Armipotent

Before Chief Moon could reach the door, Second Prince Arbane rushed toward him. Of course, Chief Moon sensed someone coming toward him. He turned around and was about to hit the person, but his hand stopped midway upon seeing The Second Prince Arbane. The latter grabbed Chief Moon's collar with his two hands. "Why? Why did you do this to me? Why did you forcefully separate us!?"

The two Grand Elders were about to make their move, but Moonsong gestured them not to make any move with his left hand. He then looked The Second Prince in the eyes. "As I said, this is not my decision, Second Prince Arbane but hers." He slowly grabbed Elven Prince's hand off his collar.

"There's no way Sylvia will do that voluntarily, and you must be forcing her to do that. She loves me!" The Elven Prince yelled at Chief Moon, causing the latter to frown.

"I don't know who he inherited that stupidity from." The First Prince Virion stood up from the chair and walked toward his brother. When he arrived next to his second brother, Virion pulled his second brother and raised his knee to his brother's stomach.

"Urghh!" Second Prince Arbane's hand covered his stomach as he looked in shock at his first brother. He was shocked because this was the first time his brother had hit him. While his thought was processing what happened before him, his brother continued with a punch on his nose. "Arghh!"

His right hand covered his bloody nose while his left hand was pointing at his first brother. "You hit me!?" Arbane's tone was someone that could not believe he just got hit. Virion shook his head. "It seems you haven't realized your mistake, my dear brother."

Chief Moon looked at The Elven King and nodded his head. He said nothing about The Second Prince Arbane and left the house afterward. He was not interested in watching the second prince get beaten.

"Did you see that, Father? He just hit me!" Second Prince Arbane turned around while his other hand was still pointing at his first brother, hoping his father would help him in this matter. However, The Elven King shook his head and muttered in a low voice. "We have spoiled him too much." He was talking to his wife, and Queen Ava closed her eyes.

Crown Prince Virion was not done yet. He pulled Arbane's hand that was pointing at him, and he raised his right knee. For the second time, Arbane was hit on the belly. The second hit was much harder than the first one as Arbane fell on his knee. His face scrunched in pain.

Virion squatted and pulled his second brother's hair. "Do you know what you have done?" Learning his lesson, Arbane was no longer acting defiant as he shook his head. For the first time, he found out how scary his First Brother was.

"You almost ruined our relationship with The Moonlight Tribe!" Virion said that in a cold voice. "Have you considered his feelings as well? Do you think Chief Moon is willing to hand over his daughter to a tyrant like The Emperor? Do you also know that you just grabbed Chief Moon's collar? Someone that much higher in status than you, a mere prince? You just disrespect him in front of his people!"

"But our father-" The Second Prince Arbane just wanted to say that their father was higher than Chief Moon. But he stopped midway when he saw her brother's eyes glinting dangerously at him.

"The reason Chief Moon respects our father, because our father is much older than him, but in terms of status, they are the same! How can't you don't understand this? You are so stupid." Virion slapped Arbane's cheek once more. "Also, you have to face the reality that Moonlight Maiden Sylvia never loved you. The reason she agreed to marry you is to strengthen our bond with The Moonlight Tribe and because The Elven King made that request for you!"

"That's enough, bro-" Princess Alissa could not bear to see her second brother devastated like that. However, she earned a piercing glare from Virion, so she swallowed the remaining words back.

"I thought you were quite smart, my little sister. But you seem to haven't realized that we are in a dire situation." Crown Prince Virion released Second Prince Arbane and stood up. "Haven't you heard what Chief Moon told us just now? They will surrender to The Tang Empire!"

"But if we find Sir Suvan and have him to help us, we have a chance to defeat The Tang Empire!" Princess Alissa still put her belief in the second Guardian Beast.

"Do you think so?" The Crown Prince Virion smirked at his cute little sister. "Then let me ask you, who do you think will win if The Green Sky Serpent and The Kirin fight?"

