Previously, the conflicts between Drakoria and Wyvernia had only taken place in the neutral buffer zones along their borders. Of course, Wyvernia had suffered crushing defeats—losing even their Champion, not to mention their Elite-level trainers.
Even so, as dire as the situation was, there had still been room for negotiation.
But now, with Drakoria's Tenth Legion crossing the buffer zone and stepping into Wyvernian territory, the nature of the conflict had fundamentally changed.
A neighboring nation's military entering their sovereign land without permission? That could only mean one thing—all-out war.
It signaled that Drakoria had completely torn off all pretense of diplomacy and was now marching its army straight into their country.
Such a full-scale war between nations hadn't happened since the chaotic era over a hundred years ago.
Even on the East African continent, where conflicts never seemed to end, the fighting had always been limited to internal power struggles—civil wars, essentially.
But now, Drakoria was openly marching into Wyvernia's territory. Whether they were just putting on a show or truly planned to wipe them out was still unknown.
"What should we do, President?"
The eight Councilors present all turned their gazes toward him.
Wyvernia was led by a President and a Council of ten members—the President was always chosen from among the Councilors.
Currently, only eight were present—the other two were outside Havenburg and hadn't arrived.
"What's the situation with Drakoria's navy and air force?"
Though furious at Drakoria's actions, the President remained composed. A man in his position wouldn't panic, no matter how dire the crisis.
"The Drakorian navy remains at the edge of our waters without movement. However, our air force has been routed by Jake, who appears to have already entered our territory," the staff member quickly reported.
The Drakorian navy hadn't moved and the Drakorian air force hadn't moved either—Jake's actions could be seen as personal, but the fact that Drakoria hadn't stopped him spoke volumes.
In other words, the only official military force Drakoria had mobilized was the Tenth Legion. It seemed they were leaving room for negotiation.
As for how much time they had to negotiate? Probably until Jake reached Havenburg.
"Get me Drakoria's Elder Council on the line," the President ordered.
The Elder Council was the true governing body of Drakoria. While its members might not be the strongest in combat, they held the highest political authority.
Every Drakorian Champion was granted honorary Elder status—unless they also possessed enough political acumen, in which case they became full members.
Someone like Duke was both an Elder Council member and the head of the National Trainers Association.
As for John, he was only an honorary Elder—after all, his political skills were practically nonexistent. He was indeed a formidable fighter, but when it came to managing a country, he was hopeless.
Imperial Capital, Dragon's Peak—this was where the Elder Council's members usually worked and lived.
"Grand Elder, the President of Wyvernia is on the line."
Inside the council chamber, a staff member handed the phone to the Grand Elder.
"That old fox Isaac is calling already?"
The one who spoke was the Second Elder.
Currently, the Elder Council consisted of six members, with the Grand Elder holding slightly more authority than the other five.
"Ignore him."
The Grand Elder took a sip of tea and replied indifferently.
The staff member nodded.
"What about that young lad Julian? This whole mess started because of him."
"Bellsprout, who we planted in Wyvernia reported that Julian has already escaped. He killed Stephen, their Pseudo-Champion, and destroyed one of their military bases. Later, the Wyvernian leadership decided to detonate the base, but Julian had already left by then."
Hearing the report, the Third Elder's expression turned odd. "Was that kid… deliberately letting himself get captured?"
"Very likely. The fact that he could kill Stephen—a Pseudo-Champion—means his Pokémon must have still been with him." The Fourth Elder nodded.
These men were all seasoned veterans.
If Wyvernia had captured Julian, the first thing they would have done was confiscate his Poké Balls. After all, even the strongest trainer was just an ordinary person without their Pokémon.
Yet, even with his Poké Balls supposedly taken, Julian still managed to kill their Pseudo-Champion.
That could only mean one thing—his Poké Balls hadn't actually been seized. At least, not all of them.
"Who would've thought that John, that battle-crazed brute, would have a grandson not only monstrously talented but also cunning? Your Walker family really does produce outstanding figures in every generation."
"Hahaha, of course!"
One Elder laughed heartily. "All my Walker family descendants are exceptional!"
The speaker was the Fifth Elder, James Walker—John's older brother and Julian's great-uncle.
Julian had rarely met this great-uncle growing up, but he knew of his position on the Elder Council and his influence.
James had no heirs—his son had died in a secret realm thirty years ago.
James, John, Jake, Julian… The family sure had a knack for naming.
Despite being a Champion, John was only an honorary Elder—not just because of his temperament, but also because James already held a seat as the Fifth Elder.
If John also became a full Elder, the balance of power within the council would be disrupted.
The fact that Drakoria was willing to wage all-out war with Wyvernia over Julian wasn't just because of his own brilliance or his Champion grandfather—James's presence was also a critical factor.
After all, a war between nations wouldn't just affect Drakoria and Wyvernia—it would ripple across the entire world.
"Elders, the Volkarian President is on the line."
This time, the Grand Elder took the call.
After more than ten minutes, he hung up and turned to the other five elders.
"The Volkarian President hopes we will halt our invasion of Wyvernia."
Volkaria and Drakoria had always been staunch allies, sharing a common enemy in the form of Celestria and also being neighboring countries.
Volkaria's intervention now was driven by fear—if Drakoria truly committed to annihilating Wyvernia, its power would grow exponentially.
And if that happened, the alliance between Volkaria and Drakoria might shift from one of equals to that of a leader and a subordinate.
An alliance only worked when both sides had roughly equal power—or at least when the gap wasn't too big.
Currently, Volkaria boasted three Champions, second only to Celestria's five and Drakoria's six, making it one of the top three nations.
While its overall national power and Elite trainer strength may not match Drakoria's, it was still a formidable force—hence their equal footing in the alliance.
But if Drakoria were to absorb Wyvernia and grow even stronger, then Volkaria could end up as the junior partner. Worse, Drakoria might eventually turn its ambitions toward them.
That's why the Volkarian President was urging Drakoria to stand down.
If Drakoria really insisted on invading, then Volkaria might—for its own security—withdraw from the alliance and cease its international support for Drakoria.
And that would cost Drakoria a crucial ally.
*****
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