Chapter 267: Council of Kings (3)
Isaac and Aichel. There was no way to know when, how, or what kind of relationship they had.
However, one thought did come to mind. Isaac was the youngest Archwizard in history and the Elemental King of Ice. At the academy, he was known as the incarnation of lust, often called a playboy.
Even if rumors tend to be exaggerated, those rumors about Isaac didn’t come out of nowhere...!
If something needed to be done for Isaac at the family level, and Aichel, as the next head of the family, had to handle it?
Well, if that’s the case...?
It was a reasonable hypothesis. These days, many nobles were trying to impress the Ice Sovereign.
Is Sister Aichel sacrificing herself?
Aichel was already struggling to solidify the authority of the Whiteclark family in the aristocratic society full of schemes and trickery.
She’s like the tragic heroine in an erotic novel...!
The content of the erotic books she secretly read was reenacted in her imagination. The heroine, who had to be subjected to various acts by a handsome male character.
One after another, what might be happening in the office naturally came to mind. The fact that her face turned red like a ripe apple had nothing to do with Keridna’s will.
Keridna unknowingly fell into shame and ecstasy.
No, why am I enjoying this?
Regaining her rationality, Keridna shook her head vigorously.
Isaac was a strong and handsome man. Even though he was overwhelming and not someone she wanted to date, it was natural for Keridna, still in her youth, to feel sexual desire. However, Keridna did not want to acknowledge this fact.
- Ugh, Ice Sovereign…
“Ugh…”
It was getting harder to endure. Her heart was about to explode.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard from afar. From around the corner, someone was approaching where she was. It seemed to be a maid.
Keridna quickly stood up, bowed her head, and scurried away with quick steps, feeling a mix of pity and envy toward Aichel.
Noticing that Keridna had left, Aichel lowered her voice.
The misunderstanding Keridna had just created could be conveniently used later.
***The mark of the covenant was fully engraved on Aichel Whiteclark's shoulder. With this, the covenant was surely sealed.
“…”
“Why are you like this, Ice Sovereign?”
“Is it always this painful?”
Her face was still burning.
“Oh. Do you mean the moaning sound? If it bothered you, I apologize. It's a chronic issue.”
Aichel laughed nonchalantly as she buttoned up her shirt.
For someone who had made such a suggestive sound just moments ago, she looked remarkably innocent, making it difficult to reconcile the two images in my mind.
She makes people feel embarrassed...
It wasn’t even chronic in the first place; she did it on purpose.
Aichel adjusted her clothes and set up a soundproof barrier in the office once more, just in case.
Afterward, Aichel approached the Whiteclark family emblem on the wall.
She pressed the eyes, front paw, wings, and then the eyes of the white dragon in sequence, and suddenly, with a click, the family emblem opened like a door.
"Let's go. We can enter this way. By the way, there are other routes as well… What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing."
These days, it feels like I'm seeing secret passages more often.
We entered the passage. It led to the basement.
The walls were lined with lamps emitting a soft glow, so the interior wasn't dark.
"This is it."
The entrance to the secret cellar.
When Aichel opened the door, a luxurious round-table conference room came into view. The dim interior made the four figures sitting in each seat stand out even more clearly.
They were all elemental figures, fire, water, wind, and lightning. The four Elemental kings had sent their avatars. and the conference room provided the foundation for them to do so.
Each one of them had appeared as an elemental avatar, so no status window appeared.
...Huh?
For some reason, a status window appeared behind a pillar.
Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell.
Why is she hiding behind the pillar? And why does her level show as 1?
"I greet the most esteemed Kings."
Aichel didn't notice that the Wind Sovereign was hiding behind the pillar.
The flowing water formed the shape of a woman. It was the Water Sovereign, Siren Silivian. Her voice, tinged with laughter, was graceful and exuded confidence.
I tactfully took a seat in one of the empty chairs.
Across from me, I saw the figure of a little child formed by a light green wind. It belonged to Erin Campbell, the Wind Sovereign. Although her true form was behind the pillar, I didn't speak to her, knowing she had a reason to hide.
"I'm still not relaxed. Why did you call me?"
[Ice Sovereign, have you sealed the covenant?]
Blazing flames formed the shape of a bearded wizard. It was the elderly Fire Sovereign, Andersen Versando.
I nodded, and the Fire Sovereign exchanged glances with Aichel behind me. He must have received a confirmation signal from her that my words were true.
Fire Sovereign Andersen seemed to be organizing his thoughts as he stroked his long beard. Even his beard was made of flames, with sparks flickering and disappearing in the air.
