Chapter 268: Joining the Faction

[: 3rd POV :]

The moment the words Faction of Vahl’Zareth left Daniel’s mouth…

Every ruler became stunned.

King Reja’s eyes widened slightly.

The Elven Queen froze where she stood.

Even the usually composed Vampire King looked genuinely surprised.

For several long seconds…

No one spoke.

Finally, King Reja broke the silence.

“…A faction?”

His voice carried both disbelief and uncertainty.

Daniel nodded calmly.

“That’s right.”

“Our organization is known as the Faction of Vahl’Zareth.”

The rulers looked at one another.

The Dragon Queen was the first to speak.

“…Lord Daniel…”

“Forgive my question…”

“But…”

“…Is this the same faction that the Will of the Universe announced not long ago?”

Daniel did not hide the truth.

“Yes.”

“It is.”

The simple answer exploded like thunder inside everyone’s minds.

“W…What?”

The Giant King stumbled backward.

“The announcement…”

“It was yours?”

The Fairy Queen covered her tiny mouth in shock.

“I thought…”

“I thought it belonged to some ancient force that had remained hidden for countless eras…”

The Merfolk Queen slowly shook her head in disbelief.

“So the mysterious faction that shook the Universe…”

“…was created by you?”

Daniel smiled faintly.

“It was.”

Silence fell over the battlefield once again.

Only this time…

It was even heavier than before.

Every one of them clearly remembered that day.

The voice of the Will of the Universe had echoed across every corner of existence.

It had announced the birth of a brand new faction.

A faction personally acknowledged by the Universe itself.

The announcement had caused countless worlds to discuss it.

Everyone had speculated about its origin.

Some believed an ancient god had returned.

Others believed one of the ten Pantheons had secretly established a new force.

Some even suspected one of the legendary factions hidden deep within the Universe.

Never…not even once…

Had they imagined the founder would be standing before them.

King Reja slowly let out a long breath.

“No wonder…”

He looked toward Daniel with newfound respect.

“So that’s why…”

“The moment we saw you…”

“It felt as though we were standing before someone far beyond our understanding.”

The Dwarf King laughed bitterly.

“Hahaha…”

“And here I thought fate had merely sent us a savior.”

“It turns out…”

“It sent us the founder of an entirely new faction.”

The Dragon Queen smiled softly.

“No…”

“I believe fate sent us both.”

The Beastkin King nodded firmly.

“I agree.”

The Vampire King folded his arms.

“Now everything makes sense.”

“The authority.”

“The impossible miracle.”

“The overwhelming presence.”

“You were never an ordinary traveler.”

“You were the leader of a faction acknowledged by the Universe itself.”

Daniel simply smiled without saying anything.

King Reja slowly lowered his head.

“Lord Daniel…”

“I wish to be honest with you.”

Daniel nodded.

“Go ahead.”

King Reja sighed quietly.

“Even if you had never appeared today…”

“…our world would eventually have belonged to someone else.”

The surrounding rulers silently lowered their heads.

Because they all understood exactly what he meant.

“Our armies are gone.”

“Our strongest warriors have fallen.”

“Our cities have been destroyed.”

“Our people have barely survived.”

He looked toward the ruined kingdom behind him.

“Even if we somehow rebuilt everything…”

“We no longer possess the strength to defend ourselves.”

The Elven Queen continued sadly.

“The Ututh nearly destroyed our civilization.”

“Even if another invasion never comes…”

“Other worlds eventually will.”

The Giant King clenched his fists.

“The Universe has never been a peaceful place.”

“It is ruled by strength.”

The Spirit Queen nodded quietly.

“Small worlds are always swallowed by stronger ones.”

“The only difference…”

“…is who conquers them.”

King Reja looked directly into Daniel’s eyes.

“We have always known…”

“That one day…”

“Our planet would inevitably be conquered.”

“It was only a matter of time.”

His expression became bitter.

“The problem was…”

“We never knew who that conqueror would be.”

The Fairy Queen’s wings drooped slightly.

“Would they enslave us?”

The Merfolk Queen spoke softly.

