Chapter 122. Friction and Mutual Probing Among the Foreign Race Representatives
“William, the surrounding kingdoms are not fools.”
Kroll II’s voice grew heavier.
“Now that they see we are not short on resources for the ti being, what they fear most is that we will use this montum to produce top-tier combatants in large numbers.”
He swept a glance across the ministers present and waved a hand.
“You may all withdraw first. This matter is to remain confidential for now.”
The ministers did not dare say more. They hurriedly rose to their feet, bowed to father and son, and quietly withdrew from the Throne Hall.
The heavy doors slowly closed, completely shutting out the noise of the outside world.
Only then did Kroll II turn toward William, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes.
“I have already uncovered so clues. The ones inciting the Foreign Race kingdoms behind the scenes are very likely those four neighboring human kingdoms.”
“They want to use the foreign races’ hands to wear us down.”
William did not look surprised when he heard that.
He had long guessed that those kingdoms would never sit by and watch Kroll grow stronger.
“What did Ancestor Fenlilan say?”
Kroll II shook his head.
“Ancestor did not say much. He only told us to stall for as much ti as possible.”
“That batch of seeds you selected in the Royal Family Secret Realm last ti still needs ti. They are the kingdom’s future foundation, and they cannot be rushed.”
William silently nodded.
He understood what his royal father ant.
The situation looked tense on the surface, but in truth, it was a race against ti.
As long as that group of royal mbers grew strong enough, Kroll’s strength would undergo a qualitative transformation. When that ti ca, whether facing the foreign races or the other kingdoms, they would have far more confidence.
“As for the marriage alliance…” William paused. “We should keep stalling them for now?”
Kroll II nodded.
“Yes, but do not press them too hard either, lest the foreign races truly tear off the mask. What we need is a buffer period, not another war.”
The candlelight in the hall flickered, stretching the shadows of father and son long across the floor.
Over the next several months, the border clashes ca like endless drizzling rain, breaking out on and off without ever fully stopping.
Small Foreign Race tribes harassed rchant caravans, and Kroll’s border defense legions struck back. Yet the scale was always kept within the bounds of localized friction. Neither side took the first step toward open war.
Anyone with sharp eyes could see that the foreign races were trying to use this constant pressure to force Kroll II to yield on the matter of the marriage alliance.
But Kroll II seed to have made up his mind. No matter how war reports from the border poured in like snowflakes, he only ever issued the sa order:
“Maintain a strict defense. No one is to take the initiative to expand the conflict.”
And so, by sheer force of will, he dragged the standoff out.
On this day, inside a stone hall with obsidian pillars and beast bones for decoration, representatives from the three Foreign Race kingdoms sat together in discussion.
The air was thick with the sll of leather and sulfur, and the torches cast wavering shadows across the stone walls.
“We cannot wait any longer.”
The first to speak was the envoy from the Orc Kingdom. The tips of his claws carved deep grooves into the stone table.
“That old fox Kroll II is obviously stalling for ti. If this drags on any longer, once they have finished training their high-end combatants, we will be in an even worse position.”
The dwarf representative seated across from him rumbled in reply.
“You are right, but are we really going to march on them? Kroll’s Gold Legion is no decoration.”
“And if we force our Domain-Level Powerhouses to make a move, do you think the surrounding human kingdoms will just sit there and do nothing?”
“At that point, it might turn into us fighting the five surrounding human kingdoms. That would be walking straight into our own graves.”
“But we cannot go on like this either.”
Another barbarian representative looked at the other two.
“Human ambition has never been small. Once they recover their footing, sooner or later they will move to wipe us out. If we do not fight now, are we supposed to wait for our races to be slaughtered?”
The great hall fell into a brief silence. The torches crackled, illuminating three faces burdened with their own worries.
After a long while, the orc envoy suddenly slapped the table and deliberately said, “What if… we seek outside help?”
“From whom?” the dwarf representative asked with a frown.
“The Orc Federation of the Western Continent.”
A vicious glint flashed through the orc envoy’s eyes.
“They have even deeper hatred for humans. They will definitely be willing to see Kroll run into trouble.”
“And there is also the Lizard Alliance of the Northern Continent. Those cold-blooded creatures have always chased profit and abandoned principle. If we offer them enough benefits, they may not refuse to act.”
The barbarian envoy pondered for a mont, then slowly nodded. “Bringing outside forces into the ga is risky, but it is still better than sitting here and waiting to die.”
“Still… we must choose the timing carefully. We cannot let those fellows turn around and swallow us instead.”
The three exchanged glances, and each saw a trace of probing in the others’ eyes.
“In that case, it is settled. But we should still deliver a final ultimatum to the Kroll Kingdom.”
The orc envoy drew a deep breath.
“Send soone to the Royal Capital of Kroll and discreetly make our bottom line known to Kroll II.”
“Either he accepts the marriage alliance, or… he waits for the flas on the border to burn completely out of control. Let him choose for himself.”
The dwarf representative answered in his booming voice, “That will work. At the very least, it lays everything out clearly and saves him from pretending not to understand.”
The barbarian envoy added, “That said, we cannot make the final decision ourselves. Once we return, we must first report this idea to His Majesty. The power to decide rests in their hands.”
The other two nodded in unison.
Though the Foreign Race kingdoms had ford a temporary alliance, each still had its own calculations. In a matter concerning life and death like this, the final decision would ultimately have to be made by those in power in each kingdom.
All three understood it clearly. This gathering was less a discussion of counterasures than a test of one another.
As representatives of their respective kingdoms, every word they spoke carried their own nation’s position. Every move and every sentence was a probe at the other side’s bottom line and true intentions.
Now their attitudes had beco clear. None of them wanted to go to war lightly, yet none of them were willing to sit and wait for death. More than anything, they wanted to use outside force to break the deadlock.
Now that each had gotten the answer he wanted, there was no point in continuing the entanglent.
The orc envoy was the first to rise. His armor scraped harshly against the stone chair.
“Everything that needed to be said has been said. I will return at once to make my report.”
The dwarf representative hoisted the giant axe leaning against the wall and followed with a rumbling grunt. “Making a decision sooner is better than dragging this out.”
The barbarian envoy was the last to leave. Before departing, he turned back and swept his gaze across the stone hall, then turned and walked away as well.
A few days later, Kroll II’s furious voice rang out from his Study.
An exquisite bone china teacup was hurled viciously against the wall. Shattered porcelain mixed with brown tea stains and splashed across the floor.
“Heh, they really are at the end of the road.”
Kroll II’s voice carried suppressed fury, and his fingertips had gone white from how hard he was clenching them.
“They want to bring the Orc Federation of the Western Continent and the Lizard Alliance of the Northern Continent into this? Do they not understand that inviting them in is easy, but sending them away will be hard?”
“Or is it that… they already reached a deal in secret?”
He paced several steps through the Study. The thick carpet muffled his footsteps, but it could not conceal his agitation.
“No. This matter must be discussed with Ancestor.”
Half an hour later, Kroll II put down the Communication Crystal. His face looked even uglier than before, and there was even a trace of unconcealable gravity in his eyes.
He walked silently to the window and gazed at the bustling streets beyond the palace walls, saying nothing for a long ti.
Ancestor’s words still echoed in his ears.
“It seems William will have to bear this hardship.”
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