Chapter 228: Aethermoor Kingdom She gestured toward the eastern territories bathed in golden light. "The Sunward Territories are controlled by the light elves under Queen Seraphina Goldleaf. They believe themselves to be the righteous inheritors of the original kingdom and view dark elves as corrupted beings who must be purified or eliminated." Her hand shifted to indicate the darker western regions. "The Shadowvale Dominion is ruled by Lord Regent Darian Nightshade in place of their missing king. They seek total domination over the entire kingdom and consider light elves to be inferior beings suitable only for enslavement." Noah absorbed this information with a growing understanding of why Lola seemed so concerned about their new location. "So we’re literally positioned between two warring factions who hate each other," he summarised grimly. "Worse than that," Lola continued with increasing worry. "Both sides view neutral territory as a strategic asset to be claimed. Our shop’s presence here will immediately attract attention from military scouts and political operatives from both kingdoms. They should be making plans to come here within the next few minutes." She turned away from the window to face him directly, her expression carrying the seriousness of someone explaining genuine danger. "The economic situation makes it even more complicated," Lola added. "Both kingdoms are desperate for any advantage they can gain, especially magical items that could tip the balance of power." Noah’s merchant instincts immediately recognised the implications. "Which means our products will be extremely valuable to both sides." "Exactly, but accepting customers from one side while refusing the other could be interpreted as choosing sides in their conflict," Lola warned. "And choosing sides in this war means becoming a target for whichever faction we reject." Leo padded over to join their conversation, radiating the alertness of someone who sensed danger despite not understanding its complexities. Leo asked with the directness that came naturally to his predator instincts. "Not immediately," Noah replied, though his tone carried appropriate caution. "But we need to be very careful about how we conduct business here." Lola nodded in agreement. "The neutral border territory exists because neither side has been able to claim it permanently, not because they respect its independence. We’re in a power vacuum that both kingdoms would love to fill." Noah studied the landscape again, noting details he’d missed during his initial observation. Watchtowers were visible on both sides of the border, their strategic positioning suggesting constant surveillance of the neutral zone. "How do we handle customers from both factions without appearing to favour either side?" he asked, already considering the diplomatic challenges their situation would require. "Very carefully," Lola replied with grim humour. "And we’ll need to establish clear policies immediately, before representatives from either kingdom arrive to test our neutrality." The complexity of their new environment was becoming clear. Unlike Esta’s straightforward human kingdom or the demon realm’s internal politics, Aethermoor presented a three-way challenge involving two hostile elven factions and the precarious neutrality their shop would need to maintain. "Well," Noah said with determination despite the complications, "we’ve handled difficult situations before. Time to see what opportunities this divided kingdom can offer." --------- Eastern Watchtower - Sunward Territories Captain Lysander Brightblade stood atop the watchtower, his golden hair catching the perpetual sunlight that blessed their righteous lands. His keen elven eyes swept across the neutral zone with vigilance. He was someone who had spent decades guarding against shadow elf incursions. "Another day watching those corrupted wretches skulk in their caves," he muttered to his subordinate, gesturing toward the dark western territories with obvious disgust. "Indeed, Captain," The subordinate replied, her voice carrying the righteous anger that all proper light elves felt toward their fallen kin. "I don’t understand why Queen Seraphina tolerates their continued existence. They should all be purified or driven from Aethermoor entirely." "The Queen’s mercy sometimes exceeds her wisdom," Lysander agreed grimly. "Those shadow-corrupted monsters have no place in a realm blessed by pure light. Every day they’re allowed to fester in their volcanic lairs is another day they plot against our—" His words died abruptly as something suddenly changed in the neutral zone for the first time ever. Where an empty borderland had existed moments before, a building materialised out of nothingness. Not constructed, but created from pure magical energy in a display of power. "By the one true god," Aurelia breathed, her hand instinctively moving to her enchanted blade. "What is that?" Lysander stared in shock at the impossible structure that had appeared in the most strategically sensitive location in the entire kingdom. A building, by all appearances, complete with signs and windows and the casual normalcy that made its sudden existence even more disturbing. Lysander read the sign on the building and frowned softly. "I-Idle...shop?" "Sound the alarm," he commanded, his voice tight. "Send word to Prince Adrian immediately. Tell him... tell him something has manifested in the neutral zone. Something that shouldn’t be possible, and it’s called...The Idle Shop." Western Outpost - Shadowvale Dominion Commander Thane Darkwhisper crouched in the shadow of his obsidian observation post, his violet eyes scanning the border with the patient malevolence that characterised all true dark elves. The perpetual twilight of their domain suited his surveillance perfectly, allowing him to observe without being easily detected. "Look at those light-blinded fools," he sneered to his subordinate, pointing toward the eastern watchtower where golden banners fluttered in manufactured sunlight. "Standing there in their gaudy tower like beacons announcing their presence to anyone with functional eyes." "Truly pathetic, I don’t understand why we don’t simply collapse their precious crystal spires and be done with it. Light elves are nothing but deluded weaklings who’ve forgotten the true power of shadow magic." "The Lord Regent has his reasons for maintaining this stalemate," Thane replied with the patience of someone who understood larger strategies. "But mark my words—when the time comes to reclaim our rightful dominion over all of Aethermoor, those golden-haired pretenders will learn what real elven magic can—" The air in front of them rippled like water disturbed by an unseen stone. Both shadow elves watched in stunned silence as a structure coalesced from pure magical energy, appearing in the neutral zone. "What sorcery is this?" A female dark elf whispered, her usual confidence shaken by witnessing magic that operated beyond anything she had witnessed before. Thane’s violet eyes narrowed as he studied the building that had willed itself into existence. "I don’t know, but it’s appeared in territory that we consider strategically vital." "Could it be some new light elf trick?" The female elf suggested, though her tone carried doubt about that explanation. "No," Thane said with certainty born from decades of studying their enemies. "Light elves lack the magical power for this kind of manifestation. This is something else entirely. Something... unprecedented." He stood abruptly, his mind already calculating the implications of this development for the ongoing conflict. "Send word to Lord Regent Darian immediately," he commanded with urgent authority. "Tell him an unknown magical structure has appeared in the neutral zone. And tell him..." he paused, staring at the impossible shop, "tell him it’s unlike anything we’ve encountered before." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 Both outposts scrambled to alert their respective leadership, setting in motion a chain of events that would soon bring representatives from both warring factions to Noah’s doorstep.