Chapter 476: Okaaz’s Purpose

“Hey, Rod, what are you doing? Haven’t you seen Lord Sognar back?” A familiar voice broke the silence, causing amusement. Rod, however, wore a knowing smile—there was no one other than Sognar who could make such a sound; he didn’t even need to state his name.
Hearing this voice, Okaaz and the others were momentarily stunned. They turned back and their expressions changed drastically—someone was so close to them yet they hadn’t noticed. Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads at the thought. If this person had malicious intentions, the consequences would be dire.
Okaaz and the others knew about Nightingale, but what about the others? Everyone except Nightingale had been with Rod at the dinner party earlier, and it was obvious they had a good relationship with him. More importantly, their true strength was hard to gauge, especially that seemingly mature woman, whose power was unfathomable—so great that it left others feeling utterly inferior. Any one of them could easily eliminate everyone here. Their expressions became somewhat uneasy upon seeing them arrive.
“How did you return so soon?” Rod asked jokingly as he looked at Sognar walking up. It seemed this guy had been doing well—his face was rosy!
“The mission is complete. I’ve contacted most of the people, and the rest will be returning soon!” he replied quickly. Then, glancing at Okaaz and the others, he frowned slightly. Lucy had told him something before coming here, so Sognar had no good feelings toward them. In fact, he came to see Rod to find out what kind of people they were—those who had once pursued and abandoned him.
Sognar might not have many strengths elsewhere, but one thing was undeniable: once he considered someone a brother, someone he trusted, he would defend them fiercely. Naturally, he had no kind words for those who had betrayed Rod. Seizing this opportunity, he wouldn’t miss the chance to mock them thoroughly.
After greeting Rod, he turned and glared coldly at Okaaz and the others. His aura surged instantly. “So, these are the delegation from the Lance Empire, right? Hehe, the Lance Empire is quite good—as expected. Was that where Rod was pursued by you guys back then? What do they want from you now? Surely not to pursue you again?”

The sneering question made several people turn red in the face, unable to say a word. In the face of Sognar’s powerful aura, Okaz, who was stronger, fared a bit better, while the others immediately looked pale and uneasy. By now, Sognar had already stepped into the realm of those with a dark yellow aura! If he wished, he could enter this realm at any time, showing just how formidable his aura was.

“Cough, cough…” Feeling Sognar’s presence, Rod was both amused and exasperated. With a sigh, he stepped forward and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. Instantly, Sognar’s aura was completely suppressed, as if nothing had happened. This seemingly simple gesture actually sealed off all of Sognar’s aura.

With the aura gone, the people across from him began to breathe heavily. A hint of anger flashed in Okaz’s eyes. As an imperial marshal, he had never been threatened or treated like this before. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning icy.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange. Fortunately, at that moment, Lucia grabbed his hand and shook it gently, calming Okaz down. He hadn’t forgotten why he had come to see Rod that day.

“Alright, go back and rest for now. We can talk about anything tomorrow!” Rod frowned and said to Sognar, worried that this guy might cause trouble here.

“Lucy, you guys should go back too!” He then turned to Lucy. Looking at Lucia, he found it amusing—their names were indeed very similar, just one character apart, yet worlds apart.

“Mm, okay. Then we’ll go back with Brother Sognar!” Lucy nodded obediently and pulled Sognar along, leaving him no choice but to follow.

Once everyone left, the scene became quiet again. Looking at Okaz and his group, Rod took a deep breath. “I wonder what the Great Marshal wants from me?”

“Hehe, just wanted to come and see you. It’s been years since we last met—you’ve changed a lot!” With a wry smile, he stepped forward two steps, finally getting a chance to speak. The situation was much better than he had expected, Okaz said thoughtfully.

“Yes, it’s been years without change. But the Great Marshal still looks majestic!” Rod also praised him. Their conversation instantly broke the awkward silence, making the atmosphere more relaxed.

