The royals each reacted differently to Haru's statement. Cael's stern expression shifted to one of perplexity, while young Elric looked up with curiosity. The king… his face softened.

"She would've appreciated hearing those words," the king said.

"I don't see how that relates to your end goal." Cael interjected, pushing the conversation forward.

"Because right now, I'm the only ally that you can rely on to get you out of this mess." Haru poured himself a glass of alcohol and continued, "Don't get me wrong. This is an partnership we will both benefit from but it isn't like I don't have any other options. If my only purpose was to make enough money to start my own kingdom I wouldn't waste my time here. But that isn't my only goal. What the queen did was what I like to call a curve ball, a move which shook the other kingdoms by the foundation. Freehaven is a land that is ruled under the idea that those of conscious thought have equal rights. Slavery doesn't really exist there. If one of the seven human kingdoms happen to turn to share similar sentiments then the people will begin to have questions."

"If Cranch can abolish slavery, why can't we?"

"Look at Freehaven! They have a system that works and is fair!"

"If Cranch can provide freedom and fairness, what's stopping our kingdom from doing the same?"

Haru rested on a hand as he spoke calmly. "See, the secondary issue with the other kingdoms is that they are running out of non-human slaves. Hundreds of years have passed since Emanuel The Brave vanquished the great evil and humans crowned themselves as king. Since then, wild Yxliers are as rare as Orichalcum and they can't breed enough to meet demands. The elves and the dwarves are holed up in their own land and the other quasi intelligent races have also grown more proficient in hiding themselves in front of us. The other kingdoms thrive on slavery and when there is demand, the only logical solution is to have supply meet demand."

Cael narrowed his brow. "You are saying that the other kingdoms have turned to their own kind to meet demand."

Haru snapped his finger. "Right you are. And it is only going to increase as time goes on. The queen opened a box which shouldn't have been opened and now the other kingdoms are desperately trying to close it by any means necessary. I don't think I have to say it. If it wasn't this plague, they would've used other means to either control or destroy the kingdom of Cranch before it got too far."

The weight of his words hung heavy and yet, they rang true, especially for both the king and prince Cael. While the king had married into the world of politics, Cael grew up in it and understood it at a level deeper than even his father.

"Even if that's the case… Then the reason you want to support us now…?"

"It's because all eyes are on you," Haru said with a devilish smile. "The other kingdoms aren't dumb. They know the kingdom of Cranch will fall into ruin soon and all they have to do is wait it out before pillaging its dying corpse. The world of Kladin will then know only six human kingdoms from then on."

Placing down his cup, Haru raised his voice and spoke with greater conviction. "You're right, the others will never let me build my kingdom in peace which is why I plan to use you all as my decoy."

"Decoy?" The king gulped.

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"Your main use to me is to be my cover as I work in the background. As the other's greedily await your demise like hungry wolves, you'll suddenly rise up from the dead with the cure I provided and provide them the greatest fright of their lives! The other kingdoms have bet big on your downfall, and when they realize there is nothing to be gained, they will panic. The money they lost by cutting trade with Cranch likely placed a burden on them as well. This will further cause more panic among them and distract them long enough that I can do what I need to do in peace."

"Wait!" Cael slammed his hand on the table. "E-Even if what you're saying is true and they've been plotting to engulf us, if the kingdom of Cranch revives, they'll attack us under false pretenses. I've met them before… I know what they're capable of. They won't just sit back and let it happen. We would either have to cede great amounts of territory and resources or…. go to war. We won't allow the lives of our people to be played in such a way!"

"They can't- well, no, they won't," Haru replied simply.

"How can you be so sure?" Cael asked.

"Because Cranch has two resources at their disposal which the others rely upon. The first is the waters of Cranch. The channels which bring the water through Cranch is connected to a secret channel that runs from Even country, right?"

Cael took a step back. "How do you know that?"

"Well, it's not that big of a secret," Haru waved his hand as if it was no big secret. "The other kingdoms already know but it's not like they can do anything about it since the reason the water of Cranch is so special is because it is diluted with the miracle water of the Great Tree of Life. You already know it too, don't you? The reason for the plague. It originates from Elven Country and the most likely culprit has to do with the Great Tree of Life."

Cael shuddered but answered with a nod.

This was the kingdom's greatest secret. The Great Tree of Life was the elves' most treasured possession, one that no human had ever seen, except for the legendary hero Emanuel and his party. It was said that the tree produced life-giving water that dripped from its bark, forming an entire lake. Rumors of this water spread across all the lands, with many believing that a single drop could heal life-threatening injuries. Others claimed that drinking until their bellies bulged would grant eternal youth, much like the elves were believed to possess.

It was every tyrant's obsession to obtain such a treasure but none had ever succeeded for the elves hated the humans and had long ago sealed away their homeland from outsiders. They were plenty strong and could take on anything the humans threw at them. Eventually, humanity gave up.

However, as luck would have it, a single stream of water had made its way from the lake to one of Cranch's flowing bodies and blessed their waters with some of the effects of the miracle water. Cranch was then primarily known for their water which had miraculous effects on the bodies of its citizens and their bountiful agriculture industry.

Cael thought for a moment and asked, "Since you know so much, do you also know how to fix it? We don't know the reason why the waters which once brought us such fortunes now brings us misfortune. However, we can't even check if we wanted to. Elven country has been sealed to us so we don't know what is going on."

Haru cracked a smile. " I do. But it's not something I can do right now. It will still take me some time."

His words came as a shock as Cael, and the others seemed to now view Haru is a different light. This person which they had previously attempted to scheme against now looked like their savior. Even if it took several years, the fact that Haru had a solution was astonishing to them.

Noting the somewhat awkward pause, Haru held out one of the cure bottles and continued, "The second resource Cranch has is this-"

Just then, a loud thump could be heard from behind and the large oak doors opened up with a slam.

"Sir, please wait-"

"Your Majesty, why have you not informed me you were in a meeting?"

The king turned to the new arrival. "Lord Regent Magnus," he said with a hint of surprise, "your presence here is unexpected. What urgent matter brings you here?" Lord Regent Magnus, a tall, imposing figure with sharp, narrow eyes and an almost hawkish face, marked by a neatly trimmed beard streaked with silver. He wore the kingdom's crest around his neck and walked with a finely crafted cane. Faint purple splotches marred his face though they were a bit faint. He was followed by a guard who looked a bit concerned.

Haru took a quick glance at the appearance of the newly arrived Lord Regent.