SWNOVELXO Chapter 351
Chapter 352. Who’s the Crazier One? (5)
Silence fills the air.
The distance between Keter, standing at the door, and the table where everyone is gathered is a mere 30 meters. For Prime, it’s practically right in front of them.
The Primes on Prince Rakan’s side are unarmed, but their very presence is a weapon. They could tear Keter’s body into a thousand pieces at any moment.
However, the moment Keter brought up the idea of an alliance, his status shifted from enemy to ‘diplomat’ of a rival nation.
Rakan fiddled with his collar and spoke to Keter.
“That massive, unsettling presence I feel above us. What is it?”
Before Keter even revealed his presence, an overwhelming pressure had already been felt from the sky beyond the ceiling. It was no coincidence.
Keter spoke nonchalantly.
“You saw the explosion that reached the ends of the sky before, right? That was an arrow called the Milky Way. I’ve got three of them floating up there right now. If you attack me instead of talking, I’ll drop them.”
“The arrow that killed Eslow.”
Lord Dayal of the East had witnessed its power firsthand. At the unintentional testimony from the lord, Keter smirked.
“Back then, it was just one arrow. Now, there are three. That’s the kind of safety measure I need to talk to you.”
“If you drop them, you’ll die too.”
“If you all accompany me to the afterlife, I won’t have any regrets.”
“…Unbelievable.”
At that moment, Perez, the general of the Baen Kingdom, approached Keter.
He stepped so close that it was inappropriate for a face-to-face conversation, scrutinizing Keter up and down.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. The Divine Archer of the South.”
A clear provocation. But Keter ignored him, tilting his head to speak to Rakan.
“Can I assume this garlic-breath uncle is the representative of the allied forces? Prince Rakan.”
“What?!”
At the mention of garlic breath, Perez covered his mouth, his face turning red. Rakan, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused, gave a slight smile.
“Of course not. All decision-making authority here lies with me. If you have something to say, say it to me.”
“Fair enough.”
Thud.
Keter pushed the bulky Perez aside and walked toward the table. All eyes followed his steps.
Once he reached the table, Keter placed his hand on the shoulder of the strategist sitting across from Rakan.
“This seat seems like the best spot. Mind moving?”
“Ah…”
The strategist glanced between Keter and Rakan, and when Rakan gestured for him to stand, he vacated the seat.
“Hmph. Wow, we should replace Sephira’s conference chairs with these. Sitting all day would be so comfortable. Where did you get them?”
“…From Baen Mountain. I could send some to Sephira as a gift. But—”
Swish.
Rakan interlaced his fingers and narrowed his eyes.
“Only if you make it out of here alive.”
“Are you saying you’ll kill me?”
“If your offer of an alliance is a lie, then yes.”
“It’s the truth. Let’s form an alliance.”
“…….”
“…….”
“……?”
An awkward silence fell.
Unable to bear it, Perez spoke up.
“If you came to propose an alliance, why don’t you explain why and what the terms are?”
“Why propose an alliance? Because it benefits both sides. As for the terms, that’s something to discuss with Lord Hisop, not me.”
“So you came all this way just to deliver that one line about forming an alliance?”
“Who else would take on this role?”
“…You’re even crazier than the rumors say.”
Perez spoke as if disgusted, but his eyes showed a strange shift from hostility to intrigue.
Tap tap.
Rakan tapped the table with his fingers, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Why should we ally with Sephira? You took the South from me. You killed many of my soldiers. If we ally, we can’t attack you, so it’s a one-sided loss for us.”
“Rumors are spreading that you got beaten to a pulp by the Monster of the Demon Realm that Rukan prepared and ran away like a dog with its tail on fire. Isn’t that why you’re all gathered here now? To come up with a countermeasure? Judging by your expressions, you haven’t found a good solution. But what if you ally with Sephira? You could concentrate the troops you’ve stationed in the South to the East. That alone would give you a lot more breathing room.”
“…You’re quite eloquent, Prince Keter? Didn’t seem like it from your personality.”
