Night fell above the Opal Ocean and the skies had become much clearer and calmer, a complete turn around from how they were during the day.
The Sovereign was still on a steady course towards the Komi Islands while most of its passengers were resting in their quarters.
Aron however was among the few that was awake, he was casually seated near a desk in his room lost in thought.
'I wonder what her end goal is. There's too little information about her to determine anything solid. What really has me thinking however is the fact she won't touch or allow anyone to touch her.' Aron thought while looking over the plan he and Lady Rose had come up with.
Before he could continue to sort his thoughts, a knock resounded on his door and he immediately gave permission to enter.
The door was opened and Jagu's large body walked into the room before glancing at Aron with a more sane look than before. "I've thought about your proposal and I'm willing to cooperate. I warn you however even with my approval my clan won't welcome the likes of you let alone the other tribes and clans." Jagu said arrogantly while shaking his head at Aron who looked unbothered.
"We've already considered that fact, that's why you're needed Jagu. I remember you mentioning the whole reason you left the Komi Islands was to become strong enough to win succession rights to becoming your clan's Alpha correct?" Aron remained seated comfortably as he began to speak to Jagu who stood near the door.
"Yes..." Jagu hesitated for a moment but soon gave his answer to the question. He knew Aron was smart and he felt he had to be extremely cautious before replying to even the simplest of questions he asked. "Then for us to be completely be unhindered, your tribe which resides in one of the southern Komi Islands will keep us hidden so the other tribes are none the wiser."
"So you want me to become successor and use my power to allow such a thing?!" Jagu's voice rose slightly as he asked this but he quickly remembered who he was speaking to and he calmed down before continuing to speak.
"Even if I am successful in the competition which is many months away, the village elders and other strong members won't simply listen to such an outrageous request, it's blatant betrayal on everything we believe in!" Jagu thought he finally understood what was planning and felt angered by it before speaking up as he knew that couldn't work.
However it was obvious that Aron and Lady Rose wouldn't overlook such an obvious hurdle. "We aren't willing to wait months for your success which to be honest isn't even guaranteed. You will forcefully take power and eliminate anyone who opposes this change." Jagu couldn't help but frown as his large hands balled up into a fist.
Every race was about to have different culture, beliefs and morals. What Aron was asking Jagu so casually right now so to betray all his principles and attain power like a coward with outside help. There was no greater humiliation than living with sin against one's own clan on one's mind and Aron knew this.
"Even if you say this, my clan would sooner fight and die than accept such humiliation?! And I would die alongside them!" Jagu growled out without hesitation while breathing heavily.
At this moment Aron stood up and sighed before shaking his head. "We won't be fighting your people, they'll be too weakened to support themselves after all so your rise to power will come with ease..."
Aron finally began to explain the finer details of the plan he and Lady Rose had come up with which was rather simple.
Like most clans, Jagu's had a main source where they drew fresh water from to drink and use for other needs. Aron and Lady Rose would poison this fresh water source and cause it slowly build up a sickness within all who had drunk it.
It wasn't lethal but it would cause all those afflicted to grow extremely weak in a very short span of time to the point that even hunting would prove to be a daunting task.
In the face of such a crisis, Jagu could easily become the clan's savior and pseudo leader. As for those opposed to him? One could argue they were being selfish instead of looking out for the clans wellbeing which was enough to warrant death.
While Jagu had his clan busy and isolated, Aron and Lady Rose could carry out their investigations right under their noses. As for keeping the Sovereign hidden? This was a simple task as well.
Jagu was left astonished by this plan they had made. It worried him that they knew so much already about how his clan operated and how they would react to certain situations.
"You want me to poison my people? How do I know this won't kill them?" Jagu wouldn't simply listen and agree to a plan so crazy with his stubborn attitude but Aron simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"You will see for yourself. A week should have already passed by now since your clan's water source got contaminated. It would be little too convenient if you appeared immediately after it began after all." Aron casually added and brought Jagu even more shock.
"You already contaminated it! How?"Jagu was genuinely shocked to hear of this, it was already worrying that Aron knew his tribes location but to think he had already put the plan in motion even before Jagu was fully on board with it.
"Of course I did, if you refused to cooperate then a weakened clan would be so much easier to deal with. As for how? You don't need to know, what you should know however is that there is more than one way we could get what we want." Aron's eyes finally showed the usual coldness Jagu was so used to.
The feeling of humiliation Jagu felt only grew stronger at this moment. He felt like from the start Aron had been toying with him.
In truth Aron was simply left with no choice, a clear path was set and all he needed to do was risk losing one ally to gain passage, other ways may have been possible but he simply didn't have the time to waste in researching them.
So he chose to give Jagu an option in which his people would be spared, humiliated but alive. If he chose to not oblige then Aron could only proceed with using force.
"You need to make your final decision now. Yes and we make and oath then proceed, No then you and I will fight to the death here and your people will die sooner than later." Aron added in cold manner but Jagu found himself unable to even get angry.
In the face of true power he had completely and utterly failed. Aron could have used gentler words or even slowly conveyed the message but the result wouldn't be as quick and as solid.
He truly pitied Jagu at this moment in time, however now that the news was out he couldn't leave the room alive unless he made an oath of secrecy. Otherwise if the others learnt of Aron and Lady Rose's ways they would surely gain some mixed opinions.
In the long run this didn't matter but in this case the less said the better.
Jagu remained silent for good while and the usual fiery attitude of his was nowhere to be seen. It was difficult to predict just what was going through Jagu's mind at that moment but it didn't matter because in the end...
"I accept." He could only agree.
The following day the rest of the faction members were briefed on a fake plan of action. In this plan, Aron had stated that they could not move in large numbers as they were not welcome in the Komi Islands so Jagu, Evanora, Lady Rose and himself would be going instead whilst the others remained hidden with the Sovereign until a discovery was made.
On the surface this did indeed look like an ideal plan, Considering their strongest members and a grand Mage were going. Even the usually doubtful Claudia didn't have any issues with this plan and so it was set with no questions asked.
Perhaps the only one who was doubtful of this was Jin. How much he knew about the Komi was little but he was sure Jagu wouldn't easily bring an outsider in without fully knowing their intentions especially with his stubborn attitude which had now softened.
So this begged the question in Jin's, just what was really going on? Unfortunately he couldn't outright ask this question so for now he could only observe...
A few more days of travel under mixed weather conditions and the Sovereign finally reached within Komi Island waters.
The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on fr(e)𝒆webnov(e)l.com