Within the base of the Tenth Squad, Dawnlight,
The first group of new members were diligently training under the plan crafted by Hel.
Meanwhile, their captain—Ethan Hayes—was in the royal palace at the capital.
Around a long conference table, aside from the Wizard King, all the other squad captains were present.
Puffing on a cigarette, Yami couldn't help but complain,
"Seriously, it's been nonstop meetings lately. We've had more this month than the whole of last year combined..."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Indeed, it had been a turbulent time lately.
A minor meeting every three days, a major one every five.
And today's was particularly serious—Captain Ethan Hayes of the Tenth Squad had already clashed with the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
As for the battle?
It had been full of twists and turns.
He'd almost died there.
But looking back, Ethan was truly a mystery.
If not for Yuno and the others confirming it, they'd hardly believe that the absurdly handsome man sitting among them was really Ethan.
He seemed like a completely different person.
"The events have likely been made clear to everyone here," said the Wizard King. "The reason I've called this meeting is to discuss a countermeasure—at the very least, we must figure out what the enemy is truly after."
There's no such thing as hatred or love without a cause.
For them to plan an attack on the capital and ambush a Magic Knight captain—
This was no impulsive act or prank.
"Their goal is actually very simple: the Elf Stones..."
Ethan had considered it, and ultimately decided to reveal the full picture.
Of course, he couldn't say it himself, as he couldn't explain how he knew everything so clearly.
But someone else could say it for him—and no one would doubt it.
"Zephyra, come out. Tell them everything you know..."
Summoning the wind spirit, a green flash lit the air, and Zephyra appeared.
Compared to her former palm-sized form, she had grown considerably—now the height of two or three-year-old child.
Ethan had been shocked when he first noticed.
After all, Yuno's wind spirit, Sylph, hadn't undergone such changes.
He had two guesses for the reason:
Either because she was an ancient spirit and followed a different growth pattern than modern ones—
Or it was because of him.
Ethan was undeniably special.
Spirits and their masters are closely bound.
When she was resurrected in the ruins, she had absorbed a few drops of his blood.
Perhaps it was his divine bloodline that triggered this transformation in her.
"The situation is as follows..."
Zephyra began to speak, repeating the information Ethan had long told her.
She detailed the enemy's goals, their true identity, and the ancient grudge they held against humanity.
As for the demon—she didn't mention much. Even Ethan himself knew very little about it.
After listening, everyone furrowed their brows in deep thought.
No one doubted Zephyra's words.
They all knew she was an ancient spirit.
Naturally, that meant she'd lived for ages and had seen much.
And there was no reason for her to deceive them.
Her account made logical sense, emotionally resonated, and aligned with the motives behind recent events.
"So all of this... was orchestrated by a demon?"
The Wizard King took a deep breath.
He'd anticipated that things were serious—but not this serious.
The elves, long believed to be vengeful enemies, were nothing more than pitiful pawns, manipulated by a demon's schemes.
The attack on the capital, the collection of Elf Stones—it was all part of the demon's resurrection plan.
"Um... is there a way we can communicate this to the elves? Sit down and talk things out with them?"
The Wizard King asked cautiously.
After all, this so-called "hatred" had been based on falsehoods.
Both humanity and the elves had been carrying this burden for centuries.
If the hatred had no real basis—perhaps it could be resolved?
"I don't think that's possible," Yami said flatly. "You think a few words can fix centuries of hate?"
"Agreed. Yami's right," another captain added.
"The enemy's already blinded by hatred. Unless the demon tells them the truth directly, they won't believe a word of it."
All the captains shook their heads at the suggestion.
If a conversation could resolve this, then hatred might not even exist in this world.
"What do you think, Ethan?"
The Wizard King looked to him, hoping he could offer another solution—perhaps a way to break down the divide.
Unfortunately, Ethan simply shook his head.
He truly had no way.
Even setting aside personal grudges, he couldn't make them believe.
Centuries of resentment... could only be lifted in the same way as in the original story.
But by then—it would be too late.
Right now, if they wanted to stop the demon's resurrection, the solution wasn't hoping Patolli and the others would learn the truth and reconcile with humanity.
The solution was... to kill.
Yes—killing was a method, too.
"I suggest that all squads begin searching for the Elf Stones across the kingdom.
If the enemy is missing even one, they can't complete the reincarnation ritual.
That way, they'll be forced to come to us.
And when they do, we can try talking to them—but if they still refuse to believe... I say we kill them on the spot."
Ethan's words left the Wizard King in silence.
Though the demon was the real mastermind, humanity wasn't entirely blameless either.
If given the chance, the Wizard King hoped peace could be achieved.
But as the ruler and protector of the Clover Kingdom, he couldn't stake its fate on hope alone.
For the kingdom's safety and prosperity—if it truly came to that, then...
"All squads, hear this order:
Each squad captain will lead a team to begin searching outward for the Elf Stones.
Each team must include at least one spatial-type mage for rapid communication and reinforcement.
As for the squad captains—remain stationed in the capital. If needed, respond to any emergency.
That's all—meeting adjourned!"
Following the order, everyone nodded and rose to leave the room.
But as they were departing, Ethan stopped Yami.
There was something... something he suspected Yami might know more about than he did.
Like that mysterious golden blood flowing through his veins.
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