Supreme Magus novel Chapter 1949

Chapter 1949: Stepping into the Light (Part 1)

When Zoreth reverted to her human form, the main plaza was deserted. Only the members of her group remained and she now had a smug expression on her face.

"See, little brother? This is how we work. No subterfuges. We go straight to the point and wait for our prey to deliver itself on our plate." She said.

"That was idiotic!" Theseus blurted out. "I spent weeks running from both humans and Awakened. The Council knows who I am and is out for my blood. You just put a huge target on our backs for no reason!"

"Quite the contrary." Zoreth replied with a sly smile. "You see, the Organization is now part of the Awakened Council of Garlen. As long as you stay with us, they can't attack you without violating the treaty between the Councils.

"Your presence actually helps us because they have more than one good reason to come to us. They know that 'Dragon magic' doesn't exist and that I threatened them to expose the secret of Awakening.

"I was afraid that they wouldn't buy my bluff since making good on my threats would get me nothing but make me an enemy of the Garlen Council as well. Thank you, Theseus."

"If you are members of a Council, then why didn't you just ask Verendi's for a formal audience?" Dolgus couldn't deny her logic, yet it seemed too much effort for such a little gain.

"So naïve for someone one thousand years old." Zoreth clicked her tongue in disapproval. "The Garlen Council doesn't know about the Mouth, or we would have even more competition.

"The moment I mention the artifact and demand it be given back, what do you think would happen?"

She took a brief pause, letting a nightmare scenario play in the heads of their companions.

"We would be surrounded by some of the most powerful beings of Verendi, in their own home, under the effects of magical formations whose power I can't even fathom. They would kill us, leaving no trace of what happened but fake evidence.

"They would claim that you went on a rampage due to your blood madness, that we tried to defend you, and that they had to put us down in self-defense.

"They cannot afford to risk that we expose the existence of the Mouth to the Garlen Council.

"They would rather kill us all and face the political consequences of their actions than willingly give up on such a powerful artifact. This way, instead, we have the home advantage and we can set the rules."

"No array can be cast without us noticing and by forcing them to meet us in the open, in the richest block of one of the most populous cities of Verendi, they can't just try to wipe us out.

"If even one of us manages to escape, they would be done and even the Guardians of Verendi would side with Garlen. With a single move, I left them no choice but to play a game of my choice." Zoreth walked toward the Winged boar, the most luxurious hotel of the city, and the others instinctively followed her.

ᰍaꪧda ᱅o᱇ꫀl Her intelligence and charisma made her the leader of the group, not her power. Even Lith was inwardly gawking at her strategy. He had always had lots of power, but he had always been forced to hide it.

'So this is how you use sheer might strategically.' He pondered. 'Zoreth didn't shed a single drop of blood yet the entire city is under her control. By avoiding violence, she made people scared enough to not provoke her but not so desperate that they would attack her.

'I must say, I like how the Organization operates. Quick, smart, and straight to the point.'