<h4>Chapter 87: The Coveted Rings and Conspiracy</h4>
(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 Deutd 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 particr, had taken it to extreme levels.
Some brave souls set sail for distant inds, their logic simple yetpelling. 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 ind to hide the ring from Sauron''s forces. It only makes sense to check the inds."
It was a reasonable assumption, but it came with unforeseen consequences. Reports flooded in of these adventurers shing 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 extrayer 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 gori mask spoke, his voice low and urgent. "My queen, ourtest 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 Srus faith cannot be allowed to im them." Her voice hardened. "We''ve been on the back foot against the Srus 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 gori-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 thends, 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 Srus faith - stood the most influential and popr church. The Holy Land bustled with worshippers from all walks of life,ing to pay homage to their Lord. However, beneath this pious facade, a ndestine meeting of high-ranking church officials was taking ce 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 ce 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 Srus didn''t insist on keeping him, I''d have reced 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 morepetition. 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 me." 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 n will crumble." He let his words sink in before adding, "That''s all for now. This meeting is adjourned."
As the Srus Faith plotted, simr gatherings were taking ce across the world. The Moon Goddess faith, the dwarves who worshipped the cksmith God, all held their own ndestine 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 ns 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 fantasypared 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.