Chapter 451: A week.

“You finally get it, Elder Draksis.”

Kael spoke with a smile, his words confusing not just Draksis but the rest of the Elders present in the Hall as well.

“If you had problems, instead of blaming everything on us and attacking people we care about, you point out those problems and say what you feel. This is the way a discussion should continue.

The points you raised, I am not against any of them.

What happened at the Wall happened because of the two of us. If we weren’t here, Zephyr wouldn’t have come here with Drakthar’s Army, the men of the Watch wouldn’t have had to move and would have been able to defend the Wall without any issues, like they have always done.

The same is true for the Spy. Other than a child, I did not find anyone despite the power I was given. I couldn’t even find the one who broke the Faith, affecting the supply of the Divine Rations.

Heck, thinking about it from a certain perspective, you can even say that the reason you people are facing your current predicament is because we are here with you. If we weren’t, you would have been able to survive the winter just fine. Sure, a few people would have died from enemy attacks, a few from hunger, and no Velmourn would have ever felt what having a full belly feels like, but still, you would have survived for sure, like you always have.”

Kael answered, the smile on his face turning sarcastic, almost mockful as he glanced at all the Elders in the room. The Elders, especially Draksis, glared at him. Kael, however, seemed oblivious to it and continued.

“You are indeed correct about it all. With so little we have done for the Velmourns, I can see how you and everyone in this room would have a difficult time trusting the two of us.

And of course, we are not the ones in charge, we obviously cannot force you to make a decision—we can merely suggest what to do. ‘Trusting’ us or not is entirely up to you.

So you have two options here.

Either you do what Lavinia suggested and keep the men from going beyond the Wall while we find the truth of what is actually happening,

Or you continue the discussion and come up with another strategy.

The choice is yours.”

Kael shrugged with a carefree look on his face, almost as if whatever’s decided was of no concern to him.

Soon, however, as if he recalled something, he glanced at Draksis again and—

“Right, there is also the third option.

You can wait for Zephyr to return and try to ‘hand’ us over to them.

Though I strongly suggest against that. If you want us to leave, say it now and we will, but trying to ‘hand’ us over… it won’t end well—

For any of you.”

“…”

Draksis gritted his teeth in silence. He did not know what to say, and before he could come up with something in his head—

“That won’t be needed.”

Aelindra spoke up.

“None of us want you to leave.”

She spoke, staring at Kael. Then, after side-eyeing Draksis, she turned back and—

“None of us are ungrateful enough to discredit what you have done for us, neither do we plan on giving up on you.

The current predicament we are facing, it isn’t happening because the two of you are here, it is happening because the enemy can see that the flow of winds is changing.

They see the effects your presence might have on the Velmourns, and they fear that.

These actions are nothing more than their futile attempts to stop what is happening—attempts to keep things the way they were before—”

The Warden of Provision then directly stared at the Forge Leader and—

“—where our people starved, barely survived, and lost their lives to sickness and hunger.”

Aelindra then turned back to Kael, and with a determined look on her face,

“But we do not wish to live like that, not anymore.”

She declared.

For a moment, the entire Hall stayed silent. Aelindra’s words got a reaction out of everyone. Sure, not everyone had the same thoughts as her—some of them wanted to play it safe, to keep doing what they have always done and live.

But…

Some were willing to take a step forward, into a bigger world—the world their ancestors had once conquered.

Seeing her words had an effect, Aelindra turned towards Morvain and—

“Matriarch, I am with Lord Kael and Lady Lavinia. I suggest trusting them and doing as Lady Lavinia suggested.”

She gave her opinion.

Her words made Draksis’s face ugly, but this time, he wasn’t alone.

“We cannot keep our people within the Walls, you should know that better than anyone, Aelindra.”

Tarevian spoke, staring at Aelindra with a solemn look on his face.

Aelindra turned silent. Tarevian, on the other hand, glanced at Lavinia and—

“Food isn’t the only thing we secure beyond the Wall. Beast Eggs, Wood, other essential minerals and resources—everything comes from beyond the Wall, especially the wood.

