The Record of Orc Civilization

Chapter 474: The Empty Throne

Meeting Room, Capital Palace

Ez looked at the gathered Asuras and Queens: Boku, Swa, Mige, Nerphyl, Nedira, Nezena, and Nevare. Finally, they were all back in this room—a place that had served as a silent witness to conspiracies, development strategies, and the blueprints of the kingdom’s future. Without Moku, only the four Queens and Ez possessed the authority to open this chamber for an emergency meeting.

And this time, the person who had decided to open this chamber was Ez. He summoned all the high department heads of the kingdom, as well as the newly arrived Boku. Not only that, but the four queens, who were supposed to be busy managing the valkyries, were also forced to attend this meeting.

Though the room was filled with powerful individuals, the towering throne at the center remained vacant. That emptiness cast a bitter shadow over them all; it was a painful reminder that the leader who always brought a sense of security and calm was not among them.

Ez, seated to the left of the empty throne, turned his gaze away and stared intently at the seat of honor.

"How much longer, Moku..." he whispered, his voice thick with exhaustion.

He knew that Moku was currently undergoing a crucial process. The future of the kingdom and the survival of their species now rested entirely on the King’s shoulders. As the Prime Minister handling administrative details without the presence of The Ku, Ez knew he had to maintain control until Moku’s return. Even so, deep in his heart, he missed the days when his head didn’t feel like it was splitting from strategic planning, back when he knew the King could solve any problem with a single, heated fist.

Yet, when he thought about how carelessly Moku had dumped all the tedious, miscellaneous affairs of Wilwatikta onto his shoulders without giving him a single moment to rest, it seemed his current predicament was no greater than his previous ones.

However... Ez could only let out a long, heavy sigh. Even if the burden on his shoulders had neither lightened nor grown heavier, his chest was currently filled with an overwhelming sense of worry and dread.

"I didn’t expect that even while you were far away in Aquanorin, you were still monitoring the capital this closely, Ez," Swa whispered. His voice was low, yet it carried clearly to the monsters in the room with their enchanted hearing.

Ez offered a thin smile and shook his head. "Though my task is currently to build a bridge of communication with the Elves, my primary duty remains that of the Prime Minister. A Hobgoblin rebellion is not something I can simply tolerate."

When Moku had gathered them recently to recount his meeting with Furfur, Ez immediately realized they had no choice but to follow the Demon’s will. However, that did not mean Wilwatikta had to wage war against every Mana Species on the Meer Continent simultaneously. Although the three primary Mana Species—Humans, Elves, and Warbeasts—appeared allied against the Demon invasion, in reality, they still harbored deep suspicions of one another.

At their core, the three Mana Species harbored a profound hatred and deep-seated suspicion toward one another. The solitary reason compelling them to cooperate at this moment was the threat of the incredibly powerful and massively numbered demon army. If they refused to unite, they would quickly be obliterated one by one by those demons, ending up as nothing more than a feast. Had that absolute threat never existed, these three Mana Species would have undoubtedly betrayed and stabbed each other in the back.

Consequently, the battlefield on the Meer Continent was divided into three main fronts. The Human Front lay to the east of the Bog Forest, near the old location of the Dawnmist Tribe. The Elf Front was situated near Bitter Maja and the open waters of Arguara. Meanwhile, the final front was located on the vast savanna that served as the border between Human and Warbeast territories.

Based on these positions and the diplomatic calculations of the three Mana Species, Ez concluded that if they attacked the humans, it wasn’t a given that the other two species would immediately view Wilwatikta as a common enemy. Although the war against the Demons seemed lethal, the core truth was that neither side had unleashed their full power.

The battles thus far were populated only by Level 5 & 6 Constellation Mages, while the Law Lords merely observed from behind the scenes. Both sides seemed to have an unwritten agreement that Law Lords would not descend directly into the fray. As a result, while casualties on both sides reached into the millions, their core strength had not actually been significantly diminished.

