Water Mage in the Flame Realm-Chapter 347 - 335: Declaration of War! (Part 2)

Whoosh! The scene fell silent, leaving only the sound of the wind and snow whistling. Falk, Principal Charlie, and other high-level members of the Commerce Association, including Lady Yi Lian, all looked at President Beiru with a look on their faces that seemed to say: Did I hear wrong?

"Forgive my frankness..." Lawrence, who once disfavored Andrew in Warm Fire City, frowned and said, "Are you joking, President? You said Andrew had captured Catherine? Alive?" He looked around, "If that’s true, then where is Andrew now?"

Before Andrew took on the role of Product Creative Director for the Fire Creation Plan, the position originally belonged to Lawrence, which was the main reason he couldn’t find a liking for Andrew.

Among the high-level members of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, Lawrence wasn’t particularly outstanding, and for him to speak to Beiru this way was quite disrespectful.

But he couldn’t help it!

A powerful figure in the Realm of Magic subdued by a young kid who just broke through to Tier Five? This entirely exceeded the basic commonsense of this world!

"Lawrence, watch your attitude," Falk lightly reprimanded.

"No worries." President Beiru gestured for calmness, "I know, it’s unbelievable. In fact, my reaction was similar to yours when I first heard it. But I’m not joking!" He explained the situation concisely but clearly, including the detail that Andrew had already gone to the Outer Battlefield.

Lawrence’s expression changed repeatedly as he listened, and he ended up murmuring: "Impossible... how... how can this be?"

Beside him, Lady Yi Lian also felt a surge within, trying to calm her pounding chest, she said: "The teleportation gate established by the Magic Guild leading to that battlefield is most likely located at Scholar’s Fortress.

Not mentioning how much chance Andrew has to change the situation in that Outer Battlefield...

Even if he does suppress the Magic Guild on that battlefield and fights his way through the teleportation gate established by the Magic Guild, he is ultimately still within the Magic Guild’s sphere of influence, and most likely in its core territory!

This... it’s too challenging! It’s like sending him to his death!"

Upon hearing Lady Yi Lian’s words, the crowd’s expressions also shifted.

According to President Beiru, after Andrew went to the Outer Battlefield through the teleportation gate, the gate collapsed.

So for Andrew to come back from that battlefield, he indeed can only rely on the teleportation passage established by the Magic Guild.

No matter how difficult this may be, even if he succeeds, the "landing spot" where Andrew fights his way back would surely be the core territory of the Magic Guild, which is at Scholar’s Fortress.

"Yes, I’m aware of that." President Beiru nodded and said, "So we must try our best to alleviate his pressure and draw their firepower."

"What do you plan to do, sir?" Falk and Principal Charlie, leading the Commerce Association high-levels, all stared at Beiru.

President Beiru already had a plan in mind, and directly said: "First of all, ensure absolute secrecy—Andrew going to the Outer Battlefield must not be known to the Magic Guild. Publicly, we should claim that Andrew was captured by Catherine, and then both disappeared. Within the Commerce Association, only those present here will know, everyone else must keep the secret."

The crowd nodded in agreement.

Currently, a huge hidden advantage is that the Magic Guild would never imagine that Andrew would capture Catherine alive and then head to the Outer Battlefield.

We must utilize this advantage to the fullest.

"Then... what about Miss Barbara?" Principal Charlie asked, "Should we tell her the situation truthfully?"

Before President Beiru could respond, Lady Yi Lian decisively remarked: "I absolutely won’t hide it from her this time!"

President Beiru shook his head and said: "I also have no intention of hiding it from her a second time.

Leia sent news that the Eighth Fire is close to forming. Once the Strange Fire is completely formed, let Barbara promptly complete the inheritance ceremony. Only the bearer of the Warm Fire Order can inherit the Eighth Fire, and I have already exhausted my Warm Fire Order, so the only one qualified to inherit this strongest Strange Fire is Barbara."

President Beiru paused at this, then continued with his arrangements: "Let Barbara quickly complete the inheritance ceremony, meanwhile, ask Peter to gather forces, prepare for war..."

"Prepare for war?" The crowd was clearly taken aback upon hearing this.

If Andrew were present, he would probably be stunned as well.

Indeed, President Beiru had told him he would cooperate with his actions on the Outer Battlefield, trying to draw the Magic Guild’s attention.

But in Andrew’s view, after the Royal Court negotiations concluded, the Magic Guild would seize the opportunity when President Beiru lost the Warm Fire Order, to launch another offense, while the Commerce Association would try to withstand the Magic Guild’s pressure, which was already the best outcome.

Yet now President Beiru was saying "gather forces," "prepare for war"!

It seems he doesn’t intend to wait passively for the Magic Guild to strike, but rather plans to take the initiative and offend?

"I... I disagree!" Two voices almost shouted out simultaneously.

One was Lawrence, and the other surprisingly was Falk, who had just reprimanded Lawrence.

Only to hear Falk say sternly: "I know how anxious you are to cover Andrew, but leading our entire Commerce Association to risk choosing the initiative to attack for him is very unwise! Even if it’s just a localized offensive, the risks are too great!"

"I also find it too risky."

"Opposed."

"I disagree too."

The high-level members were all very agitated.

This concerned the overall strategy for the next phase of the Commerce Association, even the life and death of the entire Warm Fire Commerce Association, so being cautious cannot be overstated.

Then they heard President Beiru slowly say: "I indeed have no plans to launch a ’localized offensive’..."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

President Beiru continued: "My intention is to declare a comprehensive war and proactively strike."

The crowd: "?"

Lawrence was stunned for a moment, then almost screamed: "Sir, what do you mean...? Comprehensive war, proactive strike?! That... that rhythm is just like preparing for the ’Second Dual Fire War’!!"

"Yes, it is indeed the Second Dual Fire War." President Beiru nodded, surprisingly calm in tone, and with a slight smile said, "Only this time, it is us who are choosing to fight."

――

――

"...Eh?" Meanwhile, elsewhere, Barbara was being led by Jin, catching up late to President Beiru and the others. Barbara suddenly seemed to perceive something, looking up, she saw the sky that was originally covered by wind and snow quietly dispersing.

The sky revealed was not blue but a fiery red, as if ablaze, full of a taste of bloodshed!

Barbara, still unsure of what had transpired, stared in surprise at the red sky.

She then heard Jin suddenly say, "The sky is changing."

The sky was indeed changing.

Because on this very day, marking the end of the Royal Court negotiations and completely concluding the First Dual Fire War, a message swiftly spread across the Flame Realm that shook Scholar’s Fortress, in which the three major Earth Fire Scholars planning their next steps on how to meet with Catherine and attack the Warm Fire Commerce Association were left speechless—

The Warm Fire Commerce Association had declared all-out war on the Magic Guild!!