"It seems we are all facing the sa crisis. There's a reason I've called this eting. Grand Duke Michael."
At her call, Michael stepped forward.
All the leaders watching through the mirror turned their attention to the object in his hand—a shriveled, blackened locust corpse.
A heavy silence settled over the eting.
With a grave tone, Michael began to speak.
"This is no ordinary locust. This creature was not born of nature—it was manufactured."
A wave of shock passed through the faces of the assembled leaders.
Already briefed beforehand, Henry III of Elonia responded first.
"Manufactured? What exactly do you an by that?"
Without a word, Michael raised the locust and held it close to the mirror, exposing the underside of one wing.
Thanks to the efforts of several priests, the symbol of Radiance etched beneath the wing had been made to glow faintly with divine light—clearly visible to all.
Eyes turned toward the symbol.
Making sure everyone had a clear view, Michael continued.
"As you can see, this mark—the emblem of Radiance—is inscribed beneath the wing. It would have gone unnoticed if not for a particularly observant priest in my territory."
His expression grew firr as he stared into the mirror.
"After consulting with uncorrupted clergy, we discovered this corpse contained traces of Radiance's divine power. Upon investigation, we found that the swarm was being led by what we call a Locust King."
Indeed, the corpse he held was unusually large and robust.
"This one is one of them. Until now, Locust Kings were believed to be natural anomalies—or even divine punishnts. But evidence now shows that these creatures react to specific types of holy power."
He brought the corpse even closer to the mirror.
"This symbol acts like a signal transmitter, guiding the locusts under specific conditions. And that signal… cos from the Radiant Holy Kingdom."
A visible shift ran through the expressions of the gathered monarchs.
Emperor Oswald—already in the loop—scowled and asked tightly,
"Do you have concrete proof? We cannot accuse the Holy Kingdom based on speculation alone."
Michael nodded calmly.
"I understand. During our investigation, we discovered decisive clues linking the swarm to the kingdom: the locusts' migration paths and the flow of divine energy."
The leaders narrowed their eyes. Michael continued slowly.
"Divine power is inherently opposed to the natural order. In every region the swarm passed through, natural energy was left heavily distorted."
Romano II of Telma narrowed his eyes.
"Distortion of natural energy… and divine power? That's more than suspicious."
Michael nodded.
"Moreover, the distortion originated in the Holy Kingdom. And perhaps most telling—they suffered no damage from the plague at all. Historically, the sa has always been true."
The leaders paused, deep in thought.
It was true: in every historical locust swarm, the Radiant Holy Kingdom had erged untouched, often positioning themselves as saviors through grain exports.
Many had assud it was due to their island geography. But what if… it wasn't?
Henry III, face flushed with fury, raised his voice.
"If this is true… then the Holy Kingdom has been controlling the swarm using divine power?"
Michael nodded again.
"To be precise, they have been breeding Locust Kings that react to their divine energy. Not simply controlling—but weaponizing them."
Emperor Sigmund of Celeste waved a hand, his expression disinterested but his voice cutting.
"There's no need to hear more. Circumstantial evidence alone is damning. And now we have physical proof. Every ti the political tide turned against them, they stirred up chaos. It's obvious."
The others exchanged dark glances.
Each rembered the disinformation, manipulation, and turmoil sown in the past by the Holy Kingdom.
Yes… those bastards would do sothing like this.
Emperor Oswald clenched his fist.
"Then this plague isn't a natural disaster—it's a weapon. A weapon deliberately unleashed by the Radiant Holy Kingdom."
Romano II let out a heavy sigh.
"To think they used divine power for sothing so vile… Have they no fear of divine judgnt?"
Michael smirked inwardly.
The one called Radiance is a petty scher. He won't be punished—if anything, he'll be praised by his lackeys.
Leopold of Astoria clenched his jaw.
"To commit such atrocities… and still dare call themselves a Holy Kingdom? The audacity is sickening. Surely, now is the ti to unite against them."
The monarchs nodded one by one.
"They've disrupted the entire balance of the continent to preserve their own power. That's nothing short of an act of war."
Seeing their fury, Michael stepped forward to make his final appeal.
"The ti for a decision is now. Will you join forces to halt the ambitions of the Radiant Holy Kingdom?"
Every leader's eyes glead at once.
The sins of the Holy Kingdom had finally co to light.
"Celeste proposes a coalition army—to root out this cancer once and for all."
"Elonia agrees."
"The Pamir Empire will give its full support."
"So will Telma."
"Brabant joins without hesitation."
"Astoria too. We'll bring justice back to the continent."
Even the Dowager Queen of Pasha, silent until now, gave a reluctant nod.
Though her country was fractured by a duke's rebellion, she couldn't ignore the tides.
And if the Holy Kingdom fell, she could pick over the spoils—just a handful of their treasures could refill the kingdom's empty coffers.
"Pasha will… participate."
Princess Astrid gave a resolute nod.
"Lania stands with the alliance."
Finally, Michael concluded with a single declaration.
"Then from this mont forward—the Radiant Holy Kingdom is hereby declared the common enemy of the continent."
In the midst of the deep ocean, there lay a mysterious island that appeared on no map.
Erased from the mory of the world, the island was cloaked in silence and secrecy. Its jagged coastline was lined with sharp rocks, where waves crashed relentlessly in frothy explosions. The sky was almost always overcast, and the sun seldom shone on this secluded land. Even at midday, the island remained shrouded in a thick, ghostly fog.
But this fog was no ordinary mist. It moved with a strange, almost living will—creeping and shifting, enveloping the island like a protective shroud.
The waters surrounding the island were unnaturally cold. Anyone who entered them felt a chill that pierced down to the bone. Those who ventured too close would often flee in terror, swallowed by a sense of unending darkness. There wasn't a single other island nearby—just an endless, unmarked sea. Reaching this place ant crossing a vast, desolate expanse.
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