Hekate does her best to keep her focus, but she must. She can’t resist.

The feldrok girl swishes her tail back and forth, trying to dislodge the unnatural weight clinging to the big, furry appendage.

She clenches her fists, trying to ignore it, since she knows what it is, but it’s one of those things like an itch at the tip of her nose. Even if she knows nothing is there, she just can’t stop thinking about it. The more she thinks about it, the more it annoys her. The more it annoys her, the more she wants to remove it.

She finally whines, “Gahhh! Whose idea was this!” She spins in circles, grabbing the end of her tail as she scratches vigorously. Her dress this time was designed specifically to allow her tail to protrude more freely, rather than remaining underneath. Her ears are folded back as she vigorously defeats the incessant itchiness.

Braided into her tail fur with the help of the goblin princesses Jieka and Tekten are cuddlewool ribbons with Yaulwembor’s scales as the centerpiece and pearls adorning the outer edges of the pearlescent scales. Her dress is made of a finely-woven cotton-like material that is much softer than most other fabrics, but not quite as silky as cuddlewool. Regardless, the dress has a nice glossiness while being comfortable to wear, and the style was taken from one of the digital comics Daniel had on his phone about a stepmother who isn’t as evil as she once was. Hekate still doesn’t quite understand what he’s talking about, but the comic is cute, and full of nice dress designs. But, her dress is still rather lightweight, but with pleated layers that give it a nice volume without requiring a heavy or stifling hoop skirt or pannier.

She also has her hand-made mantle that Geirahoel gave her for her birthday, which goes well with the tail ribbons, even if they are annoying the feldrok Empress.

Daniel remarks, “You don’t have to wear them if they keep bothering you, Sweetpea.”

“No!” snaps Hekate proudly. “I want to look as richie-rich as the Joneses!”

“I’m not even sure where you’re picking up these phrases to jumble,” replies the mechanic as he pets the ravenette’s head, mindful of her jewel-encrusted crown. She happily perks her ears up.

Sundenelle clears her throat as she approaches, followed by Byleathea and Neith. Daniel provided dresses for both women, which thankfully the style doesn’t need to be perfectly tailored, as long as some quick adjustments are made, which were handled in this case by Aramellianna’s servants, who are still getting the Grand Duchess ready. “Please pardon me, your Greatness. Your Grace, Daniel.” Both Sundenelle and Byleathea curtsy politely.

Daniel dips his head. His own outfit is similarly wealthy in design and appearance with gold and silver thread embroidery, and the specialized scales with the ‘protection charm’ that the three dragon Empresses made for him as his shoulder boards.

“Empress Sundenelle, Lady Byleathea,” replies Daniel politely, while Hekate puts her hands on her hips. “Sundenelle! Hey! Looking good. Fievegal dresses really suit you.” She snickers deviously, and the young albino Empress smiles warmly.

“Indeed so, your Greatness. Thank you for your generosity.” Sundenelle does a nice gentle twirl to flare out her pleated skirt. “I wonder if we should have scheduled a ball following the Peace Summit so I can dance in this dress.”

Hekate gets excited by the idea, but Daniel says pragmatically, “Let’s survive the Peace Summit first, and then we can start scheduling balls and parties.”

“Ooo! Yeah!” exclaims the feldrok Empress. “We also have to have the birthday parties for the babies! Oh! And, the dragons are going to start hatching, too, right?”

Sundenelle and Byleathea are surprised by this, even more so when Daniel replies, “That’s right. It should be any day now, so it’ll be better if we return to the Citadel for then next week or so and regroup before we tackle the Valley again.”

“Right! We also need to figure out what Bellphine was talking about.”

Gold approaches, carrying both Jieka and Tekten. All three are wearing beautiful dresses of their own in the secondary style, and even the bottles the Princesses are drinking from are adorned with jeweled ribbons. “Don’t worry, Harbinger. The wyvern scouts have arrived at the airship, so they’re taking over the airborne patrol, as well as training Stalvaltan wyvern riders in the process.”

“Perfect!” replies Hekate. “Tell them to find any bandits on the road before we head out this time.”

Gold snickers, adding, “I can’t imagine anyone’s stupid enough to try that again two days in a row.”

“More importantly, where did all of those assassins come from? Assassin Depot?” jokes Daniel dryly.

