Chapter 79: Principles
"Tell me, compared to the other three kingdoms that reached the fourth level and left this continent—the Falcons, the Dragons, and the Golden Lions—what did the principles of freedom and peace bring you compared to what the principles of strength and domination brought them?" Rios looked at the Elves through the light screens as his voice spread through the plants, speaking in an angry tone.
"Unlike them, you embraced the principle of freedom and allowed many races to live beneath your protection in complete freedom without forcing your rule upon them in the Forest of Light, asking only for tribute and taxes once a year."
"Meanwhile, they wouldn’t even allow an ant to live within their territory unless even that ant swore loyalty to them."
"And we don’t even need to compare which system is better, thatbecause the answer is as clear as daylight because of your foolish policy, the allies who had lived under your protection safely for thousands of years abandoned you the moment the Giant calamity fell upon you. On the other hand, the Giants couldn’t seize even a single inch of the other three ancient kingdoms’ territory."
Rios’s voice echoed throughout the entire City of Light with the help of the plants carrying his words.
Meanwhile, the Elves remained silent, not daring to utter a single word.
Some trembled all over.
Some gritted their teeth.
Some burned with rage inside.
"Then we come to the last principle left behind by that damned Tree of Cradle."
Rios clenched his teeth every time he thought about how foolish the Elves had been throughout all those centuries.
"What did the principle of peace left behind by that damned Tree of Cradle ever do for you? In terms of strength, you are the weakest of the four ancient kingdoms...
Even at the peak of your power.
In terms of equipment and weapons, you are the most backward among the four ancient kingdoms.
There are even many kingdoms that rose later and surpassed you in strength, equipment, development, and numbers...
Like the Silent Raven Kingdom, the Eternal Phoenix Kingdom, the War Elf Kingdom...
And many other kingdoms that placed strength and armies above everything else.
As for the City of Light’s army... you people are the biggest joke I’ve ever seen in my life.
After studying your history and the history of this continent, I realized you don’t even deserve half the reputation you’ve been given.
If it weren’t for the fourth-level defensive formation left behind by the immortal Tree of Cradle, you would already have faded into oblivion.
Your armies never reached the standards of the ancient kingdoms.
Your army has always been merely above average.
Compared to the armies of the other ancient kingdoms... you aren’t even worthy of being compared to them."
Rios’s words struck the Elves like bolts of lightning, making them grit their teeth even harder as their thoughts clashed between the principles and beliefs of the past and the reality of the future.
"Third, don’t treat me as if I’m one of you... or like those so-called sacred trees."
Rios leaned back comfortably in his chair and looked at the Elves with nothing but absolute arrogance in his eyes as he spoke coldly,
"I am your king.
The greatest king in your history.
That so-called Tree of Cradle isn’t worthy of being compared to me.
I am different from it.
Its path was peace.
My path is war.
Its creed is freedom.
Mine is imposing my rule.
The Forest of Light is not my only goal... but everything surrounding it.
Then the entire continent...
Then the world...
Then everything beyond it.
Whoever wishes to live beneath my rule... will never again live in humiliation.
Whoever refuses to follow me... has no place in my world.
Submit... or die... or find yourself another world that isn’t mine!"
Rios’s words thundered across the surroundings, each sentence stronger than the last, engraving themselves deep into the Elves’ memories.
They would not forget them easily.
But on the other hand...
Rios believed those were his own words.
His own ambition.
His own principles.
Yet he had no idea that there was something... or someone... influencing his decisions and words without his knowledge.
He didn’t know that he had just spoken words that would not pass unnoticed as he believed they would.
"Hehehehe... I hope you enjoy my little gift."
Inside the depths of Rios’s soul, the mysterious entity within the white sphere was awake at that very moment, completely unnoticed by Rios.
But after only a few moments, the entity’s eyes gradually became drowsy once more before returning to their silent slumber.
At the banquet, Rios stood after finishing his speech.
The Elves’ attention immediately focused on him as he spoke his final words.
"Just as I have taken responsibility for your food, I will also take responsibility for building your armies, making you stronger, reclaiming the lands that were stolen from you under my rule, killing the Giants who occupied them, and using your strength to drive back anyone who dares seize what belongs to you."
"Long live His Majesty the King!"
"Long live His Majesty the King!"
"Long live His Majesty the King!"
.
.
.
After hearing Rios’s ambitions and promises, many Elves immediately rose to their feet and cheered for him.
Soon, more and more followed, filled with hope and ambition for the future.
After the cheers continued for a while, Rios raised one hand, signaling for silence.
"..."
The Elves immediately fell silent the moment they saw his gesture.
They sat back down and listened attentively once more.
"One week from now, everyone who has reached the age of ten or older but has not yet awakened their bloodline must come to the palace square," Rios said calmly, yet his voice carried clearly to everyone.
"As for those who have already undergone their awakening but failed to awaken their bloodline, they are to come as well... provided they have not yet reached old age."
.
.
.
"Is... is that even possible?!" whispers spread once again throughout the crowd of Elves after hearing his declaration.
"Everyone knows our children undergo their first awakening immediately after birth and their second awakening when they turn fifteen. But undergoing it after only turning ten... is that even possible?!"
In the central square, the nobles who had not opposed Rios quietly discussed the matter among themselves.
Others remained silent, completely lost in thought.
"Forget about that... Since when can those who failed their awakening undergo it again?!"
Questions continued spreading among the Elves.
Yet none of them received any answers to satisfy their curiosity.
"The food is before you.
The city gates are behind you.
You are free to choose whichever you desire.
And I give you my word that I will respect your choice, whatever it may be.
But let me warn you first...
Those who choose to stay become my followers.
Whoever becomes their enemy becomes mine.
Whoever insults them insults me.
As for those who choose to leave within this week, they may do so safely.
But the next time you encounter one of my soldiers...
You will be an enemy, not an ally."
Having accomplished his goal, Rios left the banquet and returned to the royal palace, followed by Elena, Thandria, and Etham.
"Weren’t your words a little too harsh on them?" Elena walked over to Rios after they were finally alone and lay down beside him on the bed.
Rios stared at the ceiling for a while before finally letting out a sigh.
"I was harsh, yes.
But there was no other choice.
They had to understand that the times have changed.
If they don’t change with them, they will no longer have a place in this world.
You can’t change a people who have remained steadfast in the same principles and beliefs for thousands of years unless you first shatter those principles and beliefs, then rebuild them quickly by eliminating those who refuse to adapt and investing in those who do.
Or there’s the kinder method...
Instill those new principles in the next generation.
But that requires far too much time...
And time is the one thing we don’t have."
His expression then turned serious as he frowned.
"And there was no way I could allow those traitors to keep living.
There was no point capturing them when they would kill themselves the moment we got close to arresting them anyway."
Rios raised his hand toward the ceiling, clenched it into a fist, and gritted his teeth angrily.
"Without a proper way to stop those damned traitors from committing suicide the instant we move to capture them, they’ll continue spreading among us like a plague—from one house to another, from one person to another—while we have no way to cure it."
Rios lowered his hand, looked at Elena, smiled, and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.
"But don’t worry.
Our time is short, and we have to speed everything up. Too many things have piled up...
But every problem has a solution.
And I’ll definitely find one for all of these problems soon."