Chapter 148: The Trade Deal

The morning after the ball, I am escorted to a room where the six governors are seated. The room is arranged in four circles; the inner circle is for the governors, the second is for the heads of the lesser Houses, the third is reserved for the major Orders, and the fourth is for the minor Orders. At this time, only the inner circle is filled, since the trade deal is purely a government issue.

I start out with adverti— gifts, handing out something I made tailored to their Bonds’ essence. The governors are rather impressed by my gifts, which only fuels their thirst for this trade deal. Orlan already got his gift last month, so I don't have anything for him this time.

"We propose a trade deal with no tariffs," Orlan finally says once everyone is done examining their gifts. "With exclusive trade in weapons and armor."

They must have already agreed on this, which is what I proposed last time; unfortunately for them, I'm not that easy.

"I'll make a counteroffer." Orlan frowns at my words, probably expecting me to accept. I keep my expression neutral, with the help of [Acting], so it'll be harder to read me. "The exclusivity on weapons and armor is to be extended to your official allies, and the enemies of anyone you are at war with or who is supporting you in war."

Silence befalls the room for a few moments before Orlan speaks. "Let me discuss this with the other governors."

They whisper to each other for several minutes, longer than I thought. Maybe I should have asked for more? I wanted to ask for a little too much but not outrageously so, the goal is to get them to agree to a more favorable deal for me.

They begin nodding to each other before Governor Borala speaks. "We can agree to that, so long as you do not trade at all with our enemies."

So they want an embargo on their enemies, which is reasonable… However, wordplay is going on here, and I don't like that.

"Your enemies? Or those you are at war with?" I ask for clarification.

"...those we are at war with," Borala reluctantly clarifies.

Them being able to declare someone an 'enemy of Vocana' is not the same as declaring war, and they know they won't have much ground to stand on if they push the 'enemy' part, as that gives them a lot of power. I won't give them any power to dictate who we can trade with without something serious – such as war – as a potential consequence for them.

"I can agree to those terms, provided you are responsible for the defense of our trading vessels within your and your allies’ territory; if you do not have spare vessels capable of traveling with ours, then we can rent some of ours to you, with the rental price to be determined separately." Obviously if they are going to be at war we'll need defense and the more they offer, the better it is for us. Also, they most certainly do not have airships, which means we'll need to rent them some, but I'll pass on the job of determining rental prices to Guklaro and Tusile.

Orlan narrows his eyes, probably sniffing out the minor trap I laid.

"Can you clarify 'trading vessel'?" he says.

Oh, well, can't win every battle.

"Any vessel or vehicle that is transporting Runalymo merchants, or those employed by Runalymo merchants. Examples would be wagons and ships." I take this opportunity to cover more bases and to protect my people, not just our vessels.

The governors talk amongst themselves before settling on a decision.

"We can agree to that, provided the Orders also share in that duty, but we'll have to discuss that at another time when the heads of the Orders are present," Governor Yoru Yora Kara says.

In other words, they will want to pass that responsibility off to the Orders, so they won't have to pay for it. It works for me, as long as someone is paying for it.

A messenger is sent out to call in the heads of the Orders, including the lesser ones. Now that this trade deal involves them, they have to be present. Recess is called, and we are to reconvene in two hours while we wait for everyone to arrive. I feel like the trade deal will get a lot messier, since the Orders will want their pieces of the pie.

The next few hours after the trade discussion is restarted are filled with dozens of back and forth offers, enough to make me dedicate all five of my minds to this task, their own roles with [Acting] helping to consider every angle.

No one wants to be left with the duty of protecting trade vessels for free, even though it should be the government's duty to defend their own territory and citizens and interests that are inside it. Normally tariffs are there to help fund the protection and maintenance of trade vessels, but we already agreed not to have any.

The Orders want discounts, but I am unable to offer that, and at some point I realize I am in over my head. Just like how the governors can't speak for the Orders, I can't speak for the villages, so I have to go to Tusile and Guklaro to get them involved in the discussions; we take another recess while I get the Elders up to speed.

We eventually agree to a long-winded contract that guarantees the defense of our vessels, but we have to provide any defensive vessels. In other words, we provide transportation; they provide the muscle. They also argued that should they wish to rent or buy any trading vessels, they receive a fifteen percent discount.

