King Mason's 'gifts' definitely show his thoughtfulness and sincerity, but the gifts themselves don't make me much more likely to accept him as my vassal. I already have all the gold and women I could want. I don't know what I would do with more. Then again, it's hard to imagine what gifts might work better. He's right that I don't care about women's status.
There's so much on my mind right now, but let's get one thing out of the way. I couldn't reject King Mason right now. I would feel too bad about it. So, what am I going to say? The main thing I need is to make sure he doesn't become dependent on my protection.
I stood and walked to King Mason. From my storage magic, I produced the sword I had taken from King Mason and held it out.
"Here." I said.
King Mason's eyes glittered with hope as he took the sword from me. Then he bowed his head deeply.
"I accept." I said. "But I cannot guarantee your people's safety. You will still have a duty to protect them."
