Darius smiled pleasantly. Unlike Elijah who had tried to act as the glue to hold the camp together in the hopes of uniting them all for their task, Darius was more than happy to sow dissent and cause disruption!

Truth be told, he wanted everyone to fight for their own goals, yet he also needed them galvanized! After all, that was the only way he could effortlessly fish for benefits in troubled waters!

The priests had been easily pushed into a tight spot where either choice felt like swallowing dog**. They could not easily argue their way out of this as there were two realistic options, and either one benefited the camp over themselves.

As such, they would henceforth have to earn support from the others, faced with their disdain and uncooperation. They might even get kicked out to fend on their own if they failed to 'contribute' anything to the progress of the battle.

One of the reps stood up with a broken smile and bowed.

"We would like to return and discuss with our members before making a decision.

"

Many on the council frowned but understood that this was the best they would get. Any more pressure would turn suppression into hostility, something which many of these fellows didn't see the need for.

Darius though, sneered inwardly. Wanting to use this excuse to delay and waste time while letting the situation develop? How could he allow them to simply stay idle until he inevitably ran out of resources? He had no intentions of begging on his knees for their help at a later time.

"This is fair, only by speaking to the entire group can you make a decision that would be unanimously received. No one here dares to tell you to do otherwise, but we also require a bit more. Can you give us a time frame in which we'd have your answer? After all, the blight and the battle wait for no one.

"

Many faces changed on the council as they murmured to one another. Why was this young lad so antagonistic towards the priest's faction? Did he have some sort of grudge against the group that made him so ruthless to them?

The priests themselves were flabbergasted. Lad, we are just trying to secure our bests interests here, like everyone else. What on Faust have we done to make you go after us like a bloodthirsty wolf?!

The second-highest priest rep stood up and took a deep breath.

"We shall have an answer by the next meeting.

"

This was acceptable and logical. Thankfully, meetings were held weekly or generally infrequently, giving them enough time to do what they actually needed as well as brainstorm countermeasures.

Darius nodded and ended the first matter.

"There is no need for any party to suggest that I distribute it amongst you. As I am the one providing the Purification Potions, I shall have my own subordinates pour it around the camp regularly to keep the blight away.

"

Many reps with wide smiles who had been about to stand up and speak felt like a fly had lodged in their throats. Before they had a chance to take advantage of this lad's generosity, he had already cut off all paths for them to cross.

Of course, these fellows weren't passive observers who would let their interests be easily harmed or held in the hands of one person. A middle-aged woman in fine silks harrumphed and spoke in a shrill tone.

It had become clear to them all, that this Baron Stone was far from being a naive youth. It felt more like they were dealing with one of their own kind instead.

"And what guarantees us that you and your subordinates will perform your job satisfactorily? If due to prejudice or preference, some parties end up suffering from blight occasionally while others don't, who is going to take responsibility? At least with the priests, we know them to be unbiased, so why not keep them around?

"

Now even Gunner was puzzled. Were these really the powerhouses of Andrato Kingdom? If this was how they behaved

/thought, it was truly no wonder that it was looked down upon by literally every other kingdom on Fallon.

Darius himself fought back a laugh and explained slowly.

"Dear madam, once again, you seem to overlook that I'm not the Esteemed Lord McNickles. I'm simply using my personal resources to patch the vacuum his departure will create.

"

Darius raised his hands in an 'I give up' gesture.

"But fine, I can't blame you for not trusting me and my subordinates to pour the potions effectively when I have just arrived. As such, I shall retract my earlier offer of kindness and will reserve my potions for my personal encampment. I'm convinced that each faction here should have some resources of their own to manage or feel free to negotiate with the honorable priests.

"

There was a thick silence in the tent once again as many were left speechless. Just when they had elevated him to the rank of an 'old fox' he had reverted to acting like a childish brat, who gathered his toys and left because he was not getting his way.

Nevertheless, the lad was right, the reality that the Royal Seneschal could just so easily leave them had yet to sink in! Now that someone was coming to give out freebies, they shouldn't be antagonizing him but flattering his ego, encouraging him to continue to be wasteful.

As he had just demonstrated, he could simply retract his generosity, and he was clearly not as… attached… as Elijah to the Andrato Kingdom and its various inner workings. He could easily do without the favor of any or all of the factions here due to his power, potential, and origin!

Darius had a slightly different thought process than them about this, assuming they were considering how to maximize their benefits. In the interim, many eyes with dark gazes landed on the woman who had asked the question, making her feel aggrieved.

She had merely been the one daring enough to put to words the very question that each of them had wanted to ask, so why the need to single her out? With a bitter smile, she acquiesced to the young Adept and stated that his generosity would be well-received.

Darius smiled.

"I'm happy that's settled. As such, I shall move onto the second problem this encampment is facing, which is the matter of supplies!

"

Many breaths stilled around the table, and the two Space-element users that were part of the 'union' fell silent.

What worried them was that the fellow had been able to checkmate the priests with ease, like an adult arguing philosophy with a child. The latter party had been unable to say anything reasonable against his bombardment.

Now, they were going to taste this firsthand!