Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Kumera and Lacurie were brothers who grew up playing together. Later, they both became diplomatic envoys for Medon and Karari through their own talents.
These two countries were originally allied, and their kings were as close as brothers, even to the point of sharing queens. Therefore, Kumera and Lacurie’s childhood friendship had always continued.
They were known as the Lacurie Brothers and made indelible contributions to the diplomatic efforts of Medon and Karari.
Today, they were here to meet the King of Winter at the request of their respective kings. They also carried urgent news and had traveled at lightning speed on griffins, without stopping.
With the Kolon Empire’s army, which had been stationed at the Emerald Frontier, urgently recalled by Pope Balda, the pressure on the Elven Forest had eased, and the elves even began to stir, showing signs of launching a counterattack.
Medon and Karari could have held on for a while longer, but they did not expect the Kolon army to never return.
By the time they realized what was happening, the Kolon Empire was gone…
It was unclear whether the Elven Empress of the Elven Forest had eaten gunpowder, but as soon as she learned that the Kolon Empire could no longer send reinforcements, she launched a fierce offensive against the Emerald Frontier.
Currently, the allied forces of Medon and Karari, stationed at the Emerald Frontier, were struggling to hold on. However, without the military strength of the Kolon Empire, they were beginning to falter and could only retreat to the Emerald Fortress.
Therefore, their purpose for coming today was twofold: first, to gauge the character of the newly appointed King of Winter, and second, to seek reinforcements from the King of Winter.
However, what made Kumera and Lacurie tremble with fear was that the King of Winter was not as amiable as the townsfolk of Winter City had described him.
Instead, he resembled an enraged lion, seated high on his throne, his gaze like the biting cold wind of midwinter, harshly sweeping across their faces and chilling them to the bone.
So, rumors could be deadly.
And what was the deal with the white-haired, fox-eared maid standing behind the King of Winter? Her killing intent was almost condensing into red light.
What kind of people were these…
The diplomatic brothers, whose strength was only that of a Great Knight and an Archmage, cowered on the ground, no longer daring to look up. The main reason was that it was truly terrifying.
“State your purpose.”
Xi Wei’s voice was cold, and he suppressed his anger with all his might. The hand gripping the armrest of his throne bulged with veins. With a “crack,” the sturdy steel throne was actually crushed.
Metal fragments fell on the obsidian floor with a “tinkling” sound, startling the two diplomatic brothers, who trembled all over.
However, they could not ignore the King of Winter’s question and could only answer tremblingly:
“Your most esteemed King of Winter, the military balance at the Emerald Frontier has now been broken. Those elves from the Elven Forest have launched a counterattack, and our human allied forces are struggling. We have come today to request your assistance.”
The Elven Forest?
Xi Wei frowned. He recalled that a portion of the Kolon Empire’s army had indeed allied with the forces of Medon and Karari, effectively trapping the elves at the Emerald Frontier.
This blockade had lasted for over two centuries, and one could imagine the elves’ hatred for humans.
Previously, the Kolon Empire’s army stationed at the Emerald Frontier should have been recalled by the Pope during the attack on Dragonflame City. It was understandable for the elves to seize this opportunity to counterattack.
But what did that have to do with him!
Even if the elves annihilated Medon and Karari, it had nothing to do with him, as long as these elves didn’t bother him.
However, was there a chance to ally with the elves and annex Karari and Medon?
Xi Wei looked at the two diplomatic envoys prostrating on the ground with a sinister glint in his eyes.
He held the second princess of the Elf race, the sister of the current Elven Empress, and had so many awakened High Elves to support him. This opportunity seemed promising.
If he dared to be bolder, it wouldn’t be impossible to encompass the Elven Royal Court as well. This way, only two human great powers, Andor and Karari, would remain on the North Continent.
As for Orcs, Nagas, Undead, and Demons, those were all issues to be considered later.
At this moment, Xi Wei Jinshi, the King of Winter, the weakest among the five great empires of the North Continent in terms of military strength, was already contemplating how to unify the human continent.
Xi Wei stroked his chin, tapping lightly on the throne with one hand. In theory, in terms of military strength, he could not defeat any of the current human empires. However, he could leverage the power of the elves.
The biggest challenge now was how to negotiate with the elves without being discovered by the spies of the two empires.
After contemplating for a moment, Xi Wei decided to stall and see how the situation evolved. His intelligence network might be able to infiltrate during this time.
However, he couldn’t delay too long. If the elves discovered that these two human empires were weak on the outside, they wouldn’t agree to cooperate.
Only by offering help in times of need could he win hearts.
“How long can your armies in Karari and Medon hold back the elven army? The Emerald Fortress, which has been repaired for two centuries, cannot possibly be so vulnerable, can it?”
Xi Wei’s tone was questioning, filled with deep suspicion, and his eyes held a cold glint.
The two diplomatic brothers exchanged a subtle glance. With the current military strength of Karari and Medon, they could hold back the elves at the Emerald Fortress for about half a year. However, they certainly couldn’t tell the King of Winter this directly.
After careful consideration, the elder, Kumera, crawled forward a couple of steps, lowering his head to look at the ground, and respectfully reported:
“Esteemed King of Winter, our allied forces can at most hold back the elven army for another three to four months. The Emerald Fortress ultimately has its weaknesses, and those jumping, long-eared monkeys are very skilled in assassination and night battles.”
“I don’t think you would want to see the territory belonging to us humans occupied by foreign races! Furthermore, if the elves conquer Medon and Karari, you…”
Kumera did not continue. He believed the King of Winter would understand his meaning.
To say more might be construed as a threat, and it was possible that the King of Winter, who appeared to be a tyrant, might kill him on the spot.
“Two months.”
Xi Wei’s voice was indifferent, and after a pause, he continued:
“At most two months. I will send reinforcements. The affairs of the Wintery Empire are not yet settled, and I do not have the energy to support you.”
Xi Wei’s words brought a flicker of surprise and joy to the two diplomatic brothers, but they did not show it on their faces.
This mission was considered a success, and they had a general understanding of the King of Winter’s personality.
A thoughtless tyrant, who believed whatever he was told.
“Then, on behalf of our kings, we thank you for your benevolence and wisdom.”
After speaking, Lacurie and Kumera looked expectantly at the King of Winter, waiting for him to dismiss them. However, a cold voice came from the steel throne:
“The Wintery Empire has strict rules. If you are on my territory, you must abide by my rules. You looked at me and my royal head maid for 2.7 seconds earlier, which is disrespectful.”
“When you entered the palace, you stepped in with your left foot, which is an insult to me. It is still early, and I do not wish to kill an envoy. Coincidentally, my soldiers have a lot of undergarments that need washing, so I will trouble the two of you with this task.”
