Gacha Kingdom Building-Chapter 242: Peace Talks (02)

Whilst I did my best to give Mia as much of my support as I could, honestly, this situation was also hard for me.

If Licia and Claire had not begged for a chance to defeat the black knight, I might've taken this opportunity to finish them there and then.

I still find it absurd that their main motivation to heal as soon as possible is just to fight against the very threat that almost killed them, but they refuse to budge on it...

Isabella: "Could you please, Miwen?"

Miwen: "Sure."

As their conversation dragged on, a break was eventually called, and upon receiving her tea, Isabella handed me the cup before drinking herself.

Gerbil: "You brought a cupbearer?"

Isabella: "...Cupbearer? Haha! Of course not. Miwen is my..."

She reached for my hand, stopping me from drinking while also pausing her words.

While looking at me with a gleeful smile, to my dismay, I could tell she had an idea.

Isabella: "...My most loyal retainer. He is both my butler and knight."

For a second, I thought I had misjudged her and that she wouldn't say-

Isabella: "And also my husband-to-be."

Instantly, the tea flew right out of my mouth.

Thankfully, I had only a sip, but it was still incredibly embarrassing.

When I returned to Mia's side, she grabbed my hand again, but after all I did for her...

Mia: "What's the matter? Not so funny when you're on the receiving end?"

Miwen: "What did I do to deserve this?"

Mia: "Retribution? Want me to make you a list?"

Miwen: "Don't..."

I was stabbed in the back.

No chance I could defeat the combo of Isabella's out-of-nowhere flirting and Mia's playful banter.

Especially with Mia standing so close.

Gerbil: "I... See?"

I wasn't the only one at a loss for words, though.

Whether or not it was her intention, Isabella surely had a way to shift the mood in the room.

Isabella: "How is it?"

Miwen: "The tea is fine. Don't eat the pastries, though."

Gerbil: "Is there a problem?"

Miwen: "She won't like them."

There was nothing wrong with the pastries per se, but Isabella's taste is... Difficult.

She's not picky in the traditional sense, but she dislikes both sweet and salty things due to the food she was forced to eat at her house.

She grew to prefer bland dishes, with what I would consider very little sugar and salt.

Over time, she adjusted a little, but when she cooks for herself or has me cook for her, this is always her preference.

Gerbil: "Preposterous. Our land's best chefs prepared-"

I didn't doubt that.

Actually, I believed that it was more than that. The chefs must've done their best to please this girl.

And unfortunately, they might have thought that making them sweeter would be to her liking.

Isabella: "Be mindful of your tone. I shall tolerate no disrespect towards him."

Gerbil: "...!"

She didn't shout or even speak loudly.

It was just that her expression and tone... They were such a shift from the mood she had set beforehand, and the seriousness in her words was chilling.

The entire room was taken aback by it.

I even thought this was a little too much, but I was not about to show him any sympathy.

Especially after questioning me about what Isabella likes and dislikes.

No one in the world knows her better than I, and I do take a lot of pride in that.

Gerbil: "I'm sorry, we-"

Isabella: "Hmph. I'm satisfied already. See to it that the tables are cleared. After I discuss one thing with my side, I'd like to focus on the important matters at once."

Gerbil: "As you wish..."

He clearly didn't like that, she barely tasted anything, but Isabella didn't flinch even once when ordering him around.

I doubt she'd ever thought she could be this imposing, but from the way her eyes looked at others to the tone of her voice, everything about her exuded absolute authority.

Isabella: "Hehe... Did I do a good job?"

Miwen: "If you wanted to get him flustered and mad, yes. Did you plan all of that?"

Isabella: "Kind of... It happens frequently, but I normally hand it to Lana when I don't want it, so nobody knows my tastes."

As expected, she knows the value rumors and reputations have.

To think she preserves that as an ace on her sleeve is a little frightening, but she seems to use it well.

Miwen: "And that joke? Was it to lower their guard?"

Isabella: "...Joke?"

Beatrice: "Fufu."

Haah...

Miwen: "I'm glad you're having fun, Bea."

Beatrice: "Don't worry... I'm also taking work seriously..."

Miwen: "Got anything for us, then?"

Beatrice: "Hm... I have a theory. First, since they have two decent mages with them, I was careful not to draw their attention. However, I still managed to sense four thin strands of mana leaving her body. Two of them were connected to your suspects, but the other two were cut off."

Any mistake, and Gerbil or his mages would've noticed her, but so far, they seemed oblivious.

The way Beatrice handles mana never fails to impress me.

Beatrice: "As for my opinion on this... As you know, necromancy is quite limited. I can't imagine someone of such poor ability being good enough to retain so much of the corpse's abilities. The mana strands are also too thin for the level of puppetering required. I can only assume them to be a result of his Gift."

We already assumed his necromancy was related to a Gift, but her discovery did raise a question.

Miwen: "Four strands, right? Could it be that the two that are cut off were previously tied to the Black and White Knights we killed on Maides Island?"