“P-Pardon me, your Greatness, your Graces…” Byleathea speaks up, a little nervous as her relative rank quickly drops with every new arrival. She still carries herself with grace, but she hasn’t yet gotten used to the dragons in the way Aramellianna has.

“Yes?” asks Hekate politely. She doesn’t have to, but she’s generally at least a little respectful to anyone who shows it to her.

“Did your Greatness say… the… uh, Dragon Princes and Princesses will be hatching soon?”

“Not the ones laid last night and this morning,” replies Hekate. “The first clutches of eggs are still at the Citadel. And, they’ve mostly been kept together, so they’ll probably all hatch within the next few days.” The feldrok girl is proud, in spite of the grief she gives Daniel and the other Empresses about how those eggs were made.

“That means one of them will be a Grand Duchess’s daughter,” teases Gold proudly, holding both Princesses on her left forearm as she puffs her ample chest up proudly with her hand on her belly.

“Since when are you a Grand Duchess?” asks Hekate sarcastically.

“Would you prefer I become an Empress, Fluffy?” The golden dragon sidles up to Daniel seductively, though Jieka and Tekten, as well as Lucy, diminish the sex appeal when the two goblin princesses cheer, “Daddy!”

They both reach for him, and Daniel takes the girls from Gold, freeing the blonde dragon up to hug his arm. “Harbinger, I have decided…”

“Heyyy…” warns Hekate.

“No, Daniel, my sweet, sweet Harbinger of…”

“Heyyy!” The feldrok girl raises her voice with the same drawn out warning.

“Children,” finishes the dragon with a wicked smirk, and Hekate immediately shoves her way in between the human and the voluptuous second dragon matron. While Gold is rougher around the edges than Ryuogriar, she’s comparably beautiful, and Daniel rolls his eyes, as he is ‘mate-guarded’ by the little feldrok girl. “If I make you a Grand Duchess, will you be satisfied?”

“Mmm… For now,” teases the dragon.

“That would be for another day,” replies Daniel. He then explains to Sundenelle, “You’re welcome to join us for the hatching, though only the Empresses or myself will be allowed near the eggs until the children are relaxed.”

“Imprinting!” blurts out Hekate. She crosses her arms, nodding proudly at herself. “We have to make sure the babies only imprint on their parents. I paid attention.”

“Yes you did,” replies Daniel with a chuckle. He notices the servants leaving the conference building. “Ah, looks like we’ll be able to leave soon.”

Byleathea clears her throat quietly, and Sundenelle perks up. “Speaking of, Daniel… If… I am to return to my normal appearance, I will need my necklace recharged. I apologize if I should have mentioned this sooner. As I understand it, her Grace Wenlianna is a magic artisan, yes?”

Daniel nods, “I see.”

“Why would you?” asks Hekate innocently.

Both Imperial women look at the ravenette, unsure how to answer.

“Everyone knows, now, and you’re pretty.”

“Yes, but… Being associated with me now…”

“Hah! You’re still worried about reputation? I’m trying to earn an evil nickname! So, worry about your necklace some other time. Today, you’re the snow-haired beauty of the Fievegal.”

When the red-eyed empress looks at Daniel, he nods in agreement with a gentle smile. “The initial damage is done. Showing that murmurs and whispers have no real power over us is more important. Any trade deals you lose, we’ll find a way to fill the gap. Though, we may ask for an unorthodox payment,” replies Daniel.

“Oh?” asks the young Empress. “What payment is that?”

“Mana,” declares Hekate sincerely. “We’ll handle the receipt of it, but it’ll require your assistance.”

“Very well…” Sundenelle is a little dubious about it, but she agrees. After all, it will protect the Empire in the event her allies call into question her legitimacy for hiding her true appearance for so long.

Daniel adds, “More importantly, you should choose whatever you want to do, Sundenelle. It was inevitable that it would be revealed, and if we were still your enemies, it would be very easy to use against you. I am sorry for the circumstances that revealed it, but we are here to support you through making it something that defines you, not hinders you.”

Sundenelle’s eyes water, and she can’t resist the urge to cry. Byleathea quickly comforts her, trying to point out, “Oh, Sun, your makeup…”

“Apologies, your Grace,” replies Daniel gently. “I’ll go give Aramellianna’s maids the heads up so they’re ready to fix it.”

