Chapter 317 - The Destined Meeting (1/2)
”You've got to be kidding me, right?” Horell could not help but look at Herellia with a panicked aura surrounding him as he asked. Although he was expecting a change to how the alliance was going to be moderated since Herellia was going to leave for quite a substantial amount of time, he wasn't expecting that the change would be him turning into the official leader of the Verdant Blossom Breeze Alliance.
While maintaining his panicked aura, he then shifted his vision to Argentum, who was beside him, and asked her, ”Wouldn't Argentum be a better fit for that position?”
In response, Argentum could not help but let out a light sigh as he responded to Horell's question with a question of his own. Looking at him, he asked him, ”Are you sure about that, Horell? I'm pretty sure Herellia doesn't think the same way as you, though.”
”You're definitely a better fit for this position that I am, Argentum,” Horell replied with an insisting tone, adamant that Argentum was a better fit. Normally, one would accept such a position without hesitation since that meant an increase in authority and power. But for someone like Horell, who was afraid of messing things up, more authority meant more things he had to balance, which could eventually lead to a scenario where he would mess everything up.
Of course, such a situation only existed inside his mind, unless he did nothing to change it in reality.
With that in mind, he continued to give out reasons as to why Argentum would be a better leader than him, explaining, ”First off, Argentum is far stronger than me. With such a being taking the helm of the alliance, all of the members would rest assured that we wouldn't be beaten by any external entities that easily.”
”Second, he doesn't take anything at face value,” he continued. ”He always makes sure to get every perspective on a certain problem before giving out a solution for it, only settling for the outcome that would result in the best effect. That's a big plus for managing the alliance, especially with a few internal problems popping up here and there.”
”And lastly, I have great confidence that he knows a lot of methods to nurture and improve the average strength of the alliance,” he added after taking a deep breath. ”With all of these reasons I've just said, how could Argentum not be a good fit for the leader position of the alliance?”
”Well, Horell…” After Horell was finished explaining his side, Argentum patted him on the shoulder as he said, ”You're missing something. I'm sure Herellia has thought about making me the leader of the alliance while she was pondering a while ago, but I have something that you lack.”
”Exactly what Argentum said,” Herellia nodded in response to Argentum's words as she looked at Horell before saying, ”There's something Argentum lacks that only you have. I consider it the most important element when appointing someone as the new leader of the alliance.”
”What do you mean, Herellia?” Horell asked, his aura now taking hints of calmness. He then went through the various reasons he made to stabilize Argentum's position as a better leader of the alliance in his mind and thought that there were no problems with it. With that in mind, he continued, ”He's more or less a perfect fit in every way. What part is he lacking in?”
”The thing that's he lacking in…” Herellia responded.
”…is sociability.”
”Sociability?” Horell could not help but tilt his head in response, pondering in his head as to why that was a reason why he was chosen to become the next leader of the alliance and not Argentum. Fortunately, at this point, he had finally come to his senses, understanding what Herellia meant by sociability. Sensing the slight change in Horell's aura, Herellia lightly nodded as she asked him, ”Do you finally get what I'm saying?”
”Is it because I know more about the various members of the alliance than Argentum does?” Horell asked, to which both Argentum and Herellia responded with a nod. Argentum then said to Horell, ”That's one of the most important reasons why you've been chosen as a leader instead of me. The fact that you know more about the members means that there's a higher chance of having the internal conflicts be solved peacefully at a faster rate.”
”Also, if you think about it, only you two know that I'm a part of the alliance. In any case, Aurus would be a better contender for the leader position than I am. At least he's recognized by the other members,” he continued, letting out a light chuckle at the end. Seeing that Argentum was taking all of it nonchalantly, Herellia did not mind it and looked at Horell before asking, ”So, are you sure that you don't want to become the temporary leader of the alliance? At most, I'm just asking you to make sure that things run smoothly. You don't really have to do anything drastically different while I'm gone.”
Since it seemed like there was no way for him to talk his way out of the position, in the end, Horell let out a long sigh before saying, ”Fine, fine, fine. I'll be the leader of the alliance while you're gone.”
”Glad to hear,” Herellia lightly smiled as she responded before closing her eyes not long after. A few seconds later, a faint energy surrounded her body, which soon moved towards Horell's body before being absorbed by him. In less than an instant, the aura of power surrounding him had undergone a slight modification, increasing the feeling of magnanimity one felt when looking at Horell.
Sensing that the transfer of authority was successful, Herellia opened her eyes and lightly chuckled as she said, ”Congratulations, Horell. You're now the new temporary leader of the Verdant Blossom Breeze Alliance. Make sure to keep everything running smoothly while I'm gone, okay?”
”Well, I can't say no to that now, can I?” Horell replied, letting out a meek laugh soon after. He then looked at Argentum and asked, ”You'll help me out on the other problems of the alliance, right?”
”Unfortunately, I cannot do that, Horell,” Argentum said in response to Horell's question before adding, ”Once Herellia arrives safely at the place where my friend lives, I'll be gone for quite some time as well. The earliest time I'll be back would be when Aurus wakes up.”
”You've got to be me kidding me, right?!” At this point, Horell felt that all hope was lost, kneeling on the ground with a thud as he let out a loud sigh of disappointment. In response, Herellia and Argentum looked at him before looking at each other while laughing.