*Clak!
The door of a hidden chamber within The Great Hall closed. Nevare walked ahead, accompanied by two other arions, Lina and Vivi, both of whom had returned to their Valkyrie forms.
Though their human forms were their original states, they no longer longed for them. After reverting to their human forms, they realized just how frail a human body was. Unlike the Valkyrie form, which felt like containing boundless power.
If the Valkyrie body was a warhorse, the human body might just be a house cat. Such was the vast difference in strength between monsters and human bodies. If there were no mana in this world, monsters would rule over humans, not the other way around.
"Moku, how did it go? Did our bait manage to capture the target?" Nevare inquired of an asura seated cross-legged on a throne.
Nevare had never seen this throne before; it seemed to have been created by Moku recently. The throne appeared as if thousands of melted swords had been shaped into a seat fit for a king. Moku, perched upon it, seemed as though he was sitting atop the evidence of the fighters he had defeated.
"The target was lured, but it wasn't your little brother. It seems we overestimated him. The changes you've undergone have affected him deeply, leaving him unable to think about anything else," Moku said a smile on his face.
Nevare snorted, "He's always been a spoiled child who only knows how to play around. But who do you mean was lured? Is it the red-haired girl named Rini? She seems eager to become a mother as soon as possible, so I never thought she'd be the one."
Moku shook his head, "No, not her. You're right, that girl doesn't seem to have excessive ambitions. The one lured is someone we never expected. Initially, I thought with his caution, he would be suspicious of us. But I never anticipated he would have such wild ambitions," Moku smiled broadly.
"Who is it? Robert?" Nevare asked.
Moku nodded.
"Huh? How? Isn't he Stent Gaht's child? Why would he want to help us? While it might look like we're assisting tortured slaves, in the process, we'll surely be killing some humans. Why would he let other species kill humans?" Nevare asked, perplexed.
Moku's initial plan was merely to test how humans perceived the mana species they had never encountered before. The plan was dangerous and akin to gambling, but if he won, the rewards would be immense.
With the growth of the Wilwatikta Kingdom and the arion species, it's only a matter of time before the mana species become aware of their existence. Once their presence is known, it's likely that a campaign of extermination leading to the annihilation of the arion species will occur.
However, the encounter with Raiden and the information obtained by Ez present another option for the arion species: disguising themselves as a new mana species.
Ez's presence within the Elf Alliance could be seen as the acknowledgment of the arion species as a new mana species by the elves. Yet, their other neighboring mana species might not necessarily react in the same way as the elves.
This led Moku to manipulate Robert into inviting other mages to visit the West Fortress. He wanted to observe the reaction of the Human Alliance mages when encountering the arion species.
If they acted aggressively and initiated an attack, Moku planned to sacrifice the West Fortress and retreat to Bitter Maja. However, if they reacted similarly to the Elf Alliance, Moku intended to establish a brief trade relationship with the Human Alliance.
Yet, he never anticipated the presence of Artur among the Human Alliance mages visiting the West Fortress. Seeing Artur made Moku revise his plans once again, creating a new strategy that essentially resembled a gamble.
This new plan aimed to evoke Artur's pity for Nevare and encourage him to seek revenge against the slave traders who had harmed his sister. For this purpose, Moku requested that Nevare not act as Anna, whom Artur knew, but instead embody Nevare The Progenitor Queen.
This would prompt Artur to realize that his sister had transformed into someone he didn't recognize. Such a deviation from his expectations could fester into hatred, which might evolve into a thirst for revenge.
Artur might direct this vengeance towards Moku and Wilwatikta Kingdom. However, there was also the possibility that Artur would unleash it upon the slave traders.
To address this, Moku enlisted other valkyries from the human species to partake in this dramatic performance. He urged them to inflict wounds upon themselves, vividly showcasing the cruelty of the slave traders.
Of course, these injuries would rapidly heal as the girls returned to their Valkyrie forms. The dragon prana within their bodies could even reconnect severed heads. Regrowing eyes, ears, or hands was a trivial matter for them.
By using the reasons of hatred and disappointment towards humanity, Artur ensured that these girls wouldn't want to return to the Human Alliance. Even Gathjee would find it impossible to force these girls back into the alliance. This was especially true for Anna, who had become the wife of the arion "prince". Forcing them back would be akin to challenging war against the Wilwatikta Kingdom and the arion species.
However, Moku never anticipated that it wasn't Artur who would be swayed, but Robert. With his inner eye, Moku eavesdropped on the conversation between Artur and Robert. Hearing their plan to overhaul the Human Alliance, Moku felt a touch of admiration for the madness of this "son of a hero".
"Nevare, perhaps for us who have very little, surviving is enough. But for those born with all their desires fulfilled, mere comfort isn't sufficient.
"Most of those born with wealth, peaceful families, and power will seek things that ordinary people never think of. Some among them might search for groundbreaking ideas that can advance the world faster, but many more will try to implement crazy ideas that have no real impact on the world and might even cause destruction.
"Individuals like Robert won't settle for what they already have. Because he was born with everything. He'll overlook what he possesses as if it's merely a matter of course.
"Robert wants to surpass his father. He wants to become a hero, no, he wants more than being a hero. He aims to be the king of all kings, a name that will be told from age to age. That's why he's foolishly ambitious to overhaul the Human Alliance.
"He won't realize that without greed, the Human Alliance itself will crumble. Without gains for these greedy people, they won't have something they want to protect.
"Nevare, or rather, Anna, next, you and your little brother will form a team to cause chaos within the Human Alliance. With Robert in the picture, you'll be protected, and the established relationship between Wilwatikta Kingdom and the Human Alliance will prevent them from openly attacking you.
"I want you to absorb all the resources from those slave traders and bring them to Wilwatikta Kingdom. Be it corpses, food, women, or anything you deem useful. Robert wouldn't want to take it for himself as it would tarnish his reputation. He'll likely make us the scapegoats."
Nevare nodded, understanding Moku's intentions. At present, Wilwatikta Kingdom and the arion species required time and resources. They had long run out of meat resources, which is why they had been attacking the villages of the elf species.
With the relationship between Wilwatikta Kingdom and the Elf Alliance established, attacking elf villages was no longer an option. Therefore, Moku decided to shift their target back to the human species.
Attacking supply caravans was no longer feasible, as they couldn't easily pin the blame on demons or mutated animals. Hence, Moku intended to seize resources right under the humans' noses.
There would be no issue if the slave traders were destroyed and plundered. Although their activities were known to the high-ranking members of the Human Alliance, their operations were kept hidden from the general public. The Human Alliance wouldn't dare attack Wilwatikta Kingdom solely for the reason of destroying the slave traders.
Most likely, the Human Alliance would simply ask for a share of the loot. Unlike the mana species, who needed magical resources to grow stronger, the arion species only required meat.
They could provide all the magical treasures to the Human Alliance while taking all the slaves and corpses for themselves. This way, their food resource shortage would be addressed, and the number of women who could be transformed into valkyries would increase.
It was like hitting two birds with one stone.
"Alright then. Hmm... for my team, who do you think I should include?" Nevare asked.
"First and foremost, the valkyries, of course. Our goal in attacking the slave traders is revenge, so they, as the 'victims,' should be part of it. Then you can bring along some hobgoblins and druids. They possess mana within their bodies, so disguising our mana species identity won't be easily uncovered. As for the asuras, we should keep them in reserve, as a sort of trump card in case something goes wrong," Moku answered.
"I understand," Nevare nodded.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