The rest of the sages looked at Ophiscus, wanting him to continue. Ophiscus, however, looked at Gaia with an expression that clearly said, "I am not dealing with this shit."
Gaia cleared her throat. "Ahem." She started explaining, "I believe that the otherworlders are sending in that big of an army because of William."
"Why?" asked Ancha in confusion. 'Why would they send such a big army to kill a child?' she thought.
"It's because of the incident," Gaia answered. "Not just you, even I felt that pressure, so I believe that even the otherworlders on the home planet would have also felt it."
"So you are saying that the incident caused by William permeated all throughout the universe?" asked Amaris in shock.
Gaia nodded in response.
"Doesn't that mean that everyone in the universe will come after us?" asked Amaris in horror.
But before everyone could descend into another mad frenzy, Twyla shook her head and replied, "Not likely, husband. The only reason the otherworlders know about the incident's source is through the traitors."
She then looked at Ophiscus and said, "Although we have knelt in the direction of the Spade Continent, and most likely the otherworlders knelt in the direction of our planet, even if they send an even bigger and more powerful army, they can't find us. At least not until William's power reaches enough strength."
"Even then, we still have to take care of the incoming sages and saints," said Aiden, gritting his teeth in frustration. 'If only I were more powerful,' he thought. But alas, there is no 'if' and 'then' in the real world.
"Then the only way to survive the oncoming crisis is to put all our hopes on William?" asked Lucien. 'How pathetic. Even though we are the leaders of the world, we have to put all our hopes on a two-year-old child. How low have we fallen,' Lucien thought in shame.
"Yes, although you guys are powerful, so are the incoming sages. William is our only hope," said Gaia.
"I think there is something we can do," said Twyla, her presence becoming more and more useful as time passed.
"What can we do?" asked Ancha, steaming in frustration internally. 'Ahhh! I wish, I wish…'
Twyla, noticing everyone looking at her, said, "While we may not be able to kill the incoming army, we can kill the ones who are already here."
"You mean the traitors and the otherworlders present on the Forgotten Continent?" asked Aiden.
Twyla nodded. "By eliminating them, we won't have to worry about our backs when we are training William or during the upcoming war."
"But won't they be alert if all their agents present in our world are dead?" asked Aiden.
"It doesn't matter," Ophiscus said this time. "It doesn't matter since they have already sent an army."
"What Ophiscus said is right. It doesn't matter since the moment we knew about the incoming army, the traitors' value became obsolete," added Lucien.
"Then it looks like we have a plan of action," said Gaia.
Lucien and Ophiscus nodded in agreement.
"Our first objective should be to eliminate the traitors and otherworlders on our planet," said Ophiscus as he outlined their tasks.
"We should also construct underground shelters deep within the earth," added Amaris.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
'Yes, if a battle erupts and spreads, those ordinary people will die and become a nuisance during the fight,' thought Ancha.
"I will create caves that stretch 100 kilometers deep," Gaia declared.
"We should also stock up on food and water supplies," suggested Twyla.
"There will be no need for that. I will create lakes and arable land within the caves to grow food," Gaia interjected.
"What about governance within the caves? If our family's top brass is fighting, who will manage the people?" asked Aiden.
"Not everyone should fight," Amaris reasoned.
"I agree," Ancha added, "If all our family members fight, we'll be too distracted. We don't need a grandmaster on the battlefield where even a foot soldier is a saint."
"Then who should fight?" asked Twyla.
"I believe only the sages should fight. Our saints should oversee each cave created by Lady Gaia," Ancha concluded.
"Then that would mean only 20 of us would fight?" asked Amaris, confusion evident on his face.
'Who in their right mind would fight millions of saints and 200,000 sages with only 20 sages?'
"I know it's bad, but we don't have an option," said Lucien.
"There is no need for a grandmaster on the battlefield, and we have too few saints to make a difference. Their real help will be overseeing the caves instead of the battlefield."
"Then that would mean we have to control where we wage war," said Ancha.
Ophiscus nodded in agreement. "Yes, even if by some stroke of luck we gain 2 or 3 more sages by the time the army arrives, we cannot cover the entire planet."
"That's right, we have to choose the battlefield," said Aiden, in agreement.
'How about we...' Aiden paused as a crazy idea came to mind. 'It should work.'
He looked at everyone and continued, "How about we sink all the continents and keep only one?"
The room fell into a stunned silence as Aiden's words hung in the air. Some considered his plan while others stared at him in shock. Drowning the continents meant losing their heritage, their home. But did they have a choice?
'No, we don't,' thought Ancha as she pondered alternative plans.
'This is the only way to control the battlefield, by eliminating everything else,' she concluded silently.
"This should work, since from what we know the otherworlders are terrestrial like us." added Lucien
"Speaking of which, how about we ask those sea monsters for help?" asked Ophiscus, looking at Gaia.
Gaia shook her head, much to everyone's disappointment. "That's no use. I have already tried communicating with them, but they only attacked mindlessly."
"But I think we can still use that to our advantage," said Ancha.
"Anyway, back to the topic. Can you submerge the continents, Lady Gaia?" asked Amaris.
"Yes, it should be possible, but I will have to expend a lot of energy and will be forced to hibernate afterward," said Gaia.
"Wait, if we drown all the continents except the battlefield, where will the caves be formed?" asked Twyla.
The room turned silent again at her question.
'How about creating an alternate dimension?' thought Ophiscus, but he shook his head a moment later. 'That wouldn't work since maintaining an alternate dimension would require the world's energy, and with Lady Gaia in hibernation, it would collapse.'
"How about this!" exclaimed Lucien. "Lady Gaia will create a hole deep in the earth near her core, and all the entry points will be from the remaining continent. After all the people go in, we will collapse the entry points."
