Shadow Slave novel Chapter 3202

Chapter 3202: Conflict of Interests

"That old fool has lost his mind!"

Having parted with Arelen, Noctis and Shadow had returned to the inn. Noctis had not given the Altar Sage an answer, and the older Transcendent had not insisted on receiving one either — he simply implored the two of them to consider his request.

Judging by how angry Noctis was, though, it did not seem like he was inclined to see Arelen’s offer in good light.

"Fighting over land? With Lady Irian, of all people?! What was he thinking, ordering his warriors to slaughter her people?!"

Noctis looked at Shadow, his eyes glinting fiercely.

"And what, the bastard has the gall to blame me for his misdeeds? Asking me to help him kill the Blade of Dawn? Bah! The Altar Sage was supposed to be an icon of wisdom and temperance. Where the hell were his wisdom and temperance when he provoked this war?!"

The young man cursed quietly, then uttered with a dark expression:

"If someone has to be killed for this war to stop, shouldn’t it be him instead of Lady Irian? He’s at fault, so if I were to kill someone, it’d be him!"

Snuggle, who had climbed out of Shadow’s pocket, jumped down to the table and sat down, using an overturned teacup as a chair.

Looking up at the rattled youth, she waved a hand.

"Calm down."

Noctis threw a glare in her direction and scoffed.

"Whatever do you mean? I’m calm! So calm! I am the calmest person in this realm, no less!"

Shadow shook his head with a sigh and sat as well.

"Snuggle is right. You should calm down and think about things clearly. They might not be what they seem to be."

Noctis remained silent for a few moments, breathing heavily, then cursed again and pulled back a chair. Crashing down on it, he pierced Shadow with a burning look and asked:

"How so?"

Shadow lingered for a bit, then shrugged.

"The Altar Sage, the Blade of Dawn... you know them better, but neither of them is simple. They are Transcendent rulers with centuries of experience, so do you really think that either one would have acted rashly and recklessly? Would Lady Irian have failed to account for the possibility of Lord Arelen’s violent response? Would Arelen have failed to foresee what his actions were certain to cause?"

Noctis stared at him silently, a hint of confusion finding its way into his gaze. Finally, he grimaced.

"What do you mean?"

Shadow shook his head.

"These two are shrewd and seasoned. One doesn’t survive long in your line of work without those qualities, definitely not for centuries. So, why do you think Irian claimed the land without even trying to negotiate with Arelen, and why did Arelen — who is supposed to be wise and patient — throw a bloody tantrum and ruthlessly wipe out her settlers?"

Noctis lingered for a moment or two, then scoffed.

"How should I know? Greed, ambition? Arelen certainly had a lot to say about his reasons, but I don’t buy any of it for a second. He seems to have gone crazy!"

Shadow sighed and shook his head again, then looked at Snuggle.

"What do you think?"

Snuggle scratched her head, her small onyx eyes glinting darkly.

Eventually, she said:

"I guess what Arelen said was mostly true. But also a complete lie. It’s true that once these lands weren’t under threat anymore, with most powerful abominations gone, a conflict between two bordering kingdoms became all but inevitable. But it’s a lie that Noctis is the cause — he might have contributed a little, but both Arelen and Irian had to have been contemplating moving against each other for a long time."

The little doll lowered her head and added dejectedly:

"All people want to live, after all. And once their lives are not in danger anymore, they always want to live well. But there’s never enough nice things for everyone, so someone ends up living better, while others end up looking up at them with envy."

Shadow nodded.

"It seems like this war is the result of several unfortunate decisions and miscalculations, Arelen’s rash order to slaughter the settlers most of all. But in truth, both he and Irian knew what they were doing. Irian knew that claiming that land without even trying to negotiate would provoke Arelen — she was testing his patience. And Arelen showed her that he had no patience at all, knowing all too well what kind of response that would provoke."

He smiled darkly.

"That both got what they wanted. Irian got a true justification to attack and conquer Arelen’s city..."

Noctis frowned.

"Wait, what do you mean the old fool knew what would happen? Even if you are right and the Blade of Dawn was hoping he would give her a reason to invade, what does Arelen get from having her attack his lands?"

Shadow shrugged.

"What does he get? Quite a valuable thing, actually. He gets the right to choose the battlefield. After all, Noctis, if you knew that a clash with a powerful adversary was inevitable, would you want to meet them in an open field, or under the walls of your city, which you have been fortifying for centuries?"

Noctis leaned back, a stunned expression on his face.

He remained silent for a long while, then glanced at Shadow and Snuggle somberly.

"I guess he is wise, after all. Just... deplorable."