Chapter 573 Two Birds With One Stone

Chapter 573: Chapter 573 Two Birds With One Stone

Beside Levi, however, Leon would be less guarded, less likely to view the room as a nest of enemies. For everyone’s sake, it was the safest place to put him.

The moment Leon dropped into the chair, his golden feline eyes drifted toward Levi. He tilted his head slightly, studying him for a few seconds as though digging through his memories before recognition finally flashed across his face.

"Oh... I remember you."

He said it so casually, staring straight into Levi’s face while leaning back in his chair, his arms folded across his broad chest as if they were old acquaintances.

Levi met his gaze without flinching, though the faint twitch at the corner of his eye betrayed the irritation he was suppressing.

How could he possibly forget?

Their first meeting had been nothing short of a disaster. Leon had been manipulated like a puppet, unknowingly delivering a biochemical agent tainted with Demonic Energy straight into their hands. Had they failed to discover the corruption in time, the consequences would’ve been catastrophic, bringing them far more disaster than salvation.

Just as Levi parted his lips to respond, Leon spoke again before he had the chance.

"My rival..." A wide grin slowly spread across Leon’s face as excitement ignited in his eyes. "Should we fight again?"

His muscles tensed beneath his clothes, veins subtly bulging along his forearms as battle intent erupted from him without the slightest restraint. It was obvious he was ready to throw hands that very second if Levi simply nodded.

Around the table, the ministers, elders, and Alphas who had been pretending not to eavesdrop instantly stiffened. Every ear subtly twitched toward the pair, their expressions growing even more strained as they silently prayed Levi wouldn’t accept the challenge.

The last thing anyone in that palace wanted was for the two to start fighting inside the royal council hall.

"That’s enough." Addison’s calm voice cut cleanly through the room, silencing the brewing hostility before it could erupt. She spoke without haste, yet every word carried quiet authority.

"There are more important matters to discuss. We invited you here not only to witness this council, but also to acknowledge that you have chosen to become a protector of this kingdom."

Her interruption wasn’t merely to diffuse the growing friction between Leon and Levi; it was to drag the discussion back to where it belonged. The kingdom’s future mattered far more than bruised egos.

"Now that the Chieftain of the Tigren Clan, along with his entire clan, has arrived and willingly offered their protection in exchange for rations, we no longer have to worry about diverting more of our people from rebuilding to work the fields in every territory."

"Each territory can become self-sufficient, and every territory strengthens its own food reserves. If each region can sustain itself, the threat of a kingdom-wide famine all but disappears."

She paused, letting her words settle over the chamber before continuing.

"More importantly, we eliminate one of our greatest weaknesses. An enemy can’t exploit starvation if there is none. They can’t choke our supply lines if every territory can stand on its own."

Addison slowly turned toward the elder who had been the loudest only moments ago. A faint, mocking smile curled across her lips — a silent challenge, daring him to contradict her again. It was the kind of smile that promised she would dismantle every argument he threw at her without mercy.

The elder’s lips tightened into a thin line. For the first time since the meeting began, he remained silent. He had no desire to become the center of attention again.

His unease only deepened when Leon followed Addison’s gaze and slowly turned his head toward the old man. Their eyes met.

Without uttering a single word, Leon released a sliver of his overwhelming aura.

The pressure descended like a mountain crashing onto the elder’s shoulders. His breathing hitched as his spine instinctively bent under the invisible weight. Every joint groaned in protest, and his brittle old bones felt as though they were on the verge of splintering apart.

Cold sweat streamed down his wrinkled face as he clenched his jaw, too terrified to even raise his head, let alone challenge Addison again.

"But how can we be certain the Tigrens will truly protect our kingdom instead of becoming another burden?" one of the Eastern Alphas spoke up, his voice measured as though he were merely stating an obvious concern.

"And let’s not forget that Tigrens are fiercely carnivorous. Their diet consists almost entirely of meat and fish. If we’re expected to provide their rations, I’m willing to bet they’ll consume far more than our own werewolves."

