From a certain standpoint, the "volcano eruption" was both accidental and inevitable.
We had made many preparations in order to deal with the Holy War. The entire Northlands was now united, and the Northlands Alliance, which was difficult to deal with and didn't have many benefits, would only become stronger and stronger as time passed.
This sounded excellent, but while you were scheming against others, others would also be scheming against you.
Although the Northlands would be difficult to deal with without any benefits, the wise wouldn't choose such a troublesome opponent. The Chaos Faction had forcefully found the Fire Elemental Plane, which didn't care about any benefits or losses, and forcefully dragged the Northlands into the battlefield as well.
"… You want to accumulate power by yourself and easily become the final victor? Dream on! The world isn't as easy as you think! "
The Chaos Faction taught us a lesson by teaching us that plans couldn't keep up with changes. In this day and age, nobody was an idiot. But, from a strategic standpoint, this wasn't without any benefits. At the very least, we were now more and more confident in refusing to ask for reinforcements from other countries …
"I'm truly sorry. We really want to help you as well, but we're also having a difficult time on the battlefield …"
"… Your Highness Roland, which plan do you think is the most suitable?"
Many plans went through my mind, but in the end, nothing came of it. The reason? We were currently in the middle of a meeting of the highest level in the Mist Alliance. Every country had either sent a representative, a king, or a prince.
Our small tent was filled to the brim. Even the major domain lords could only stand outside and enjoy the wind. Meanwhile, the people inside the tent couldn't come to an agreement no matter what.
It had already been one week since the Sharal Autonomous Region had been destroyed. All sorts of rescue missions had already begun. The Sharal Autonomous Region didn't have a large population to begin with, so it was quite easy for the Mist Alliance to absorb the population. Kakagar, who should have had some objections, was now completely filled with gold coins.
It wasn't that we didn't want to help the Sharal Autonomous Region reclaim its territory. It was just that there was nothing we could do about the endless volcanoes before us.
A new dimensional battlefield had appeared in the Northlands. This was a major event that involved all of the Northlands. It was only natural that we would invite the leaders of every country to come and discuss countermeasures. But, what made us feel helpless was that we were still unable to come to an agreement.
"… Those who are closer feel that it's a threat. They want to use the Mist Alliance's power to quickly extinguish the flames. This is understandable, but it's truly impossible. However, some lords believe that it's enough to just isolate the area and increase the temperature of the Northern Lands. In the long run, it might not be a bad thing. "
Some major nobles even believed that the Mist Kingdom was too powerful due to its close relationship with the Ice Elemental Plane. Perhaps a new Ice Elemental Plane would be an opportunity for other countries. In fact, some nobles were even secretly trying to contact the Fire Elemental Lord.
Everyone proposed their own solutions for the sake of their own benefits. Of course, they wouldn't directly state their own benefits. They would simply use the Great Mist Alliance's name to promote their own ideas. However, it was obvious that none of them would be able to convince the other party with their own opinions, so the conference could only drag on indefinitely.
Since the Mist Alliance was an alliance between countries, it was necessary for the Mist Alliance to listen to the other countries' suggestions. There was no point in wasting time like this, and the boring procedures would still have to be completed. But in the end, the biggest member would be the one to make the final decision … Yep, in the end, it would be up to Renée herself. Of course, it would be up to me as well.
I tossed all the proposals aside. Some people were used to thinking too much … I wouldn't even look at these proposals.
"… Communicate with a Fire Elemental Lord? Do you know the fire elemental language? Besides, do you know what the Elemental War represents? That's a mortal grudge. Do you really think that it's possible to stop it now? "
I didn't tell the entire truth. Actually, it would be possible to communicate with an elemental expert. If I asked the Wind Elemental God or the Earth Elemental God, they might even be able to mediate. However, I didn't believe that it would be a good thing to make peace with the Fire Elemental Plane right now.
Water and fire were incompatible. The Ice Elemental Plane and the Fire Elemental Plane would forever be mortal enemies. Since we had chosen the Ice Elemental Plane as our ally, not to mention that Frigid Maw and the People of the Mist had been friends for thousands of years, there was absolutely no need for us to change sides.
"… Temperature rise is a good thing? Do you know what it means for all the snow on the Great Snow Mountain and all the glaciers in the North Sea to melt? I hope that by the time the Great Flood arrives, you'll have learned how to swim, or even become frogs. "
I didn't lie, but I also didn't tell the entire truth. Melting all the ice and snow in one go would transform the entire Northlands into a vast ocean. However, even ten more Fire Elemental Gods wouldn't be able to accomplish such a feat. Slowly increasing the temperature year by year would have an acceptable effect on the environment, just like how the Ice Elemental Plane was causing the temperature to drop every year.
I wouldn't even consider their proposal. In the Mist Alliance's grand plan, ice and low temperatures would be our natural barriers. The Ice Elemental Plane would be our natural ally. Burning our own barriers for warmth before winter passed would be incredibly foolish.
