Chapter 752 Alliance Summit [Pt 1]
"Now then… shall we begin the meeting?"
In a vast hall, surrounded by pristine decorations such as stained glass, marble tiles, exquisite curtains, and crystal-like chandeliers, a certain conference was being held. A large rectangular table stood erect at the center of the hall, with chairs on all sides—two especially at the head of the table, occupied by Vida and Conrad—leaders of the United Human Alliance.
On both the right side of the table were the teenagers who had been summoned to save their world—The Otherworlders.
Alicia, Belle, Clark, Justin, and Trisha sat comfortably in their pristine chairs, and opposite them were the distinguished members of the Alliance who were considered the strongest—most influential as well—within the framework.
Lucielle, Brutus, and Lucy—who had just recently been promoted to Admiral—occupied this position.
Then, at the foot of the table was the designated leader of the Otherworlders. He was their representative, in a sense, and he was also recognized as the strongest one in the room.
—Rey Skylar.
Standing behind him was Ater, his Familiar, who still refused to sit despite many attempts to make him do so. He floated above the ground, but his feet were still close to its surface, so it wasn't easy to tell.
Still, this was the arrangement of the meeting room.
Guards were stationed outside the room, giving everyone inside utmost privacy. The items for discourse were also quite robust, so everyone strapped themselves into their respective seats and awaited the commencement of their grand assembly.
"The first thing I'd like to say is to offer words of gratitude to our Otherworlder Heroes who have continued to support us through everything that we have been through. Even during attacks, and betrayals… you six have continued to remain with us. For that, you have my thanks." Conrad spoke, turning to both the five teenagers, and then to Rey.
He had a genuine smile on his face—one that did its best to explain just how thankful he was.
Vida also bowed her head, not saying anything else since Conrad had pretty much taken all the words out of her mouth. The other distinguished individuals of the Alliance followed suit and did the same.
It might have been strange for the Otherworlders to receive such treatment from adults who were far older than them, but they were already used to it.
And so, as always, they chose to be humble and dismiss the thanks.
"A-ahem… okay then… let's move on to the first matter on the list of things to discuss." Conrad cleared his throat, now casting his gaze on Rey.
"Thanks to the efforts of Rey Skylar, the Elves have agreed to be our allies—supplying us with ores from their end while we offer them Enchanted Weapons in exchange. They are also fighting the war on their end, so it's important that this alliance will be benefiting both sides."
Conrad went further to explain the model they would be using to supply the Elves their weapons, and how they would be receiving the goods from them.
In the end, it all boiled down to the Reaper Group.
"The Reaper Group is the largest in the market at the moment, and they are our personal suppliers as well. In essence, the whole exchange will go through them. Their operations will have the full support of the Alliance, and it appears the Elves have also agreed to trade with them."
No one would have expected that a company that surfaced mere months ago would have such a monopoly on the most profitable and important business in the Alliance, but considering their track record and the quality of their products, it was only common sense to go with them.
Besides, with or without the aid of the Alliance, the Reaper Group would have kept advancing anyway. They had already grown so large on their own, which was impressive in its own way.
They donated a lot of Items to the Royal Council, and they even assisted in rebuilding the city. Certainly, their reach wasn't small and their pockets also ran deep. Most importantly, they were trustworthy.
"And with that concluded, it's time we discussed the issue of alliance… one of the rather problematic subjects to be addressed today."
Now that the Nobles of the Alliance were dead, there was really nothing standing in the way of the Royal Council making decisions. They also now had more resources at their disposal than ever since they confiscated the resources of the Nobles.
With the aid of the Reaper Group, and the recent alliance of the Elves, it was safe to say that the economic situation of the Alliance had never been better. They were thriving, possessing more than enough resources to get them through the coming years.
But, even with that issue addressed, there was one matter that could not be ignored.
—The War against the Dragons.
"It's only a matter of time before they attack us with ferocity. We're doing our best to arm our soldiers with sufficient resources—particularly Enchanted Items—but there's only so much those can do against the full might of their army. We have suffered many losses over the years, and the number of soldiers we have has dwindled."
It was bad to the point where they had to dispatch a lot of palace guards and regular soldiers to the front lines, leaving the cities and Capital largely defenseless.
That was not a sustainable model, and with the reduction in Dragon attacks, the security of the Alliance had returned to its optimal capacity. The difference in crime rates, as well as general productivity, made it compelling to leave things that way.
But… that would mean the front lines would suffer.
"The dispatched soldiers taken from the regions and cities are cannon fodder anyway. It's best they remain in their local areas and carry out their duties. There's no use sending them to die at the hands of the Dragons." Brutus said, almost as soon as Conrad brought them up.
"I agree. We are at a crucial stage in the Alliance right now, which means we need as much security personnel around. Sending them to their deaths is pointless." Lucielle added.
"Where will we get soldiers, then? There aren't many new recruits, and even those we have are not ready for the rigors of war." Lucy sighed. "It's a dead end."
Their only saving grace was that the Dragons were yet to launch a full-scale assault. But, that was inevitable.
"You have us, don't you? We'll be heading to the battlefield in the coming week, so that should take a lot of the burden off your shoulders." Clark commented.
Not all his fellow Otherworlders were as enthusiastic as him to rush into the battlefield, but they all nodded in agreement to his words.
Their duties remained the same, and since they were finally heading to the battlefield, surely some difference would be made.
"No offense to you, Sir Clark, but a few soldiers—no matter how skilled and strong—do not win wars. We need an army." Lucy responded with a stern tone, though she still had a respectful vibe about her.
While there existed reverence for the Otherworlders, it was no secret that they were inexperienced when it came to actual warfare. For that purpose alone, she felt the strong need to correct his mistaken assumption.
"There are several attack points that the Dragons utilize, and since they have aerial power, it's easy for them to swarm and overtake a group if there are too few members. It's one of the reasons we diverted so much security to the battlefield despite them being weak." Her further elaboration was educational, causing Clark to nod in understanding.
"Thanks for the enlightenment." He bowed his head.
"My pleasure."
The two smiled at each other with some form of unknown camaraderie, something strange to have since they hardly even knew each other.
"In any case, concerning the alliance, we tried to reach out to the other civilizations outside the United Human Alliance and offered for them to join hands with us." Vida finally brought the conversation back to the pertinent topic.
"They still refuse to be a part of the Alliance, but most of them have agreed to create a somewhat mutually beneficial agreement. We send resources to their lands, and they offer some of their finest warriors to assist in the battlefield." "Can we trust them?" This time, it was Lucielle who spoke up. "I find their actions suspicious."
"Same here." Lucy added, causing the two women to look at each other, smile, and then nod.
"Well, we don't have much of a choice, do we? We have to put up with their requests and simply watch them closely to make sure they comply with their end of the deal. Besides, why would they sabotage our efforts to drive away the Dragons when they also run the risk of being obliterated by the enemy?"
No one could argue with that logic, so everyone fell silent regarding the alliance.
Everyone but one.
"If I may speak… there is another alternative that you haven't considered."
All looked in the direction of the boy who spoke.
His dark hair swayed slightly and his two eyes gleamed with brilliant crimson as he interlocked the fingers of both hands and stared forward, parting his lips to reveal his thoughts.
"The Southern Continent… why don't we seek allies there too?"