System's POV
chapter-196

"Greetings, Lord Netero, Greeting Lord Arthas," Thirteen bowed respectfully to the two most influential people of Gronar City.

"Good boy, now sit, and eat to your heart's content," Netero replied. "Your… subordinates can also join us as well."

"Thank you, Lord Netero," Thirteen smiled and ordered Dixon and Payton to sit beside him and eat.

The two Tigerkins stared at the two Champions in front of them as if assessing their strength.

Netero was only at the Initial Stages of the Champion Rank, so for them, he wasn't a problem.

The only real threat was Arthas, who was at the peak of the Champion Rank.

But, since they didn't come here to fight, they just did what Zion told them and started eating.

"I thought that this is going to be a fun discussion, but it seems that you're here for other matters," Netero commented after drinking some wine. "Norris told me that he will be returning to the Main Continent in three days' time. Does his move have something to do with the topic that we are going t o discuss right now?"

"Yes," Thirteen answered. "But, I don't think that this will be a good place to discuss such things, Lord Netero. There are many ears listening to our conversation."

"It's that serious, huh?" Lord Netero played with his beard for a bit before glancing at Arthas, who was eating beside him. "Is it important enough for him to hear of this as well?"

Thirteen nodded. "Yes, Lord Netero."

"Then, in that case, we should eat first," Arthas said after he finished chewing a chicken leg. "I don't want to talk about serious matters on an empty stomach."

Since the City Lord had already spoken, Thirteen no longer said anything and helped himself to the delicious food that had been served on the table.

None of the men talked, and only ate at a leisurely pace. It was as if what they were about to talk about wasn't that important.

An hour later, their group left the Tavern and headed straight to the City Lord's Residence.

There, Arthas took them to his meeting room, where they could discuss important things without worrying about being overheard by others.

"Start talking, boy," Arthas ordered. "This better be important, or else I'm throwing you in the Slave Duels."

Thirteen held the City Lord's gaze before nodding his head in understanding.

"First, let me tell you the reason why Sir Norris and his Merchant Group are leaving the Valbarra Archipelago," Thirteen stated. "It's not because the war between the Tigerkins and the Barbarians is just a few months away from happening. It is because there is a threat that they deemed to be far more dangerous than the war between the two races."

Lord Netero and Arthas both frowned because they didn't understand what the boy was talking about. How could there be a greater threat than the war between the two Overlords of the Valbarra Archipelago?

"First and foremost, although there have been skirmishes between the two sides, no one really wants to have an all-out-war with each other," Thirteen explained. "This only changed a few years ago when both sides started to seriously prepare for a war that would decide who would be the ultimate ruler of these lands.

"But, what both sides were not aware of is that a Third Party has been fanning the flames from the outside, and is only waiting for both races to suffer countless casualties before they make their move.

"The Mastermind behind this war understands that once the two factions have exhausted their strength, conquering the Valbarra Archipelago will be easier. This is the true motive behind this upcoming war."

Lord Netero had an amused look on his face, while Arthas was clearly not believing Thirteen's words.

He had already expected this, and had made preparations beforehand.

"During the past few weeks, I have been staying in the Sumatran Kingdom after I was captured by the Tigerkins, during our expedition in the Furvus Grasslands," Thirteen smiled bitterly. "There I met General Stark, and was forced to stay in their residence as a captive. Do you know who General Stark is, Lord Arthas?"

"I know him," Arthas shrugged. "He is a General loved by his people."

"Good, that will make things easier," Thirteen then pointed at Dixon, who was seated at his right side. "This is Sir Dixon. He is General Stark's right-hand man, and the leader of the Scouting Party that captured me in the Furvus Grasslands."

Lord Netero and Arthas narrowed their eyes as they looked at the Tigerkin, who looked back at them with a fearless gaze.

"Due to some circumstances, we discovered the true Mastermind, who is manipulating the war from the shadows. Because of that, I decided to act. What I did was burn the Granaries of Parania City, Dunn City, and Rosenda City.