“Would they strip away our culture?”

The Beastkin King frowned.

“Would they slaughter those who resisted?”

The Vampire King looked toward the horizon.

“Or perhaps…”

“They would simply erase our races entirely.”

No one answered.

Because…

Every possibility was real.

King Reja slowly smiled.

“But today…”

“For the first time…”

“I believe fate has shown mercy.”

He looked toward Daniel again.

“Instead of being conquered by tyrants…”

“We have been invited by our savior.”

His voice grew firmer.

“That…”

“…is not humiliation.”

“It is an honor.”

The Dragon Queen nodded proudly.

“I agree.”

“Being recruited into a faction personally founded by someone capable of erasing billions of monsters with a single word…”

“Many civilizations would willingly fight wars just for such an opportunity.”

The Dwarf King laughed loudly.

“Hahaha!”

“If anyone calls us unlucky after today…”

“I’ll personally knock some sense into them.”

Even the Fairy Queen giggled.

“I think countless worlds would envy us.”

The Merfolk Queen smiled warmly.

“They would.”

The Spirit Queen looked toward Daniel.

“Lord Daniel…”

“You did not threaten us.”

“You did not force us.”

“You offered us protection.”

“You offered us a future.”

The Beastkin King struck his fist against his chest.

“We have no reason to refuse.”

King Reja slowly knelt once more.

This time…

His voice carried absolute conviction.

“Lord Daniel.”

“We are fully aware that the Universe is governed by strength.”

“We also understand that every world eventually faces the day it must choose who it follows.”

He lowered his head respectfully.

“If destiny had decreed that Ozamon would one day stand beneath another banner…”

“Then…”

“I am grateful beyond words…”

“…that banner belongs to your faction”

One after another…

The remaining rulers knelt again.

Their movements were synchronized.

Not out of obligation.

But out of genuine respect.

“We pledge our loyalty.”

“We pledge our trust.”

“We pledge our future.”

Daniel quietly observed them.

For a brief moment…

He looked beyond the rulers.

Toward the countless citizens watching from behind.

Children who had survived.

Parents embracing one another.

Soldiers who had thought they would never see tomorrow.

Then…

A gentle smile appeared on his face.

“You won’t regret this.”

His voice was calm.

Yet every person present believed those words without the slightest doubt.

Because the man standing before them had already accomplished what they once believed was impossible.

If anyone could lead them toward a brighter future…

It was Daniel Valenhardt, the founder of the Faction of Vahl’Zareth.

Daniel looked at the rulers kneeling before him, and a genuine smile slowly appeared on his face.

It was not the smile of someone who had just gained another world under his banner.

Nor was it the smile of someone satisfied with increasing his influence.

Rather…

It was the smile of someone who had just welcomed another family.

His golden eyes swept across every ruler standing before him.

King Reja.

The Elven Queen.

The Dragon Queen.

The Dwarf King.

The Giant King.

The Beastkin King.

The Spirit Queen.

The Fairy Queen.

The Merfolk Queen.

The Vampire King.

Every one of them had chosen to entrust not only their own lives, but also the future of their races to him.

Daniel slowly nodded.

“I’m glad…”

“…that all of you chose to place your trust in me.”

His voice was neither loud nor imposing.

Yet every person present heard him clearly.

The rulers slowly raised their heads and listened attentively.

Daniel continued.

“Although none of you have seen how the Faction of Vahl’Zareth operates…”

“I want all of you to remember something.”

He paused briefly before speaking with complete certainty.

“The moment you choose to become part of my faction…”

“…the existence of powerlessness…”

“…limitations…”

“…poverty…”

“…and weakness…”

“…will no longer define your lives.”

Every ruler’s expression changed.

King Reja unconsciously clenched his fists.

Those words struck his heart more deeply than he had expected.

Powerlessness…

That was exactly what he had felt while watching his people die.

Limitations…

That was the wall he had failed to overcome despite exhausting every possible solution.

Weakness…

That was the reason four kingdoms had already fallen.

Daniel slowly looked toward the ruined battlefield surrounding them.

“I understand what all of you have gone through.”

