Steel and Mana

Chapter 360 – Planning

The light of the setting sun filtered through the stained-glass windows of our chamber, painting the room and its luxurious decorations in hues of gold and crimson. I wasn't really used to this kind of opulence; it made me feel weird for some reason. I liked luxury, yes, but... excessive ones, like here in the Ishillian palace, made me think about snobbish politicians, one thing I really hated. And I didn't want to become one, although I guess there were many who thought of me as one.

Tearing my eyes away, I looked at the scattered maps, documents, and lists of participants of the upcoming summit on the thick, oval table before me. I wasn't alone, as I was having this private council with Merlin and Elliot. With the new information Mirian had revealed, we had to change our plans. Initially, I was just here to observe, let it all play out, and sometimes intervene to support Mirian. Now? That was no longer an option, so we were in a lengthy discussion deciding our next step.

"We will need to ensure stability," I sighed as I sat back in my high-backed chair, arms crossed, my eyes flicking between the notes detailing the current relationships between the participants of tomorrow's meeting.

"Are we sure of it?" Elliot asked, holding a parchment, reading about the current deals between Roblesia and the Theocracy. "I mean, Mirian's visions."

"If she’s right, something far worse might be coming than simple beast waves." Merlin sighed. After thirteen years, he finally did grow up, although he was only barely taller than Elena... with keeping his babyface. At least he was no longer looked at as a kid when he was on diplomatic missions. "And I also believe her." He added, looking at my Uncle, "The artifacts have powers we barely comprehend. If she saw the Spear in her dream, feeling holding it... then that was real. Doubting it would be like ignoring a timely warning."

"If you say so," Elliot shrugged, looking at us, "I believe you. I am not going to object anyway."

"If her visions are to be believed," I added, reinforcing Merlin's words, "and we have no reason to doubt them, then we must ensure this summit achieves more than political posturing," I declared, my tone serious enough to convey that I wasn't joking around. "However, let’s not forget that Mirian wants to push for a union between these powers, so we keep threats to a minimum. Preferably."

"They may be necessary," Merlin muttered, flicking through the papers, and I knew what he meant. I was afraid of that, too. "Currently, the situation is... well, it is not ideal."

"That's the understatement of the century." Elliot chuckled, shaking his head. "We have peace because of how exhausted the people are, not because the leaders decided that we had enough wars. A union of empires is a double-edged sword, anyway. It could foster cooperation, but it could just as easily lead to internal struggles, power plays, and resentment, especially with the long and bloody history between us. Not everyone at the table will accept working together..."

"True," I nodded, scratching my short beard. For a moment, my eyes lingered on the map before us, where the borders of the empires were marked in bold, red lines, while a softer, blue one showed the historical ones, going back a thousand years into the past. "Sadly, I agree," I sighed after a momentary pause. "This union won't happen just like that, and keeping it together won't be easy, but Mirian's idea is good. So... Let’s break it down and analyze our fellow participants. Who are our biggest allies in this? Who are our enemies? Who are neutral, and who can we sway?"

"Let's get the easy ones out of the picture first," Merlin nodded, flipping through the list of leaders with practiced efficiency. "Alright, Empress Mirian Ishillia," he said, his voice taking on the cadence of an actual Prime Minister. "She is our host, our strongest potential ally. Case done. Next: Goldengrove."

"I'm right here, idiot." Elliot snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Strong ally, but a bit crude." Merlin continued, unbothered, clearly enjoying the joke. "Next: Atuvia. Chairman Alvor arrived a day before us. I had already visited him while you were meeting with Mirian, and he would stand with us. No questions asked. These are the ones we can count on, for sure."

"Let's hear the ones who will oppose the idea." I frowned, my fingers tracing the edge of the table. "Start with Emperor Kadosa IV of Geth."

"He for sure will be one of the biggest opponents of the idea," Elliot scoffed, his lips curling into a wry smile. "That man still carries a grudge from thirteen years ago against you," he continued, his tone dripping with disdain. "He wanted to keep the territory they bled for to occupy. He won’t trust us, and he definitely won’t want to unite with Mirian. I’d wager he’ll oppose any plan that strengthens Ishillia or Avalon. If anything, he might try to disrupt the summit entirely. He will feel like we are asking him to acknowledge Ishillia's superiority. Even think we are trying to make him pay reparations."

"I concur." Merlin agreed, his fingers steepled in front of him. "He is the most dangerous element here, but not just because of his hostility. If we push too hard against him, we risk fracturing the talks before they even begin. If he walks away, he might take others with him."

"No, he won't." I exhaled sharply. "His influence is not what it used to be before. I think we can make him shut up if he tries to agitate the others." I said with a thoughtful, somewhat maybe evil tone. "I think I can do so by securing enough other supporters that his opposition becomes irrelevant. What about Queen Nuen Roblesia IX?"

"Ah, the Queen of Roblesia," Elliot said, leaning back in his chair. "That's a fox wearing human skin. She is pragmatic, shrewd, and not nearly as concerned with past wars as Kadosa is. She worked with Mirian when the war broke out and attacked the Sar empire, preventing them from joining forces with Geth."

"We have also been in talks with them for the past years," Merlin nodded, and I knew because they had what I needed for rubber. "We should be in a good spot to persuade them."

