Invincible Blood Sorceror

Currently, seven of the twelve seats are occupied; the absent members are either on assignment or attending to urgent matters in their respective domains.

High Mantaron Kristoff Velheim, head of military operations, stood at the center of the dais, a holographic display showing the desert region where the battle had occurred. Red markers indicated the positions of destroyed units, casualty counts, and strategic assessment data.

The numbers made for grim reading.

"Thirty-eight thousand four hundred and seventy confirmed to be dead," Kristoff said, his voice carrying the clinical detachment of someone accustomed to discussing casualties in abstract terms.

"Total material loss includes forty Haelve units, with an estimated replacement cost of four billion credits. Six airships—twelve billion credits. Various armor, artillery, and small arms—approximately eight hundred million credits."

He paused, letting the figures sink in.

"Total cost of the engagement: roughly seventeen billion credits and 38,470 personnel. All losses attributed to a single hostile."

"A single hostile who happens to be the heir to a bloodline we thought extinct," added Mantaron Elise Thornwood, head of magical research. She was a thin woman in her sixties, her grey hair tied back in a severe bun, her eyes sharp behind wire-frame glasses.

"The Sol'vur line. One of the original elder elf families. Our historical records suggest they were capable of extraordinary feats, but those records were always dismissed as exaggeration or propaganda."

"They weren't exaggerations," Kristoff said grimly.

"The surviving soldiers' reports are consistent; this individual demonstrated blood manipulation on a scale that matches or exceeds the historical accounts. He created constructs, transformed the battlefield environment, and absorbed essence from defeated enemies to fuel continuous combat operations."

"He created a dragon made of blood," another Mantar interjected, Lord Harken, head of intelligence.

"A functional, semi-autonomous construct hundreds of feet long that demonstrated predatory intelligence. That's not basic bloodline manipulation. That's archaic-class sorcery combined with genetic capability that shouldn't exist."

Mantaron Elena Vross, head of diplomatic relations, leaned forward.

"What's the political situation? How are the desert clans responding to this display?"

"Rallying around him," Harken replied.

"He's become a legend in less than a month, the warrior who stood against an Imperial army and won. Every elf in the desert knows his name now."

"And it's not just the desert," added Mantaron Wilhelm Cross, head of information control.

"The story is spreading through human territories too. Word of mouth, traveling merchants, and communications we haven't been able to fully suppress. The Sol'vur heir is becoming known in our own lands as someone who defeated Imperial forces decisively."

Kristoff's expression darkened.

"That's a significant problem. We can't afford to have enemies, especially non-human enemies, gaining that kind of reputation. It undermines our position and makes other territories think they can successfully resist Imperial expansion."

"What are our options?" Elena asked.

"Diplomatic overture? Economic pressure? Another military engagement?"

"Diplomatic overture to someone who just killed thousands of our soldiers?"

Kristoff's tone was skeptical.

"That signals weakness."

"Another military engagement after losing seventeen billion in assets and personnel?" Lord Harken countered.

"That signals stupidity. We'd need to commit forces at least five times larger to have reasonable odds of success, and even then, the costs would be astronomical."

"What about assassination?" Wilhelm suggested.

"A small team, specialized equipment, and targeting the individual directly rather than engaging in open warfare."

Elise shook her head.

"His defensive capabilities are too extensive. Blood essence barriers that can stop artillery, regeneration that heals massive damage in seconds, and enhanced senses that would detect most conventional infiltration attempts. Any assassination team would need to be enhanced to a degree that rivals the target himself."

"We have assets of that caliber," Kristoff pointed out.

"The Imperial Guard, the ShadowDager Division, specialized Haelve units designed for high-value target elimination."

"All of which cost even more than what we just lost, and all of which might fail against someone with his demonstrated capabilities," Harken replied.

"We're discussing risk versus reward here. What does the Empire actually gain from killing him beyond satisfying wounded pride?"

The chamber fell silent as the Mantarons considered the question.

Finally, Elena spoke. "The desert clans aren't expanding. They're not raiding our territories, not interfering with our operations in any meaningful way. This entire engagement was initiated because we decided to pressure them, to assert dominance in a region we don't actually need."

"We need to demonstrate that resistance has consequences," Kristoff argued.

"That's fundamental to maintaining Imperial authority."

"And we did demonstrate that," Elena countered.

"We sent an army. What we actually demonstrated is that some targets are too costly to engage. That's also valuable information, knowing when to consolidate rather than overextend."

"You're suggesting we abandon the entire region?" Kristoff's tone was incredulous.

"I'm suggesting we redirect resources to areas with better strategic value and lower risk.

The three clans present in the desert aren't much stronger, and we can deal with them when we are done with the other clans and that single hostile.

The desert clans have one exceptional individual.

One.

Everywhere else, our military superiority remains intact. Why fixate on the single point of failure when we have a dozen other expansion opportunities that don't involve fighting someone who can create blood dragons?"

Lord Harken nodded slowly.

"There's strategic wisdom in that. We classify the desert region as a no-engagement zone for now, maintain surveillance to ensure they don't become an active threat, but avoid direct conflict. Let time pass, let the legend fade, and reassess in five or ten years when circumstances might be different."

"What about the families of the soldiers who died?" Wilhelm asked quietly.

"What do we tell them? That their loved ones were sacrificed in a mission we're now declaring not worth pursuing?"

"We tell them their loved ones died protecting the Empire's interests and that their sacrifice won't be forgotten," Kristoff said, his voice hard.

"We honor them, compensate their families appropriately, and move forward. That's how military loss has always been handled."

Elise cleared her throat.

"There's another consideration. The Sol'vur bloodline, if we could study it, understand how it works, and potentially replicate or incorporate elements of it into our enhancement programs... the strategic value would be immense."