Chapter 2574.2: A Different Power (Part 2)

2574 A Different Power (Part 2)

"Heck, my fight with Lith has even given me enlightenment about the violet, but even if 1 reach it, I would still be much weaker than you or Ajatar. This isn't a problem I can just blast away."

"Wait, you did what now?" Quylla was flabbergasted.

"I mean, it's not that hard, right?" The Tyrant let his aura burst forward, revealing several violet streaks burning at its end. "You got it from the start and even your sister reached it a while ago despite being Awakened for just a few years."

"No, it's damn hard!" She replied. "I got the violet only because my mana core had already reached that level and by talking with Lith back when he was researching the auxiliary cores, I shared the fruits of his experiments.

"As for Friya, she had no clue about it until she got major help from a legendary array that temporarily allowed her to reach the violet and experience firsthand its effects. She received the next best thing to a practical lesson and yet she's still stuck at the bright blue.

"Not to mention that I'm supposed to be a genius and I've researched Awakening for years and she's an epta-streaked Awakened whose talent is allegedly on par with people like Silverwing and Menadion.

"You, instead, are..." She blushed, managing to steer the conversation in time. "I mean, Ajatar says that since the marriage proposal, you've been neglecting both body casting and the study of your bloodline abilities."

"In other words, I'm an idiot. Feel free to say it." Morok sighed. "I'm an idiot and we both know it'

"Your words, not mine." Quylla nodded.

"Wow. That hurt." He lowered his gaze in humiliation. "Maybe we should cancel the marriage."

"What? Why?" She went pale at the idea.

"I mean, who is more stupid? The idiot, or the person who agrees to marry him? Maybe I set the bar too low. Do you know someone smart you can introduce to me?" Morok said with a chuckle, sweeping Quylla off her feet before kissing her.

"You idiot." She giggled. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Okay, genius. I need to pick your brain on this. Let's assume that Syrah is oblivious of our ruse. Should I tell her the truth or not?" Morok asked. "If I do, I can ruin everything off the bat. If I don't, I'm just postponing the confrontation."

"Either way, the monsters will feel betrayed and be exterminated the moment they refuse to cooperate."

"That's an excellent question." Quylla wrapped her arms around his neck to sit up. "As you said, this isn't a problem that can be solved by using violence. You need a power of a different kind."

"What do you mean?""I mean political power, but not the Royals'. They have no influence in Jiera and they can't be involved in matters regarding Awakened. I mean the Council."

"If the Council could be trusted, we wouldn't have gone incognito after dealing with the raids. What good can do involving them now?" Morok asked.

"It would open the eyes of the children of Glemos to the rest of Mogar. It would give them the possibility to strike a deal not with a single person they might or not trust, but with a wide community they can hope to be a part of in the future." Quylla replied.

"I know it means giving up on a lot on your side, but if on top of the Harmonizers, the monsters could also use the Tyrant's bloodline legacy as a bargaining chip, they could have way more leverage in the negotiations.

"For example, those who wear the Harmonizers could be allowed to not move from Zelex at all and use the self-destruction arrays as a deterrent to make sure that the Council holds its part of the deal."

"It makes sense." Morok nodded. "As long as Syrah can only talk with the Council via Faluel, they have no way of confirming our goodwill. The monsters will feel isolated and with their back against the wall exactly like with the Undead Courts.

"By cutting off the middleman, they can keep the negotiations going even in case their relationship with us goes sour since the Council had no involvement in the demon invasion and has different goals from me."

"Forget about my earlier request. I think I already got a brainiac." The Tyrant paced the room while holding Quylla in a princess carry. making her giggle. "I like your idea but there's a huge flaw that I can't solve."

"Which is?" She asked.

"The monsters have no reason to trust the Council more than they do us, especially if our little play comes to light. Also, the Council has no real reason to agree on any term the monsters set." Morok replied.

"From the Council's standpoint, letting them live is reward enough. The members of the fallen races cannot Awaken and the Council only cares about their own. People like Raagu would rather take the Harmonizers and my legacy by force or a trick than waste time talking.

"They would feel entitled to them, considering the artifact and books as reparations for all the damage Glemos caused with his experiments."

"Yeah, I hadn't thought about that." Quylla pondered. "The lack of trust is a big issue that can't be solved unless we find a way to make sure that both parties benefit from the deal.

"Even naïve creatures like the children of Glemos know that their ally would never turn on them if they gain nothing from betrayal and lose a lot."

"That's it! You are a damn genius." Morok dropped her on the bed and took his communication amulet out of his dimensional amulet.

"Thanks, but what have I said exactly?" Quylla looked at him in confusion. "Also, I don't think it's a smart idea to talk with the Council before running whatever idea you had by me first."

"Hey, I may not be the sharpest tool in the crayon box but I'm not that dull." Morok replied. "A rogue Awakened like me lacks the smarts, the political backing, and the experience to deal with the Council.

"They would eat me to the bone and spit me out without me even noticing. I'm calling Master Ajatar and Faluel. If I'm right, I can give them the arrows they need to make a compelling argument."

***

City of Zelex, a few days later.

The joy of having Xagra back had eased Syrah's grief for the loss of her husband. Both mother and son were mourning Ikara's death but at least now they were together and there was hope that things would remain that way.

The Hati Queen had spent every waking moment of her son talking with him, doing activities together, and watching him from a distance while Xagra talked with the future members of the senate who had returned from the Gardens of Time with him.

It saddened her to see the youths form a grief counseling group instead of playing and running around, but they weren't regular children anymore. If the negotiations failed, their duty was to age fast, rule, and pass their Harmonizer the moment a better generation arose.