Chapter 810: 810

He leaned back, his gaze sweeping over the gathered leaders. "But as we can all see, the plan is likely to crumble before it even begins. Quite frankly, I am not fond of that prospect, and I suspect that sentiment is shared by everyone here."

"A solution is required," Ethan stated firmly, his eyes locking onto Drowz.

Drowz met the gaze, his own brow deeply furrowed. "And your so-called ’solution’ is for us to step in and fix the conflicts the humans created for themselves?" he asked, his tone dripping with mockery.

"Need I remind you that solving human problems serves us in no way, other than securing their involvement in this plan?" Drowz’s voice was cold "And even then, I believe they must be suppressed. It is the only way to ensure they remain manageable."

He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Have you forgotten that they vastly outnumber us? Helping them and granting them a seat at our table sounds noble, but how long will it be before this entire alliance belongs to them? How long before our voices no longer matter simply because they have the weight of numbers on their side?"

Drowz’s words hit home, causing Ethan’s frown to deepen. He couldn’t dispute the cold logic of the argument, and in a flash of visible annoyance, he snapped back, "Then what solution do you have?"

His challenge was met with a heavy, stifling silence. Drowz sat back, his expression tight, offering no answer because he had none to give.

Zephyr, noticing the sudden heavy silence that filled the space, cleared his throat. The sound echoed slightly against through the pocket space "Ethan has brought forth a compelling argument," he began, nodding toward him, "as has Drowz. Before we proceed, does anyone else have anything to add to what has been laid out?"

Kael shifted, offering Zephyr a brief, calculating glance before speaking. "Ethan’s point is valid," Kael admitted, his voice steady. "Humanity is a necessary pillar for the plan. However, they are currently too entangled in their own chaos to be of any use. If we are to move forward, it seems we have no choice but to step in and resolve their mess for them."

He paused, pacing a short line as he weighed his next words. "On the other hand, I find myself agreeing with Drowz. There is little to be gained from a direct intervention other than future headaches. Yet, the potential Ethan described is too enticing to simply ignore."

Kael’s eyes glanced around. "So, instead of solving the problem for one side, why don’t we simply lend a hand to both? The Kingdom and its enemies alike lack what we have in abundance: superior armor, weapons, potions, and rations. We supply both sides, let them duke it out, and watch as they decide the winner themselves."

"Either way," Kael concluded, "the profit is ours. We gain a future ally while simultaneously weakening the ’joining party’ or their Paragons. If push comes to shove, heavy losses will be sustained by both sides, leaving us as the only ones standing at full strength."

Wulv was the first to snap the tension, his voice plain as he addressed the issue. "That is a heavily flawed plan, Kael," he stated flatly.

Kael offered a calm nod. "Indeed it is. I merely put it on the table to be considered and perhaps readjusted until those flaws are smoothed out."

Drowz, however, remained unmoved, his posture rigid. "My stance is unchanged," he declared. "Anything involving interference with humans is something I will neither agree to nor stand with."

"You should."

The words were spoken in a low voice, but they cut through the pcket space with startling clarity. Ethan didn’t look up immediately, but the weight of his statement hung in the air.

"Huh?" Drowz’s brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward the speaker. "What was that?"

"I said, you should," Ethan repeated, finally tilting his head to stare Drowz down.

"The very core of this alliance is intended to be transracial," Ethan continued, his tone cold. "That means involvement with humans is not a choice, it is a necessity. They are a plague that can be found in every corner of this planet. There is no escaping their reach or sight."

Ethan leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "You live in the sea, Drowz, so I understand why you might not fully comprehend the scope or the risk of a transracial pact. But do not be foolish. Do you truly believe that even if the Great Dispersion were to happen, your people in the depths would remain untouched by the events that follow?"

Ethan didn’t give Drowz a chance to retort, pressing his advantage as the gravity of his words settled over the room. "The Great Dispersion, if it is to be carried out following this meeting, involves many moving parts," he said, his voice gaining a commanding edge. "And one of those parts is the mixing of races."

He looked around the space, gauging their reactions. "Our people, the Godlings would no longer be bound by the ancient laws of purity once the Dispersion is complete. Bloodlines will intertwine. We will see the union of Humans and Godlings, and Godlings with other Godlings."

A heavy silence followed, but Ethan broke it by gesturing toward the large, wolf faced figure across from him. "We all know now that this is possible, thanks to Wulv and his wife, Ripple, the blood sister of Zephyr. For the first time in centuries, the Godling races have welcomed a face and features entirely different from the ones we have known for generations."

Ethan paused, his expression softening with a genuine respect. "A child born of a Werewolf and an Apeling. By the very origin of our blood, the union was a success. That child is perfect, bearing the raw strength and distinct features of both races without a single complication."

Turning fully toward the Wulv, Ethan inclined his head. "My congratulations to you, Wulv."

Wulv met Ethan’s gaze, offering a single, solemn nod of acknowledgment as the weight of that biological breakthrough hung in the air, a living proof that the old world’s barriers were already crumbling.

While congratulations had already been offered when the child was first born, its significance in this context was undeniable. One by one, the others offered a fresh nod of respect to Wulv, who accepted the gestures with quiet gravity. Once the room settled, Ethan’s gaze snapped back to Drowz.

"You believe that the coupling of humans and merfolk is a far-off impossibility simply because you dwell in the deepest trenches," Ethan said, his voice dropping lower. "I am here to inform you, Drowz, that you are dead wrong."

He leaned back, his hands interlaced on his throne. "The core purpose of the Dispersion is to spread our people thin. It is designed to force them to pioneer, to grow, and to finally shed the stagnant safety of abundance they’ve enjoyed while locked away in the mother kingdoms. It is the end of our isolation."

"The sea is vast, yes, but the Dispersion will push your people toward the shallows, toward the islands scattered across the blue. To think you can avoid humanity amongst all this is a fantasy. Or have you forgotten," Ethan added with a piercing look, "that seafaring is no longer a distant dream for the humans? Ever since the birth of the World Map, they have claimed the horizon as their own."

Ethan fell silent, letting the reality of his words sink in. Drowz didn’t respond. His brow was deeply furrowed, his expression shifting from defiance to a clouded, heavy realization. It was clear to everyone in the pocket space, that he had never truly considered the long-term consequences of the Great Dispersion, nor the world the transracial alliance would inevitably build.

Wulv spoke up this time, his voice carrying a heavy, grounding weight. "Ethan’s words ring true," he said, his expression somber. "I have already begun to feel the burden that comes with a mixed-race child. My son is born of two noble lineages, so he possesses a status that shields him from the worst of the scrutiny."

He paused, his jaw tightening. "But I am the leader of my people. I have seen the way they look at my son when they think I am not watching. It is a painful sight to behold, the suspicion, the judgment."

Wulv leaned forward, his large hands resting heavily on the frozen table before him. "The Dispersion will lead to an explosion of mixed-race children, and with them, an inevitable wave of conflict. Those tensions will not be limited to us; they will extend to the humans as well, for the bloodlines will inevitably reach them too."

He turned his gaze toward Drowz, his eyes hard. "So, indeed, Drowz, claiming that we can ignore anything involving humans is a fallacy. If we are seriously considering the Great Dispersion, then we must accept the world it will create."