It was evident that the main point was the Pirates!
No one knew much about them.
And even if they knew, it seemed they were reluctant to share at the moment.
Veridia was the Crown Jewel of the Seven Cities, the richest and most prosperous.
It was understandable that most of the remaining cities were not excited to see Veridia prosper like this.
Specifically, most of their seabound trades were dependent on Veridia, and other cities, especially Port Azure, were not really taking it well.
But as the general consensus was about helping Veridia fight
However, as Lorian had low-key expected, Lady Serena of Valoria and Grand Scholar Elara would be by his side.
But to his surprise they were rather silent, as if they were carefully observing how the meeting goes.
The main issue was lack of information.
No one knew—
- Who was the leader of the pirates, or detailed structure of leadership
- Where was their base?
- Where and how did they sell their products?
- Their total strength, number of ships, and crew
- And who was backing them?
General Marcus Ironclad was the first to break the fragile peace.
"This... this is unacceptable, Lord Elmsworth!" He boomed, gesturing wildly with a half-eaten roll, "An assassin at luncheon, a full-scale invasion at dinner! Veridia, the 'Crown Jewel,' has proven itself vulnerable! My city, Aethelgard, cannot risk its trade, its people, on such instability!"
This sudden outburst of Gneral Marcus, that too on a topic that had already been discussed yesterday, suddenly shook everyone.
Some felt irritated, as it was time to move on and find a solution, while some were amused, as it was the perfect way to derail the whole meeting, which was organised at the Breakfast Table.
However, Thane Borin Stoneheart grunted in agreement.
His gaze was fixed on Lorian. There was a mix of suspicion and grudging respect in his eyes.
He continued, "Glimmerfall's miners rely on safe passage. If the seas become a den of vipers, our ore sits in the mountains. We need guarantees, Lord Thorne. Strong ones."
First Trader Zara of Port Azure leaned forward and spoke in her pragmatic voice, "The market is already unsettled. Merchants are hesitant.
If this continues, the entire block's economy will suffer. We need a clear plan, and we need it now, before panic truly sets in."
All these words of concerns and fears were actually a veiled show of distrust and a subtle challenge for leadership. Veridia, once the undisputed leader of Seven Cities, was now on the brink of a diplomatic blockade, its reputation and trade links hanging by a thread.
Lord Elmsworth felt a dread.
He had imagined the whole issue was buried yesterday night for good, and it was now time to move ahead.
It was beyond his consideration that General Marcus would dig the grave to take out the corpse which was buried already.
However, the growing discontent was quickly nipped in the bud by a sudden sharp and clear "Silence!" Lady Justice Serana, commanding immediate attention.
"Have you forgotten the courage displayed last night?" She raised her point, "The Thorne Guards, and indeed, Prince Lorian himself, turned the tide against an overwhelming force!
This was not a failure of Veridia's strength but a calculated act of war by an unseen enemy."
High Druid Oakhaven nodded and, in his wise and calm tone, added, "The fel energy detected, the coordinated attack... this speaks of an enemy far more organized than common pirates.
Blaming the host for a targeted, insidious plot is shortsighted, General. It serves only to divide us, precisely what this enemy desires."
Grand Scholar Elara nodded in agreement, "Indeed. To turn on Veridia now would be to play directly into the hands of those who orchestrated this. Our collective strength lies in unity."
The breakfast table fell silent but tense as the two factions seemed to be locking horns.
Marcus, though momentarily silenced by Serana's authority, still grumbled, "Unity is well and good, Lady Serana, but what unity can there be when we don't even know who we're uniting against?
You speak of 'unseen enemies,' but where are the answers?
Who leads these pirates?
Where do they hide?
Who backs them?"
He asked this question in a clear tone of anger and a subtle tone of mockery. But it struck at the core of their dilemma.
Lord Elmsworth, however, seized the moment and spoke in his calm and composed voice,
"General Marcus raises valid points.
We face an enemy shrouded in shadow.
Our conventional intelligence networks have, thus far, yielded little.
This is why we must pool our resources, as Prince Lorian so eloquently proposed last night.
We need a unified approach, not just in military might, but in information."
And with this, the seasoned and level-headed Lord of Veridia, the Crown Jewel of East Shore, guided the meeting to be more of a brainstorming session, as was the objective.
The discussion then devolved into a flurry of ideas.
Most of those ideas were conventional, like increased naval patrols, more spies sent to known pirate havens, and offering bounties for information.
Lorian was silent all the time, listening to everything carefully, while his mind was racing.
Azal'gul's words were still echoing with chilling clarity:
"What value is potential if it is never realized?"
He had the means to acquire information, to turn the tide, but he needed to guide them towards it without revealing the impossible truth of his power.
He was waiting for a pause, and then he cleared his throat to attract attention towards him.
All eyes turned to him, the new scion, the one who had, in a single night, transformed from a dismissed 'idiot prince' to a decisive leader.
"Noble lords, ladies, esteemed guests," Lorian began. His voice was now resonating with a newfound authority that surprised even himself.
He channeled his inner Adrian Sterling, picturing himself in front of his employees, shareholders, and partners, laying out a crucial business strategy.
"General Marcus is correct.
We cannot fight a ghost. Our current methods of intelligence gathering are akin to searching for a needle in a haystack with a blindfold on.
This enemy is organized, cunning, and clearly well-funded.
They operate in the shadows, exploiting our reliance on traditional means."
He paused, letting his words sink in. He saw Marcus's brow furrow and Borin's gaze sharpen.
He now had everyone's attention, which was a mix of curiosity, surprise, and respect, which he had anticipated.