abcnovels
Chapter 67.2
Chapter 67.2
“In that case, each country from which something was stolen can recover it on their own.”
“There’s no need to convene a summit.”josei
The main complaints came from the dwarves. The “Sacred Artifacts” taken from their domains held little value to them. If they were stolen or used for pagan claims, they didn’t care.
“Grrr…”
The growling words elicited protests from the Beastmen guards. The desecration of the Sacred Tree, a symbol of their religion, was a serious matter for them. Therefore, the dwarves’ statement had irritated them.
For the dwarves, it might be a trivial matter, but they were here because of the Four Races Alliance treaty. When more than half of the four races recognized an emergency requiring the unity of the nations, a summit could be convened. The country receiving the request for cooperation had to participate. Of course, real cooperation depended on the content of the summit.
“Ahem! Let’s save the fights for later!” With the clearing of a single woman’s throat, the tense atmosphere dissipated momentarily. It was Thunder Sonia, the Elven Archmage. “Speaking from a magical perspective, if one has vast magical power and the right spells, it is possible to resurrect the dead. Even without that immense magical power, sometimes people can come back to life. Like the orcs that were abundant in the Siwanasi Forest.”
Yes, people sometimes come back to life. Their persistent attachments, deeply rooted grudges, and other emotions can bring the dead back. Just a year ago, the elves had been concerned about this phenomenon.
“Does the Elven Archmage have any ideas about the spells that could be used for that?”
“Unfortunately, I have no clue about that. For that kind of magic, wouldn’t The ‘Sage’ be better informed? Why isn’t he here today? The Human Trio, right?”
“Lady Elven Archmage, considering our current positions, could you refrain from using our childhood nicknames? At least use the names from when we were younger, please.”
“The Three Crows, right? What’s the difference… Well, I understand. I understand because I’ve known the three of you since you were foolish rookies back then. After that, you barely set foot on the battlefield…”
Thunder Sonia was silenced by Elf King Northpole, so she wouldn’t say anything more. Allowing her to keep talking could create an irreparable rift between humans and elves. Thunder Sonia had the bad habit of treating everyone like children. That’s why the elves thought she took a while to catch up, but they didn’t say it out loud. They could also show consideration for things that truly mattered to their loved ones.
“In any case, the one known as ‘the Shadow Vortex’ is a cautious woman. She wouldn’t act on baseless fantasies.”
This was said by Beast Queen Leona. Her words were polite, but her pupils dilated, and she continued tapping the table with the tip of her tail. She was very angry. The withering of the Sacred Tree equated to damaging their pride and the honor. They were not an indulgent race to underestimate, especially when faced with opponents spouting nonsense about resurrecting the detested Gediguz.
She had also fought against “Poplática, the Shadow Vortex,” several times. She wasn’t alone. Many here had done the same. They all knew it. Poplática only acted on reliable information. She knew her skills were best used when she had solid information. It was hard to believe that she would act solely on uncertain delusions.
“Regardless of whether they are delusions or not, if there is a possibility that Gediguz could be resurrected, I have no objection to cutting it off at the root,” declared King Lunius of the humans, his eyes filled with dark circles. Despite intermittent coughing, he observed the surroundings with the same sharp gaze he had in wartime.
“The real question is how far her influence has spread.”
“Let’s determine that. Demons, ogres, succubi, fairies, harpies, lizardmen, and orcs.” Spoke the Dwarven Grandmaster Baras Garagas, a hirsute dwarf with scars all over his face. His eyes, hidden under bushy eyebrows much like his beard, faintly emitted a look that indicated he had killed more enemies than the scars on his face.
“Is it certain that the entire Seven Races Federation is involved?”
“Isn’t that hasty? Succubi and ogres have denied it.”
“They operate in secret. They’ll deny it, of course.”
“There’s no evidence that they’re collaborating as entire races.”
“Evidence!? Haha, it’s utterly ridiculous. We let them go, thinking about peace and all that, and yet, they start conspiring like this! Ridiculous. We should have finished them off back then. So let’s take this opportunity to annihilate them before Gediguz resurrects.”
A loud noise resonated as the table was struck, sending vibrations through the floor. His words began to resonate with the bellicose individuals in the room. They thought, “He’s right,” and if they were going to act like this after being forgiven, then they might as well go ahead and destroy them as he suggested.
“But in the end, you also supported peace.” His outburst was interrupted by a calm-sounding human, a golden-haired man known as the “Prince of the Coming Sky,” Nazar Gainius Grandorius. “Any country would start acting recklessly as soon as they were given the opportunity to do so. Let’s not forget the incident in the Do Banga’s Pit Arena just six months ago.”
Nazar stood up and looked around. Baras Garagas audibly swallowed and shrugged. The dwarf dignitaries had recently come under scrutiny for not returning prisoners of other races and instead exploiting them as slaves. Even among the dwarves, there were some fools.
“I disguised myself as a traveler this past year and observed the situation in various places. I can’t speak for the demons, but at least in all countries, everyone is doing what they can to survive in the current situation. They don’t have time to think about trying to resurrect Gediguz. Even the succubi were fighting just to survive. If we were to bet on such a wild turn of events, then we share the responsibility of cornering them.”