And this was precisely it.

Benjamin Mark, the remarkable wonder who had been god-touched, stood as the undeniable key to everything that mattered in the balance of power.

And Renard fully intended to milk every last drop of potential from that key with careful, calculated precision.

The plan itself was elegantly simple in its core structure, and Benjamin had already unknowingly done more than half of the hard preparatory work all by himself through his recent actions and presence alone.

First, one would take a single item and carefully make it extraordinarily valuable in the eyes of those who desired it most.

Then, one would make that same item scarce — ideally ensuring there existed only one of its kind in the entire world.

After that, one would deliberately allow some of the most difficult and stubborn leaders among the seven great kingdoms to have a prolonged go at experiencing that item for a while.

This will be letting them taste its unique allure, of course.

Finally, one would take it away from them quite abruptly, creating an intentional vacuum.

This sequence would normally stir up a deep and lingering sense of longing and intense craving for that very item deep within their hearts (little did he know they would fall so deeply in love with said item).

This would inevitably push them toward a point where Renard could step in and seize full control of the situation.

And then, by sharing access to that item in a very specific and controlled manner, he would ensure that everyone involved had no real choice but to cooperate fully with one another, if they ever hoped to have another turn with it.

But he simply couldn’t find that one perfect thing that would serve this purpose effectively...

Probably because no single inanimate object could ever truly achieve the desired effect on its own.

What was truly needed was a single, living "person" who could embody all those qualities naturally.

He had been quietly watching Benjamin Mark with keen interest ever since the young man had left the previous summit some weeks earlier.

He had observed every crucial moment — when Benjamin was suddenly kidnapped, during the intense process of his evolution, when he first arrived in Fairylynch, and everything else that had unfolded in between.

Renard had seen it all with his own eyes.

And he marveled inwardly at how Benjamin Mark was unintentionally turning his carefully crafted plan into an even more wonderful and seamless success than he had originally imagined possible.

And now, after everything that had just transpired in the grand hall of Verdant Spire, it was crystal clear that everyone present now wanted Benjamin Mark for themselves in one way or another.

’Hmph. At the end of the day,’ Renard thought internally with a quiet sense of satisfaction, his bright blue eyes glinting with amusement as he kept his expression carefully neutral, ’these kids are all so simple, no matter which generation they happen to belong to.’

"Hehehe. Alright now, let’s not allow this important summit to turn into some kind of casual girl’s night out filled with idle chatter," Renard laughed warmly, his shoulders shaking lightly with genuine amusement.

He raised both hands in a gentle stopping motion, effectively halting the little gossip session that had been quietly forming between the three queens.

He leaned forward slightly in his seat at the curved end of the massive oval table, his posture relaxed yet commanding. "Also, if you call me Lazarus one more time, Titania, I swear I will reach across this table and pull one of your delicate wings right off."

The petite fairy queen laughed cheekily in response, her small body shifting playfully in her seat as she scratched the back of her silver-haired head with one tiny hand, her butterfly wings giving a quick, fluttering twitch behind her.

"Sorry about that, Lazarus. I won’t do it again, I swear on my life, Lazarus!"

"Okay then, it seems like everyone here must has suddenly developed quite a liking for Benjamin now," Renard started again, smoothly ignoring the naughty fairy’s mischievous reply as he straightened his back and let his gaze sweep slowly across the faces of all the gathered leaders.

His tone shifted into something more serious and purposeful, though it still carried that underlying warmth.

"So I want to propose a carefully considered deal — one that I had already discussed at length with Dynamis some time before this summit even began..."

Everyone seated around the large ornate table looked up toward him at once, their bodies leaning forward slightly in their chairs with clear eagerness written across their expressions.

Eyes widened with anticipation, postures straightened, and subtle shifts in weight showed just how much they wanted to hear exactly what he had in store for them.

And Renard began speaking with measured confidence, his hands gesturing lightly in the air as he laid out his vision.

"We will open our borders fully and without restriction to Benjamin Mark, so that he will have the genuine opportunity to experience the unique goodness and wonders of ALL the great kingdoms participating in this alliance. He has already tasted the rich fruits of Shishi-no-su, Verdant Spire, and Fairylynch during his recent journeys. But right now, his understanding and his decisions are still quite limited by only those particular wonders he has encountered so far.

"There are incredible wonders waiting for him in Gihon as well, wonders that few outsiders ever get to witness. There are profound wonders to be found in the lands of Goliathens, wonders that could broaden his perspective in ways we can scarcely imagine. There are also remarkable wonders in Steelwood — that is, if one manages to look past their rather disgusting king for a moment — and there are certainly breathtaking wonders to discover in Amaranthyst, the green and graceful Elven Empire." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Renard paused briefly, letting his words settle as he observed the subtle reactions around the table — slight tilts of heads, fingers tapping thoughtfully on the glowing vine-inlaid surface, and minor adjustments in seating positions as the leaders absorbed the implications.

He continued with the same steady rhythm, his bright blue eyes meeting theirs one by one.

"We shall not hoard him selfishly for ourselves or for any single kingdom. If you ladies truly claim to love and care for the man as deeply as your earlier words suggested, then you will allow him the freedom to live and grow through these experiences. Benjamin, as I am sure you all already know quite well by now, will soon begin attracting the dangerous and evil gaze of various villains who seek to exploit or harm him. He would need a large and reliable network of strong allies standing firmly by his side if he is to navigate those coming challenges safely.

"Indeed, he has become the most desirable and most sought-after person to exist in our current generation."

Renard continued, his voice carrying a measured weight as he leaned slightly forward in his seat at the curved end of the massive oval table, his bright blue eyes scanning the faces of the gathered leaders with calm assurance.

"It could easily spark a dreadful era of conflict and chaos if this situation is not managed with the utmost care and wisdom. Allow Benjamin to see other parts of the world with his own eyes. Let him truly come to know the vast and diverse place that he now calls his world.

"We did not think he would come to like Sakura and her sisters so genuinely. We did not imagine he would become close lovers with the four legendary Superior Spirits that once governed the world in ages past. This unexpected development happened because he ventured out on his own... or because he was kidnapped and thrust into those situations, but in the end it amounts to much the same thing."