The contract is set to renew in six years, and with the signing of it, my job here is finally done. Tusile and Guklaro will probably want to enter trade agreements with the other countries, but I'll leave that to them.

With the trade deal done, everyone leaves, except for the Order of Flames headmaster, Governor Orlan, and Governor Borala, letting me know that they want to speak with me further.

"Now that the trade deal is signed, we want to talk about having armor and weapons made from the Leviathan materials we have," Vulpun says.

"With war on the horizon, we need to equip our soldiers with the best gear available," Borala adds.

Hmmm… on one hand, I kind of don't want to make stuff for them, but on the other, it will probably be really good for my potential evolutions. My Race is already partially crafting-focused, and this may help with that.

Also, the better the gear they have, the better they can defend our caravans, but we'll also be potentially arming a political rival, which is not always the best idea. However, they can always make the stuff themselves, so they'd be armed anyway. We have Safyr to defend us from invasion, plus I can argue that I get some of the materials as payment, so I'd be arming us too.

Since the materials aren't entirely made of mana, I can use inscriptions, which don't have to be included in theirs... or I can leverage inscriptions for more materials for us. Hmm, so many options.

"I can agree to that; payment can be in the materials themselves," I say after a minute of thought.

"We propose that you keep one of every twenty you make," Orlan says, nodding as if he expected that answer.

"You're asking for a lot of work for little payment; besides, our best crafters will be working these. I can do one in ten." I make my counteroffer.

"That's way too much; these materials are exceedingly rare and very powerful. One in eighteen is more than fair," Orlan says.

We go back and forth for a while.

"Very well, I can do one in fifteen for enchanted weapons and armors," I say, to pleased looks from Orlan and Vulpun. "But more advanced technologies, such as inscriptions and mana batteries, I can do for one in twelve."

"What are inscriptions?" Borala asks with a quirked eyebrow.

"Simply put, they are a means of imbuing an item with a skill; it's new technology and still in development, but it can make an item vastly more powerful if it were to turn into a magic item. I have seen a Heroic-tier item, bordering Exalted-tier, made out of Grand-tier materials, for example. Only one knows the secret to it, and she is also the only one who can make advanced mana batteries."

Orlan and Vulpun glance at each other before nodding as if they understood each other.

"We would like to see an example," Orlan says.

"I can have a set made if you like.” I offer. “Just tell me what item you want, enchantments, and any skills that you can show."

I'm probably going to have to let them know that I am the one who can do inscriptions; there's little I can do to hide that fact, since I need to be the one to study the magic frameworks and I need to know what the skill can do, so they will need to display the skill to me for the best results.

"Can she inscribe resistance skills into armor?" Borala asks.

I nod. Easy enough; I just need to know the magic framework.

"What about skills that empower spells and abilities, such as [Fire Intensity]?" Vulpun asks.

"I'll have to experiment; some skills don't seem to be the best fit on certain items, and the inscription applies to the item, not to the wearer," I say. "So the resistance may apply to the armor, and so would the empowering inscription, but unless the weapon itself can shoot spells it might not do much other than drain mana."

Borala nods, understanding the limitation, but Orlan frowns. "You'll have to experiment? Not the craftsman?" he asks.

"I am the craftsman, Governor Orlan. I made the gifts to you all." The matching looks of disbelief on Orlan and Vulpuns’ faces are priceless, but [Acting] keeps me from smiling in amusement. "Also, you should understand that I need to observe a skill in action to know its inscription, so any skill you would like on the armor or weapons, you will need to show to me."

As I say that, I notice a curiosity enter my vision: the same odd shimmering that I saw during the ball. Again I investigate the area, but again I can't find anything. I keep watch on the area, wary of the oddity, and continue the discussion.

We begin talking about specifications and abilities, and, after a long time, I have the specifications to make the suit of armor. They give me the materials to work with, and I start flying my clone back home.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sentaro Klaman listens to the reports of the cities’ affairs being given. Unrest is at an all-time high due to the extreme measures taken to curb the crime rate, and Bastion City has descended into riots. With the Forren Kingdom rallying their army, it's only a matter of time before they attack while the Empire is in its weakened state.

