Chapter 1826 It's a strange name. "So... you are the party 'the ones who actually do all the work and should be rewarded' that took the mission we posted?" A 1.2-meter tall, slender humanoid being with leaf-colored hair, long ears, vine-covered limbs, and green-tinted skin questioned as she raised her eyebrow. Her eyes resembled blooming flowers, and according to common knowledge, those eyes shifted colors according to the woman's mood. 'So she is a Sylvanix?' Edda questioned, using the Harem Seal's connection. Yes! Thyra nodded. Before coming to Velcria, the women had done their research, so they knew what to expect. 'She is so cute-' Skyla muttered, her eyes shimmering brightly as she stared at the woman in front of her. "Yes," Ember nodded. Since this was related to war, the Dragon had taken command. She extended her hand forward, wanting to complete the introductions, but suddenly, "It's a strange name." The Sylvanix spoke without hesitation. "We had our reasons." Ember answered. "I do not know what 'reason' would make you use such a comical name. It is almost as if all of this is a joke to you, I cannot leave the fate of my world to people who cannot take things seriously." The Sylvanix spoke with a cold look on her face, the color of her eyes turning icy blue. "We didn't force you to accept our application. You chose us yourself, and I am sure you didn't choose us based on our names. People who cannot take things seriously? Does our previous record not tell you anything? Or are you implying we completed all our missions without a single failure despite not being serious? If that is indeed the case, I am not surprised that you still haven't won this war. The last thing a leader should be doing is judging others by their names or appearance. I thought those were the basics." Ember retorted. It didn't matter if they were only mercenaries; they needed to set things straight here. Yes, they wanted to clear this mission, but it didn't mean they would be subservient. They were doing all this for reputation, to create an image-an image Nux would later use to advance and get closer to the Core of the War. They would not ruin that image at any cost. "I do not like the way you talk" The Sylvanix narrowed her eyes. She wasn't weak; she was one of the leaders of her world. She was a Primordial, and she wouldn't allow any disrespect. "I only speak the tru-" Ember wanted to retort, but suddenly, "Tsk, why are you even wasting your time talking to them? They are clearly weaker than we expected. Just send them away. We need to hire another party," A 5-meter-tall being snorted. The women observed the being silently. Just like the Sylvanix, they knew him as well. A Stoneborn. Massive, humanoid beings with rocky skin that resembled polished gemstones. Their eyes were like glowing orbs of molten magma. They were known for their incredible durability and were naturally imposing. Just like the Sylvanix Leader, he was a Primordial as well. "Weaker than you expected?" Ember tilted her head as she realized. "So you knew..." She muttered aloud. The Stoneborn narrowed his eyes at those words, and Ember continued, "You call us weaker than expected when you already knew the strength of our party when we registered to take the mission. If you still accepted us, then it must mean you heard the rumors about our party "Clearly, those were merely rumors. I was told that that party had five Primordials, There is no way you lot have the power to take on even one Primordial, let alone five!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺 The Stoneborn didn't hide it either. Hearing his words, Ember smirked. "So you were hoping to hire a Primordial-level mercenary at the price of a Sovereign? You are a funny lot." "Mind your words, woman. Don't make me use force." The Stoneborn threatened, the ground around his feet rumbling. It was an intimidating sight, or... at least it should have been, but... "Don't be mistaken, Velcrian. We are not your subordinates. We did not come here to assist you in this war. We came here to win it for you. We came here to do what you and your people couldn't. And we wouldn't have applied for this mission if we weren't confident in our ability to complete it. You plan on going against a force that believes it could destroy your enemy, who is as strong as you. It is not a smart plan," Ember replied, and as she said those words, the rest of the women, even Skyla, glared at the three leaders standing in front of them. That look on their faces was enough to show their stance, and seeing nine Sovereigns showing such confidence in front of three Primordials and dozens of Sovereign-level guards who were hidden and ready to attack at any moment surprised the Velcrian Leaders. Honestly, the Stoneborn Leader was close to losing it. The Stoneborns were known for their arrogance, impatience, and straightforwardness. The Stoneborn Leader wanted to show these women their place, so he was about to activate his Aura and put these women on their knees. However, before he could do so, "Please calm down." A melodious voice was heard. The third leader had finally spoken. She was a Seraphyte. A humanoid being with glowing, feathered wings and radiant golden eyes. Her hair glimmered with hues of gold, silver, or platinum, and her presence exuded an aura of calm and tranquility. These were the beings of light. While the Stoneborns were known as the protectors of Velcria because of their might, and the Sylvanix were the caretakers of Velcria's ecosystem, the Seraphytes were known as its leaders who oversaw everything. The instant the Seraphyte spoke, the Stoneborn turned silent as if a foreign force had calmed his mind. The woman then turned toward Ember and extended her hand. "We got off to an unpleasant start; Let's begin anew,"