Chapter 1711: Meeting the Grand Elder, A Tour of Visits

Although Laierlesi did not refuse the invitation, Xia Duo knew that it was not an easy matter for the other party to truly set out, let alone the further exchange he had been looking forward to.

Therefore, he now cherished this rare opportunity for exchange all the more.

……

Not long after, the sky gradually dimmed, and little lights rose within the manor; the exchange between Xia Duo and Laierlesi had not ended, but the fact that there had been no results from Laruian's side made Xia Duo somewhat restless.

Although he had already demonstrated to Laruian the only chance for Evereska's future survival, there was no guarantee that some Elders, who thought highly of themselves, would not insist on meddling in the struggle between Netheril and Cormanthor.

The lack of results for such a long time perhaps also indicated that Laruian's trip was not going smoothly.

Seeming to notice that Xia Duo was somewhat absent-minded during their exchange, Laierlesi suggested, "Lord Xia Duo, it is now dinner time; why don't we have dinner first and continue our discussion later!"

"That works."

Xia Duo did not refuse; he possessed quite a bit of knowledge regarding the Mythallar, but he dared not claim to surpass the Elf Mage before him. After nearly two hours of exchange, his train of thought had become somewhat chaotic.

It was just as well to take advantage of the meal time to sort things out, and of course, to wait for news from Laruian.

Additionally, the Portal from Evereska to Seventon was now closed and would not reopen until after the Midsummer Festival; he had already missed the last bus, so he simply let himself go.

He only needed to return to Netheril before sunrise tomorrow to attend the Territory's Sun Rising Ceremony, which was not a difficult task for Xia Duo, provided that the reply from Laruian's side would not be dragged out until tomorrow.

……

The dinner was called a "meal," but it was actually a "banquet." Weila, Laruian's second son, had also returned and apologized to Xia Duo at the banquet for the day's events, perhaps because Laruian had given instructions in advance.

Weila's performance was somewhat inconsistent with the description Xia Duo had heard from the Ming Shui Chamber of Commerce, but that did not matter; Xia Duo accepted the other party's apology.

However, there was no follow-up; Weila did not mention how the arms procurement matter was to be handled, perhaps waiting for further instructions from Laruian.

And Xia Duo was not prepared to personally negotiate business that was somewhat inconsistent with his current status, so the not-so-lively banquet soon came to an end in a slightly strange atmosphere.

After the banquet ended, just as Xia Duo was preparing to continue discussing topics related to the Mythallar with Laierlesi, Laruian returned to the manor with a look of exhaustion and brought a piece of news:

"Lord Xia Duo, the Grand Elder invites you to meet at the Cloud Crown Palace. The other Elders of the Council are also there. The Grand Elder will personally clarify Evereska's future attitude and stance to you, as well as the plan for handling this incident."

Xia Duo was startled upon hearing this. Although he had prepared to make contact with the upper echelons of Evereska before coming, he truly felt a wave of pressure upon him to be this formal and to meet with all members of the Council of Elders.

"I understand, I will go over now."

"Please!"

……

Under Laruian's guidance, Xia Duo took a Flying Disk from the Golden Maple Family's manor, heading straight to the Cloud Crown Palace at the top of the Cloudtop Tower, and stepped off the "disk" at a docking terrace on the periphery.

"Lord Xia Duo, this way please!"

"Mm."

Xia Duo was actually not unfamiliar with the Cloud Crown Palace; he had been here on the day the Northland Alliance was established and had even seen a performance during the banquet. Now that he was here again, his state of mind was completely different.

Soon, the one man and one Elf arrived at the central main hall. Xia Duo only took one look from the outside and saw more than a dozen Elves inside, far more than the members of the Council of Elders that Laruian had just mentioned.

He guessed that they might be Elder Consultants and members of the High Mage Council, but this one-versus-many approach made Xia Duo somewhat dissatisfied.

Perhaps it was this dissatisfaction that reconciled the pressure from just a moment ago; the moment he stepped into the main hall, his heart became incomparably calm. Compared to these Elves who were ready for battle, he, who had come prepared, should be even more composed!

"Respected Grand Elder Ankalita, Seven Towers Envoy Xia Duo pays his respects to you!"

Xia Duo bowed slightly and then turned to the other six Elders, nodding to them in greeting. As for the remaining Elves of unknown status, he could not be bothered with them, nor did he need to.

"Lord Xia Duo, the first time we met was on the day of the Northland Alliance's establishment a year ago. Such a vivid memory feels like it was just yesterday to me. Compared to the development speed of humans, Elves are truly too slow."

As if reminiscing, and as if sighing with emotion, Grand Elder Ankalita finally arrived at today's main topic after a lot of nonsense:

"Thank you to the Seven Towers, and thank you to Lord Xia Duo for your guidance on Evereska's current situation and even its future path. Here, in the name of the Evereska Council of Elders, I reiterate Evereska's principle of neutrality."

"Please convey to the Seven Towers that Evereska fully accepts and agrees with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence proposed by Netheril, and will implement them in future interactions with all countries."

"In addition, after discussion by the Council of Elders just now, we have decided to send delegations to all countries to promote and push for the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to take root in the Northland Alliance. May life be evergreen and peace always remain!"

Xia Duo did not expect the other party to actually send delegations to promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, but this was exactly what he wanted. As long as peace became the mainstream in the Northland, Cormanthor's aggressive ambitions would inevitably be suppressed or even struck down.

Having experienced the Drow War, Xia Duo believed that the people of the Northland would make the right choice.

"Grand Elder Ankalita is wise and righteous. Evereska will surely gain long-term stability because of the decision made by you and the Elders!"

"Lord Xia Duo, the Evereska propaganda delegation will be led by Elder Laruian. Their first stop will be Netheril, and the time is set for tomorrow. I hope the Seven Towers will provide the delegation with certain conveniences regarding the management of the Permanent Teleportation Portal between the two countries."

The time is set for tomorrow?

Xia Duo was startled in his heart and looked up at Ankalita. He saw only firmness in the other party's eyes, without a trace of hesitation, which made him feel very surprised.

He had originally thought that Evereska might be a bit more tactful, first discussing the cancellation of the wager with the Cormanthor Ambassador, and then trading arms with him privately.

He did not expect that they would directly launch a Northland tour. Such decisiveness not only made Xia Duo feel shocked, but Cormanthor would likely also be caught off guard!

To a certain extent, this behavior might even be considered a signal that Evereska was leaning completely toward Netheril.

If Cormanthor misjudged the situation and even took some harsh countermeasures as a result, it might really trigger a war.