[Nar Point of View]
The witch Merlin begins the conference by telling them everything she knows about the Devil King. From his appearance of five horns, six eyes, teeth like a blade. It's a multi-armed devil, with wings black as it flames, scorching everything in its path. My experience in the Devil King's castle matches what she said. Moreover, even Valerie, who got her power through a twist of fate, emits this scorching black flame that burns everything she wants.
Those present, except for the youngest son of the Xianxia Emperor, the South Island Emperor, and Empress Elizabeth, take note. The youngest are simply not interested. The Southern Island Emperor is just arrogant, while Empress Elizabeth doesn't feel the need to recapitulate.
"Tell me, how did the legendary hero defeat the Devil King back then?" [Lionel]
"It was a long battle, but at the end of the day, Aru, using all of her power, sliced the Devil King's head open. There's no trick involved. The Devil King is simply so powerful that for him, masking his weakness with layer upon layer of traps is nothing but an insult" [Merlin].
"So you mean that even I can defeat the Devil King if I try hard enough" [Empress Elizabeth].
"Yes, but you're not strong enough" [Merlin]
"Forgive me... I can't believe what I'm hearing" [Empress Elizabeth]
Upon hearing the witch Merlin's statement, Empress Elizabeth can be seen holding back her anger. For a proud race like vampires to be told that they're weak is absolutely rude. Of course, it's rude no matter what, but for those who can and will cannibalize each other just for power, it's a sign of absolute rudeness.
I can tell that Empress Elizabeth is about to attack the witch Merlin, but they're in a conference with several head nations. They know better than to make trouble. Also, I can tell that the Empress actually has respect for the witch, even though she was just insulted.
The situation is not as tense as it seems, even though Empress Elizabeth is clearly holding back her anger. The king of Gastrium, influenced by Valdrid, asks the next question
"And what, may I ask, does Emas intend to do?"
"I will answer that. Currently, we of Emas are developing an army of golems, be it humanoid golem to a monstrous one. Of course, our own engineers are working hard day and night on it. The golem will be stationed around the Devil King's castle and will attack as soon as the Devil King wakes up. In addition, there's a special and secret upgrade that I personally plan to add later" [Princess Siti].
"And may I know what it is?" [Mr. Ling]
"I'm sorry, for now, I will keep it a secret" [Princess Siti]
"Very well, but what about your citizens, surely you don't expect us to take them for nothing. They will, one day, sooner or later, be a refugee, seeking shelter in a safe place. Amleth, too, will one day face a similar crisis should the Devil King be awakened."
The King of Gastrium made a valid point. Whether it's out of his own interest or simply because Valdrid told him to ask, I'm not sure. Regardless, I'm sure most of the nations agree with the question he poses.
"I understand that, but preparations for the shelter for the next day are already underway. Of course, I'm sure that some of our citizens will simply become refugees, but I'm also sure that most of them would not and would prefer to stay in Emas. Even during the initial panic, most stay to choose despite knowing the risk" [Princess Siti].
"And to add to that, we from Amleth will gladly take in refugees from Emas should the need arise. We have already built a few shelters in case they are ever needed. One such shelter is currently occupied by a nomadic Dragonewt tribe" [Amleth].
"Our long-term planning is already underway. Be it food storage, shelters, security. It's being done slowly but surely. I'm sure some of the delegates here have already seen it" [Myle].
"As a matter of fact, I have. It's thanks to the Vars family, especially The Saga Khamisah, for showing it to me. Though I can't say from my nation's perspective, if you need my help, I can definitely help in any way I can. After all, my granddaughter lives here. Making a shelter out of the forest is a piece of cake for me" [Farhah].
While some are satisfied with the answer, others are not. They feel the need to ask about the strength of the golem being developed. Princess Siti is no fool. She wouldn't willingly tell a foreign leader. It's suicidal for a nation. Even Princess Tiara, who supported her, backed Princess Siti.
"If I may ask, did Emas get her mineral from the newly discovered dungeon here in Amleth?" [Rhineheart]
"We do export it, but given our status as a mining county, we mostly use our own supplies" [Princess Siti].
"I see. It may not be my place to say this, but as a blacksmith myself, I can tell that the quality of the ores from Emas has been lacking lately. I suspect it has something to do with the recent dungeon issue, but that's beside the point. Recently, I received a sample of an ore, an excellent ore with a quality almost unmatched by any other ore from the dungeon discovered here in Amleth, and if I may suggest, should we involve the engineering team from Amleth, Emas, and our own kingdom to further develop the golem?" [Rhineheart]
An interesting development started.