[Thank you for coming. I called you because I want to discuss three matters.]
Fire Sovereign Andersen got straight to the point.
[First, let me tell you about this place. When this country, Zelver, conquered the continent and became known as an Empire, much blood was shed. One day, the Archwizards who had fought for the Empire began to feel disillusioned with the birth of a nation built on blood and corpses. War makes one think about many things.]
It was a history I was familiar with.
[In the end, they left the Empire, built their own forces, and founded their own nations. You probably know that they became the Primordial Elemental Kings.]
Zelver became the Empire first, and the founding of nations by the Primordial Elemental Kings happened afterward.
[The Empire was dissatisfied, and conflicts were frequent, but it was nearly impossible to control the Primordial Elemental Kings, who had their own independent will and paths. The previous Elemental Kings, who no longer wanted unnecessary bloodshed, decided to establish a friendly relationship with the Empire. The Empire also deemed the existence of the Elemental Kings dangerous and accepted the proposal. But… that wasn’t enough.]
After that, it was a story I didn't know.
[As the Elemental Kings scattered, problems threatening the world arose, and they needed a way to handle them. Eventually, the previous Elemental Kings decided to secretly meet and hold conferences. If it were revealed that we regularly gather in one place, it would cause a great upheaval in this world.]
"So that's why this place was created?"
Fire Sovereign Andersen nodded.
[We went through several trials and errors, but as you can see, it is now settled.]
Were the Elemental Kings conspiring together from the very beginning?
The trials and errors they experienced must have been fierce, considering that the pinnacle of each elemental attribute came together.
[We hold regular meetings every three years unless there are special circumstances. Occasionally, we prevent things that threaten the order of the world and maintain the status quo.]
It felt like they had introduced regulated capitalism to solve the problems of a laissez-faire economic system.
No matter how powerful, it was rational in the long run to let nature take its course. However, things that threaten the world by going against the order were exceptions. When such issues arose, the Elemental Kings decided it best to intervene.
The purpose of the Council of Elemental Kings seemed to be for them to gather, make rational decisions, and combine their powers.
[That's why we invited you, the next Ice Sovereign, to this meeting.]
It was semi-coercive.
By no stretch of the imagination could the Council of Kings be said to have purely good intentions. An Elemental King who didn't attend the meeting would have eventually become a target of the other Kings' vigilance.
As Andersen, the Fire Sovereign, mentioned, an Elemental King, the pinnacle of each element, was hard to control. The conference provided a good structure for keeping one another in check.
"So, you're asking me to become a member."
I shrugged my shoulders.
I couldn't trust them. But I needed to recruit the best forces possible to fight against the Evil God. If I could count the Elemental Kings as part of my forces, it would be ideal.
The Council of Elemental Kings had immense value ripe for utilization.
"...I agree with that intention too."
[Oh my, it's fortunate that you're a reasonable person!]
I heard Siren's laughter. For some reason, she covered her cheeks and stared intently at me. Her breathing was sticky.
[Ah, the more I see you, the more attractive you become…]
"...?"
[Does 'our' Ice Sovereign perhaps have an interest in older women?]
What is this random flirting?
[Refrain from useless chatter, Siren.]
Purple lightning magic crackled, forming the shape of an adult man. He reprimanded Siren as he leaned against the backrest with his arms crossed.
Without a doubt, the lightning figure was the avatar of Lightning Sovereign Jaul Dragonniac.
[Mr. Jaul, I'm still at an age where I crave pure love, you know? My heart would inevitably be drawn to someone as graceful and kind as the Ice Sovereign.]
[You don't even remember when you went through menopause. It's better to tone down your perverted lust.]
[Shut your mouth, Campbell.]
Siren's voice sharpened at the calm yet pointed remark from Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell.
Wind Sovereign's true form was behind the pillar, but the speaker was the light green wind avatar seated at the table.
[I wish you'd act your age, you pedophile.]
[Oh my, are you mocking me now?]
Siren glared at the Wind Sovereign's avatar with a smile. Despite her watery form, it felt like veins were popping on her forehead.
In contrast, the Wind Sovereign's avatar seemed uninterested.
These guys are surprisingly human-like.
It wasn't just solemnity. Thanks to Siren, I felt grateful that the tension was eased.
By the way, thanks to the Wind Sovereign, I was reminded anew that all the Elemental Kings present were incredibly old.
Interpreting the Wind Sovereign's words, Siren was essentially expressing her lust to someone with an age gap greater than that of a grandchild.
“…”
...What? Thinking about it that way, it feels quite unhealthy.