Beatrice: "I assume so... I also don't see a reason for him not to... You know, reconnect those strands to someone else, so... If the strands are permanently tied to specific individuals, then once severed, they can't be reused. There's a high chance that his Gift allows a limited number of bindings, and we might've already cost him two."

That was great for her.

After seeing the last moments of Elizabeth thanks to the Merchant, I knew exactly how scary a necromancer could be, and I was a little worried about the cards he could still be hiding.

Miwen: "I see. That's good."

While Bea took care of the possible inner workings of his Gift, I tried looking for something else, but unfortunately, my results weren't nearly as good.

Isabella: "Shall we end this, then?"

Miwen: "Yes."

There was nothing left for us to do. Isabella already got what she wanted from this, and to me, it didn't feel like we could get much more information out of them.

Thus, I opened the doors for "my lady" to enter the room and start her negotiations with the men waiting inside.

Confident, she calmly took back her seat, across the table, but directly in front of King Gerbil.

While most of the men in the room showed signs of apprehension after what happened and the topic that was to come, he, on the contrary, seemed equally as calm as Isabella.

He started with an apology, but Isabella quickly dismissed his attempt.

She forced him to enter the main topic without any sugar coating, but that's just her taste, I suppose.

Gerbil: "Queen Isabella, after personally witnessing a battle between our two armies, I believe our forces to be evenly matched. Were we to continue our fight, the victor would come to a coin toss. I don't believe this war to be beneficial to either of our people."

It was incredibly annoying to hear him say that, but I managed to refrain from saying anything.

Truth be told, from his limited perspective, they are actually more powerful than we.

While Licia managed to repel their charge, his mages oughta have advised him that this was a desperate attempt and hardly something repeatable.

And even with the heavy casualties she caused, that battle was costly for both of us.

As the ones on the defense, it was hardly a good trade.

Even with the surprise reinforcements Mia brought, his soldiers are better equipped and better trained than ours. His army is stronger, and although he might've lost two trump cards in Maides Island, he still has his two best ones up his sleeve.

However...

Isabella: "Hm... True as that might be, I believe this hardly paints the full picture. As we talk, the North Dragon desolates your land, correct?"

Gerbil: "...Yes. But I believe that to be another reason for us to reach an agreement as soon as possible."

No matter how I see it, Isabella's argument was solid.

Even if they are matched in power, it's just a matter of time before Hamperlon can't contend anymore.

In fact, our continuous successes prove that they are already stretched thin.

I thought this was a bluff on his part, but I was mistaken.

Gerbil: "That is a beast of old. It required the entire continent's power to stop it in the past. Surely you understand? This is no time to fight among ourselves. Our only hope is to face it together. It's a matter of survival for you just as much as it is for us."

Oh... That was quite smart.

A logical argument paired with a moving speech about the necessity of uniting ourselves in a time of crisis.

Quite powerful, and he did take the focus away from the war itself for a bigger cause.

However, unbeknownst to him, we were the ones controlling the dragon, so...

A future where it bares its fangs against us would never come to pass.

And that was the most pleasing thing about this to me.

The fact that even now, he was left in the dark, with no hope of understanding why his world was crumbling down.

Isabella: "...Rumor has it the North Dragon was sent as divine punishment, though."

Gerbil: "Don't tell me you believe in this nonsense. We never held any of the Saints hostage. I saw to it personally that Saintess Gabriella was well accommodated during her stay."

Isabella: "And what reason would she have to lie?"

Gerbil: "That's... I don't know."

Anger reflected in his eyes, his entire demeanor changed when the topic of Gabriella and Sabrina's supposed kidnapping was brought up.

From what I heard from Gabriella, he did try his best to please her, doing everything in his power to convince her to stay and become one of the guardians of Hamperlon.

Given that Terith already had a Saint to call their own, it was a necessary move for them to maintain their authority over the continent.

Nonetheless, it failed miserably.

Gabriella was given free access to anything she desired, and she used her position to learn about many things, including secrets that to this day still help us in our campaign.

Whether they caught on to it or not, it was probably the biggest betrayal they suffered.

Her claims still cause unrest in their provinces, and alongside Elizabeth's channel blockade, it is one of the main reasons for the lack of support from other nations, including their allies.

Isabella: "I see... Well, Saints are known for how virtuous and close to the Gods they are, so without an explanation on your part, you'll have to forgive me, but I'll believe the Saint's words."

For her, of all people, to say that without even blinking an eye...

Isabella: "Even if I were to ignore the Saint, I believe there is another situation brewing in your country. Many cities and towns have surrendered without a fight, some even welcomed our men. It's odd, isn't it? But judging by your armies' movements and the reports we heard, it seems like discontent and unrest have risen beyond your control."

Noticeably, Gerbil was silently gathering his thoughts while she spoke.

There was no easy answer for him, as he had no idea how much Isabella knew about his situation, and to his surprise, Isabella seemed quite aware of every matter regarding their country.

Not only that, while not explicitly saying anything, it was obvious she understood the consequences and their true positions.

