Chapter 3257: Final Decision
Many dwarves stiffened at those words.
Many winced.
Others gritted their teeth.
"Don’t bring up such matters lightly, Prince Festus," an older dwarf growled. "We are aware that our first military invasion into the Lost Continent ended in a fiasco. But the fact of the matter is that the incentives haven’t changed—"
"Are you stupid?" Festus asked, tilting his head.
Out of all the male dwarves there, he was the only one who didn’t have a beard.
His face was smaller, and his skin was supple and soft, compared to the rough, conditioned flesh of the other dwarves in the room.
"We tried invading them and we failed," he pressed. "That should be the end of the analysis. The Lost Continent is impregnable. The monsters of their oceans are led by that terrifying creature at the very bottom of their waters. The beasts and monsters on their continent. And, of course, their warriors, these ’Martial Artists,’ are a force to be reckoned with. They even repelled an invasion from the Evolutionary Army and killed Supreme Commander Anthea."
His silver eyes sharpened.
"Our initial invasion was simply a test. To see whether the indigenous natives of the Lost Continent are worthy of being acknowledged and respected, whether they could protect their land effectively and force the world of Gaia to acknowledge their claim," he continued. "And the results are clear."
He closed his eyes.
"Human civilization is strong. They will not be bullied easily. If we wage a war against them, it would have to be through space, for the oceans have become absolutely deadly to us," he reasoned aloud. "A war from outer space will cost trillions of Beards in currency. It will drain our economy, and unfortunately, it does not have a guaranteed victory. On top of that, we will lose countless dwarves and countless artifacts and capital. The loss of our juggernauts that day is still painful. And on top of all of that..."