Emperor's Reckoning

(There are so many things," the king said before he swallowed his food and darted at the four guests, "that the humans had done, that, that, that... detest me."

"I agree, the humans of the past and even more so at present, are quite unbearable, however, I can tell you that our goal will change their behavior, Your Majesty."

"Hmm? How so?" The king furrowed his brows.

"It will, I can not tell you right now, but they will have to change once we reached our goal," the spokesperson smirked.

"Hmm, you are getting me worried here, dear friends," the elf king chuckled.

"Hahaha, who in this world could scare you, Your Majesty," the cloaked person laughed at the king's jest but the latter was deadly silent. "... Your Majesty?"

The elf king let out a heavy snort before he picked up the wooden glass and stirred it. His eyes were vacant despite looking at the spiraling wine. "There is one."

The guests furrowed their brows behind their masks before the spokesperson led the question with a fake smile, "And that is?"

"Did you know that a single youth is overshadowing the rise of your group? A single human," the elf king's eyes turned sharp as he looked at the four guests. The atmosphere turned silent, so much so that one could hear the elf king gulping down his Elven Wine.

"We know," another of the group answered solemnly.

The elf king snorted a grin at their quick shift of emotion. The glamour of the feast in front of them immediately lost its splendor compared to the youth they were talking about. The young man that had made so many aspiring young cultivators froth their mouths.

"Have you ever met him, Your Majesty?" asked the usual lips of the group.

"Not yet," the elf king picked up where he left off—eating, "I've heard it of course, from my trusted espionages," as he munched the food inside his mouth. "It's sort of fright of the unknown, the mystery surrounding that human, is magnificently mystified."

(Such big words from an elf that hated the human... wait a minute....) thought the cloaked person. "I'm afraid, we share the same fright, Your Majesty."

"Is that so?" The elf king raised his brows. "Elaborate."

"First of all, even though Your Majesty has graciously invited us, the truth to the matter is, it's all part of our plan."

"Hm?!" The king furrowed his brows. "Are you using me?"

"Oh no! That's not what this is all about. It's about asking for your aid, Your Majesty."

"My aid?"

"Yes! It is regarding our greatest obstacle to date, which coincidentally the same person as Your Majesty just mentioned, the youth that has grown his shadow so exponentially that even Legion is left outside of people's minds. Also coincidentally we share some bad blood with him over the past months."

"Hoh? So you have made contact with him before, tell me, is he as just as strong as the words that passed through my ears?"

"None of our members that made direct contact with him is breathing right now."

"HM?!" The elf king had his pupils shrunk to a dot. He never thought that such youth would actually be that powerful despite the words that the espionage had passed to him. The rise and glory of the young man were even greater than his credit of becoming the king of elves.

"That's right, he is still our greatest obstacle, not to mention the potential that he possesses—" he shook his head, "It's hazardous. Sooner or later, he would eventually make a visit to your glorious kingdom, who knows what he would do if we don't stop his growth now."

The elf king put down his knife as he hummed. (He is really trying to put me into working together with them). "I'm afraid that you're right... however, that won't be much, what makes you think that I alone cannot handle him?"

"We certainly believe that Your Majesty's strength can handle him just right, however, what about the collateral damage that he would leave...? Innocent elves from your kingdom might suffer from his random behavior. We all know how unpredictable he is."

"Hmm, what makes you think that he would attack my kingdom?"

"Because it is human's nature of greed."

"They will take, take and take, never give any. Take your wife, take your children, take your everything. Everything that you have built, they will take it for their own, after all, what do they care for your life or your loved ones' life?" the spokesperson grinned heavily as his string of words tried to connect to the elf king's emotion and memories, and ultimately his soul.

The mantra circled around the sharp ears before clutching his vision. Revert the reality in front of him into a reverie of the holocaust of his own kingdom, with the laugh of a youth reverberating across the wailings of his subjects.

... (Illusion... heh). The elf king batted his eyes before the reality returned to his sight.

*Thump!

"Guha!" the spokesperson spewed out his blood at the food below him before the three others immediately stood up on guard. However, the former immediately gestured by showing his palm at them. He was breathing quite heavily with blood trickling from the edge of his lips. "Hah, hah, hah—" he darted against the lofty king. "I apologize for my rude behavior, Your Majesty."

"Do that again and see where your head will lie," the elf king replied. His solemn voice put the other three to a sit. The significant pressure from his presence increased as they felt their heart crunched. Their heart raced greatly, as palpitation was unavoidable. Cold sweat drenched their temples and their fingers shook to the very nails as their eyes refused to dart over to the man, no, the elf sitting on the main seat.

"Though—" he retracted his presence before everyone else and immediately catching breath. "I too wonder about his destructive potential."

The elf king smirked as he looked at the four of them pathetically breathing through their gaping mouths like a koi fish, "Now you see realize that I can force out an answer from all of you if I wanted to, but please don't look at me with such aggression, after all, you are the one that made me do it."

The elf king chuckled, "Hahaha, however, there is no need to worry about it, I'm not as heartless as those humans nor as rude as those green skins. I forgive you four for your lack of tack."

The four of them immediately bowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Now then, don't be rude to me and tell me the item at which you seek."

"The item that we seek—"

"Nora!" one of the cloaked people called out the spokesperson's name.

"It's fine, my action was supposed to be our demise, but His Majesty's neverending kindness still let us breathe our breath," (Besides, we can't afford to make this elf our enemy... I've never seen someone break of my illusion that fast and casually).

"The item that which we seek now lies inside a woman."

"A woman?" The elf king frowned. "A human woman?"

Nora nodded, "Originally it was not supposed to be inside this woman, but we are one step too late due to his intervention."

"His? You mean that youth?"

"That's right, we are seeking foreign energy that would be the key to our goal. However, before the agent we sent out to that world could find out where it's located, he died with his heart ripped out from behind, by him. Then, this woman is somehow able to find this energy and absorb it into her."

"I see, you got the short end of the stick huh."

"Hahaha, but there is one huge problem."

"She is affiliated with the youth," the king smirked.

"She is affiliated with the youth, has been rumored that she is in fact, the teacher of him."

"The teacher?!" The king furrowed his brows. "You're threading a fine thin line here."

Nora nodded. "I have thought so myself, but the energy that she held within is large enough that it is sufficient for us to reach our goal. We will assemble all of our core members for this."

"All of them?" the king raised his brows. "You guys are moving massive forces, the four leaders would certainly take notice, especially him."

"We don't account for failures, what we account for is what happens next," Nora sighed.

"Hahaha," The elf king laughed. "Of course, so you just dine and dash then?"

"We already have him chasing our tails for a while now, why not show him some respect and be present, once in a while," Nora smiled.

"Are you sure? Can you survive his fury?" The elf king smiled.

"Not all of us would, but some of us will, and they will carry on our goal," Nora solemnly said. "Our goal is more important, for it will change the world as we see now, and I hope Your Majesty will be a part of it."

The elf king grinned.