After issuing orders to his knights, Aven made his way back to the square outside the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild headquarters.
By now, Earl Ruize had completed the first round of distributing spoils of war. The other lords were each receiving their allotted resources.
But because the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild had exhausted most of its gold during the war, what remained was mostly grain and potions.
Thus, the northern lords—who had lent their gold—looked extremely displeased.
When the Guild had borrowed their funds, it had been hard currency. Now, they were being repaid in a fraction of supplies—barely a token compensation.
Nearby, Aven's own knights were loading grain supplies—just enough to feed the Pokémon and serfs until they reached home.
"Earl Aven," Earl Ruize said, approaching with a letter in hand. "We've just received word from Aspiration City. Captain Kevin will be arriving soon with the Aspiration City Knight Order to take control of the Ironblood Fortress."
"Kevin? That's excellent news." Aven nodded.
He remembered Captain Kevin well—Princess Mira's chief knight. They had fought side by side during the Abyssal Beast Tide at the Abyssal Caverns.
With Kevin defending the fortress, they wouldn't need to worry about beast invasions from the Aspiration Mountains this winter.
Moreover, Kevin's arrival meant that Hormay's case could finally be settled properly.
As a Marquis, Hormay was beyond the jurisdiction of both Aven and Earl Ruize, who were Earls. Only Aspiration City's authorities could conduct a formal judgment.
And since Hormay's dealings might involve the mysterious Sorcerers Organization, the investigation would be vital. Perhaps it could even yield crucial information about that shadowy group.
Regrettably, Hormay was already dead. Under those circumstances, Aven had been left with no choice but to kill him—otherwise, he might indeed have learned more about the organization's secrets.
"The Ironblood Fortress has truly fallen," Earl Ruize sighed.
Aven nodded calmly. "Yes… but now, perhaps we can finally discuss how to handle the matter of the gray mist."
At that, Earl Ruize blinked, remembering their earlier conversation.
Previously, Aven had suggested relocating all the magical beast from the Abyssal Forest—designating specific areas within each territory for them to inhabit peacefully.
At the time, most lords had refused to comment, citing a lack of food and land. Aven had proposed a bold solution: to seize resources from the Ironblood Fortress.
Now that he had done exactly that, the circumstances had changed.
With the fortress destroyed, they could indeed move some of the monsters northward.
Earl Ruize glanced at the northern lords in the distance. Surely, after seeing all this, they wouldn't dare object—not when the initiator of the plan was Earl Aven himself.
"Since everyone is still here," Aven said, turning to the gathered nobles, "I think this is the perfect time to sit down and discuss it properly."
Earl Ruize nodded at once. "Of course. The Abyssal Forest borders my lands—if this plan succeeds, it would greatly ease my defensive burden."
Aven smiled faintly. "Then leave this matter to me."
After Earl Ruize agreed, he walked over to the gathered lords and announced the reason for the meeting.
At the moment, no one had any pressing matters left to attend to, so all the lords gathered in the conference room—ready to begin a meeting that could very well reshape the entire territorial landscape.
"What do you think EarlAven called us here for?"
The northern lords sat uneasily in their seats, glancing toward Aven, who sat calmly in the main chair. Their expressions carried traces of unease and disbelief.
They had been to this conference room many times before, but in the past, the one presiding over the meetings had always been Marquis Hormay. Now, that seat belonged to Earl Aven.
The realization filled them with anxiety. As northern lords, they had all once been part of the Ironblood Alliance—in other words, accomplices.
If Aven truly intended to settle accounts after the war, none of them would be able to escape punishment. Even if they fled back to their own lands, it would make no difference.
After all, even the mighty Ironblood Fortress itself had fallen before the Pokémon Domain's forces—what chance did their small fiefs have? Even if they united, it would still be hopeless.
By contrast, the eastern lords appeared far calmer. They had already caught wind of Aven's intentions and had a general idea of why he had gathered everyone here.
"I've called you all together mainly to discuss the matter of the Abyssal Beast Tide," Aven began without preamble.
Once the meeting officially started, he explained everything about the gray mist and outlined his plan for the next stage.
Every lord present was familiar with the beast tides born from the Abyssal Caverns. Yet, after hearing Aven's proposal, they all paused in astonishment.
They had to admit—it was indeed an effective solution to the gray mist's corruption.
As long as the magical beasts were kept from coming into contact with the mist, there would be no corruption—and naturally, no beast tide would form.