Isabella was able to see through it all, no matter how much he wanted to hide his desperation and the fact that they were close to the edge,

He underestimated the Umbral Duchess, or rather, the Umbral Queen, a little too much.

This was not an innocent girl who knew nothing of politics. Fooling her was going to require way more than what he prepared, and now, he had already blown any chances of doing it.

Gerbil: "..."

Even after she finished speaking, he stayed silent for a little while.

He didn't show any signs of apprehension in his body language, but by paying close attention to him, I could notice he was beginning to lose his patience, thinking deeply about how to turn the conversation in the direction he wanted.

Gerbil: "You are right. And we are deeply ashamed of it. That is why... We are willing to offer compensation to the House of Evretis for the damages we've caused and the people who entered your lands. In exchange for your help in creating and participating in a coalition against the North Dragon and a peaceful end to this war, we offer you half of our nation's treasury, the rights to Maides Island's mines for fifty years, priority in trade, a defensive pact, and... Every Snow White Wolf in our country."

He must've heard the rumors about Isabella acquiring the Snow White Wolves.

Although he might've imagined they were purely a fighting force of hers due to the battle he witnessed.

As for the deal itself...

It was quite a lot.

On the surface, at least.

Truth be told, with their nation as ruined as it was, the defensive pact and the priority in trade were worthless.

As long as Isabella kept Maides Island, the offer of having rights to it for five decades was also ridiculous.

The coalition, as a requirement, was a little more nuanced. It obviously served them best, but under the assumption that the dragon could turn towards us next, it could be seen as an offer, too... At least from their perspective.

Whether or not their treasury was valuable, unfortunately, there was no way we'd ever accep-

Isabella: "...After wasting hours of my time, these are the terms you have to offer? Is this an attempt at an insult... Or a joke?"

Isabella's response sent shockwaves throughout the room.

The chances of everything ending in a bloodbath were now higher than ever before, but while everyone reacted impatiently, the two rulers continued to pretend to be on amicable terms.

Gerbil: "...I'm willing to hear your suggestion."

Isabella: "On the matter of territory, we want everything not touched by the dragon. I personally don't like cold regions too much."

Gerbil: "That would include Amencia, it's preposterous-"

Amencia, Hamperlon's capital, is one of the biggest and busiest cities on the entire continent.

It makes Terith's capital seem like a small town in comparison.

Isabella: "I don't see what's preposterous about it. It's only a matter of time before we are knocking on its gates anyway."

Gerbil: "That city has not fallen for more than three centuries!"

Their capital is a matter of national pride. Even Gerbil couldn't help but become heated after Isabella's blatant provocation.

Suffice it to say, the other men in the room were also about to snap, held back only by our own, ready to meet them were they to choose violence.

Isabella: "It has also not been attacked for half that long, so I don't see that as much of an accomplishment. In any case, if you are unwilling to accept my first request, I see no reason to continue with the rest. We shall meet again in Amencia."

Gerbil: "The rest...? I don't understand. After our family has shown yours so much favor, why does the Daughter of Evretis show us so much disdain?"

Isabella: "Hm? That's pretty simple. You've hurt a friend of mine. You've provoked the ire of my partner. And you've attacked our land. I refuse to befriend a dog that bites everyone around it. Just because your fangs aren't as sharp as you thought, now you try to approach me as a puppy? Ridiculous. Your nature is as rotten as your nation. It'd be a blessing to this continent were you to be removed from it."

...I don't remember teaching her that, so I'll put the blame on Beatrice and Elizabeth's influence.

However, she pushed it as far as she could.

I couldn't blame them for their reaction after those fighting words.

Gerbil: "I see. If cooperation is not possible, then we have no choice but to use our swords."

Isabella: "I thought I was promised a safe return? Are your words as valueless as the throne you sit on?"

Gerbil: "You misunderstand. We promised the safe return of Evretis' ruler. Upon your death and my conquest of your land, the promise will be fulfilled."

That's not how that works, but I guess he's desperate.

Still, maybe not either.

I'm not sure when it happened, but we, once in similar numbers to them, were now completely surrounded.

He had about a hundred men hidden somewhere, waiting for his orders.

Isabella: "How cute."

With a flick of Isabella's fingers... Snow White Wolves appeared one after the other, with no end in sight.

Gerbil: "...W-what? Again?"

Oh... Did he imagine it was a trick back when he saw Mia do the same?

How sad...

Isabella: "Unlike you, I do keep my promises. I shall grant you the right to reflect on your deeds, so wait for me patiently in Amencia."

A battle right here would've cost us more than I'd like, but thankfully, Isabella's threat worked wonders.

They couldn't tell how many soldiers Isabella could bring out, she had all of her knights to protect her, and above all...

Miwen: "I would suggest you gracefully accept your defeat today. I'm not as patient as she is."

In the blink of an eye, before anyone could react, I had my sword pointed at Gerbil's forehead.

One extra step, and the blade would've come out on the other side of his skull.

With no other option left, he ordered the men to put down their weapons.

As for us...

We safely made our way out of the castle.

After returning to Evretis, we began to prepare ourselves for the closing act of the war.