Rudega Farvulia's heart trembled as he stared at King Chu in shock. Just like that, they were willing to listen to his tale? Only now did he understand just how valuable his information must have been. The dwarf took a moment to collect himself and then said, "Your Majesty, I will forever be grateful for this mercy."

King Chu smiled and waved his hand. "Please. You earned this yourself. Come, tell us what troubles you, and we will see if we cannot be of help."

"As it pleases Your Majesty," Rudega acknowledged, but then asked, "If it pleases you, may I call upon the brave orcs who saved my life. Their input is just as valuable as mine."

King Chu glanced at the other kings, and then said, "As you wish."

"Thank you, Your Majesties," Rudega said, and then beckoned Durst and Ragnaf forward. Durst and Ragnaf stepped out from the shadows, their massive frames drawing loud cries and shocked gasps from the crowd. Orcs were massive creatures, easily growing beyond 7 ft. (2.1 m) tall. Furthermore, Durst was considered big, even amongst the orcs. So, one could imagine how he absolutely towered over everyone in the room.

Shockingly, though, despite their intimidating visages, neither Durst nor Ragnaf said a word upon reaching Rudega's side, choosing instead to keep their mouths shut and observe.

Rudega let out a rueful smile at the orcs' attitudes. Orcs were immensely proud. They would never bow their heads, nor offer platitudes to anyone other than the recognized War Chief. Well, them not talking was better than saying something absolutely rude.

Some ministers wanted to raise the issue, but luckily, their kings were knowledgeable about the orcs' cultures and thus urged the ministers silent. Rudega, realizing any further delay could lead to an unforeseen outcome, immediately said, "This is our story..."

Rudega proceeded to narrate the complete tale of how Silver Spear ran them out of Daggerfall. He explained that the dwarfs, himself included had joined hands with Silver Spear in order to deal with the orc threat. Unfortunately, Silver Spear colluded with a few traitor dwarfs to eradicate a couple of orcish villages unprovoked, the purpose of which was to incite a war.

Rudega, realizing what had occurred, and the most likely culprits, rushed to hold a meeting with the orcs. This meeting was supposed to prevent a war, but Silver Spear had unknowingly hired people on both sides to sabotage the meeting. As a result, a war would most likely erupt soon, heavily damaging both sides, which would then allow Silver Spear to swoop in and claim both sides.

"That is not all," Durst said, and then added with a grave expression. "Our War-Chief died this morning. A new one must have taken his place—most likely Ragelock."

King Parissius' eyes widened in surprise. "I'd read that orcs were psychically linked to their war-chief. It would appear that is true. Is this how you knew your war-chief has passed away?"

"Yes," Durst confirmed with a stiff nod. "With most war-chiefs, it is but a simple feeling that lets us know their will. But in some extremely rare cases, some war-chiefs can manipulate the wills the orcs around them to carry out their cause. These kind of war-chiefs are what you all know as Orc Kings."

The word Orc King sent a shiver down the spine of everyone in the room. The birth of an Orc King often signified a period of chaos and death across the continent. An Orc King's ability to unify the warring orc tribes under one banner and to make them fight until they were beyond dead was far too terrifying.

Unlike the others, Kashi was not fazed. Instead, he looked at Rudega and the orcs with a deep, curious gaze. There seemed to be a myriad of thoughts and calculations going on in the pools of those eyes, but no one aside from the man himself knew what he was thinking.

"So," Kashi said, prompting eyes to turn towards him. "What would you like from us? Do you want us to attack? If this Ragelock is the new War-Chief, then he automatically has the orcs on his side. We won't be able to stop this war without killing, or deposing him. But in order to get to him, we will have to get through an army of orcs. In the end, it will come down to either getting killed in a war against the dwarfs, or getting killed in a war against us." His eyes narrowed, as he pressed Rudega. "Is this what you want?"

Rudega hesitated, but then shook his head. "No, we do not want you to go to war. We would never ask that of you." The dwarf took a breath, and then said, "I only wish to ask that you give those seeking to escape the war asylum, like you have granted us." The dwarf released a defeated sigh as he regretfully admitted, "Going to war now will only add fuel to an already out of control fire. Instead, I wish to convince as many people on both sides to escape before the war begins. Hopefully, that will bring down the overall casualties."

Kashi revealed a sarcastic smile as he prodded, "You do realize doing so will allow Silver Spear to take over Daggerfall even easier."

"Land is but land," Rudega replied with a shake of his hand. "The true inheritance of a nation are its people. As long as they survive, the nation lives on regardless of where they set up posts."

"Hmm..." Kashi murmured and then turned to Durst and Ragnaf. "What about you two? I don't suppose orcs also choose to run away in the face of adversity?"

"Run, huh?" Durst repeated with a snort. "Yes, I suppose I am running. If orcs knew how to retreat, we would not be in the state we are in right now, locked into a corner of the world, unable to travel freely as our ancestors did."

