"That's enough, Bian," Gideon said, patting Bian on the shoulder.
There was a reason why Gideon stopped Bian. The idea of uniting the mythological races came from one shared thing—suffering.
He was sure they had also experienced the oppression of humans for a long time, proven by their first reaction when they saw him.
"I'm Gideon. I'm the one who proposed the idea of uniting the mythological races," Gideon said loudly.
There was no welcome, only cold indifference. They thought they shouldn't even be here, listening to meaningless chatter from a human—a race that had always oppressed them.
"My team and I come from a different world. We have no affinity here, and we're hated by Moko."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Have you heard that saying before?" Gideon asked.
Silence. Absolute stillness. No response from them. They might have been listening, but none of them were actually focusing on the human speaking.
Mitsuko glanced sideways, realizing that Gideon had just hit his first obstacle in building his idea of a mythological kingdom. Even so, she admired that he chose to talk to them rather than use their guns.
'That's a wise move—winning someone's heart through words, so they respect you… not fear you because of a weapon.'
"No! The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy!" roared the leader of the Mountain Lions, Aslan.
"You're being too harsh, Lord Aslan. Give him a chance," said a woman with arms shaped like bird wings—the leader of the Birdfolk, Nucca.
"Humans have caused damage and broken the original agreement. Why should we trust him?" Aslan demanded.
"That's because I'm not a human from this world. I have nothing to do with the Moko Kingdom or any other kingdom," Gideon replied.
"Then that's it. You're an outsider, so stay out of our mythological affairs. Mind your own business!" Aslan snapped.
Aslan stood up and started walking out of the room. Gideon didn't try to stop him, but Bian did try to convince him to return. Still, it was Mitsuko's words that made Aslan pause.
"Tell me, mighty Lord Aslan."
"Do you have a problem in your village that's too difficult for you to solve?" Mitsuko asked.
The man with a lion's face and muscular body turned, staring at Mitsuko with his sharp predator's eyes.
"What do you mean, woman?" Aslan asked.
"Gideon and his team managed to drive off the Moko Kingdom's invasion forces and end the battle in the southern region. The Wolf village was protected."
"They also came to save many Kitsune villagers who were under a deadly curse. The Kitsune village has recovered."
"You know both of those things were nearly impossible to achieve, yet they succeeded," Mitsuko said.
"Are you trying to convince me again? Spare me your nonsense, Kitsune!" Aslan barked.
"That's not what I mean."
Mitsuko stood and walked down from the podium. She turned and stood beside Gideon, her eyes fixed forward, watching as many eyes in the room finally shifted toward her.
"What I mean is—if your village faces something that seems impossible, maybe Gideon and his team are the solution for you."
"We invited you here only to introduce our leader and our idea. We're not forcing you to join right now—you can decide later."
"It can't be denied—Gideon and his team's presence brought blessings to the Wolf and Kitsune villages. It's not impossible he could also help yours."
"What?!" Gideon blurted, grabbing Mitsuko's hand.
Mitsuko turned and smiled, saying nothing, but her eyes told Gideon more than words could. Slowly, Gideon began to understand her way of thinking.
"Alright."
"Good, Sir Gideon," Mitsuko said warmly.
"This meeting is over. If you need anything, you know where to find us."
One by one, they rose from their seats and left the hall. Aslan was the first to leave, exiting the Wolf village, followed by the other race leaders.
But one leader stayed seated in the cone-shaped Wolf village hall. Gideon looked up, clearly seeing a half-human, half-snake woman. Mitsuko whispered to him.
"Lamia race," she murmured.
"Lamia?" Gideon asked.
"Yes, that's us."
Gideon narrowed his eyes, focusing on the snake woman's sad face, her long black hair falling down her back.
"If I trust what that woman said, can I trust you?" the Lamia woman asked.
"What's wrong?" Gideon asked.
"I'm Siver, Leader of the Lamia races. Compared to the Wolf and Kitsune races, we're few in number," Siver explained.
"Our race lives in a swamp village east of the Wolf village. The river in the swamp is the most important part of our ecosystem," she said.
"But not anymore."
"Calm down, I'm sure Gideon and—"
"I'm not finished," Siver interrupted Mitsuko, making her shift in irritation.
Siver slithered down from the podium to stand right before Gideon, Mitsuko, and Bian. Her golden-brown, vertically slit pupils caught Gideon's attention.
He never thought he'd meet a snake-woman in person.
"Our river has turned black, with a foul, stinging smell. When we tried to use it, it only made our children weak… and die."
"Since then, the Lamia population has dropped drastically and is now on the brink of extinction."
'There are many reasons why a river could turn polluted—human activity, or natural causes… I can't conclude anything without seeing it myself.'
"Do you know what caused the river to change like that?" Gideon asked.
"Our guess… it comes from ancient ruins."
"Ancient ruins?"
"There's a destroyed city near the swamp, full of stones and moss. The river flows through the city. When we checked the river upstream, it was fine. But after passing through the ruins, everything changed."
"Did you check inside the ruins?" Gideon asked.
"It's forbidden for us to do so. Every Lamia who goes there never returns," Siver said.
"We're desperate and don't know what to do," the woman lamented.
Gideon rubbed his chin. If Siver was telling the truth, then something in those ruins had contaminated the river and affected the Lamia settlement.
His initial guess was fungi and moss growing in the damp areas around the swamp and ruins.
"If what Mitsuko said about you is true, can you help us?" Siver asked, her face filled with sadness and desperation.
"How long would it take to get there from the Wolf village?"
"About one to two days on foot," Siver answered.
He nodded, falling silent for a moment to think of the best way to help them.
This problem would require two stages—observation and action. In total, it might take one to two weeks to solve Lamia's problem.
"What are you doing for water in the meantime?" Gideon asked.
"We take spring water from the mountains, about half a day away."
"How is it, Gideon?" Mitsuko asked.
"I'll need to observe the location and the situation, analyze the water samples, and identify the root of the problem. If I find the solution, I can help them," Gideon replied.
"Really?" Siver asked, her eyes lighting up.
"I can't guarantee with absolute certainty, but I'm confident I can help you."
"For now, go back to your village and tell your people. I don't want to cause any negative perception when my team arrives."
"Stop using the river water for now, stay away from its banks, and don't breathe in anything coming from it," Gideon instructed.
"Alright. I understand."