Chapter 2018: Points of Contention, Promotion Event

A moment later, Suweilisi finished his negotiations and returned to Hengchun Square, bringing back a Gold Elf Warrior wearing lightweight, hollow-carved armor with a long sword at his waist.

Before returning, he had already explained the identity of this Gold Elf Warrior via Sending—he was a squadron captain of the Trade Wind Unit, established by Keman to monitor the movements of dragons and Drow in the Dragonspine Mountains.

"Captain Andaluo, before you are the Envoys from the Northland Alliance. They wish to understand everything that just occurred in this area; you shall brief them."

"Yes, Consultant Suweilisi."

Andaluo bowed to the negotiating representatives of the various nations, then introduced: "Just a moment ago, the camp received word that the Mythallar had experienced an abnormal disturbance. After inspection, it was discovered that the source of the disturbance was right in this vicinity."

"Afterward, I dispatched a small team to investigate the situation, and it just so happened that we encountered all of you Envoys—"

At this point, Andaluo paused. Xia Duo understood that the other party was referring to the fact that the Floating City had blocked their teleportation. However, Andaluo's previous words had already made it very clear: before the Floating City arrived, this area had already experienced a Mythallar disturbance.

If his deduction was correct, that must have been when the Demon Descendants were performing Trace Erasure.

As for the commotion caused by the Demon Descendants' teleportation, compared to the Mythallar disturbance, that minor matter was not worth mentioning, yet someone still asked:

"Before the Mythallar disturbance, were any teleportation signals detected?"

"Yes, but because teleportation is not prohibited in this area, we did not pay it any mind at first, not until the Mythallar began to fluctuate."

"Then what is the purpose of the Mythallar you have set up here?"

This question was more or less off-topic and also involved classified information. Andaluo glanced at Suweilisi, and seeing him nod, he continued to answer:

"The Mythallar in this area is primarily used to monitor the activity signs of dragons in the Dragonspine Mountains, as well as the status of several ley line weak points."

"The Underground Passage from the Drow War did not exist from the beginning; it was modified through ley line weak points, so the higher-ups place great importance on this area."

"The main mission of our Trade Wind Unit is to monitor and look after those ley line weak points to ensure they are not utilized by the Drow."

"Regarding teleportation signals, we usually only record them without interfering, but Mythallar issues concern our primary duties, which is why we were so tense."

After Andaluo finished speaking, he stood motionless, like an exquisitely crafted Statue. Suweilisi glanced at the representatives, and seeing that no one else had questions, he dismissed Andaluo.

……

After Andaluo left, Suweilisi immediately characterized the event:

"It now appears that the one who appeared here just now and caused the Mythallar disturbance must have been the Demon Descendants who attacked us!"

Regarding his conclusion, the representatives did not raise any objections; after all, the probability of Keman and Netheril colluding was truly too small.

Next, Xia Duo once again steered the Floating City back above Adofier Fortress. As for those few traces of the Demon Descendants in the Dragonspine Mountains, there was actually no need to pay them any attention.

All traces had been swept clean; a trace that was no longer a trace would yield nothing even if studied. The truly critical factor was the Demon Descendants themselves.

Thus, in the resumed negotiations, the term "Demon Descendant" appeared more frequently.

But the negotiations were not going smoothly. After Xia Duo settled Buluode and sent away the Yierlan Mage he had previously invited, the negotiations within the venue still failed to achieve any key breakthroughs.

The points of contention among the various parties mainly involved four aspects—

First, the issue of supermagic regarding both Yierlan and Siluwende in this battle. Yierlan had already prepaid a portion of the Supermagic Fine before the battle, but based on the scale of this conflict, the amount prepaid was far from enough.

As for Siluwende, although they were the side on the defensive, the Northland Alliance had no regulations stating that the defensive side could be exempt from the Magic Restriction Treaty, so they also required a fine.

Additionally, a representative tentatively mentioned Xia Duo's Floating City, but was blocked by Badijiaer on the grounds that it was not within the scope of this discussion.

Second was the issue of the ownership of the southern region of Siluwende, which had been occupied by Yierlan in this battle. This point was mainly a dispute between Yierlan and Siluwende.

One demanded to keep it, the other demanded its return. The other representatives mainly watched as spectators, but were more inclined toward having Yierlan return those regions to Siluwende.

After all, the future Siluwende might be placed under the trusteeship of various nations, and having a larger territory was always better.

The third point of contention was highly sensitive: it concerned the issue of screening for Demon Descendants within Yierlan. Judging by the current situation, the Spirit Wind Family should not be an isolated case; there were bound to be more Magic Bloodline Families hidden within the upper echelons of Yierlan.

But on this issue, Adalier, who was participating in the negotiations on behalf of Yierlan, could not easily compromise. Once the Permission Level for screening was handed over, it would absolutely be a disaster, whether for himself or for Yierlan itself.

The fourth point of contention was the issue of Yierlan's reparations to Siluwende for this battle, with the legal basis being the resolution on Yierlan's unjust war recently passed by the Northland Alliance meeting.

But just like the previous demand to return the occupied southern region of Siluwende, Adalier did not acknowledge the issue of war reparations, saying only that they could provide some aid to the disaster-stricken people of Siluwende; reparations were impossible.

At the same time, Adalier also pointed out that even the aid would have to wait until the negotiations concluded, and the specific amount of aid would need to be decided after discussions in Taiweimansa.

It could be said that apart from the Supermagic Fine issue, Adalier was extremely persistent on the other points of contention, yielding almost not an inch, unwilling to compromise in the slightest.

Adalier's attitude was as if the unanimous targeting of Yierlan by the representatives of various nations at this moment did not exist at all, but clearly, the decision of the various nations to target and restrict Yierlan was not an illusion.

At the same time, in the face of this targeting, Yierlan was by no means as indifferent as Adalier appeared. If they truly did not care at all, faced with such conditions that could be called humiliation and bullying, Adalier would have long since left the venue in anger.

Not leaving, and staying the whole time, was enough to explain many things.

……

However, the stalemate in negotiations was not without a shred of benefit. For Xia Duo, the fact that the representatives of various nations were gathered on the Floating City was itself of extraordinary significance.

When the negotiations once again fell into a deadlock and it was nearing mealtime, Xia Duo decisively held a Daxia gourmet promotion event for the representatives of the various nations at Hengchun Square.

As the premier chef of the Territory, Kuke was brought from the Territory to the Floating City by Xia Duo, along with his eighteen most excellent Apprentices, experiencing the feeling of crossing a Portal for the first time in their lives.

At Hengchun Square, Kuke looked up at the other "small city" floating above. Even now, his head was still a bit dizzy—not from the teleportation, but from the Lord's words earlier—

Asking him to prepare gourmet food for the Elves and introduce the unique gourmet culture of Daxia Territory.

He, a human, when had he ever been able to stand so openly before a group of Elves!

It was not just Kuke; Kuke's Apprentices were no better off. Their faces, not yet tanned dark like Kuke's, were flushed with a trace of excitement.