The Kind of Evil

Chapter 620 - 620: Neutrality and Hostility.

Everyone sat at the round table except for the elders like Lazarus and Lenin that were sitting on the side not far from the round table. None of them had seen Aurelia for months, not even Maximilian, Monica, Alexander, or Isador that said to be her closest friends. Aurelia had secluded herself from the outside world, yet she knew everything that happened in Centriva and the other continents around her."I have invited guests to join our meeting. You two may come in," Aurelia said as she looked to her left where there was a door that also connected to the meeting hall.

When the door opened, everyone saw Archduke Thalior Ardentis from South Neva and Sorceress Agnesia Valier from West Neva. The two of them lowered their heads to Aurelia before they joined Lenin and Lazarus on the side.

"As you can see, this meeting isn't to evaluate everyone's work but to address the issues that are happening in West Neva and South Neva, as well as what we all witnessed a few days ago, the phenomenon that put anxiety on everyone's mind," Aurelia said with her hand that moved gracefully as she spoke. "It has been confirmed by Great Sage Novia that it happened somewhere in East Neva," she revealed.

Everyone knew what Aurelia meant by the phenomenon where the bright daylight turned dark for a few seconds before a bright light like the sun appeared beyond the horizon from the east. They knew Rasmus' whereabouts, and they knew it had something to do with him, but they didn't know what that meant. They were anxious that another continent might fall, they were worried that another war would happen again.

"Count Blackheart is in East Neva right now, Your Exellency. Since the Sancticus family has a strategic alliance with the Urion family from East Neva, we might hear something from them about Count Blackheart in a few days," Monica said as she looked at the porcelain mask that Aurelia wore, wondering if her friend was doing fine and why she cut ties with everyone. "Knowing what kind of a person Count Blackheart is, he will make sure he's known. We will send the information as soon as we get anything from the Urion family, Your Excellency," she assured her old friend as she lowered her head slightly.

"Thank you, Ordinal Conclave Monica," Aurelia lowered her head slightly, mirroring Monica's.

Aurelia's hand was about to reach her forehead but she remembered she was wearing a mask. She froze for a split second before she put her hand back on the table. It was so obvious when everyone could see the tremor and twitch on Aurelia's right forefinger.

"Your Excellency..." Isador frowned slightly, seeing his friend pushing herself beyond the limit and knowing she had nobody to take care of her made Isador can't hide his concern anymore.

Aurelia raised her right hand, signaling to Isador to stop before he could utter his concerns and worries. Julius, who sat beside Isador immediately put his hand on his son and shook his head.

"Archduke Thalior, if you may?" Aurelia asked as her face turned toward Thalior.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Thalior lowered his head before he stood up from his chair and walked toward the round table. He had a scroll in his hand and he offered it with both hands to Aurelia. "This is the current situation in South Neva, Your Excellency. Everything that has happened in the past months, I made sure everything is included in there," he revealed as he watched Aurelia take the scroll and slowly pull the string that was tied to the scroll.

Aurelia read through the complete report of the situation in South Neva about the cult, about the Zevrathi family, and about beings called Angels that had been confirmed by using Rasmus' method. Every report that she heard outside Centriva, Rasmus name would come to the surface. She recalled the days back when she was still at Gratlan Academy, the day after the war, the man that was her teacher, her mentor, and her instructor on how to see the world inward and her as a person outward.

"The cult has occupied and almost half of South Neva continent due to the lack of funds and power to maintain the land. The existence of Angels has been confirmed along with the Zevrathi family that led the cult and brought in masses. Currently, the South Neva Union has formed a peace treaty made by Lady Erlina of the South Neva Union. The cause for the treaty is due to the Angels power that can alter one's memories and unknown power they can possess. The cult has no desire for an expansion, they're preparing for the upcoming war and their target is no other than Count Rasmus Blackheart," Aurelia summarized the report so everyone at the table knew the content of it. "Lastly, the cult suggested that all figures that have ties with Count Rasmus Blackheart to be severed immediately or bear the consequences, it's a word from the cult leader himself, Aston Zevrathi," she revealed as she put down the scroll and looked at everyone at the table.

Everyone looked at Thalior and he gave them a nod, assuring those in the report weren't fabricated and that they were nothing but the truth.

"Count Blackheart is our savior and without him, Centriva wouldn't exist, and nobody would be sitting here right now. However, we never had ties with Count Blackheart in the first place, you can tell them that, Archduke Thalior," Aurelia said without hesitation. "I assume you have reached the same conclusion as mine?" She looked up at Thalior.

"Yes, Your Excellency. Based on what Lady Erlina said during her private conversation with Count Blackheart, he purposely told her to put all the blame on him because he knew that the cult and the Angels were targeting him in the first place. It sounds like we are throwing the responsibility to him, but in the first place, Count Blackheart didn't have any desire to tether himself with South Neva or South Neva Union," Thalior answered as he nodded in agreement.