As Daniel starts to leave, Sundenelle’s hand catches his sleeve, and they make eye contact. Tears are still pouring from her eyes, and she whimpers, “Th-... Th-...”

“Shh… Thank Hekate. She’s the biggest reason we can get away with anything.”

She sniffles, losing the ability to speak for now as she gasps and whimpers, trying not to openly sob.

Ecklevon has returned, and he is being caught up by Neith as the two switch out, leaving the dragon to follow his Emperor.

“I’ve wasted seven hundred years,” remarks Neith.

Daniel growls over his shoulder, “What?”

“Stripping a princess naked, capturing the Demon Queen, making an Empress cry…”

“Neith… I won’t miss next time…”

“Sir Neith! I’ve said many times that was a lie!” cries out a young voice from nearby.

Both of them chuckle warmly. “Apologies, my Liege. I was only admiring how much life you’ve lived in just a couple years.” Daniel joins him in soft laughter, granting the dragon the light mischief. Erimaya fuming as the two wave at her to acknowledge her made it even more worth it.

Daniel gives the promised heads up to Aramellianna first, and with her permission, her serving staff. The Fievegal’s maids and attendants are still in training, and they’re few in number, so for now, the Stalvaltan Family is providing the bulk of the service.

I’ll have to come up with a bonus for Aramellianna’s staff when we’re finally caught up on everything…

Now, Daniel has to hope Rikuto will be amenable to some kind of treaty without needing to resort to threats of a cold war against each other.

***

Rikuto sits with his fingers on his temples, trying to massage his head. He’s ridiculously anxious, since it has started to dawn on him the truth of everything that is sitting on his shoulders.

The void artillery seems to be the only thing Daniel is mildly afraid of, as he has many strong allies. Rikuto, at best, might be able to rely on Yaulander’s hatred of Daniel to mobilize more troops, but the only weapon of consequence they have right now is the magic superweapon. Rikuto did notice that most of the women of the Fievegal reacted fearfully to Marquis Niulglodsa’s flintlock pistol, even if the dragon knight Neith took the shot to the shoulder and was only mildly harmed.

It’s clear Daniel was able to strike fear in the dragons with firearms. Maybe they can be convinced to side against him if they stick with him out of fear…

He sighs quietly, waiting for the Fievegal to arrive.

No… With how protective they were with Daniel’s two daughters,... Then again… Ugh… Let’s just get through this negotiation first. I can try to start fishing for new allies later.

He looks to his right, where Retired King Greydald is seated, his own icy gaze locked on the Fievegal-side entrance with his fingers interlocked in front of his mouth. The aging man doesn’t have memories of what Rikuto did to get him to let the Fievegal leave, since a fight would have broken out if they tried to forcibly take back Heralesse and Erimaya.

The herald steps in and calls out, “Announcing the arrival of Her Greatness, Empress Hekate fell Lawson, Her Grace, Doephluev arch Lawson…”

Rikuto watches as the Fievegal’s leading members enter the negotiation hall wearing a new round of outfits that are heavily adorned in jewelry and other signs of wealth. While it’s undeniable and mind-bending amounts of wealth, according to the nobles from the east, Daniel’s own ‘modest’ appearance in comparison, with gold-thread embroidery at most suggests that he’s doing at least some of the ‘etiquette’ and flashiness in a mocking way. After all, it’s clear that, after synthesizing various colors of diamonds, the Fievegal is now producing cultured pearls.

None are so large as to blow anyone’s minds, but the sheer volume, quality, and uniformity of so many of the pearls is unbelievable to the people of this world.

Daniel has to be older than he said. How else can he have so many fields of expertise?

Rikuto had to explain many various things as vague ideas, since he doesn’t really know how flintlock mechanisms work, nor the proper chemicals for making the powder used in modern firearms.

Maybe he has people working with him, but how is he able to produce so much so quickly?

Daniel enters carrying the princesses himself this time, since he arrives with the group. They look around with curious eyes, as before, and it’s clear they really are his daughters with how they cling to his jacket affectionately. Rikuto can’t remember which one is which, but thankfully, he remembers that Jieka is the Crown Princess, and she’s wearing a more distinct tiara, though Tekten is wearing an oversized scarf that seems strangely important as well.

