Thirteen returned to the Alliance after his negotiation with the Earth Dragons ended.
When he came back, he was welcomed with the sight of the 69th Battalion and the Valkyries, as well as the other High-Ranking Officers of the Allied Armies, looking at him with solemn expressions on their faces.
The reason why they were looking at their Supreme Commander with such faces was due to the fact that if he didn't succeed in convincing the Earth Dragons, they would have to fight another war, and this time, they would be fighting against Rank 9 Sovereigns.
Rank 8 and Rank 9 Monsters were on very different levels. Even if all the Monarchs appeared on the battlefield, and the Ten Thrones accompanied them, their chances of winning were quite low.
The reason for this was that the Monarchs were afraid of dying.
Aside from Lawrence, who had a Rebirth Ability, the other Monarchs wouldn't dare throw their lives in a battle with a very low chance of winning.
This was also why many believed that the upcoming invasion in the Cygni Continent would end up the same way the Antares and the Rigel Continent ended.
The humans might be able to resist and fight Rank 7 Monsters, but it would be a different story the moment Rank 8 and Rank 9 Monsters appear.
Most of the Monarchs would hastily retreat. Only the ones who lived on these continents would seriously fight because it was their home.
"What's the result of the negotiation?" Wendell asked. "Did they agree to a non-aggression pact?"
The Monarch had been observing Zion's face since the time he had arrived, but he couldn't tell if they succeeded or not because his face was very calm.
Instead of answering, Thirteen scanned the faces of those who had gathered to meet him before giving them a thumbs up.
"We managed to reach a compromise," Thirteen said. "The Northern Region is ours."
As soon as the word was out, the soldiers who were also paying close attention to their discussion cheered, spreading like wildfire.
Wendell almost teared up, but he fought his emotions and lightly patted the teenage boy's shoulder.
"Well done," Wendell said hoarsely. "You did it, Zion."
"I didn't do this alone. It was a team victory," Thirteen replied. "The Alliance won because everyone played their role and played it well."
"Fortunately, I managed to secure a compromise through sheer grit and blackmaiâerr, determination. Once I made them see reason that the Alliance will fight them to the death, they started to reconsider my proposal."
"Sir, can you tell us a bit about what kind of compromise you managed to reach with the Earth Dragons?" Rein inquired.
"Of course," Thirteen replied. "In return for letting the Alliance take over the territories of the Bird King, the Centipede King, and the Manticore King, we would no longer be allowed to step into their territories.
"The moment someone tries to break this agreement, the Death Lord and the Earth Dragons would not hesitate to go for the kill. So, the Alliance will just have to do their part and not break the agreement between us and the Earth Dragons."
Rein nodded in understanding. "Then, can you tell us about your next plan? Will you be heading to the Cygni Continent right after this?"
The Monarch of the Cygni Continent, Douglas Griffin, perked up after hearing the reporter's question during the live broadcast.
If Zion Leventis were to truly come to the Cygni Continent, he would give him the VIP Treatment and make sure that the teenage boy would have everything he needed.
"I'll go there eventually. But for now, I think I'll be going back to Solterra," Thirteen replied. "I have realized during this expedition that I am still lacking in many places. Since I will be in command of thousands of people in the future, I need to be in top shape.
"I need to be desperate, I need to always be on guard, and last but not the least, I need to survive. Since I am now thirteen years old, there's a high chance that I will be dragged back to Solterra whether I like it or not.
"The Solstice will be happening in a few months, so I'll finish making the necessary preparations by then.
"Two months from now, I will take a temporary leave from my position in the Central Government as the Commander of the Alliance. But before that, I will make sure that the Earth Dragons will honor their word and not attack the North.
"It will be better if I return to Solterra now than be forced to go there when the Invasion of the Cygni Continent comes in full swing."
Rein had a face filled with worry after hearing that the Commander of the Alliance would return to Solterra on the night of the Solstice.
Of course, Thirteen didn't really need to go to Solterra. The One had already given him a special exemption.
At most, he would only be forced to return when he was sixteen years old in consideration of the three years he spent in Solterra when he was only seven years old.
But, in order to achieve the goal that he and his former host, Erasmus, wanted to achieve, he would need to return to Solterra before the invasion in the Cygni Continent began.
He needed to stack up enough Apocalypse Points in order to get loans from Metatron, using his credits.
That way, he would be able to fully upgrade his Soul Eater Armor and gain the power he wished to obtain.