Escalation

Fortunately, Nero received the message that the group of people had left the forest. This was a good sign because it indicated that the people actually believed the story Nero had presented to them. The deception had been working as planned so far.

However, Nero was not surprised that the elves had not shown any signs of movement or interest in the war.

He knew they were arrogant and intelligent beings. The elves would patiently wait for the perfect moment to make their move. They were smart enough to gain the greatest advantage before attacking. Nero could admire the strategy of the elves and could empathize with their situation. He would likely have acted the same way in their position.

Tension on the planet continued to rise. The people tirelessly searched for the Reils in their forest. Day after day passed, almost three months, yet they found absolutely nothing. This fact only increased the worries of the people. An invisible enemy was much more dangerous than an obvious one. The uncertainty of where the Reils were and what they were planning heightened the nervousness of the people.

Suddenly, the Reils began deploying troops at the borders and reinforcing their defenses. This was a clear sign to the people that the Reils were expecting a possible attack. Panic grew among the people. They also started strengthening their borders and preparing for the impending conflict. The Reils interpreted the increased defense measures of the people as a sign that they were indeed planning a treacherous attack. In response, they sent even more Reils to the border to secure their positions.

In contrast, the elves remained completely calm and didn't seem to be interested in the war at all. Nero had expected this reaction. The elves were masters of patience and strategy. They would wait until they were certain they could gain the greatest advantage before taking action. Nero knew he could admire their approach because they acted with caution and precision.

So far, everything was going according to Nero's plan. The people believed the story, the Reils reinforced their borders, and the elves held back.

Time flew by quickly. The world was getting closer to chaos as the first nobles reached the borders and faced each other. But neither the Reils nor the people dared to take the first step. This was not good for Nero's plan. Months passed, but no one did anything.

In the council building of the former mayor in the village of Tissling, Nero sat silently on the floor with his eyes closed. His five generals were gathered around him, discussing the latest events in the world. Ramor paced impatiently.

"What do we do now? Both the people and the Reils seem too cowardly to make their move. How can we ever absorb the chaos energy and take over the planet if these two races don't start a war?"

Ramor seemed desperate, but he wasn't the only one. The other Polykenas also seemed impatient. Only Xersies didn't seem stressed. He knew that Nero wouldn't just wait if he didn't have a plan. And as expected, Nero raised his hand the next moment, silencing the Polykenas.

"Why the rush?"

Ramor looked at him confused. "My Duce, you don't intend to just wait, do you?"

"That's exactly what we'll do," Nero said without opening his eyes.

"With all due respect, my Duce, shouldn't we do something? If we wait any longer, the conflict might settle. We need to take action!"

Nero shook his head. "I know. But why do we have to do something?"

Now it was Ester's turn to look bewildered. "What do you mean, my Duce?"

"Think about it. Are we really the only ones who benefit from this conflict?"

Xersie's eyes lit up. "But of course. The elves. They need this conflict as much as we do. They will never allow it to settle."

Nero chuckled lightly. "Exactly. If it were the humans in their place, they might not have succeeded. Or even the Reils. But the elves are intelligent beings. They believe that this planet belongs to them and only them. They will definitely not let such a unique opportunity slip away."

In the midst of the golden city of the elves stood the ancient council building. This structure was ancient. It once served as the headquarters of the World Council when the three races still lived together in harmony. It was a relic of a bygone era, a reminder of a better world.

Inside the building, there was no one else but the council of elves gathered once again.

"These cowards!" one of the elves cursed. "For months, they have been engaged in this pointless power struggle. They keep reinforcing their troops at the borders, but neither of them has the courage to take the first step. How can we ever seize power if these cowards continue like this?"

"That is indeed true. If they keep waiting, the conflict may subside again."

"Damn it! We need to take action!"

"If only our Majesty were here. He would surely know what we should do," said one of the council members, looking at the empty seat where the king usually sat.

"Why? We have governed this land well even before his arrival. We can do it now as well! Why don't we fuel the conflict between the two factions a bit?"

"And how do we do that?"

"Hmm... What if we start by killing some of their soldiers in one of the camps? Of course, without them noticing."

"But won't they suspect that it was us?"

"What does that matter? Even if they were to assume, they could not be a hundred percent certain. They need to make a move."

"That sounds like a good plan, but how do we execute it?"

"I already have an idea. We will target the Reils, as they are somewhat dumber than the humans. Besides, the Reils would never make such a treacherous move, as they are too proud, but the humans would.

As for the execution, it is not difficult. Since we want to create a big commotion, we must not only kill low-ranking soldiers, no, we must..."

The other elves listened with excitement to the plan and immediately set to work. The wheels of their plan began to turn.

Ten days later, the bodies of four Reils appeared in the camp. It may not sound like much, but all four dead Reils were Ancients. An Ancient was usually a general of a huge army and overseer of a large territory. They were the main pillars of an empire and highly significant.

The Reils were beside themselves and demanded that the perpetrators reveal themselves, but of course, no one did. Seven days later, four more Reil Ancients died. Seven days after that, four more.

The Reils were consumed by absolute rage, and the humans understood that the elves had their hands in it, but the Reils naturally did not believe them.

And when seven days later, a dead nobleman appeared among the Reils, they could no longer contain themselves. They completely lost their self-control.

Without waiting another day, the Reil army attacked. A battle of immense proportions broke out. Two races, who had hated each other for centuries, collided in a total war. No one knew if either side would ever relent, but what everyone knew was that the elves would not let this chance slip away. They were aware that sooner or later, they would get involved, but they could do nothing about it.

This battle had long been overdue; it could no longer wait. Even without Nero, it would have taken place, albeit with some delay. Nero was well aware of this as he observed the battle through the eyes of Fril, who watched everything from a safe distance.

Although Nero had been relatively new to this planet, he had thoroughly studied its history. He had gained a deep understanding of the dynamics and strengths of the races. He knew how they operated. Nero sighed contentedly; he enjoyed it when things went according to plan.

"My Duce!" came a hurried voice from behind him. Nero turned around and looked at the Polykenas who had appeared. He was a low-ranking Polykenas, a rank three according to the planet's ranking system. Nero frowned, "What's going on?" he asked curiously.

"We are under attack!"

"What? In Tissling?" Nero inquired, "By whom? Didn't the humans..."

"Not in Tissling, my Lord. In our home world!"