Princess Alissa opened her mouth and closed it again. She did not know who was stronger, but she was about to say that both were equal. However, there was a reason why his brother asked that, meaning the two Guardian Beasts were not equal even though both had the same status.

"You can ask our father. One of the few that experienced The Great War against The Demon that is still alive. He should know the answer." Then The Crown Prince looked at his second brother. "Grow up, Brother. Elven's greatness will end soon, and we have to adapt to the change to survive. Your father could no longer protect you, especially if you offend The Emperor. If that happens, we will sacrifice you for the whole Elven."

After saying that, The Crown Prince returned to his seat. The Elven King and The Elven Queen did not interfere with their children's argument. They also did not refute the Crown Prince's words as if they agreed with him.

"So, do you think we have no chance against them, Virion?" The Elven King asked his eldest son.

"Zero chance!" Virion replied confidently. "You should know that as well, Father. When was the last time we heard about The Tyrant? It was when they were fighting against the Gator Tribe. After the initial clash against the Gator Tribe and killing one of The Gator Tribe's Elders down, The Tyra- The Emperor disappeared, and his force also did not make any move until a week later.

Bam! It was not even a week, around three to four days after their reappearance, but they had taken down The Dark Tribe, having The Kirin joined The Tang Empire, and The Beast Coven lost. On top of all that, they have forced more than a dozen tribes to follow them. This is not just about The Guardian Beast, Father.

The scariest thing about them is the unknown force that could take down The Dark Tribe and force The Kirin to follow them. We don't have any information about them but one, the angel that has an aura as strong as The Guardian Beast. Now added with the remnant of The Dark Tribe and also Sir Alton…."

The Crown Prince Virion did not finish his words, but everyone in the room knew what he was about to say. Added with the Beast Coven's force and also The Moonlight Tribe, which was about to surrender.

"On top of all that, The Tang Empire is prepared about this, but not us. We haven't been in a war since the last war against the Demon. We are not ready for a war." The Crown Prince added.

The Elven King closed his eyes while tapping the table with his finger. That was a bitter truth about The Elven situation. They were not ready for war, and this came to them unexpectedly.

"So we have no choice but to follow Chief Moon's step? It's to surrender to The Tang Empire, but we have to build a solid bond with them? Is that the only choice we have?" Queen Ava muttered in a tone that she could not believe that The Elven would reach this point.

"Unless you have a better solution, Mother." Crown Prince Virion faced his mother with a firm gaze. "If we just surrender without making a solid bond as The Moonlight Tribe did, we will be thrown away once The Emperor achieves his goal. Don't forget Kaylin's last message."

"The Emperor does not like the prideful Elven like us, and he is considering destroying us instead of taking us in. That means The Emperor could achieve his goal with or without us, but the message is a sign that he is giving us a chance." The Crown Prince Virion looked at the ceiling of his house. "We have to lower ourselves unless we want to fight to the death."

"I will not let my daughter marry that Tyrant! I will not let that happen!" Queen Ava burst out emotionally.

Prince Alissa's shoulder shrunk when she heard her mother's words. She realized that she was about to be sacrificed like Sylvia. Her face paled in a split second as fear started to take over her.

At this moment, the door of their house opened. Everyone on the table looked toward the door.

"Don't worry, Sister. You don't have to sacrifice your daughter. I will do it!"

*** ***

The next day, The Elven King with his eldest son visited The Moonlight Tribe. They were riding a white horse as a beautiful carriage pulled by five horses followed them.

"I apologize for my brother's irresponsible action yesterday night, Uncle Moonsong." The Crown Prince Virion bowed his head, but he called Chief Moon intimately, giving the opposite party no chance to act intimate as well.

Chief Moon waved his hand and smiled gently. "There's nothing to apologize for, and I understand your brother's feelings." Then he looked at the royal carriage behind them.

"The Empire gives us no choice but to follow them." The Elven King Revalor smiled bitterly. "We win against the demon, but we lose to the empire with unknown origin."