The same silence ruled the room for a solid minute, just as when Paoma questioned the actions of Zelig. Now every pair of eyes were either watching King Kaipan or Ren, although the latter was just sitting there, gently rocking back and forth with her big chair.
"It is as I described in my letter." Kaipan broke the silence in the end. "My territory was the most ravaged by the groups of Ironclaw. I lost over 50 people in the Harmony stage and more than a hundred who were close to stepping into that stage. My governmental system is almost on the brink of collapsing. Not just because capable people of mine kept dying but because 4 out of 5 caravaners of mine were killed. Their shipments were robbed every time they left the borders of my Kingdom." he explained calmly, not holding back anything, telling them honestly how weakened his Kingdom had become.
"It just shows the lack of proper training amongst your men," Frode smirked, but he was ignored by Kaipan and received a spiteful glare from Paoma.
"As my fellow alliance members failed to help me out, I was left alone to fend off something that was backed by someone who was originally from the Naulin Kingdom. As we now know, he also had the resources available to him from the entirety of the Enjin Kingdom." Kaipan explained, leaning forward, resting his chin on the back of his hands, watching them with cold eyes.
"Are you blaming us?" Horthi asked, King of the Kadence kingdom, clearly sounding indignant by his accusations.
"I do." He replied immediately. "Wholeheartedly."
"Outrageous!" Horthi slapped his hands on the table. "We were under attack by them just the same as you! Do you expect us to help you and leave our people and territories vulnerable? Are you hearing what you are saying?"
"I never wanted you to send troops for my protection. What I expected was simple, doing your jobs as Kings… and Queen." He looked at Paoma the same as he looked at the rest. "None of you here protected the caravans after entering your territory, not even when you were the one who was ordering the goods from us. I even have a fleeting suspicion you knew about the constant raids on them, receiving shares or organizing them, using Ironclaw as a front."
"Watch what you are saying, King Kaipan!" Frode said with crossed arms, sounding really annoyed. "Those are some serious accusations!"
"Weird, most of your trade routes were left relatively calm while mines were constantly harassed. Same with the number of assassinations and assassination attempts. I detailed everything in my letter about why I am leaving this alliance of ours. You can read it yourself. The gist is, what are the reasons to stay if there are no benefits to it?" Kaipan asked with a deep tone, clearly questioning them. Some, like Ludwigh or Paoma, lowered their heads, while others, like Horthi and Frode, only scowled at his words.
"So instead of facing your own weakness, you sell out your land, your people... Even yourself to become a protectorate! Should I applaud you, King Kaipan?" Horthi asked as he crossed his arms.
"If you wish to see it that way, then sure." He replied, without arguing, "When I asked the Immortal Wonders Sect for help, eight Ironclaw camps were destroyed the next day. EIGHT!" He raised his voice, looking around them. "While Heaven's Gate was only-"
"We were investigating the Enjins' connection to Ironclaw. We were occupied and had our hands full. It was not something that could've been made public. You must understand that King Kaipan." Zelig cut in, sounding like he was reprimanding him as a father does with his children. "For the betterment of the alliance, we decided to focus on the bigger picture. Taking them down was helping everyone, not just one Kingdom. What you are suggesting, that we ignored your plight, is nothing more than bitter resentment because of your losses. Objectively, it is not true!"
"Why not tell him?" Ren asked. She stayed silent so far that the others quickly snapped their heads towards her.
"And risk the leakage of information? Too risky." Zelig shook his head.
"A token of help would have sufficed." Ren continued as she tilted her head to the side. "Asking one of the neighbors to help him out. Or send a few elite cultivators… By doing nothing to ease the burden on them, you pushed them into your rival's arms. Good job!" She chuckled, flashing a thumbs up at him.
"And that so-called rival's pupil is sitting at our table…." Frode joined in the conversation.
"Yes… why is that? Is it because she is here to supervise her Sect's new puppet's actions?" Horthi asked with a tone soaked in sarcasm aimed at both Kaipan and Ren.
