Chapter 1795: Two-Handed Preparation for War Negotiations

Outside the secret chamber, among the members of the Seven Towers, only Badijiaer maintained a relatively calm state of mind; after all, when they had launched the surprise attack on Prince Se Er, the other party had already revealed his identity.

Although he had felt at the time that things might be difficult to resolve later, continuing the action and even bringing Se Er back were decisions he had made only after weighing the situation.

"Everyone, it is precisely because Prince Se Er's identity is special that Kemansuoer might not let go easily; this is our only opportunity."

What Badijiaer said certainly had some merit, but under these circumstances, would Kemansuoer still remain rational and negotiate with Netheril?

Even Badijiaer was not necessarily certain, let alone the others; the expression on Haruisi's face at this moment was twisted into a knot, staring fixedly at Prince Se Er, who remained motionless in the secret chamber.

Just then, someone suddenly said: "If this Prince Se Er is truly related to some secret plan of Yilisier Mianwang, then even if we send him back, the other party will likely believe we have learned of certain secrets. In order to stabilize the country, they might not hesitate to use this as an excuse to provoke a dispute between the two nations."

"No, I don't think it should count as any secret."

The one speaking was Lander, the current Controller of Morien Tower; he had remained silent ever since seeing Prince Se Er, and this was his first time speaking:

"Prince Se Er's identity is right there; could those Upper Families not see through Yilisier's little intentions? Perhaps they are even very happy to see a Crown King Family with a stable succession appear!"

The emergence of a Crown King in the Elf Kingdom is indeed jointly recommended by various families, but if one family or one lineage acts fairly and satisfies all parties, or if changing to another family to take power would cause much dissatisfaction, then what is the problem?

Then what is the problem with letting the Crown King title be passed down within one family?

After all, a consensus had long been formed in the Elf World: the Crown King is not an absolute ruler, but rather more like a spokesperson for external affairs, or an arbitrator for internal ones.

Lander's words reminded Badijiaer that Prince Se Er might not be a sufficiently powerful bargaining chip; of course, compared to an ordinary member of an Upper Family, he was still many times more significant.

"Lander makes sense, but we must still prepare for war. Of course, our main goal is not to go to war with them; recovering the Nether Scroll is!"

After setting the tone, Badijiaer looked around and, seeing that no one had any objections, continued: "We can keep Prince Se Er's capture undisclosed for now. Once Kemansuoer investigates and finds out, we will then reveal Limox, and simultaneously negotiate with them. Our bottom line is that they must hand over the remaining Nether Scrolls; going further, we will demand they admit to the theft from back then and provide appropriate compensation. As for what means we should use to achieve our goal, I believe—"

At this point, Badijiaer hesitated for a moment, but still firmly stated his view: "Including but not limited to a public trial of Prince Se Er, or even war!"

Just as he finished speaking, Haruisi showed a look of terror; never mind direct war, he felt that even a public trial of Prince Se Er was very dangerous.

Elves value face above all else; if such a thing were done, even if it didn't lead to direct war, the relationship between the two countries would drop to freezing point and be difficult to ease again.

"Badijiaer, let's forget about a public trial or anything like that. What is the difference between proposing such a thing and war?"

Haruisi was accustomed to being conservative, especially toward Elves, where his conservatism bordered on fawning, but this time, even Hadelaien, who was always at odds with him, expressed support for him:

"Haruisi is right. The situation in the Northland is currently unclear; it is best not to excessively provoke Kemansuoer."

"I agree with Hadelaien's view. The assassination of the Evereska Elder is very unfavorable for Netheril. Stabilizing Kemansuoer is conducive to consolidating the position of the Small Nations Alliance; this is the long-term interest."

Following this, one after another, the remaining Controllers successively dissuaded Badijiaer.

Regarding this, Badijiaer could only accept it in silence; without the support of others, even if he wanted a public trial, he could not do it. But changing his perspective, as long as the negotiations went smoothly, there would be no need for a public trial; he would just take it one step at a time!

Thinking this way, Badijiaer then proposed: "Haruisi, you deal with Elves more often, so leave the negotiations to you. Remember our bottom line and requirements. As for what means to use, feel free to use your own discretion, but one thing: once it is determined there is no possibility of further negotiation, you must notify me in time."

To this, Haruisi said solemnly:

"I understand. Even if there are times I cannot understand your thinking, I always remember that I am human, and a part of the Seven Towers."

The others had no objections to Badijiaer's decision, only silently preparing for the worst in their hearts.

"That's it, go get busy; I still have to go out."

After everyone left, Badijiaer took one last look at the motionless Elf and Gnome in the secret chamber, and turned to leave without hesitation.

Asikeer, Courage Arena.

Ailikante's investigation had come to a temporary pause; he had already found some clues, and although there was no direct evidence, it was enough for him to deduce the identity of the attackers.

After giving the Dwarf another beating, he took his team and continued the pursuit.

In the Xiu Xi Shi, the Holy Hammer Warrior Gelu and the King's Envoy both looked rather unpleasant; no one would feel happy being treated as a minor character who could be ordered around at will and humiliated in public.

"Envoy, I'm afraid this matter won't be settled easily!" Gelu was both indignant and worried.

The King's Envoy, however, although his face looked unpleasant at the moment, was still able to analyze calmly: "Don't worry, he did this for me to see. As long as Danzo supports Kemansuoer on the matter of the Ancient Fortress, they won't pursue anything. After all, it wasn't our fault to begin with; it just happened that the attackers chose this place."

"But will supporting Kemansuoer in participating in the struggle for the Ancient Fortress go against our consistent stance in the past?"

"You thought of that? Not bad!"

The Envoy joked half-heartedly, but Gelu was in no mood to respond, only providing some volume: "Uncle, I'm talking about serious business!"

"What I'm saying is also serious business. Rest assured, King Baside has more Wisdom than you or I imagine; he will definitely make a choice that is more beneficial to Danzo."

"What will the King do?" Gelu asked in pursuit.

"The King will, of course, do what he ought to do."

The Envoy did not answer directly, but changed the subject and asked Gelu: "Do you know which is the most prosperous city in the Northland?"

"Kemansuoer? Or Taiweimansa? Or perhaps Evereska?"

"None of them." The Envoy shook his head, "The ones you mentioned are only prosperous as cities themselves, but what I am talking about is the prosperity of trade with the surrounding areas. Guess again?"

With such an obvious hint, Gelu just didn't like to think, but he wasn't truly stupid, so he immediately said with certainty: "Could it be Asikeer?"