The Martial Unity

Chapter 3321: Shifting Dynamics

The break-up between the dark elves and the light elves was one that sent waves across the true world. Not a single person had predicted that the sister civilizations occupying the two halves of Genora would experience such a fissure in their relations with one another. While dark elves had gone out of their way to distinguish themselves from light elves, the two civilizations were joined at the hip as far as many people, races, and polities were concerned.

However, it appeared that the recent incursion into West Genora committed by the light elves had crossed a line for the dark elves, who firmly announced an immediate cessation of a free flow of information and people between the two civilizations.

It had widespread implications for the rest of the world.

The largest implication was the weakening of the Genora power bloc that formed the largest deterrent to military conflict in the entire world. One of the reasons that nobody messed with either the dark elves or the light elves was that they came to each other’s defense.

However, if their relationship had been destroyed by the recent events, then it meant that the difficulty of taking over one of them was now reduced substantially. Although there was still the fact that elves were the strongest within their territory, it was now not as impossible to try to make imperialistic gains from elven territory.

The dark elves had lost much from the destruction of their long-time sisterhood relationship with the light elves. However, they couldn’t be blamed for it, considering what was at stake and just how major the transgression was.

The light elves had dared to kidnap and attack one of their most honored guests, a high leader of another civilization with whom they had very recently forged an alliance treaty.

It was a major loss of face and embarrassment for the dark elves that they weren’t even able to protect a single person despite the vaunted ’elven homeland invincibility’ that they were touted for.

Additionally, if the light elves were allowed to get away with it with a light tap on the wrist, then it would shatter any trust the dark elves had painstakingly built over the years with the rest of the world.

It would mean that they would not act even if the light elves committed such violations against the former’s allies. It would also mean that nobody was safe, even in the dark elven homeland.

Thus, as difficult as it was for the dark elves to digest, they were to be different civilizations and entirely separate unless the light elves came up with major concessions and a genuine display of remorse.

Of course, the latter had no intention of doing that, given that they had suffered even more than the dark elves had.

They had lost a Mother of Nature, that too an elder one.

They were not in the headspace to even consider backing down from their commitment to killing Rui for his actions.

While the deteriorating relations between the dark elves and light elves were unexpected, it wasn’t that unusual in the broader context of the rest of the world.

Most races were not as united as the elves had been for varying reasons, the largest being that it was impossible to truly unite such a large number of people under a single banner. Each race had a diverse variety of people with different desires and aspirations, which naturally led to different kinds of polities being created within each race.

The elves had managed to stave it off longer than most, but it still lasted longer and stronger than most and would have gone on long enough if not for what the light elves had done. There were many within each civilization who found it truly regrettable to destroy the sisterhood that had survived many years in the modern era.

There were many within West Genora who questioned whether it was worth it to destroy the precious sisterhood with the light elves for a brand-new alliance with human civilization that hadn’t been tested very well yet.

Perhaps if it were an ordinary alliance, the Mothers of Nature of the dark elves would not have been so willing to destroy the relationship with their sisters over human civilization. However, there were reasons that they had done so.

The alliance with human civilization meant considerable access to the exotic flora on the continent and the power of esoteric matter. The humans had experienced considerable pressure in the past half year or so since the Unfolding, with many enemies who were already preparing for all-out war with human civilization; thus, Emperor Rael had no choice but to make some concessions regarding esoteric matter when it came to the dark elves.

The Mothers of Nature had weighed this benefit along with appropriate military protection from human civilization against all the variables before coming to the decision that unless the light elves apologized, fixed, and repented for their crimes, they could no longer tolerate their sisters any more.

Thus, the balance of power in the world shifted as alliances and loyalties shifted, along with incentives and deterrences they had created.

As long as Rui didn’t die, human civilization would undoubtedly emerge as having gained the most. With a more committed dark elven civilization that was less secure and was more reliant on human civilization, the alliance was now much more solid than it had been when it was signed five months ago.

The dark elves had sustained a net loss, while the light elves had sustained an even greater net loss. Not only had they lost a Mother of Nature, but they hadn’t even succeeded in their original objective of killing Rui.

They had suffered an even greater embarrassment in the international community as the homeland security of the elves had truly come into question. Many began wondering if the elves had been given too much credit.

Of course, they also understood that it wasn’t so much the light elves being weak but rather their target being too strong.