Chapter 75: The Proposal of Alliance (Revised)

Chapter 75: The Proposal of Alliance (Revised)

Upon hearing this, Airael looked up at the night sky and sighed.

She knew well what Hela had mentioned.

But the crux of the matter was that knowing something was one thing; facing it was another.

At that moment, Airael struggled to accept the current scene.

War and slaughter—though not entirely unfamiliar to her, they certainly weren’t something she was comfortable with.

In her previous life, she had been an ordinary person living in a peaceful nation.

Even after becoming the Elven Queen, not much had changed for her.

“Hela, I’m a bit tired. Let’s head back! After the soldiers are done cleaning up the battlefield, we should let them rest too. Although this battle has ended, the war is far from over; we’ve merely scored a small victory.”

With that, Airael stepped down from the stone platform and headed towards the Inner Fortress.

She truly didn’t want to look at this scene any longer.

Hela watched Airael’s retreating figure, shaking her head gently.

Though Airael had grown significantly in a short time, it was still far from enough.

Meanwhile, in the temporary camp of the Human Race, Victor, now settled, was discussing the next strategy with Suratu in the main tent.

Today’s defeat, though not utterly devastating for the Humans, had certainly left them feeling downcast.

The losses in the army were severe, and morale had once again plummeted.

“Grandpa Suratu, what should we do next?”

In his perplexity, Victor turned to Suratu with a pleading gaze.

Suratu, struggling to maintain his composure, sighed and replied, “Your Highness, I’m currently thinking of solutions; please give me some time.”

They were facing the most critical situation.

“Alright, but I hope you can come up with a plan quickly; we don’t have much time left.”

“I will think of something as soon as possible.”

Suratu nodded lightly.

His steady demeanor lifted Victor’s spirits considerably.

After their brief discussion, Suratu returned to his own tent.

However, soon after he sat down, a servant from Alexander’s side sought him out.

“Grand Mage, His Majesty wishes to see you.”

“His Majesty wants to see me? What do you mean? He’s awake?”

Suratu asked in surprise, mixed with joy.

“His Majesty has indeed awakened, but he is still not well.”

The servant responded honestly.

The joy on Suratu’s face faded as he said, “Please lead the way; I will meet His Majesty right away!”

“Please follow me.”

Under the guidance of the servant, Suratu boarded a small boat and made his way to Alexander’s flagship.

Due to health reasons, the Humans hadn’t moved Alexander ashore.

Fortunately, the conditions on Alexander’s flagship weren’t bad; staying on the ship was far more comfortable than being on land, making it suitable for his recovery.

When Suratu entered Alexander’s room, he found him lying weakly on the bed.

Just as the servant had said.

Though he was awake, his frail appearance gave the impression that he was on the verge of death.

“Your Majesty!”

Seeing Alexander awake, Suratu rushed to his side, concern filling his expression as he asked, “How are you feeling now?”

Alexander slightly turned his head to look at Suratu and weakly replied, “Master, I’m afraid I won’t make it.”

“Your Majesty, why do you say that? We will surely be able to heal you.”

“Heal me?”

Alexander scoffed.

“Master, don’t try to deceive me. I know very well the injuries I’ve sustained. That guy fought me with the intent of taking us both down!”

As he spoke, Alexander’s face filled with memories of his battle with Krul.

Though he resorted to some underhanded tactics by gathering many to surround Krul, his power truly inspired respect.

With so many attacking him, he had nonetheless managed to drag him down into the water.

Lost in thought, Alexander continued, “Going down together with such a powerful Elf isn’t a loss for me. It’s just a shame that my dream of leading a great human empire cannot be realized now.”

As he spoke, disappointment clouded his features.

Throughout his life, he had achieved many of his inner desires.

Yet this one, which he deemed exceptionally important, remained unfulfilled.

Because he was about to die!

“Your Majesty!”

Suratu felt a wave of sorrow looking at Alexander.

“Master, what’s the current situation in the army?”

In contrast, Alexander showed no signs of sadness, instead growing concerned about military affairs.

Speaking about military matters invigorated him, and his complexion seemed to improve.

Suratu hesitated briefly, choosing to withhold part of the information: “Currently, the army matters are being handled by His Highness Victor, and we are fully engaged in attacking Silnas Island.”

Alexander continued to question Suratu, “How is the battle progressing?”

“Not promising!”

Suratu provided a vague answer.

“It seems our Humans truly find it difficult to conquer the Elven Race.”

Alexander sighed immediately.

He was quite aware of his son’s abilities.

While there was some capability, it was limited, and many matters were beyond his handling.

Observing Alexander, Suratu’s eyes flickered as he said, “Your Majesty, while it’s difficult, there are still opportunities.”

“Oh! Master, do you have a plan?”

Hearing there was still hope, Alexander’s spirits lifted, and his complexion improved markedly.

“Your Majesty, you should be aware of marital alliances or perhaps what we call ‘unification’!”

“Marital alliances? Unification?”

Alexander furrowed his brow, dubious about what Suratu was suggesting.

“Now that our Human Race is significant, even though we are facing minor setbacks, our foundation remains strong, and we can propose ‘peace’ as an offering to marry the Elven Queen. If we can marry the Elven Queen, even if the Elven Race maintains complete independence, from appearances, it will seem as if they are merely our vassals.”

