Chapter 12 High Table

The Head of the Eteria Knight Confederation, a wise and respected man named Lord Sir Theron from the most influential family in Eteria, called for a high-level meeting with the other Eteria leaders to discuss the phenomenon surrounding Nico and Stormbringer. The meeting was attended by Master Sir Leon, the head of the Aurora Castle; High Lady Elara, the head of the conglomerate association in Eteria; and Prime Minister Sir Elric, the head of the government and highest military leader in Eteria.

They all sat in the middle of the hall surrounded by their subordinates sitting behind them. This four man is the most influential leaders on all Eteria which they called themselves "High Table". Every word that comes out of their mouths becomes law on the land of Eteria.

Lord Sir Theron, an old man with a long black beard, began the discussion by saying, "We cannot ignore the fact that Stormbringer, the strongest sword on our land, has appeared in this world. This is a serious problem that we must discuss. Was yesterday's storm caused by your castle, Master Leon?"

"Correct. I have received a report myself from Destroyer Madam Ephelia. One of our wood knights named Nico, on Thursday afternoon, pulled out the Storm Bringer from the Sword Graveyard Valley," replied the man with the largest body there. Master Sir Leon has a muscular and tall body making anyone who sees him scared.

"Destroyer Madam Ephelia!" the sound of murmurs was heard in the room. The name Ephelia had become famous throughout the land of Erteria. Her words were enough evidence that the rumors circulating about Aurora Castle were indeed true.

High Lady Elara, a tall woman with golden hair, then said, "So the prophecy is true. The bedtime stories told by our ancestors were not just fiction."

"I do not believe in fairy tales. The end of the world, ha! This means nothing," said Prime Minister Elric with an arrogant tone. Prime Minister Elric was the smallest man in the room, with a thin and slender body. There was darkness under his eyes, as if he did not get enough sleep. "Since when have we believed in destiny? From the beginning, it was us who shaped our own destiny with sweat and blood. Destiny is just another name for those who wield the power of the sword."

"Fairy tale or not, we cannot take any risks. We must eliminate all potential dangers that could happen. What if Nico turns against us, or what if he cannot control the sword's power? We must take preventive action to protect Eteria and our people," said Lord Sir Theron.

"What if we kill him? That is the fastest and simplest solution," said PM Elric.

"With all due respect, Prime Minister. I reject any active action that could tarnish our Aurora knights' name," argued Master Sir Leon.

PM Elric only snorted in annoyance upon hearing that. "I refuse to waste my time dealing with an unknown bastard child. Just kill him, problem solved."

"That's not the only problem we are facing, for your information, the pillar of light that appeared yesterday has made some western countries satellites detect and start realizing the existence of this land. Some of my knights on the border also reported the arrival of military drones. Sooner or later, they will come knocking on our front door," said Lord Sir Theron.

"What? Are you not lying, Lord Theron," said PM Elric, squinting his eyes. "The Eteria law stream dome has protected Eteria from ancient times. No outsider has ever been able to see the land of Eteria."

"The Lord is not lying. Our spy network has also reported that they are preparing a massive expedition to explore our land. If it cannot be peaceful, they will enter by force," said High Lady Elara.

"It seems that the appearance of Stormbringer has damaged camouflage system in Eteria's dome," said Master Sir Leon.

"The worst possibility, there would be a war between Eteria and the real world. I asked Prime Minister Elric to gather security forces from all over the world and prepare them for the worst," Lord Sir Theron said.

PM Elric seemed to be deep in thought, tapping his fingers on the table. He then looked at Master Sir Leon and said, "If that's the case, wouldn't it be better for us to release the dark knight network?"

The dark knight was a special division of the knights of darkness with a specialization in secret assassination and espionage. They were known to be ruthless and cruel, and their killings were never traced back to them. They reside in the northernmost region of Eteria, inside the Black Curse Castle. Eteria often used them to silence someone.

"How many mouths do you want to shut to keep this news from spreading?" Master Sir Leon asked coldly.

"As many as necessary," PM Elric replied sarcastically. "Its their fault sniffing at us."

"The longer it goes, the more aggressive your speech becomes. Your decisions were never like this before. You seem to be under the influence of Heimdal's magic," Master Sir Leon said, recalling how PM Elric used to be a polite person, which was why many people chose him as Prime Minister.

A rumble was heard from their subordinates once again. Everyone knew Barthomeleus Heimdal, a very mysterious figure who was behind all the evils in the world. His ability to manipulate the law stream made everyone in the Eteria mainland afraid of him. Rumor had it that he was very smart, cunning, and insane. Thirty years ago, he killed hundreds of Aurora knights with a single wave of his hand. Everyone in the room shuddered at the mention of his name.

"What do you mean by saying that?" PM Elric asked, glaring at Master Sir Leon.

"Mind confusion magic. Hundreds of knights killing each other. I think you were there at that time. Your mental strength was strong enough to resist it. But maybe the seeds of magic are still with you," Master Sir Leon said.

"You!" PM Elric was about to attack, but rationality took over his mind. It was not a good idea to fight the head of the Aurora castle. Master Leon is known as the strongest person in the continent of Eteria. His body, which is almost twice the size of a normal person, makes everyone think twice before attacking him.

Moreover, what Master Sir Leon said had some truth to it. Lately, he had been having nightmares and having trouble controlling his emotions. Maybe the Mind confusion magic that attacked him decades ago was starting to affect him.

Everyone at the table was stunned to see PM Elric holding a sword in his right hand. But they didn't do anything because PM Elric also seemed to be frozen in thought.

"Ahem." PM Elric coughed and sat back down. "I admit it. Lately, I've been losing my temper. I think I need High Lady Elara's help with her famous healing knights to check on my condition."

"It would be an honor for me, PM Elric," Lady Elara said with a half-smile.

"Now is not the time for us to poke each other. We need to unite our thoughts. I think in the near future, the world will enter a crisis period that we have never experienced before. Destiny knights from various regions have all predicted something unpleasant," said Lord Theron with a grim face.

"What did they say?" PM Elric asked.

"They say a war with the real world is just the beginning."

"The beginning of what?"

"The apocalypse. The day of the destruction of humanity."