Chapter 532: Unexpected Event from Negotiations
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Although the meeting was set a week later but the period of this one week was used on the meet up preparation.
Both parties was still at war and to prevent this meeting to be a trap that threaten the rulers of the two nations, both sides carried out strenuous checking. Few ten thousand soldiers were scattered around the meet up location that it would just wage a war. Both parties were only permitted with one follower.
At Icor’s end, surely a powerful mage be brought together. Therefore, the King has thought whether to have Miles escort him to find an opportunity to vanquish the queen during the meeting. But... after careful consideration, they decided to forego this option.
Once the queen is dead, Icor would fall into chaos. They might be able to score the territory of Carretas back but the Kingdom of Havenwright would sneak into a massive attack to capture Icor.
In plain words, they needed the queen to help fend against the Church’s battalion. This odd relationship of hostility and advantage had their hands tied up.
Hence, Miles could not be used. At the end of the discussion, the King still decided to bring along Benjamin as a measure of protection — He did not intend to plot anything but was only there to discover the real intention of Icor.
In a blink of an eye, a week past by swiftly. It was a cloudy afternoon that the King and Benjamin arrived at the appointed location. The meet up tent was set up on the pastures of Carretas and checked for any booby traps.
They walked into the tent and saw the queen with an old man waiting inside.
"It’s been a while, my dear brother."
The queen saw the King entered and flashed not a warm smile. She got up from her chair and positioned a welcoming gesture.
The King forcefully smiled, "Scarlett, ten years ago I wouldn't think that we be meeting under such circumstances."
"What’s there to talk about things that happened long ago." The queen shook the King’s hand from a table apart and sat right back down, "I’ll stop with the pleasantries and get right at it."
The King and Benjamin exchanged glance and sat down on the chairs.
Both parties looked at one another and the atmosphere froze for a moment.
"You should retreat."
In the end, the King opened up first.
The queen shared a pondering smile, "You want me to retreat? Sure, we are the children of Father after all. In the name of our dead Father, I do not wish to see you a wandering stray that soon."
The King was slight surprised.
Although the party carried a sarcastic tone but the reply was straight forward. This led him puzzled.
"What conditions do you carry?" He immediately questioned.
"The territory that I have conquered so far will belong to Icor and have no relation with Carretas." The queen coldly spoke, "With Norton River as the boundary, we will redraw the border line and never have to deal with one another again."
The King bore an "But of course" expression and shook his head.
"Dream on."
"Oh really?" The queen coldly snorted, "If you do not agree, then we will continue to wage war. In the end, the last glory Father left you will be ruined completely."
"Then fight. We’ll see who has the last laugh!" The King raised his arms and kept a tough stance, "Honestly speaking, I don’t see the point in this meeting. Unless you retreat from Carretas, or else there will be no possibility of any truce."
Hearing these words, the queen did not respond immediately. Instead, she raised her brows and gazed at the King in bewilderment.
"What a rare sight. When did you grow balls?" After a momentary silence, she spoke, "What confidence you have for your troops, or... did this mage here gave you this confidence?"
As she said these words, she turned her gaze to Benjamin who was sitting beside.
Benjamin frowned.
Why couldn’t the queen just have a decent talk? He was only here as a bodyguard, what was the meaning of pulling him into the conversation?
"Why don’t I have the confidence?" The King quickly drew the conversation back, "What’s your purpose to have a peace talk at a time like this? Is the pressure from the Kingdom of Havenwright too much that you had to retreat your troops?"
"You don’t have to muddle in the affairs of Icor. You just have to think about the circumstances you’re in" The tone of the queen gloom and all courteousness tossed aside, "I wish for me to return the territories? Sure! Just hand over this mage and I will retreat."
"..."
The King and Benjamin exchanged glance again and could see the surprise in their eyes.
After a brief surprise, Benjamin felt helpless.
It seemed as the queen has recognised him. Raising this condition had to be due to the remorse she felt from the inability to force him to stay from the time at the Crusader Gateway.
One person for a quarter of the territory. He didn't know whether to be happy or dissatisfied.
But... He was not in to becoming the queen’s slave.
The King voiced out at this moment, if you really want Mage Benjamin then there’s nothing I can do. He is not my subordinate and I have no right to decide his whereabouts. If you could convince him to follow you, that would be on you. I will not reject."
After he was done, Benjamin spoke and gave a direct answer, "I do not want to drink your magic potion. The dogs under Your Majesty is a lot, so you wouldn’t be missing me."
The old man beside the queen was immediately enraged and glared at Benjamin. However, the queen was not offended by these words. She waved her arm and calm the old man down.
"Have you thought about it carefully?" The queen narrowed her Cyclopes eye and paced herself, "You think that claiming back Gealorre is really chasing the Church away? Impossible. The only one that could resist the Church is the mages guild in Icor. These ten years, if it wasn’t for Icor’s mages guild, the Church would have penetrated in. And dare you still leisurely talk conditions with me?"
"Soon you would not be the only one." Benjamin curled his lips and posed a fake smile, "Soon, Carretas’ magic school will be stronger than the mages guild and the Church will never step foot in Carretas."
The queen finally quiet down, as if choked beyond words.
The King and Benjamin crossed their arms in silence and sated at the queen indifferently, to see what else she has gotten up her sleeve.
Finally, the queen spoke again.
"If that’s the case, I have another proposal."
"Speak."
The queen smiled and just as she was about the say something, it was at this very moment when her face suddenly changed. She spitted black blood and with disbelief, she held her chest. Her eye glazed over and collapsed onto the long desk.