot allow other faiths to impede us. These artifacts are crucial to our goal of ruling all races."
Murmurs filled the room before one cardinal spoke up, "We've been searching for these ancient rings for years. Now this 'Lord of the Rings' has alerted other faiths to their existence. It was supposed to be our secret!"
"Indeed," another nodded grimly. "Now we face more competition. The dwarves of the Forgefather's faith, the elves of the Moon Goddess faith, and those faithless demons."
"This is all Arthur Morningstar's fault!"
Virtue's frown deepened. "Enough!" he barked, silencing the room. After a pause, he continued more calmly, "These ancient rings would have drawn attention eventually. There's no point in assigning blame." Despite his words, Virtue couldn't help but internally curse Arthur Morningstar.
"We must find a way to secure the Ancient Rings," Virtue concluded. "Otherwise, our grand plan will crumble." He let his words sink in before adding, "That's all for now. This meeting is adjourned."
As the Solarus Faith plotted, similar gatherings were taking place across the world. The Moon Goddess faith, the dwarves who worshipped the Blacksmith God, all held their own clandestine meetings. Even in Empirica, the USE government was not idle.
"Find those rings," the president ordered his top intelligence operatives. "This is a matter of national security and peace."
Just as these powers set their plans in motion, shocking news broke: one of the magical rings had been found in the Morningstar Kingdom and was to be auctioned.
Though the ring's authenticity remained unconfirmed, it caught the attention of powerful figures worldwide.
Even Arthur, despite being knee-deep in preparations for his next film, couldn't resist the allure of the supposedly discovered magical ring. His curiosity got the better of him as he turned to George.
"Hey George, fancy attending an auction? I'm itching to see this magical ring they've found."
George looked up from his work, eyebrow raised. "Magical ring? Sounds like a load of nonsense to me. Probably just some hoax to drum up attention."
Arthur shrugged off George's skepticism. While he too harbored doubts about the ring's authenticity, he couldn't shake the thought that in this world - a fantasy compared to his previous life - a magical ring wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.
"Come on," Arthur persisted, "even if the ring's a dud, there might be some ancient dwarven craftsmanship or mechanical marvels up for grabs. Could be useful for our projects."
At the mention of ancient dwarven artifacts, George's eyes lit up. "Well, when you put it that way... Alright, count me in. Might find something interesting after all."
With that, Arthur's mind was made up. He'd attend the auction, blissfully unaware that the magical ring had caught the attention of far more powerful figures.
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บท 88: One-Eyed Auction
(Arthur POV)
The so-called "magical ring," supposedly identical to those in my "Lord of the Rings" film, was set to be auctioned at the "One-Eyed Auction".
Though I seriously doubted it matched the rings from "Lord of the Rings," I still felt it was worth checking out. After all, it might indeed be a magical ring, even if it couldn't compare to the ones in "Lord of the Rings".
The auction was slated to begin in two days. Firfel seemed to have gotten wind of it too, as she came to my office asking, "Arthur, did you hear about the auction?"
"Yeah, I've heard about it," I nodded. "They're saying the ring's the same as in my film, but I doubt it."
Firfel raised an eyebrow. "How so?" She paused before adding, "Didn't you base the film on real history?"
I nodded with a wry smile. I couldn't exactly tell her it was based on a film from my previous life, so I just said, "Well, yeah, but I took some creative liberties with the rings' powers and capabilities. Truth is, no rings as powerful as those in 'Lord of the Rings' actually exist."
Firfel nodded, seemingly satisfied with my explanation. "I'm thinking of attending the auction with Shafel. Want to join us?"
"Funny you should ask," I replied, a bit surprised. "I was planning to go with George. The ring's piqued my curiosity."
"Really? Why don't we all go together then?" Firfel suggested.
I shrugged, seeing no reason to refuse. "Why not? But tell me, what's drawing you to the auction? Is it the ring?"
Firfel shook her head. "Not really. While I'm curious about the ring, I'm actually after the Ancient Amulet."
"Ancient Amulet?" I echoed, intrigued.
"It's an amulet said to have belonged to the third queen of the Roses Kingdom," Firfel explained, a hint of reverence in her voice.
"Ah, the Roses Kingdom," I nodded, recalling Firfel's origins. "So it's a treasure from your homeland?"
Firfel nodded, her eyes distant, perhaps lost in memories of her kingdom.
***
(3rd Person POV)
The day of the "One-Eyed Auction" finally arrived. The auction house stood proudly in the upper district of Ferland city, one of the wealthiest areas in town.
This district was a bustling hub of commerce and luxury. Upscale restaurants and trendy cafes lined the streets, alongside high-end bookstores and fashion boutiques. Jewelry stores glittered with precious gems, their windows drawing admiring glances from passersby. It was also home to some of the most prestigious schools and universities in the city.
Today, however, all eyes were on the One-Eyed Auction house, or more specifically, on the "Rings from Lord of the Rings" that were to be sold there.
High-end cars, each worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, began pulling up to the auction house. The who's who of demon society stepped out, ready to vie for the prized items.
Ashen Gray, head of Demon Pictures, strode confidently into the building. Close behind came Ricky Brawl of Demonic Entertainment, followed by Rus Key from Monk Entertainment. Dizzy Flu of District Films and Daemon Spirit of Spirit Studios weren't far behind.