Heralesse and Erimaya enter right behind Daniel, escorted respectfully by Magnir and Neith. They aren’t chained in any capacity, and if anything, the two dragon knights seem more like guardians at a glance, rather than prison guards.

Greydald puts his hands on the table, clenching his fists. “Stay calm, your Majesty,” whispers Rikuto. “We’ll get them back.”

“You had better hope so,” retorts the elder man a little rudely.

Jeez. I didn’t make me king, for the record. And, I have scraped us back from the edge of famine and bankruptcy twice now, just as you wanted.

Rikuto notices that Ryuogriar has seemingly lost twenty kilos or more overnight, though that weight is now present in her arms as a very distinct, faintly blue, speckled shell containing just one part of the future of the dragons.

He does notice that Reignleif is carrying something in the same cradling position that is more like a strange, semi-translucent dark-colored throw pillow with long tendrils. And, Geirahoel, who also lost weight overnight, doesn’t seem to be carrying anything.

Don’t think too hard, Rikuto, thinks the Japanese man to himself. For all we know, it’s some kind of prank. Just focus on the peace…

His thoughts trail and his heart twitches when she enters.

The distinct, true black hair of the elusive fairy of the Fievegal with Japanese ancestry catches the young man’s eye. She is truly beautiful by the most conventional of Japanese standards, with the only noticeable differences being her otherworldly eyes with an almost literal magic sparkle, and slender, elongated ears that are similar to a human’s, but come to a soft, narrow point. She walks with a staff similar to a natural shepherd’s crook, but with a large quartz-like crystal.

She notices Rikuto staring and gives him an eyeroll, intentionally looking at Heralesse.

Rikuto averts his gaze, waiting patiently while everyone moves to their seats, with Hekate and Doephluev on either side of Daniel and the goblin princesses. He stands up, and the two Earthlings, specifically, bow to each other.

Sundenelle takes a position near the head of the roughly-U-shaped table, and the Imperial guards take positions at her sides, with Byleathea sitting on the Fievegal’s side of the corner.

Rikuto greets Daniel as politely as he can. “Emperor Daniel, your Greatness Empress Hekate.”

Doephluev, who mimicked Daniel on her own, adds, “Greetings, King Rikuto. It is not a faux pas on your part, but I’ll be handling the negotiations alongside Emperor Daniel, as the Fievegal has a system in place for us to take turns as the Sovereign, while Hekate will remain the formal sovereign in title.”

Rikuto notices Ryuogriar roll her eyes, but she says nothing. And, Hekate nods in agreement. “She’s right. I have allowed it, since we are strongest when we work together.” The small teen puffs her chest up, and her large fluffy fox-like tail is visible behind her, adorned with ribbons and apparent dragon scales. “Please have patience with us, as we are inexperienced.”

Rikuto is a little confused. Is… that something to be proud of?

Regardless, he adds, “Please excuse me, your… Greatness, Empress Doephluev. My greetings to you, and I’m glad to see you all in good health.”

Rikuto takes a moment to greet the rest of the Empresses as well, who respectfully return his greetings.

Everyone then takes a seat, and Rikuto explains, “Since he has served as a liaison already, I hope you will accept Duke Walliskah as our intermediary.”

“We have no objections,” replies Doephluev, nodding at the middle-aged man who bows.

Daniel sits Jieka and Tekten on the table, saying quietly to them, “Stay close to me, alright, my Princesses?”

“Yes, Daddy!” replies Jieka brightly, while Tekten nods. The room is crowded with imposing looking strangers, but the two are rather well-behaved.

Doephluev then starts politely, “Now, then, your Majesty. Since we have initiated the peace summit, we would like you the chance to make your opening terms for peace, and we will discuss from there.”

Of all of the Empresses of the Fievegal, including Sundenelle now, Rikuto can tell that Doephluev is the least scrupulous and potentially most cunning. She is wearing a mask of gentle elegance, but she has an almost predatory aura to how she carries herself, like she’s waiting for an unsuspecting hand to be put near her, and she snatches it off.

Greydald blurts out before Rikuto can check over the documents he brought to pass the first one over, “The Kingdom of Mornistae demands the release of the Queen and Princess.”

“Your Majesty,” whispers Rikuto sharply.

