Chapter 337 - 330 — What Happens If We Don’t

The eight captives were escorted back under heavy guard. Lucien waited until the thick chamber doors clicked securely shut before turning his attention directly toward Aurethar.

"Well?"

Aurethar remained quiet for a long moment, staring thoughtfully at the polished wood of the table. For once, there was not a trace of his usual lingering sarcasm.

"When I left the Central Continent, fighting against the demons was hardly unusual," Aurethar admitted softly as Cedric closed the heavy doors behind the guard detail.

Malen, Gandalf, and Lucas remained quietly around the table.

"There was always something happening somewhere," Aurethar continued. "Minor raids that spiraled into bloody campaigns. Border clashes that escalated into full-scale wars. Some ended quickly, while others dragged on for painful years."

Lucien leaned back into his seat. "So the brutal reality of Avarran itself does not surprise you."

"The existence of another war does not," Aurethar replied, his expression hardening. "A single war lasting for years, drawing massive reinforcements from both sides, and becoming serious enough for the High Council to drain that much ancient soulsilver? That part is entirely new to me."

Malen pulled out a heavy chair and sat down. "You truly knew nothing about Avarran before today?"

"Nothing at all," Aurethar confirmed, looking across at him. "I have been completely cut off from the Central Continent for a very long time."

Lucien nodded slowly. "But you intimately know the leaders who authorized their expedition."

"I knew them," Aurethar corrected carefully. "Venn, Karrek, Threll, Vaen, Ugarr Mok... I know exactly what kind of rulers they were when I left."

Lucas folded his arms tightly across his chest. "And what does that tell you?"

"It tells me they would never jointly commit to the same risky expedition over a minor problem," Aurethar said, turning to Lucien. "I cannot tell you how desperate Avarran is today; I only know what those eight specialists disclosed. But I know the minds behind them, and that alone is enough reason to take this threat with utmost seriousness."

Lucien considered the weight of those names. "One stolen armored design should not single-handedly decide a continental war."

"It did not," Aurethar answered instantly. "It drastically shifted the balance of an existing one."

The atmosphere in the council room grew noticeably quieter.

"The demons were already established in Avarran," Aurethar explained. "They possessed raw numbers, formidable mages, terrifying monsters, and veteran warlords. The Alliance was holding the line—until the demons introduced the Warhounds. Suddenly, static fronts that held firm for years began collapsing."

Lucien absorbed the bitter implications. He understood the Warhound’s devastating tactical impact better than anyone in the room, having drawn its schematics himself.

Lucas broke the silence. "How much of this destruction is actually our responsibility?"

"The core design originated in our foundries, but we never handed it to the demons," Cedric countered firmly. "The Veiled Church stole the blueprints."

"And the Church serves the demon warlords," Gandalf added quietly.

Malen leaned back, folding his arms. "That still does not make Avarran’s survival our obligation."

"No," Lucien agreed, his gaze falling to the table. "It doesn’t but refusing to acknowledge it will not make the Warhounds on the battlefield disappear either."

Aurethar gave a single, firm nod. "That is the only useful perspective. Fault matters far less than consequence. You did not deliberately arm the enemy, yet they wield your weapon all the same."

Lucas broke the brief lull. "Are you considering extending direct aid to Avarran?"

"With what resources?" Cedric chimed in before Lucien could speak. "We are already straining our supply lines to prepare for our own impending war. Anything shipped across the world must be carved directly out of our own defenses."

"Production, ammunition, trained crews, replacement engines, spare parts," Lucas listed, measuring the heavy cost. "Not to mention the time required for specialized training."

Neither commander was refusing to help; both were calculating the raw arithmetic of survival.

"The Alliance will ask for help eventually," Aurethar noted thoughtfully. "They spent generations of accumulated soulsilver to send eight valuable specialists through an unstable shield with no promised route back. If those eight report what Elarion has built, the High Council will not simply ignore us."

"They cannot report anything while trapped here," Gandalf pointed out.

"Which brings us to the immediate dilemma," Aurethar said. "The crossing itself. The Alliance used an experimental method they didn’t even trust to bring their own people home."

Lucien looked toward Gandalf. "Could the original apparatus be recreated from our side?"

"Not with our current understanding," Gandalf admitted with a shake of his head.

"The Alliance has studied thin planar points for centuries," Aurethar added. "I know old theories, but not whatever breakthroughs they achieved after my departure and even if it is possible we dont have the soulsilver."

Lucien remembered Elenwe’s specialized skills. "She stabilized their transit here through ancient warding structures. Gandalf, I want you to consult with her—under strict guard, of course."

Cedric gave a sharp nod of approval. "Good."

"So the eight are no longer treated as ordinary infiltrators," Lucas observed.

"They were never ordinary captives," Lucien said, placing both palms flat on the table. "They will remain under tight guard without free movement or access to sensitive sectors. However, we cease treating every conversation as a hostile interrogation. I want full strategic briefings."

Cedric nodded. "I’ll organize joint briefings under Vale’s lead. The others can verify his details."

Lucien turned to Lucas. "I also require a comprehensive assessment of what material Elarion could spare without compromising our own defense readiness."

"I’ll gather precise figures from the foundries and armories immediately," Lucas replied.

"And troop deployments?" Cedric pressed.

"No soldiers," Lucien answered firmly. "Not yet. I will not commit our blood to another continent’s slaughter based on preliminary reports."

"Gandalf," Lucien instructed, "work with Aurethar to see if two-way communication across the shield is fundamentally possible. If we can send words before troops, our strategic position changes entirely."

He then turned back to Aurethar. "I need you to detail the exact personalities of the High Council members. Who listens, who honors agreements, who calculates purely politically, and who will perceive Elarion as an intolerable threat."

Aurethar offered a wry, tired smile. "That will take time, Lucien and men change over decades."

"I only need to know who they were when you stood alongside them," Lucien replied calmly.

Aurethar leaned in, his expression turning serious. "When contact is established, the High Council will discover two things that will terrify them: a hidden realm holding advanced industrial warfare, and the Six-Winged Golden Warlord they assumed had died long ago standing at your side."

Malen let out a short breath. "That certainly presents a suspicious picture to foreign rulers."

"They will demand answers," Aurethar warned softly. "Welcome to international diplomacy."

Cedric brought the meeting back to its core choice. "So what is our formal stance tonight?"

"We attempt long-range contact if feasible," Lucien stated with quiet authority. "We gather complete intelligence on Avarran’s front lines. We calculate spare production capacity and we offer zero guarantees of military intervention."

The council chamber settled into a tense silence as the reality of their decision sank in. They were no longer merely protecting their borders from local spies; Elarion’s fate was now irrevocably tied to a world-ending conflict beyond the shield.

Cedric looked closely at Lucien one last time. "Are we truly considering joining a war on the other side of the world?"

Lucien met his gaze steadily, his voice resolute. "No. I am considering what happens to us if we don’t."