Free Web NovelChapter 590: 590:The Key To End War
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the vial while falling into deep thought, and the faint glow coming from the liquid reflected within his cold eyes.
For a few moments, the entire throne room remained silent while everyone waited for him to speak.
"So you are telling me that this thing is capable of curing the disease of the Demons?" Alaster asked slowly while lightly rotating the vial between his fingers.
"And that we can exchange it for stopping the war?"
His expression changed slightly, and a deep frown appeared on his face while he looked first at the vial and then directly at Ethan.
"You are not joking with me, right?" he asked in a heavier tone.
Ethan immediately lowered his head slightly.
"How can I joke about such a grave matter, Your Majesty?" he replied calmly.
"You can ask some people to test it."
The Emperor continued staring at Ethan for a few moments while lightly tapping the armrest of his throne with his fingers.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
The sound echoed faintly through the silent hall.
Then he suddenly asked,
"Where did you get it?"
Ethan had already prepared his answer beforehand.
"When I was travelling, I found a certain dew near the Elven forests," he replied steadily.
"I preserved it and later used it for several experiments and checks."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"It works, but it can only be consumed by infected children. If healthy adults consume it without being infected, they might suffer side effects."
The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing that.
"If your words are true..." he muttered slowly.
"Then this thing might truly change the current situation."
His gaze toward Ethan gradually became more curious.
Then he suddenly asked,
"For such a contribution, what do you want?"
The Emperor leaned slightly against the throne while continuing calmly.
"I know how to differentiate between punishment and rewards, so speak your mind."
Every official in the hall silently looked toward Ethan again.
Many of them thought Ethan would ask for wealth.
Territory.
Authority.
Or perhaps removal of the previous punishments placed upon him.
But Ethan remained silent for a brief moment before speaking calmly.
"I implore Your Majesty to take steps to finish this war," he said. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Many people have suffered, and if this continues, then even the commoners will eventually be dragged into complete ruin, so I ask you to please take steps to stop this war."
The throne room became slightly quieter after those words.Alaster frowned slightly while carefully observing Ethan.
That answer was not what he expected.He had expected Ethan to ask for benefits.
Power.
Resources.
Or some grand reward.
But instead the man only requested for the war to end.
How strange and weird?
He looked at him briefly.
’Is it a sincere request or a pretense?’
And strangely...
That answer gave the Emperor an eerie feeling.
’So what exactly are you planning?’ Alaster thought quietly while narrowing his eyes slightly.
For the first time, the Emperor felt unable to properly see through Ethan.In his eyes, Ethan had always been a talented young man who recently learned how to crawl within the world of true experts.
But now...
That same young man was beginning to give him dangerous feelings.When Ruthiana joined Arcadia, Ethan had merely been a Legendary Knight.
But now he had already stepped into the Divine Knight realm.
The speed was fast.
Very fast.
Although not completely unheard of.
After all, many geniuses occasionally appeared in history, and some people remained stuck at certain realms forever while others advanced rapidly.
Still something about Ethan continued bothering him.The Emperor remained silent for several moments before asking again,
"Anything more you want to say?"
Ethan shook his head calmly.
"Nothing."
Alaster quietly stared at him before finally nodding.
"Very well," he replied.
"I will discuss this matter with my ministers before making a final decision."
He paused briefly before continuing in a calmer tone.
"You can rest assure...I will make your wish come true."
His gaze slowly shifted toward the vial again.
"This war, no matter what, has to end."
Ethan nodded respectfully before bowing once more.
"Then this subject shall take his leave."
Without lingering further, Ethan slowly turned around and walked out of the throne room while countless eyes silently followed his departing figure.
The massive doors gradually closed behind him.
RUMBLE!
The moment Ethan disappeared completely, the atmosphere inside the throne room subtly changed.
Then a shadow behind the throne slowly elongated before a figure quietly stepped out from the darkness.
It was Prime Minister Deus.
He calmly adjusted his sleeves before looking toward the Emperor.
"What do you think, my dear Prime Minister?" Alaster asked while lightly resting his chin against one hand.
Deus remained silent briefly before replying.
"Hard to say much."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Either that fellow is quite crafty..."
"Or he is far too pretentious."
"Only time will tell."
He then looked toward the vial again.
"But for now, we need to seriously think about this matter."
Alaster also fell into deep thought.
This war...
Even if he hated admitting it—It had become a complete failure.And perhaps the greatest setback of his reign.Everything he once aimed for had nearly succeeded.
Arcadia had originally been the smallest and weakest Empire among the human nations, and he had spent centuries trying to change that.
And it had almost worked.
Almost.
Arcadia’s armies had repeatedly defeated the Demons and gained victory after victory.
Although there were losses, they still managed to push forward most of the time.
But then everything changed.
The Emperor’s expression darkened slightly.
"Those damned Demons..." he muttered quietly.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"No..."
"It is not just the Demons."
His eyes gradually turned colder.
"It is those Orcs and Beastmen who forgot their place."
"Those stupid mongrels dared to interfere."
A dangerous pressure faintly spread through the hall while several nearby officials instinctively lowered their heads further.
Then Alaster looked toward Deus again before speaking calmly.
"But you already know this."
"We are merely commanders standing on the surface."
His voice became heavier.
"The real people overseeing everything are the ones above."
"As long as they desire it..."
"Even if the entire human world descends into chaos, they will not flinch if it helps them achieve their goals."
The moment those words echoed through the throne room, even the atmosphere itself seemed to grow colder.
