Yet, because Angel had given such a significant favor out of thin air, Gentle Breeze Uranus felt a bit hesitant. Was agreeing too swiftly earlier a mistake? Might what he hopes for from me be exceedingly difficult? Is that why he left the Illusionary Realm behind, to set a trap for me?
Gentle Breeze Uranus, realizing this now, was unsure of what to do. Having already spoken to such lengths, even the paths of retreat had become narrow.
Thinking of this, it could only nod its head with some reluctance.
The exact purpose of Angel’s gesture was still unclear, so for now, it cautiously agreed. If things became too outrageous, it could always just disregard its pride later...
With this in mind, Gentle Breeze Uranus absentmindedly returned to the Illusionary Realm to complete the remaining work.
Angel had a rough understanding of Gentle Breeze Uranus’s thoughts. In truth, its guess wasn’t far from the truth; when he handed over the control of the Illusionary Realm, he indeed had an ulterior motive. However, saying it was intentional would be an overstatement; it was merely a subconscious precaution.
Had Angel truly relinquished all control by turning over the Mist Illusion’s control to Gentle Breeze Uranus? The answer was obviously no.
Thus, the continued existence of the Illusionary Realm was beneficial to him.
Moreover, having the Illusionary Realm remain there genuinely benefitted White Cloud Village. After all, the Illusionary Realm’s power was undiminished, serving as a formidable weapon for defense, crowd control, and assault.
The Illusionary Realm itself was fluid, capable of enveloping Wind Island seamlessly. Should Gentle Breeze Uranus choose, it could serve as a massive Illusion Array to protect Wind Island without issue.
Thus, it provided an advantage to both Angel and Gentle Breeze Uranus.
However, mutual benefit required mutual trust. Gentle Breeze Uranus’s earlier hesitance was due to a lack of foundational trust.
Angel, however, was unconcerned by this.
The matter in which he sought Gentle Breeze Uranus’s support was, in itself, about establishing a mechanism of mutual trust — a cooperative model between the Barbarian Cave and White Cloud Village.
Angel hoped that once the Tidal World opened, the Barbarian Cave would establish a branch within White Cloud Village.
This idea had long been on Angel’s mind. To become a leader in the Tidal World future, mere words wouldn’t suffice; establishing a long-term and prestigious outpost in the Tidal World was ideal.
As for where exactly to set up the outpost, Angel intended to discuss it with his Mentor and Lord Rhein later. However, regarding the branch outpost, he considered White Cloud Village a suitable candidate.
This was not just because he left the Cloud Mist Illusion there but also due to Gentle Breeze Uranus’s character.
Though Angel found the Holy Mother’s temperament somewhat disdainful, he couldn’t deny that a benevolent environment was conducive to development, and Gentle Breeze Uranus’s nature determined the atmosphere of White Cloud Village.
This was one of the reasons Angel wanted to build an outpost branch here.
Initially, he hadn’t entertained such thoughts in the Land of Fire due to its harsh environment and aggressive demeanor, which easily sparked conflicts. White Cloud Village, on the other hand, was different: above were boundless clouds, below spread a green expanse — the geographical environment was superb.
Angel wasn’t concerned about rejection either. Gentle Breeze Uranus, more than any other Sage, understood humans. Knowing that the Tidal World would inevitably fuse with the Wizards’ Realm, Angel trusted that it would make the best choice for White Cloud Village.
And with no other humans yet in the Tidal World, the options available to Gentle Breeze Uranus were limited. Angel could fully leverage this to secure an advantageous position, binding White Cloud Village to the same boat.
As to whether Gentle Breeze Uranus would have regrets in the future, Angel believed that once the Tidal World opened fully and information from the various witcher organizations reached it, knowledge of Barbarian Cave’s stature in the Wizards’ Realm would mean that Gentle Breeze Uranus wouldn’t regret the choices made today.
...
Within the Cloud Mist Illusion.
Although Gentle Breeze Uranus felt uneasy, its efficiency in handling matters was quite high, swiftly issuing all oaths within the Illusionary Realm, including those of the three major wind generals.
Then, it brought over two defenders from Wind Island. Together with the defender already present in the Illusionary Realm, they formed new Illusion Nodes, maintaining the realm.
After completely seizing control of the Illusionary Realm, Gentle Breeze Uranus, feeling the realm’s power, found its previous unease slightly alleviated.
It even secretly resolved that as long as Angel’s requests weren’t excessive, it would try to accommodate them. Even Kamil’s true body wasn’t beyond discussion... at worst, it could make a secret contract of confidentiality and quietly inform Angel.
Because this Illusionary Realm was too enticing, significantly enhancing White Cloud Village’s abilities, it was willing to relax some restrictions.
After quietly studying the Illusion for a while more, with Kamil urging them incessantly, Gentle Breeze Uranus reluctantly departed.
This time, it left with a large contingent of wind-type beings from Storm Ridge.
A vast group of wind-type beings followed Gentle Breeze Uranus, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Even Kamil, who had prepared for it, was left in awe.
Though the number of wind-type creatures wasn’t vast, their massive forms were overwhelming and imposing like a vast mountain.
However, the general mood among this group of wind creatures was one of dejection. Kamil understood; as soldiers captured under oath, it wasn’t surprising they were less than cheerful.
But the more downcast their expressions were, the more pleased Kamil felt. After all, they had once harbored nothing but malice towards Wind Island.
Now, defeated and captured, even if White Cloud Village’s wind creatures weren’t the ones to subjugate them, Kamil still felt immense satisfaction.
Any who dared harbor ill will towards White Cloud Village should know submission is their fate!
"Mr. Pat has already gone ahead to Wind Island, we should depart too." Kamil glanced at the wind creatures, feeling quite inspired as he continued, "You all should hurry and follow."
"Onward, to Wind Island!"