Queen Helene remained silent for a long moment, her gaze fixed on the general.
Finally, she spoke, her voice regal and commanding, "This issue of potential famine... General, what measures do you propose we take to mitigate its impact on our people?"
"My Queen," General Gaxion replied, his posture straightening, "As a Commander, my expertise in matters of resource management is limited. However, I would strongly advise that we immediately commence the stockpiling of all available food supplies for the benefit of our citizens."
Queen Helene nodded slowly, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. She then turned to her husband. "The second piece of bad news you mentioned? I believe its significance has been somewhat overshadowed." She rose from her throne, a palpable aura of power, the unmistakable presence of a Rank 60 Hunter, radiating from her.
"That fool, Emperor Monroe..." She began, her voice laced with barely suppressed fury. "Does he truly believe I am a weakling to be trifled with?! Attacking my soldiers on the isles and then attempting to shift the blame onto the demons! This is precisely why alliances with such base creatures are ultimately futile—"
"—Yet you readily collaborated with him to bring down Kyle," Kel interjected smoothly, a knowing, almost teasing smile returning to his face. In all of Skyborne, only he dared to address the Queen in such a familiar manner – a privilege afforded by their marital bond and his own formidable power as the second strongest in the kingdom.
"Kyle's rate of growth in strength is alarming," Queen Helene countered, her blue eyes flashing. "If he continues to develop unchecked, he will inevitably become a significant threat to our kingdom. That old fool Monroe may be the only Rank 60 Hunter in his pathetic empire currently, but if others under his command were to reach such a rank... do you honestly believe we would remain secure?!"
"An astute observation," Kel conceded, leaning back in his chair, crossing one elegantly clad leg over the other. "And I confess, a small part of me had hoped for the opportunity to test my mettle against Kyle. Alas..." He sighed dramatically.
"How do you propose we address this escalating situation?" He then asked, his gaze shifting back to the practicalities of the unfolding crisis.
Queen Helene turned back to General Gaxion. "I had hoped to avoid resorting to such measures, but they leave me with no other viable options... General Gaxion, you are aware of what must be done."
"Yes, My Queen," the General affirmed with a crisp nod.
Kel suddenly rose to his feet. "I shall accompany you."
"Uh?"
A murmur of surprise rippled through the assembled elves.
"Sitting here idly is becoming rather tedious, and a young man such as myself cannot abide such inactivity," Kel declared with a playful grin.
"Young man? Kel, you are a century old. Hardly what one would consider 'young'," Helene muttered under her breath, though a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes.
"But I have no intention of going to those dreary isles," Kel continued, his tone shifting to one of firm resolve.
"...."
His words only served to deepen the confusion of the group.
"Then where do you intend to go?" Queen Helene inquired, her eyebrow arched in question.
"Well."
Kel began, strolling down the steps leading from the dais, "The humans seem intent on provoking a conflict, and this is hardly an opportune moment for a full-scale war. Therefore, I shall endeavor to resolve this matter."
The five soldiers instinctively parted to allow him passage, but Kel paused, glancing back at his wife over his shoulder, his long blonde hair partially obscuring one eye.
"Hehehehe... Where else would I go? To conquer Oakhavan, single-handedly."
With that pronouncement, he turned and continued his departure, his figure disappearing through the massive doors of the Throne Hall. The remaining elves stared after him in stunned silence.
"What a perpetual source of trouble that man is," Queen Helene sighed, a mixture of exasperation and affection in her voice. She then gestured for the general and the remaining soldiers to depart. They bowed respectfully and retreated from the hall.
_____
[Gavania.]
Gavania presented a stark and brutal contrast to the verdant prosperity of Neville and the ethereal beauty of Skyborne. Here, the land was parched and cracked, devoid of greenery, joy, and even potable water. The scarcity of resources had driven its inhabitants to desperate measures, their survival hinging on the consumption of flesh. Initially, they preyed upon the sparse wildlife, but as their numbers grew and resources dwindled further, they turned to hunting other races, their carnivorous nature becoming a defining characteristic.
Upon a towering black castle, its spires piercing the desolate sky, two figures stood on one of the highest towers, their gazes fixed on the bleak horizon and the grim city sprawling below.
"Demon King."
The figure to the left began, his voice low and gravelly, "What is your strategy in light of this... unprecedented event?"
The Demon King, a man of imposing stature with shoulder-length black hair and red eyes that burned with an infernal light, shifted his gaze from the distant horizon where a vast forest had once stood.
"Whoever is responsible for this atrocity has severed our primary source of sustenance," he stated, his voice a low growl.
"We will be forced to hunt."
The man beside him, clad in a simple black shirt and trousers, voiced his concern, "But Demon King, not all within our kingdom support the consumption of humans and elves."
"Then they shall starve," The Demon King retorted, his crimson eyes flashing with cold fury.
"Do you believe a forest of such magnitude can simply vanish without deliberate intervention? Those soft-bellied fools in the other kingdoms likely orchestrated this, hoping to eradicate us through starvation!"
"I had hoped the newfound peace would endure, Demon King. It has barely lasted a week." The man sighed.
"Four days peace?" the Demon King scoffed. "We have lost all communication with our contacts in the outlying village..." He lifted his gaze to the clear, unforgiving sky and let out a harsh, humorless chuckle.
"Send word throughout the kingdom," he commanded, his voice resonating with dark authority. "All slaves currently held captive are to be immediately teleported to the capital. They will serve as our primary food source for the foreseeable future. Instruct our cooks to prepare them and distribute the sustenance to the children first."
The man beside the Demon King bowed his head in grim acceptance.
The Demon King was a Rank 59 Hunter, the most powerful demon in existence. To defy his decree was unthinkable.
"As you command, My King."
A swirling vortex of black smoke enveloped the man, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a colossal black eagle, its wings spanning several meters. With a powerful beat of its massive wings, it launched itself into the sky and soared away.
The Demon King turned his gaze back to the desolate city below, a sneer twisting his lips.
"Monroe, Helene."
He muttered, his crimson eyes glowing with an ominous intensity.
"If it is war you two seek, then war you shall most certainly have."