"I will consider your proposal for an alliance," Muria said as he waved his hand. A servant stepped forward, ushering the visibly anxious Xishan envoy out of the hall. Once the delegation had left, the young man sitting on the throne revealed a wide smile.
After conversing with the Xishan delegation, Muria had gleaned a rough idea of why they had come. Their reasoning wasn't particularly complex. Essentially, Xishan was locked in a bitter conflict with another nation. Initially, the two were evenly matched. However, their adversary had recently crowned a monstrously talented ruler. Under this new leader, Xishan's long-time rival had completely overpowered them, reducing Xishan to a pitiful state on the brink of destruction.
Desperate to preserve their nation, Xishan's leaders likely sought to strategically relocate—essentially, to flee. Even when fleeing, they needed a suitable place to rebuild. Naturally, their sights landed on the Ymir Plain, a region historically known for its chaos and lack of dominant powers. To a nation like Xishan, struggling for survival, this "barbaric" land seemed like the ideal place to stage a comeback.
However, upon arriving in what they had assumed to be a fractured and chaotic region, Xishan's emissaries were disappointed to find that the Ymir Plain had already been unified under a single banner. Worse still, the unifying power—Gai Kingdom—was far stronger than they had anticipated. As a result, the Xishan delegation, initially tasked with reconnaissance, quickly changed their mission.
No longer functioning as scouts, they decided to fully assume the role of diplomats. They abandoned their original goals and instead sought to ally with Gai Kingdom, hoping to jointly resist their formidable adversary.
This was Muria's speculation, but he was confident he was close to the truth. After all, the delegation had demonstrated an obvious lack of prior knowledge about Gai Kingdom.
Given these circumstances, their sudden arrival in the Ymir Plain could only have one real purpose. They weren't here for a mere alliance; their true motives were far more self-serving.
"To think they'd come to me for an alliance... they've really got the wrong person," Muria chuckled, rubbing his chin as a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"The Crimson Queen," he muttered. "A title like that, along with such ruthless tactics… It must be Mikaela. How amusing! My wife's enemies have come begging me for help. What a joke."
"Arnold, what's going on?" A cold, ethereal voice interrupted Muria's musings. Fernand emerged from a swirl of black mist, his ghostly presence filling the chamber. Over the years, Fernand, the former king of Gai Kingdom, had become an invaluable ally to his son, handling countless shadowy tasks behind the scenes. Gai Kingdom's current prosperity owed much to his efforts.
"I've sent them off to rest," Muria replied nonchalantly.
"Oh? And why are they here?" Fernand's curiosity was piqued.
"They came to discuss an alliance," Muria said, his tone tinged with amusement. He then recounted the story of the Crimson Queen, as described by the Xishan emissaries.
"The Crimson Queen, huh? And what do you plan to do?" Fernand asked, intrigued by the smirk on Muria's face.
"An alliance, of course. But the specifics... we'll need to negotiate," Muria said, his grin growing wider.
"Why are you smiling like that? Care to share?" Fernand pressed, unable to contain his curiosity.
"I'm happy," Muria replied simply.
"Happy? About what?" Fernand asked, puzzled. "Is it because you've confirmed the existence of other nations beyond the Ymir Plain?"
As a former ruler, Fernand understood the current mindset of Gai Kingdom's citizens. The kingdom had transformed into a war machine, a monstrous beast that devoured everything in its path. The only reason it had stopped was that it was temporarily sated. But once the kingdom fully digested its conquests, it would resume its expansion, hungering for new lands to consume.
What made this beast truly terrifying was its ability to grow stronger after every meal. Each conquest fueled its appetite and increased its capacity for future wars.
"That's not it," Muria said, shaking his head. "We've known about the existence of lands beyond the Ymir Plain for years. This is nothing new. What excites me is that I've found the person I've been waiting for."
"Huh?" Fernand blinked in surprise, needing a moment to process Muria's words. When realization struck, his expression lit up with interest. "Who is it?"
"I've already told you," Muria replied.
"...When?" Fernand asked, thoroughly confused.
"Just now," Muria said, his smile unwavering.
"The Crimson Queen?" Fernand ventured cautiously.
"That's right," Muria confirmed with a nod.
"She's… a woman?" Fernand asked, struggling to comprehend.
"Based on the Xishan delegation's description, yes," Muria said.
"But this…" Fernand's expression twisted in disbelief. "You've never even met her. You're basing this on a title and a few stories. How can you be so certain she's the one?"
"I just know," Muria said confidently. "It's a feeling."
"..." Fernand stared at his son, speechless. After a long pause, he finally managed to speak. "So… you're planning to agree to Xishan's alliance just to betray them later?"
"Precisely," Muria admitted without hesitation.
"You… I…" Fernand was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Betraying an entire nation to win the favor of a woman he hadn't even met? Even the most inept rulers wouldn't stoop to such absurdity.
"So, your plan is to join forces with the Crimson Queen and destroy Xishan, correct? But even if that's your goal, shouldn't you at least establish contact with her first? You can't make decisions like this based on a hunch. National affairs are not child's play," Fernand said, trying to inject some reason into the conversation.
"You're right," Muria conceded. "I need to find a way to contact her."
...
Meanwhile, the Xishan delegation was deep in discussion, completely unaware that their king's potential ally was already plotting their downfall.
"I never expected this barbaric region to have been unified," one emissary lamented.
"Indeed. This means Xishan needs to find a new escape route. Otherwise, we risk clashing with Gai Kingdom," another added.
"We can't afford to fight Gai Kingdom. We must ally with them. One Crimson Queen is bad enough; we can't afford to provoke this kingdom's ruler as well," the delegation leader said firmly.
"But how do we convince Gai Kingdom to join us? They've just ended a long war. They might not have the resources for another one," one of his advisors pointed out.
"That's not the issue. The problem is convincing them that the Crimson Queen is a threat worth opposing," the leader replied.
"If they saw her power and evil for themselves, they wouldn't hesitate to act," another emissary argued.
"And that's the crux of the issue," the leader said, shaking his head. "We're asking a powerful, warlike king to ally with us based on a threat he's never encountered. Do you think that's realistic?"
"Then we must find a way to show him the Crimson Queen's might. He needs to understand that if Xishan falls, Gai Kingdom will be next," another advisor suggested.
"So, we propose sending a Gai Kingdom delegation to Xishan to witness her forces firsthand?" the leader asked.
"It's our best option," the advisor replied.
"Let's give their king some time to consider. We'll request an audience tomorrow," the leader concluded.
...
"You want me to send a delegation with you?" Muria asked, his expression unreadable as he regarded the Xishan leader. Inside, however, he was delighted. He hadn't expected them to be so cooperative.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We believe it's necessary for you to see the Crimson Queen's power for yourself. We don't want you to think we're exaggerating or deceiving you," the leader explained.
"Power?" Muria chuckled. "No one is powerful enough to threaten me—not even your so-called Crimson Queen."
The Xishan emissaries exchanged knowing glances. They had expected this response. Based on their intelligence, Gai Kingdom's ruler was immensely powerful, capable of razing entire nations on his own. His arrogance was to be expected.
"Very well," Muria said, his tone dismissive. "I will send a team to accompany you back to Xishan. They will observe this Crimson Queen you speak of."
"Your Majesty is wise," the leader said, bowing deeply.
______
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