“I’m naturally a polite person. It’s just that people around me keep provoking me, so I get annoyed.”
“True, we were defeated by the Monster of the Demon Realm. But you do know that Prince Rukan ultimately played his hand, right? The Demon Realm is everyone’s common enemy. As long as he controls the Monster of the Demon Realm, he’s become a target for ‘extermination.’”
“Ha. Ha. Ha.”
Keter, clearly faking his laughter, suddenly approached Rakan. Naturally, Dayal stepped in front of him, but Keter said,
“Step aside. If I wanted to kill him, I would’ve done it already.”
“…….”
Dayal refused with a look, not even asking Rakan’s opinion. Even if Rakan allowed it, he wouldn’t move.
But Rakan also stood up, pushing Dayal aside and standing in front of Keter.
“Do you think I’m a fool who’ll fall for your tricks again?”
“Yes. But that’s not the point. The important thing is that while we waste time here, Rukan is getting time to prepare.”
Rakan was angry at Keter for calling him a fool, but the last remark bothered him too much to ignore.
“I’ll show you mercy since you came here to die. Go ahead, speak.”
“Mobilize your troops and attack the North immediately. We, Sephira, will attack the West through the South. This is a strategy that can only be done right now.”
Sephira will attack the West, so Rakan’s allied forces should attack the North.
This strategy bore similarities to that of Stefan, one of the Six Great Generals of Belfario. Naturally, Stefan asked Keter with an intrigued expression.
“Young strong one. As you said, we haven’t prepared a countermeasure for the Monster of the Demon Realm. Yet you suggest an outright attack? That’s quite a reckless statement.”
“It’s reckless, so it’s worth doing. Rukan will think the same. Besides, didn’t you capture a Demon Realm Tamer? Rukan will surely stay hidden until he finds a solution. The only time to strike is now.”
“But we have no countermeasure for the Monster of the Demon Realm.”
“Fighting the real Monster of the Demon Realm would be foolish. But if it’s a monster controlled by humans, that’s different. You might’ve missed it in your haste to flee during the first encounter, but if it’s controllable enough to distinguish friend from foe, we can turn that to our advantage.”
“……!”
Keter spoke as if he’d been there. The strategists were in an uproar. His words didn’t seem like mere improvisation.
Finally, one strategist stood up and spoke.
“That’s just speculation. What if you’re wrong? We’d lose a massive army. How can that be a wise decision?”
“Failing to seize an opportunity isn’t wise either. Is waiting really the wisest choice? Hoping for external help? They’ll just watch. It’s more beneficial for them. The Monster of the Demon Realm is terrifying because it’s uncontrollable. Once it’s confirmed to be controllable, everyone will change their stance. They’ll watch you die while analyzing. Then they’ll step in. It won’t be too late. Am I wrong?”
“…….”
With millions of lives at stake, who can say for sure what’s right or wrong?
Only one person could—Keter.
“Right now, the moment I arrived here unannounced, the opportunity has come. Why is Sephira trying to join hands with Rakan? It’s obvious! Fighting Prince Rakan, who’s at least human, is better than dealing with the insane Rukan who controls monsters!”
Nod nod.
Everyone in the room nodded involuntarily.
Rakan, at least, fought within ‘common sense.’
On the other hand, Rukan, who conscripted children, peasants, and the elderly, had already strayed from common sense. And now he’s using monsters too.
Keter’s compelling voice even swayed Rakan.
“Keter. But how can we trust Sephira? If we withdraw troops from the border and send our main force to the North, what if Sephira attacks the empty East—”
“That’s why you’re a fool. Sephira can’t even control the South right now. We’re severely short on manpower. The land is too vast for the people we have. That’s why we’ve been overly merciful to our enemies and even sought external help. Offering land to them. Prince Rakan, you should understand Sephira’s position. No matter how vast the land, without people, it’s just wasteland.”
Sephira has no reason to recklessly attack the East. That was Keter’s argument, and it was persuasive.
“We can’t mobilize an army based on trust alone.”
