“Assassination would be too resource heavy at this point. Certainly still possible, but not ideal. With the demonic invasion round the corner, procuring future supply of leviathan scales may pose a challenge. I will soon seek trade with Odir for the scales not yet sold. WIthout Noah as Lord, trade could become difficult for various reasons.”

“Why trade? You can simply find an excuse to sanction Haldor. King Lazarus, I think his name was, if my memory serves me right, will not have much choice than to capitulate. Why hesitate, King Oberon, when your Ebonreach Kingdom overwhelms Haldor in all aspects.”

King Oberon shut his eyes following a sigh.

“It's frankly insulting when you assume I would fall for something like that, Saintess.”

“Hehe!”

All major monarchs wished for the downfall of the others to allow themselves to be of more prominence. The cheeky Saintess, who was young monarch of the Calysta church across the continent and based in the Holy Runa Kingdom under Queen Valerie, casually tried to bait King Oberon into a sanction that would cost much more than he stood to gain.

“My will stands. I cannot allow Noah to be assassinated, threatened, or harmed. I cannot have a reliable golden goose of leviathan scales to be opposed to me more than he already would be by virtue of my status as a major monarch.”

“If scales are all you need, the Heroes can easily take out such a creatu-”

“No.

A voice sharply interrupted Queen Isolde of the Eira Kingdom.

“Pardon?”

“We will not move for mere monster extermination.”

None spoke after the Hero's staunch declaration. With his back facing the clerestory windows, the sun cast an ominous shadow over the Hero, veiling his visage and even his wild pure-white hair in darkness. The monarchs in the room furrowed their brows and shifted in their seats, but did not speak out. With the overwhelming power of the Heroes, the monarchs used to being the most powerful in any room felt like ants and hesitated in responding.

Except for one, of course, who spoke unhesitatingly with her eyes shut.

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“Calm down, Hero. Be honored to have even been invited to this major monarch conference. No other Hero can speak of having been able to do the same, and this is in recognition of the power the four of you wield that has been understood to be on par with a major nation each. It is certainly respectable. We cannot, however, allow you to show such blatant disrespect.”

The faintest traces of a smirk appeared on the Hero's face.

“And? Will you do something about it, Empress Seti?”

Empress Seti's eyes and mouth stayed shut, expressing no intent to respond to his provocation. Neither the folds of her purple yukata she wore off a shoulder nor her purple bob of her hair that hid one of her eyes even rustled under the rising oppressive mana that the Hero slowly threatened to drown the room in.

The mana continued to rise, the magnitude of it evident in the small droplets of perspiration that appeared on the skin of most in the room. It threatened to almost burst the barriers that the archmages had cast on the walls of the room, before the mana abruptly disappeared like it was never there, and the Hero leaned back into his chair, still wearing his faint smirk. Empress Seti did not indicate even the slightest of reactions to the Hero’s actions.

Once again, a loud silence occupied the room for a moment, before Queen Valerie fake coughed loudly.

“We will move onto the next topic on the agenda, the demonic invasion from the west. Granted the size of the invasion, I would like to propose that each hero take charge of a contingent and set up a defensive line between the minor countries and the demonic countries. King Oberon, I believe your Ebonreach, further up North, can take care of itself?”

“No. We will rely on the Heroes. Queen Valerie, I suggest that your Holy Runa Kingdom do not make any more efforts to push me into unnecessary losses.”

Medeus found that he was signaled to speak by the man beside him.

“Alright, King Oberon, Queen Valerie, please stop. Us Heroes have already come up with a defensive plan.”

With that, he reached out to Hero Faber, who handed him a rolled up parchment the size of her own torso. Medeus unveiled it beside himself, holding it up for all in the room to see.

A few moments passed as the monarchs analysed what was written on the parchment before King Oberon voiced out what everyone else noticed.

“The plan, upon rudimentary assessment, seems to be sufficient, excluding the hole in the defensive wall. Why is Haldor, the minor country that basically lies on a strip right beside the Demonic Forest, completely undefended?”

“Ah, that was…that was his decision.”

All eyes except for those of Faber and Keupit who sat beside him, fell on the Hero Medeus pointed at, and a slight shiver slithered down the spine of most monarchs in the room at what they saw.

A twisted, malevolent grin was painted on his face that was still mostly obscured in shadow.

“I’m just experimenting. Don’t worry, the invasion defense will go flawlessly from our side. Even if it doesn't, it's just a minor country that’s ruined right? No one really cares.”

“I do! I just stated that a lord in that territory would be my…golden…goose…No, apologies.”

King Oberon capitulated to the Hero’s devastating glare when it turned to him, that was adorned with that grin of pure malice.