Chapter 3422: The Fish That Slipped Through the Net

————It will be later~~

————

"You can speak now, can't you!" The Tide Queen's expression was somewhat displeased.

However, Xia Duo did not feel any genuine dissatisfaction from her; he figured it was merely a facade, and of course, even if it were real, he would not care.

After confirming there were no other irrelevant people in the Star Palace, Xia Duo first briefly introduced the existence of the Illuminati, then revealed the discovery of traces of Sea Elf Magic at the Illuminati, and proposed a request in the name of the Alliance:

"The Illuminati has already become the enemy of the entire world, and we are at a critical juncture, so here, representing the Northland Alliance, I hope the Queen will cooperate with our investigation."

"You want me to cooperate with an investigation?"

If the displeased expression on the Tide Queen's face just now was merely a pretense, then now it was truly filled with emotion—an emotion so intense that even from far away, Xia Duo could feel a rage radiating from her as if a volcano were about to erupt.

Not only that, but the real, undeniable power of the tide flickered in and out, as if she were about to unleash a thunderous strike the next moment.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Consultant Xia Duo means that the situation is urgent, and only by working together can both sides stop the Illuminati's plan to destroy the world. On this point, whether it is the Northland Alliance, Xinnaliya, or Beilunuo, we are all fellow travelers struggling for survival under the threat of world destruction. If we were to have a conflict, wouldn't that just let the Illuminati benefit?"

Currently in the Star Palace, Xia Duo was the Alliance representative, and Mage Tailun and the other Alliance Mages were considered Xia Duo's subordinates. Only Meila could act as an intermediary between the Northland Alliance and Beilunuo, so she hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over.

Yet such an explanation could not satisfy the Tide Queen. She stood on the steps where the throne was located, looking down directly at Xia Duo, and said coldly:

"The threat of world destruction is merely your one-sided word, yet you want me to harbor suspicions toward my own people. I cannot help but doubt your motives. Are you not afraid of angering me and being buried at the bottom of the sea right here?"

The Queen said this, but she did not actually take action. The meaning could not be clearer: either she was starting to believe Xia Duo but lacked further evidence, or she did not dare to act. Regardless, Xia Duo was not worried.

Meila wanted to continue explaining, but Xia Duo stopped her. He did not wish to place himself in the position of a supplicant, nor would the Alliance allow him to place the Alliance in such a position.

"The talk of the Illuminati destroying the world is certainly no falsehood. I will not explain this too much; in truth, it is hard to understand without experiencing it firsthand. But I must remind the Queen—"

"The traces of Sea Elf Magic we discovered at the Illuminati may allow us to track further clues and play a certain positive role in the war, but this is not a necessity, and it is absolutely not something Beilunuo can use to leverage the Alliance."

"I came on this trip only to fulfill my duty, because we did indeed find Sea Elves. But if the Queen insists on not cooperating, then I will leave now."

"From here on, regardless of the outcome of the final battle with the Illuminati, it will have nothing to do with Beilunuo. If the Illuminati wins, the entire world will be destroyed in an instant. If the Alliance wins, we will surely settle accounts with all the remnants of the Illuminati after the war."

"I have said all I have to say. Whether to cooperate, the Queen may decide with a single word!"

If there were other consultants to the Queen in this Star Palace, Xia Duo would not have forced her in front of the Tide Queen's subordinates. But now, only the Tide Queen herself was here. "Forcing" sounded harsh, but it was indeed as he said: the Queen could decide this matter with a single word.

Of course, even if the Tide Queen refused in words, Xia Duo would not truly leave. It would merely mean completely tearing off the mask. Just as he said, having already tracked them to Beilunuo, he could never easily give up.

After all, this was the only lead at the moment. If he gave up, time might not be on the Alliance's side to let them find other clues.

And now, because Xia Duo did not want to waste time bickering, he had spoken in absolute terms. The pressure immediately shifted to the Tide Queen. She frowned and stared fixedly at Xia Duo, as if trying to find some flaw in his expression.

But Xia Duo was very calm, meeting the Tide Queen's gaze. As they stared at each other, the anger on the Tide Queen's face gradually subsided, and her expression became exceptionally grave. Although she was very resentful in her heart, she also knew she was facing a crucial choice.

Her choice might not determine the fate of the entire world, but it was highly likely to change the fate of Beilunuo.

She did not want to make such a choice, at least not under such circumstances where she was forced into a corner with no retreat. Thinking of this, her resentment toward Xia Duo grew even heavier.

Yet, unlike before when she could use her lack of understanding of the current situation to display her anger, if she continued to display anger now, and it was misinterpreted by the other party as a refusal, that would not be a good thing.

In the end, even if the Tide Queen considered the ocean a barrier, she still harbored fear toward the land, let alone the Alliance of nations on the land. Its power was so great that the ocean might not necessarily become a barrier for Beilunuo.

Or perhaps she could stand on the side of the so-called Illuminati? But just hearing the other party say the Illuminati's goal was to destroy the world, how was standing on the Illuminati's side any different from suicide!

Yet, to just agree to the other party's request like this, the Tide Queen was unwilling. This was only cooperating with an investigation; if there were further requests later, would she have to agree to those as well?

She worried that once this precedent was set, she would no longer be able to maintain her independence.

……

Just as the Tide Queen was hesitating in her heart, Xia Duo suddenly spoke: "Just a moment ago, Xinnaliya already sent a formal application to join the Alliance."

"Currently, the Alliance is busy dealing with the world-destroying crisis triggered by the Illuminati, but there should be no surprises regarding the approval of Xinnaliya's application after the war."

"If Beilunuo is willing, it can also join the Alliance. In this way, the investigation would only be conducted within the Alliance, and Your Majesty would also have a plausible explanation for your subjects."

"In return, after the war, I can propose to the Alliance in my capacity as a Consultant to allow Beilunuo to open up a New Homeland in the coastal areas near the Alliance and carry out more cooperation."

Inviting Beilunuo to join the Alliance was not a decision made on a whim, but one Xia Duo made after fully understanding Beilunuo on the way here.

Of course, the premise was that Beilunuo was willing to cooperate with his investigation into the Illuminati's clues.

As for Xinnaliya's application to join, it was not something he made up on the spot; the Alliance Headquarters had indeed received it. It was delivered to the Alliance Headquarters shortly after they left Xinnaliya.

It was just that this information had not been synchronized to him at the time. It was only after the Alliance representatives discussed it that they had just now synchronized Xinnaliya's application and the preliminary opinions of various countries to him.

In principle, the Alliance welcomed any country within the Northland to join. Although Xinnaliya's location was a bit remote, it was still considered within the Northland.

But in reality, because of the newly discovered Mithril Mine in the Grey Peak Mountains, the various countries of the Alliance did not wish for another mouth to share this big cake.