System's POV
chapter-502

The more Thirteen talked, the more silent the Lizardmen became.

Even the Wanderers, whom he had asked to listen to the meeting, were surprised to find out the real reason why this war started.

"Did Kesari tell that to you?" Drazzat asked.

"That's right," Thirteen replied.

"Is there a chance he's lying?"

"There's no way he can lie to me, so you can trust this information.

Drazzat had seen Kesari tied up inside Rocky's Mobile Fortress. At that time, Thirteen only said that he would be the one responsible for interrogating his captive.

As someone who had led their tribe to victory, Drazzat and his subordinates didn't question nor challenge the teenage boy's rights to deal with the Ratman Commander at his discretion.

"If what you said is true, then we are merely being played by the Humans and the Goblins," Drazzat clenched his fists in anger. "As long as the Ratmen succeeded in weakening our forces, it wouldn't matter who won the war in the end. It will be the same when the Goblins march westward to give us the finishing blow."

The Shaman, who served as Drazzat's right-hand man, sighed deeply.

"Now I understand why they refuse to answer our questions," the Shaman, who goes by the name, Tanil, said. "The Goblin Emperor might have bound them with the power of Origin Shard to not disclose any information about them. Everything makes sense now."

The Ratmen were stubborn, but they weren't that stubborn.

Although they wouldn't answer questions right away when they were being interrogated, they would still fold in the end after reaching their limit.

But this time around, none of the interrogators of the Lizardmen managed to succeed in prying the answer from their tight lips.

The Ratmen would even choose to commit suicide rather than answer the Lizardmen's questions.

"What should we do now?" Drazzat asked Thirteen. "Even if we tell this to the other Chieftains, the Ratmen will continue to attack us. After all, they cannot disobey the orders of the Goblin Emperor. Whether we like it or not, there is no stopping this war."

"You're right," Thirteen replied. "There is no stopping this war unless the Shard of Origin is returned to the Ratmen."

"The only way to return the Shard of Origin to the Ratmen is by stealing it from the Goblin Emperor," Drazzat stated. "You don't mean…"

"Exactly," Thirteen replied. "We need to deal with the source of the problem before the Lizardmen and the Ratmen are left with no warriors to defend their own people."

"Madness!" Tanil gasped. "Are you crazy? That's a Rank 8 Sovereign! You can't possibly…"

Tanil narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the teenage boy who was looking at him calmly.

Although Zion had many strong monsters who were loyal to him, that didn't mean that they had a chance in fighting against the Goblin Emperor.

However, if fighting the Rank 8 Sovereign wasn't the main goal but only stealing the Shard of Origin, then the possibility existed.

"Crazy," Drazzat muttered. "Are all humans like you crazy?"

"No," Sherry replied before her Boss could reply. "Zion is just built differently. You can consider him as a special existence even among humans."

Thirteen glanced at his right-hand girl before shifting his gaze back at the Lizardmen Commander, who had a troubled look on his face.

"Do you need us to do something?" Drazzat asked. "Anything?"

"Yes," Thirteen answered. "I want you to take care of my people for the time being. Sherry and I will deal with the Origin Shard."

"We will?" Sherry blinked in confusion.

"We will." Thirteen nodded.

"…Can I decline?"

"No."

Sean, who felt like he was being abandoned, immediately spoke his thoughts.

"Are you going to face that Goblin Emperor with only Sherry accompanying you?" Sean asked.

"Yes," Thirteen replied.

"Then take me with you," Sean insisted. "I can help."

"No," Thirteen stated. "You have another job, and that is to assist the Great Sorceress Erica to keep the other Wanderers safe."

"Great Sorceress Erica?" Sean frowned. "Are you talking about the Sorceress of the Hero Party? That Erica?"

"Yes." Thirteen nodded. "The one and only Erica."

Sean and the other members of the Cygni Faction looked at the teenage boy with doubtful looks on their faces.

"She's here?!" Heidi, who was a big fan of Erica, nearly squealed in excitement.

"Yes," Thirteen replied. "I will guide them back here in the camp after this meeting ends. Together, she and the Varesti Tribe will go to the other battlefields and relay the truth of this war to the other Great Chieftains.

"After that, you must force the Ratmen to agree to a ceasefire agreement by telling them that you know the reason why this war started. Although it will be hard to convince them, you must delay this war as long as possible."

"T-This…" Drazzat didn't know if the other Chieftains would believe his story. "Then can you surrender Kesari to us so that the other Great Chieftains can personally listen to his confession?"

