Chapter 77: Courtesy Before Combat, Humans Attack the City Again (Revised)

Chapter 77: Courtesy Before Combat, Humans Attack the City Again (Revised)

Hearing this, Airael’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Even someone as dense as her could sense the threatening undertone hidden in Suratu’s words.

However, she had no rebuttal, for the truth was undeniable.

Knowing one’s own family matters, this war didn’t need to drag on any longer; the Elven Race was already weakened.

The sight of the Elven Soldiers’ corpses she had seen last night haunted Airael’s mind.

The Humans were using their strength to pressure her!

Airael didn’t speak at that moment, and Hela interjected to Suratu, “Our Elven warriors fear not death; even if they perish, they will not bow to your Human race.”

Given Suratu’s initial poor impression, her tone was far from polite, even if he was a powerful Grand Mage.

“This beautiful Elven lady,” Suratu began with a smile, “I already mentioned that I’m here for the peace of our two races, not to force the Elven Race to submit to you Humans, and certainly not to exterminate such a lovely race.”

Hela was about to respond.

But Airael raised her hand to stop her and looked at Suratu, saying, “Lord Suratu, as expected of a Grand Mage—your magical prowess is extraordinary, and your silver tongue is equally remarkable.”

“Your Majesty overpraises me,” Suratu replied humbly with a grin.

“It’s true what you just said; if this war drags on, the Elven Race indeed cannot match the strength of the Humans. But war is unpredictable, isn’t it? Perhaps you Humans may seem strong now, but what about later? Just like our Elven Race once had its glorious days, we too have fallen to this state. Lord Suratu, do you understand the principle of change over time?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Simply put, it means that your Human race may not always be dominant, and our Elven Race may not always be weak!”

Suratu’s expression became slightly dazed.

He then looked at Airael, his face shifting into an unreadable mask.

He wasn’t sure if Airael had unknowingly revealed some information.

But quickly, Suratu steadied his thoughts and laughed, “Your Majesty’s words are indeed profound, but for a considerable time to come, I fear our Humans will still be stronger than your noble race.”

Airael’s expression immediately darkened.

That saying about weak nations having no diplomacy suddenly felt painfully true!

Even after winning a battle, the disparity in overall power left little room for negotiation.

When your enemy is strong and bullies you, your only option for survival is to endure.

Seeing Airael’s expression, Suratu felt a sigh of relief.

She didn’t seem to know some crucial information.

This meant discussions could proceed.

However, the naive Airael was blissfully unaware that she had just fallen for the old fox’s trick, letting him glean some of her secrets.

After a moment of silence in the hall,

Suddenly, an Elven Soldier rushed in, flustered, shouting, “Your Majesty! Bad news! The Human army is attacking the city! Along with them, there are also many Sea Tribe troops!”

Upon hearing this, Airael jumped up from her throne, leaning on the Staff of Eternity, and glared at Suratu, demanding, “Is this what you call peace?”

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.

All the Elves glared at Suratu in anger.

Suratu appeared unfazed, even grinning, “Your Majesty, as long as you agree to my terms, our two races will naturally have peace; if not, I must say, we will just have to continue battling.”

“In this conflict, we Humans not only have the Sea Tribe as allies but also the Dwarves’ assistance. It won’t be long before my disciple, who is also our Emperor, Alexander, summons the Dwarven army by ship to support us.

Additionally, we Humans have a million strong troops ready to mobilize on the continent. If push comes to shove, we can easily field an army of millions!”

Listening to Suratu reveal the Humans’ cards, Airael felt utterly disheartened.

How could they fight?

The total population of the Elven Race was only about fifty thousand, far from a million, not to mention they had already lost many soldiers previously, further diminishing their numbers.

The number of Human troops outweighed their total population by several times over.

Continuing this war would certainly exhaust the Elven Race.

Even with Treeman allies, the Humans also had reinforcements.

However, she still managed to muster strength and said, “Since your Human race holds such an advantage, then why come here to negotiate with us Elves?”

“Your Majesty, I’ve stated the reason from the beginning. I come for the peace of our two races, to prevent this war from escalating further. Because if we let things progress as I’ve just described, it wouldn’t be good for us Humans either.”

As he spoke, Suratu displayed an expression of helplessness and continued, “I’ve actually opposed this war from the start. But Alexander is quite fond of war; he enjoys conquering and trampling his foes in battle, forcing them to submit completely at his feet!”

These words sent shivers down Airael’s spine.

In recent days, she had made a detailed study of Alexander, this formidable enemy.

She knew he was indeed an incredibly powerful individual!

And as Suratu had just said, he truly relished war.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to conquer such vast territories.

That guy was a complete war fanatic!

If he went mad, she feared he might launch a massive expedition with a million troops.

Such a scenario was something Airael couldn’t even dare to envision.

For if it happened, the land would be laid waste.

A million troops would mean a severe challenge for logistics.

In such a case, they could only forage for supplies, eating whatever they found.

Although Airael was stunned by Suratu’s words for a moment, she quickly grasped the underlying issue.

She looked at Suratu, wearing an expression of “You’re totally trying to deceive me,” and said, “If that’s the case, then why would he agree to have you negotiate?”

“Though Alexander is a war maniac, he is not one to lose his mind entirely in battle. This war no longer needs to continue, but any war must yield some gain. Currently, it seems the only thing he desires is to gain you, Your Majesty.”