During the winter, when fire is needed the most, the wood is essential, not just to spread heat but to cook food as well.

We are already short on wood. Our current reserves won’t last more than a week, so staying behind the Wall indefinitely is not an option, not until we secure all the resources we need.”

“What if we bring these resources you mentioned?”

Suddenly, Kael spoke up.

The Dragon Rider stared at the Voice of the Commonfolk and—

“It has been a while since my child and I have roamed outside of the Heights. What if we bring the wood and everything else you need from the Shrouded Wilds? Would you listen to us then?”

“The woods of the Heights are easy to burn and last longer.”

Tarevian tried to counter but—

“The woods of the Heights come with the risk of sending our men to their deaths.”

Kael spoke in a much stricter voice, and in an instant, Tarevian lowered his head and turned silent.

It did not matter if he agreed with Kael or not, his personal opinion could not be above the lives of their soldiers.

“A week.”

Finally, the Matriarch spoke up.

Kael turned towards her, and the woman continued—

“I will give you a week. Bring me all the information we require—why the Stormcallers are targeting us, if they are receiving help, then who is helping them, and how this help is being provided.

I want to know everything, and during this time, we will do exactly as you said and keep our men inside the Wall.”

Morvain then took a slight pause and then,

“Also, during this time, Aelindra will provide you with the list of everything that needs to be secured from the forest, and you will be responsible for securing wood from the Shrouded Wilds. Is that clear?”

“Works for me.”

Kael nodded. Lavinia did the same.

“What if they do not find anything within a week?”

Draksis questioned in a low, unsatisfied voice. Hearing his words, a serious look appeared on Morvain’s face and—

“Then we plan our own counterattack against the Stormcallers.”

She declared.

Kael didn’t mind that either. According to their plan, a week was more than enough. According to Imperia, even in the worst-case scenario, the Ants would find at least a few Whisperveil colonies within two days. Even if it took two days for them to bring the Whisperveils here, by the fifth day, they would be prepared to spread the Ants all over the Heights Forests to know and understand what exactly was going on.

Kael was certain that in three days, they would know what they wanted to know.

Suddenly, under his cloak, Kael felt a little nudge—a signal from Imperia that she had something to say and that they should leave. So without wasting any time—

“Is there anything else?”

Kael questioned as he prepared to leave the meeting hall.

Lavinia, too, seemed eager to leave. Today was a long day. She couldn’t deliver the lectures because of all the things that had popped up, neither was she able to take time out to practice her own magic—something she could tell she would need very quickly now.

“Yes.”

The Matriarch’s answer, however, was different from Kael’s expectation. Lavinia frowned as she glanced at her, and the Matriarch—

“The Divine Rations.”

She questioned with a hesitant look on her face.

Because Kael and Lavinia had done everything independently, the Matriarch never involved herself with the Divine Rations. Even when Aelindra reported to her about how the two of them were distributing the food to everyone and how the food was much more delicious than anything they ever had,

The Matriarch did not personally visit the place, fearing it might break the established order. Instead of herself, she wanted her people to enjoy the delicacies first. But now…

Now that the Divine Rations had disappeared, the Matriarch couldn’t help but get involved.

“Is there a way to restore their production?”

Lavinia stared at the woman in front of her for a while, and after a brief pause—

“It depends on the Faith Energy I—”

“I know all that. I have read the reports Aelindra gave me.”

Morvain cut her off, then leaned forward with a serious look on her face and—

“I am asking you.

Do you think the production of the Divine Rations can be restored?”

The Matriarch questioned, looking straight into Lavinia’s eyes, as if what she was asking and what she meant to ask were different.

Lavinia took another pause and then—

“It is.”

“How?”

“We are working on it.”

“How long would it take?”

“Hopefully a day.”

“…that is a relief.”

“Mm.”

And just like that, the brief conversation ended.

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