Chapter 703: Choosing A Path
The room fell silent at her question. Why, indeed, did we have to worry about the empire?
I glanced at Fyren, finding him leaning back in his chair, utterly unconcerned with the discussion. Elise had vocalized the same approach, and I could hear her reasoning behind it. Hadn’t we already done enough? By destroying Brithlite, we’d broken the church’s stronghold in the northern continent. We’d defeated the dragons and negotiated a peaceful surrender for most survivors. What more do we need to give to a world that had taken everything from us?
"Connor caused this," R’lissea said quietly. "I tried to stop him, but I wasn’t strong enough. One of the things I saw when I touched you, Xiviyah, was what happened because I failed. If we don’t do something, the Empire won’t be able to stop him, either."
"But he’s only eighth-level," Elise protested. "How could the empire not handle that?"
"Seventh, actually," R’lissea admitted. "Or rather, he was. After he claimed the dragon, he might have broken through."
She shot me a questioning look, and I nodded. A small sigh escaped her.
"I think I see what you mean," Elise said suddenly. "The Empire won’t be able to use its full strength. There are tens of thousands of demons traveling through its lands right now. Even with a treaty, they can’t trust that a few won’t go rogue, so they need forces on standby in every city. Their capital was brought to the brink of ruin, crippling their production and trade for a long time."
"Things will change following the Descent. And not for the better," Fyren said. If we must fight somewhere, I suggest facing the Undead Hero. Engaging with the demon army would be unwise until the results are clear."
"The Descent," R’lissea said, "Xiviyah talked about it briefly, but what’s going to happen?"
"I suppose now’s as good a time to discuss this as any. Would you care to explain, Xiviyah? I understand this Descent will be unlike anything I’ve participated in, so your knowledge may trump mine."
"N-no."