“But Prince, you must agree that every second counts now. Can you trust everyone here? Are you sure there’s no spy for Rukan among us? Don’t you feel like Rukan will find out the moment this meeting ends and everyone disperses?”
“…….”
“Prince Rakan. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Right now, our priority is to join forces and eliminate the insane Crown Prince Rukan. Our fight comes after. That’s how I’d summarize it.”
“A temporary alliance, then.”
“That depends on your greed. But at least know that Sephira is content with just a part of the South. We’re modest people.”
“…….”
Rakan broke eye contact with Keter and looked at the strategists. His gaze asked what they thought of Keter’s proposal.
The strategists were torn.
Keter’s plan was too risky. Yet, it wasn’t entirely baseless, making it hard to outright dismiss.
They needed time to think. How could such an important decision be made on the spot?
But—
“12 seconds. I can’t wait any longer.”
Keter believed it was entirely possible.
With such a specific time limit, even in the cool conference room, people began to sweat.
Yet, Prince Rakan remained calm. He stared expressionlessly at Keter. Then, with 2 seconds left, he spoke.
“You said the details of the alliance should be discussed with Lord Hisop.”
“That’s right.”
“As you said, time is of the essence. Can Lord Hisop come here immediately?”
“Are you lacking in confidence? Or has Sephira gained a reputation for being treacherous? Of course, you should come to Sephira, Prince.”
“Haha, if I go, two Primes will accompany me as guards. Will you be behind Hisop?”
“I hate formal meetings. Too busy.”
Keter’s confidence annoyed Rakan but also piqued his interest.
He knew Sephira had won a war against four Primes. But was that not thanks to Keter?
Even without Keter, could Sephira handle two Primes? Rakan wanted to confirm the basis for such confidence.
Swish.
Rakan gave Dayal a look.
Dayal silently nodded.
“Time is of the essence… I’ll go now. General Stefan, General Perez.”
Rakan called the names of the two generals from the allied kingdoms and spoke in a low voice.
“Until I return from Sephira after the negotiations, no one leaves this conference room. Even if the enemy attacks.”
Watch each other. As Keter said, there might be spies.
The two generals understood immediately and nodded with grave expressions.
Shortly after Rakan left for Sephira to negotiate the alliance, Keter left the conference room.
Of course, Perez and Stefan tried to stop him—
“I have no intention of following Prince Rakan’s orders. Want to fight?”
If they caused a scene here, the commotion would spill outside. But this entire plan relied on a secret alliance.
Threatened by Keter’s willingness to cause chaos, the two generals were flustered.
“I’ll leave quietly, so don’t worry.”
Causing a scene would benefit neither Keter nor Sephira.
Moreover, they had no justification to detain Keter, so the two generals let him go.
Thus, Keter left Prince Rakan’s residence and moved swiftly and stealthily. His movements were purposeful, with a clear destination and goal.
Keter was heading to the North.
The northern region of the Lilian Kingdom.
A desolate village where only the elderly remained.
Beneath a humble straw hut lay a massive underground space. It was Crown Prince Rukan’s hideout, known only to three people.
Drip, drip.
Rukan was in the darkness. The sound of water droplets falling from stalactites echoed steadily.
Though it was too dark to see, anyone entering would realize—those weren’t water droplets, but the stench of blood.
Rukan sat in the center of the cavern, drenched in blood dripping from the ceiling.
He seemed dead. His eyes were closed, and his chest didn’t rise or fall. He wasn’t breathing.
Knock knock.
Then, a knocking sound came from outside, causing Rukan’s eyelids to twitch slightly.
“Your Highness. It’s Darian.”
Darian. One of Rukan’s trusted advisors and one of the three who knew of his location.
Rukan didn’t respond, but Darian, knowing him well, continued.
“There’s an important matter to report.”
“…….”
Silence again.
But it was a signal to speak.
In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Rukan’s mind. He wondered what Darian would say, imagining thousands of possibilities.
But what Darian brought was…
“Keter of Sephira requests an audience with Your Highness.”
A statement that shattered all expectations.