"That, or we can just kill you all and do all of that from the top of your graves."


    Even before I said that I knew that uttering those words was akin to treading a fine line between discouraging Etaria''s cooperation and actually using this open threat to entice her instead.


    But in all honesty, this statement allowed me to avoid the one thing that would be far worse than throwing a threat or two the princess'' way.


    It allowed me to avoid the issue of not knowing how to end the conversation. And while, in terms of our negotiations it wouldn''t mean anything, the impression left by my sudden social ineptitude could bring forth results far worse than just treading on thin ice for a while.


    "By how much you are repeating that part, I''m starting to consider whether you are really capable of that," the princess responded after taking some time to carefully select her words. She then followed with a long and deep sigh that she didn''t even try to hide by cutting the connection.


    "I believe we''ve discussed enough for the day," Makary, noticing I was starting to struggle, came in with a clutch. "We will work to construct the list for the ransoms for the rest of the day. Once we are done, we will send someone over to your side so that you can trante and write it all down."


    "Understood. When is the surrender going to take ce? And how do you imagine it happening?"


    Now that the focus of the topic switched to the obvious desire, shared by both parties, to conclude the negotiations, things started to move at a much faster pace.


    "There''s hardly any need to make it into a ceremony. Just have your men disarmed and grouped by a hundred so that it will be rtively easy to manage them. And as a sign of goodwill from our side, we are willing to let the officers go right away, thrusting that you will prove your good faith and provide the ransoms agreed upon at ater date."


    Bit by bit, Makary rapidly rified the issues I would likely have to talk about for ages to deal with.


    "So, tomorrow?" The Etaria suggested quite an outrageous timeline.


    How were we supposed to prepare to receive several tens of thousands of people in just a single day?


    "Tomorrow works for us," Makary replied before I could voice my protest.


    "When will I know anything about the problems you agreed to solve?" Etaria pressed before Makary could properly conclude the talks.


    ''Right, it would be weird if she wasn''t worried about those two issues.''


    For Etaria, the matter of Chai and finding a way through the starlight in were of absolutely utmost importance. Whatever prosperity I imed my presence would bring would onlye muchter.


    No matter how well we would use the manpower we just got, it wouldn''t take a day or even a week for the effects of their more efficientbor to show up.


    ''Just organizing them all into working groups will take ages. Solving the issues of keeping them fed and healthy will slow things down even further…'' Even though my knowledge of the topic was extremely limited, I tried to make a rough guess in my head. ''In two to three months we should be able to make this ce self-sufficient, not reliant on its connection to the earth.


    For only when we reach that level can we speak about any form or progress.''


    Two, maybe three months before all the efforts, resources, and attention we were to focus on this area would start to bear fruit.


    And given the drastic degree to which Etaria was willing to go in order to secure the future of her lineage, things in the empire had to be bad, really bad.


    Bad enough for the empire to have around that much time before the process of its dissolution would start.


    "I will cut the call for a second, but there might be one more issue we might need to discuss," I pointed out loud before removing my finger from the trigger and looking up at Makary''s face. "Do we want the empire to copse and shatter into a myriad of pieces, or would we rather work with a continental superpower?"


    Both options had their benefits and downsides.


    If the empire were to shatter, we could pretty much gobble up as much of its shattered pieces as we would be able to efficiently make use of. And by the time the various parts of the fallen state would start to consolidate, our group would pretty much be stuck with whatever we would''ve conquered thus far.


    After all, no matter how great our technological advantage would be, there was a limit to how much we could manage with just the rtively few men of Makary''s group.


    On the other hand, if the empire were to persist, we would have to face a much tougher and potent negotiation opponent for all the things that we would want to achieve and obtain.


    Still, once we would enter a cooperative rtionship that would prove to be mutually beneficial, the entire continent would be well within our influence, allowing us to focus our manpower and resources on developing and then exploiting the areas rich in resources the worth of which the empire had no idea.