Ez had chosen to remain in Aquanorin to strengthen ties with the Elven Kingdom. Utilizing the close relationship between Moku and Princess Seraphina, he had successfully persuaded the Elves not to interfere in the conflict between the Humans and Wilwatikta. However, Ez realized it was only a matter of time before the Elves recognized the true threat.

As he had always believed, this world was ruled by the Mana Species, and they would not allow any other power to rival them. If Wilwatikta were recognized as part of the Mana Species, then there would be no issue—the war against Humans would merely be seen as internal friction between mana species on the Meer Continent. The Elves and Warbeasts would even be happy to watch both sides weaken each other, especially since Wilwatikta still obeyed the laws of war by not deploying Law Lords.

After all, the First Mana Species War took centuries to conclude. The current war hadn’t even lasted half a century, so they still permitted small skirmishes among fellow Mana Species.

However, if the Elves and Warbeasts discovered that Wilwatikta was actually a monster kingdom, then even Princess Seraphina’s help would not be enough to restrain them. The Elves would surely attack to exterminate the "anomaly." That was why, upon hearing news of Furfur’s strike, Ez returned immediately.

Fortunately, he had kept a watchful eye on Wilwatikta despite his busy schedule as a diplomat. Had he not, the Hobgoblin rebellion would surely have snowballed into something far greater than it was now.

"Ez, you know that killing Grak and the others won’t solve the root of this problem. On the contrary, your actions risk igniting the fury of the Hobgoblins who were already dissatisfied from the start," Mige’s voice broke the silence of the meeting room.

The meeting had opened as it should: offering gratitude to The One and reciting oaths of loyalty to His teachings. But afterward, the atmosphere turned heavy again.

Boku, Nedira, and Nerphyl, who had just returned from the New Battlefield, appeared utterly exhausted, but that wasn’t the reason they remained silent. The news of Goku and the Elders going to intercept Furfur’s army to buy time for the kingdom made Boku restless in his seat. Nevare, who had just led the Valkyrie forces on the front lines, also carried a dense aura of blood that made the massive room feel stifled by the scent of rusting iron.

Ez shifted his gaze from the empty throne back to the attendees. With a solemn expression, he said, "I am aware. However, at this moment, we do not have the luxury of time for persuasion. As long as the Goblin elders still exist, the youth faction will not be able to sway the masses at whim."

Ez took a long breath. "At the very least, by executing those dissidents with my own hands, the others will not dare to strike again—at least for a while."

Currently, the Goblin race was divided into two factions. The Old Faction consisted of the Goblin and Hobgoblin veterans who had fought since the foundations of this kingdom were laid. Meanwhile, the Youth Faction were those born after Wilwatikta’s establishment. This younger generation felt unfairly treated; the difficulty of finding life partners had become the primary trigger for their rage.

However, the older generation still held greater moral authority. They were living witnesses to the blood-soaked struggle required to create this monster kingdom. Because of that, even as their numbers dwindled and many female Hobgoblins chose to become Valkyries, they remained loyal to the oath Hoddurt had once sworn in that legendary cave.

"Ez is right. The priority right now is the construction of defenses and traps. The enemy is drawing closer and we are out of time. We don’t know how long Goku and the others can hold out—"

BAM!

A heavy blow that pulverized the stone table in front of Boku into dust cut off Nedira’s words.

"WHY DIDN’T YOU STOP THEM?! THIS IS A STUPID DECISION! THIS IS NOTHING SHORT OF SUICIDE!!" Boku roared. His voice, saturated with fury, thundered through every corner of the meeting hall.

Ez met Boku’s overflowing rage with a calm gaze. He knew exactly what the Asura was feeling. Not a single word from that outburst came from a place of logic; it was born of a raw, bleeding heart. The reason Boku was incensed was that Goku and the other Elders had gone to fight without waiting for his arrival. Yet, the moment he had intended to chase after them, not a single monster in the room had granted him permission. Now, he was venting all that frustration upon them.