The Snakefolk Traitor?

Seeing how stubbornly the representatives of the various nations held their ground, Bai Xiaowen shook his head.

He had expected this. There was no way they would accept his proposal so readily. If the nations of the continent had already been working together in earnest, the Spirit Realm Rules would not have given him this second main quest.

For one thing, the nations had yet to feel the full pain of the world-ending crisis. Perhaps they still believed the rising tides were temporary—that they would not keep rising forever, and that one day they would recede.

For another, Bai Xiaowen did not yet have the personal standing to unite seven nations with a single word and make them set aside their grudges to form an alliance.

"I won't argue with you about your shortsightedness for now," Bai Xiaowen said after shaking his head. "Let's set the alliance aside and discuss what we should do next."

Everyone at the table listened.

They had rejected Bai Xiaowen's proposal to form an alliance, but the lord's severed head had left a deep impression. They still took the young prophet seriously.

Bai Xiaowen picked up a wooden pointer from the table and gestured at the map. "Now that Vazhatas is dead, the Snakefolk in the Bonus Waters are leaderless. This is our chance to wipe them out. We must launch a campaign to clear every Snakefolk base from these waters."

Ahan nodded. "Exactly. Once we clear the Snakefolk out, Calchino can regain control of this vital supply hub. We won't have to take the long way around by sea. That will make a real difference to logistics across the entire war."

"It's about more than logistics," Bai Xiaowen added. "As I'm sure you all know, one of the Seven Sacred Artifacts—Balgra's Retribution—is in these