“I understand what it feels like to fight while knowing defeat is inevitable.”

“I understand what it feels like to watch people place their hopes in you…”

“…while being unable to save them.”

King Reja lowered his head.

Every word felt as though it had been spoken directly to him.

Daniel calmly continued.

“That is precisely why I founded Vahl’Zareth.”

“Not to build another ordinary faction.”

“Not to gather followers.”

“And certainly not to rule through fear.”

His voice gradually became firmer.

“I created it so that those who stand beside me…”

“…will never have to experience such despair again.”

Silence filled the battlefield.

The rulers quietly listened without interrupting.

Daniel smiled gently.

“I value trust above everything else.”

“If someone places their trust in me…”

“I will never betray it.”

“If someone fights beside me…”

“I will never abandon them.”

“If someone becomes my ally…”

“I will become their shield.”

His gaze slowly swept across every ruler.

“And if someone dares threaten those under my protection…”

His expression remained calm.

Yet an indescribable pressure briefly flashed within his golden eyes.

“…they will answer to me.”

The surrounding air became noticeably heavier.

Even without releasing his aura, every ruler instinctively felt the conviction behind those words.

He was not making a promise.

He was stating an absolute fact.

Daniel’s expression softened once again.

“Joining my faction does not mean you will continue losing.”

“It means you will continue growing.”

“It means becoming stronger than yesterday.”

“It means reaching heights that you once believed were impossible.”

“It means protecting those precious to you instead of mourning them.”

“It means standing proudly instead of living in fear.”

King Reja’s vision slowly became blurry.

He was not crying because of sadness.

He was crying because, for the first time in many years…

Someone had spoken the future he had always wished for.

He slowly smiled.

“…Lord Daniel.”

“I finally understand.”

Daniel looked toward him.

“What do you understand?”

King Reja took a deep breath.

“I thought you wanted to recruit us because you needed our strength.”

He slowly shook his head.

“But I was wrong.”

“It isn’t that you need us.”

“You simply…”

“…don’t want us to continue suffering.”

Daniel chuckled softly.

“You finally understand.”

The Elven Queen smiled warmly.

“I have led my people for centuries.”

“I’ve met countless rulers.”

“Some sought wealth.”

“Some sought authority.”

“Others sought glory.”

She looked directly into Daniel’s eyes.

“But you…”

“…seek people.”

The Spirit Queen nodded gently.

“And not as tools.”

“But as companions.”

The Dragon Queen crossed her arms before smiling.

“No wonder the Universe acknowledged your faction.”

“It possesses a foundation unlike any other.”

The Dwarf King laughed heartily.

“Hahaha!”

“I’ve never joined a faction before.”

“But now…”

“I find myself looking forward to it.”

The Fairy Queen happily flew around Daniel.

“I already like it here.”

The Merfolk Queen giggled softly.

“I think our children will finally have a peaceful future.”

Even the usually expressionless Vampire King spoke.

“Strength alone cannot earn loyalty.”

“But character can.”

“You possess both.”

Daniel smiled modestly.

“I’m only doing what I believe is right.”

King Reja slowly stood before extending his hand toward Daniel.

“Then…”

“From this day onward…”

“The Kingdom of Yemia and every remaining race upon Ozamon will walk alongside the Faction of Vahl’Zareth.”

“We shall grow together.”

“We shall fight together.”

“And one day…”

“We shall proudly stand as members of your faction.”

Daniel looked at the outstretched hand before firmly shaking it.

“I welcome all of you.”

The moment their hands met…

The rulers felt an indescribable sense of reassurance.

It was as though the uncertainty that had burdened them for countless years had finally disappeared.

They no longer felt like survivors desperately clinging to hope.

They had become members of something far greater.

Behind them, countless citizens watched the scene unfold.

Many smiled.

Others quietly wiped away tears.

Some soldiers raised their weapons into the air.

Not as a celebration of war…

But as a celebration of a new beginning.

For the first time since the Ututh had appeared upon their world…

The people of Ozamon believed without the slightest doubt…

That their future would be brighter than their past.