Chapter 581: Scathach’s Plan
The heavy silence that had gripped the room began to slowly dissolve as Strax raised his voice, his tone controlled but laced with suspicion.
“And this unexplored place you’re talking about… where exactly is it?” He crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on Scathach as if he already knew the answer wouldn’t be pleasant.
Scathach lifted her chin, as if the question were yet another invitation for her to take center stage.
“The world is much larger than you imagine,” she began, her voice firm and unhurried. “You call the eight nations continents… and yes, the territories you control are indeed continental. Vast. But…”
She walked a few steps, her boots echoing against the floor as everyone followed her with their eyes.
“There are three other large continents…” she held up three fingers, “that are thousands and thousands of kilometers from the eight nations. Places so distant that the very concept of borders dissolves.”
Reactions varied. Yennifer frowned, Cristine raised her eyebrows, and even Scarlet, who had maintained a relaxed posture, leaned forward slightly.
“Three more?” Cassandra asked, her voice somewhere between curiosity and disbelief. “That’s… impossible. We would have heard about it.”
Scathach gave her a look that said, “You don’t know anything.”
“It’s not impossible. It’s ignorance. The sea is much larger than the maps you use. You’ve grown accustomed to thinking the world ends at the trade routes your ships can navigate.”
Samira rested her elbow on the arm of her chair, cupping her chin with one hand. “And are we going to one of those three continents?”
Scathach nodded. “Not just one of them. We’re going to the worst of them.”
The sentence fell like a blade. Even Tiamat, who rarely reacted, raised her eyebrow slightly.
“Worse how?” Kali questioned, her voice slow and suspicious. “Worse, difficult to access… or worse, dangerous?”
Scathach smirked. “Both.”
The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Until then, everyone had assumed the plan was to abandon Vorah for some hostile territory, but still within “human” reach. Now, the idea of crossing unknown seas to reach a continent no one was sure existed began to take shape.
Strax, however, stood firm. “And how exactly do you intend to get there? Even if those continents exist, ordinary vessels wouldn’t endure such a long voyage.”
“Exactly,” Scathach said without hesitation. “No ship has ever reached there. The existing sea routes are insufficient. Storms and ocean currents would destroy any fleet before it crossed halfway.”
She paused dramatically, then her sharp gaze slowly scanned the room until it settled on Monica, then Beatrice, Samira… and continued: Scarlet, Cassandra, Bellatrix, Tiamat, Kali, Ouroboros.
“But… that doesn’t apply when you have this many dragons at your disposal.”
There was a brief silence, interrupted by Monica’s almost mocking laugh.
“Are you serious? You want us to cross thousands of miles of open sea… by flying?”
“Yes.” Scathach’s answer was dry, sharp. “And before you ask, yes, it is possible. No current, storm, or ocean leviathan can stop a group of determined dragons. Especially when they carry resistance runes and long-lasting enchantments.”
Scarlet stroked her chin, as if pondering. “If this continent is so dangerous… what exactly is there?”
Scathach glanced away from the window, as if searching for a distant memory.
“It’s a savage territory. Primordial realms, creatures that exist nowhere else, and…” she stared at the group again, “gods who have absolutely no interest in maintaining any kind of agreement with the people. Ironically, there are several as imbecilic as those on this side of the world.”
Beatrice let out a low sound, somewhere between laughter and disbelief. “So you want us to trade the safety of Vorah… for a place where everyone and everything wants to kill us?”
“I want you to stop living under the illusion that you have safety.” Scathach’s tone hardened even further. “When the war against the gods begins, no wall on Vorah will hold back the attack. No ally will arrive in time to help. On this other continent, at least, we will have territory, space, and enemies who are not interested in the petty squabbles of the eight nations.”
Ouroboros, who had remained silent until then, inclined her head slightly. “You want a place to strengthen the army… away from the eyes and the fragile alliances here.”
“Exactly,” Scathach confirmed. “And this ‘worst’ of continents is perfect because no one dares come near it. That means freedom. That means strategic advantage.”
Kali snorted, but not in contempt. “It was more like she was reluctantly accepting that it made sense. Still… getting through all this with so many people isn’t going to be simple.”
“None of this is going to be simple,” Scathach replied, her voice low but thick with conviction. “But every day we stay here, we get rustier. And don’t worry… I’ve been to this continent before. I know exactly where we’re going to land.”
This revelation made several heads turn toward her. Samira raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been there?”
“Yes,” she said bluntly. “And I survived to come back.”
The room fell silent again. There was no way to gauge whether this was more impressive or terrifying.
Strax took a deep breath, running a hand over his face. “You know this will change everything, right?”
Scathach smiled, but there was no joy in the gesture. “That’s exactly what I want.”
Strax took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on her as if trying to decipher not only her words, but the intentions behind them.
“And what exactly do you want to do there?” he asked, his voice thick with caution.
Scathach didn’t blink, didn’t look away, didn’t soften. “Build a nation for war.”
The air in the room seemed to tighten. The sound of pent-up breaths and the soft creak of wood echoed, but no one said anything immediately. All eyes, without exception, turned to her.
“We’re going to the continent where only the strongest survive…” he continued, each word spoken with surgical precision. “We’re going to be the strongest. Dominate all races. And create an army for this coming shit.”
The tone wasn’t a promise, it was a sentence.
Samira slowly leaned back, a cold smile appearing on her lips. Scarlet, who until then seemed to be merely observing, uncrossed her legs and straightened, as if she had just heard something worthy of her full attention. Monica let out a low whistle, while Cassandra clenched her fist, weighing the weight of it.
Scathach then turned directly to Strax, her gaze boring into his. “Do you think I don’t know that the core of this planet can be destroyed?”
The question fell like a rock into the center of a calm lake, breaking the surface and sending ripples throughout the room.
Strax kept his face impassive, but his silence spoke volumes. Some of the wives exchanged quick glances—a mixture of confusion and apprehension. Tiamat and Ouroboros, however, didn’t seem surprised; they simply watched Scathach as if they already suspected she knew more than she was letting on.
“I won’t wait for this war to simply come to us,” Scathach continued, giving him no room to respond. “We will go where no one dares. We will forge something that can stand against gods… and win.”