The Invitation of Doom

Two weeks had passed since Cien's meeting with Princess Sravati in Arcadia. 

During these two weeks, Cien had to meet with merchants from Huntara who were interested in conducting business. 

It ranged from small traders with only one small stall to wealthy merchants who owned large companies, like Shiwa's.

But it wasn't just merchants; chefs, alchemists, blacksmiths, craftsmen, and researchers from various fields had also started coming to Arcadia. 

They were all intrigued by the new kingdom that could access natural treasures in the cursed region.

The arrival of these people was a result of Princess Sravati and the Huntara delegation's actions. 

After they returned and reported the decision made at the meeting in Arcadia, King of Huntara immediately announced to all his subjects that they had entered into an alliance with Arcadia.

This declaration shocked the entire population and the kingdoms of Kastia. 

With the announcement, it became a fact that Huntara had recognized Arcadia as a kingdom, and, of course, Cien Millard as its king.

For the common folk, there was naturally concern about this news. They knew nothing about Arcadia and didn't understand whether this international relationship would benefit or harm them. 

All they knew was that the King of Arcadia was now considered one of the most powerful individuals in Kastia, but apart from that, there was no further information, leaving the citizens anxious.

However, there were also those who were very enthusiastic about this alliance news. These enthusiasts came from various professions, from chefs to monster researchers. 

They all flocked to Arcadia, seeking new knowledge and insights that had long been hidden behind the dark curtains of Death Valley, aiming for breakthroughs in their respective fields.

The influx of tourists into Arcadia kept the Social Division and the Law and Defense Division quite busy. 

Lilinette, as the Head of theSocial Division, even had to establish a new department within her division: the Tourism Department, which focused on overseeing and planning the development of the tourism sector in Arcadia.

To be honest, at the moment, all they could offer to tourists were the mysterious forests and high-class cuisine that could be found in Arcadia. 

Additionally, perhaps some rare materials and high-quality weapons. 

However, even with just that, Arcadia had successfully piqued the interest of tourists, who were now eager to learn how they could become residents of Arcadia.

Especially the researchers of flora and fauna, who were reluctant to leave the kingdom after discovering many mysteries that could be unearthed from the eerie forests within Death Valley.

"They must be crazy, right?" 

Cien asked when reading Mia's report in his alchemy room.

"I think almost all researchers behave like this. After all, one of their long-standing dreams, which is to explore Death Valley, can now come true," Mia replied.

"Seriously?" 

Cien lowered the pen in his hand, which he had been using to practice alchemical circuits for creating Mana Nucleus healing potions for Lilinette.

"So, you're saying they want to join and become our researchers?" Cien inquired.

"Yes," Mia confirmed.

"What's the likelihood that they're spies?"

"Fifty percent."

"Hmm…" 

Cien pondered for a moment. Right now, what concerned him the most about the influx of tourists was the presence of spies from other kingdoms, especially from Abyss and Divinia. 

His Protective Formation would screen those with ill intentions toward his kingdom. 

However, if spies managed to infiltrate, Cien was somewhat doubtful they could be detected, as their sole purpose was to gather information, not to harm, let alone destroy, Arcadia.

That's why Cien was cautious about these new tourists. However, he couldn't deny that his kingdom needed researchers. 

The benefits of having researchers were immense for his territory. There were many things Cien didn't know about Death Valley, and he didn't have the time to explore it all. 

But with the presence of researchers, he could delegate that task to them. They could discover various things that could benefit Arcadia, such as finding new high-quality natural materials like Hellteak Wood, which could enhance the kingdom's value.

Furthermore, having researchers could also elevate the level of knowledge within his territory. He could instruct these researchers to impart their knowledge to the people of Arcadia.

"Tell them to gather in the meeting hall tomorrow afternoon. I'll meet with them and assess them myself. Remember, everyone! If I find no spies among them, discuss with Ethel to create a new Division."

"Understood," Mia nodded and then glanced at the two other letters on Cien's desk. "What do you think about the other two letters?"

Cien turned his attention to the two letters he had just read before Mia arrived to confirm his responses. These two letters were giving him a bit of a headache.

One was from the Kastia Guild Federation, requesting Cien's approval to establish a guild branch in Arcadia. 

Reading this, Cien was somewhat pleased because having adventurers in Arcadia would increase the flow of monster materials. 

However, the issue that concerned him was quite significant. Adventurers were known for their disregard of etiquette, and their nature tended to be rough. 

While not all were like that, as evident with Terrion, the majority of young adventurers often caused trouble in their cities. 

Thinking about this, Cien realized he needed to tighten security in Arcadia. With the growing population, he was sure that Fenrir alone wouldn't be able to oversee everything. 

