The Struggles Of Foreign Affairs

‘While Heldeorlt remains obscure on what it plans with its signs of aggression directed toward Leynlornd, Journomanp is as easy to read as an open book. Due to the fragmented nature of the country and how all alliances are reluctant ones, keeping everything secret is impossible. They might manage to keep word from slipping out past their borders, but with informants on the inside…’

Anoteros smiled. It hadn’t taken long for Shu to establish contact with Shenjian Sect and for instructions to be relayed. And although they clearly didn’t like it one bit to be ordered around by someone they considered a youngster still wet behind the ears, this was their idea in the first place.

They could clearly tell that the higher-ranked power within their nation wasn’t just using them as disposable pawns, but was actually hoping to weaken them in the view of completely subjugating the small sects bordering Leynlornd.

The position on the border of Leynlornd was a valuable one, as these small sects enjoyed great security by settling down directly within the border mountains. As such, they were technically within Leynlordian territory. The king of Leynlornd didn’t give a damn about what were less than insects to him, but to some forces of Journomanp, it was a matter of great importance.

Whatever kind of force it was, if it existed within Journomanp, it required strength, wealth, influence, and territory to maintain itself. If there was an in–Even a small one–Another force would gladly try to seize control, and this was exactly what was happening with these small sects.

They were weak, but they enjoyed the benefits of the terrain to protect themselves, hiding like rats amidst the mountains and native creatures to develop themselves with basically no fear of having to deal with attacks.

Now, Shenjian Sect isn’t a small sect, but it used to be and still has the heart of its forces situated within the mountain.

The greater forces used the fact that these small sects had knowledge of the terrain and were much closer to Leynlornd as an excuse to push them to be the ones to send scouts and the like.

They certainly hoped for some good intel, but the main idea was to weaken the pesky little sects that dared to thrive without possessing true might to back up their existence.

From what Edrick learned, Shenjian Sect should have normally been able to avoid being drafted since they were actually quite strong, but they had their own issue, being that ‘Shenjian Sect’ was also the name of a much greater sect than themselves.

They were actually the result of a rebellious offshoot.

In the past, the true Shenjian Sect had sent people to the mountain borders in hopes of establishing a presence. However, the leader of the group betrayed them and instead established his own sect, using the same name as the sect he betrayed as a way to show that his intent was to replace them eventually.

Naturally, the original Shenjian Sect didn’t miss the opportunity to push the fraudulent Shenjian Sect into participating, and even with good terrain, there were always ways to force someone to do your bidding.

It was less common in Journomanp since–To Edrick–They were like cavemen who only knew how to hit problems, but the other forms of power that he so dearly coveted could be used to attack an enemy you couldn’t actually lay a finger on.

In any case, Anoteros understood well the predicament that had pushed Shenjian Sect to form an uneasy alliance with him, and this predicament could be extended to pretty much all of the sects calling the mountain borders home. Naturally, though, he couldn’t put his full trust in them.

In fact, he was barely willing to trust them with meaningless information. So he instead made offers that could hardly be refused due to how enticing they were.

The leaders of these sects weren’t idiots, but they were direly ignorant of how Leynlornd worked to the point that it was comical. They were used to their own rules.

These rules were quite simple:

Might makes right, and status should be an unbreakable shield that allows everything and anything.

Those two weren’t all, obviously, but they were foundational pillars in the way they thought. As such, Edrick only needed to flex his family name to them, and they genuinely believed that he himself held immense sway within Leynlornd. Not understanding that the great clans weren’t rivals to the crown, but precious allies.

They could find out the truth easily, but that was only if they actually bothered to try, and besides, not all of it was deception. Anoteros did have a high status, and since he was acting in the quality of an emissary and diplomat–Albeit one without proper credentials–He could allow himself to make some rather opulent promises.

Regardless, it wasn’t like the crown would have a problem with this. Deception was a tool just as good as any other when conducting business, which was exactly what Edrick had done with Shenjian Sect.

Back when he asked for female cultivators with Yin-based techniques, he didn’t just do so without offering something in return.

Indeed, he didn’t have Linfeng bed these women just to empower him. The main goal was actually the act itself. The fool carelessly shot his seed inside of these cultivators and impregnated quite a few of them.

Edrick had painted a great picture of Linfeng as someone holding exceptional Yang, and thus, the ‘payment’ was that Shenjian Sect would be able to pick a few of the offspring to raise as disciples of their sect, with the idea that they would have superior talent to the norm.

Whether that was true or not would only become visible several years after they were born, which would take a while.

For the moment, the main point of communications was information gathering. Shu was drafting maps with the locations of several points of interest–Sects, autonomous cities, regions under the rule of lords… Alongside their respective strengths.

She also looked into what kind of cultivation they favoured, how large their armies were, how competent their current leaders truly were... It was slow work, and Shu had to deal with lots of uncertainties and mere rumours, but she was progressing, especially since the opportunity Shenjian Sect gave Anoteros allowed her to slowly seep in crested informants.

When some people from Journomanp sneaked to speak with Edrick secretly, they usually left bearing a servant crest. Slowly but surely, Anoteros would gain an understanding of the situation in the part of Journomanp closest to the border.

Once he can set foot firmly in the foreign nation, he’ll be able to negotiate a proper position, or at least a job from the crown. Which would mark his first real opportunity to mark points and make himself out as a skilled negotiator and perhaps even as a general.

‘It will take a while, but I have time… I can focus on my business ventures in the meantime… Xiaolie mentioned a certain Indoramus…’