"No, I'm not here because of that. If you read Kaipan's letter," Ren explained slowly as if she was talking to a child, mocking him with a smile, "you would already know the connection between the Immortal Wonders Sect and King Kaipan is beneficial for both sides. Especially for him, as his Kingdom is weakened now! He can focus on rebuilding and any internal matters that might pop up; nobody will tell him what to do! Nobody from the Sect is there to have a say in their internal politics as their mission is simple; they are going to protect them from any outside threat and secure all the trading that is going on between them. That is all!"
"Outside threat? You are accusing us that we would hurt one of our own?! What would an outsider even know about how the Kingdom of Ten works?!" Horthi shouted after just one glance from Frode, telling him to continue speaking up. Ren's eyes didn't miss it, and Frode's eyes were threatening and overbearing toward him.
"Kingdom of Eight." Ren corrected him with a smile. "You dissolved the Enjins, and now the Elroths leave… or is basic math, not your forte? I may not have the insight into how you bunch of pompous royal guys work or see the world…." She continued, looking at each and every one of them, "But boy, you are out of touch!"
"You are not part of this alliance to have any say in this matter! By your origin, you are nothing but an outsider! Even an enemy!" Horthi slammed the table with his fists, turning towards Zelig. "Why is she even attending our meeting?!"
"Ahahaha… oh, how wrong you are!" Ren laughed, surprising everyone. Zelig let out a soft sigh before speaking up, and he was a bit forceful to drown out Ren's laugh.
"Because she is in line to succeed the late King Rudrick as the leader of the Naulin Kingdom." He replied with a flat tone. He watched Ren without blinking his eyes as the others could not tell what he was thinking.
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"Exac-… huh?" Horthi shook as his mind short-circuited for a brief moment, but he was not alone.
Everyone present tried to comprehend Zelig's words, feeling it was just a joke… but only Ren was laughing. Then again, watching his face, it was clear that it was not a prank. When everyone turned towards Ren, she finally reined in her laughs, but she was still grinning like a kid, waiting and watching their faces, finding it highly amusing. Even Kaipan was surprised, his mouth opening wide, and he had to close it with his fingers, pushing it upwards. The only other person remaining relatively calm was Frode; in his gaze, there was more anger and resentment gathering than surprise.
"What?" Ren leaned forward. "Is it that big of a surprise? Don't you see my hair and eye color? I am the spitting image of how a royal Naulin looks! Also… none of you knew Rudrick reestablished my name into the family registry?"
"It is true. I checked it myself." Zelig nodded.
"So, on paper, I am eligible for the throne after the death of my great-great-grandfather. Going by how things worked before, the most legitimate candidate, in fact!" She said, licking her lips.
"To the King that you killed?" Frode asked, unable to hold back his anger.
"What, you want to protect a traitor's name?" Ren shot back immediately, silencing him. "Thought so."
"You are still not Queen. Watch your tone." Zelig cut in before it could escalate further, reprimanding Ren on the spot.
"True. My apologies." She cupped her hands with a smile.
"Here is what we are going to do." Zelig said as he ignored her, looking at the others, "We are going to let King Kaipan have special trading agreements with the Immortal Wonders Sect for now. Any trading routes going through their territory or coming from it are allowed to be protected by that Sect's members. Those who are in agreement, raise their hands." He said as everyone did so, including Paoma and Ludwigh. It was a generous offer not before seen in the alliance's history.
"That is all nice, but I'm still leaving the alliance," Kaipain said as he shook his head. "My decision is final."
"We are a deeply intertwined organism by now." Zelig shook his head. "It is not like one could just leave because he decided so. Not after 2000 years of working together."
"Exactly. It would affect every other Kingdom, especially the ones neighboring you directly!" Horthi added after another glance from Frode.
"I am sure of that." Kaipan leaned back, and his words were not really friendly.
"We can revisit the topic once again in the future. The situation barely settled down a little. We are still in the middle of a cleanup! For now, we won't pursue your decision to work closer with a foreign Sect..." Zelig shook his head. "But if you really wish to leave our alliance, it is going to need a lot more meetings, ironing out everything."
"So you are open to the idea?" Ren asked, just before Paoma could open her mouth, wanting to ask the same question.
"I am not a dictator." Came the only answer that almost made Ren laugh once again.