This message essentially added another task for Cien to ponder.

The other letter didn't just give Cien a headache; it also made him cautious. 

It was an invitation from the Holy Kingdom of Divinia to attend the Conference of Kings in Divinia. The conference was scheduled to take place within the next two months.

In this conference, all the Kings of Kastia would be in attendance – or rather, were required to attend because this meeting would discuss the future interests of all of Kastia. 

The letter stated that as the recognized King of Arcadia by Huntara, Cien Millard was entitled to a seat at this meeting of Kings.

Not only Kings, but the strongest fighters in Kastia usually attend this conference too. So, it's not surprising to see all the Champions of Kastia present at the meeting as bodyguards for their respective rulers.

"As for the guild matter, I believe you can handle it with the incoming delegation. I'll discuss security improvements with Luis later."

"Hmm, alright. Are there any conditions or restrictions we should impose on them?"

"You decide that. I'll take a look later. Right now, I can't think of anything," Cien replied.

Mia nodded and made a note in her small book.

"Sigh… the problem is this invitation. What do you think?" 

Cien asked, his face creasing with reluctance to attend the large meeting. He couldn't deny that he was anxious about what would happen during and after the conference.

"If you want Arcadia to be recognized by other kingdoms besides Huntara, it's better to go. Although your going there is honestly quite worrying, especially considering your assumptions about Divinia," Mia advised.

"Hmm…"

Cien pondered for a moment. Considering the timing of the conference, he thought it made sense. 

Kastia was currently experiencing several conflicts, especially in dealing with Abyss. 

So, in Cien's view, this conference was a reasonable step for the Kings to sit down and make a joint decision.

However, there was an uneasy feeling in Cien's heart about this meeting. He sensed something ominous, but what?

"If my assumptions about Divinia and Abyss are correct, wouldn't it be detrimental to Abyss if all the kingdoms collaborate against them? What do you think Divinia is planning?"

Cien muttered his thoughts, and Mia beside him was pondering the same issues.

"Perhaps Divinia wants to gather the Kings and Champions and then kill them all during the conference. Weakening the power of all the kingdoms to make them easy prey for Abyss. If this is true, Divinia would become the biggest traitor in human history." 

Mia said her opinion, painting a grim picture with her imagination. 

While probabilistically what Mia said could indeed happen, if it did, Kastia would truly fall into crisis.

"Kings, Champions, weakened, crisis, Abyss... ahh~ this is dire," Cien mumbled, realizing an important point that Mia had overlooked.

"Dire how?" Mia asked.

"Your assumptions are highly plausible. But you forgot that during the conference, all the kingdoms in Kastia will indeed be weakened."

"Ah, because their Champions will be attending."

Cien nodded. "And do you know of one power that won't be weakened while the conference is ongoing?"

"Abyss."

"Yup, there's a possibility that Abyss will invade one or two kingdoms when the conference begins. Without Champions guarding them, there will be no one to oppose the Demon Generals. Those kingdoms will be destroyed quickly."

"Whoaa, so Divinia is holding the event to divert attention."

"Most likely. Plus, we can't rule out the scenario you envisioned earlier. The murder of the Kings could indeed happen. This conference could be the turning point where the face of Kastia dramatically changes in the future."

Cien and Mia sat there with dark and silent expressions. 

For some reason, they realized something quite astonishing simply from an invitation letter. 

The problem was, both of them had a gut feeling that their assumptions or imaginations were highly likely to come true, and this realization left them utterly puzzled.

"You know what? I think knowing too much like this just creates a burden in life. Can't you refrain from discussing your assumptions with me later, Your Majesty? I don't want to be burdened by all these complicated thoughts," 

Mia said, feeling like she had been confronted with something she would have been better off not knowing.

"Do you think I want to delve into this? Ugh, this is frustrating."

"So, what are you going to do?"

Cien glanced at Mia, who found the Prime Minister looking at him with high expectations, as if waiting for a hero to save the situation.

"What do you think I can do? Why do you think I'm going to do anything about this?"

"Isn't that what you usually do?"

Cien met her gaze with a blank expression. 

The truth was, he had no intention at all of opposing the Abyssian invasion. 

In Blackwinter, it was a mere coincidence that his assumptions turned out to be correct, and his weapon (Bluminous) was used to kill the Demon General, thwarting the invasion. 

In Ashur, he had only gone there for an auction and inadvertently learned of Asmodeus's cunning scheme. 

As for Farnodt, Cien had merely intended to rescue his wife and Niles. His battle against the Incarnation of Demon God was purely coincidental, as he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even after escaping, trouble came to him; he didn't seek it out.

"Sigh... why does all of this have to happen?" Cien sighed softly.

"...so, there's no plan at all?"

"…"