Chapter 254: 254:Demonic Continent.
Atheline answered instantly.
"We could get royal discounts."
The silence in the room was deafening. Several councillors physically recoiled at the unreasonable answer.
The councillor of Trade stared in disbelief.
"Royal discounts."
The king nodded.
"Royal discounts," he repeated, his tone light as though complimenting the man for understanding his vision.
The noble elder looked exhausted.
"There is no such thing, your majesty," he calmly said.
Atheline smiled. "Who knows for sure. We might just get it in some way."
Lilith decided the discussion had gone far enough and was off-topic.
"The moon crystals allocation will not change."
Immediately after the atmosphere finally shifted back to strictly business. The councillors straightened their attention caught.
Lilith continued under their eager gazes.
"The kingdom possesses significant reserves... Any agreement with the Demonic Continent will utilize future extraction and controlled trade quotas. Do not worry, I will not compromise on my earlier promise on the distribution."
Everyone visibly relaxed, which had been their primary concern. This was how it was, if the queen’s plan didn’t step too much into their benefits and agreement, no one could care less for the agreement between the two powerful kingdoms. Positive contact with the demonic continent was good enough.
Atheline had to appreciate how competent she was. Whenever discussions drifted into nonsense, she could redirect them instantly.
Unfortunately for him, she then turned toward him. Her expression remained dangerously calm
"Furthermore."
Atheline immediately felt threatened.
"The king and I have no immediate travel plans."
The councillors looked relieved. Atheline looked at her in shock, she hadn’t told him that beforehand, not like he knew when they would travel anyway.
Lilith ignored him. The meeting ended shortly afterward. The councillors departed, many still appeared confused while several looked unconvinced. One or two seemed convinced that the royal couple had lost their minds which was not entirely incorrect.
Eventually, only the two remained. Silence settled over the throne room. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Lilith spoke first.
"Discounts, that’s the only excuse you could come up with," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Atheline clicked. "What was I supposed to say? You needed me to lighten the room first."
She rolled her eyes and took his hands into hers. "Anything but that."
"It worked though. They were too shocked to care anyway."
.
.
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Thousands of kilometers away, across mountains and oceans. Across territories most humans would never see. A messenger arrived at the Demonic Imperial Capital.
The city was enormous.
Ancient dark reddish stone towers rose toward the clouds. Massive walls surrounded districts larger than entire kingdoms.
Countless demonic races moved through the streets, some humanoid others less so.
The capital existed as a monument to power and at its center stood the Imperial Palace.
The messenger arrived, exhausted. Travel from the Dark Elf kingdom had not been simple. The prince’s seal, however, ensured immediate passage.
Within hours of arrival, the letter reached the highest levels of government. And within the day it reached the emperor.
The Demonic Emperor sat within a massive audience hall. The room itself resembled a fortress more than a throne room.
Pillars stretched upward in different intervals almost like a pattern. Generals, ministers, and nobles all stood assembled.
The emperor himself read silently. The letter remained open in one hand. Below the hall waited. Nobody dared to interrupt his reading. Eventually, the emperor lowered the document.
Silence remained but heavier this time. He then looked toward one of his ministers.
"Read this."
The minister accepted the letter. Moments later his eyebrows rose then rose again, further than necessary.
The emperor watched in amusement. The reaction was entertaining. Eventually, the minister finished and looked very confused as though what he was reading didn’t make sense.
"Your Majesty," he quietly called.
The emperor waited. The minister hesitated before continuing.
"Is this really genuine?"
Several others immediately became interested. The emperor nodded nonchalantly.
"It appears so."
The letter passed between officials and one by one surprise followed by suspicion crossed their faces. Eventually, one general spoke.
"They want a royal token in exchange?"
The emperor nodded. Another official frowned.
"For what purpose?... the request doesn’t make sense"
The emperor’s gaze shifted toward the letter.
"The prince believes it’s for exploration."
Silence filled the throne room. Nobody completely believed that, even the emperor certainly didn’t, yet he wasn’t particularly concerned.
The request itself was fascinating. The Dark Elf kingdom wanted something other than power and territory. Which what happened with Gladia kingdom, it sounded bizarre.
The emperor tapped the arm of his throne thoughtfully. Another minister finally spoke.
"They’re definitely hiding something."
"Probably."
The emperor’s answer came instantly.
The room became quiet again. One noble in charge of the larger districts stepped forward.
"Then we should refuse."
Several people nodded. That was a reasonable and cautious approach. It was better to be safe than regret after death.
The emperor considered it then shook his head.
"No."
The hall froze. The emperor rarely made decisions so quickly. The noble frowned.
"Why?"
The emperor looked amused.
"The question is very wrong."
Tension filled the room. The emperor continued.
"We should be asking ourselves a common question. Why should we refuse?"
Nobody immediately answered. The emperor gestured toward the letter.
"The Dark Elf Empire wants access... We want moon crystals," he leaned forward slightly, "The prince believes an agreement is possible."
The room remained silent. The logic was difficult to argue against. The emperor leaned back again.
"If the request were unreasonable, refusal would be simple," his eyes narrowed thoughtfully then he continued," but it isn’t."
That was the problem, the request was surprisingly moderate. A royal token was valuable yet not irreplaceable. More importantly, granting one costs almost nothing.
The emperor continued.
"And if they truly are hiding something... I would very much like to discover what."
Several ministers exchanged knowing glances. That was also true. The request itself created an opportunity, a chance to observe, get information, and have a stronger influence.
The emperor’s gaze moved toward the distant horizon visible through the massive windows. The Dark Elf Queen and her new king, whatever game they were playing he wanted to see it.
Eventually, the emperor smiled, a dangerous expression, one his ministers knew well. Someone was about to become involved in something complicated.
"Accept."
Silence, then immediate reaction. The emperor ignored them.
"Prepare the token."
Everyone in the throne room stared at him in surprise. The emperor continued calmly.
"Inform the crown prince," he paused to look around," And tell him he may remain in the Dark Elf kingdom as long as necessary."
The emperor’s smile widened slightly.
"I suspect things are about to become interesting."