“The Fievegal then demands the immediate surrender of the ancient summoning artifact,” replies Doephluev just as bluntly. “Of course, in turn, we’ll be providing additional compensation in the form of the dresses and jewelry that her Majesty and her Highness are wearing today and the ones from yesterday. Since the artifact shouldn’t be usable for summoning for another fifty years or more, that should be more than fair compensation.”

“What nonsense! The artifact can’t be moved!” retorts the former king.

“Your Majesty, please calm down…”

“Father, please…” urges Heralesse. “I’ve seen the Fievegal’s desired terms. I don’t think they’re unfair. Please be patient.”

“Heralesse…” murmurs the aging father.

“Please, Father?” adds Erimaya. “We really have been safe. Please let the discussions proceed.”

Greydald sits back down and crosses his arms, going quiet finally.

Rikuto takes a breath and exhales briefly. He can’t help but glance at Yuna, even if he knows he shouldn’t. His mind is constantly forming doubts and questions, wanting desperately to know if there are more people like Yuna, if there’s a hidden place somewhere like a haven to his fellow Japanese, or if she’s willing to help him recapture their mutual heritage.

But, he does need to focus on the negotiations. He presents his document to Duke Walliskah, who passes it to Doephluev on the Fievegal’s side.

The apparent dark elf slides closer to Daniel, holding it so he and Hekate can both read it, none of them having any reservations about their closeness in the negotiation. It’s a little aggravating, but it could serve Rikuto better to just leave it be.

Though, if there is an outburst because of it, peace could stall, and he doesn’t want to get caught using his secret weapon if he has to stop Greydald a second time.

The trio studies the document for a bit, and then Doephluev passes it to Ryuogriar, who reads it with Geirahoel and Reignleif. Hekate and Doephluev whisper to each other, while Jieka and Tekten pay attention as if to participate in the whispering.

I wonder if there’s much to discuss. It was pretty straightforward.

The first and most important point Rikuto put in was the decommissioning of all nuclear weapons, which should be pretty obvious. Even without them, the Fievegal is in a position of strength, so there’s no reason to be poisoning the atmosphere for generations to come.

To enforce that, the Fievegal would agree to a regulatory committee to ensure that nuclear weapons aren’t being built or stockpiled.

The next most important term Mornistae asks for is the regulation of manmade precious stones, and the disclosure of such things. Because he can’t make them himself, Rikuto can’t demonstrate to others that the diamonds or pearls are being man-made definitively, so if the Fievegal or Stalvaltan family manages to create evidence that they are natural, it will be difficult to prove otherwise. Additionally, Rikuto has seen the size and quality of the ‘enhanced magic crystals’, and they are highly pristine. Both the Stalvaltan Grand Duchy and the Fievegal have improved the manufacturing process.

Last of the big points that Rikuto is requesting as terms of continued peace are a restriction on the manufacture and use of firearms.

Doephluev asks down the table, “May I?”

The other Empresses nod, and Treia, who is currently reading the document, barely resists letting out a laugh. She excuses herself quickly, and Roeta follows her to protect her when the gatonine steps outside.

The caramel-skinned ‘current Sovereign Empress’ remarks, “Well, I think that about sums it up.”

“These terms aren’t just for military or economic purposes. Daniel knows fully well the long-term impacts they can have on the global social atmosphere, or the physical health and well-being of large swaths of the population.”

“Yes, yes, of course, of course,” replies Doephluev with amusement in her tone.

“More importantly, your Majesty,” starts Hekate. “Don’t you think it’s a little foolish for either of our sides to so openly acknowledge what you want restricted? We haven’t been storming through your territories taking whatever we want using these things; as you know we could. You might as well try to ask for me to be banned next!” This causes several of the members of the Fievegal to snicker lightly, including the dragon knight Neith, who scoffs and clears his throat.

Would I could… thinks Rikuto to himself. “Daniel might’ve left some things out when he convinced you to build those, your Greatness, but the poison they leave behind is a slow, long-term effect.”

“If I may;” Wenlianna, usually shy in these kinds of situations, raises her hand.

“Please do,” replies Daniel.

