The Void Wolf

Ira looked around at all the questioning faces and still decided to eat the pastry. The sound of chewing was amplified since the room was silent.

Ira gulped and then wiped the crumbs from his hands before he finally spoke, “Yeah I was there.”

“...So you witnessed what happened?” A Diavol man asked.

Avery leaned over to whisper into Ira’s ear, “It’s alright to tell them just leave out anything that will make them consider you an enemy. You may also want to tell them about your control over the Third Moon so it doesn’t come up further down the line. If you were to leave out an important detail such as that then it would cause quite a lot of suspicion.”

The attendees at the conference weren’t blind and clearly witnessed the person in the grey cloak speaking to Ira.

“Yup. I saw what happened.” Ira said.

Several people narrowed their eyes toward the cloaked figure, but no matter how hard they looked a large portion of her features remained hidden.

“Give us your account of the events then.” A Tel’vian man said clear frustration.

“Oh, ok.” Ira held his chin as if he was attempting to remember. “Right, so uh...Skipping the non-important stuff, some guy fired a ballista, I caught it and threw it back and killed some old guy next to him. After that, they lined up in a strange formation and then fired these weird white orbs at the fortress. Everything blew up, and uh...when I climbed out of the rubble that City-Eater was there.” Ira finished and then gave himself a self-assured nod.

Most people assumed Ira was lying about certain parts, especially catching a bolt fired from a ballista. Granted, the people that held the most doubt were unaware of Ira's strength.

“Pardon me, but you don’t seem to be as concerned as the Diavol are.” Lowell said.

“It’s called the City-Eater, right? Not the People-Eater.” Ira responded.

“You make jokes at a time like this?!” A Diavol man criticized Ira harshly.

Ira shrugged, “He’s the one that asked me the question.”

“Could you describe it?” An advisor on the Grenitian King’s side asked.

“Uh…” Ira tried to recall everything he could at that moment, but it was hard to describe himself after he transformed. “It really dark so it was hard to see it properly. It was pretty tall and had red eyes...I would’ve tried to stop it, but it went the other way so it was no point in chasing it.”

“Yes...well, do you have anything else to add?” Lowell saw the growing expressions of irritation at Ira’s lazy and causal explanations so he decided to shift the conversation.

“Something else? Yeah, I’m the Keeper of the Third Moon…Now that I say it aloud it doesn’t sound as imposing. It looks better when it's written though, take my word for it.” Ira said.

Silence overtook the room as expressions froze.

“W-What did you just say?” A Dark Elf asked.

“It looks better when it’s written. Actually, it helps to think of it as more of a job position rather than a title.” Ira responded.

Avery noticed that a few of those in the Merchant’s Circle didn’t seem too surprised, it made it clear to her that they were saving the information Ira revealed for themselves.

“You...Can you prove it?” The Dark Elf Queen, Sylun Meldara, spoke. Usually, the Monarch or Leader of the Kingdom wouldn’t directly address the subordinates of someone else as it diminished their dignity. Sylun ignored this fact because if what Ira was saying was true she would place him on the same level as the leader of a country if not even higher.

Ira sighed before he began to channel the force of the Red Moon which caused his eyes to change to a red color. The ash-colored skin of the Dark Elf Queen and the Elves around her grew slightly paler in shock. Meanwhile, their eyes shifted from their natural red to a bright red. The same change of eye color applied for the Lycanthropes while the Beast People seemed to have their features slightly change to a more animalistic state.

After a few moments, Ira canceled it and smiled. The last time Ira completely summoned it and transformed it caused a huge amount of stress on his body and aged him a year. It still affected him until recently seeing as he couldn’t draw out enough of its power when fighting King Dietrich and instead had to rely on the Void which he also overused. Ira’s biggest problem seemed to be moderation, but that was neither here nor there.

Those on the side of the Dark Elf Empire exploded into a commotion before the other countries did the same. With how much the Elves revered the Moon it was clear they were going to become allies with Ira and by extension, The Grenitian Kingdom.

“Everyone please calm down.” Lowell raised his hands and attempted to calm the atmosphere.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dark Elves try to worship you.” Avery said in a low voice.

“Don’t give them any ideas.” Ira said.

“Too late.” Avery smirked as she slightly nodded toward the Dark Elf Queen.

Sylun was already looking at Ira as if he were the human incarnation of a God. In those few moments, Ira channeled the Red Moon she could feel a massive increase in her mana and innate abilities. The Lycanthropes were far more revering and fearful in their gazes and some had to force themselves to stand as to not prostrate themselves in front of Ira.

Ira had become a huge threat in the eyes of the other countries and a blessing in the eyes of the Grenitians. The Fourth Prince was even surprised by Ira’s ability and couldn’t afford to have Ira as anything other than an ally. People who made plans changed them on the spot and some people who assumed Ira would fall in the Colosseum changed their minds.

“I think that if this City-Eater is real, then the only way to defend against it would be by using the Airship. While the single one available seems to be of use there is no guarantee of safety without more.” At some point, the mood calmed and a Merchant made a suggestion.

