Two hours after everyone had eaten and drank to their fill, they all gathered around the round table, where they conducted their conference.
All the people who weren’t meant to be part of the discussion had already left, including the waiters who had served them earlier.
“I’m sure that all of you have heard of the incident that happened a few days ago,” Wendell stated. “But you might not know the specifics, so I will tell you the full extent of the battle to the best of my abilities.”
The Monarch then narrated how things started and how things ended.
He didn’t hold back in saying that the Dvalinn Federation had lost more than a thousand lives due to the insubordination of the Valkyries who broke their “No Flying Ban.”
The Grand Marshal and Field Marshal of the Central Government didn’t make any comments from start to finish.
They already received reports of what had happened, so they understood that no matter how hard they sugarcoated the situation, the fault lay on their side of the playing field.
“However, I will also not downplay the courage and bravery that the Valkyries had displayed during the battle,” Wendell stated. “I will also not deny the fact that if this incident hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have the chance to win against the forces of the King of the North, which for some reason, disappeared in the middle of the battle.
“Zion, it’s your turn to tell us what happened back there. I didn’t ask you about it earlier because you were unconscious for two days and Riggs informed me that you wanted to explain it once everyone was gathered.
“Your condition has been met, so do tell us what happened back then. If not for you, the victory that we achieved would not have been possible.”
Thirteen nodded and stood up from his seat.
All eyes focused on his body, but the teenage boy didn’t seem to feel any anxiety after being stared at by so many powerful people at the same time.
“All of you must be aware of the restrictions that The One has placed upon my body,” Thirteen started. “Perhaps knowing that my restriction is a bit unfair, he gave me a purple sphere that could save my life once.
“That purple sphere can trap anyone up to a Rank 8 Sovereign and send them to a place where they would never be seen from again. Unfortunately, I only have one such item and it’s so far the only one not restricted by my Item Ban.
“In the end, it did save my life, which is a good trade-off for a one-time-use item. I assure everyone that you will no longer have to worry about that Bird Man ever again.”
After Thirteen finished his explanation, the people in the room looked at him with conflicted looks on their faces.
This was especially true for Wendell and the Thrones who belonged to the Prestigious Families of the Dvalinn Federation.
“I have a question,” Renz spoke up as he gazed at the teenage boy with a sharp gaze. “Did The One only give you that one life-saving item, or did he give you more?”
“That’s the only item he had given to me,” Thirteen replied calmly.
“So, does that mean that you no longer have any value in this upcoming counterattack?” Renz asked in a teasing tone. “You can no longer perform any miracle that can ensure our victory?”
“Value?” Thirteen chuckled. “All I can say is that unless I become the Grand Commander of the counterattack, any attempt that any of you make is bound to fail.”
“Oh?” Renz arched an eyebrow. “I wonder where that confidence of yours is coming from?”
“Tell me, have you defeated a Majin Prince?” Thirteen also arched an eyebrow.
“No,” Renz answered. “But you can’t prove that you were really the one that defeated the Majin Prince, can you? I’m sure that the tale of your… grand expedition has been exaggerated a little.”
Thirteen smirked. “Then, can you tell me any of your grand achievements?”
“Well, for one thing, the Dvalinn Federation still stands because of me,” Renz crossed his leg over the other as he stared at the boy. “I also did a few things like…”
One by one, Renz stated his achievements, which had been verified by everyone in the room.
After he finished talking, everyone’s gazes once again landed on the teenage boy, who was in the middle of yawning.
“Oh, you’re finally done?” Thirteen asked. “I almost fell asleep about your useless achievements.”
“… Useless?” Renz frowned.
“Yes. Very useless achievements,” Thirteen replied. “You spent many years wasting your time creating strategies that slowly diminished the manpower of the Dvalinn Federation. You spent years of futile struggle, and what did you achieve in those years? Twelve square kilometers of land.
“Those twelve sectors that you readily abandon whenever the Rank 8 Sovereign appears to drive you out. You are like little mice that run away whenever the big cat comes to play. I’m sure that you and the rest of the Dvalinn Federation also understood that what you are doing is just a futile struggle.”
The expressions of Wendell, as well as the Thrones of the Dvalinn Federation, started to change to anger, which prompted the Grand Marshal of the Central Government to stand behind the boy and protect him just in case they got carried away.
However, Lawrence was also cursing the boy for saying things that were very provocative.
But before things escalated even further, Thirteen smiled and raised one finger.
“I have surpassed all that achievement of yours within a mere one day,” Thirteen stated. “So please, don’t even compare your useless achievements to what I have done. Even if we don’t talk about the things I accomplished in Solterra, the fact remains that I dealt with the King of the North, which you and the entirety of the Dvalinn Federation failed to defeat for many years.”
Thirteen then casually raised his glass filled with fruit juice as if proposing a toast.
“I know that you’re thinking that if you had the same purple sphere that I do, you would have also dealt with the Rank 8 Sovereign yourself,” Thirteen added. “So, how about we have a competition?”
