Chapter 249: The Summit (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 249: The Summit (2)
Kalia, the capital of the Traul Kingdom.
The city, always bustling with countless people, was twice as crowded today.
People lined the edges of the streets and craned their necks from building windows to watch the spectacle outside.
They had all come to see the procession filling the main thoroughfare.
The first procession was composed of elves.
Elven warriors, clad in combat attire that exuded an aura of nature, carried bows and quivers on their backs. Their beauty was enough to draw gasps of admiration.
At the center of the formation, which was arranged to protect someone, stood the Elven Queen, Ivrelia, mounted on a giant Servant.
Beside Ivrelia was Alfia Liliand, the strongest warrior of the elven race, wearing the Laurel Wreath of the World Tree.
Not only that, but spirits also formed a grand line, a display clearly intended to engrave the might of the elves into the minds of the humans.
“The elves really are beautiful.”
“Just their presence makes the air feel fresher.”
The elves disappeared in the direction of the royal castle.
A brief silence fell.
Then, the sky suddenly darkened.
A pitch-blackness so deep one couldn't see an inch ahead.
Just as the people began to panic…
Pwoooooo!
The cry of an elephant, reminiscent of a trumpet, echoed through the air.
Simultaneously, blue and orange flames flickered to life sequentially along the road, heralding the start of the next procession.
A crowd of beastkin entered the boulevard, which was now lined with ghostly flames. Elephants led the way, followed by a variety of other beastkin, while avian beastkin soared through the sky.
As before, at the center of the procession was the monarch they followed: Princess Hilde, a lioness, acting as regent for the sickly Lion King of Vestia.
She sat with her chin propped on her hand, an indifferent expression on her face. Diagonally behind her, the gumiho Rin floated along.
“To think beasts would act like humans. Huh? Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
Men and women, young and old, all stared blankly at Rin, having fallen under the gumiho’s innate charm.
“Now it’s finally quiet,” Rin smirked in satisfaction as she looked over the silenced street.
“You should smile, too. Why the long face?”
“Would you be smiling if you were me?” Hilde retorted.
Thanks to the gumiho, she had been demoted to a mere figurehead princess. There was no way she, a lioness, would be pleased about being treated like a common cat.
The beastkin procession passed, and in the next moment, a brilliant light burst forth from somewhere, driving away the darkness. The people who had been charmed snapped out of it.
“It’s the Order of Balance!”
Clergy dressed in robes of black and white, Holy Knights and priests, marched in orderly lines.
In a carriage drawn by six black-and-white horses sat Pope Antonius, and beside him, the Order’s Saint, Elize, sat demurely.
Believers within the Traul Kingdom knelt and clasped their hands in prayer.
“So that’s the Saint…”
Though she cast no spell of charm, the public’s gaze was fixed on Elize. She offered them a benevolent smile and waved her hand lightly.
That simple gesture was enough to deepen their faith in Elize. Which, in other words, meant that the membership of the Reaper’s Order had just increased. Of course, the person responsible was completely unaware.
The clergy cleared the way.
What would come next? Just as the people were waiting in anticipation, a great vibration shook the very axis of the earth.
Thud…! Thud…!
Colossal golems, visible even from a distance, strode forward, exuding an imposing aura. Atop the heads of these golems rode Wolfram and Halgran.
For once, the crowd had to crane their necks to look up at the dwarves, who they always had to look down upon. As they did, ice crystals began to fall from above.
“Snow…?”
It was spring; winter had long since ended.
But a sudden chill swept through the air.
Whoosh!
With a fierce gust of wind, a massive shadow fell over the ground. Beautiful ice formations painted a picture in the sky.
Skadia, who had been gliding through the air, flapped its great head and landed on the ground. Before the crowd could even define its existence, Skadia let out a roar.
Krawwwrrrr!
A Dragon’s Roar.
The masses fainted and collapsed.
“How was that, Princess? I have properly displayed your majesty. You are the most magnificent of all the slaves.”
“Yeah!” Azyeth answered energetically.
The story of the two of them getting scolded by Karami for this would come later.
And so, the five leaders gathered in one place.
*
The grand conference hall of the royal castle.
The leaders of the five nations sat at a round table.
Each nation had deployed only the minimum personnel necessary to protect their leader.
King Gregory of the Traul Kingdom. Behind him stood Luke, the Knight Commander known as the Continent's Greatest Sword, as if guarding him.
