An elven man strolled through a city, his hands held behind his back.

This man did not so much as bother to look around him, keeping his chin held high and a calm smile on his face.

Surrounding him was a fortress city of metal.

This city was the Dwarven Capital, the Eastern Capital of the Alliance.

The city itself had been the result of excavation into a mountain, and the buildings which lined the towering walls of this cavern were made from a brasslike metal, giving them a futuristic appearance.

The clanking of machinery could be heard, and the flow of lava in the far distance could be seen running across various channels which led to a massive forge, the size of a football stadium.

People who were short in stature lined the streets, passing by this elven man who calmly walked through the bustling city.

Many of these people had beards and rough appearances overall. Grit and oil lined the clothes of most, as if they had been enduring harsh labors throughout the day.

These were the dwarves.

"One more for the lads! Uppp..... come on boys, let's here those cheers!! Hahaha!!"

The sounds of laughter and the clinking of drinks along with the fizzing of freshly poured alcohol filled the pointed ears of this man as he passed by a bar.

'Children in the form of adults.... no, perhaps they aren't even in the form of adults. They are children in both appearance and in nature.'

This man continued walking through the streets, avoiding all contact with the dwarves around him.

This man was Ingran Lerandi, the principal of Yulen Academy.

Among the Alliance, there was a council made from six members.

The two principals who oversaw military academies within the Elven and Dwarven Capitals, respectively, along with the four division commanders.

These six would gather in meeting once per year, alternating the location of meeting between the two cities, in order to discuss political and military movements over the next year.

The Alliance was a state which was governed directly by it's military.

There was not a single ruler, but rather this council which met only once a year.

In essence, the Western side of the nation was governed by the first two commanders, while the Eastern side of the nation was governed by the 2nd two commanders. This nation was the result of a partnership between the two races, who had been constantly at odds with humans and as a result joined forces long ago.

'Their cities may be advanced, but the dwarves have such a lack of self awareness that it is almost wasted.'

Ingran had come to this city by carriage, however the entrance to the city was in the middle of a mountain, and as such carriages could not traverse such ground.

He was forced to drop his carriage off before making his way into the city, well outside the mountainous region.

'I do wonder whether that drunkard has produced any warriors of talent in his own Academy. Hah.... surely not! While his methods don't differ too far from my own, his Academy highlights members of the 4th and 3rd divisions. I suppose it is because the dwarves are unable to show true skill in magic, so they rely on their mechanical toys and brute strength to solve their problems?'

Coming up to a massive building which would normally take the breath away from any traveler, the man stopped.

'Hm. It would seem I've arrived. The architecture is mediocre, but it is nothing compared to my own Academy.'

The man walked up a large set of stairs to be greeted by a couple of red bearded guards.

"Mr. Principal. I see that you've made it here well. The others are waiting inside. If I remember correctly, you're the last one to arrive."

"Is that so? That is quite good. Then, I won't be kept waiting. It would seem that the others have the courtesy to understand their positions."

The statement of the elven man irked the two men who he passed, and they glanced at him for just a moment with irritation.

Quickly returning to their previous states, they ignored the words of the man as he walked on.

"Quite overconfident, don't ya say?", one whispered as soon as they knew that the man had left.

"That one always seems to think that his elves are so much better than the students of this Academy."

The men furrowed their brows before one let out a sigh.

"Forget about it. There will always be those cocky asswipes who think they're all that. More importantly, let's hit the taverns later tonight!"

"Count me in."

----

"And I'm tellin' ya, the harvest this year is abundant! Since we didn't have to send our students to the front lines this time around, we haven't lost a single student! Our borders are safe, and we're temporarily free of that devil who's been attackin' our cities. It's a miracle, I tell ya."

Speaking with an Irish accent, a dwarf with an enormous golden beard which had been braided multiple times over smiled as he spoke from a seat at a round table.

"I'm still surprised that the devil would just pull his armies out like that. Seven damn years..... seven damn years, and he keeps on attackin' us!! How many good men have I lost since that devil showed up attackin' city after city.... how many people have I seen die..... how many families slaughtered, how many homes picked clean of everything? He was.... a calamity.", a man added.

