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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The Alliance meeting.
It was a gathering where all races belonging to the alliance convened to discuss future matters.
To the uninformed, it might seem straightforward, but that would be a gross misunderstanding of the alliance’s intricate inner workings.
In the past, before the demon invasion, the continent had been on the brink of self-destruction. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say some races hated each other more than they hated the demons.
And indeed, some of them betrayed the alliance and sided with the demons. Their reasons varied but for the most part it was that some would rather become slaves than see their enemies prosper, while others simply wanted to kill them with their own hands.In such a context, the Alliance meeting held profound significance. It represented a temporary truce, a setting aside of old grudges to address the pressing issue at hand.
‘How straightforward.’
Ambassador Viral, the Dwarf Kingdom’s representative, thought to himself, sighing inwardly at Hans’s declaration of neutrality.
Maintaining neutrality meant staying uninvolved, essentially becoming a bystander.
While it might prevent immediate conflict, it also meant they’d have no choice but to watch as events unfolded.
It wasn’t a wise decision in the long run.
However, no one dared to oppose the Commander’s words. Regardless of the reasons or justifications, the collapse of the Royal Knights was undeniable.
Moreover, most of the people present were the ones who had pressured the Royal Knights in the first place. The current situation was akin to a thief tripping over their own loot.
‘But I like it.’
Being too direct in politics was never a good idea. Words could be twisted, used for manipulation or exploited as weaknesses. That’s why people usually left themselves some wiggle room.
However, the Commander of the Royal Knights couldn’t possibly be a political novice. He knew what he was doing. He was deliberately being straightforward, despite knowing the potential consequences.
Ambassador Viral was certain of the reason, to protect his people, to prevent another collapse of the Royal Knights.
Then, someone sitting next to Viral spoke.
“You claim neutrality. Does that mean we can assume the Royal Knights will never intervene in the affairs of other races?”
It was Elder Makenis. An elf who had lived for an eternity. For an old fox like him to say such a thing… he must have something up his sleeve. It couldn’t be helped, not here.
“That is not what I meant, Elder,” Hans replied calmly.
“I beg to differ. It seems quite clear to me,” Makenis countered.
“Is it not within the scope of the Royal Knights’ duties?”
The Royal Knights served as a mediator and a deterrent between the races, a safeguard, of sorts.
For example, let’s say something terrible happened in the Dwarf Kingdom. If another race openly criticized them, it could lead to internal strife. But if they went through the Royal Knights to issue an indirect warning…
It might be unpleasant for the dwarves, but they’d have to accept it, at least if they didn’t want to antagonize the Royal Knights. And that was how the alliance had been maintained.
It was a crude and transparent system, but it worked. But what if the Royal Knights decided to stay neutral and abandon that role?
Chaos would ensue. Especially for the elves, who openly disliked and antagonized the Royal Knights.
Viral owed Hans a debt. He had no choice but to support him here.
“You claim neutrality, yet you want to intervene when it suits you, while denying us the same right? That sounds incredibly self-serving and dangerous,” Makenis said, his tone sharp.
“We are simply being true to the original purpose of the Royal Knights. Wasn’t the very reason for their creation to unite all races?” Hans countered.
“We don’t remember asking for that. We don’t like it when you meddle in our affairs. If you won’t interfere, then neither shall we,” a booming voice interrupted.
The orc leader finally spoke.
He was massive, his sturdy muscles covered in countless scars.
His name was Dezra.
He was the Orc King, the ruler of all orcs, also known as the Rusty Tyrant. Orcs… those muscleheads who resorted to violence at the drop of a hat.
The only reason they hadn’t been expelled from the alliance was their overwhelming strength. They might be a step below vampires and dragons, but that was by no means a low assessment.
In fact, the fact they were even comparable to those two was a testament to their might. And they vastly outnumbered both races.
“I see even a rock-head like you can make it to a meeting.”
“What was that? You reek of animal.”
“Why don’t you shut up if you don’t know anything?”
“I’ll hunt you down and eat you for dinner. You’ll be delicious.”
The orcs and beastmen had a terrible relationship. The beastmen weren’t on good terms with the dwarves and elves either, but at least they maintained a semblance of diplomacy and had signed agreements.
With the orcs, it always came down to swords. Of course, the orcs weren’t on good terms with anyone except the vampires, but still…
“Stay out of this, you weaklings.”
“Why don’t we settle this right here, you green-skinned freaks?”
“Everyone, please. Let’s not get too heated.”
It was the human king who stepped in to diffuse the situation. He approached them with his trademark smile. Ambassador Viral sighed in relief.
The humans didn’t have a good relationship with the orcs either, but they didn’t completely cut off all contact like some of the other races. They still engaged in trade and had signed some agreements.
Their relationship was similar to that between the dwarves and beastmen, they fought over territory and weren’t on good terms, but they could at least have a civil conversation.
Furthermore, the orcs were indebted to the current human king. As soon as he spoke, they quieted down. The meeting had been saved from descending into chaos, for now.
‘Hmm… this is getting interesting.’
the blond vampire thought, a sly smile playing on her lips. Her crimson eyes were fixed on the human who had started all this.
Unbeknownst to the others, the vampires had only one reason for siding with the alliance, human blood was delicious.
Of course, they could have joined the demons and captured humans to satiate their thirst, but most vampires had rejected that option. That was how they ended up in the alliance.
And it wasn’t just any human blood they craved.
The blood of the strong.
That was why the vampires remained in the alliance. It was better to be on friendly terms with the strong if they wanted easy access to their blood. Defeating them in battle to take it? Unlikely.
And even if they succeeded, a dead body couldn’t provide a continuous supply of blood. It was much more efficient to stay on good terms and acquire it through trade.
Right now, the Vampire Lord’s interest was focused on one person and that was Hans, the new Commander of the Royal Knights, the one who single-handedly revived the order in just one year.
More importantly, he was the one who had repelled the three True Demons despite being ambushed. He was the undisputed strongest member of the Royal Knights.
The previous commander was a dragon, so her blood wasn’t very appetizing. But a human commander? It made the vampire’s fangs ache with anticipation. She would have to approach him carefully later.
“You are giving the Royal Knights too much leeway.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“They achieved results. They deserve to be treated accordingly.”
“Results? I don’t care about results. Die, beast!”
And with everyone talking past each other, the meeting came to an end.
Alliance meetings typically lasted at least a week. It was a difficult task to get everyone on the same page.
However, one thing was clear, whether they liked it or not, they couldn’t underestimate the current Commander of the Royal Knights.
He was either incredibly gutsy or incredibly stubborn.
But no one doubted his abilities. After all, he had single-handedly revived the collapsed Royal Knights in a single year, and even managed to defeat three True Demons.
So, all that remained was to make the most of this meeting and secure as many advantages as possible.
And to do that, they needed to approach the Commander…
Meanwhile, Hans was completely lost.
‘What are they even talking about? I don’t understand a thing… I just want to focus on killing demons…’
Everyone seemed to hold him in high regard, but he couldn’t keep up with the mountain of proposals and agendas being thrown around
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