The Elven Queen of the Great Forest, Ivrelia. And Alfia.
Princess Hilde of Vestia. And Rin.
Pope Antonius of Kassilon. And Saint Elize.
Finally, there were Wolfram and Azyeth of Doomheim. The rest were either on standby or in a standoff somewhere in the castle.
For the leaders of each nation to gather in one place was an event that might happen once in a century.
It was, in every sense, a historic occasion.
Gregory, who had brought them all together, inwardly savored a sense of pride before opening his mouth to begin the meeting.
“First, I wish to express my gratitude for your precious time. I am Gregory de Carsein of the Traul Kingdom.”
This was the first summit of this century. While some of them knew each other, for most, excluding Ivrelia, it was their first meeting.
“The reason I called this summit is none other than this: as I mentioned beforehand, there is one who seeks to bring chaos to the world. A man called the Slave Reaper.”
Gregory observed the others’ reactions. It seemed they all knew of the Slave Reaper.
Ivrelia sighed, forgetting all decorum, while Hilde ground her teeth. They clearly had a history with him.
“He has committed atrocities, tormenting and slaughtering various races, and now harbors the absurd dream of building his own kingdom.”
“What’s your point?” Hilde asked.
“Though he is but a slave trader, the slaves who obey his command are no ordinary folk. There are elves, and likely many other slaves as well.”
The fact that he controlled dozens of elves meant he possessed another force capable of capturing them. It was an illogical amount of power for a mere slave trader to possess.
“I propose that we all join forces to subjugate the Slave Reaper and liberate the slaves he has captured.”
“I fucking agree—!”
Hilde, who had been about to shoot to her feet shouting, froze mid-motion, glanced around, and sat back down. Behind her, Rin was smiling.
In response to Gregory’s proposal, Antonius spoke.
“Subjugate the Slave Reaper, you say… His power is certainly a threat to the world.”
“Your Holiness, are you in favor of subjugating the Slave Reaper?”
“Before that, there is an answer I must hear. What will you do with the slaves?”
“They must be returned to their respective kingdoms, of course.”
“That is not what I mean. I speak of all slaves in this world, not just the Slave Reaper’s. Many of other races are held as slaves in your kingdom. As are citizens of our Holy Kingdom.”
Antonius’s gaze sharpened.
“King Gregory, do you have any intention of liberating the slaves that exist in your kingdom?”
“What nonsense…”
“You would turn a blind eye to them, yet speak of liberating slaves by subjugating the Slave Reaper?”
Ivrelia chimed in.
“I concur. Humans continue to invade the Great Forest in attempts to kidnap elves.”
“This is fucking absurd. You bastards treat my people like animals and you dare ask for our cooperation?”
“That is disrespectful to His Majesty, Princess Hilde!” Luke snapped.
“Disrespectful? What. You wanna go?”
As Hilde’s menacing aura flared, Luke placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
Untouched by the hostile atmosphere, Wolfram spoke.
“It is commonplace for dwarven blacksmiths to be enslaved and exploited. Unless you can guarantee the safety of the dwarves, I find it difficult to agree.”
“What are you all talking about? Do you not know of the Slave Reaper? Your people are dying like toys, and now he seeks to expand his power! Elf Queen, do you not wish to save your people who are captured by him?”
“How can I save them? They became slaves of their own free will…. Before I can save anyone, I must first… Aaaargh…”
Ivrelia buried her face in her hands and slumped onto the round table.
Gregory, who hadn't expected such strong opposition, was greatly flustered. But he couldn't abolish the institution of slavery as they demanded.
Slaves were property.
They were labor, and thus, national power.
Not only would he face fierce opposition from the nobles, but the entire nation would be shaken.
Click.
Just then, the doors to the conference hall, which were supposed to be sealed to all, opened. The ones who opened them were two women.
One was Mirabelle.
The other, Morgana.
Luke immediately drew his sword.
“Who goes there! The leaders of nations are in conference! Guards, what are you doing!”
The guards, composed of various races, did not react.
Then, the women who had been standing as escorts for the leaders all knelt on one knee towards the door and bowed their heads in unison.
At this bizarre sight, Gregory and Luke were stunned, not understanding what was happening.
And through the open door, a man walked in with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Who are you!”
“No need to be so wary. I’m someone you all know quite well.”
Black eyes.
Black hair.
A flippant voice.
A casual demeanor.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am the Slave Reaper, Karami.”