The one who spoke while nodding in agreement was another dwarf, this one with a shaggy black beard which he stroked.

"More importantly..... did you all hear the reason why he left? I heard a rumor, but I wasn't too sure if it was just hogposter or what. Have ya heard the rumors of the Indeterminant?"

Another dwarf, this one with a brown beard, sat forward as he asked this question, gazing towards the other two.

"I've heard em, and the fact that the devil hasn't returned is proof that there's somethin' behind em.... but..... to say that he was workin' for the hero of humanity.... that's a bit of a stretch to me.", the blonde bearded man replied. "I'd be more convinced if ya told me that the hero killed 'im himself."

Looking over to the others present, the man eyeballed two elves- one who was tall and slender, and had short, freely flowing hair which was a velvet shade.

The other elf had slicked back gray hair, and both were wearing outfits which could be described as high class military uniforms. Incidentally, the dwarven men wore brass sets of armor, as if the idea of formal dress was foreign to them.

"What do you two think?", he asked.

"Indeed.... I can tell you without doubt that that information is accurate. I have confirmed from the mouths of my own spies that the Northern nations have entered a state of turmoil. Apparently the Indeterminant has united all three human nations under a single banner, though I have heard it was at the cost of two heroes."

The eyes of the dwarven men went wide as the elven man stated this so casually, as if it did not concern him.

"Oi oi... isn't that trouble for us? What if he comes after our nation next?"

"Do ya expect us to hold off a hero? If ya think that's gonna happen, we'd better make a decision on the matter today. Should we drive him off or let him in?"

The brown haired and black haired dwarves spoke in turn, questioning the words of the man, however the other elven man held up a finger to silence the others.

"We have not all gathered yet. We will wait to discuss political issues until all six have gathered."

At this statement, the dwarven men grimaced, however they held their breath as they waited, not biting back in response.

"Fine, I got it. What's takin' that principal so long anyways? He's got too much to do to show up on time? Ain't he always talkin' bout actin' like an adult? And then he goes and shows up late to meetings? Hah! He could learn a thing or two from his students here."

The blonde haired dwarf sniveled, however it was at the next moment that the doors opened.

"I do apologize for being late, however surely you must understand that your city is explicitly designed to hinder entrance from foreigners. I had to dump my carriage so far back and make my way here on my own, so how could you complain about a slight amount of tardiness?"

"Yer students didn't seem to have any trouble gettin' here on time. Perhaps they left early because they anticipated the long journey? Isn't being prepared a part of your whole curriculum?"

"And my students seem to have learned well. But to be an adult is also to be extremely busy, like myself. Therefore, you must do everything you can, even when things don't work out perfectly. Or perhaps you all have had so much free time that what I speak of is a foreign concept to you?"

As the white haired elf took his seat with a smile, the table was now filled with all six seats having been taken.

Thinning his eyes, the blonde haired dwarf folded his blistered hands, twiddling his thumbs in irritation.

"Enough of that. We're here to discuss the future of this nation. If we sit here and insult one another, we'll never get anywhere. Let's try to come to an agreement for both of our peoples, right?"

"Of course. That is the reason why I work so hard to produce such excellent students. After all.... our borders have had no issues for years, unlike yours which have been plagued by pesky humans. Perhaps it was because they saw a weak link in the defenses?"

A vein bursted in the forehead of the blonde dwarf as Ingran continued to insult him, and he grit his teeth at the statement.

"Watch yer mouth. Our defenses are no worse than yours. You got lucky to border two peaceful nations, while we got stuck with that 4th Legion devil. That's all it comes down to. You got lucky, and we got the short straw."

"Now now, I think that is quite enough."

The velvet haired elf held up his hands, calming those around him.

"I think it is about time we begin this conference in earnest, therefore I will begin by giving a report on our current status as a nation. Are there any objections?"

