Chapter 244: First Meeting of The Eastern Alliances

The female staff member from the City Security Authority listened carefully to Ethan’s instructions.

After receiving them, she bowed politely, excused herself, and left Ethan’s office, heading back toward the front courtyard of LionArk Headquarters.

Her footsteps echoed faintly through the stone corridor as she mentally reviewed her duties, aware that even small mistakes could have serious consequences in the current tense situation.

When she reached the front courtyard, she immediately encountered the delegation from Glorious Sword. This time, however, they were no longer represented by Larson.

Standing at the forefront was their guild leader himself, his presence firm and unmistakable. The reason was simple.

Through the message Ethan had sent earlier, he had explicitly ordered that every allied guild must be represented directly by its guild leader.

Any guild that sent a vice leader or a representative instead would be immediately expelled from the alliance.

That rule applied equally to permanent members and non-permanent members. Ethan made no exceptions.

In his eyes, status, history, or territorial control meant nothing if discipline and commitment were lacking.

Even LionArk itself was subject to the same rule. No one stood above the system he was building.

After confirming the guild leader’s identity and receiving formal approval, the female staff member gestured respectfully and led the man inside.

Together, they walked through the corridors until they reached Ethan’s office. The moment the door opened, the guild leader of Glorious Sword immediately noticed a woman standing quietly inside.

She was the same woman who had utterly defeated Silver Star, the battle that had shaken the eastern plains. Her calm posture alone radiated pressure.

“I’ve brought the representative of Glorious Sword, Sir Ethan,” the staff member announced.

“Good. Thank you. You may return to your post,” Ethan replied.

The woman nodded, stepped backward with proper decorum, and left the room, closing the door behind her. Ethan paused his work, setting aside the documents he had been reviewing.

He stood up and walked toward the man with a small, polite smile on his face, though there was no warmth behind it.

“The alliance meeting will be held tomorrow,” Ethan said calmly.

“You came here personally instead of waiting for that meeting. That means you must have another purpose, right?”

The man’s face tightened instantly. His expression was sharp, irritated, and openly hostile.

Though he was younger than Ethan and had black hair neatly tied back, his bearing was mature, forged by years of authority. He stared at Ethan with undisguised anger.

“What do you mean by placing Glorious Sword as a non-permanent member?” he demanded loudly.

Ethan did not flinch. “What’s wrong? Do you object to that?”

“Of course I do.”

The man slammed his palm against the desk. “Glorious Sword rules Arkban City, one of the most important cities in the eastern plains. And yet you insult us by giving us non-permanent status!”

Ethan remained unbothered. From his perspective, the man’s anger was predictable.

A guild that ruled a city would naturally expect a strategic position within an alliance, preferably permanent membership.

In fact, under normal circumstances, Glorious Sword would have been an obvious candidate.

But reality did not care about pride.

LionArk had placed them among the non-permanent members. That fact alone was something Glorious Sword could not accept.

“I want a logical explanation,” the guild leader snapped.

“Why is my guild’s status so low?”

Ethan exhaled slowly. Compared to Larson, this guild leader was far more foolish and ego-driven than Ethan had anticipated.

“You’re asking for a logical explanation,” Ethan replied flatly, “even though every member of the alliance already knows the reason.”

The man frowned. “What are you saying?”

Ethan’s expression hardened, irritation finally surfacing. “Are you stupid?”

“ETHAN!” the man roared.

In a sudden burst of rage, he lunged forward and grabbed Ethan by the collar of his uniform, his fingers digging in tightly.

“I’m not afraid of you at all!” he shouted.

Ethan reacted immediately. His hand snapped upward, gripping the man’s wrist, and with a sharp twist, he forced the grip to loosen.

The man stumbled back as Ethan freed himself, but the tension did not fade.

“You rejected my initial offer,” Ethan said coldly.

“You chose Silver Star over LionArk.”

The words struck like a blade.

“Now that they’re gone, you come crawling back to me asking for protection. Don’t you feel any shame at all?”

“That’s in the past,” the man argued, his tone shifting slightly.

“We realized our mistake. We want to start over.”

“You have only two options,” Ethan said firmly.

“Remain a non-permanent member, or leave my alliance.”

The man froze. His breath hitched, and he instinctively stepped back several times, his eyes never leaving Ethan’s face. For the first time, uncertainty crept into his expression.

Ethan turned away without another glance, returning to his chair behind the desk. He sat upright, his posture rigid and authoritative.

“You have until tomorrow,” Ethan said.

“If you attend the meeting, I’ll consider you part of the alliance. If you don’t, you’re out.”

