The fate of Zenthia was currently being decided. The Emperor of Pyrax had called a ceasefire from all factions in his Imperial court; anyone disobeying would be exterminated with the full might of his army.

  The merfolk's kingdoms had called to the Grand Reefs. The chain of cities carved into the reefs of Zenthia’s inner sea had never been so full. No official reasons had been given, but every living being in the ocean knew what had happened; even if the system had said nothing, they would all have seen and felt the Slumbering Calamity rise from its sleep.

  Every gnomish arch-mechanist, every dwarven king or orcish chieftain, all were making sure their people had stopped any conflicts. Even the great hunt of the orcish clans was put on hold. The arch-mechanists, usually working in the High Factorum, were sitting in their private rooms. All are enjoying what could potentially be their last drink in a time of peace.

  The Brightheart Covenant had its high-priests and high-priestesses of every Grand Temple call their people back, putting down a cease-fire with the Heretical Cults. An internal war that had lasted for centuries was put on hold, waiting for the results of an event that would one day be called the Council of Zenthia.

  This wasn’t just a council to decide the fate of the Cygilites. It was a council to decide the fate of Zenthia. For the first time in hundreds of years the most powerful factions of Zenthia had once again been called to a meeting. A meeting where every scar, injury, and insult was ready to be reminded.

  ***

  “I am once again thanking every participant in this meeting. As we are all busy, allow me to keep this short and simple. My people have awakened. Far earlier than what I had planned for them.”

  “I might even say it could be the System’s direct intervention. But it does not change the following: my people, most Transcendents, are walking through your territories unchecked and three Authorities are guarding the edges of the Desert of Oleron.”

  “I firstly wish to present my excuses for the unlawful intrusion on your territories. You can rest assured that my people will obey. Not a single one will harm as much as a blade of grass. Once they’ll reach Oleron you can be assured that any reappearance of my people would be explained and warned.”

  Akhnamen was standing up, his chair the same as every other participant in this meeting. All were listening, this matter concerned everyone after all. Filandronna, the octopus-woman, was the first to talk. Not interrupting him, but not far from it either.

  “I believe I will speak for everyone here. Your people have indeed awakened in our territory, including some of the most well-protected sites of our nations. But it would be completely hypocritical of us to attack you on that point. We were pillaging and were the ones occupying the Cygilites or Protheans ruins.”

  Akhenamen looked around, surprised that he indeed saw no one disagreeing with her. He was glad those political leaders were mature and thoughtful. A world where political leaders had both these qualities? That was perhaps the clearest proof that this was a fantasy.

  However the tension had not lessened one bit. Filandronna continued.

  “However… The awakening of the Calamities, like the Slumbering Calamity or the giant snake and eagle, has caused massive environmental damage to the sea of Zenthia. Some of our coral reefs have been completely wiped out.”

  “I also know that the territories that the flying Calamity flew over have had most of their forest and fauna completely wiped out. Including quite a few… deadly accidents. So I simply ask, Lord Akhenamen… what do you wish to do about this?”

  Akhenamen could feel every eye turn toward him. All ready to watch his smallest movement to glean a bit more into what kind of person he was.

  “I am… terribly sorry about the death of your people and the destruction caused by my brethren. I can offer compensation to any family that has lost a member due to my people. As for the environmental damage, I can ease your worries; solutions will be found to terraform any destroyed landscape back to its pristine condition.”

  At these words, quite a few eyebrows were raised. A few lips turned into smiles. Barnaby seemed to be about to burst into laughter, staring at every guest as if he was watching the greatest joke. Same for Leeros who was more discreet, simply hiding his smile behind the sleeve of his brown robe.

  Lucius stood up.

  “While we are touched by… your great empathy and generosity, I believe Filandronna wished to know what you would offer us in compensation.”

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Akhenamen now understood why he had caused such a reaction. Thoughtful and mature leaders did not mean they were that different from the ones he knew back on Earth. All couldn’t care less about a “few” thousand deaths of their people.

  More died each day to monsters.

  What Akhenamen had just proposed was completely unexpected. Since when did the powerful offer personal excuses and compensation directly to those affected instead of those ruling over them?

  “You will get nothing.”

  “WH-”

  “QUIET!”

  Before Lucius or any of the others… fiery guests could explode and show their indignation, Akhenamen smacked his glaive into the floor. Releasing the powerful might of his Aspect. If Akhenamen had been anywhere but in Cygislax, he would not have dared pressure such powerful guests.

  However, he was in Cygislax and affected by the System’s double stats buff. Making him as powerful as a rank six Transcendent. Every guest instantly quieted down, none daring to open their mouth. Outside, they could have bested him.

  He was a Throne, and at least three Authorities were ready to throw hands with him. But right now his stats were far above theirs. He could slaughter them easily. And that was without counting on the dozen Beyonders with the strength of Authorities and the Twin, also as powerful as rank 6.

  Even if all the might of their factions were present, it would still be a losing battle for them.