The man looked around, however on receiving the reluctant nods of the dwarves and the go ahead from the other two elves, he smiled as he pulled a report from a folder at his side.

"Then, let's start from the very beginning."

These men were the council of the Alliance.

The white haired elf who spoke with overconfidence, insulting the capabilities of the dwarves, was Ingran Lerandi- the principal of Yulen Academy.

The blonde haired dwarven man was the principal of Herstein Academy, Gorbo Dobbins. Having sent many students of his Academy to the front lines as soon as they underwent basic training, he had lost many lives as a result of the constant attacks of Larios, the Commander of the 4th Legion.

The 4th Legion, to the dwarves, was like a plague that could never be stopped. Every time they chipped their numbers down, they would be replaced before the dwarves were able to truly put a stop to their razing.

As a result, hundreds of dwarven cities had been wiped from the mountainous region which bordered the Empire and the Alliance.

Women were raped and taken away, children were captured as slaves, and the men had been slaughtered.

Cities were destroyed and looted, and so many tragedies had occurred.

Gorbo had spent his life trying to train up an army of dwarves to put a stop to this man, but as a result of the ever worsening situation he had been forced to send all his students straight to the front lines.

All to no avail.

They were barely able to hold back the devils of the 4th Legion, however for one reason or another, recently the enemies had retreated.

Sitting next to Gorbo were the commanders of the 3rd and 4th Divisions of the Alliance.

The black haired man was Drocus Fernad, the Commander of the 4th Division, and the brown haired man was Fercol Midran, the Commander of the 3rd Division.

These men had held the line against Larios all their lives, though slowly giving way as the endless attacks wore the dwarven armies down.

The amount of times they were forced to retreat, giving city after city to their attackers, was nothing less than shameless.

Therefore, these men were overjoyed when the attacks suddenly stopped.

After seven long years, the man who led his constant attacks disappeared and rumors begun to spread of his death.

As a result of this, these men were here and able to celebrate with one another, finally having received good news after such a long drought.

The gray haired elf was Winchester Gristol, the Commander of the 2nd Division.

While he had assigned some men to assist on the dwarven front, he was a man who had evenly spread his own units along the border.

As the Commander of the 2nd Division, focused on support, it was his duty to support both the Western and Eastern fronts, which he did so in equal manner.

He paid no care to the need in the Eastern front, focusing solely on equality of treatment.

"If you use up the men who I have assigned to your front, then that is your issue. I gave you an equal number of men, therefore you should not complain about the results."

This was what this man had once told Drocus after receiving a complaint about keeping his forces stationed at their respective posts.

And finally, the velvet haired elf was Velphis Gersta.

The single most powerful magic user in the Alliance, and the most powerful man among the human races of this world.

Boasting magical ability of the 8th tier, he had surpassed even Slith, known throughout the Empire as the 'World's Strongest Man.'

He was the Commander of the 1st Division, and his ability was unparalleled by anyone.

Having been placed in the competitive environment of Yulen Academy, this man thrived in hardship, and was easily able to prove himself above the rest.

He fought valiantly wherever he went, defending the borders of the Alliance from anyone who dared to attack.

However, this man made no such efforts to defend the dwarven borders.

Why?

Because this man believed to the fullest that it was not within a part of his own jurisdiction.

This man believed that it was his duty to defend the elven borders- those of the Western half of the Alliance.

Even sitting here in front of these men as a representative, this man held the power to do whatever he wished.

The others were powerless before him, therefore they didn't dare to order him around.

"Ahem..... the first order of business would be the ceasing of attacks on the dwarven front. It would seem that the Vythguard Empire has absorbed both the Asarith Sultinate and the Ruthobold Kingdom, becoming one single nation underneath the man known as the Indeterminant.... the hero of humanity."

As he spoke, the others became silent as they nodded.

"It is very likely that this hero will make a move in order to find the individual known as the hero of our nation. The question is, do we allow him into our nation, or do we prevent him from entering?"

"Wouldn't telling him no spark an all out war with the rest of the world?", Gorbo asked with serious expression.