"I know that the only way to stop the Tigerkin Army from marching to the Barbarian Territory is to destroy their logistics, and ensure that they won't have enough food supplies for a large-scale war.

"To give you a better understanding of the scope of the damages that I did, these three cities are the cities where the largest granaries in the Sumatran Kingdom are located. Right now, they are busy dealing with the food shortages happening on their side, making everyone postpone any talks about the war for the time being."

If earlier, Lord Netero and Arthas thought that this talk was just some random delusion of a seven-year-old, he had captured their attention now.

"Can you confirm that what you told me is the truth?" Arthas inquired.

"You do that yourself," Thirteen replied. "I'm sure that the Barbarians have spies in the Sumatran Kingdom. Since they're already there, you guys will get this information any day now."

Lord Netero and Arthas glanced at each other. Truth be told, they were already aware that there was an incident that they were already aware that there was an incident that happened in the Tigerkins' Lands because Netero was the one handling the exchange of information between their spies.

The reason why they were also in the tavern earlier was to celebrate the suffering of the Tigerkins, and feeling good that their own war preparations were almost done.

Since the Tigerkins were now crippled, there was a high chance that the Barbarians would be able to win if they struck first.

"I'm sure that the Barbarians are now raring to start the war with the Tigerkins, but the fastest you can prepare for this campaign is a month's time. By then, the Tigerkins will have already stabilized their situation.

"Although they cannot take the initiative to wage war, they still have the advantage because they will be on the defensive. By the time you guys crossed the straight between the two islands, they will have already decimated a quarter of your forces before you were able to step foot in their lands."

Lord Netero and Arthas didn't deny Thirteen's words because they knew that this was a possibility.

The first thing that the Tigerkins would do was to increase their watchers, facing the sea, allowing them to anticipate any raid from the Barbarians.

"Now, I will tell you who the Mastermind behind this war is, and why thieves targeted your home after the auction ended." Thirteen eyed the City Lord with a solemn expression on his face. "The Third Party who is manipulating this war is a Majin Prince named Arundel the Destroyer. Have you heard of him?"

Lord Netero and Arthas both shook their heads at the same time.

"It will be best if you ask Sir Norris about it," Thirteen commented. "Since he is from the Mainland, he will know more than me. But, let me tell you this, what you will learn must not reach the ears of others because the moment he hears that someone found out about his plan, he will not hesitate to stop playing games and strike immediately."

Lord Netero started playing with his beard as he looked at the boy in front of him.

"This is an amazing story, but I find it hard to believe such a tale." Lord Netero smiled. "Although I may not have heard about Arundel the Destroyer, I know what a Majin Prince is. Even if the Barbarians, Orcs, and the Tigerkins joined forces, fighting against such an existence is a hopeless battle.

"In short, there is no need for him to do a roundabout way of conquering the Valbarra Archipelago, if he came here personally, both the Tigerkins and the Barbarians would submit to him. Although it is shameful, we will not fight a battle that can't be won."

Thirteen sighed before shaking his head.

"You don't understand Majin Princes, Lord Netero. There are two reasons why Arundel is not attacking you guys personally. The first one is entertainment. For Majin Princes, conquest is all about entertainment, and showing the other Majin Princes' how resourceful and cunning they are.

"They are very powerful beings in the first place, and only those who have the same level of strength as them can fight them. A Majin Prince who is able to conquer an Empire, without personally making an appearance is proof of his strength and wisdom.

"In short, this is their way of getting bragging rights among their peers. The second reason is because the Valbarra Continent has something that can potentially threaten him. That is also the reason why the thieves had tried to steal something from the City Lord because he is in possession of an artifact that can put all the Majin Prince's planning to waste."

Lord Netero glanced at Arthas, and immediately saw the scowl that appeared on the City Lord's face.

"Yes, Lord Arthas." Thirteen said in a solemn tone. "The only thing that can threaten a Majin Prince is currently in your hands."