Kiro and the others also let out a long sigh, exchanging glances and seeing a hint of relief in each other’s eyes—thankfully, things hadn’t gone that far! The fact that Rodken had given them a chance to speak meant the situation wasn’t yet irreparable.
“Just joking. I’m old now. The world belongs to you young people—it’s time for us old bones to retire!” Looking at the capable Rod and the group from the Source of Darkness, Okaz was filled with emotion. Time was passing too fast; each new generation surpassed the last, and they of their generation had already been left behind by the tide of history.
Hearing Okaz’s words, Rod was also deeply moved. This time, with the powerful forces from the Source of Darkness stepping in, it seemed they had indeed dealt a heavy blow to them.
“You’re still the backbone of the continent—nothing can change that! Are these the only people the Lance Empire sent as a delegation?” After pondering for a moment, Rod asked curiously. Among those present, only Okaz seemed to be of any significance; the rest… didn’t seem much to count. Comparing them to other nations, which sent princes, nobles, or even their own rulers along with ministers, the Lance Empire seemed rather inadequate.
“That’s all there is. You know well enough about your own situation. No matter how many more people the empire sends, it won’t help. Just us a few are enough!” Without hiding anything, Okaz laid everything bare.
Rod was both amused and exasperated. So the Lance Empire was trying to play the emotional card? No wonder they only sent Marshal Okaz at the head of the delegation—the rest were his former comrades from battles past, especially John, who must have been one of the last to be convinced. Such tactics might seem useless, but they were far superior to those of other empires.
“I know you still hate us, still resent the empire’s actions back then, resenting that we didn’t come to help,” Okaz said with a bitter smile after a long sigh. “Actually, we had no choice. As you know, from the perspective of rulers, anything that threatens their existence must be eliminated. The demons are exactly one such threat. Every time they appear, it brings chaos and bloodshed—especially the Dark Kingdom three thousand years ago, which enslaved our human race!
Demons are nature’s enemies to humans. We can’t let them survive. Though it’s shameful toward you, if given another chance, I’d do the same!” Okaz’s words, delivered with unwavering conviction, left Rod deeply moved.

That’s just how it is; I know that all too well. It’s just a bit painful! But at this moment, hearing Okaz say those words made things much easier, as if all my worries had suddenly been resolved, bringing me relief.
If Okaz had said something else, Rod might have interrupted him right away, continuing to maintain a polite tone in the conversation or even losing interest in continuing. But now that he had said those straightforward words, Rod’s mind calmed down.
“I know!” Taking a deep breath, Rod said helplessly, “This is fate—this is how things work between opposing sides.”
“That’s good. There’s actually nothing much to discuss in these negotiations. No one wants to continue the war. It’s the best move for you to propose peace on your own. Let me tell you something as well—the Empire has already given its word. We can overlook the four towns you’ve occupied, as they’re border towns and unimportant. But you must promise not to invade the Lance Empire for a thousand years, and you must not station large numbers of soldiers near our empire! As for the other countries, especially those with no conflicting interests, they’ve long wanted to continue the ceasefire, so there’s no problem. Only the Meidis Empire’s attitude is uncertain, but I believe it won’t be much different. You can try to secure as many benefits as possible.
At the same time, the Empire hopes to reach an agreement with you, establish mutual relations, and form an alliance!” After thinking for a moment, Okaz laid out the task assigned to him this time, trying to gauge Rod’s stance.
Rod was slightly stunned. He didn’t expect Okaz to be so direct, revealing all his cards! He then inwardly sighed—this guy was truly cunning. The empires and countries on the continent surely knew the Dark Source’s plans. It was undeniable that they wouldn’t give up the Dark Duchy they already had, so there was no need to fight over it too much. It would be better to be generous and do them a favor. As long as a treaty was signed requiring them not to station too many troops, it wouldn’t pose a threat to them.
At the same time, requiring the opening of these areas meant turning them into free trade zones—a win-win move. On one hand, these border towns could be handed over to the Dark Source to handle, eliminating the threat of magical beasts. On the other hand, located between two empires, they would serve as a buffer. Over the past few years, the Meidis Empire had been ambitious, secretly plotting to attack the Lance Empire. This move by the Lance Empire effectively shifted the threat to the Dark Source first.

By forming an alliance with the Source of Darkness, once successful, the Source of Darkness will surely not stand by and watch them face the threat of war. It will help them gain time for peace. On the other hand, a thousand years is enough for them to assimilate the people of the Source of Darkness, preventing them from rebelling over such a long period.

The most important point is the last one. By forming this alliance, Lance’s empire will invisibly rise several levels, gradually taking on the appearance of the greatest empire on the continent. What can countries like the Mest Empire do then? It’s easy to imagine! This is essentially having the Source of Darkness help them manage this territory, shifting all threats onto themselves while also gaining a favor, leaving Rod in debt to them.

Thinking of these calculations, Rod couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He could only sigh that an old fox remains an old fox—everything is accounted for, with every move serving multiple purposes. Truly ingenious.