  His aspect of Gauss Unmaking, being an aspect, was also a great help in making him appear even stronger; all could feel his Law was something deeply ancient and much stronger than even “regular” Divine Laws.

  His aura and aspect spread through the whole room, and matter itself started to shatter and be undone around him. His voice rose high and powerful.

  “DO NOT ACT AS IF YOU CARED FOR THOSE PEOPLE! THEY WILL BE OFFERED COMPENSATION AND MY PERSONAL EXCUSES. ANY LANDSCAPE DESTROYED AFTER MY PEOPLE’S AWAKENING WILL BE TERRAFORMED UNTIL IT LOOKS NO DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE IT’S DESTRUCTION!”

  “But… for you all to come like starving vultures, pecking at corpses, trying to obtain as much as you can from tragedy? That I will not allow. I do not wish for war… but act like this again and maybe we should remind the Brightheart Covenant why their gods failed to destroy us.”

  Akhenamen's words were enough to quiet down the assembly. To remind them of which race they were talking to. The Cygilites. They are not newcomers. They are an old sleeping bear returning to its cave, now filled with hyenas.

  The hyenas are checking and poking the bear, seeing if he is old and injured enough to be taken down and eaten. Now they had been shown the bear was older and wizened, but more than ready to remind them why he had once owned this cave.

  They were permitted guests here, not predators.

  Lucius' face, which had once been full of wrath and righteous indignation, simply became once again completely neutral as he smiled.

  “Of course, Akhenamen. That is a perfectly reasonable act. If you truly compensate our people and restore the destroyed landscapes, consider this matter settled.”

  Every participant acquiesced to these words. So did the Merfolks and Cloud Kingdom representatives. Until now, the Bank, Academy, and Adventurers Association had stayed mostly silent and neutral.

  “Good. This matter is settled, then. Now on matters related to the Cygilites political stance on Zenthia… “

  The Northern envoy Tyfania spoke this time, despite being the weakest here; no one mocked her or did not listen. The orcish Authority behind her made sure everyone was aware that her words were his.

  “Your people, Lord Akhenamen, are a mystery to us. We do not know your history. Apart from very small fragments, like the fact that you have fought a war where Thormund Thundereater was slain. I’d even say the Gnomes are the ones with the most understanding of your story, and yet we barely know enough to fill up a single stand in a museum.”

  “And how is that related to their political stance, gnome?”

  Phylia was the one to interrupt Tyfania, making Akhenamen realise the Pyrax’s envoys had barely said a word until now.

  “It is related, Empress Phylia. We know of the identity of Lord Verdant, and we know of vague stories and legends about potential Authorities guarding each of our respective nations. We have thousands of years of History of war, conflicts, and alliances.”

  “So much so that I’m sure almost everyone here believes they know how the others would react to a war. All but the Cygilites. We know almost nothing of their story or why they even fought the giants.”

  Akhenamen’s eye would have widened if it could because he hadn’t expected that. Thormunda was supposed to have lived thousands of years, wasn’t she Thormund’s wife?

  {Incorrect. This isn’t Thormund’s wife, my Hierarch.}

  “Why didn’t you mention it sooner? I almost gave away a huge part of our story!”

  {Sorry, my Hierarch! I thought you knew that giants named their children after their grandparents. This Thormunda is not Thormund’s wife, just one of his descendants!}

  “It’s alright, Ascylla. I’m partially at fault here, too.”

  Akhenamen decided he might have to reveal to Ascylla his past. Or at least a part of it. A disguised truth. Because of her assumption that he knew about Thormunda’s identity, he had almost revealed his story, believing that Thormunda would have just told the others about the Forgotten War.

  But it also raised a few questions in his mind. With people like Orikon still being alive. Or even the gods. Why did the System say the Forgotten War had been… forgotten? It clearly wasn’t!

  “Syllena, can you hear me?”

  [Yes dad!]

  “I want you to ask the System why people who know about the Forgotten War have not revealed it.”

  [Okay, Dad! Sending question… ]

  […]

  [Answer received!]

  [Any mention of the Forgotten War is filtered by the System. Those who know about it cannot reveal its existence.]

  “Thank you, Syllena.”

  Akhenamen’s mind went back to the discussion. This had all taken no more than a few microseconds. Too small to even be perceived. Akhenamen came up with an explanation. His people being forgotten was both a blessing and a curse.

  Curse because of what happened to put them in this state, but a blessing because now, no one knew just how weak the Cygilites were. They had never been weaker, and if the gods wished to eliminate them, it was now or never.

  After all the Cygilites only had three active Authorities, this room alone had enough to kill the Hyperfauna Machines. And once they fell, no amount of Transcendent would be able to defeat an Authority unless they were one themselves.

  Akhenamen stood up once more, all eyes going to him. He was the first to be concerned by this question, after all.

  “My people’s story is one of many wars and conflicts, including with the giants, yes. However, this reality is behind us. Today, we seek to be left alone. To rebuild ourselves. You wish to know what the Cygilites' political standing will be on Zenthia? Very well… It is simple. Leave us in peace, and we shall do the same with you.”