"Locked, is it?" Kashi questioned, as a ghost of a smile played across his lips. "So, to the orcs, which do you think is more important, sovereignty or freedom?"

"What!?"

Durst was not the only one who reacted this time. Nearly everyone in the room stared at the daeben like he was a madman. By now, they knew what exactly this mad man was planning.

"I said..." Kashi, ignoring the loud gasps, rose to his feet and approached Durst. "What is more important to the orcs: Sovereignty or Freedom?" Kashi stopped in front of Durst, eyes boring into the orc's. Despite looking down on the daeben, Durst couldnot help but feel overwhelmed Kashi's commanding presence. "Will they be satisfied with Daggerfall when I can offer them the world?"

Collective gasps rang out across the room. Free the orcs from Daggerfall? That was madness! Orcs were a crazy race. Who knew what chaos they would cause upon being released into civilization!?

Kashi continued to ignore the commotion. "Your Majesty, King Parrisius," he called out while keeping his gaze fixed on Durst. "What is Rosendun's policy towards intelligent races?"

King Parissius issued a brilliant grin as he waved his hands and said, "All intelligent races shall receive equal treatment under the country's roses. They shall partake of her sweet nectar as long as they abide by the rules, or get pricked by her thorns." The King's eyes sparkled as he looked at Durst and Ragnaf. "All races are welcome in Rosendun. Here, we judge by the individual, not the race."

Ragnaf, who had kept quiet, trembled when he heard the last phrase: 'judge by the individual.' The individual. So, he would not have to be treated as an outcast because of his mixed race? Could such a place truly exist? Looking at King Parissius, he questioned, "You're really gonna let us roam free?"

"I don't see why not," replied King Parissius with a shrug.

"Even if we never bow to you?" Ragnaf questioned with disbelief.

King Parissius laughed, and then said, "Listen. I do not need your respect. I am but a man: fallible and weak. It's the country's laws you must respect and adhere to. The law judges not by race, religion, or creed, but by the guidelines written and passed countless generations. If you obey them, you will have nothing to fear from the world." Suddenly, the King's smile turned incredibly sinister. "If you flaunt the laws however, you must suffer the full brunt of the law like everyone else. Do you have the courage to prove yourself to be more than the world labels you?"

Ragnaf's heart trembled as he stared into the King's eyes. He could not understand it. How was it that this man, whom he could beat within an inch of his life, was able to intimidate him? What gave King Parissius the courage and valor present in his gaze. It was something beyond his own personal strength. Something, the King believed would never break no matter what happened to him.

'Ah...' Ragnaf let out a sigh of realization. When King Parissius spoke, it wasn't just him speaking; it was the weight of an entire nation, powerful beyond compare. That weight could crush Ragnaf like a bug with so much ease. Orcs never had that type of backing. Usually, when orcs spoke, they spoke only for themselves. If an orc got in trouble, they could only rely on themselves to resolve the problem.

But that was not the way of the outside world, was it?

"I understand what you are trying to say," Durst said to King Parissius, breaking Ragnaf out of his thoughts. "If we had the choice, I do believe many would choose freedom over sovereignty. However, if Ragelock is indeed War-Chief, I doubt he would allow it. And orcs, if nothing else, are loyal to their War-Chief... for the most part."

"For the most part is enough," Leila interjected, drawing the room's attention. "You do not need to defeat Ragelock directly, just convince as many orcs as possible to seek asylum in Rosendun, Merriheim or Serisis." She then glanced at Rudega and said, "The same goes for you too. All you need to do is convince as many dwarfs as possible to relocate to these lands. The world is entering a new age. But for that new age to arrive, thousands of strong, skillful workers are required. Your people will find work, shelter and peace should they seek it."

Leila paused for a moment, then added, "This will, in turn, destabilize both camps, as they see their war numbers drastically reduced. Gods-willing, the war might be delayed as both parties decide how to fight with reduced numbers." The wisben tapped her forearm in thought, a deadly glint in her eyes. "Naturally, we cannot rule out the chance Silver Spear will try to influence the situation somehow. However, a move planned and a move made in haste in response to an unforeseen event are of two completely different levels. The latter presents more risks, and increased chances of mistakes. Those mistakes will be our opportunity."

Leila stopped upon realizing the room had gone deadly silent. She looked around, and was surprised to find the crowd giving her strange looks—many of which were filled with mixtures of fear and amazement.

King Parissius whistled under his breath as he admired Leila and then whispered to Kashi, "What deity did you save in your past life to have her working for you?"

"She doesn't work for me," Kashi retorted, but then added with a nervous laugh, "But I do wonder about that all the time."

