I took my time to lay out my terms—yes, *my* terms—because this was no small undertaking. In essence, I was going to deal with the Argyrian Patriarch on my own. There’s no denying it: two elven monarchs could manage this far more effectively than I could, and even if I did somehow match them, I’d still be haunted by the same reservations that led those monarchs to reject the role in the first place. That’s precisely why I decided we needed clear conditions on how *all of us* would approach our fight on two fronts.

Ultimately, after much discussion, my terms were agreed upon. A strict deadline was imposed on me, and I secured at least a minimal commitment from the other three. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough for us to move forward.

Once these terms were thoroughly discussed and settled, the Aurian Matriarch brought up a topic I was certain she had been itching to address from the moment we sat down: how the loot would be divided. Each of us stood to gain something from this coalition, some more than others. Before anyone could speak, I made my expectations clear.

"Naturally, upon the demise of the Argyrian Patriarch, his ancestral tree is to be inherited by Aquaflora, the current ruler of the Argyrian realm and wielder of one of the Elemental Ancestral Trees."

"Naturally, huh?" the Ferron Patriarch mused.

The Aurian Matriarch let out a sneer. "Why don’t you just say you plan to recover it for yourself instead of pretending you’re restoring it to its RighTfuL place?"

"You might have opinions on my intentions," I replied evenly, "but I am simply aiming to return an ancestral tree, currently in corrupted hands, to its rightful heir."

The Aurian Matriarch sneered again, her expression sharp. "Let’s just pretend I believe those beautiful words—that you’re not doing this because you have use for an elven monarch."

"I take it you don’t have any complaints about this decision, then, Matriarch?" I asked, keeping my tone measured.

Her silence was my answer, as it was for the Ferron Patriarch and, finally, the Umbryan Patriarch.

"I’m glad we all agree on this point," I said, somewhat relieved that we had avoided another wave of disagreement.

I had fully expected complaints from at least two of the three monarchs. After all, the prize I intended to claim—the Argyrian ancestral tree—would allow the rise of another elven monarch to replace the current Argyrian Patriarch. Their silence, however, spoke volumes. It wasn’t due to lack of objections but rather because they recognized the level of participation I had offered in this coalition. Not only had I brought forth the suggestion, but I had also agreed to take on a dangerous and active role—one they had refused.

Their greed may have urged them to object, but their pride and reason restrained them, knowing that if they did, I would not hesitate to reopen negotiations about the risks I was taking.

"I have no other demands," I declared, sitting back to prompt the Aurian Matriarch to voice hers.

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"I want the Ancestral Tree the fool tried to accommodate," she said.

Another sneer echoed from the Umbryan Patriarch. "That fool, as you call him, didn’t just try to accommodate an ancestral tree of a different affinity. He actually managed it."

"At the cost of his sanity," the Ferron Patriarch pointed out. "Are you sure you want to attempt accommodating such an ancestral tree, knowing it drove a fellow monarch mad, Matriarch?"

"Hmph. I’m not a fool like he was," she replied with her usual condescending tone. "I’ll be fine."

This coalition, the madness of the Argyrian Patriarch—everything had led us here. The Argyrian Patriarch had completely conquered the elemental affinity and attempted to accommodate an ancestral tree from a nature sub-affinity.

In theory, this should have resulted in his death, but he had survived, though at the cost of his sanity. Certain points—like the involvement of the authority Rule and Overrule—were worth mentioning, but none of the monarchs knew of that authority’s existence. It was simpler to pretend it didn’t exist.

"Which nature sub-affinity did he manifest his ancestral tree from?" the Umbryan Patriarch asked with a frown.

"That’s actually a good question," the Ferron Patriarch agreed, turning to the Aurian Matriarch.

The Aurian Matriarch clearly preferred not to answer, but as all eyes were on her, she conceded. "I’m not certain, but the options are few as far as nature sub-affinities go. Based on his new abilities, I suspect the ancestral tree originated from Biocatalysis."

"Biocatalysis?" both Patriarchs echoed.

"That’s the nature sub-affinity that enhances one’s likelihood of acquiring skills and abilities related to using another creature’s biological aspects as catalysts, right?" the Ferron Patriarch asked after a thoughtful pause.

The Aurian Matriarch confirmed with a nod.

Deep in thought, the Umbryan Patriarch pointed out, "That doesn’t seem... What about the ancestral tree that’s allowing him to control all these creatures?"

Though the Umbryan Patriarch tried to be subtle, his concern was clear. He feared that by acquiring the Argyrian Patriarch’s ancestral tree, the Aurian Matriarch might gain the ability to control the stampede—currently the biggest threat.

She shook her head. "I have no clue how he’s able to do that."

"Is there no nature sub-affinity that allows one to control monsters?" the Ferron Patriarch asked.

"There is. In fact, there are more than one," the Aurian Matriarch admitted, "but I have already manifested an ancestral tree from one of these sub-affinities, so..."

"...So no one else could have done the same?" the Ferron Patriarch concluded.

The Aurian Matriarch nodded in agreement.

"What if it were the product of a skill?" Aquaflora surmised, speaking for the first time since the beginning of the summit.

Though her suggestion sounded bold, it was clear that the sharp gazes from the three monarchs made her recoil in visible shyness.

"No skill can be that powerful!" the Umbryan Patriarch denied sharply. His response carried an edge of emotion that betrayed a deeper personal stake, more than mere pragmatism.

"Are we certain, though?" the Ferron Patriarch mused. "As an ancestral tree wielder, you couldn't appraise him. So, what if it really is a skill? One that he's acquired and managed to level to an exceptional degree? That could explain his attempt to accommodate an ancestral tree from a different sub-affinity, could it not?"

At these words, the two other patriarchs gave far more consideration to the Ferron Patriarch than they had to Aquaflora.

"That might make sense," the Umbryan Patriarch and Aurian Matriarch admitted reluctantly. "Though it doesn't make the decision any less foolish."

"And I never pretended it wasn’t," the Ferron Patriarch replied smoothly.

As the patriarchs continued exchanging their reasoning and theories, I sat there silently. I already knew the answer and had achieved the outcome I wanted. There was no real need for me to take part in this conversation anymore. I only had to pretend to listen—everything left to discuss at this summit was completely irrelevant to me.