Chapter 623 - The Awkward Meeting Continues.

Those in the room were not just those who were called for the meeting. Those called were Elizabeth and Nikki as Chosen representatives and leaders, Evale and Jannet as the city of Kynigo's last commanders, and Myropsis who had only recently returned to the city. 

Then there were six others who had simply entered the room as if they too had been called, this was Amnur and Athtar, Ceph and his parents, and Itireae. 

[{Elizabeth} - Are you sure this is okay? Why haven't we been kicked from the game?]

[{Eldrian} - Ziraili likely knows that they don't mean you harm. But I'm not sure, technically she shouldn't allow this. But it seems the rules regarding safety measures have always been unclear and up to her judgment.]

Eldrian wasn't aware of the mess that Elizabeth and the rest of Phoenix had made on the forums and all the chaos it had caused Miracle already. Shocking their messaging was seen by the legends. 

"Quite an interesting ability you have there. Is it one of the unique abilities of you Chosen?" Athtar asked, few in the room understood who he really was. Yet it was clear to everyone that he should be the one to lead the talks. 

This was due to how Itireae kept referring to him as Lord Athtar while being very diligent in ensuring he had everything he had. Acting almost like a maid, a ridiculous action by someone as strong as her. 

"Yes, we call it a message, or chat. It allows us to send messages to each other, no matter the distance." Eldrian replied. 

"Fascinating!" Athtar's eyes shone as he analyzed the fragments of the magic that he had witnessed, trying to decipher its ability. While he and the other legends had ways to do the same, this ability seemed to be of a much simpler nature and could revolutionize the world. 

Sadly, it seemed to be partly an act of divinity and also connected to the soul of the Chosen. Though, curiously, Eldrian's seemed to be different. Athtar noted to himself that he should ask Eldrian about it later. 

As silence settled into the room again, Eldrian cleared his throat and fought up the courage to ask what was going on and why they were here. 

"I'm not sure myself. Pelaros was the one who called the meeting." Athtar said, turning to the centaur who had been unable to return to his human form ever since being healed.

He had not been healed by Athtar or the others, but rather thanks to Myropsis who had brought the last flower that had been missing, from the capital, a day ago. 

Pelaros turned white as he saw Athtar indicate to him, "I-I didn't think Lord Athtar and Lord Amnur and..." He droned on, but basically, he had only wanted to talk with Eldrian and the members of Phoenix to catch up with what had happened while he was unconscious. 

"Ah, are we in the way?" Athtar asked and stood up to leave, causing Pelaros to turn completely flustered as he hastily tried to apologize. 

Watching this, Eldrian almost felt like laughing. It was strange that he didn't feel the same amount of respect/fear towards the legendary figures. He wasn't sure if it was his upbringing on Earth or just his personality that didn't seem to recognize authority. 

He partly felt like it was the latter since everyone else, even Elizabeth and the rest were acting very stiff. While he had felt slightly weird, it was more likely due to him still being seriously suffering from the backlash of recent events.

Coughing to try and get everyone's attention and help Pelaros, Eldrian stood up and asked, "I am curious, why do you not help the kingdom? If any one of you moved you could end the invasion in less than a day, correct?"

Shockingly, Athtar did not deny this. "You're completely right, but what good will that do?"

The reply angered not just Eldrian, it angered nearly everyone in the room. Suddenly, Nikki burst up and shouted, "How can you say that! It will save countless lives! Are you heartless!"

The room turned ice-cold as everyone stared at her in shock. Nikki felt like her heart stopped as her blood turned cold. Yet, the next moment Athtar smiled and laughed. An action, clearly done to purposefully lift the mood. 

"You're right, it must seem very heartless of us." He turned to Eldrian, who he felt had asked it not because he didn't understand, but because he wanted to confirm. "Will you explain or shall I?"

Seeing the looks from his friends, Eldrian felt like cursing. While he felt he understood some of the reasons, it didn't mean he felt the same. "I'm not sure what reason is yours though."

"It's fine, I want to hear your thoughts on the matter."

Nodding, Eldrian took a deep breath and prepared himself, "Then, the first reason I believe is that you have no obligation to help any of us."

The answer shocked those in the room and took their breath away. It was such a simple answer, yet there was no countering it.  Athtar nodded and indicated for Eldrian to continue after no objections were brought up. 

"The second I believe is you've grown distant from the struggles of mortals such as us..." Eldrian paused, it felt weird saying this knowing all the things going on in the background. "You've lived for thousands of years, and yet our lifespan is only a hundred years at most."

Eldrian watched Zamia and Agamema's reactions, curious if they would connect the dots. He couldn't recall if he had hidden this from them or not, he was certain though that he had never purposely lied. Somehow, he felt like they had suspected it-- or a least something similar. 

Their reaction however was quite neutral. Eldrian was unsure if this was because he had told them, if they had figured it out, if they simply didn't mind, or if Ceph had filled them in.

"Yes, it is true that we have to learn to live with the deaths of countless friends, lovers, and even family. Sadly, it does distance us from mortality. The pain lessens, and lives slowly mean less and less." Athtar paused and turned to Nikki who froze feeling his gaze, "Does that make us heartless?"

She wanted to counter with yes, yet she couldn't imagine the horror that actual immortality would bring. It always sounded so great, but if those around you were not also immortal... It was truly hell. 

"You don't need to answer, I only hope you can understand." Turning to Eldrian, Athtar smiled. "You have another reason."

"Yes, the last; I believe is that you wish to allow this generation to live through strife."

"You do not think that it is cruel?"

Eldrian nodded, "It is indeed cruel, but sometimes you need to be cruel. No matter how strong you are, it is impossible to protect everyone. There is a saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life."

"Our situation is not the same, but we have to learn how to survive. Being shielded will do us more harm in the long run."

Athtar smiled and clapped his hands in agreement, "Wonderful answers. I find no fault in your reasoning, but there is another."

AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharing comments.. It is all greatly appreciated.