Chapter 333


    vin settled hispanions before venturing back to Botanic Haven.


    "Have you decided?" The Botanic Haven Elder sat atop a misty mountain peak, caressed by a


    gentle breeze. He seemed as ancient as the weathered stone, enduring through days and years


    without end.


    vin bowed respectfully. “Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given me, and for your recognition.


    I am deeply moved. Yet, perhaps I am being ungrateful, but I... I have another question.”


    "Speak," said the Botanic Haven Elder, his back to vin.


    RêAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    "How will you deal with the Grand Elder?"


    "The Grand Elder may have acted too rashly, but he hasn''t truly harmed Cobalt Strike and there is


    no concrete evidence linking him to the ughter of the Mallister family at Azure Mountain. We’ll


    have a talk with him first, perhaps confine him to a cell for a time."


    vin waited, but the Botanic Haven Elder said nothing more. "Is that it? Then why call back


    Hamund?"


    "To be prepared for anything." The Botanic Haven Elder had received troubling news from the


    Commander. After secretly investigating the Grand Elder, they uncovered some serious issues. The


    majority of the Elders in the Organization had grown close to the Grand Elder, and their meetings


    had be worryingly frequent.


    They wanted to confront the Grand Elder directly and ask him what he was nning, but they


    couldn’t do so without a sound reason. Detaining the Grand Elder without one could incite severe


    turmoil within the Organization. Their n was to hold a candid discussion first and determine the


    specific course of actionter.


    vin was silent, clearly dissatisfied. Confine the Grand Elder and be done with it? The Grand


    Elder was malevolent, secretly gathering loyalists, and no good coulde from him. As long as he


    lived, vin and the Mallister family would never have peace, never knowing when the Grand Elder


    might strike.


    Moreover, as vin''s own power grew, so did his threat to the Grand Elder. Just as vin could not


    allow the Grand Elder to live, the Grand Elder would not allow him to live either.


    "We understand your feelings, but the Grand Elder''s power and position are undeniable. Without a


    justifiable cause, we cannot simply kill or harm him."


    vin’s tone turned cold. "Will you have a reason when he finally kills me? I earnestly remind you


    that the Grand Elder is capable of anything."


    "The Grand Elder is ambitious and indeed a threat to you, but there are more ways to resolve


    issues than just killing."


    "Give me a solution," vin said bluntly.


    "We will speak to the Grand Elder and try to secure an apology for you."


    "If all matters in this world are settled with apologies, what use is there for sword and sorcery!"


    vin turned sharply and left.


    "Wait! I haven’t finished speaking."


    vin, his back still turned, was resolute. "If you don’t kill the Grand Elder, I fail my parents, lost to


    the void, and I fail the Mallister family and all the suffering of the city."


    "If you act solely on passion, what will make a Commander worthy of the title? A Commander must


    not only have courage but also justice, or how can hemand respect? The Grand Elder is a


    leading Elder of the Organization, the enforcer of its rules, second only to the Commander. Unless


    there’s a grievous fault, it''s impossible to act against him."


    After a stern couple of sentences, the Botanic Haven Elder''s tone softened slightly. "I watched the


    Grand Elder grow. He is patient and full of ambition. If you are designated as Commander, he will


    not stand idly by."


    "Will you act against him or not?"


    "We won’t, but you can."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Challenge him! We will support you from behind." The Botanic Haven Elder sensed something odd


    about the Grand Elder and anticipated danger. But from his lofty position, he could not act on whims


    or guesswork; he had to consider the bigger picture, to act progressively.


    Directly suppressing the Grand Elder could provoke resistance from the other Elders, leading to


    internal strife within Cobalt Strike. Thus, after consulting with the Commander, they reached a


    consensus. vin would take action against the Grand Elder, allowing them to remain impartial to


    prevent turmoil, to test vin, and to use their confrontation to stimte the stagnant atmosphere


    of Cobalt Strike while also seeing who was truly loyal to the Grand Elder.