Alliances with Other Kingdoms

"Ah... so because of the vague rumors spread by the commoners, you want to miss this good opportunity?"

This time, even Weiss turned her head as Leroy finally removed the mask of politeness that he had been wearing all this time. The representatives were also surprised when they saw the cold gaze that Leroy gave them. Without needing to be told, the people finally realized that Leroy was not as naive or as kind as he seemed.

No matter how Leroy became king in such a short time, none of them could deny the fact that he was the winner. Coups or killing fellow brothers were not uncommon when fighting for the position of king. There was no doubt that the young man who was now sitting in front of the representatives was a man who was willing to do anything just to make his wishes come true.

"Let me make one thing clear to you all. I'm inviting you to cooperate because I want to allow you to gain the same benefits as me. I already know where I can find the monster of Audoran Forest, how I should kill him, or anyone who might get in my way there. I'm inviting you all simply because I know the contents of the agreement made by the four kingdoms of the Avalanche Continent and intend to settle this dispute once and for all. However, if you are unwilling to accept it... then I can only resolve this by myself."

For thousands of years, no one could confidently say that they knew the exact layout of the Audoran Forest or knew how they should kill the monster with such overwhelming power. The agreement that Leroy was referring to referred to the agreement that whoever managed to conquer the Audoran Forest would become the rightful owner of the territory. When Leroy deliberately brought up the matter in front of the representatives, it only meant that the young king was boldly threatening them because he believed that his kingdom would win this time.

If the Lucano Kingdom did succeed in killing the monster of Audoran Forest and conquering the Audoran Forest, then the entire Audoran Forest would belong to the Lucano Kingdom. And if that were to happen, the other kingdoms might not be able to live in peace on the Avalanche Continent anymore.

The Audoran Forest's location in the middle of the four kingdoms' paths made it a strategic area if it were to be conquered by humans. Not to mention, it was also a source of natural mana that was considered very valuable to humans. For the Lucano Kingdom that lived on magic, it was like a gold mine to them.

Allowing the Lucano Kingdom to rule the Audoran Forest alone was the same as allowing the Lucano Kingdom to develop to the point where no kingdom could resist it anymore. The four representatives summoned by Leroy secretly clenched their fists. At this moment, Leroy seemed to be forcing them to take a difficult gamble.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my impudence. But can you take responsibility for what you just said?"

The representative from Bahr was the first to speak after the representatives fell silent to consider Leroy's invitation. Bahr was the smallest and weakest kingdom on the Avalanche Continent. So, if the Lucano Kingdom were to conquer the Audoran Forest alone, it would probably be the first victim of his power. Bahr asked because he wanted to ensure his safety in this gamble. If what Leroy said was true, then there was no reason for him to reject Leroy's invitation.

"Of course I will. Can't you see that the Lucano Kingdom is willing to do everything to attack the Audoran Forest? I am saying all this because I believe that I can win this battle."

"About that matter, we from the Mage Association have also agreed to cooperate and mobilize everyone to conquer the Audoran Forest. Thanks to the research funded by the Lucano Kingdom, we have also created new technology that could be the key to victory in this battle. Therefore, gentlemen, would you be willing to hear my explanation?"

Weiss, who had been silent at first, finally spoke up when she could see that the four kingdom representatives who were summoned had fallen into their trap. Weiss stood up and bowed in front of Leroy. "Your Majesty, may I?" she asked for permission.

"You may."

Leroy knew what Weiss was going to show the representatives. So, he allowed Weiss to show what kind of power they had that they dared to speak so confidently. The representatives waited until the person Weiss had asked to fetch something returned to the meeting room. Each of them could not hide their surprise when they saw what kind of object had now moved into Weiss' hands.

"That's...."

"As everyone knows, the inhabitants of Audoran Forest are those who are skilled in using natural magic, so the place has been difficult to penetrate until now. However, what if someone managed to create a tool that would disrupt the stability of the magic itself?"

Weiss deliberately shifted his standing position so that everyone could see his masterpiece better. Even though what he showed was only a part of what he made, it seemed that he was still able to amaze and frighten everyone with what he had made.

The glass sphere with the magic stone floating in the center radiated such dense mana that even ordinary people could feel that the object Weiss had made was extraordinary. The representatives could barely keep their hands off the device. Unlike the mana pools that usually formed naturally, what Weiss had created was like a dense mana pool that could be carried anywhere.

With that item, one would not have to worry about their mana reserves running out in battle. It was an incredible item. However, for the Sadana Kingdom, which relied on physical combat as their main weapon, that tool alone was not enough to make them confident in attacking the Audoran Forest.

"Where... did you guys gather such pure mana?"

Weiss smiled as someone finally realized the true function of the tool she had created. "I got it from the Audoran Forest. Of course, after I tried it several times, I finally managed to perfect it."

Then, Weiss began to explain the true purpose of the tool she had created.

"Rather than calling it a mana support tool, this item is a tool that can absorb natural mana to use as desired. In short, this item is a substitute for the human body that can accommodate mana and release it as magic. If we place this item in the Audoran Forest, not only can we absorb the natural mana in that place to our heart's content, but we can also use this mana to attack anyone who gets in our way."

"Even the monster of Audoran Forest can be defeated if their mana reserves are depleted. We have tested it on several creatures living in Audoran Forest. It seems that because this device changes the flow of mana in that place, those who are used to using the mana that flows in that place will have difficulty casting magic near this device."

To explain further, Weiss took out a recording stone and showed how a small part of the device was enough to defeat a powerful wind fairy. Everyone watched the fight in amazement. Judging by the power of the wind fairy, it seemed that they would still believe Weiss if she had called the wind fairy the monster of Audoran Forest.

A small device was enough to turn Audoran Forest into a human playground. If Weiss were to place such a large device in Audoran Forest...

"Now, are there any of you who still doubt the plan made by His Majesty King Leroy?"

They gulped, then finally came to an agreement.

Rather than letting the Lucano Kingdom win alone, it would be better if they could also win and get a share of the Audoran Forest region that everyone coveted.