The meeting

"Okay, everyone is here!" Said Cliff, clapping his hands. "I call the meeting to order."

He cleared his throat, he took a firm stance, his eyes were bubbling with excitement.

"Since it was I who asked you for this meeting, then let me begin."

Everyone in the room nodded, they were paying attention to every word Cliff said, after all in this room, and in this entire assembly camp he was the strongest.

Cliff had started, he was reviewing all the events that had happened in the past days, since they sent their emissaries, their appearances during the battle, the arrival of the variant monsters and their defeats, and to At the very end, he shared the last moments of the mutant monster he himself had caused.

"To tell you the truth, me too, if I managed to survive, it is thanks to the provocation that you made," suddenly said a young lycanthrope, who was sitting to the right of Akumu, "and also thanks to Pierre to the purified mana that you had brought, because even if I managed to awaken at the last moment, for lack of mana I could have succumbed.

"Your name is Renald, right?, you don't really need to thank me, it was Dahlia who had the idea" Cliff responded by pointing at her, she who was standing just behind his seat.

"All I did was purify mana, with one of my skills, I'm not very good at storing mana in stone yet."

"What a wonderful idea! If we too could store a large quantity of mana, we elves would be able to call upon the spirits more easily and without fear" declared Cain, massaging his chin.

Cliff's lips pulled up into a smirk, he glanced at Dahlia and she picked up a bag, and put it on the table.

Everyone's eyes widened in the room, of course, except those of the Orleth clan.

"There's enough for a whole clan." Cliff declared, supporting his head with his palm.

"Of course, that's a large quantity you have there, these 'purified mana stones', can be used in an infinite number of ways too, but Sir Cliff what do you intend to do with all that?"

"Instead of calling it Purified Mana Stone, let's call it Mana Gem." Cliff stated, softening his voice.

"Forgive me sir, but you didn't answer my question" Cain pointed out "with all those stones... uh mana gems?"

"I offer them to you" he declared in a firm tone.

"Uh…what!!!?" Cain stammered, stunned.

"All these gems now belong to you," he continued.

"It's really very generous of you, thanks to this, the essence stones of all the elves in my clan can be strengthened, and we will no longer have to faint after the summoning of the spirits" said Cain, with an ironic smile "but I have the right to refuse."

"It's too much, I can't accept it!"

Cliff just nodded, as if he expected it. He slammed his rights, and Dahlia spread a card on the table.

"Even if the waves had stopped in our region, it continues to corner the other clans, and we will have to help them, and also..."

Cliff looked at the young brunette woman, her two thin onyx horns pointed vigorously at the ceiling.

Yadha, who had felt his gaze, turned her face away, a little embarrassed.

"Don't tell me that you had already abandoned those who were captured by the ogres?" He said teasingly.

"Sire, I know that you are strong, I know that you have protected us over the last few days, but ogres are classified as "Demons". It takes more than five "variant monsters" to be able to hold a "constant demon" " from a distance." Cain explained, desperately trying to keep his voice from trembling, "it's true that several members of my clan were captured, but even if I use all these mana gems, our strength would not be enough to face them ."

"I would rather preserve the lives of the living than waste the sacrifices of the dead."

Cliff lingered for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"I crossed the line and I apologize, I didn't take your feelings into account," Cliff said, his voice suddenly serious.

"What I was trying to tell you is that you are obliged to accept, even if the waves in this region have stopped, the fighting that will follow will be even more dangerous, you; the elven clan and the Ibara clan , if you swear loyalty to me, I am ready to grant you my protection."

There were murmurs in the room, everyone was asking questions, but among all these questions what they wanted to know the most was his real intentions.

"Um... sir? Can I ask you one thing?" Yadha raised her hand, her firm expression as a warrior of the Dakhat clan seemed to slowly return to her.

"My dear Yadha, we are in a meeting, send me everything that is bothering you, after all if you are here, among us, it is because this place suits you.

The young woman was surprised, nodding slightly, she continued her question.

"If I and my peers swear loyalty to you, will you save the hostages held by the ogres?"

"I would have done it even if you had decided otherwise." Cliff replied hoarsely.

"May I ask you why sir?"

Cliff lingered for a moment, he smiled.

"Because I want it"