Moreover, since this incident had been discovered early, the gray mist hadn't yet overflowed from the Abyssal Cavern. None of the surrounding beasts had been infected, which made implementation far easier.
"Food and territory—those are the two biggest obstacles," Aven said calmly.
"But now, I think neither should be a problem for anyone here, right?"
He smiled as he looked around at the assembled lords. "Rest assured, I won't let you suffer any losses. You've all heard of the Pokémon Breeding Zones, haven't you?"
"As for their results—you can visit my domain and see them for yourselves. As long as we treat the Pokémon with sincerity, they truly can coexist with us in harmony!"
"Moreover, with the help of these breeding zones, we can train more Pokémon trainers, promoting the growth of the Pokémon Breeding Houses, and in turn strengthening both the military and the economy of every territory involved."
Hearing this, the lords exchanged glances.
The strength of the Pokémon Domain had been displayed vividly in the recent war—it was undeniable.
It was hard to imagine that just a year ago, the Pokémon Domain had been barren wilderness, and yet, in only twelve short months, it had surpassed the long-established Ironblood Fortress.
The key to that rapid growth was precisely the construction of the Pokémon Breeding Zones. The magical beast tribes of the Black Forest had gradually been integrated into these zones, becoming part of the Pokémon Domain's strength.
"As long as you establish Pokémon Breeding Zones in your territories, I will personally help you set up the Pokémon Breeding Houses," Aven continued.
"When the time comes, the Pokémon Domain will supply you with Pokémon food, potions, and even the training methods for Pokémon themselves. I can share all of that with you."
As Aven spoke, the lords' expressions visibly changed—especially when they heard the words "Pokémon Breeding House."
They knew exactly what that meant.
The rise of Pokémon Breeding Houses had almost single-handedly destroyed the business of monster trading.
Now, with the fall of the Ironblood Fortress, the monster trade in Aspiration City had suffered a devastating collapse.
But if Pokémon Breeding Zones were established, it would mean they would have a stable source of magical creatures. Their territories would no longer depend on the brutal and unstable trade of captured beasts.
And soon enough, all of Aspiration City would fall under the influence of Pokémon Breeding Houses.
If they joined now, they could secure a place in that future prosperity—a slice of the pie in a new and growing industry.
With Aven's assurance, the obstacles that had once made the idea difficult—resources, land, and food—were no longer issues. In just a few years of effort, they could develop a complete Pokémon industry chain.
"Lord Aven, we're willing to join!"
"I've been wanting to establish a breeding zone for a while now!"
The eastern lords spoke up first, voicing their firm support for Aven—they were his most loyal allies, after all.
The northern lords hesitated briefly, but seeing the direction things were going, they, too, nodded one after another.
Some of their territories had little to no contact with forests, meaning setting aside an area for beasts to live wouldn't even pose much burden.
"Good. Since everyone agrees, let's proceed to detailed planning." Aven nodded with satisfaction.
With the northern lords present, a new idea had come to him—this plan shouldn't just address the gray mist, but something even greater.
In truth, the winter beast tides were largely caused by magical beasts migrating from the Aspiration Mountains into the Black Forest.
If the northern territories could establish breeding zones of their own, they could divert and distribute the magical beast population more evenly.
Between the Ironblood Fortress and the Aspiration Mountains lay a wide buffer region, an area that could be turned into a Pokémon Nature Reserve—a safe haven for the magical beasts migrating down from Mt. Coronet during winter.
Over time, the migrating magical beast would recognize the area as a safe sanctuary and develop a stable migration pattern.
Once that happened, the recurring winter beast tides in the Black Forest could be resolved at the source.
Of course, this plan still needed to be discussed with Lady Mira. But Aven was confident—if this truly could eliminate the threat of the winter beast tides, she would certainly approve.
As the discussion continued, consensus was gradually reached. The atmosphere in the room softened, and what emerged was the early shape of a new alliance centered around Pokémon Breeding Zones—one that included most of the eastern and northern lords.
However, unlike the Ironblood Alliance, Aven did not intend to form a rigid political alliance. This one would remain a commercial collaboration, bound only by mutual benefit.
If a formal organization were to be established in the future, it would have to be done under Princess Mira's leadership.
Knock, knock, knock—
Just then, the sound of someone knocking at the conference room door echoed through the hall.
At Aven's signal, Sutter entered quickly and leaned close to whisper a few words into Aven's ear.
