Ashen Dragon-Chapter 395 - 318 Thrace Kingdom

Chapter 395 -318 Thrace Kingdom

“We, we…”

Dayev bit his lip, his expression grave.

He had been sent by Wilhelm, mainly tasked with gathering intelligence on the Ashen Empire, without much diplomatic power or the authority to make such promises.

But from the conversation just now, he understood the great crisis the Thrace Kingdom was facing.

This rising Red Dragon, this new empire, was far more terrifying than he had anticipated.

And if they allied with the Kingdom of Cassandra, forming a pincer attack on the Thrace Kingdom, the consequences would be unthinkable, even risking nation destruction!

This must not happen!

In the end, he made up his mind, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth as he responded: “Your Majesty, our Thrace Kingdom is willing to offer the same amount of Gold Coins and provide some magical resources.”

“Oh?”

“And what about two-thirds of your territory?” Cassius asked nonchalantly.

Dayev decisively refused: “Absolutely not, Your Majesty, the Thrace Kingdom will not abandon any of its land.”

“I believe you also understand, such harsh conditions are something His Majesty Wilhelm would never agree to, and you need not propose it.”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

Cassius grinned once more.

If you’re going to take the roof off, you might as well allow a skylight.

Human nature usually prefers compromise; such negotiation tactics are timeless.

“Since that’s the case, why should we give up the benefits before us if you can’t provide equivalent conditions?”

“Your Majesty, you are actually being deceived by the Cassandra people.”

Dayev spoke steadily and firmly.

“In their rhetoric, the Thrace Kingdom seems like a lamb to be slaughtered, easily facing destruction—however, reality is far from that.”

“I admit, your empire is quite powerful, but just showing this much is not enough to defeat Thrace.”

“His Majesty Wilhelm has sixteen Divine Dukes comparable to legends, hundreds of Sun Warriors who have undergone ascension.”

“They followed the old emperor to conquer the North and South, even reaching the Nine Layers of Hell, the Abyss, the Gray Wilderness, and many other planes, achieving great merits and spreading the glory of Holy Fadlan throughout the multiverse.”

“If we fight to the death, your empire will definitely suffer great losses. At that moment, the Cassandra people will just gloat; they have always been so despicable.”

Cassius squinted his eyes slightly.

“What you say seems to make some sense.”

“But…this is still not enough to convince me, merely based on your empty words.”

…

Suddenly, the atmosphere froze.

Dayev believed he had already stated all the pros and cons and had done his best.

If he still couldn’t persuade this Red Dragon, the only thing awaiting the Thrace Kingdom would be war.

He lowered his head, silent, and spoke heavily: “Your Majesty Cassius, isn’t there really any room for negotiation?”

“Hmm…”

“This is really troublesome. I’ve always said I am a monarch who loves peace, but I don’t see the sincerity of your Thrace Kingdom.”

“How about this, let’s each take a step back. I need only your Two Million Gold Coins, but you must cede the Cartapa Hills south of Ancytica. How about that?”

This, this…”

Dayev’s expression turned solemn as he bowed his head in thought.

The Cartapa Hills, though large in area, were insignificant compared to Thrace’s vast territory.

Moreover, the region was not rich, overrun by all sorts of beasts and monsters, and could be considered a wilderness within Thrace’s borders managed by no one. The Thrace Kingdom had included it only to communicate with Anzeta.

If it could create a peaceful front-line situation, even if it only delayed things a little—ceding the Cartapa Hills would be worth it.

But on the other hand, Wilhelm had not granted him the authority to sign a treaty or cede land, and if the Ashen Empire obtained this land, it would make the Thrace’s Northern border even more precarious.

For a moment, Dayev was caught in a dilemma.

He hesitated for a long time before saying solemnly:

“Your Majesty Cassius, personally…I am willing to agree to this condition.”

“But this agreement involves the kingdom’s territory, and it’s of great importance. I still need to return and consult with His Majesty Wilhelm.”

“I know.”

Cassius displayed a mocking smile.

“Tell Wilhelm he can choose to gain my friendship, or he can choose to face a sudden attack for interests.”

“Yes…Your Majesty Cassius.”

Dayev answered with relief.

“What a greedy, cunning Red Dragon…”

Dayev thought to himself.

In any case, he had temporarily stabilized the Ashen Empire, deceived the Red Dragon before him, and made the southern war for the kingdom go more smoothly.

Next, he only needed to persuade His Majesty Wilhelm to make some insignificant “sacrifices.”

However, Dayev did not know that all he could hear were just tactics of Red Dragon diplomacy—Cassius merely aimed to intimidate these two great kingdoms without paying any price, gaining benefits by maneuvering between them.

It’s commonly known as “getting something for nothing.”

…

Tiniya stared at the departing Dayev, her eyes wide, mouth agape: “Master, you, you just made him hand over Two Million Gold Coins like that? He won’t renege, will he?”

Cassius looked into the distance, smiling slightly.

“Wait and see, Tiniya.”

“Soon, you will see an official diplomatic mission, a magical contract, and carriages filled with gold coming from the South.”

Tiniya fancifully imagined, her mouth nearly watering.

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“Two Million Gold Coins…”

“Master, let me see it when the time comes, okay? I’ve never seen so much money!”

The White Dragon jumped up happily, rubbing against the leg of the Red Dragon again, full of flattery, incessantly wagging its thick, short tail.

“Awo——”

A loud slap.

Tiniya squatted on the ground, covering her reddened face with her paws, weakly asking: “Master, you just said a few words, how are they willing to hand over so much Gold Coins?”

Cassius gently clenched his paw, and an illusory triangular scale appeared in midair.

The triangular scale was balanced, with each end holding a weight, one side with a larger weight, the other two with smaller ones.

“This is the current situation.”

“The strength of the Three Great Kingdoms is balanced, and this war will last a long time in a stalemate, with each side wanting to break the deadlock.”

“It only takes… a little external force to intervene.”

Cassius snapped his fingers.

“Pop!”

A new small weight was added to one side of the scale, immediately tipping the entire triangular scale toward the side with the additional weight.

“This is the role the empire plays, an external force enough to disrupt the situation.”

“But for now, I don’t want any side to win, so I will just watch coldly.”

Tiniya nodded, half-understanding, her eyes full of eagerness:

“I think I get it, so just by talking like Master, we can earn Two Million Gold Coins?”

…

The officials in the royal palace fell silent again.

Cassius looked up at the sky, watching the slowly setting sun.

Strangely, it was only midday, yet the outside scene looked like dusk.

“As expected…just as I thought, the temporal sequence of the sun is out of order. Amanata, the god of law and sun, revered as the protector of law and guardian of time, can no longer maintain his stability and is about to fall into slumber…”

“An era of chaos is about to begin.”

In the twilight, Cassius’s eyes shone brightly.