“A competition?” Renz’s expression was as cold as ice as he stared at the young man, who was looking back at him with eyes filled with ridicule.
“Yes, a competition,” Thirteen answered. “A fair competition.”
“And what is this competition you’re talking about?” Wendell, who wanted nothing more than to smack the arrogant teenage boy whom he thought was a good child just a few days ago, asked with a sneer. “What you say better be good, Zion. Or else, I will kick you out of the Dvalinn Federation, and you will no longer be welcomed here ever again.”
Thirteen smiled and raised his index finger once more.
“This battlefield only needs one Commander,” Thirteen stated “So, let’s decide who will be the one to lead this counterattack by a little competition that will give the Dvalinn Federation another major advantage.”
Wendell and Renz narrowed their eyes as they waited for the teenage boy to finish whatever he was going to say.
However, their patience was growing thin with each passing second.
“The first one to kill or defeat another Rank 8 Sovereign will be the Supreme Commander of this counterattack,” Thirteen declared. “Let’s even put a deadline to this competition—one month. Within the next month, whoever defeats a Rank 8 Sovereign first will be the winner.”
The people inside the room couldn’t believe what the boy had just said.
A Rank 8 Sovereign was as strong as a Monarch, yet he was suggesting that the first one who’d defeat such a creature would lead the expedition force to conquer the North of the Continent.
“And what if no one managed to achieve that feat in a month?” Renz, who was unfazed by Thirteen’s declaration, asked.
“Then you win by default,” Thirteen shrugged. “Do we have a deal?”
“Sure. But how about we raise the stakes a bit?” Renz smiled. “If I win, you will become my subordinate. How’s that?”
“I don’t mind,” Thirteen answered. “But if I win, you will become my subordinate and you have to call me Young Master. How does that sound?”
“You have a deal.”
“Good.”
Thirteen and Renz exchanged smiles with each other.
The strategist of the Dvalinn Federation was certain that even if he didn’t do anything, Thirteen would become his subordinate after a month.
The boy was a very popular person in Pangea, so having him as a subordinate would bring him some perks.
Little did he know that Thirteen already knew what Renz was thinking and was also laughing in his heart.
With Arthur, Michael, and Hans by his side, although it would still be a little difficult, it was not impossible to kill a Rank 8 Sovereign.
Trevor Remington smiled faintly and clapped his hands together.
“This sounds like a fun competition,” Trevor stated. “So, I will make an announcement. Whoever wins this competition will have the support of the Remington Clan in regards to securing a stronghold in the North.
“I will also give full support to whoever wins in this competition,” Lawrence declared. “The Central Government will also help reclaim the Northern Lands.”
Wendell knew that if he gained the support of the two Monarchs, there would truly be an opportunity to gain a foothold in the Continent.
However, killing a Rank 8 Sovereign was far from an easy feat.
Even with the full might of the Dvalinn Federation, countless lives would be lost if they attempted such a thing.
He gave his brother a glance, and the latter only smiled and shook his head.
That gesture was enough to tell Wendell that Renz didn’t plan to attack the Rigel Continent completely and would just wait for Zion to lose the bet.
Earlier, he felt enraged because Thirteen’s words were condescending.
The teenager had reminded them that they wasted many years in a futile struggle, which was a bitter pill to accept.
He couldn’t even refute the teenage boy’s words.
Those who were not part of the Dvalinn Federation thought that what they were doing was indeed a futile struggle.
But, Zion’s declaration made him realize how serious the boy was.
“I want everyone to not share anything that has been talked about inside this room,” Wendell stated, surprising everyone.
Renz arched an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything else.
Deep inside, Wendell wished that Zion would be the one to win the competition.
If he could really kill or defeat another Rank 8 Sovereign, that meant that he was truly competent.
Just like the boy mentioned earlier, it would also give the Dvalinn Federation another major advantage.
If Zion could really do it, Wendell wouldn’t mind taking orders from such a person, even if that person was only thirteen years old.
Besides, it would also send a signal to the rest of the world that a new era was about to begin.
“Zion. Let me ask you a question, my boy,” Trevor Remington said with a smile. “Can you really devise a strategy to kill or defeat a Rank 8 Sovereign?”
Thirteen glanced at the Monarch of the Aldebaran Continent with a confused look on his face.
“It’s just a Rank 8 Sovereign,” Thirteen said with a frown. “How hard can that be?”
That casual rhetoric almost made everyone in the room cough up blood. After all, none of them could defeat a Rank 8 Sovereign so easily.
——————
A/N: To those who are reading my other novel, Strongest Warlock – Wizard World Irregular, I apologize because I won’t be posting any chapters today. I feel like my heart is going to burst due to my high BP if i continue to write.
Tomorrow, I will also take a day off from writing, and just calm myself down. It’s really hard for me right now even with my medicine, and I still need to visit my doctor tomorrow to discuss about increasing the dosage.
Enjoy this long chapter for now.
I’ll see you guys after my day off. Thanks for your kindness and understanding.