Thirteen shook his head. "I can't. I will need Kesari's help to navigate across the Ratmen's territory and find the location of the Shard of Origin. You need to convince the other Chieftains with your own influence.

"If you really can't convince them, you can help drive away the Ratmen on the other battlefields to force them to retreat for a time. If you are unable to make them retreat then use other tactics. For example, making a Forest Fire."

Drazzat and Tanil glanced at each other because they knew that Zion was being serious.

He had already done this in the past, so they knew the consequences of their actions.

"I know that it's hard to digest, so I'll go pick up my other comrades that are hiding in this region," Thirteen said. "You can give me your decision when I return. But remember this—turning a blind eye to the truth will not solve the problem.

"Only when the Lizardmen and the Ratmen came to a compromise would we be able to put a stop to this war, with both your fighting force intact."

Thirteen scanned the faces of the Lizardmen who were all looking at him and sighed.

"There is a chance that you guys will not only be fighting Goblins soon. Maybe the Human Kingdom in the north will finally make their move when they realize that their plan isn't moving in the direction they intend it to be."

After saying those words, Thirteen left the camp with the members of the Cygni Faction.

All of them wanted to see for themselves if Zion was telling the truth or not about Erica being in the same region as them.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the camp of the Sorceress of the Hero Party, which made Heidi ecstatic.

Erica, who was already expecting their arrival after Tiona's clone informed them beforehand, made a gesture for Thirteen to come closer to him.

"We need to talk," Erica said. "Now."

Thirteen nodded in understanding.

During their journey, he briefed Erica about their current situation, making the Sorceress understand the gist of the current situation.

When the two were finally alone, Erica crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"Take me with you," Erica stated.

"No," Thirteen replied. "You need to lead the Wanderers to safety."

"Don't worry about that." Erica shook her head. "David will lead them in my stead. He has good leadership qualities, and the Apostles also listen to him."

"But he's not you," Thirteen commented. "Some of the Wanderers in my team are the Scions of the Cygni Faction. They are proud and arrogant. They will not allow any ordinary person to command them."

"Then why are you taking that girl, Sherry, with you?" Erica arched an eyebrow. "Can't she lead them instead? Isn't she your second in command?"

"Erica, listen to me," Thirteen said softly. "There are only two people that I can trust at the moment. You and Sherry. I will need Sherry's help in my infiltration mission. If you stay here with the other Wanderers, I will be able to fight without worry because I will be sure that they are in good hands."

"I can help you too, you know?" Erica insisted. "Whatever help she can give you, I can do it better."

"You're being stubborn, Erica."

"Hmph! I'm only doing this because Sister Rianna, Viola, Sharon, and Louise asked me to help you if I ever see you in Solterra. Since I made a promise, I cannot let you go behind enemy lines on your own."

"But I'm with Sherry?" Thirteen tried to reason with the stubborn sorceress.

Erica scoffed. "What can a sniveling Wanderer, who isn't even a Rookie, do that I can't? Or are you saying that I am not competent enough to accompany you on this mission?"

"You know that's not it, Erica." Thirteen scratched his head because he didn't expect that Erica would be this stubborn.

The real reason why he didn't want Erica to accompany him is because the fewer people that knew about Rocky and the others, the better.

However, seeing that she might do something reckless if he suddenly left without telling her, he knew that he would have to compromise.

"Fine, you can come with me," Thirteen relented. "But you will listen to my orders, okay?'

A sweet smile appeared on Erica's face before lightly patting her chest. "Of course. With me around, nothing bad will happen to you!"

"I sure hope so," Thirteen looked unconvinced, but since he already gave his word that Erica could accompany him, he had no choice but to follow through with it.

After a short discussion, the Wanderers agreed to merge with the other Wanderer Team that was waiting in the Lizardmen Tribe.

As for who would become their temporary leader, Thirteen decided to temporarily place them under Sean's command.

Since he was a member of the Monarch Clan, people would accept him as their leader no matter how reluctant they were about it.

Although his leadership skills were still lacking, Thirteen believed that Sean had what it takes to become the temporary leader of the Wanderers while he was away.

Having Erica on his side would make things more convenient for him. Her firepower was something that would come in handy when dealing with dangerous situations.

Truth be told, after experiencing the exhilarating battles with Zion—Sean, Heidi, and their subordinates wished to follow him instead.

But this was where Thirteen put his foot, and firmly said no.

Erica and Sherry were still people he could trust, but the Cygni Faction was another thing.

They were born with a golden spoon on their lips, and their loyalty lay in their families.

If they found out that Thirteen could command monsters that were far higher than his current Rank, they would certainly report it to their families, which would cause unnecessary troubles for him in the future.