"That's true enough, however what of our isolationist policies? Will we throw them out the window at the mere appearance of this man?", Winchester questioned.

"But if we go to war with the hero of humanity.... there's no getting out of that.", Drocus stated. "We'll have to let him in, right?"

"No."

Speaking with a smile, Velphis closed his eyes as he folded his hands.

"If he is truly the hero of humanity, then there is no way he will resort to violent means, much less illegal means. If we deny him passage, he will be forced to sit and wait until we come to an agreement- a situation in which we may infinitely refuse him. If, on the other hand, he is nothing more than a mere criminal who fancies collecting power for himself and leading nations under the false title of a hero, then I will be more than enough to dispose of him."

"As expected of my student..... you truly are my prized alumni, Velphis.", Ingran stated with a grin.

"Nothing of the sort. I am merely the best. And I was brought to become the best through your harsh instruction. Nothing more."

The two gathered the thinned eyes of the remaining members, however Fercol soon spoke up.

"Are ya so sure that'll work? If it does then great, but this is a man who took over three nations on his own. Are ya sure ya should be taking him so lightly?"

"Lightly? I believe you are the one who is taking Velphis lightly, Fercol. Watch your mouth.", Ingran stated.

"Now now, there is no need to go that far, principal. However, that is correct. There exists no man who can best me, heroes aside. And as I said.... if they truly are heroes, then they will respect the law. And we are the law. No?"

Folding his hands, the man turned the page in his folder.

"Now then..... onto the next topic..... I believe that since the attacks on the dwarven cities have ceased, it is time to increase the training regiments in both Academies. You see, I have heard from the principal here that all the first year students were sent on a mission to the monster realm due to the lack of fighting in our nation, and not a single one returned alive. Do you all understand what this means?"

The room froze, and all eyes focused on the man known as Velphis.

"It means that these younger generations are becoming weaker and weaker. For every single student to be unable to handle even a single mission... and facing 2nd tier monsters at that...."

Thinning his eyes with disgust, the man spoke with distaste in his voice.

"Is nothing less than disgraceful."

"Hah! That it is. At least when our students were sent to fight that devil, they survived for a time while we fought back. Though most of em died off pretty quick. Some of em survived to make it to the higher ranks though.", Gorbo laughed.

"Therefore.... it would seem that we need to put the students of both Academies under more strict training regiments..... even more so than before. Is that what you are suggesting?", Winchester asked.

"Exactly. The quality of soldiers has been decreasing, and we need to turn that around by working the students harder."

"I can at least agree on that, elf. Hear that, Ingran? I'll work em to the bone and create a warrior who can surpass even your first division commander here."

"As if.", Ingran responded. "You must be getting old if you're clutching to delusions such as that."

The men then begun to laugh.

"Heh heh....."

"Hahaha....."

"Regardless of what happens..... we'll build a military so strong that even that collective nation of humans can't face us.", Drocus stated with a grin.

"That's right.", Fercol added.

As the men finally seemed to come to an agreement on this, the laughs of the men filled the room.

"I look forward to seeing what type of soldiers are produced in the future.", Winchester stated while standing up to leave. "Please keep in contact, gentlemen."

The men all stood up, nodding and preparing to set out.

However in that moment, a cracking sound was heard from above.

Crack.

And then, an enormous sound of the roof collapsing.

The crashing of debris as it landed filled the ears of the six, and immediately a barrier was put up by the grey haired elf.

"What is this?"

The six looked upwards as the debris fell around the semispherical barrier to witness a girl.

She was a dark skinned elf, with pointed ears and hair which was striped black and white.

She looked down on the six with sharp eyes, filled with disgust.

"Ah..... so that really is all that matters to all of you. I thought for a second that maybe there were some good ones among you.... but it looks like that isn't true. You're all.... scum."

Holding out her hand, the girl grinned ever so slightly.

"But what you said just now.... about there being no survivors. Unfortunately.... that isn't quite correct."

Thinning her eyes, the girl looked down upon the men with confidence.

"I am the only survivor. Now die."