Chapter 811: 811

The room fell into a heavy stillness until Raina, who had remained silent for some time, finally spoke. "Why must we interfere with humans at all?" she asked, though she didn’t wait for an answer.

"We have all witnessed how their newfound power and status have gone to their heads," she continued, her voice soft but analytical. "Kael’s and Ethan’s suggestions to involve ourselves in their conflicts are invalid for one simple reason: no matter what we do, a winner will eventually emerge from among these human kingdoms on its own."

She looked around the table, her eyes sharp. "This is no longer the age of the past, where humans paused to consider the reactions of the Godlings or the Gods before they dared to draw blood or march to war."

"No," she said, a hint of disdain slipping into her tone. "They now believe they possess the strength to withstand our judgment and even that of the Gods. Their ego is about to plunge this world into a total war, a fire that will ultimately produce multiple victor."

Raina leaned back, her expression unmoved. "That winner is the one we can then consider bringing into our circle and our vision for the future. So, I ask you again, why should we interfere with humans now, when the results we need will come to us if we simply wait and watch?"

Zephyr let out a soft sigh of relief, finally, the conversation was shifting toward a path of logic he could navigate. He allowed the silence to linger, letting Raina’s words settle over the group before he chose to speak.

"Raina’s perspective is one I have entertained myself," he began, his voice calm "Why indeed should we be in such a hurry to tangle with the humans? If we wait, they will do the difficult work of sorting themselves out for us."

He looked around the space, his expression hardening slightly. "It is true that humanity cannot be trusted, at least, not yet. They cannot be easily permitted into our ranks. I believe our focus should remain there, preparing our own foundations while we watch the human kingdoms winnow themselves down."

Zephyr gestured to the maps spread before them. "We could sit here all day and argue over the internal problems of men and achieve nothing of substance for our own people."

Kael leaned back, his eyes narrowing as he studied Zephyr’s composed demeanor. "It seems," Kael noted smoothly, "that you already have a plan or at least a starting point in mind."

Zephyr offered a single, decisive nod. "I do."

"Since it seems we are all finally in agreement on the broader strokes," Zephyr began, his voice taking on a new authority, "we can move to fill the gaps. The first flaw, the one that has plagued everyone here. How do we trust the humans we welcome into our circle?"

He met each of their gazes in turn, acknowledging the skepticism he saw there. "Words, virtues, and hollow promises will never put our hearts at rest when dealing with humanity. We must be honest, we no longer possess the overwhelming strength that once kept them paralyzed by fear."

A subtle, knowing glint appeared in his eyes. "But we still have the Gods. We have Krogan, the Sovereign Nexus, whose divinity governs contractual pacts. There is the Goddess Xerosis, the hand of Justice, Vield Arbiter. And, of course, there is my grandfather, Ikenga, and the other Origin Gods."

He leaned over. "A divine contractual pact can be drawn up for any human who is to sit among us. It would be a bond that ensures our peace of mind. Even with the borrowed strength of a Paragon, I doubt any human would dare go back on their word once a contract of that magnitude is sealed in their soul."

Zephyr straightened his posture, his expression open but expectant. "What do you all think of this?"

The tension in the room seemed to evaporate, at the mention of the Origin Gods. The names had a way of grounding even the most rebellious hearts in the room.

"A soul-binding contract," Kael mused, tapping a finger on his knee. "It is an elegant solution. It bypasses the need for trust entirely. We don’t need them to be loyal, we only need them to be afraid of the consequences of betrayal."

Wulv nodded in approval, his massive arms crossing over his chest. "Krogan’s pacts are absolute. We have observed many try to wiggle through the fine print of the Sovereign Nexus contract, they usually end up as husks before they can finish the first sentence of their lie. The Oracle’s words alone have scared millions away from a path of power, I doubt these contracts will be taken lightly."

With that final point of contention settled, the atmosphere in the pocket space shifted entirely. The heavy weight of the human conflict was set aside, replaced by the focused energy of building a new world. The discussion turned toward the aftermath of the Great Dispersion and the complex web of laws and regulations required to govern a scattered, intertwined populace.

Most importantly, the conversation turned toward the future: the mixed-race children. They were the living symbols of this new era, and the leaders recognized that new laws had to be drafted to protect and represent their birthright. These children would belong to two worlds and yet, without proper decree, none at all. It was a responsibility the leaders took to heart, knowing no one else could speak for those not yet born.

While a complete solution could not be forged in a single sitting, a sense of grim satisfaction filled the chamber. Every leader present was gratified by the ground they had covered. They reached a unanimous decision, these meetings would be held at the end of every month. This rhythm would allow each of them time to deliberate in solitude, identify hidden flaws, and refine their strategies.

By the time the Great Dispersion finally arrived, they would be more than ready for what is to come.

Before the council adjourned, Zephyr snapped his finger which caused a loud sounding boom. "While the human equation is currently missing from the board, that should not stop us from beginning the Dispersion on a smaller scale."

He looked around the space, his gaze lingering on each leader. "Rather than moving our people as a whole, we should first focus on the radical Paragons among us, those whose power and ambition might threaten the stability we have worked so hard to maintain. Ethan’s situation is a prime example."

Zephyr leaned forward, his hands resting on the edge of the table. "We should entice them. Offer them the chance to move out, to become their own leaders, and to build their own seats of power in the wilder corners of the world. By keeping them far from the central seats of authority, we ensure they can never truly destabilize our foundation."

"We can extend this choice to any of our people who feel the call to follow them," he continued. "If we begin now, on this limited scale, we can use the vastness of the world to our advantage. It will take significant time before the human kingdoms even realize what is happening in the fringes. By the time they catch up, we and hopefully they, will finally be ready to seal the alliance."

The leaders exchanged glances, the logic of a "soft launch" for their grand plan clearly taking root. It was a way to purge their internal threats while simultaneously planting the seeds of their future goal.

Ethan was more than happy to employ Zephyr’s tactics, of everyone present, he was the most anxious to see the gears of the plan begin to turn. As for where to exile those troublesome clan leaders, the Southern Continent was not lacking in territory.

Even though the Human Empire claimed the entire continent under its banners, their true scope of power was heavily limited. Outside of the central hubs and the capital’s reach, the Empire could hardly be bothered with what transpired in the untamed fringes. Their grip was more of a suggestion than a reality in the distant wilds.

This was especially true following their recent disapperance disaster, which had left vast swaths of land scarred and empty. Humans still lived in those desolate reaches, but they were a pitiful lot, broken survivors doing the bare minimum to endure another day. For Ethan, these were the perfect shadows in which to hide his rivals. There were countless places where these radical leaders could branch out without ever catching the Empire’s eye.

The others weren’t quite as restless as Ethan, but they entertained the idea with growing interest. It was a tiring burden to lead when your subjects possessed the same power and status as you did. Every command had to be weighed against how it would be judged by one’s "equals" rather than how it would benefit the race as a whole. Zephyr’s suggestion didn’t just offer a strategy for the Dispersion, it offered the leaders a way to reclaim their absolute authority by clearing their courts of competition.