Chapter 213: Post-War Meeting

The silence didn't last long. Feik Darkdagger coughed to draw everyone's attention and spoke.

"The best way to deal with a deity is to introduce another deity to replace their faith. Among our Drow Elves, His Majesty of Shadows and the Lady of the Night also hold a seat of power." (Note: His Majesty of Shadows refers to the God of Shadow and Assassins, Yusik; the Lady of the Night is the Goddess of Night, Nasha.)

Feik Darkdagger left it at that, but everyone understood what he meant.

First, he was expressing his loyalty to the Council, hoping to minimize the fallout from the Underdark incident.

Second, he was proposing a viable solution: backing another deity's church to suppress the Spider Queen's, thereby replacing her faith entirely.

It was a good plan!

Although doing so would still draw the Spider Queen's hatred, it was far better than trying to eradicate her faith directly.

If the Council acted directly, it would be mortals provoking a deity. The Spider Queen would be forced to launch a fierce retaliation against Nordhill, if only to save face.

If another deity's church made the move, anyone with eyes would know the Council was pulling the strings. Still, losing to fellow deities would give the Spider Queen an acceptable way out.

Even Merlin Heavenly Principle nodded in approval.

The assembly discussed the matter for a while and decided to also bring in the God of the Crypt, creating a tripartite balance of power in the Underdark. After all, countless historical lessons proved that a three-way standoff was the most stable arrangement.

"Alright, the first proposal is passed!"

Merlin Heavenly Principle drew a perfect conclusion to the Underdark issue.

"Now, the meeting will proceed to the second item: post-disaster reconstruction."

...

The meeting lasted from the afternoon into the night. They had reached the seventh agenda item, arguing and negotiating their way through a mountain of continental affairs, but none of it had a damn thing to do with the Overseas Archipelago.

Bored, the White Dragon Lord leaned back in his chair and stared at the magic crystal chandelier overhead. It cast a brilliant light, illuminating the assembly hall as brightly as day.

Suddenly, Merlin Heavenly Principle spoke up.

"Now, the meeting will proceed to the eighth item: the Nordhill Plane's external affairs."

The White Dragon Lord instantly perked up. The main event was here!

Seeing all the councilors sit up straight, Merlin Heavenly Principle continued.

"External affairs are divided into three parts. First is the rotation on the Blood War Battlefield. Second involves diplomatic issues with other planes. Third is the external exploration of other planes to acquire resources."

To accommodate the two newcomers—the Gold Dragon and the White Dragon—Merlin Heavenly Principle explained in extraordinary detail.

"First, the rotation on the Blood War Battlefield. The Bolton Dynasty, the Orc Empire, and the Nine Eyes Alliance have held Bedrock Fortress for nearly a century. In another hundred years, it will be time for rotation. We must finalize the candidates for the next shift now, so the factions participating in the blood war can make their preparations in advance."

Merlin checked the notes in his hand and continued.

"The roster of factions participating in the Blood War Battlefield this time includes the Brotherhood, the Black Robe Wizard's Association, White Castle, and participating in an individual capacity, the Gold Dragon—Leopold Chodmartin."

Merlin Heavenly Principle glanced at the two dragons and explained.

"This isn't targeted at you. Every newly inducted councilor must participate in their first blood war."

The White Dragon Lord nodded and spoke.

"Since it is an obligation every councilor must bear, White Castle has no objections. However, up until now, White Castle has not possessed full councilor privileges, which goes against the rules. Therefore, I formally request to end my observation period early."

"A reasonable request."

Merlin Heavenly Principle nodded. He turned to face the crowd and said, "You all heard him. Now, please vote on Councilor Amos's request."

A red-bearded dwarf immediately voiced his stance.

"During the battle today, you all saw Amos's combat prowess. He has definitely reached the level of a High-Tier Legend. Moreover, he saved my life. Therefore, the Dwarf Kingdom casts one vote in favor!"

Priest Sinod nodded.

"Holy Sanctuary, three votes in favor."

A black-robed mage whose face was obscured spoke plainly.

"The Black Robe Wizard's Association abstains."

"The Northland Witches' Council, one vote in favor!"

"Modobur City, abstains!"

...

Merlin Heavenly Principle tallied the votes and announced, "Twenty-eight votes in favor, zero against. The motion passes."

The White Dragon Lord breathed a sigh of relief. Taking that massive risk to join the battle hadn't been in vain after all.

Merlin Heavenly Principle turned toward the White Dragon Lord and smiled.

"Congratulations, Councilor Amos. You now possess full councilor privileges. Later, after the meeting concludes, please come to my office for a detailed chat. There are certain things I must inform you of in person."

Merlin Heavenly Principle then announced, "Next are the diplomatic issues with other large-scale planes. The scheduled time for visits is approaching again. For this task, I believe no one is more suited than Councilor Jetesla Nashudine."

Everyone let out a good-natured laugh. The Silver Dragon Scholar, Jetesla Nashudine, was extremely well-liked within the Council; he was practically a social butterfly.

The Silver Dragon Scholar smiled and replied, "It has always been my wish to see different landscapes and make numerous friends. I am honored to accept this duty."

Merlin Heavenly Principle nodded. Carrying out a diplomatic mission not only represented the face of Nordhill, but it also entailed another crucial objective: resource exchange.

Every large-scale plane controlled various minor planes. Combined with each plane's unique native products, certain resources might not be rare to the locals, but to other planes, they could be desperately needed treasures.

Therefore, large-scale planes with friendly relations would always visit one another regularly, fostering connections while swapping resources.

"Alright, it's decided then."

Merlin Heavenly Principle continued, "And next is external exploration."

"In this boundless world, there are always all sorts of surprises. The planes hidden in every corner are the most precious gifts the world has bestowed upon us. Exploring these worlds and harvesting their resources is the fundamental guarantee for the Council's development."

Hearing Merlin Heavenly Principle's words, the White Dragon Lord nodded inwardly.

Countless planes and demiplanes were hidden within the endless spatial rifts. It was highly likely that these planes contained precious resources. Discovering a resource-rich plane was akin to finding a massive treasure vault.

The Madilan World was one such treasure vault.

On the Nordhill Continent, neither the good-aligned factions like the Emerald Tower nor the evil-aligned factions like the Black Robe Wizard's Association had any plans to unify the world.

Aside from demon invasions diverting internal conflicts, the most crucial reason for this was external exploration.

The profits reaped from exploring outward far exceeded the benefits of unifying the continent, and the risks were much lower.

Because of this, what major faction would focus their primary efforts on fighting for territory across the Nordhill Continent?