Attention turns to her, and she clears her throat, standing up. “Daniel has, actually, explained in detail the materials being used. Their core functions and reactions remain the same as Earth, but further side-effects are mitigated far more by both the process and the differences there are between Earth and Zenkon. Our atmosphere is significantly more resilient to what you’re worried about, and I agree with her Greatness; the first term’s… uh… weapon’s haven’t been employed since that first time, and to openly discuss them with enemies of both sides in our midst is a precursor to leaking their design.”

Daniel finally adds his own opinion, “I’d prefer if we address them as something else, like ‘Alamogordo Specials’ or some other code name, as to do our best to make it difficult for them to be looked into by external forces and spies.”

Seriously? That’s what he’s worried about? It’s certainly irritating to the young Japanese man, since he needs the rest of the continent to agree with him if he hopes to ensure nukes are never used again. If he can’t tell them what they are, it defeats the purpose.

Though, he found it challenging already to try to rally the support he got just to build the void artillery. Following the disastrous summoning, Mornistae has a fraction of the magic artisans and mages that survived, so it would be a challenge to even build another one.

Rikuto finally replies, “In official documentation and correspondence, I’ll refer to them as the ‘Alamogordo Specials’, then.”

Gwenesphia speaks up this time, “If I may, it seems like Mornistae has already started mass-producing firearms. Will this provision apply to Mornistae and its allies as well? If so, are appropriate representatives present to sign?”

Rikuto flinches. He’s not sure where Marquis Niulglodsa got his, since only a few have been produced by Mornistae’s blacksmiths, and only a few of the Royal Guardsmen have been trained on their use.

He can’t admit that the flintlock design has already leaked, in spite of Daniel arming a large number of his soldiers, both golems and living beings, with firearms, and there’s no evidence of their designs being reproduced. Whatever else could be said, the Fievegal has been fairly tight with their methods and technology, in spite of how many Empresses alone there are.

Rikuto answers, “The Kingdom of Mornistae has not yet entered large scale production of firearms…”

“Is that so?” asks the slightly chubbier gatonine as Treia finally reenters, taking her seat again. Her tone is fairly neutral, and she looks up the ‘ranks’, as far as Rikuto can tell, towards Hekate, Daniel, and Doephluev.

Doephluev declares, “The Fievegal will produce any and all tools we need for defense, since our numbers are still small. As you know, our gracious Emperor DOES come from a country with strict morals and basic aversions to the undue suffering of their enemies. That is why the Fievegal will agree to not produce chemical weapons that cause slow, painful deaths, weaponized pathogens, or…” She checks the inside of her detached sleeve that snugly holds her bicep and reaches past her fingertips. “Nerve agents,” finishes the dark elf woman. “This includes anti-coagulants… uh… Fleecheetee?” She glances at Daniel, and he waves his hand dismissively for her to move on. She nods, continuing, “And other needlessly destructive ammunition.”

Ryuogriar then takes charge, “As for your second term, I’m a little unsure, but is it common practice in the east to disclose the sources of all trade goods to all economic competitors? If so, I will be fascinated to learn where all of the gold, platinum, silver, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and crude oil are retrieved from.” She adds warmly, “Ohh! Should we disclose trade routes, as well?” She gives a sarcastic smirk as many of the nobles in the room go pale and tense, glancing at Rikuto. He sucks his teeth quietly, trying to clarify, “As it says, this would apply exclusively to manufactured goods, your Grace.”

“Hmm? But then, how will all parties involved know whether or not something is manufactured or retrieved? Won’t this open us all to false accusations of manufacture in hopes or restricting each other’s wealth? After all, if you had evidence that we were manufacturing our wealth, then surely, you would simply duplicate our methods, would you not?”

Rikuto clenches his fists, taking a breath to stay calm. By the sounds of it, the Fievegal has no intention of making any concessions, meaning Rikuto either surrenders publicly or the war continues.

Daniel finally speaks up as Tekten wants to be held, so he hugs her to his torso. “Here’s what I’m thinking, your Majesty. We’ll agree to mutually inspect and regulate each other’s WMDs, to include Alamogordo Specials and Baumalde’s Erasers.”

This gives Rikuto pause, and he looks directly at Daniel. However, movement in his peripherals draws Rikuto’s attention down the table. Count Baumalde is there, and he has jumped to his feet as if to shout something. The members of the Fievegal look at him, but none of them are intimidated.