I wouldn't explain the specifics to these domain lords and kings, because that would mean countless explanations and negotiations. There would also be endless "assumptions" and differences in interests. Rather than telling the truth, which would cause a series of problems, I would rather use a true lie to obtain an agreement. After all, this would be far more efficient.
The truth wasn't in the hands of just a few. Everyone had their own interests. In the end, they would choose the "truth" that suited their own interests. The so-called majority was the gathering of various interests. Whether or not my lie would be exposed wasn't important. What was important was that this was the will of the two major Mist Kingdoms, which would soon become the will of the entire Mist Alliance.
"From today onwards, the volcano region where the Sharal Autonomous Region used to be is now viewed as enemy territory. The Fire Elemental Plane and the Fire Elemental Lords are the mortal enemies of the entire Mist Alliance. According to the Mist Alliance's wartime regulations, any traitors … shall be mercilessly executed."
Everyone in the tent suddenly fell silent after I said these words in a calm and decisive tone. Some people opened their mouths and exchanged glances, but ultimately didn't say anything.
Judging from everyone's expressions of disbelief, the Mist Kingdom's representatives in the past had never been so direct and forceful. That was to be expected. Renée and Glina were both women, and they were far too young. Their administrative methods would definitely be softer, and they would seek to coordinate rather than dictate.
As for me … when considering my past reputation, I felt that I was indeed quite suitable for playing the role of a bad cop and dictator. And so, I directly picked up the pile of documents and casually tossed them into the trash can next to the table in front of all the rulers.
"Since we've all come to an agreement, let's carry it out as soon as possible. Have the allied military begin preparing to construct a defensive line. "
Yep, since nobody dared to object to what I said, this meant that we had all come to an agreement.
Now that all our plans were useless, let's start from the moment that we treated the Fire Elemental Plane as our mortal enemy and start making new plans to deal with it.
…
"… How boring. Every time I want to do something, there's always someone causing trouble for me. I can understand that humans are social creatures, and that scheming and scheming is almost instinctive. But every time something like this happens, I miss the undead who only know how to listen to orders. Boss' words are always correct. It's so simple and direct. "
I took a deep breath as I gazed at the distant volcano. I stomped my feet and jumped slightly to warm up my body.
The arguing in the tent behind me was getting louder and louder, but I didn't intend to pay attention to them. From the very start, I had never intended to listen to their opinions.
The iron triangle in the Mist Alliance was becoming more and more stable. With the Mist Kingdom, the Underground, and the Xiluo Empire all under my control, even if the other countries allied together, they wouldn't be able to do anything.
As the Holy War progressed, efficiency would often be the priority in order to better deal with it. If everything needed to be agreed upon and all the allied countries came up with the same plan, then there would be no need to do anything at all.
This time, even though this was an emergency meeting to discuss an unexpected situation, it was also a method to give the other allied countries a warning. Only one voice was needed in an unbreakable alliance during a time of war, and this voice could only come from Diffindor.
After I played the bad cop, Renée and Glina would naturally play the good cop and make up for the cracks in the alliance. However, the fact that the Mist Kingdom had the final say in the Mist Alliance was right in front of everyone's eyes. The other allied countries needed to understand their own weight in order to prevent even worse situations from occurring.
And while the Mist Alliance's political world seemed peaceful, there were actually endless undercurrents. In that case, it was even more necessary for me to play the bad cop.
"… Is there any news?"
"Marquis Benn and Prince Steele have been quite active recently. Many major nobles are in private contact with them. The news that the 'Mist Alliance isn't the Mist Alliance of the Mist Kingdom, but the Northlanders' was spread by them as well. It's said that they're secretly promoting humanism and excluding other species. They've really attracted quite a few people. "
"The Casola Kingdom? There'll always be people who can't accept this … Make it clean and don't leave any loose ends. Oh, wait, let's leave some loose ends. Make it more obvious and die a more pitiful death, so that everyone can see the consequences of playing tricks at this time. "
Schemers and ambitious schemers weren't actually wrong. Everyone would always think for themselves. If a politician didn't think for their own country or people's interests and instead only thought for themselves, that would be nothing more than a despicable politician. Only a first-rate politician who tied their own interests to their country and species' interests.
But at this critical juncture, trying to split apart the Mist Alliance to increase their own political power was obviously underestimating our determination to prepare for war. There was no need to continue wasting time.
In front of absolute power, the entire Northlands Alliance was becoming more and more stable. These people who couldn't see the situation clearly were nothing more than clowns sent out by the masterminds behind the scenes to test the waters.
But if the Mist Kingdom retreated, that would be the equivalent of someone testing their limits. In relationships between countries, patience wasn't a virtue. It was weakness. As long as you showed signs of fatigue, a chain reaction would naturally follow …
"Since you've all reached out, then I'll just directly chop it off."
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