Chapter 984 - 834: Fire Sect (2)
The last few words were spoken slowly, each word striking the air of the conference hall, stirring a silent ripple.
The high-ranking figures on either side of the long table exchanged glances, but no one immediately expressed an opinion.
A holy war is not a trivial matter. Although conflicts between the Four Gods Sect are constant, launching an external holy war requires at least a surface-level consensus among the four sects. Otherwise, if a single sect sends troops, even a victory would allow the other three sects to profit.
But before anyone could raise any objections, Alberto added, "As for the other three sects, I’ve already prepared the letter. As soon as the Great Mage gives the nod, the message will be released immediately. Everyone wants a piece of the Light Sect, and as long as we draw our swords first, the Water, Earth, and Wind Sects will not stand idly by."
Everyone’s gaze simultaneously turned towards the main seat.
Augustus still hadn’t spoken. He kept his eyes downcast, his dry fingers slowly and rhythmically tapping the tabletop, once, then again, like some ancient timer counting down.
After a long time, he slowly lifted his gaze, his deep brown pupils flashing darkly beneath his slack eyelids.
"My life is nearing its end, you all know this." His voice was low and hoarse, like an old book that has been flipped through too many times, its pages yellowed and curled at the edges. "At most, a few years, after which the Fire Sect will face a crisis of succession. The Water, Earth, and Wind Sects also have their challenges, but at least their old fellows can still hold on for several more decades.
Once I let go, the Fire Sect’s position within the Four Gods Sect will inevitably plummet, possibly even be jointly excluded by the other three sects from the core power circle of the Rising Sun District."
His fingers stopped tapping, and the conference hall became so quiet that only the crackling of flames in the fireplace could be heard.
"Therefore, I must secure more benefits for the Fire Sect before I depart. Stone Hammer City is located at the border; its strategic value is secondary. But as far as I know, the Light Sect possesses a Holy Artifact, something called the Light God Court. Its specific purpose is unknown, but if it were in the hands of my Fire Sect, it might become a slim chance for me to break through the limits of my lifespan."
A hint of excitement flashed in Alberto’s eyes, but he restrained it.
He knew the Great Mage had not finished speaking.
Indeed, Augustus paused slightly, using those deep old eyes to sweep over everyone present, then slowly said, "Even if it cannot, incorporating the Light Sect’s territory into the Fire Sect’s domain will be enough to ensure the Fire Sect maintains an undefeated momentum for the next few decades. Therefore, I approve of the holy war."
Alberto bowed deeply, then straightened up, turned to the present high-ranking members, and began assigning tasks one by one: "Grand Treasurer, immediately calculate the necessary supplies for the holy war. I want to see a complete military supply list within three days. The Defender Legion general, draw elite troops from each district to form three assault units, the first of which must complete the assembly within half a month.
Foreign Affairs Elder, immediately send the Holy War Discussion Letter to the Water, Earth, and Wind Sects, with strong wording stating that the Fire Sect has decided to send troops and invite them to join in the grand event, to divide the territory and resources of the Light Sect. The tone can be polite, but the attitude must be clear, not coming means voluntarily giving up the right to the cake."
The high-ranking members received their orders and left one by one, leaving only Augustus, Alberto, and a few personal guards in the conference hall.
The messengers sent out the Fire Sect’s Holy War Discussion Letter to the headquarters of the other three sects that day.
The letter’s wording was polite, inviting the Three Great Sects to jointly discuss a grand plan, to jointly attack heretics, and share the spoils.
But between the lines was an undeniable firmness.
Next would be waiting for a reply, while also discussing how each side should deploy troops once the war began, how to coordinate command, how to divide the Light Sect’s resources once conquered, who would get Stone Hammer City, and who would get the existing territories of the Light Sect.
Alberto spread out a massive Oracle Plane map in the conference hall, using charcoal to circle every strategic point around Stone Hammer City, annotating estimated troop deployments and attack routes.
Several remaining high-levels gathered around the map, arguing endlessly over the proportion of troop deployment and the allocation of spoils. Alberto rested his hands on the table’s edge, his face full of assured confidence, as if the downfall of the Light Sect was merely a matter of time.
Just as Alberto was marking the attack route for the third unit on the map with charcoal, the tightly closed doors of the conference hall suddenly opened silently, as if all resistance on the door’s hinges vanished in an instant.
No one announced it, no warning whatsoever.
A figure walked in from outside. His strides neither hurried nor slow, his footsteps echoed against the glazed walls, each step falling in the pauses between the heartbeats of everyone in the conference hall.
The figure stopped at the opposite end of the long table, facing Augustus seated at the main position.
The few remaining high-ranking members on either side had not yet reacted, and Alberto’s charcoal had already dropped onto the map with a sharp snap, the tip drawing a crooked black line across the position of Stone Hammer City.
His eyes widened, the old scar on the left side of his face twisted violently under the glow of the fireplace.
Duke retracted his hand from pushing open the door, his gaze skipping over the scattered maps and documents on the long table, passing Alberto’s face filled with disbelief, moving beyond the few Fire Sect high-ranks who stood up instinctively, finally landing on the elderly man with white hair occupying the main seat.
He smiled slightly, his tone calm as if greeting an old friend.
"No need for such trouble; since you don’t wish to come to Stone Hammer City to meet me, I decided to personally pay a visit."
Augustus instinctively tensed the moment Duke stepped into the conference hall.
He had lived for over four hundred years, climbing from a common priest to the Great Mage of the Fire Sect, having faced countless assassinations, ambushes, direct challenges, his instincts honed like a blade tempered repeatedly in lava.
And at this moment, that blade screamed madly in his mind.
The aura emanating from this young man before him was extremely dangerous, far beyond what a Level 2 Mage could emit, even surpassing that of an ordinary Level 3 Great Mage.
The feeling was akin to standing at the edge of a volcano, looking down at the surging magma—scorching and profound, containing energy under calmness enough to destroy entire cities.
How had he passed through the numerous layers of defensive formations and hundreds of guards at Furnace Castle, appearing silently in this confidential conference hall on the tower’s top level, accessible only to core members?
Augustus did not ask this question, for he knew asking it now was pointless.
He slowly raised a hand, his gaunt fingers pressing slightly downward in the air, signaling the high-ranking members on both sides who had stood up, hands on weapons, to sit back down.
His movements were slow, yet every detail carried an undeniable authority.
Then he folded his hands on the table, his deep brown eyes calmly meeting Duke’s gaze, his voice low and stable, devoid of any emotional fluctuations: "Your Excellency, Child of Light, arrives unannounced, presumably not for idle chat. What brings Your Excellency to our door personally?"
His wording was quite polite, even considered proper.
Until he grasped the other’s background and intentions, he would not rashly reveal any flaws.
Duke withdrew his gaze, his tone as calm as announcing an established fact: "My purpose is simple. From now on, the Fire Sect submits to the Light Sect. You may retain your beliefs and doctrines, continue to manage your districts and followers, but from this moment onward, all major decisions of the Fire Sect require approval from the Light Sect, becoming a subsidiary of the Light Sect."