"How about the air and sunlight?" asked Twyla.
"As for the atmosphere, I can create a temporary one with my remaining energy that would last about 100 years. As for the sun…" Gaia looked at Aiden and Ancha.
"Alright, we will create an artificial sun, but from my estimate, it would only last for 40 to 60 years," said Ancha.
"Can others use their mana to power it?" asked Amaris.
"They can, specifically our kin," replied Aiden.
"Guys, we are ignoring one other problem: the people," said Lucien.
"What about them?" asked Ancha, confused.
"If we drown all the continents and make them live in a cave, there will be outrage while we are gone."
"Isn't that why we are keeping saints with them, to ensure no one tries anything funny?" Asked Twyla in confusion.
Ophiscus shook his head at Twyla's confusion and added,
"It's not about strength. Think about it. When people learn that there is an army of 50 million saints and 200,000 sages coming to wage war against us, they will not listen. Heck, I think even some saints will turn traitor and help the otherworlders instead, hoping that they will be spared."
"Then how about we control the information we give them?" said Aiden, his expression thoughtful as he considered the idea.
Everyone turned to him, their faces asking for further explanation.
"What I'm proposing is to selectively disclose information about the invasion," he explained.
"What do you propose?" asked Gaia.
Aiden shook his head, hands raised in a gesture of uncertainty. "I don't know. I just thought of it now. I didn't come with a detailed plan."
Everyone pondered Aiden's idea and its feasibility. They shook their heads and muttered, "That won't work," several times as they considered the proposal.
They thought about for about an hour in silence and finally Lucien came up with a plan and said,
"Alright, everyone," Lucien began, his voice grabbing everyone's attention." I have a way."
"Firstly," Lucien continued, "we must categorize our people: the leadership, the general populace, and those directly involved in our defense strategy. Each group will require tailored information."
He turned to Ophiscus."For the leadership, including us and other key figures, we need full transparency. They need to know the gravity of the threat, our defensive plans, and any risks involved."
Ophiscus nodded in agreement, his expression solemn.
"For the general populace," Lucien continued, "we need to maintain a balance between reassurance and readiness. We should disclose the basics: that there is a threat, measures are being taken to ensure their safety, and that more details will follow as we finalize our plans."
Ancha interjected, "What about the specifics of the enemy's strength?"
Lucien paused, considering her question. "We disclose what is necessary for their safety without causing unnecessary panic. They need to understand the severity without feeling overwhelmed."
Amaris then asked, "And what about those directly involved in defense?"
"We give them detailed briefings," Lucien replied, "including strategic plans, roles, and expectations. They need to know how their efforts fit into the overall situation."
Twyla then asked, "What about the timeline? How soon do we start disclosing?"
"We start with the leadership immediately. As for the populace and defense teams, we need to time it carefully—soon enough to prepare, but not so early that it causes unnecessary anxiety." Lucien replied.
The room fell silent as everyone began to think about Lucien's plan.
"I think this might work." said Ophiscus with a heavy look on his face. Everyone else nodded at his response.
Gaia stood up from her chair and addressed the group firmly, "Alright then, let's end the meeting here for now. Each of you will inform your families first, followed by your closest vassals, about the measures we've discussed. We need to act swiftly and with utmost caution."
Her words hung heavy in the air as everyone began to disperse, their expressions reflecting the weight of their responsibilities.
Ophiscus and Gaia left the meeting room and returned to the Spade mansion.
FWOOSH!
The moment they arrived, Aquilla, Ara, and Carina rushed to Ophiscus, enveloping him in a worried embrace. "Husband, did something happen?" they asked anxiously.
Ophiscus nodded solemnly and said, "Gather the kids. I have something important to tell you." His tone was heavy with concern.
Ara nodded and hurried off to fetch the children, while Gaia returned to the core to make preparations. It took a few minutes for her to bring them back.
The family gathered on the sofa, with the wives in the middle, Lyra and Orion on each end, and William in another seat. He giggled happily, delighted to see his family together.
Standing before them, Ophiscus began, "I have something very important to share."
Carina interrupted, "Please, husband, tell us quickly. Don't leave us in suspense."
"There is an army coming—an army of otherworlders," Ophiscus revealed.
The room fell silent, only William giggling innocently, unaware of the gravity of the situation.
"What are their numbers?" asked Aquilla.
"...50 million saints and 200,000 sages," Ophiscus replied. The entire family froze in shock; time seemed to stand still.
Moments passed in stunned silence. Ophiscus allowed them time to absorb the information.
"DID YOU JUST SAY 50 MILLION SAINTS AND 200,000 SAGES?" Aquilla exclaimed as she stood up, her shock palpable. Ara and Carina were equally incredulous. Orion and Lyra stared at their father in disbelief.
'It must be a prank. Yes! It's a prank, right?' Orion thought, questioning his father's words.
Ophiscus nodded at Aquilla and explained, "It's true. They will be here within 50 years at most."
"Why?" Ara asked.
Ophiscus looked at William and said, "It's because of our son."
"What do you mean?" Ara asked, bewildered.
"We believe they are sending such a large army to kill him. They are terrified of him."
Everyone turned to look at William in shock.
'What the…' Orion silently exclaimed, 'I knew my brother was special, but this is beyond special.'
Ophiscus then detailed to them everything else they had discussed.
Unbeknownst to them, William's eyes briefly changed from amethyst to heterochromatic eyes—black on the right emitting an aura of death itself, and gold on the left radiating the aura of all life.
'Papa and mamas, not happy. Papa and mamas not happy,' William thought.
The phenomenon lasted only a moment, unnoticed by everyone engrossed in Ophiscus's explanation.