Chapter 243 - Talks

Chapter 243: Chapter 2 TalksThe conflict in the Endless Forest had come to a close, and Lion King Tai’e returned to the palace, his body still covered in wounds that had yet to fully heal.

"Bring the naga up here!" Tai’e shouted. Shortly after, four orc guards carried a massive water tank into the grand hall.

The Golden Lion sat to the side, eyes closed in meditation, with anger etched across his brow.

The tank settled, and a large naga emerged partially from it, bowing to Tai’e and saying, "Honored Lion King, may I ask what business you have summoned me for?"

"Business?" Tai’e sneered, "What happened to your promised alliance with the sea tribes?"

"Uh..." The naga was clearly unaware of what had transpired.

Tai’e continued, "I spent great effort, hiring mercenaries from the human empire to constantly

"Father, does lacking the Divine Blood make our Lionheart Royalty any lesser than others?" The Golden Lion expressed slight dissatisfaction, speaking defiantly to Tai’e.

Tai’e was taken aback, then laughed heartily, "Good, good, good!"

At that moment, Baray entered the grand hall with numerous herbs and healing items, smiling as he said, "You’ve truly fathered a fine son."

"That’s natural," Tai’e replied, brimming with pride, "But you, old bachelor, when will you have a child to keep Eferot company?"

"Me?" Baray shook his head, "Such things can’t be forced."

Indeed, the strength of the Lionheart Royalty came with a downside—low fertility rates were their limitation.

Stung by Tai’e’s mockery, the Naga Queen strode into the sea tribe’s council hall.

The hall was already a chaotic mess, filled with all manner of strange creatures. The naga, the largest and strongest of the sea tribe factions, was not the entirety of the sea tribes.

Countless sea beasts had their own factions, numbering in the tens of thousands, too many to list.

Among these, the more formidable tribes included two—the Shark Tribe and the Whale Tribe. Naturally, these tribes interbred as well, with the Whale Shark Tribe trailing slightly behind the naga.

"Your Majesty, have you gathered us because you’ve discovered something?" Black Tooth, the Whale Shark’s mightiest warrior, slammed the table, instantly silencing the chaotic hall.

In this chamber, without the presence of a naga, the queen represented the entire naga faction, thus needing no other representatives.

Absent the naga, the word of the Whale Shark was law.

"I just communicated with Tai’e," the Naga Queen informed them with kindness, "The issues that have plagued us may have just been wild guesses by others."

"If that’s the case, can we summon the tides and conquer the mainland?!" Sneering wildly, the Shark Tribe Clan Leader cackled, "I’ve waited ages for this day!"

"Indeed, three months from now, I will activate the Tide Jewel. The sea will rise, and our forces will advance inland with the tides, leading the sea tribe’s sons to wage war on all fronts, establishing an unparalleled legacy."

The Naga Queen’s declaration incited fervor throughout the council. A few years ago, her statement would have been met with skepticism, but the continued absence of any traitor made the council’s lack of resolution appear to be the best outcome. Admitting their failure publicly would be embarrassing.

The decision to activate the Tide Jewel received unanimous approval from the council. As the meeting concluded, the entire sea tribe stirred to action. Countless tribe members assembled, the vast ocean churned with magical creatures, stretching beyond the horizon.

The true number of sea creatures born from the depths over endless centuries was nearly uncountable. One simple reason existed for why they could not come ashore—they needed water. Naga could reach the coasts but could not remain long. This time, the Tide Jewel had been found by Tai’e, or more aptly, by Lansa.

With the Tide Jewel, the sea tribe could flood the land, transforming the entire continent into the sea tribe’s playground.

In three months, the Sacred Empire would face its disastrous day.

Alas, the empire suspected nothing as they continued bickering with the Eagle Empire. The conflict in the Endless Forest had severely damaged the Eagle Alliance; tens of thousands of powerful Third Transition beings had fallen without achieving anything. Suffering such losses without reward, the Eagle Alliance was naturally unwilling to concede, prompting endless negotiations with the Sacred Empire.

"Have they gone?" Konstantin slumped on the throne, as a maid massaged and relaxed him.

"Your Majesty, Count Sina has just departed Shen’en," Questasa replied.

"Good." Konstantin had expended a considerable amount, offering resources from two dimensional planes to rid himself of this scourge.

"By the way, has Baron Yitian been found?" Konstantin asked.

"I’m afraid not, Your Majesty," Questasa continued, "Since the northern frontier battle, the baron has vanished, and it seems several major factions are aiding in concealing his whereabouts. Additionally, in the northern war, we identified some traces of a force..."

"Let’s hear it," Konstantin longed for details on the organization that had suddenly emerged in his dominion in such numbers. Despite aiding his nephew, it left him uneasy.

"They are a group called the Black-Eyed Organization. Our investigations revealed its traces in every dimensional plane under the empire, even participating in the Yu’n Flower battlefield years ago," Questasa, as leader of the Black Guard, was indeed exceptional.

"The Black-Eyed Organization?" Konstantin tapped his fingers on the table, eyes clouded with uncertainty.

"If I tasked you with handling them, would it be difficult?" Konstantin’s voice dripped with intent to kill.

"Somewhat difficult. Their numbers and power likely exceed our expectations, and they’ve existed for an extremely long time. However, they harbor goodwill toward the empire, often assisting by quietly resolving predicaments across various dimensional planes."

Listening to Questasa’s assessment, Konstantin nodded, "What do you suggest?"

"We could perhaps communicate with the leaders of the Black-Eyed Organization and integrate them into the empire as an additional Black Guard force."

"Very well, proceed with this plan."