Chapter 2012 - A Crisis Is Also An Opportunity

"Grandpa, are you okay?" Noya asked worriedly as he looked at Merante, who was sitting by the bed.

Merante held the small bottle of his wine in his hand, tilted his head back, and finished the last drop of wine inside. He licked his lips, and then smacked Noya on the head. "Scoundrel! You've completely wasted such a good wine."

"???" Noya was confused. His grandpa almost died, but the first thing he actually cared about was the wine?

"Where is this wine from? How dare you rascal hide such good wine from me." Merante questioned Noya.

Seeing that Merante appeared lively and full of strength, Noya finally was assured. He smilingly said, "Boss Mag gave it to me. It's just this small bottle."

"It's really just this small bottle?" Merante was still in disbelief. He reached over, and searched Noya.

"I really don't have a single drop of alcohol on me. But Boss Mag just sent breakfast for us. Have some," Noya said.

With the help of the bed's frame, Merante stood up. He stretched a little, and lifted his shirt up to check his wound. The flesh had grown over the scary-looking wound, leaving only a faint red scar.

"That b*tch is really ruthless. She almost sent me to see my maker with the Holy Light. But she is formidable. She healed some of my underlying problems from back then, and could even cure such a serious wound," Merante lamented.

"Who is she? She's really powerful." Noya saw Irina cast the spell yesterday, and in a drunken state on top of that. This made him utterly shocked.

"The Holy Light, combined with powerful healing magic. A 10th-tier powerhouse as young as her, I guess it would only be the elven princess," Merante said with a smile.

"Princess Irina?" Noya was so shocked that he raised his voice. After that, he said in bewilderment, "But she's not an elf. She's a human."

"Do you think we look like humans?" Merante smiled.

"You mean she was in disguise?" Noah thought for a while. After that, he had an epiphany, and said, "That's true. Boss Mag is Master Alex, so his wife must be Princess Irina.

"But Grandpa, we were tracking the evil aura yesterday. Why did we end up getting ambushed by humans? Could those humans have already been in cahoots with the devil?"

"Maybe not. He must have known that there were troops waiting there, so he used the evil aura to lure us there on purpose so that others would do the dirty work." Merante shook his head. He had a grave expression as he said, "It seems like we were found out. We have to be even more cautious moving forward."

"So does he know where we are?" Noya was nervous.

"No. He only knows that we will definitely find him. That's enough." Merante shook his head. Smiling, he said, "Otherwise, we would have been dead last night."

"What a sly and scary fellow." Noya clenched his fists.

***

Golden Dragon Island.

Louis was standing by the road as he told Douglas seriously, "The warning letter was sent to Rodu. Currently, Andre has not given any reply yet. However, if this was as Alex said, and was the Great Old Ones' plan, what should we do?"

Douglas said, "Andre is not a rash and stupid person. He had endured for decades, so he would not be in a rush for a moment, nor would he put himself in danger. I am more inclined to Alex's conjecture. I'm afraid the devil is already in control of Josh, and is currently wreaking havoc everywhere, trying to incite a new racial war."

"In that case, what should we do? Now the orcs are still very angry, and the other races have all closed off their roads in preparation for war." Louis frowned.

"Perhaps we should take a trip to Rodu."

"Go straight to negotiate with Andre?"

"No, to find Josh and the devil. Andre would never admit that the devil has already controlled Josh. This would only make him lose the support from his people. Therefore, we have to find Josh or force Andre to admit to this, and from then on, we come to a consensus," Douglas said seriously.

"That works. If I am not wrong, Alex and Irina should already be in Rodu. They are the people who know the devil the best. Perhaps we could find the tracks of the devil even faster through them." Louis nodded, and said, "Oh, right. I think Elizabeth has left Chaos City."

"I think you Golden Dragons should not have any hopes for her. Elizabeth is a Frost Dragon." Douglas glared at Louis.

"We'll have to see if you really see her as one of yours. You guys have made no improvement in that aspect at all after so many years." Louis pressed his lips together. He did not care about Douglas's threat.

***

Chaos City, the Buffett Manor.

"Grandfather, the borders of the Roth Empire have been closed. Now, only the members of the Peace Alliance have the necessary travel routes open, but there are restrictions for traders to enter and exit. I'm afraid a big change is going to happen this time," Scheer, who was standing by a frozen lake with a warmer in her arms, told Ian Buffett, who was using a thin bamboo rod to crack open the surface of the lake.

Ian remained silent for a long time. He put down the bamboo rod in his hand, and turned slowly to look at Scheer. A smile appeared on his aged face. "Wasn't this what we predicted a few years ago? It is just happening."

"But'¦" Scheer frowned. This was what the Buffett Family had gotten ready for years ago. It was not even the worst outcome. After all, the war had yet to break out completely. There were many races that had formed the Peace Alliance.

Of course, the races were all in a tense state before the impending war. This had caused a significant impact and threat to the core supporting asset of the Buffett Family, the Buffett Bank.

The Buffett Bank had gained significant benefits and influence by creating convenience and providing funds for the races in terms of trade.

Now that trade had stopped, and the situation was chaotic, people from different regions were swarming to the bank to withdraw their money as it would feel safer for the money to be in their pockets.

Of course, before the peace meeting, the Buffett Bank had already been prepared for it to ensure that the cash flow of the banks everywhere was sufficient so that there was no frenzy or other problems.

"We have done what we should. The situation now is not what we can control. We have to see what comes out of the fight among the races. At least the situation and outlook currently are not the worst," Ian said with a smile.

"Mm-hmm." Scheer nodded. She agreed with Ian's judgment on that.

"Let's go to the study. I want to write a letter to the goblin chief. Even if people can't travel, we must ensure that the goods can pass through smoothly via the railroad.. A time like this shows that a crisis is also an opportunity," Ian said with a smile as he stood up.