Hearing this, Alexander’s frown deepened yet further.

Suratu’s proposed strategy was far too inconsistent with his usual ways of acting.

He was more accustomed to forceful conquest rather than this alternative approach.

Moreover, the outcome of this method was far from what he envisioned.

He genuinely sought to conquer the Elven Race, not merely “appear” to do so, without even a nominal claim.

Suratu noted Alexander’s reaction and sighed deeply to himself.

He had anticipated this.

In fact, when the Humans expressed their desire to conquer the entire world, he had begun plotting this peaceful approach to conquer the Elven Race.

He understood that even while the Elves had lost much of their former glory, their strength was not to be underestimated.

If the Humans wished to conquer this powerful race, war would undoubtedly come at a substantial cost.

Current events had already proven this point.

Employing martial force against the Elven Race was genuinely not a wise choice.

Before they even officially set foot on Elven territory, they had already suffered great losses.

However, he also realized Alexander’s habits.

Thus, even though he privately began considering a “peaceful” strategy for Alexander, he had not informed him.

Yet at this moment, he felt he had no choice but to speak up.

Continuing the conflict through military means, even if victorious, would be largely meaningless.

Winning would essentially equate to losing.

Further engagement would only exacerbate the losses on the Human side, potentially leading to their hard-won victory being snatched away by other races.

When the clam and the snipe quarrel, it’s the fisherman who benefits!

Both Orcs and Sea Tribe could very well become that “fisherman.”

At this moment, Suratu’s internal thoughts began to evolve.

He sought not only for Alexander and his empire’s sake but for the entire Human Race.

“Master, is this the only method we have?”

“Your Majesty, it appears we have no alternative!”

Suratu replied naturally, completely concealing the fact that he had deliberately withheld information.

Alexander found himself in a dilemma.

One could die with a great sense of regret, or achieve his desires through a means he could not endorse.

After much contemplation, Alexander still found himself unable to make a choice.

Suratu then prompted him gently: “Your Majesty! Considering the current situation of our Human Race, even if we choose not to marry the Elven Queen, we must engage in peace talks with the Elven Race. Given the grim prospects for victory, the sooner we conclude this war, the more advantageous it will be for us. We still have other foes waiting in the seas; those merfolk are not easy to deal with!”

“Moreover, I have a strong confidence that this peace negotiation can be successful. Not only do we humans desire to negotiate, but the Elven Race should be even more inclined to do so. Their losses, comparatively, are not less than ours, and they do not possess our great restorative capacity.”

Hearing Suratu’s words, Alexander closed his eyes, gazing at the ceiling as he sighed, “Master, let’s proceed as you suggested.”

“Of course!”

Suratu’s face shone with joy at once.

After discussing some specific matters with Alexander, Suratu hurriedly took his leave.

Next, he needed to prepare thoroughly.

In the room, Alexander lay with vacant eyes staring at the ceiling.

He wasn’t sure whether his recent choice was right or wrong.

Nonetheless, having made his choice, he could not turn back.

The Elven Queen!

Recalling the intelligence about the nearly child-sized Elven girl who had just taken the throne, Alexander shook his head.

What a pitiful little girl, newly crowned queen, only to become a pawn.

Although it was he and his master who had caused Airael to become a pawn, he wouldn’t have acted this way if he had any other choice.

Within the castle, Airael, lost in her worries while lying in bed, suddenly shivered.

She felt an inexplicable malice closing in.

Furrowing her brows tightly, Airael temporarily set aside her concerns and pondered this sudden sensation.

Back to Suratu.

After leaving Alexander’s room, Suratu returned to Victor.

“Grandpa Suratu, have you come up with a plan?”

Victor asked eagerly upon seeing Suratu.

“I have thought of a plan, but it requires you to cooperate closely moving forward.”

Suratu nodded.

At this, Victor was even more excited, hurriedly asking, “What is it, Grandpa Suratu? Please tell me!”

Suratu promptly shared what he had just decided with Alexander.

“Grandpa Suratu, can this really work?”

Victor couldn’t help but show a skeptical expression.

It would be great if it succeeded, but the entire notion sounded a bit too far-fetched.

Thinking about it was fine, but just the thought of making it happen seemed impossible.

“Your Highness, fortunes are created by people. How will you know it can’t be done if you don’t try?”

“But will the Elven Race agree to this request?”

“I have my ways to ensure they agree. Moreover, it also requires your support moving forward, Your Highness.”

“What do you need me to do, Grandpa Suratu?”

Right away, Suratu laid out his impromptu plan.

First, he would initiate peace talks with the Elven Race, while Victor needed to cooperate in showcasing the strength of the Human Race; otherwise, the peace negotiations would be dominated by the Elven Race, culminating in a peace agreement that would also include the marital alliance.

“Grandpa Suratu, won’t this put you in danger?”

“Your Highness, you need not worry excessively about me. I have my own means to ensure safety if danger arises.”

Suratu chuckled.

Seeing Suratu’s confident demeanor, Victor forced himself to relax and trust this cunning Grand Mage.