NOVEL NEXT EPISODE 248: A GAME OF CHESS 1
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7294. SEASON: CENTRAL.
Lawruthian gaze finally fell on the Chosen of El.
This girl…
Her gaze was a bit fierce, like she was confronting a great beast or villain of unknown might. During the week of deliberation over the Treaty of Edrya, it was Wilarax Indrius, who became his biggest obstacle to achieving his goals.
Let's fight.
Two simple words, but the party that spoke them was another matter. Lawruthian's eyebrows scrunched inward, and he spoke as he finally took his seat. "I don't think now is the appropriate time to battle. We are on the verge of signing the Treaty. I am more than open to doing so after we finish today."
Likely, this woman still had inhibitions about him. Throughout the week, all other parties lost their initial wariness of Lawruthian and, by extension, the magi. They knew his strength and believed they could reasonably estimate the strength of the nation through what was displayed. They weren't restricted when traveling through the capital, and such actions allowed them to preview much of what was going on within the city.
Lawruthian deduced that Wilarax's outburst was one final attempt to warn the surrounding treaty members. A final reminder that he was the Chosen of Madris. He offered her a gentle smile.
Wilarax stood straighter. The smile by the Chosen of Madris seemed to come from a devil gloating over misfortune. Nobody understood the strength of a Chosen better than another Chosen. Last week, when Lawruthian battled Erin, Wilarax was able to parse much greater detail than any other present. She saw the effortless strength and exertion of the man before her. A punch that caused a Prestige to interrupt was nothing short of devastating potential. A single punch that wasn't influenced by weapons, increasing his Base Attack, or any other methods she could see. As far as she knew, Lawruthian was able to pull that attack from his physical strength alone, likely influenced by stamina or another form of power. The problem was that when high amounts of Life Points, like Stamina, are used, signs of exhaustion usually show.
Lawruthian didn't break a sweat.
It very likely meant he used little to no of his resources. Wilarax had to expose more of his strength. She had to warn those here of the danger they were in. It wasn't a danger of the magi humans, but a danger of a single man who could likely single-handedly take on an army of levelers at or around his range.
The only problem was… how unreasonable could she be?
"No," Wilarax said, still forming a plan as she spoke. "Fight me now. This treaty misrepresents the dangers individuals at our level have. A new principle, specific to Chosen's, needs to be imposed."
"I don't think that much is necessary or should be constituted into the Treaty of Edrya. That would be far too unfair for not just you and me," Lawruthian promptly responded. His eyes slightly flickered to Ìmólè Jhan, after all, she represented a Chosen, and this would have to apply to him as well.
Lawruthian hadn't expected Wilarax to promptly bring forth the bulk of her impromptu combat offer, but he wouldn't hesitate to drag others in. Before Wilarax or anyone else could respond, Lawruthian continued. "Should we also restrict those who possess Touch or Seeds of Law? When a new generation of Prestige and Demigods rises, should they be restricted? What you're constructing doesn't make sense on a grand scale."
Wilarax smirked. "I'm not asking for restrictions for Prestige's or Demigods. I'm only asking them for Chosen of the Gods on the Mortal Realm."
Ìmólè Jhan frowned. Although her brother wasn't prone to going onto battlefields and fighting himself, it wasn't something that was impossible. This action would greatly restrict him, even if the principle was something light. It would force his moves to always be open and announced to the parties present. Snake-Eye subtly glanced at her, transmitting a message through the action alone.
"Impossible," Ìmólè finally spoke, voicing Snake-Eye's message. "No matter what is proposed, the Theocracy will have no part of it. We have stabilized and agreed to all current factors of the Treaty of Edrya; doing something such as this would cause another week of debates, if not longer. This is non-negotiable."
Wilarax's smirk faded, and a serious expression appeared on her face. She knew what she proposed was likely not to come to fruition. It was a 2 vs 1 on this subject, and Lawruthian already showed his willingness to drag this subject into something greater. Ìmólè's words were a direct refusal, meaning she wouldn't even broach the subject for further discussion. Wilarax didn't look around. Although she was the nominal head of a faction for this gathering, she hadn't discussed her worries with anyone present.
Wilarax's efforts during the week were ensuring certain principles came into effect under the treaty, and the group's ability to get it into its current state took days and nights of debate. Sometimes a session would start at dawn and end at dawn the next morning, before picking back up during the evening. All parties present held an interest in making this thing come to life; if not, they would have left on the first day after the initial proposal. No one left, which meant those here held a vested interest in establishing this treaty.
This was the final day, the final chance to warn those here of the dangerousness of a Chosen. Wilarax couldn't allow this opportunity to pass, or it might doom the world itself. She also couldn't take drastic actions, or she would end up isolating herself within her faction. Currently, they respected her because they respected and revered God El and her father, Quinarax. It wasn't out of a true respect for her . That usually came later. It was just like her arrival in the Nation of Ivory and her subsequent meeting with Demigoddess Innai, Demigoddess of Purity. Wilarax hadn't had enough time to truly build a solid foundation and rapport with these people.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
If she couldn't make the Chosen of Madris or the Chosen of Jhan's representative fall into a trap, she could at least ensure the members of the treaty were thoroughly warned. She turned her gaze to the table, speaking promptly. "Chosens are dangerous. We possess opportunities and divine abilities far greater than your average follower of a God. At the same level, we are invincible. I don't doubt that both Chosen of Madris and Chosen of Jhan were born with the ability to earn max attribute points. That's twenty-six attribute points per level," Wilarax stressed.