Leila, meanwhile, after a brief moment, chose not to acknowledge the weird looks as she turned her attention back to Rudega, Durst and Ragnaf. "So, do we have an understanding? We will grant asylum to as many of you that seek it. Now, it falls onto you to convince your people."

"It will no doubt be a dangerous endeavor," Kashi interjected. "We have a pressing occasion coming up which requires the presence of every Maggot we can muster. But afterwards, I promise I will find any willing Maggots to accompany you on this dangerous quest."

Rudega looked at Kashi with massive gratitude in his gaze. "Thank you," he said, tears brimming down his eyes. "I promise I will never forget this favor."

"Do not worry about it," Kashi replied with a smile. "It's not like I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart. Both dwarfs and orcs are indispensable races in helping to build this Empire."

Strangely, the daeben's words, rather than irk Rudega, filled him with warmth. Indeed, warriors were different from politicians. Warriors could bare their hearts freely before each other, whereas politicians kept theirs hidden within chambers of secrets. It was much easier to trust someone who revealed what they wanted from you, than another who claimed they were only 'looking out for you.'

Kashi, seeing Rudega's reaction, nodded and then turned to Leila. "We've only got one more item on the list, right? Let's finish this."

"I agree," Leila said and then said, "The last item is a short one. The concept of Food & Agriculture. Of the three nations, only Rosendun is blessed with an abundance of green and farmland. As such, we the Hopeful Maggots partnered with the Empire to promote the growth of commercial farming in Rosendun. We've also cleared out some islands on the Forever Sea, and converted them into massive farms. The aim is to grow enough produce to feed all three nations and then some."

"Rayatha," called Kashi, and the forever disgruntled druid stepped out from the crowd. Kashi ignored the old man's irritated look as he said, "This is the man who will be researching our agricultural products, to produce even better grains and meat each year." He looked at Rayatha and announced, "I have tasked him with finding possible solutions to farming in both Merriheim and Serisis." Kashi paused, and then looked at Rayatha. "Have you got anything to say to them?"

Rayatha frowned as he stepped forward, visibly unwilling to participate in any human interaction. He was more than fine in the thick of a forest with the trees and animals around him for company. Fortunately, his respect for Kashi outweighed his disgust of humans, and so he opened his mouth, "I have never been to Merriheim, but from what I have heard, the land is indeed fertile. The temperature, however, is too hot for ordinary plants to survive. But, there are certain seeds, which, while difficult to find, can indeed thrive in a place like Merriheim. If I cannot find them, I will find a way to reproduce them in time."

Rayatha paused and then said, "Serisis is a bit trickier, but at the same time so much easier to solve." That bombshell sent the room reeling, but the druid continued, unfazed, "Serisis' problem is that the mana in the soil and air is too thick for the plants. They thus perish from mana poisoning." The druid paused and then pulled out a red rose from his sleeves. "This is an ordinary rose, but I am sure all of you can feel the vast amount of mana oozing off it."

As the room nodded, he explained, "This is a rose from Orez, Kashi's world. There is nothing special about it. It is but an ordinary rose. However, this rose has been bathed in the thickest concentration of mana I have ever seen. But, while it should have died, it instead thrived. This is because it was simultaneously soaked in the most potent healing aura in all of Destia. This aura healed the poisoning quicker than it could spread, until eventually, the rose grew immune to the poison."

Rayatha stopped and then looked at Kashi. "It will take some time, but I believe I can produce enough seeds immune to mana poisoning to kickstart Serisis' vegetation."

*CRASH*

Everyone turned to King Chu who had shot to his feet, tears pouring freely down his eyes. Before anyone could stop him, the old king dropped to a knee and bowed to King Parissius. "I swear now, before Gods and Man; Serisis will forever be in service to the Empire. She will shield Rosendun from all arrows and cut down whomever dares raise a sword to you. Serisis, from this day onwards is yours to command as you wish!" King Chu Tianjo raised his head, hot tears burning in his eyes as he shouted, "Long Live the Emperor!"

To Kashi's shock, the Serians did not bother raising their King from his knees, but instead, with tears in their eyes joined their King on their knees and shouted, "Long Live the Emperor!"

Rayatha, meanwhile stared at the shouting Serians with a questioning gaze as he muttered under his breath, "Technically, he's not Emperor yet..."

Luckily no one heard him...

A/N:  Hey Guys! Today's video of the day is something special. It's basically an hour-long recap of every chapter released the past week. I responded to all comments and shared my thoughts on some common questions that came up. If you've got the time, give it a watch, and let me know what you think. I plan to make it a weekly thing, so comment on each chapter, and I will be sure to address it at the end of the week... Cheerio

VIDEO OF THE DAY

https://youtu.be/Nm2_ure9yTI

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PATREON STARS:

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Adventurers: Hyproxy, Michael Barton, Matt Pieper, Mental_Napalm, Jamie Ibarra, Sven Buchheit, Oziel

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