True King's Ecstasy

"Oh you don't know the face of the person you tried to kill after calling us rebels?" With a sarcastic tone, Velian questioned.

He knew it was an illogical question to ask, how can someone from the capital know his face, especially at this age and technological level?

"Are you someone from the rebel army?" Jukius tempered about the battle which caused many of their soldiers to die and adventurers to cut ties with them.

He still didnt know how it happened but every time he thought about it, felt even more absurd.

"Well, it's easy if you know about it, commander of the royal army of the Rapidclaw kingdom or should I call you crown prince Julius?"

Julius didn't know what to do. He heard through guards that Velian's army completely destroyed the Empire unit, but it isn't anything favourable for him or the kingdom.

"What do you want? I don't understand how you collected so many people but going against a kingdom and empire at the same time is foolish," He wasn't trying to threaten Velian, Julius didn't want this war with the empire or rebel army.

He just wanted to develop his kingdom and its people and take care of his sister.

"Well, it's not your problem how I did all these things, you just have to accept my deal or decline it,"

Delviny and Juno weren't even paying attention to Julius as they had no interest in their matter. Instead, they just listened to Velian, and both of them tried to guess what his deal is.

"What is it?"

"We want three territories and their people that are equal to this land and the Rapidclaw kingdom needs to acknowledge us as an independent kingdom," Julius' eyes bulged out from his eye socket, as soon as he heard those words.

"Are you crazy?" He questioned as he couldn't even believe what he was hearing.

"Listen here prince, I'm being kind here, I can force your kingdom to ransom you with something equally important to that, or else I could simply defeat the whole kingdom,"

Julius didn't even know how to react. It was true the kingdom was declining rather fast with the lack of food and defences. If they asked for a ransom only option is to touch the kingdom's treasury or hand over some land. But he couldn't believe his next words.

Defeating the Rapidclaw kingdom with a vast history and that also with a rebel army. He didn't know whether Velian was stupid or overconfident.

Julius kept thinking about Velian's offer while Delviny slowly got close to Velian and whispered in his ear.

"Brother, why such a deal we could simply attack them?" She was confused. Even Juno didn't know why he decided to go for negotiations instead of straight-up defeating them with his power.

"I'm doing this because of mother, she requested this, she doesn't want to see my hand getting wet in the blood of innocent citizens and soldiers who have no choice but to fight in a war to protect their families,"

Velian also liked a full frontal attack, even though he wasn't a battle maniac himself, he loved seeing Juno, and Delviny killing others with their power and skills.

It was strange because rather than killing people by himself, he wanted to see his girls achieve what they want. It's almost like he had no goals, no dreams. He just wanted to create a safe place for his family. No outside influence, no foes, he wanted them to feel safe even without his presence in the place he was going to build.

*Sigh

"She's too soft, Veli, you shouldn't listen to her dumb requests like that,"

"But I think mother-in-law is correct, if we can prevent bloodshed we should do it because our goal is not to become a place filled with tyranny and violence," Juno also backed up Daphnia's words fueling up Delviny's confusion.

"I don't understand, but if you two insist let's just do it like this," Having no options in the end, she also agreed.

Velian's attention went back to Julius, who waited for them to finish their little whispering.

"I can't decide such an important thing, I'm just a crown prince," He said with a sad tone.

"But I can promise a noble status and a fertile land for you, listen, even if you take this land from us, you don't have people's trust and workforce to make this work, don't be foolish and self destruct, join with us, you have potential to be a great noble,"

Julius tried to convince Velian to give up on his deal and accept what he proposed but Velian laughed with a rather loud tone hearing his words.

"I don't have the trust of people!"

"I don't have the workforce to finish things I want to do?"

Previously even if he laughed it was just a friendly smile, but this time it was straight-up mocking Julius.

"Don't make me laugh, if I released you now and people catch you, they will skin you alive, mr, commander who ordered the massacre of innocent civilians,"

​ Julius' eyes widened upon hearing his words. He felt a cold sweat coming out as his heartbeat started to rise rather quickly.

"I did no such thing," Julius tried to refuse. Velian stopped laughing and looked at him with a serious face.

"I don't blame you, if I was in your shoes at that time, I would do the same thing, it's all about success," Julius looked at Velian with a confused look.

"If you won this war after that incident your name will go in history books as a great leader who sacrificed his citizens to protect the kingdom, even if you're the worst scumbag as long as you succeed in what you do, your name will stay positive,"

Delviny couldn't help but be amazed by Velian's mindset.

"But unfortunately you lost, that makes you a loser, If I wasn't here your head will be already floating somewhere detached from your body,"

Julius didn't know what to do. He was confused. He was angry with himself. He was angry with Velian who told him the truth.

"You have two choices, either you will go with my deal or I will use you however I wish, choose one, no negotiations," Velian gave him one last chance before doing as he wish.

Julius looked lifeless with his eyes looking like a dead fish. He had no idea where things went wrong for him.

"I will do it, I will discuss it with minsters and arrange everything,"

He didn't know what future awaits him, and giving up on his kingdom's land felt more painful than Pete beheading him in the battleground, he had no choice remaining as he was forced to agree with this deal.

"Good, you're an intelligent leader, I hope I can have an alliance with people like you who has good brains,"

Leaving those words with Julius, Velian left him as he promised to release him once the kingdom respond to their request.