"She’s likely to support trade agreements with Avalon, but whether she’ll back a full union is another matter." Elliot warned us, though, "She knows the Theocracy is her closest ally, and she won’t do anything to jeopardize that relationship or do anything that benefits the Sar Empire in a way that threatens them."

"So we need to rope in her ally at the same time." Merlin adjusted his notes, his quill scratching against the parchment as he jotted down a reminder. "Speaking of the Theocracy, we don’t yet know the full stance of their Head Priest," he said, his brow furrowed in thought. "They’re staunchly aligned with Roblesia, but if the Theocracy sees a union as an opportunity to expand their influence, they might support it. On the other hand, if they fear losing control, they might resist it just the same."

"Haaah... religious zealots..." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Religious states are always unpredictable in matters of diplomacy," I muttered. "We’ll need to tread carefully if we need the two's cooperation."

"Then there’s Emperor Ahnud Sar," Merlin resumed, his voice raising a little despite the growing complexity of the relations between these chaotic nations. "He’s in a complicated position. For centuries, allied with Geth, but that relationship soured over the past decade. Very much so. He’s unlikely to side with Kadosa this time around, but he also won’t trust us or Ishillia. He’ll want to keep his options open, so... I can't really predict what he will do."

"Probably stay out of it." Elliot folded his arms, his expression thoughtful. "However, if we play it right, we might be able to convince him that supporting trade agreements benefits Sar more than excluding him from it. Especially if Roblesia and the Theocracy join us," he said. "He should realize that if this union strengthens his neighbors, he will be left behind. And Geth won't come to his aid, as they didn't aid them previously."

"Okay, that is a good angle. What about the small kingdoms?" I asked, my gaze shifting to the corner of the map where the smaller territories were marked with orange. Namely, the three who joined Scorc when they attacked Ishillia in the past. "Irgath, Sprinland, and Belse?"

"Nothing, really." Merlin sighed, his shoulders dropping a little. "They’re largely insignificant in the grand scheme, but they still could have useful voices," he said. "Grand Duke Yvar of Irgath is the most reasonable among them. If we present him with a practical advantage, he’ll listen. Prince Huren of Sprinland is bitter and unlikely to cooperate unless he’s given a strong incentive. Also, it is easy to scare the old man. Grand Duchess Shi Belse is competent but cautious. They do enjoy a kind of protection, thanks to Roblesia, but I guess if we can rope in Roblesia, the three would follow suit."

"Speaking of Scorc..." I muttered, licking my lips, "They are also on the same wavelength as Geth, no?"

"Yes... and no." Merlin muttered, pinching the ridge of his nose, "They hate Ishillia, they hate us by proxy, they hate Atuvia by second proxy, they hate everyone by third proxy. I think they hate even themselves. Anyway, they are still in the gutters, so even hating everyone, they are also clear enough in the head to refuse any kind of help. So, probably, they could be swayed into it."

"Just remind them how ungrateful they are." Elliot snorted, "They got their freedom back. We also traded with them generously. Warn them that all of that trade could go away, disappear just like that."

"First, the carrot. Then the stick... They could be a stubborn mule, so I don't want to hit them from the get-go." I chuckled while I leaned back, my fingers tapping the table in a slow, deliberate rhythm. "So, if we break it down... Kadosa and the Scorc delegation are against us, Mirian is with us, Nuen and the Theocracy are neutral but influential, Ahnud is undecided, and the smaller states can be leveraged. What about the three western kingdoms?"

"Principality of Lacri." Merlin hummed, "They are neutral but friendly towards us. Thanks to Matilda's sons, we have a profitable relationship with them."

"They do like us," Elliot agreed, "Not Ishillia, though. But, we are trustworthy in their eyes."

"The Kingdom of Nonia and the Kingdom of Clauria," Merlin continued, "Are usually butting heads for resources in their region. What Lyria managed to dig up is that some of these incidents could be the machinations of Geth. So, they would keep the kingdoms down in the North, allowing them to focus on Ishillia. A long-standing tradition."

"I see..." I muttered, an idea forming in my mind.

"If I recall right, the Three Idiots are split up and playing our ambassador roles in those three countries, yes?" Elliot asked, making me chuckle.

The Three Idiots... something that, honestly, became an official title for them. But I had to give them credit where credit is due. They were great ambassadors there, allowing us to stretch our trade through their kingdoms, even if they had little to offer. They were not exactly rich or developed kingdoms.

"Our best course of action is to strengthen Mirian’s case," I said firmly after finishing my thought process. "If we must, then with force. We push for trade and economic cooperation, emphasizing that even without a political union, stronger ties between nations will benefit everyone. If we control the narrative, we might be able to steer this summit where we want it to go."

"Yes," Merlin gave a slow nod, his expression thoughtful. "Agreed. We let Mirian lead the charge on the union's political side while we focus on securing trade agreements and alliances with key powers and back her up. Even if the union falls apart, Avalon will still walk away with new economic partners. If it succeeds, we ensure Avalon’s interests are protected."

"If it comes to life, I don't think you would let it fall apart," Elliot grinned, his earlier tension, which we could sense under the surface, melting away. And if Kadosa tries to play the role of the chief disruptor, we make sure he’s the only one left standing alone and has to back down."

"Oh, he will back down." I exhaled, looking between the two. "I already know how to make him sit down and shut his mouth if he starts acting up. Alright, then," I clapped. "We have a plan. But let’s remain adaptable. This summit could change in an instant with something we didn't anticipate here. We’ll need to be ready for anything."