Chapter 291 -: 290 The Summit.[2]
As soon as the announcement echoed throughout the ceremonial hall, the enormous gates slowly swung open.
Every conversation came to an abrupt end as two men stepped through the entrance side by side, their measured footsteps echoing across the polished stone floor.
An invisible pressure seemed to descend upon the gathering the moment they appeared, causing every representative present to instinctively straighten their posture.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward the entrance, yet not a single person dared speak.
The man walking at the front appeared to be in his middle years.
His dark brown skin bore the dignity of countless years spent beneath the sun, while a pair of sharp brown eyes calmly swept across the hall with an authority that required no display of force.
Standing nearly seven inches tall, his broad frame carried the natural physique characteristic of the Solarian bloodline.
His handsome face was partially concealed beneath a neatly trimmed full beard.
Though the beard remained predominantly black, streaks of silver had begun appearing around his jawline and cheeks, speaking not of age, but of the burdens he had carried throughout the decades.
His thick brown hair fell to the back of his neck, tied neatly with finely crafted golden ornaments that matched the pair of feather-shaped earrings hanging from his ears.
His upper body remained uncovered, revealing a muscular chest protected only by an elaborate golden ornament resembling ceremonial armor that rested across his shoulders and torso.
Matching golden bands encircled both biceps, while heavy bracelets decorated his wrists.
Every piece of jewelry had been crafted with remarkable precision, emphasizing prestige rather than extravagance. He was the current Patriarch of the Solarian Family, Chakravartin Solarian.
Walking beside him was another man whose appearance contrasted sharply with the Patriarch’s.
Although equally tall and equally handsome, he appeared considerably younger despite having served as Warmaster long before Chakravartin had inherited the position of Patriarch.
His expression remained calm to the point of seeming detached from the world around him.
Long white hair flowed gracefully down to his waist, moving gently with each step, while tranquil gray eyes observed the gathered representatives without revealing the slightest emotion.
Unlike the richly adorned Patriarch, his attire consisted of nothing more than a simple white robe without embroidery or ornaments.
There was nothing outwardly imposing about his appearance, yet the quiet presence surrounding him carried a weight no less overwhelming than that of the Patriarch himself.
He was the Great Sanachi, the current Warmaster of the Zlycon race.
The two highest authorities walked through the center of the enormous hall at an unhurried pace.
Representatives from every branch family immediately rose to their feet in complete silence, lowering their heads in respect.
Whatever opinions they privately held regarding the Solarian Family mattered little at this moment.
Before them stood the two individuals who had guided the Zlycons for decades. Neither Chakravartin nor Sanachi acknowledged the greetings verbally.
They simply continued toward the elevated platform before ascending the broad stone steps.
Reaching the summit, they turned together before calmly taking their respective seats upon the twin thrones overlooking the entire assembly.
"You may be seated."
Chakravartin’s deep voice resonated throughout the vast chamber without the need to be raised.
The representatives obeyed almost immediately, returning to their seats in orderly fashion.
Although many among them undoubtedly harbored dissatisfaction toward the overwhelming authority of the Solarian Family, none allowed even the slightest trace of it to appear upon their faces.
Whether that restraint came from etiquette, fear, respect, or simply the natural pressure radiating from the Patriarch himself remained impossible to tell.
Whatever the reason, silence soon reclaimed the hall as every gaze focused upon the platform.
After allowing a brief moment for everyone to settle, Chakravartin rested one arm upon the throne before speaking once more.
"I assume everyone present is already aware of the current situation. There is little point in repeating information all of you have heard countless times over the past month. We shall proceed directly to the matter that concerns us."
His calm voice echoed across the chamber. Though he spoke without anger, a distinct chill lingered beneath every word.
His sharp eyes slowly moved across the gathered representatives, studying each family in turn before continuing.
"For the past month, influential members of our race have been assassinated one after another. According to every surviving witness, the perpetrators were humans. Under ordinary circumstances, such testimonies would be more than enough to justify retaliation.
However, our investigations suggest otherwise. Similar assassinations have occurred throughout the Three Floating Continents. Even Immortal Valentina has fallen, and according to the witnesses there, the assassin responsible was a Zlycon."
A faint murmur spread across several rows before quickly falling silent again.
"Our intelligence network has already confirmed that none of our agents operating within human territory possess the capability to assassinate someone of Immortal Velentina’s caliber. Furthermore, no such operation was ever authorized by this council or by the Solarian Family."
His fingers lightly tapped the armrest before he concluded.
"Which leaves us with only one reasonable conclusion. Someone is orchestrating a conflict between humanity and the Zlycon race."
The hall remained deathly quiet as Chakravartin lowered his gaze toward several documents resting upon a stone table beside his throne.
He flipped through a few pages in silence before setting them aside.
"That conclusion presents us with two possible courses of action."
Without another word, he turned slightly toward the Warmaster.
Sanachi slowly opened his eyes, his expression remaining as calm as ever.
"Unlike us, humanity possesses no practical means of infiltrating our society," he began in a detached voice.
"Their appearance alone prevents such operations. They understand remarkably little regarding our internal affairs, while our own intelligence network has observed theirs for generations."
His calm gray eyes swept across the representatives gathered below.
"Because of that, we currently possess two choices."
He allowed the words to settle before continuing.
"The first is to provide humanity with evidence proving that the Zlycon race bears no responsibility for these assassinations.
With the information gathered by our intelligence network, demonstrating the existence of a third party would not be particularly difficult."
A brief silence followed.
"But..."
The single word immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Sanachi’s previously tranquil gaze sharpened ever so slightly.
"...we must also ask ourselves another question."
His voice remained calm, yet every word carried unmistakable weight.
"For more than seven centuries, peace has existed only because both races agreed that neither would make the first move. That agreement has prevented open war, but it has never erased hatred.
Now influential leaders are dying, witnesses identify the killers as members of the opposing race, and suspicion spreads across both civilizations."
His gaze lingered upon the representatives.
"Even if those accusations are false... does that alone give us sufficient reason to avoid war?"
The question hung heavily within the chamber.
"The humans will undoubtedly claim the witnesses spoke the truth, just as many among our own people are inclined to believe ours. Logic alone rarely overcomes generations of hatred."
Sanachi slowly leaned back upon his throne.
"Which brings us to our second choice."
His calm voice echoed one final time.
"...Or we can seize this opportunity... and wage our first war against humanity in over seven hundred years."