The World Is Mine For The Taking

It was finally time for us to begin planning, seriously this time, on how we were going to rescue the slaves—especially the elven slaves trapped under the Empire of Rodonia's grasp.

Just thinking about it weighed heavily on me. This wasn't some quick job or reckless raid. No—this would demand patience, precision, and a long-term plan that could withstand the dangers ahead.

The entire Elven Council was gathered inside the chamber of the Yggdrasil, its walls humming faintly with ancient life. The atmosphere was tense, heavy with expectation. Solaris and I were both here, of course.

Artemis, however, wasn't present. She had her hands full inside the Empire itself, scouting layouts, blending into the crowd, and searching for the perfect opportunity to move. She was already working on the groundwork while we sat here, and knowing her, she was risking more than she let on.

Azusa sat across from me, her dark elven beauty practically radiating in the dim light of the hall. Even with her rougher, more rugged demeanor, there was no denying the sharp elegance she carried, the kind that could silence a room without her even trying.

Beside her was Hilda, looking just as fierce as ever. The last time I saw her, she was in a tight black leather suit and she was intimidating as hell. Now, she looked more refined, polished even, though patches of her tanned skin peeked through here and there. It was little reminders of the warrior underneath the noble facade.

Clarett was here too, her circular glasses glinting faintly as she adjusted them. She had the look of someone who thought ten steps ahead, already turning gears in her mind, analyzing possible strategies even before anyone spoke.

Then there was Frey. She hadn't changed a bit. Just as voluptuous as the last time, and just as shameless with it. When our eyes met, she gave me a slow, deliberate wave, her lips curling into a seductive smile that lingered longer than it should have.

And of course, the twins—Verra and Serra—were present as well, their identical gazes locking onto me for just a moment before they returned to focus on the matter at hand.

Every single one of them was here, gathered for one purpose and that was to decide how we would deal with the Empire.

We weren't here to discuss outright war but the focus was infiltration. Charging in headfirst wasn't an option as we didn't have the military power to topple the Empire by brute force alone. Honestly, I believed we could destroy them if we went all out, but there was one problem. Leonora.

She was one of Lilith's fragments, and no one truly knew the extent of her strength. If she sided fully with the Empire, there would be no way to guarantee success. That uncertainty was like a blade at our throats.

"Now then," Solaris finally spoke, her voice cutting through the silence like steel. "Since all of us are gathered, it's time to properly lay down what we're about to do."

Her tone was sharper than I'd heard in a long while. She laced her fingers together, resting her chin on them as her piercing eyes moved across everyone in the room.

"Our objective is infiltrating the Empire to free our people."

The air grew thick and heavy. No one dared to move, their expressions hardening as her words sank in. We all knew what was at stake. If things went wrong, this mission wouldn't just fail—it could ignite a war between the Elven Kingdom and the Empire of Rodonia. A war we couldn't afford.

"Ever since we turned our backs on the outside world," Solaris continued, "humans have preyed upon our people. The curious ones—the ones who wandered too far—were captured and enslaved. That is why our hatred for humans runs so deep. They took our kin, stripped them of dignity, and committed unforgivable acts. But now, thanks to Leon, we have begun to move past the pain that chained us for so long. And with that strength, we step into the next stage."

A ripple of unease spread through the room. I could hear the faint sound of throats being swallowed dry, gulps echoing softly in unison. The tension was suffocating.

Then Solaris turned her gaze to me. "Leon, if you would."

The baton had been passed. Every pair of eyes shifted toward me, their weight pressing down all at once.

I drew in a slow breath. "Starting this summer, we'll begin making our move. We'll use the routes Artemis scouted to ensure none of us get caught during infiltration. Once we're inside, we'll establish groundwork and study everything carefully before we make any attempt at freeing the slaves. It's more efficient to finalize the strategy while we're already in the Empire—since right now, we don't even know the exact layout. To minimize suspicion, I plan for us to enter one by one, slowly, instead of all at once."

The room stayed silent, everyone listening and processing. No one objected.

"I already have a direct line with Artemis. She's been working relentlessly over there, but… well, she's prone to clumsy mistakes sometimes, so there's always a chance she might miss something important. That's why I'm also coordinating with my company's information unit. They've been compiling data on slave owners in the Empire, and the picture is becoming clearer. Most of the buyers are powerful figures, and unfortunately for us, the majority of them are concentrated in the capital."

I paused, letting that sink in. "And the capital, as you all know, is the most heavily guarded city in the Empire. Which means if we want to succeed, we'll have to tread carefully—so carefully that not even the shadows notice us."

This wasn't going to be some simple rescue. It was going to be a high-stakes game of breaking and entering, where one wrong move could doom us all.

"In order for us to succeed," I finally said, my voice steady, "we have to strip away every variable that could lead to failure. We gather intel, we cover every angle, and we make sure that when the time comes… we don't just move—we strike with certainty."