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Chapter 87: The Coveted Rings and Conspiracy

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.