Chapter 328: The Rift Deepens
(Meanwhile, Fourth Elder’s Office, Planet Tithia)
The crystal tablet slammed against the edge of the marble desk, cracking on impact as its flickering screen continued to display the live feed from Planet Juxta.
The Fourth Elder stood frozen, fingers twitching at his side, as he watched ship after ship explode against the mana shield.
The report he had received was brief. And the footage was mostly positive for the cult as a whole, however, for him personally, it was devastating.
The righteous faction had attacked.
And they’d attacked hard.
Just two days ago, he’d stood before the council and laughed off the First Elder’s warnings, calling them nothing more than empty words.
He had Accused the First Elder of fear-mongering and wasting resources.
But now?
Now the frontlines were burning, and he looked like a complete fool because of it.
*Step*
*Step*
He paced slowly through his lavish chamber, the carpet muffling his footsteps as his aura simmered with rage.
"This can’t possibly be a coincidence," he muttered, voice low. "This was a setup..."
His eyes narrowed as he stared into the distance.
"Lord First... Did you have concrete intel? Did you know for sure that this attack was going to happen? And did you conceal it, just to watch me fall?"
The thought poisoned him.
There had been no prior indication about the righteous faction planning an attack before the First Elder called for an emergency meeting.
And yet just two days after the first elder called for a meeting, the attack already happened.
Coincidentally, the First Elder’s shipments of aid had already been delivered just this morning, alongside those who heeded his warning.
However, those that did not choose to heed it, now looked like absolute jackasses.
The troops on the frontline as well as the citizens of planet Juxta were sure to develop a positive image of the first elder after today, praising him as their most benevolent benefactor, while the rest of the council seemed immature and uncaring in comparison.
In his mind, the Fourth Elder strongly believed that this couldn’t be just a coincidence, and that the First Elder had probably set him up, as he hated himself for being outmaneuvered.
’Now I look like a jackass and a hothead in front of the other elders....’ The fourth elder thought, as he clenched his fist, jaw tight.
If this war dragged on—and he was remembered as the fool who denied it—then his influence within the council would surely crumble, which would be devastating for his future ambitions to slowly rise to the post of first elder, as if he screwed up his momentum now, he would probably never get another chance to usurp him for a decade.
—---------
(Meanwhile, within the First Elder’s office, Planet Tithia)
*Step*
*Step*
The First Elder also paced around his office with equal anger and intensity as the fourth, as he couldn’t believe that the righteous faction would attack so soon.
’It’s not enough.... We aren’t ready. We need much more artillery output if we are to keep Juxta safe for a long time....’ The First Elder thought, as he clenched his fists in anger.
The Second Elder was the one that controlled the biggest forges within the Cult, and it was his duty to supply the frontlines with ammunition in times of war.
However, with the Second Elder being heavily influenced by the Fourth Elder’s stupidity, he chose not to send arms to the front lines after the emergency meeting.
"Tch... idiot"
The First Elder clicked his tongue and stopped pacing, placing his palm against the windowpane as he looked out over the quiet skyline of Tithia.
The cityscape shimmered under the mix sized sun, calm and oblivious to the madness that had begun a few solar systems away.
’There is no war. If we are going to theorize things without proof, then I theorize that the righteous faction will not attack!’
The Fourth Elder’s arrogant voice still echoed in his head.
’You’re trying to scare the council, Lord First.’
’You’re growing old. And paranoid.’
The fool had said, as thinking back upon it, The First Elder couldn’t help but grit his teeth in anger now.
That bastard had undermined him in front of everyone—mocked him, discredited his years of wisdom , and painted his warnings as senile fear mongering.
But now?
Now the Fourth Elder’s smug face was probably buried behind closed doors, red with shame as the headlines came flooding in from Juxta.
And although part of the First Elder burned with justified anger—he couldn’t deny the slight relief he felt, either.
Because in a twisted way... this attack had proved him right.
Juxta hadn’t suffered any meaningful losses. The mana shield held strong. The artillery that did make it through the blockade was handled cleanly and the cult’s soldiers were on guard and ready for this attack.
Which meant, all things considered, today had been a win.
It had been a warning shot.
A start of a possibly long war.
However, it wasn’t the all out attack that wiped out Juxta, which it could very well have been.
’I hope the others wake up after today....’ The first elder thought, as he hoped, deeply hoped—that the council’s more stubborn voices would finally wake up after watching the footage of today’s attack and start taking things seriously.
Because they wouldn’t get another grace period like this again.
As of today, they could still contribute towards the security of the border planets and start increasing their industrial output to support war-time needs.
However, if they did not mend their ways even now, and continued to senselessly challenge the righteous faction, then they would very well be the architects of their own downfall.
"This is exactly why I can’t let the Fourth Elder’s candidate become the next dragon.
That idiot doesn’t have the composure, nor the common sense, to know what’s best for this cult in the long term.
He thinks with a hot head and doesn’t care about the consequences of his actions.
He thinks shouting louder inside the council room makes him right. But when it mattered—when a real threat stood at our gates—he did not have the foresight to predict it.
If someone like him were ever to lead the council... it wouldn’t just be Juxta that falls. It would be all of us." The First Elder muttered, as this was the final straw he needed to convince himself that the Fourth was not suitable to be a voice of reason within the council and that he needed to be booted out at the earliest.