It seemed the entire upper echelon of the demon entertainment industry had turned out for the event.
Even rich demon kids, clearly having skipped their classes, were milling about outside the auction house.
"Looks like my allowance is about to take a serious hit," one of them chuckled.
His friend grinned back. "I'm saving mine for that magical ring. Can you imagine?"
As they chatted, the group's attention suddenly shifted. They turned to a young demoness standing nearby, her regal bearing unmistakable.
"Apollonia," one of them called out, curiosity evident in his voice, "what about you? Got your eye on anything special in this auction?"
The young princess regarded them coolly, clearly considering her response.
The 14-year-old Apollonia began to respond, "I'll probably just take a look at that magical ring—" but she was cut off by a familiar voice.
"Apollonia, what are you doing here?"
The group turned to see Lucy Morningstar approaching. "Your Highness," they chorused, bowing deeply. Only Apollonia remained upright.
Lucy fixed her gaze on her young relative. "Shouldn't you be in class?"
Apollonia met her stare evenly. "I'm just hanging out with my friends," she said, then added pointedly, "What about you? Aren't you busy?"
Lucy faltered for a moment before regaining her composure. "I'm here for important matters, of course." The truth, which she kept to herself, was that she too had come for the magical ring.
As they spoke, more high-profile figures arrived at the auction house. Among them were secretive individuals in robes - some clearly cult members, others from the Solarus, Moon Goddess, and Blacksmith God's faiths. Intelligence operatives from the USE mingled with the crowd, as did agents from other countries and kingdoms, all trying to blend in.
Just as the auction was about to begin, a sleek "Fire of Hell" car, worth a cool ten thousand dollars, pulled up. Arthur stepped out, followed by George, Firfel, and Shafel.
George let out a low whistle as he surveyed the lineup of cars. "Would you look at that? Most of these are Fire of Hell brand."
Firfel nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "It's all thanks to 'The Demonfather.' That film saved the Fire of Hell company from bankruptcy."
Arthur chuckled, recalling how the struggling car company had been revived simply because their vehicles featured so prominently in his film. They'd only given him a ten-thousand-dollar car as a thank-you, but he hadn't minded much.
"Let's go," Arthur said, leading his group into the auction house. As they entered, he couldn't help but wonder what surprises awaited them inside. The magical ring might be the main attraction, but with this crowd, anything could happen.
***
The auction officially began as a stunning succubus took the stage as host. "Welcome to the One-Eyed Auction, everyone," she purred.
While the high-profile and secretive individuals remained stoic, many of the regular demon attendees couldn't help but eye the alluring host appreciatively.
"I'm Jenny Lee, and I'll be presenting the items up for auction today," she announced, launching into the first item - a decaying dragon tooth starting at one hundred dollars.
In their VIP room, Arthur, Firfel, George, and Shafel settled in for a long wait. As the auction dragged on, Arthur found himself stifling yawns.
Finally, the moment they'd been waiting for arrived. Jenny presented the Ancient Amulet, starting the bidding at 1,000 dollars.
Several VIP rooms sprang into action. A figure in a gorilla mask from one room bid ten thousand.
Firfel, her eyes gleaming, countered, "Eleven thousand."
The auctioneer acknowledged her bid, but the gorilla mask quickly upped the ante to fifteen thousand.
Arthur watched the back-and-forth, noticing Firfel's frown deepening as the price climbed. Sensing she was nearing her limit at twenty thousand, he decided to step in.
"Thirty thousand," Arthur called out, his voice firm.
His bid drew surprised looks from Firfel, Shafel, and George. Even the gorilla-masked bidder seemed taken aback, his gaze shifting to Arthur's VIP room. Though he couldn't see inside, it was clear the new voice wasn't the woman who'd been bidding before.
The auctioneer's gavel struck twice. "Sold to VIP room number 8 for thirty thousand!"
Firfel turned to Arthur, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you," she said warmly.
Arthur just smiled, shrugging off her thanks. "It's nothing."
As they spoke, a veiled succubus entered their room, presenting the Ancient Amulet. Firfel and Shafel rushed over, admiring it with reverence.
Arthur studied the amulet curiously. "So... what exactly does it do?"
Firfel hesitated. "To be honest, I'm not sure. But it can't be simple. It belonged to the third queen of my homeland, after all."
Arthur nodded, examining the clearly ancient artifact. Shafel chimed in, "Legend has it, this amulet was a gift from a King of the Giants."
"Giants?" Arthur's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
Firfel smiled wryly. "So they say. Who knows if it's true, though."
Arthur nodded, recalling the mysterious disappearance of the Giants in this world's history.
Their discussion was cut short as the auction's main event began - the unveiling of the "Magical Ring." The atmosphere in the auction house shifted palpably.
From the gorilla-masked individual to the robed figures in the VIP rooms, from Lucy with Apollonia and her classmates to the representatives of the Solarus faith - all eyes locked onto the ring box.
As the box opened, Jenny, the host, launched into her introduction. "The seller, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a pirate who acquired this ring at great cost. Many of his crew perished in the quest to obtain it." Her voice dropped to a dramatic whisper. "This ring, ladies and gentlemen, is said to bestow unparalleled authority and power upon its wearer!"
The room buzzed with excitement and tension. Arthur found himself leaning forward, despite his skepticism. Could this ring truly be as powerful as claimed?
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