On the surface, his words sounded reasonable, even practical.

But the cold, disdainful glare he shot at Leon betrayed his true intentions.

The hostility in his eyes was impossible to miss.

Perhaps he still resented the way Leon had entered the council chamber, without the slightest hint of reverence or deference to the Werewolf Kingdom’s authority. Instead, the Tigren Chieftain had walked in with quiet confidence, carrying himself as an equal, if not someone above them, his mere presence challenging the authority of everyone in the room.

Or perhaps the Alpha simply refused to accept the undeniable truth.

The Tigren Clan was stronger.

To acknowledge Leon’s strength meant admitting that the Werewolf Kingdom needed the protection of an outsider to survive. For a race as proud as the werewolves, that truth was far harder to swallow than any shortage of food.

Accepting another race’s aid felt no different from confessing to the world that they were too weak to defend their own homeland, too weak to stand against the enemies gathering beyond their borders.

And that was a humiliation many of them simply could not stomach.

"That’s actually a good question, Alpha."

Addison gave a small nod as her gaze settled on the Alpha who had spoken.

The moment their eyes met, the Alpha stiffened.

Her gentle expression and calm smile struck him harder than any aura ever could. A rush of heat spread through his chest before sinking into his abdomen, making his heartbeat stumble.

His ears burned crimson as he quickly lowered his gaze, forcing himself to look anywhere but at her. No matter how hard he tried to compose himself, he couldn’t stop the strange pull drawing him toward her.

Maxwell, Zion, and Levi caught the subtle exchange almost immediately.

Their expressions darkened with visible annoyance.

Addison, however, saw something entirely different.

The Alpha’s reaction hadn’t been deliberate. It was instinctive.

A thought quietly surfaced in the back of her mind.

’Could this be because of the entity sleeping inside me...?’

She had already suspected that the mysterious existence within her possessed abilities similar to those of a succubus, with an innate charm capable of unconsciously enticing, attracting, and seducing members of the opposite sex. If that were true, then perhaps she had been unknowingly releasing that influence all this time.

And a mateless Alpha...

...would naturally be far more vulnerable to it.

Without the anchor of a destined mate, his instincts would be far more susceptible to her scent, her presence, and whatever irresistible allure that mysterious entity was unconsciously radiating.

It was only a suspicion.

One she couldn’t confirm.

Suppressing the thought for another time, Addison returned her attention to the council.

"I considered that very concern long before I invited the Tigren Clan into our kingdom," she began calmly. "You’re right. Their appetite for meat is considerably larger than ours. But that’s precisely why expanding agriculture and livestock production across every territory isn’t just an option, it’s a necessity."

She slowly swept her gaze across the council.

"If every territory develops its own farms and livestock, each region becomes capable of sustaining itself. Should one territory suffer a disaster, drought, or enemy attack, the others can immediately compensate for the shortage. That alone greatly reduces the risk of a kingdom-wide famine."

She paused, allowing everyone to absorb her reasoning before continuing.

"And once our food production exceeds our own needs, that surplus becomes far more valuable than simply sitting in storage."

"We can use it to reopen diplomatic trade with neutral races, beginning with the Tigren Clan."

"Trade creates trust. Trust creates alliances."

"Instead of standing alone against every threat, we’d gradually build relationships with races willing to exchange resources, knowledge, and military support. In times of war, those alliances could become the difference between survival and annihilation."

Her voice remained composed, but every word carried undeniable conviction.

"At the same time, our people would gain access to resources we currently lack, while our own products would flow beyond our borders. Our economy would flourish instead of merely surviving."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she looked around the council chamber.

"So tell me..."

"Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?"

Before anyone could voice another objection, Addison continued.

"We can’t keep shutting ourselves behind our own borders forever."

Her steady gaze swept across the council chamber, meeting the eyes of the elders, ministers, and Alphas alike.