The unification had not yet been officially finalized. No seals had been pressed, no grand declaration announced to the world. And yet, despite all that, it was already in motion—slow, deliberate, and inevitable. Like a massive river gathering strength upstream, it was only a matter of ti before it surged forward. When it finally did, the result would be nothing short of historic: a nation so vast and influential that it would stand among the largest countries the world had ever known.
"Now then," Solaris began, her voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable weight, "I suppose this is the first ti in history—since the Great Forest rose to beco one of the world’s most important pillars—that we leaders have gathered like this."
She was seated at the long table, her posture composed and dignified. The chair beneath her was carved from ancient wood, polished but still bearing the marks of age, much like the land she represented. Around her sat the other leaders of the Great Forest, each occupying a seat that reflected their authority, their presence alone enough to warp the atmosphere of the room.
Agneis was there, arms folded, eyes sharp and unyielding. Lionel sat upright, his expression asured but guarded. Reilhahand leaned back slightly, appearing relaxed on the surface, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed his true state of mind. The only one missing from the table was Iska, the King of the Titans. Given his colossal size, it was impossible for him to enter the hall, let alone sit among us. His presence was instead felt through the ground itself, a looming pressure just beyond the walls.
I was already seated when the eting began. After all, I was the one who had called for this gathering, the one who had insisted that this conversation needed to happen sooner rather than later. Alongside us were many of the tribal leaders within the kingdom—figures who held power not through crowns, but through tradition, loyalty, and survival.
Not all tribes were represented. So had chosen not to attend, clinging to their independence and refusing to involve themselves in what they saw as unnecessary change. They preferred the status quo, a life apart from politics and alliances. While they would still technically exist within the borders of the new nation, they would remain autonomous, untouched by its governance. That condition had been discussed and accepted long before this eting ever took place.
This gathering was ant to mark the final step before everything beca official. The mont where scattered kingdoms and fractured tribes would finally beco one—a united republic under a single banner.
And yet, despite the significance of the occasion, the tension in the room was suffocating.
Agneis and Solaris were locked in a silent exchange, their gazes sharp enough to clash like blades. There was history there—deep, unresolved, and far from pleasant. Reilhahand and Lionel, though they had spoken several tis in the past, still carried the weight of old grudges. Their words might have been civil, but the air between them was heavy with mories neither had forgotten.
Honestly, it was no surprise. These people had spent years, even decades, viewing one another as enemies, rivals, or obstacles. This was likely the first ti all of them had been gathered in the sa space, stripped of battlefields and borders, forced to confront one another as equals. Even Iska, whose voice alone could shake mountains, seed uneasy, his massive presence radiating discomfort rather than authority.
"It’s honestly quite surprising, isn’t it?" Lionel finally said, breaking the silence. "After years upon years of refusing to acknowledge one another, we’ve reached a point where we’re sitting face to face like this. If you had told this would happen, I wouldn’t have believed you. Not in this lifeti."
"It’s certainly not sothing I ever expected either," Reilhahand replied. His tone was calm, almost reflective. "The fact that this is happening at all tells we’ve reached a mont where fate itself decided to step in. Like it or not, we were ant to et here."
"Fate has a nasty habit of ssing with people," Agneis muttered, his voice low and edged with bitterness.
"You’re not wrong," Solaris said, her lips curling into a faint, humorless smile.
Their exchange sounded casual, almost lighthearted, but it fooled no one. The tension never left. If anything, it coiled tighter with every word spoken. I couldn’t shake the feeling that if soone pushed too hard, if one wrong phrase slipped out, this entire eting could collapse into chaos.
"Now then," Solaris continued, her voice cutting through the unease, "I believe all of us have already been briefed on the purpose of this eting. We are here to formally establish a new republic, and to decide on the na this nation will carry."
She turned her gaze toward , and in that mont, every eye in the room followed. The weight of their attention pressed down on as I rose from my seat.
"That’s right," I said, steadying my voice. "But this eting isn’t just about paperwork or titles. It’s also about understanding. Like it or not, we’re about to beco neighbors. Our borders will touch, our people will mingle, and our decisions will affect one another. Because of that, I think it’s only right that we start by actually talking."
I let my gaze sweep across the room, eting each of their eyes in turn.
"More importantly," I continued, "this is our chance to settle what’s been left unresolved. Old grudges, past conflicts—if we let them fester, they’ll poison everything we’re trying to build. If we’re going to move forward, we need to do it without dragging the past behind us."
That, more than anything else, was the core of this eting. A union built on resentnt wouldn’t last. And everyone in that room knew it.
"This gathering is also where we decide the na of our united country," I added. "A na that represents all of us, not just one kingdom or one tribe."
"I see..." Agneis said after a mont of silence. "I understand what you’re trying to do here. And I think the rest of us do too. Like I’ve said before, I’m not opposed to unification."
"We are committed to this unification," Solaris said firmly. "With it, the Great Forest will beco a force strong enough that no kingdom—not even the empire—will dare to challenge us. We will protect the ecosystem of the forest and defend our interests against any foreign power that tries to interfere."
"The number of slaves will drastically decrease," Lionel added, his voice hardening. "Slavers will find it much harder to operate within our lands."
"And our manpower will increase significantly," Reilhahand said. "That alone changes everything."
"Which is why cooperation is essential," Iska’s deep voice rumbled from outside the hall, vibrating through the stone walls. "For sothing like this to succeed, unity isn’t optional. It’s necessary. This unification is needed."
One by one, they voiced their agreent. There was no hesitation, no open resistance. To my surprise, none of them pushed back.
I had expected argunts. I had expected refusal, maybe even outright hostility. Instead, what I saw was acceptance—reluctant in so cases, cautious in others, but acceptance all the sa.
For now, at least, the path forward was clear.
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