Everyone else at the table had no comment related to that issue, and they agreed with what Aurelia and Thalior said about Rasmus. Rasmus never asked for a single possession from his achievements nor did he want anything from them.

"Thank you for the report, Archduke Thalior," Aurelia lowered her head slightly and allowed Archduke to go back to his seat. "Sorceress Agnesia, if you may?" She turned her attention to Agnesia.

Agnesia stood up from her seat and also had a scroll in her hand as she walked toward Aurelia and then gave the scroll to her. Agnesia looked around at the table and their eyes always fixated on Aurelia with reverence, figures that used to rule over millions of lives and influence not only Central Neva but everywhere they went. She then looked at Aurelia, already focused on the report of what was happening in West Neva.

As soon as Aurelia lowered the paper in her hand, she turned her head to look Agnesia in the eyes. Agnesia knew that look even though Aurelia's face was hidden beneath the mask and her eyes were hidden beneath the white cloth. She nodded, telling Aurelia that it was all the truth no matter how shocking it was.

"West Neva is currently moving toward a new path that will never allign with ours," Aurelia said as she looked at everyone at the table. "West Neva is now under a single figure, Saint Ermaine with Satan and all the Prime Lords under her commands. She has conquered and unified West Neva, creating a new religion, a new belief. Furthermore, both the Orthias race under Lady Sanya order and Count Blackheart have decided to form a treaty with them," she revealed before everyone could ask a question.

Everyone was stunned when they heard both the Orthias race and Rasmus decided to have a peace treaty with Satan, the culprit behind the downfall of the three continents, North Neva, Central Neva, and South Neva. Everyone made the same look as Aurelia toward Agnesia, and she responded identically by nodding her head. It was shocking that they had no idea what to say or what to feel toward that information.

"The reason behind the treaty is the same for the Orthias race and Count Blackheart," Aurelia pointed out as she put down the paper. "Both of them have decided to join hand to prevent the cult and the Angels from influencing the world. Saint Ermaine sent a message for us. Those who made ties with the cult will be seen as enemy and Lady Sanya herself agreed to that statement," she revealed.

Everyone was loss for words, they could only either rub their foreheads or massage their nose bridges. Ermaine was the person that everyone tried to eliminate a long time ago, and now they reaped of their failure.

"One wants us to cut ties with Count Blackheart and offers treaty with us and the other wants us to cut ties with the cult entirely," Aurelia summarized the two reports altogether.

"And what move should we consider to take, Your Excellency?" Arthor Wyverncrest asked with a serious expression.

"We will cut ties with both South Neva and West Neva," Aurelia answered without hesitation. "Please tell Saint Ermaine that we have no desire in joining hands with them or the cult. And please tell Anton Zevrathi that we have no desire in joining hands with Count Blackheart, West Neva, and the cult itself. We will maintain our neutrality and show hostility at the same time for now," she added.

"Your Excellency, if we do that, we are going to be seen as a threat," Moriganne Sancticus stared at Aurelia's mask with concern.

"Yes, but neither will make a move on us because if one of them invaded us, the other won't stay still. The cult stated that they have no desire for expansion, and if Saint Ermaine decided to invade us, the cult has no option but to prevent that from happening. Both parties are preparing for something, and if they wasted even a sliver of their forces for unnecessary conflict, the one who gains the initiative is Count Blackheart himself and that's the one thing they don't want to give," Aurelia explained in a calm voice. "We are not playing with either sides, we will maintain our independent," she exclaimed.

"We have no platform to stand on, Your Excellency. We have no assurance for the safety of our land," Volos Auvrey pointed at, his expression stiffened.

"That's why we will create an alliance with a side that never intend on interfering and has always been neutral and have no desire in anything but to protect this world," Aurelia nodded in agreement.

"Does that mean we want to make an alliance with the Orthias race, Your Excellency? But isn't the Orthias race already have made a treaty peace with Saint Ermaine?" Ligardis Evermount asked, her voice gentle but filled with anxiety.

"Peace treaty isn't the same as an alliance, and we have someone among us who have entered the Land of Orthias," Aurelia turned her head toward Moriganne.

Everyone turned to look at Moriganne, wondering what she would say in this matter.

"I'll immediately go to North Neva to find Lady Sanya, Your Excellency," Moriganne lowered her head without questioning Aurelia because she knew it wasn't a bad proposal and it was as Aurelia said that a peace treaty wasn't the same as an alliance.

"We will post-pone our meeting for today. We will continue our meeting tomorrow in the morning, and you all may use the rooms in the palace to rest. The meeting is adjourned," Aurelia said as she stacked her hands together on the table.

Everyone slowly stood up and lowered their heads toward Aurelia before they all left the meeting room, leaving Aurelia alone in the room. Aurelia slowly reached for her mask and slowly pulled the mask off, putting it on the table before she stood up and left the room and left the mask on the table.