"Please tell us everything you have gathered during your journey," Douglas said. He had many questions to ask Zion, but for the time being, he decided to gather some information first. Thirteen nodded because he didn't mind sharing this information with the members of the alliance. "Just as we feared, the cracks in the sky represented a breach on the defenses of Pangea," Thirteen replied. "Because of this, the barrier protecting our world grew thinner, allowing the gates to mutate mere minutes before they fully opened itself. "This allowed more powerful variants of Jinns and Majins to enter our world a few months earlier than our initial estimate," Thirteen said. "These mutated gates are directly controlled by the Royal Families of different factions in Gomorra. As of now, I gathered that there are at least twenty factions planning to invade the Cygni Continent." The faces of everyone inside the room turned grim after hearing the information that Zion was sharing with them. Twenty factions that belonged to the Royal Families of Gomorra was a big deal. This meant that these factions had no lack of Majin Princes and Princesses, not to mention Rank 9 Sovereigns. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they might have a Majin King or, worse, a Majin Emperor backing them up. With such a big shot taking the helm of this invasion, the Alliance understood that a few months from now, the Cygni Continent would be embroiled in a war that might surpass even the invasions that happened in the Antares and Rigel Continents. "By the way, before I continue, have you guys been contacted by the members of these royal families?" Thirteen inquired. "Prince Zorren of the Skavari has captured some Wanderers and brainwashed them to serve as the helpers for the other royal factions that arrived in this land." "I've been contacted by that Zorren brat," Douglas replied. "He told me that if I surrendered, he would allow me to become his subordinate, becoming the overseer of this land." "That's a tempting offer." Thirteen smiled. "You should have accepted his offer, Sir." Douglas snorted because he understood that Zion was just messing with him. What the Monarch didn't know was that Zion had already added Prince Zorren to the list of Jinns that he would personally eliminate. The reason? Because the Prince was aiming to capture Erica and make her his consort. In fact, as soon as Zed returned with Princess Aracelle, Thirteen planned to mobilize his army to head northeast and deal with the pesky rat once and for all. "Well, then. Let's get back to the topic at hand," Thirteen said. "As you all know, we only have two months left before the true Jinn invasion begins. Rank 8, Rank 9, and possibly Jinns above that Rank might appear in the war. "So, I would like everyone here to brace themselves. This war will be an uphill battle. Make no mistake—we are at great disadvantage even if all the forces of humanity unite together. "Of course, I'm sure all of you have prepared your own trump cards for the worst-case scenario. You don't have to tell me what they are. Though I am looking forward to seeing them when the battle starts in full." Thirteen then glanced at Tristan, inquiring him through eye contact if he wished to ask him a question. Tristan shook his head before making a gesture for Thirteen to continue. "Well, then. I'm sure all of you know I've captured a princess from House Pavareth," Thirteen stated. "Her name is Princess Aracelle Seraphine Velora Pavareth. Since her full name is a mouthful, let's just call her Princess Aracelle. "As you may already know, I was traveling with a few unknowns during my field work. One of those unknowns requested the custody of Princess Aracelle, and I have agreed to her request. "I agreed to her request since I believe she's one of Princess Aracelle's relatives. But they are not on good terms. You can even say that they are of different factions. "Ah, before anyone says anything, let me add that the unknown I am talking about might also be a Princess of House Pavereth through a branch family. While I am not a hundred percent sure about this, I can say with honesty that we shouldn't antagonize her." "And why shouldn't we antagonize her?" Douglas asked with a faint smile. "Because her mom is one of the three rulers who governs a third of the Antares Continent," Thirteen answered. ""What?!"" Even Tristan was shaken after knowing this bit of information. The Wanderers had often wondered why the Jinns who have invaded the Antares and Rigel Continent didn't migrate to attack the Aldebaran and Sirius Continents. Little did they know, Laplace Demon and the One had simply placed a barrier that prevented them from invading any more continents. Only weaker Jinns could bypass this barrier, allowing them to roam the sea and skies of Pangea. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮 These monsters weren't really a threat to Wanderers since the strongest of them were only Rank 4. Veteran Wanderers could easily handle them, so these Jinns made sure to not venture too far from their continent, or else, they would die in the hands of the people that they had tried to subjugate. For an unknown from Antares to cross that barrier and even appear in the Cygni Continent was of great concern to everyone. They had always felt anxious about the possibility of Jinns from the Antares and Rigel Continent attacking Aldebaran and Sirius when all the major forces of humanity were defending the Cygni Continent. "For now, you guys don't have to worry about those outside forces," Thirteen said. "The reason I also decided to let Princess Aracelle be taken into their custody is to prevent them from stabbing us on the back. "You can even say that letting them take custody of Princess Aracelle is a peace offering that has no downsides. You should even be thanking me for taking the initiative to surrender her for the sake of peace." Of course, Thirteen was just spouting bullsh*t. However, his explanation was so compelling that they found it very hard to think that he was lying. "Is that the truth?" Douglas asked coldly. "Look into my eyes," Thirteen replied. "Does this look like the eyes of a liar to you? If you say yes, I'll pack up and return to the Aldeberan Continent. Good luck winning this war on your own." Douglas almost coughed out blood then and there. Thirteen was obviously blackmailing him. If he said the teenage boy was a liar, Zion might really leave the Cygni Continent and go back to the Aldeberan Continent, watching them burn with a smile on his face. Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. He really liked this domineering side of Zion. The teenage boy didn't give a damn no matter if he was talking to a Monarch or a Throne. He knew how valuable he was, and he used it to his advantage. Even Tristan couldn't help but feel sorry for Douglas, who was forced to compromise with the whims of the teenage boy, who once again reminded everyone that he could leave the Cygni Continent anytime and let them handle the Jinn invasion on their own.