If Bastion City falls, then the western island will fall to the Forren Kingdom; they will then siege Twin Peak Fort and use that to assault Aegis City. If Aegis City falls, then the last defense of the Empire goes with it. There's only one way to prevent this: provoke the Vocana Republic into attacking the Forren Kingdom. The time for action is now. He must frame Forren for the assassination of a key political figure within the Vocana Republic.

Once the meeting finally ends, after several hours, Klaman dons his void cloak. He'd rather wear something that is affiliated with the Forren Kingdom, but no one would believe that. An assassin conveniently wearing a recognisable uniform? Surely not an attempt to frame a kingdom.

Sarcasm aside, he's probably going to have to rely on Vocana making the assumption that it is the Forren Kingdom trying to assassinate someone important. Perhaps their Grand Marshal? Seems to be the best choice.

With a target in mind, Klaman removes his presence from the palace, and the world shifts, as if the only place he is allowed to exist is in Aegis City. With another application of his unique teleportation, he appears in Bastion City; within a few minutes and several consecutive teleports, Klaman arrives in the Republic, in Kineto City, and quickly finds the Grand Marshal's office.

She isn't there, but a quick check around the room reveals an invitation letter. He teleports it to his hand and reads it. The Grand Marshal was invited to a ball in Vanu City; apparently, a VIP will be there to establish a trade deal, but there are no further details. It's odd how his spies haven't reported this yet. Were they caught? Something to investigate later; for now, he has a mission.

Klaman teleports to Vanu City and quickly locates the ball in the governor's event room. Instantly he feels watched, and instinct takes over, his Bond removing his presence, the very idea of him vanishing from the local area. He's not so strong as to be able to act while his presence is removed; his Bond refuses to do that much, but so long as he stays still, nothing can detect him.

This is a double-bladed weapon sometimes: he can hide from scryers, but he can't track them since they aren't seeing him.

Klaman takes this chance to look around, spotting his mark carefully studying the two dancing in the middle of the room. He lets his gaze drift toward them, his eyes widening in surprise as he sees a girl with royal blue hair, her three very long tails swaying in tune with the pair's graceful dance. She wears eyewraps, which instantly lets Klaman know who the scryer he’s hiding from is, but why couldn't he track her?

Realization dawns on him: this is the person, the scryer in the palace he couldn't track! It's in the same direction he traced before; it's too much of a coincidence. He tries to [Analyze] her, but he can't; the skill doesn't have anything to grasp… as if she's not there.

An illusion? If that's the case, then where is she? Body double skills are rare but not unheard of, and usually only paranoid politicians and nobles use them; of course, many do so with good reason.

She may be a few years too young, but she's the perfect candidate to continue the Emperor's bloodline, his old friend's bloodline. She's young, but her abilities are strong; only someone like her is capable of obtaining Legendary-tier, and if that's the case, she won't be some lazy imbecile. It takes dedication and hard work, as well as natural talent, to get to where she is now.

There's just one small issue: she's not Lunaleyan, that much is certain. She's similar yet different, but her hair color is a clear indicator that she is descended from the true Lunaleyan heritage. Where did she come from? He's going to have to keep an eye on her, but first comes the mission. The safety of the current Empire must be secured before he can focus on its future.

Klaman waits for the ball to end before stalking Governor Borala, the Grand Marshal, back to her guest room, no longer being watched by the exotic girl.

"Tomorrow's the trade deal, Kyrran. Make sure you continue your studies while I'm busy," Borala says, her child nodding attentively.

A better idea surfaces in Klaman's mind, a much better idea than simply killing the Grand Marshal. People will do anything when their children are in danger, and they tend to forget things like reason; if he kidnaps the boy and leaves a letter behind for ransom, then it'd be a perfect crime. There will be a reason to suspect the Forren Kingdom and a piece of evidence to back that up; he just needs his men keeping watch over the boy in one of their secret hideouts in the Forren Kingdom.

Now they just need to pretend to represent a Forren noble, and act as one. It'll be a difficult job, but one with the best payoff. They not only have to intercept letters, but make sure none of the Forrens know about the conspiracy.

It's also very important to keep the boy alive in case everything goes wrong. A live hostage is better, and if the Empire is found out there won't be vengeance for the death of the boy; still a cause for war, but one with a possible peaceful outcome, however unlikely.