Where it all begins (8)

"My lord, if we happen to be wrong, and that is indeed Havon leading the battle against those intruders, this'll be the single biggest blunder in our clan's history. We will go down as the generation that failed to help the savior, and in turn, failed to have him owe us," Shaviki continued.

The king remained silent, an unbothered expression on his face as he looked at the other council members. In truth, the king had wanted to go to Havon's aid. Battles had to be fought, and in that sense, it was the reason he was king.

"I stand my ground. Let the Zeldraves go help. With forces unprepared for this battle, it's suicide," the eldest advisor said.

"I-I vote we go. We cannot let the Zeldraves have the upper hand on us. They're too close to our territory. If Havon favor's them over us, then it'll only be a matter of time before they conquer our lands," another advisor said, causing Shaviki's grin to grow even wider.

"As do I," everyone else repeated.