"I will frankly admit I earn this and gain more benefits due to the worship of God El. But it doesn't just end at physical strength. Our classes and what we're offered are likely tailored to our strengths and further increase with every class advancement," Wilarax attempted to meet every gaze present. "Do not forget it immediately took the intervention of a Prestige power to halt Lawruthian's first and only strike displayed."
Wilarax continued to speak, not noticing the darkening gaze of the subject at hand. She also didn't notice the glare that began to appear on Ìmólè Jhan's face. This wasn't just harming their interest; what Wilarax was doing was nearly exposing her own most important secrets to everyone present. Both Lawruthian and Ìmólè knew they couldn't interrupt, or it'd make them appear truly worried about what Wilarax was stating. Instead, both relaxed their expressions.
Ìmólè Jhan slightly glanced toward the Chosen of Madris. For the first time since this event started, she wasn't opposed to forming a temporary cooperation to halt this madness. The young man put a hand on his clean-shaven chin and rubbed it, a single red-gold eye meeting hers for a split second. Ìmólè would have thought it an illusion had she not been looking for any sign of action from the Prince of Edryan.
"…I implore you all to take a step back, review the Treaty of Edrya and how it deals with powers beyond the norm," Wilarax finished.
A tense silence entered the hall, and the young True Elf finally slowly sat back down. The silence continued to extend until a voice interrupted it, recapturing the attention of contemplating members.
"Wait," Lawruthian interrupted. He sighed, as if tired, and the hand that was once rubbing his chin moved to his forehead, as if massaging a headache. He'd still use the King's Indifference throughout the sessions, but he wasn't entirely hesitant on when and when not to show emotions. Throughout the week, Lawruthian was like an actor in a play, showing different emotions to gain different reactions. He wasn't the only one; many here deeply hid their true thoughts and intentions.
"Your words have merit, but so do my earlier words of new Prestiges and Demigods. We are entering an age of unprecedented change. Perhaps there are many waiting just below the threshold, looking for a quick chance at rising and taking the place of our ancestors. I have no doubts many of you may have Touches of Law at the ready. If, and if we are to propose any such clause, then it must include all. This restriction on Chosen's would prove unfair if we could not defend our countrymen from such threats. This treaty is established on a basis of Trust, with Rules and Regulations," Lawruthian pointed at the document as he spoke. "Look at it, there are no unfair principles or clauses that all parties present haven't agreed on. What you propose breaks the very foundation. If you want to fight, let's fight , but do not use this interruption as a chance to ruin what we've strived hard for."
Ìmólè Jhan immediately followed up. "This is still a non-negotiable deal for the Theocracy. What would be the next step, restricting those above level 220 to announce themselves a week before battling? This treaty is intended to ensure that proper measures are taken when engaging with treaty members, not to restrict us and halt our actions. The Theocracy of Jhan will not participate in any matters unless all parties involved have restrictions placed upon them."
One hard, on soft, an uncommunicated tactic that would ensure that no matter the decision, all parties involved would be dragged in. It wasn't impossible for the Theocracy to agree on certain conditions is what Ìmólè Jhan was saying.
Either we're all involved, or no one is.
It would have to devolve to a lose-lose situation or their stances wouldn't change. So far, only the parties with a Chosen spoke. It wasn't until after Ìmólè finished a non Chosen member of the treaty finally gave their thoughts.
"The Treaty of Edrya in its current form is complete. What Wilarax proposes now will cost valuable time and delay. In its current state, the Treaty is complete. Should it be necessary, we can convene at a later date for reformatting and adding additional principles. Now is not the time," Ninjaro Ibadan stated.
Surprisingly, his words held a chorus of agreement from members of the round table. Wilarax sighed. She knew her attempt was improbable and likely not to happen, but at least her warning and message were out. These people would learn.
The day quickly turned to evening, documents signed, promises made. The moment the last document was signed and all parties received a copy, Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani stood, a fierce gaze fixed on Wilarax Joi Simra Indrius.
" Let's fight! "
Two words spoken, and his figure disappeared. Wilarax sighed. Calmly, she stood, walked out to the balcony, and her gaze landed on the distant figure of the Chosen of Madris.
Fortunately, this was still a viable route of warning. Only, Wilarax's heart wasn't in it as much as prior.
*****
AN: Btw, I'm missing like 4-5 interludes, which I planned on fulfilling once this book comes to an end. The schedule will be the same as usual, 1 week break, then return, except we return with a bunch of interludes first. Book 8-12 is roughly planned out, but now it's time to refine book 8 planning into something more concrete during that time.