    A direct control of a great territory while facing a coalition of extremely hostile sessor states to the empire, all of them threatened by our rapid expansion and incursion into what all of them would consider thend of their forefathers…


    Or an indirect control of the entire empire by taking its economy over with more efficient, centralized, and technology-based manufacturing?


    "What I think…" Makary hesitated for a second as his thoughts ran along my own train of thought. "What I think, is that we are better off with this empire shaking, but still standing on its own, two feet."


    I breathed out.


    That simple decision, a personal opinion thrown when suddenly asked…


    I dared not to venture, even with my thoughts alone, to figure out just how much it would change the history of this world.


    "Okay, we are back," I spoke after pressing the trigger of the walkie-talkie down. "And the issue I meant to bring up, is how it is not in our best interest to allow this empire of yours to copse."


    Madam squinted her eyes.


    While she bore witness to the question I posed just now, she clearly didn''t expect me to bring it out in the open so readily.


    "What, are you trying to tell me you are going to do something about it?" Etaria replied, her voice torn between amusement and annoyance.


    Once again, I allowed a small smile to emerge on my lips, despite being aware of how it would change the tonal expression of my voice.


    "That''s right," I admitted. "Once the surrender tomorrow will go smoothly, I was thinking about delegating some men to apany you back into the empire. While touring the country while apanying you on your way back home, they could learn the underlying issues behind the empire''s unstable state, allowing us toe up with viable solutions."


    A moment of silence followed my exnation.


    "Wait, you actually mean it?"


    The amusement from before now gave way to the in shock.


    ''I guess it''s not every day when yesterday''s enemies and vital threat to the superpower of an empire are offering their help in maintaining the very empire they fought with.''


    "Makary?" I asked out loud as I raised my eyes to the man.


    "We won''t be able to help if we don''t know what''s the problem. And there is a great chance that you, as someone at the very top of the imperial society, have no clue of what the actual issues are. So yes, I can delegate some men for the task, but ultimately…"


    When Makary paused his words, I squinted my eyes a bit.


    This didn''t feel like a hesitation on his part causing the stop to his words.


    No!


    The man was clearly trying to build up some anticipation!


    "Whether or not you guys will implement the changes we will suggest, whether or not you will dare to trust in the word of our advice," Makary shook his head, "It ultimately is all up to you, for we have no desire to directly meddle with the empire. As my dear friend pointed out, we are only interested in getting filthy rich.


    And if it takes saving your empire and sharing the wealth we can all gain to make it happen, then so be it."


    In the end, given our goals and desires, having a single entity at least remotely aligned with our cause would be of much greater use than having it copse and shatter, forcing us to step on a war path just to secure ess to the areas we would find interesting.


    Once again, it was much easier and simply cheaper to pay the empire some scraps in exchange for the right to mine the resources they never knew the value of than trying to conquer thosends, pacify the local poption, and then face the hostility of all the sessor states around.


    "Then, about the pass over the forest and towards thends beyond its borders," Etaria mentioned, bringing up the other topic she wasn''t willing to give up on.


    "It''s still just a rough estimate, but I was nning to gather a group ofpanions and challenge the starlight ins," I announced. "I''ve been there while much weaker, so I have all the rights to believe I''ve now grown strong enough to actually cross it."


    A moment of silence.


    "If you want to cross those ins, then I will be going with you," Etaria announced.


    "No fucking way," I shot her request down right away. "I might be strong, but I''m not strong enough to contain you. Taking you along is too risky."


    "Then, how am I to believe you even set off on your journey if I cannot supervise or, at least, observe it?!"


    I took a deep breath as I ransacked my mind in search of a valid answer.


    For Etaria''s point was pretty damn valid. If this really was a matter as vital to the livelihood of the empire as she made it out to be, it would be akin to treason if she allowed for such an expedition to go through without imperial oversight.


    "Then…" I muttered, not exactly sure whether what I was doing was smart. Instead, I simply followed my wits, what my instincts told me.


    "Then, udy Moretto," I suggested. "Is he good enough to act like the empire''s delegate for this little adventure?"