Chapter 521: They Started Plotting Immediately
In another part of the compound, Hagan stopped.
The other leaders who had followed him gathered around, forming a tight circle. Their faces were tense, waiting for him to speak.
One of them broke the silence. "What now?"
Hagan didn’t answer right away. His jaw tightened as he glanced back toward the hall.
"Damn it... if not for that woman, we wouldn’t be in this situation."
Another leader stepped forward. "So what do we do? It’s already happened. There are only three choices."
The others exchanged uneasy looks.
One of them shook his head. "We can’t just accept any of them."
"Joining the war is too risky," another said. "The Perfection Realm is far stronger than the Domain Realm. That’s basically suicide."
A third leader crossed his arms, frowning. "We’ve already built our position. We’ve gotten used to this level of comfort."
One of them let out a frustrated breath. "So why should we risk everything now?"
Another spoke up, his voice rising slightly. "And how dare she demand seventy-five percent? That’s insane."
He clenched his fist. "Our sect’s treasury is the result of decades of saving. How can we just hand over most of it?"
Someone else added, "And the third option... it’s even worse. Giving up our Grand Faction status?"
He waved his hand hard. "That’s impossible. Not after everything we’ve built."
"If we lose that title," another said quietly, "we lose everything tied to it, our authority, our territories, our influence..."
The group fell silent again.
Hagan said nothing.
His gaze drifted back toward the hall, his expression dark and uncertain.
For the first time in a long while, he didn’t know what to do.
Then, without warning, another faction leader stepped forward from the edge of the group.
"If that’s the case," the man said calmly, "there is actually a fourth option."
Hagan turned to him at once, his brows pulling together.
"A fourth option?" he asked. "What do you mean?"
The man met his gaze and smirked, clearly pleased with himself.
He folded his arms, letting the moment linger just long enough to draw attention.
"Of course," he said, voice low and confident. "it works like this..."
---
Sianor stepped down from the platform and walked toward Rachel.
Rachel shifted slightly as he approached, adjusting the baby in her arms.
He stopped in front of her and gave a small, polite smile. "Thank you for your help, Miss Rachel."
Rachel blinked once, then smiled back. "Oh, don’t worry too much about it. It was just an opinion."
Sianor shook his head. "It’s not just an opinion. You basically helped me control the situation."
Rachel let out a soft chuckle and shook her head. "You’re overthinking it. Let’s just focus on what comes next."
Sianor studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. That’s fair."
His gaze drifted downward to the baby in her arms. He hesitated. "...Is that..."
Rachel followed his gaze and smiled gently, adjusting the blanket around the child.
"Yes, she’s mine. And you don’t need to worry... or ask how that came to be."
Sianor held her gaze for a second, then glanced briefly at Floren and Clark. The way they avoided his eyes told him enough.
"It seems they had the same question earlier," he said quietly. "So there’s no need for me to ask further."
Rachel’s smile softened. "Good. Thank you."
Sianor gave a small nod, then looked away from the moment and glanced around the hall, his tone shifting back to business.
"By the way... is Garion not finished with his training yet? I don’t see him."
Rachel shook her head with a light sigh. "Not yet. He left without saying when he’d be back."
Sianor sighed as well. "I see... that’s unfortunate timing."
Arden stepped forward slightly, his expression calm.
"Even without him, God Gym still has enough strength to participate."
Sianor smirked faintly. "Of course it does. Your sect has more than enough capable fighters."
Rachel nodded. "Don’t worry. We won’t be dead weight in the war later."
Sianor’s smirk lingered for a moment before he straightened. "Come. You’ve traveled far. I’ve prepared some food."
Valtor’s eyes lit up immediately. "Finally. I was getting hungry."
Dahlia rolled her eyes. "You’re always hungry."
Valtor shrugged, grinning. "Aren’t you too? In fact, you always eat more than me."
Dahlia frowned and crossed her arms. "Shut up."
Rachel chuckled, shifting the baby slightly as she stepped forward.
"Alright, alright, enough of that. Let’s go. Please, show us the way, Sir Sianor."
Sianor smiled and turned, leading the group forward.
---
Inside the dining hall, long tables were already covered with food.
Valtor didn’t hesitate. He walked straight to the table, grabbed a plate, and began piling food onto it without a second thought.
Dahlia followed right behind him, glancing over the options before stacking her own plate just as high.
Within seconds, both of them were already eating, not bothering to say a word.
The nearby stewards froze, watching in stunned silence as the two dug in with complete focus.
Not far away, Seira and Arden sat in a different section, keeping some distance.
Seira lowered her gaze slightly, clearly embarrassed.
She picked up her food slowly and muttered, "What an animal..."
Arden, seated beside her, smiled faintly as he took a bite. "They’re just refueling."
Seira shot him a look. "I know, but this isn’t our place."
Arden let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah... you’re right. Maybe they’re being a bit too excessive."
Meanwhile, Mersha wandered from dish to dish with a small spoon in hand.
She leaned in curiously, scooping tiny portions and tasting each one.
"Hehe... what’s this?" she murmured. "This one’s interesting... and this... ohh, this tastes good."
She kept moving, clearly more interested in trying everything than actually eating a full meal.
Off to the side, Sianor watched the scene unfold, arms loosely crossed. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"You people are quite lively," he said.
Rachel let out a small sigh, though her expression softened. "Sorry about them. They get like this when there’s food."
Sianor shook his head lightly. "Don’t worry about it. It’s not a bad thing."
Rachel smiled at that. "Thank you."
She picked up her own plate and began eating at a slower, more measured pace.
For a moment, the noise settled into something calmer, and the atmosphere relaxed.