Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 299: The purpose of the Five Sea Kingdoms?

"Watchdogs?"

The moment Ethan said that, Astharel’s face froze. He looked at Ethan and gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Lord Valkarion, isn’t that a bit harsh?"

Ethan just shook his head. "Harsh or not, it’s the truth. Can’t sugarcoat it."

Then he turned his gaze toward the palace entrance and called out softly, "Cicero, bring me the sea chart."

"The sea chart?"

Paxton, the Tidebreaker, narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly spoke up. "No need. I’ve got one right here."

As he spoke, he pulled out a thick roll of beast-hide parchment from his side and laid it out across the long table in front of them.

Ethan leaned in, studying the map carefully.

After a moment, he gave a small nod.

The map was impressively detailed.

It covered everything from the Holy Griffon Empire to the southeastern coastline of the Sacred Continent, stretching through the coastal waters of the Crimsonstar Kingdom, the open seas of the Greenwave Sea, the Five Sea Kingdoms, and even the deep-sea territories of the Greenwave Empire.

It was more than enough for what he was about to say.

"Your Majesty Astharel, let’s start with the location of your Gemspire Kingdom..."

Ethan casually picked up a pen and circled the spot on the map where Gemspire Kingdom lay—one of the Five Sea Kingdoms.

Then he said calmly, "I call it the gateway to the Greenwave Empire’s deep sea. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?"

Astharel and Paxton exchanged a glance.

Both could only give a wry smile and nod.

The facts were right there in front of them—what could they say?

If you looked at the Five Sea Kingdoms and the Greenwave Empire as a single entity, then Gemspire Kingdom sat at the far northwest edge of that whole region.

It bordered the Crimsonstar Kingdom, making it the frontier between the Five Sea Kingdoms and the coastal territories.

And from the perspective of the Crimsonstar Kingdom—or even the Sacred Continent—Gemspire Kingdom really was the gateway from the second sea region into the deep sea.

Ethan wasn’t wrong.

"Good. Since you agree on that..."

Ethan nodded again, then circled each of the Five Sea Kingdoms on the map, one by one.

"Now let’s talk about why the Five Sea Kingdoms even exist. Your Majesty Astharel, in your opinion, what’s the purpose of your kingdoms?"

The question hit like a hammer.

Astharel’s expression stiffened instantly. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The purpose of the Five Sea Kingdoms?

Of course, he knew the answer. Deep down, they all did.

But saying it out loud?

That was something else entirely.

"Lord Valkarion, if you’ve got something to say, just say it."

Seeing the tension in the room, The Tidebreaker Paxton finally stepped in, trying to ease the situation with a weary smile. "His Majesty came here in person—that alone should show how serious we are about this. Wouldn’t you agree?"

Honestly, Paxton had already more or less figured out what Ethan was getting at...

But it didn’t matter what he thought.

This was something Astharel had to come to terms with himself. Paxton was just a marshal of Gemspire Kingdom. Astharel was the Jewel King—the one who sat on the throne. The real decision-maker.

"Alright then."

Ethan gave a small chuckle, finally dropping the formal posture. He drew a large circle around the entire Five Sea Kingdoms on the map, then shook his head and said plainly,

"To put it bluntly, the only reason the Five Sea Kingdoms even exist is because the Greenwave Empire let them. You’re nothing more than a buffer zone they deliberately left in place between themselves and the Sacred Continent."

"If that weren’t the case... Your Majesty Astharel, if the Greenwave Empire ever decided to invade and annex your kingdoms, I doubt you’d last even six months."

"Six months?"

Astharel let out a bitter laugh and sighed.

"Lord Valkarion, to be honest, saying we’d last six months is giving us way too much credit. If we really went to war with the Greenwave Empire—an oceanic superpower like that—we’d be crushed in no time. The Five Sea Kingdoms wouldn’t stand a chance."

Ethan smiled faintly and continued, "So then, why do you think the Greenwave Empire hasn’t done it?"

"Why go out of their way to leave you intact as a buffer between them and the Sacred Continent? I’d say there are probably three reasons."

"First, I’m guessing their military forces are heavily skewed toward aquatic units. Their strength lies in the sea. Even if they forced a landing on land, the war that followed wouldn’t be easy for them."

"Once they’re off the water, their combat effectiveness probably drops by at least half."

At that, both Paxton and King Astharel nodded silently.

Ethan might’ve been guessing, but they knew the truth all too well.

The Greenwave Empire’s military was indeed dominated by Tidesworn—ocean-based units—with some support from Forest-aligned forces. But overall, their entire military doctrine leaned heavily toward the Tidesworn.

Which meant one thing:

At sea, they were monsters. Unstoppable. frёeωebɳovel.com

But the moment they set foot on land, their power plummeted. Not only would they lose their edge, they’d actually be at a disadvantage.

That’s why, both now and in the past, the Greenwave Empire’s expansion had always been focused on the ocean.

As for land?

They’d never shown the slightest interest.

"The second reason," Ethan continued calmly, "is that most of the Sacred Continent is controlled by the Light Alliance. The Greenwave Empire doesn’t dare overextend its reach and risk provoking them."

As soon as he said that, Astharel nodded in agreement, letting out a sigh. "The eight coastal duchies all fall under the Castle faction. And with how dominant and aggressive the Castle faction is, the Greenwave Empire definitely doesn’t have the guts to start a war with them."

Ethan gave a faint smile, then added, "And the third reason—what I believe is the most important one—is this: the Holy Griffon Empire has already collapsed. It’s splintered into eight duchies. Which means, over here, the Greenwave Empire no longer has a real rival."

"The Holy Griffon Empire has fallen?" Astharel blinked, frowning. "Lord Valkarion, what do you mean by that? The Holy Griffon Empire fell years ago. That’s old news. What does that have to do with anything now?"

Ethan looked him in the eye and asked quietly, "Your Majesty Astharel... do you remember where the Greenwave Empire’s borders ended back when the Holy Griffon Empire was still intact?"

Astharel froze, caught off guard by the question. He fell silent, digging through his memories.

But it didn’t take long.

His expression suddenly stiffened, and he shot to his feet, eyes locked on Ethan.

"Back then... the Greenwave Empire’s territory ended at the coastal waters!" he said, voice tight.

"And they had heavy military fortifications stationed there!"