Yanidere declares coldly, “Sit down, Count Baumalde. I’ve seen firsthand the atrocities you built when they destroyed Fort Twilight. You could’ve expected sanctions to be a blessing were the Stalvaltan Grand Duchy still affiliated with Mornistae.”

“Shut up, girl!” snaps the count. “I’ll not take this disrespect from traitors. I demand that the Emperor take back such a disrespectful use of the Baumalde name.”

“Are you not proud of the weapons of mass destruction you created, Count Baumalde?” asks Aramellianna bluntly. “I can assure you that everything the Stalvaltan Grand Duchy has built, we are proud of.”

“I didn’t-...!” starts Count Baumalde, and the Grand Duchess Senior grins a bit arrogantly.

“Didn’t what? The entire audience is listening now, thanks to your outburst.”

Daniel adds to the thought that started it, “The Count’s remark also brings me neatly to my term in exchange for the joint regulatory commission; the Kingdom of Mornistae will formally cede the territories, title, and assets belonging to the Stalvaltan Family to the Fievegal as compensation for two unprovoked attacks, including the use of weapons of mass destruction to eradicate Fort Twilight, which had already been turned over to the Fievegal by the Empire.”

The American gestures to Sundenelle, who is no longer hiding her glass-like white hair and red eyes marking her as nothing more than an albino, in spite of the hesitancy others show around her now.

“It’s true,” replies the young Empress with a completely level tone, not sounding the least bit coerced or threatened. “Imperial records will show that Fort Twilight was granted to the Fievegal as compensation for our unprovoked attack, though under threat of invasion if we didn’t concede.”

“As for the second term, I don’t mind if you put tariffs on Fievegal exports. Well-chosen tariffs will protect your own territorial resources, but you should expect us to match. And, Doephluev spoke pretty comprehensively on the firearms. We’re willing to concede restrictions on needlessly cruel modes of combat, but between natural threats and constant military threats from beyond our borders, we won’t be restricting our manufacturing of weapons.”

Rikuto is quiet as he hears out the different counter terms, and Duke Walliskah makes the annotations.

“Your Majesty!” calls out Baumalde. “The Fievegal is looking down on our kingdom. You must not accept these terms.”

“Who are you to speak out amongst royalty?” asks Geirahoel caustically. “If you have a personal problem, you should handle it at a personal level. We are negotiating peace between world factions larger than your pathetic little territory. History will remember you as the pioneer of Zenkon’s devastating superweapons, remembered by the long-lived races such as the dragons, elves, archoneldwyn, and Uhl’tall. Your people have nothing to point to that Daniel did with his weapons, which is why you can’t generate enough fury against us. Only pathetic attempts at assassination or lying about the status of our rulers when they are perfectly fine.”

There’s an awkward pause, and Jieka is the one that breaks it. “Daddy, Jieka hungwy.”

“Oh! My turn! Come to Mama Hekate,” coos Hekate.

“No, choose your beloved Mama Doephluev,” replies the dark elf with a coy tone. The goblin princess looks between the two trying to entice her like a cat, while Rikuto is left with new information to think about. He did already know Daniel wanted the Grand Duchy, as well as the artifact, but he had hoped there could be some kind of social or economic pressure by making the Fievegal openly demand them in the peace summit. Ideally, they’ll be forced to compromise.

However, Daniel strikes the killer blow.

“One last thing. The Fievegal requires that the otherworlder Zuzia be immediately freed from her imprisonment.”

“Wh-What?” asks Rikuto, stunned by what he’s hearing. He doesn’t even know the woman’s name because she fled immediately upon arrival, and she was still at large the last he knew. He never expected to see her again unless she returned on her own. Given the sheer power she demonstrated during her escape, she was granted a great deal of magical strength rivalling a movie superhero.

In his bewilderment, Rikuto glances at Yuna somewhat instinctively, as if he needs some kind of familiarity, even if it’s in a near-stranger.

Her own expression is cold with a level of silent disgust that stabs at Rikuto’s heart.

He’s not sure how Daniel even knows about the woman summoned, but there’s no way she’s a prisoner. He can’t imagine anyone actually managed to capture her.

Regardless, there are a lot of expectant gazes, many of them neutral to either side of the table. They are all waiting for an answer to Daniel’s unexpected question.

***