The three barons recoiled in fear and when they realized what they had done by instinct resumed their noble postures.

" That is not the subject we are gathered here for, " said Musset sitting down again on his sofa.

“Baron Jinshu and Baron Musset want the rights to mine the cranial peaks and the crystal peaks,” Beura explained taking advantage of the fact that they had resumed the rhythm of the conversation.

“For my side my people want to settle in Lhimkio. At the other end of the island so as not to disturb the people of Vorpiax.” added the Quinoid.

Helvella smiled, looking at them as if dealing with children.

“And I want a new cruise,” said the lepiot with a sigh.

“And I also want to fix my castle. Do you know that my previous cruise ship crashed into the villas in front?” Helvella asked observing the reactions of the barons.

“What does that have to do with what we are talking about?” Jinshu asked.

“Aren't we telling our dreams?” answered Helvella.

Silence occupied the dome. Although a simple conversation seemed to be taking place there, the tension was such that no one had moved Yaiban's body.

“Baron Helvella, we are not playing.” Beura threatened raising the tone of his voice.

All the bodyguards aimed their weapons.

" Ha ... ha ... ha ... " Black flames began to appear around Helvella.

“Hahahahaha,” Helvella burst out laughing.

The lepiot seemed deranged, the way his mouth warped his face as he laughed along with the oppressive aura that was beginning to emanate made everyone pointing their weapons at him fall back.

" We have a communication problem here, " said the mushroom.

" The way you speak and act seems like a joke to me, " Helvella said, turning serious.

Its flames stopped growing and crossing its legs the lepiot continued speaking.

“There is someone I really want to kill right now.”

The three barons blanched with those words. The fear caused by this madman that caused headaches to their parents and grandparents prevented them from talking.

“You don't have to make those faces. It is not about any of you,” the lepiot smiled.

“This fight is just a child's play for me.”

And he meant it. Accompanied by their parents, the brightest young men in Vorpiax were the ones organizing the war efforts. Latispora, who was acting as commanding general, was only seventeen years old.

“But out of courtesy I had to come to offer you the opportunity to surrender.”

“Hmm! You're talking bullshit Helvella!” Baron Jinshu shouted as he could no longer bear the taunts of the lepiot.

“I 'm serious,” Helvella replied without letting himself be provoked.

“I don't want to see how your men die when a war never saw before in Almawarth is about to begin.”

The three barons fell silent as they digested the information Helvella had just given them.

“Hahaha your lies cannot deceive us,” Beura said with a laugh.

“The last war between kingdoms occurred more than three hundred years ago.”

“Do not tell me,” said Helvella unimpressed by the words of Beura.

“Baron Helvella, we do not want to lose lives in vain either. We are not asking you to give us your land, nor are we interfering in the autonomy of Vorpiax,” Musset said surprisingly with great eloquence.

The multrow was the one who seemed most eager to get the crystals but behaved more rationally than the quinoid.

“I’ll investigate why you need resources and if I consider it is important I will make some kind of trade deal with you,” said Helvella.

He took note that two of the three barons were being manipulated because of some necessity.

“I will not give you the extraction rights, but I will trade part of our production with you.”

" As for you old goat, " said Helvella, emphasizing the age of the quinoid.

“You won't have an inch of my land.”

“I suppose then that what you want is a war,” said Baron Beura, trying to hide the fury he felt when he saw how Helvella tried to break his alliance with a few simple words.

“This sad excuse of battle is not a war,” Helvella answered getting up from his sofa.

Burn marks outlined where he was.

“I’m just come to give you a chance to surrender.”

The lepiot began to walk towards the hatch of the ship that had brought him.

“Anyway, this will be a good experience for the children to prepare them for the approaching war,” said Helvella this time talking to himself.

“Baron Helvella! How are you going to compensate me for the death of my man?” Jinshu shouted without forgetting that Yaiban had died in front of him.

“Ask Musset, he was the one who killed him,” replied the lepiot entering his boat.

Once Helvella entered he remembered something and stuck his head out.

“Now that I think about it. Remember very well. In war and love, anything goes.” Helvella snapped his fingers.

“Fush!”

The other barons' boats burst into black flames.

Before the astonished gazes of those present, Helvella's ship took off, leaving behind only his laughter.

Entering the main cabin Helvella found his children.

“Why didn't you kill them? If you had killed them the war would not start,” Mushi asked.

The youngest of all his children had begun to develop a somewhat troubling personality after Shimu's death.

" Not everything is solved by killing, " replied his father.

“But all the deaths in this war will be because of your decision.”

Helvella widened his eyes upon hearing Mushi's argument. None of his brothers had made sentences like that before the age of six.

“You are right. If killing them right there would stop the war then all the resulting deaths in this war would be my fault,” Helvella replied stroking his son's head.

“But there is a flaw in your reasoning.”

“Which one?” Mushi asked to see that all but Rivularis understood what his father was referring to.

“A large number of nobles are puppets of the factions that have gained power in their lands. The islands continue in the name of their families, they have a lot of money and fame; but without even knowing it, their ministers have seized all power.”

“If I kill the three barons the powers behind them would have the perfect excuse to start the war, but not only that, they would have the moral justification to ask for reinforcements from other nobles.”

Mushi raised his hand to his jaw to ponder his father's words.

“Are all three nobles’ fakes?” Asked the boy raising his face to see his father in the eyes.

“I wouldn't say they are fakes. The proper word is puppets, " said Helvella.

“And no, the three are not puppets, did you see the goat that was talking?”

Mushi chuckled at his father's comment. And using his willpower, he stopped chuckling and nodded.

“He is the only one of the three who knows what he is doing,” said Helvella.