He lifted his gaze again, eyes sharp and merciless.

“Is that clear enough for that thick head of yours?”

“Damn you, Ethan!” the man shouted.

Ethan sighed deeply and returned to his paperwork, as though the outburst meant nothing to him. “I’m busy. If there’s nothing else to discuss, you can leave.”

The man stormed out without another word, slamming the door behind him. Ethan watched his departure carefully, his eyes narrowing as the sound of footsteps faded down the corridor.

If this continues, the alliance will never be stable. I have to act.

Ethan stopped working once again and stood up. He left his office and headed to the second floor of the headquarters.

As he walked down the corridor, he spotted the guild leader of Glorious Sword exiting LionArk with an enraged expression.

Several of his guild members followed closely behind, their faces tense.

“Sir Ethan?” a voice called out.

Ethan turned and saw Hanss stepping out of his office. Hanss approached and bowed respectfully.

“Do you need something?”

“Yes,” Ethan replied. “I have a dirty job for you.”

Hanss stiffened slightly in surprise. He glanced to the side and gestured for his aide to leave them alone.

Once they were alone, he invited Ethan into his office. Ethan agreed without hesitation.

Inside, Hanss carefully closed the door and activated the privacy measures. His curiosity was obvious.

“What do you need me to do?” he asked.

After ensuring the room was secure and free from any possibility of eavesdropping, Ethan explained his plan in detail.

As Hanss listened, his face gradually paled. His eyes widened slightly, fully grasping what Ethan intended.

The plan was dangerous. It carried significant risk. One mistake could destabilize everything.

Yet Hanss trusted that Ethan had deeper reasons for issuing such an order.

“Just make sure he doesn’t attend the meeting,” Ethan said simply.

He raised his hand, and Hissy, the venomfang snake, materialized and coiled gently around his palm. The creature radiated faint, lethal pressure.

Ethan handed Hissy to Hanss. The snake’s venom was more than sufficient to render the target completely incapacitated without killing him.

Hanss accepted Hissy carefully. To his surprise, the snake showed no aggression at all, remaining calm and obedient.

“Do it tonight,” Ethan instructed. “Find out where he’s staying. Carry out the task properly and carefully.”

“I understand, Sir Ethan,” Hanss replied.

“I’ll prepare a team to support the operation.”

***

The next day.

The city center was bustling with activity under the bright midday sun. Members of allied guilds stood guard outside, chatting casually with one another.

Laughter and conversation filled the air as old rivalries were temporarily set aside under the banner of cooperation.

Inside the city hall, the guild leaders had already taken their seats. All permanent members of the alliance were present.

They had arrived early in the morning, fully aware of the importance of the first official alliance meeting.

Ethan stood inside Ashley’s office, ensuring she was fully prepared to head to City Hall. Since the meeting required attendance by a guild leader, Ashley would represent LionArk.

She had already been informed and agreed to go with Ethan.

Once everything was ready, Ashley and Ethan departed LionArk Headquarters in a horse-drawn carriage, escorted by a group of LionArk guards.

“I’m really nervous,” Ashley admitted while sitting inside the carriage.

“This is my first time attending a meeting for something this big.”

“You don’t need to worry,” Ethan said calmly.

“They already respect LionArk. They’ve acknowledged our strength.”

“No guild there will dare look down on us.”

Ashley smiled and nodded, her gaze filled with confidence as she looked at Ethan.

Before long, the LionArk convoy arrived in front of City Hall. The noise of the crowd grew louder as people noticed their arrival.

Many turned to look, their expressions filled with awe.

The carriage door opened. Ashley stepped out gracefully, greeting the people around her. Many of the men blushed, their faces turning red.

Quite a few silently wished they could have a partner as elegant, beautiful, and powerful as her.

Ethan exited last, walking just behind Ashley as the crowd’s attention remained fixed on them.

“That’s Ethan and Ashley.”

“They destroyed Silver Town in a single day. They’re terrifying.”

“No wonder LionArk’s reputation has skyrocketed. Those two are the reason.”

When the doors of City Hall opened, the guild leaders inside stood up almost simultaneously. Their heads turned in unison toward Ashley and Ethan.

“Welcome, Miss Ashley, Sir Ethan!” they greeted together.

Ashley smiled and walked toward her designated seat. Ethan sat down beside her. As they took their seats, the rest of the alliance members followed suit.

Ethan scanned the room slowly.

One seat remained empty.

Glorious Sword.

Hanss succeeded.

Ashley stood after exchanging a brief glance with Ethan.

“Very well,” she announced. “The first meeting of the Eastern Alliance is now in session.”

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