Chapter 565 Addison’s Proposition
There was, however, one detail she deliberately omitted.
Not once did she mention Chase.
Only recently had she discovered that he was, unexpectedly, her fourth fated mate. More importantly, he was currently embedded within the enemy’s ranks. If the council learned that one of her fated mates was serving alongside their enemies, it would be nearly impossible for Chase to clear his name later. Even the Alpha King might object to accepting him into her inner circle before the truth came to light.
She also refused to jeopardize his cover.
As long as Chase remained undiscovered, he could continue gathering valuable intelligence from within the enemy’s organization and provide support when necessary while keeping himself out of immediate danger. For now, that secret belonged only to the handful of people who absolutely needed to know.
As the Recording Stone replayed the horrifying scenes from the Western Region, the atmosphere inside the council chamber grew increasingly heavy.
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
Several ministers paled at the sight of the endless locust swarm consuming entire fields within minutes, while others stiffened when the monstrous Red Devourer appeared on the projection. Even the veteran Alphas, who had witnessed countless battles throughout their lives, couldn’t hide the shock in their eyes.
If the swarm had not been stopped...
If the Western Region had fallen completely...
The entire kingdom could have faced a famine unlike anything in its history.
After allowing the silence to linger for a few moments, Addison drew a slow breath before delivering her conclusion.
"We still don’t know who is orchestrating these events," she said, sweeping her gaze across everyone seated before her. "But one thing is certain: the Red Devourers did not appear naturally. They were deliberately introduced into the Western Region. Their purpose was obvious: to cripple our food supply and throw the kingdom into chaos."
She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle over the chamber.
"Therefore, I propose that we immediately strengthen the defenses of every border and increase surveillance throughout every Pack in the kingdom. At the same time, I believe each Pack should begin following the example set by the Midnight River Pack."
Several ministers looked up in curiosity.
"They have spent years cultivating their own farmland and building food reserves, allowing them to become largely self-sufficient. I believe every Pack should strive toward the same goal. While the Western Region should remain our largest agricultural center, we cannot continue relying on it alone for our grain, vegetable, meat, and dairy supply."
Her expression turned solemn.
"If another disaster strikes the West, the entire kingdom will suffer. Food is the foundation of our people’s survival. Without it..." Her voice lowered. "...we won’t lose to our enemies on the battlefield, we’ll starve long before that."
Silence swept across the council chamber.
Addison calmly met the eyes of every minister and Alpha present, a faint, composed smile gracing her lips.
On the surface, her proposal was nothing more than a practical strategy to strengthen the kingdom’s food security.
In reality, it served a second purpose.
She wanted their hidden enemies to hear it.
If spies were indeed hidden among those present, as she suspected, they would carry her words back to their masters. She wanted those conspirators to believe that the royal family had only recognized the threat to the kingdom’s food supply and was responding accordingly.
The more convinced they were that the Crown remained focused solely on defense, the more confident they would become.
And confident enemies were far easier to expose than cautious ones.
More importantly, Addison played the recording from the temporary camp, allowing everyone to witness the siege with their own eyes, the endless tide of monsters, the desperate battle for survival, and the aftermath.
The footage showed countless monsters and wild animals fleeing all over the place after their habitat had been ravaged by the biochemical agent, scattering across the kingdom in search of new territories.
As the recording ended, Addison caught the unmistakable flash of malice in Claire’s eyes.
She had been watching Claire from the very beginning.
Knowing Claire would never pass up an opportunity to twist the situation against her, Addison had no intention of giving her the chance. Not here. Not in front of the ministers, the elders, and every Alpha in attendance.
One wrong narrative could tarnish not only her reputation as the heir apparent but also undermine her father’s authority as Alpha King, especially when many was already scheming against him in the shadow.
Before Claire could even part her lips, Addison spoke first.
"As you’ve all witnessed, the monsters and wild animals that once inhabited the West have scattered in every direction after losing their natural habitat. Some will inevitably migrate toward the territories of neighboring packs, especially those bordering the western region. I strongly advise every Alpha to reinforce your borders and strengthen your defenses before these creatures establish new nests within your lands."
She paused, allowing everyone to digest the implications before continuing.
"As for the biochemical agent..." Her voice remained calm and unwavering. "It successfully eradicated the Red Devourers, but every one of us knows what those creatures truly are. They are demonic insects that reproduce at terrifying speeds and are nearly impossible to exterminate through conventional means. Had we hesitated, the entire western region, and eventually the kingdom, would have fallen."
"Some sacrifices were inevitable."
Her gaze swept across the hall before settling briefly on the members of the royal family.
"Many of us understand that. Unfortunately... not everyone shares that opinion."
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"Which is precisely why, before we departed for the West, I submitted samples of the biochemical agent to the Royal Alchemist and commissioned him to develop a restoration agent capable of reversing the contamination left behind by the biochemical agent."
"He has already begun his research. In addition, I have enlisted the assistance of a trusted friend with expertise in land restoration. Together, we are confident the western region can recover far sooner than expected."
The hall grew noticeably quieter.
"The West remains the kingdom’s largest agricultural region. While the majority of this year’s harvest was secured, significant losses were unavoidable. If we fail to restore the farmland quickly enough for next season’s planting, the consequences will not stop at the western border. Every pack in the kingdom will feel the effects through food shortages, rising prices, and weakened reserves."
She let the weight of those words settle over the room.
"That is why I urge every Alpha and every representative present today to share this burden. I recently proposed that every pack move toward greater self-sufficiency, but such reforms cannot be achieved overnight. Until then, the West remains the backbone of our food supply."
Her golden eyes swept across each Alpha one by one as she addressed them by name, making every leader feel personally involved rather than like a mere spectator.
"If each of us contributes manpower, resources, seeds, or supplies according to our capabilities, then the burden will no longer fall upon one region alone."
"We will rebuild the West."
"And when the West rises again..."
"The entire kingdom will rise with it."
By the time Addison finished, she had already accomplished exactly what she intended.
She had shifted the discussion away from blame and toward unity, made every Alpha feel personally responsible for the kingdom’s recovery, and earned their goodwill before Claire had the opportunity to sow doubt. Now, even if Claire attempted to twist the narrative or undermine her, the leaders present would think twice before believing her schemes.
More importantly, Addison deliberately omitted one crucial detail.
𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
She never mentioned that traces of demonic energy had been mixed into the biochemical agent.
It wasn’t an oversight; it was a calculated decision.
If word spread that the Alpha King’s faction had already uncovered the true nature of the contamination, the hidden forces working against the Royal Family would immediately realize their scheme had been exposed. They would become cautious, erase evidence, and retreat further into the shadows.
Addison couldn’t allow that.
Instead, she wanted them to believe their plan was progressing exactly as intended.
After all, ordinary restoration agents were incapable of purifying land tainted by demonic energy. No matter how talented an alchemist was, conventional methods would never completely cleanse such corruption. That was precisely why Addison had intentionally left one detail vague.
She never revealed the identity of the "friend" she had invited to help restore the West.
It wasn’t a lie.
That friend was Silas, a Holy Priestess whose sacred power was capable of purifying demonic corruption at its source. If anyone could completely restore the poisoned land, it would be her.
Likewise, Addison never disclosed that the Royal Alchemist had already detected the traces of demonic energy hidden within the biochemical agent.
She wanted their enemies to remain arrogant.
She wanted them to believe the Royal Alchemist had been thoroughly deceived, that no matter how long he studied the compound, he would only waste his time searching for a cure that could never exist through ordinary alchemy alone.