The High Chancellor expression crumpled when he heard the suggestion that was basically telling him to sell it.

“Preposterous! Until there is some definitive proof of that beast existing don’t even think about our Airships. I’m sure many of you mocked us whenever you heard of us gathering our people to develop our inventions. You didn’t believe we made any progress until you saw proof, so don’t blame us for waiting for the same.” The High Chancellor said leaving no room for negotiation.

“Please calm down, High Chancellor. We only wish for what’s best for the entire continent.” Lowell said.

“You don’t fool us, merchant. You can’t say you aren’t thinking of a way to line your pockets at this very moment.” A Tel’vian official said.

“I think there is some worth in what he suggested.” King Windsor said.

“Oh? Do you?” High Chancellor Orlov asked with an amused expression.

“Would it not benefit all of us to have some extra security? If you allowed every country to procure a smaller version of the Airship, there would be less worry about each other and the City-Eater.” King Windsor responded.

“I see. Well, if that’s the case I have heard a rumor that your country received several Indexes from an expedition. I was wondering if there was any truth to it? If it is that means you’re willing to share them with each country, correct?” High Chancellor Orlov asked mockingly.

This time it was King Windsor’s turn to make an unwilling expression. “That is different due to the fact that there are only six Indexes available and seven nations in total. If I were to give them away then someone would become an irreconcilable enemy.” King Windsor said in an attempt to defend himself. Inwardly he decided to launch a full-scale investigation on those under him and purge anyone who had strong links to the Tel’vians.

No one paid any real attention to his words after he revealed the number of Indexes available.

“How thoughtful of you.” The Leader of a Parvian House spoke with clear sarcasm.

“We need to get back to the topic of the City-Eater!” A Diavol woman said. “We should make an agreement to assist whatever country is unlucky to have it appear in.”

“If history is saying anything it’s probably the Grenitians who will be the first to suffer.” A Tel’vian official said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” A Grenitian advisor asked.

“It means that your country is home to a lot of instability these days. There are reports that your Military Headquarters was attacked by a winged-woman. How about we contact that woman and ask for assistance?” High Chancellor Orlov responded.

“That...No one here has the qualifications to ask for their help. There is more than one and they are called Valkyries and they are stronger than anyone you’ve ever seen.” King Windsor said.

“If that’s the case then that is even more of a reason for us to get them on our side.” A Tel’vian official said.

“We refuse.” A cold female voice came from a figure in a grey cloak.

“What?” The official asked.

“We refuse. My family won’t get involved with matters that don’t concern us.” The figure removed her hood revealing a beauty that couldn’t be diminished even though her expression was filled with indifference.

King Windsor nearly jumped in shock as he looked at the dark, raven-colored, hair, vibrant silver eyes, and sharp features that were exclusive to the Valkyries of the Thynne Family.

Lowell noticed King Windsor’s expression and spoke in a humble tone, “Forgive me for asking, but could you introduce yourself?”

“Avery Thynne.” Avery said curtly.

“May I know the reason for your family’s conflict with the Grenitian Kingdom?” A Tel’vian official asked.

“They overstepped their boundaries. As I've already said won’t get involved with petty politics or things that don’t concern us. Think of as an autonomous nation, much like the Free City. The only difference is that we have no qualms about attacking anyone who plots against us and no need for alliances.” Avery stated before she became silent. Since her identity was revealed, she reached into her pocket and pulled out an ivory wedding which she then placed on her ring finger.

Since all eyes were on her, they noticed her actions and then looked toward Ira, who was sitting next to her. He wore a ring that was the exact same as Avery’s on his hand. No one was stupid enough to not see the connection between the two. To sum it up, not only did Ira allegedly have control over a moon and the possible loyalty of the Dark Elf Empire but was also married to one of the Valkyries and most likely had the support of their entire family.

With each new revelation, anyone who was plotting something had to erase their plans and attempt to rework them while accounting for each detail. Even the Merchant’s Circle who were unusually calm in some areas showed signs of unrest.

The conference continued for a little while, but due to the general mood filled with anxiety, it ended early.

“The Colosseum bout will take place this afternoon for those that wish to participate. I hope to see you all there.” Lowell said as he called for the dismissal of the first conference.

The Diavol looked the most unsatisfied since there was literally no progress in combating the City-Eater, but there was still another two days of talks so they didn’t make a big fuss.

The respective leader departed, while their subordinates attempted to speak to Ira, but were too slow. The Dark Elves crowded around Ira with devoted eyes.

“Would it be possible for all of us to speak privately at some point? There is the matter of the Red Moon, but I also knew Lauren Thynne and wish to inquire about her.” Sylun asked with a slight bow. Sylun and Lauren traveled together for a period of time and she even considered Lauren to be responsible for helping to establish the Dark Elf Empire.

“Yeah, sure.” Ira nodded nonchalantly. The fact that the leader of an entire nation was bowing to him didn’t even enter his head because he honestly didn’t care about status.

The Dark Elves took their leave along with Ira and Avery. In order to not be approached by other people, he stuck close to the Dark Elves, much to their delight.