(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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The moment the name Zagred echoed through the chamber, silence swallowed the entire room.
Even the air itself felt colder.
Heavier.
Like something ancient and malicious had suddenly been acknowledged.
Patoli's breathing had become uneven by now.
Every word Ben spoke was tearing apart pieces of the reality he had clung to for centuries.
His hatred, his revenge, his purpose, even the resurrection of his people… all of it was now being painted as nothing more than the work of a devil manipulating them from the shadows.
No.
He couldn't accept that. He refused to.
Suddenly Patoli slammed his hand against the table beside him.
"Enough!"
Dark mana burst from his body violently, causing several chairs nearby to crack under the pressure.
"You keep speaking as though everything is already decided!"
His voice trembled with fury.
"With every sentence you try to turn our own history against us!"
His eyes were bloodshot now.
"If you're going to accuse us of being manipulated for five hundred years …then show me proof!"
The room instantly turned tense again.
Rhya and Fana remained silent but their expressions showed they too wanted the answer now.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Because Ben's explanation made terrifying sense.
Too much sense.
But they still needed something concrete.
Something undeniable. Not just theories.
Even Julius silently observed Ben carefully.
Because honestly—He also wanted to know.
Ben slowly lifted his gaze toward Patoli.
His expression had completely changed now.
Gone was the casualness. Gone was the teasing tone.
His eyes looked cold. Sharp. Almost frighteningly calm.
The kind of look that made people instinctively uneasy.
For a few seconds—He simply stared at Patoli.
Then Ben finally spoke.
"Proof?"
His voice echoed quietly inside the chamber.
Then—He asked a single question.
One that instantly shattered the atmosphere.
"Who cast the resurrection magic?"
Silence. Absolute silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun froze.
Completely.
Patoli's eyes widened slightly.
"...."
Rhya's expression stiffened.
Fana visibly frowned by the open question.
Even the sealed Vetto stopped growling.
Because—That question had never crossed their minds before.
Ben slowly continued while staring directly at them.
"You said the elves were reincarnated."
"You said Noad Nephesh revived your souls."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then tell me."
"Who cast the spell?"
No answer came. Because they didn't know.
Not truly.
The spell had already been prepared when they awakened.
The ritual. The stones. The reincarnation.
Everything had already been set into motion.
Ben's voice lowered further.
"Resurrection magic on that scale …is not something leaderless souls suddenly perform by themselves."
The realization slowly began spreading across the elves' faces.
Ben leaned slightly forward.
"If none of you cast it… then someone else did."
The chamber became deathly quiet.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Rhya's eyes slowly widened as understanding started forming.
Fana unconsciously stepped backward slightly.
Meanwhile Patoli's breathing became heavier again.
Because now—The question itself was becoming proof.
Ben's cold gaze remained fixed on them.
"You all woke up already consumed by hatred. You woke up already knowing who to hate. You woke up already following a plan."
His voice dropped lower.
"But none of you ever questioned …who put you on that path."
Patoli's body trembled faintly.
"...."
Because deep inside—He already knew the horrifying answer forming in front of him.
And that terrified him more than any enemy ever could.
The realization spreading across the elves' faces was impossible to miss now.
For the first time since entering the palace—Their hatred had paused.
Not disappeared. Not forgiven.
But shaken.
Rhya had fallen completely silent while staring downward in thought. Fana too no longer carried the same hostility from before. Even Vetto, despite still being sealed, had stopped struggling entirely.
And Patoli—
His expression looked the worst.
Because the foundation beneath his revenge was beginning to crumble.
Ben quietly observed all of them for several moments before finally speaking again.
"You finally understand now."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
"The enemy you hated …was never the only enemy."
Nobody immediately replied.
The room itself felt emotionally exhausted after everything revealed so far.
Even the captains were still processing the implications behind Ben's words.
The manipulation of history.
The existence of Zagred. The elves being used as pawns for centuries.
The reincarnation magic itself being part of a larger plan.
It was enough to shake even experienced Magic Knight captains.
Then suddenly—Ben spoke again.
And this time—His words stunned everyone present far more than any revelation before it.
"I have a proposal."
Several eyes immediately lifted toward him.
Ben's expression remained serious.
"I will help the elves reincarnate properly."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
For one full second—Nobody reacted.
Because the words themselves felt unreal.
Then the entire chamber exploded with reactions.
"What?!"
Yami's cigarette nearly fell from his mouth.
Charlotte's eyes widened visibly.
Fuegoleon looked genuinely stunned for the first time tonight.
Even Julius himself blinked repeatedly as though wondering if he misheard.
Nozel immediately frowned deeply.
Meanwhile the elves looked even more shocked.
Rhya stared directly at Ben in disbelief.
"…What?"
Even Patoli's eyes widened.
Ben continued calmly despite everyone's reactions.
"I said …I can help reincarnate your people. The ones you lost. And eventually …all of you as well."
The atmosphere instantly became chaotic.
Jack burst into laughter.
"-Kekekeke!!!"
"You serious?!"
Nozel immediately spoke in a cold tone.
"Your Majesty, do you understand what you're saying?"
His silver eyes narrowed sharply.
"You're proposing the return of an entire extinct race into the Clover Kingdom."
The implications behind that alone were enough to terrify kingdoms.
Meanwhile Julius raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to calm down while he himself stared thoughtfully at Ben.
Even he looked deeply shaken by this proposal.
Because resurrection—True resurrection—Was beyond normal human magic.
Rhya meanwhile slowly asked.
"…Why?"
His voice carried genuine confusion.
"After everything… After we attacked your kingdom… After we came here intending to kill you …why would you help us?"
That question caused the chamber to quiet down again.
Everyone waited for Ben's answer.
Ben remained silent briefly before finally speaking.
"Because you were victims too."
Those words landed heavily.
Ben slowly continued with a sigh.
"You were manipulated. Used. Massacred. Then revived only to continue suffering."
His eyes moved toward Patoli.
"You were denied peace for five hundred years."
Then his gaze shifted toward all the elves.
"If I can stop that cycle …then I will."
The room fell silent once again.
"...."
"...."
"...."
No dramatic speech. No grand declaration.
Just simple honesty.
And somehow—That made it hit even harder.
Patoli himself looked speechless now.
Because after centuries of hatred toward humans—The one offering salvation to the elves…
Was the King of Clover himself.
Meanwhile Julius quietly leaned back in his chair while studying Ben carefully.
His golden eyes held deep curiosity now.
Because Ben had once again done something completely unexpected.
Not domination. Not execution. Not revenge.
But coexistence.
Even after being targeted for assassination.
Even after having every reason to destroy them.
Ben instead offered them a future.
And that…
Was something nobody in the room had anticipated.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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Guys My New Fic name is: Karuppan: King of Openings.
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