"Hmm? Princess Mira has come in person?" Aven was momentarily taken aback and rose from his seat.
But before he could even step outside to greet her, a figure suddenly materialized just beyond the conference room doors—appearing out of thin air.
The lords froze in astonishment.
"Princess Mira!"
Earl Ruize reacted the fastest—he immediately rose and stepped forward to bow deeply in noble salute.
Seeing this, the rest of the lords hurried to follow, standing and offering their respects in unison.
"Teleportation?" Aven blinked, taken aback by the sudden appearance.
He glanced around but saw no Pokémon capable of using Teleport by her side.
Come to think of it, Lady Mira was never seen accompanied by Pokémon—not even by protective ones.
His gaze returned to her, and he noticed faint psychic ripples around her form.
In that instant, a realization dawned on him—Princess Mira herself was a Psychic, capable of high-level instant teleportation!
"Kir~ lia!"
Kirlia floated up beside Aven, her eyes wide.
Her perception was even sharper than Aven's—she could feel a familiar, comforting psychic aura emanating from the princess.
"Earl Aven, it's been a while," Princess Mira said gently, her gaze meeting his.
Aven blinked, then immediately stepped forward and knelt on one knee in a formal noble greeting. "It's been a long time, Your Highness."
"Yes… I think I arrived just in time, didn't I?"
Mira smiled softly, showing no hint of annoyance at Aven's surprise.
As she looked around at Aven and the gathered lords, a wave of emotion welled quietly within her.
When she had first heard about the war between the Pokémon Domain and the Ironblood Fortress, she had been deeply uneasy. After all, the Ironblood Fortress had long stood as a mighty power in the domains of Aspiration City.
But the news that followed left her stunned—the Pokémon Domain had achieved total victory.
The details, however, were nothing short of harrowing. She never would have imagined that Marquis Hormay had gone so far as to collude with the Sorcerers, attempting to sacrifice an entire city.
Fortunately, Aven had stopped it all in time.
Upon receiving the report, Mira had rushed over immediately. Now, seeing Aven safe and unharmed, she finally let out a relieved breath.
"No, Your Highness arrived at the perfect time."
"I was planning to visit Aspiration City after this meeting, but I didn't expect you to come in person," Aven said with a smile.
He guided Mira to the main seat, then took his own place beside her.
"Aven, you've done well," said Richard, who followed behind Mira with her knight guards. He gave Aven a thumbs-up.
For years, the Ironblood Marquis had been like a thorn in the heart of Aspiration City—and Aven had finally removed it.
"Everyone, please be seated," Mira said warmly.
The lords exchanged glances, then quickly returned to their seats. The meeting resumed.
Once it did, Aven summarized the earlier discussion for Mira and her aide, Richard. As they listened, both widened their eyes slightly in surprise.
If everything proceeded as Aven planned, it truly could eliminate the winter beast tides once and for all—and Aspiration City would enter an unprecedented era of prosperity.
"You're really going to hand over the newly formed alliance to Aspiration City's administration?" Mira asked in surprise after hearing Aven's final decision. She hadn't expected him to relinquish such power so easily.
"Will Her Highness be personally involved in its management?" one of the lords asked eagerly, eyes lighting up.
They had long heard of Princess Mira's cooperation with the Pokémon Domains—Aspiration City's Pokémon Breeding Center had her name attached to it.
Realizing this, the remaining resistance in the hearts of the lords melted away. It was now clear that the entire city—and soon, the region—would eventually revolve around the Pokémon Breeding Houses.
"There's nothing strange about that, is there?" Aven said with a small smile. "After all, the entire domains of Aspiration City belong to Her Highness—we've all sworn loyalty to her ourselves."
As he spoke, a subtle sense of accomplishment welled within him.
So, this was it—the Pokémon League was finally taking shape.
Looking at the assembled lords, Aven thought to himself that all his efforts had finally led to this moment.
From the day he and Princess Mira had first opened the potion shop in Aspiration City, everything had been part of his grand plan.
Only through her influence could the Pokémon Breeding Houses spread across Aspiration City and eventually replace the old monster trade entirely.
Of course, this was only the first step. To truly complete the establishment of the Pokémon Alliance, much more work was needed—most crucially, the abolition of the magical beast trading.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Serendip City's position might be Hearthone City.
Man, I'm tired. I wanna sleep for a week or just not wake up at all. I hate monday blues.