"Then when we meet next time to talk about it, I may legitimately have a say in it, huh?" She thought out loud, looking at the others with a half-smile.
"Maybe…" Zelig nodded as he focused on her. "But for you to become Queen… there are going to be a few hurdles." a smile crept up on his face.
"Oh? Like?" She asked, not really bothered by it.
"I don't think you are going to like them."
"Try me." she leaned forward, not backing down as they were now pushing their own auras against each other. The rest could not even feel it happening, but they had been battling since the start.
"You must go to Rozex and integrate into the city's life. How do you wish to become a Queen if you don't know the people living there?"
"Obviously. Next?" she tilted her head, looking at Zelig like this was evident from the start.
"As to who is going to succeed Rudrick, it is going to be decided by who has the biggest achievements. It is not just you who fights for the position; multiple branches are now in the middle of deciding who will be the new main line of the Naulin bloodline. You can go back, and as it was Rudrick who brought you back to the family, you can pick up the remains of his branch."
"I already expected that. No problem! What else?" Ren shrugged, a bit disappointed.
"To even consider your honesty and determination to become the ruler of the Naulin Kingdom, you must renounce yourself from the Immortal Wonders Sect! The future ruler of any of the Kingdoms can't be part of any sect! They can only hold one position of power!" Zelig said, and his words immediately shook the rest, mainly because they were part of Heaven's Gate, without any choice, right from the start… and now they would lose their positions as rulers? What came next was even more shocking as it was Ren's immediate answer.
"Sure! As long as I am Queen of the Naulins, I won't be part of any sect or other organizations! More so, I swear on my own life, as long as I am Queen, I won't even leave Rozex!" She proclaimed with a confident smile, looking into his eyes, not even blinking, giving him a surprise as… he was not expecting anything like this.
"Are you mad?" Came the whisper from Paoma, who could no longer gulp back her thoughts.
"Ahaha… sometimes?" Ren chuckled, scratching her cheeks with a playful blush. "Sure thing, my Ancestor. I agree to all of those terms!"
"..." now, even Zelig was at a momentary loss as he had never met someone who was not acting according to his plans. He expected negotiations, arguments, and even a fight… but nothing like this. She even agreed to more strict terms than he proposed by herself. "What the hell are you aiming for?" he thought to himself.
"Now that it is settled," Ren continued. "What about the rest here? I'll be the only one unable to join anybody in Heaven's Gate and be only a Queen?"
"No…" Zelig blinked his eyes, regaining his composure. "Everyone can choose which position you wish to hold onto. Being the King or Queen of your country or your position in Heaven's Gate. You have a month to decide and appoint your successor for either the throne or the elder position."
"I assume then you are going to only hold your position in Heaven's Gate, correct?" Ren's voice echoed strongly in the room, asking the same question everyone thought about as soon as they heard Zelig's words.
"..." He looked into her eyes before saying only one word, "Yes."
"Good. I just wanted to make sure!" She chuckled. "Then I'll excuse myself!" she stood up, fixing her clothes. "I'm off; I need to send a message back home! Oh, and tell me a day before when you will finally take me to Rozex! I'm excited to see where my mother grew up~" she clapped with an innocent smile as she left.
"..." Zelig just watched her walk out, leaving the door wide open before closing his eyes. He was not even waiting for the others to speak up. "Let us end this meeting here. We are going to gather after a month once again," he said with an ordering voice as he also left, not in the best of moods.
"What just happened?" Paoma sent a voice transmission to Ludwigh, still trying to process everything.
"Beats me… I let the flow just take me in the end…." Came the reply, looking at Kaipan, trying to ask if he knew something in advance but seeing his look, he already knew it was not the case. "I need a beer…" he sighed in the end, shaking his head as Paoma just nodded at the other side of the table.
"Make it two." She said.
"Make it three…." Kaipan joined in. "I told you she is going to take the limelight… She told me she had something to share to help me navigate this easily, and I shouldn't bother being open about my thoughts… But I was not expecting her to do it this way…" he looked at the two as he finally sighed, smiling a little. "My granddaughter mentioned her Master is a weird one… now I can finally agree with her!"