Chapter 258 - Negotiations at Zanahavre (Part 5)
Everybody was quiet and nobody refuted his words. No one was brave enough to look into my eyes either. I scoffed and responded, "What makes you think that just because you stole something and kept it for a long time, it becomes yours? As for killing all of you, I honestly don't mind. I just need to make sure at least one your kind lives so fairies won't face extinction. The unnecessary ones can just disappear. Don't think that Eieneos is still a pushover after all this time."
The room was pin-drop silent. I saw how all of them stared at me with varying degrees of surprise, fear, anger and disbelief. I giggled a bit and continued, "I came here for a negotiation. I am willing to give you something in exchange for the orb but if you want to fight for it with me, I also don't mind."
I smiled sweetly then without warning, I released a huge amount of my mana that I know will surely give the weaker ones a very hard time. One by one, the weaker elders fell to the ground, kneeling to the pressure and Peony's wives and five children started to heave due to the mana pressure and lack of air to breathe.
Peony and his wives look a bit better than the rest of the people in the meeting room but they have become as pale as a sheet of blank paper. Peony suddenly begged, "Ms. Luna, we are willing to negotiate! Please calm your mana. Please spare my children!" I looked at him, showing him that I find everything that's happening fun and amusing then taunted, "Just your children and you, right?"
He looked at me in disbelief and said, "Please spare everybody! I am begging you." I took back the pressure gradually. With the release of the pressure everyone who was previously standing and kneeling have really fallen to the ground. Some were sitting and gasping for air, some were laying on the ground unconscious and some of the weaker ones even coughed up some blood.
As for me, I just kept my eyes on Peony as I slowly smiled. All of Peony's wives have stood up, checking on their children and relatives, giving them first aid as needed. Peony raised his hand and a luxurious wooden box appeared right in front of him.
Upon seeing the box, those who were still conscious simultaneously reacted and begged (it sounded more like angrily ordering him though) Peony to reconsider giving what I wanted. I used mana to push away everyone and some even hit the walls. These useless people are just making things worst. I only need Peony discussing things with me on this table so I placed a barrier around the two of us. Now, only we can hear what we were about to discuss and Peony can't hear the flies around.
Since the barrier is up, I introduced myself formally to Peony. I smiled and said, "Hi again, Peony. I'm Luna, queen of Eieneos. I am sorry that I couldn't tell you immediately since there were a lot of unnecessary people around us. I also apologize for losjng my patience. I have low tolerance for nonsense when I hear it." He looked at me and smiled weakly.
After my brief introduction, I directly asked Peony, "I can replace it with another orb that can support this sanctuary. I believe people have reported to you small things I have done to help your territory. I felt the existence of another entity in the places I visited and it turns out, they were your sons."
He nodded and said that their were assigned as guardians of those places and they have indeed reported what they witnessed me doing. I nodded back at him and continued, "You can state your other conditions in exchange for the orb. I must warn you though that you should only ask for something that's of equal value. If you try to abuse my offer or ask for too much, I might just take everything I need and leave all of you to die here. Think well and hard, Peony."
Peony nodded his head in understanding and carefully responded, "I just want to secure the lives of my people. I want them to be safe, including the children that will be born to our race in the future." I looked at him seriously and responded, "That much is very doable but... Hmm."
He kept his eyes on me, nervously waiting for what I will be saying next. I continued, "I can give your people a safe place to live in that have better resources than here. Would be a place inside the New World Tree realm be somewhere you can consider relocating to?" His eyes widened at my offer and his mouth was left agape.
As for outside the barrier, Peony's five sons started banging on the barrier with all their might. Their faces looked pale from my mana attack earlier but they seemed to be more afraid about the possibility of me killing their father and king if I don't get what I want.
They saw that I said something to Peony that stunned him speechless, leaving his mouth agape. While Peony is still in that stunned state, I looked at each of his five sons tauntingly and stood up from my chair. I walked slowly towards where Peony was sitting and stopped right behind him.
The five guys followed my every move with their alert but fearful eyes. When they saw I was approaching Peony, they started shouting and banging on the barrier even harder. They even started attacking it with magic spells now, trying to destroy the barrier and rescue their father.
After standing behind Peony for a few seconds, I gently placed my hands on his shoulders, a little bit too near his neck on purpose, while staring at each of his frantic sons with my cold eyes. I smiled meaningfully and slowly leaned forward to whisper something to their father.
Sometimes, you need to induce fear on to others so that they realize who is in power. After I finished whispering what I have to say, I smiled evily and tightened my hands a bit on Peony's shoulders. His sons paused their attacks, their eyes widened and they kneeled. Even Nastur who was very rude looked stunned and he started crying like a baby.
As for me, what I whispered to Peony was, "It is not such a bad deal right? That orb for a new sanctuary. Your race will be the first one to inhabit the new world tree realm which is rich in mystique mana. The children that will be born in that place will be stronger and healthier." He absent-mindedly nodded his head as he looked forward in a daze. He must be imagining what a great life they would have in a place like that.
I finally removed my hands from his shoulders as I smiled sweetly towards his sons who were currently crying. I saw them sigh in relief after they saw me walk back to my seat without hurting their father.
I then spoke adding a condition on my end, "This got me thinking that just the orb wouldn't be enough to pay for all those benefits I have provided and will be providing so I have a few more conditions..." Peony seemed to have been hit by lightning as he looked at me nervously and asked, "What else do you need from us?"
I smiled and said, "If you will live in my realm, you have to pay rent which will be in the form of voluntary supplying a certain amount of mana each month to support the world tree. You'll also have to help me out with completing my mission which requires me to ensure that the bloodlines of different will continue. This is one of the reasons why I am giving you this offer to help you out. You know that I can take that orb by force and you won't be able to do anything about it. I can assure you that no danger will come to your people since your survival is part of my mission. I was just bluffing when I said I will kill everybody and leave only one. Do you agree on both of my conditions?"
Peony was silent and was thinking deeply. He slowly looked up and looked at each of the pale and scared faces of his son's who are trying to get through the barrier. I can clearly hear that they were trying to stop him from making a decision too quickly but too bad, Peony couldn't hear them at all.
After looking at each of his sons for a few seconds, Peony looked at me and said, "As long as you can keep me and my five sons alive, I will agree to all those conditions. As for the others inside this meeting hall, I don't really care about them. They only see me as a breeding tool to ensure that each family maintains control in Zanahavre so they do not deserve my compassion. They never treated me well and I am nothing but a figure-head with an empty title of king in their eyes. These women I call my wives and their families still have the last say in everything but this time, I want to decide for myself and my children."
I turn my head and looked at each of his wives and the elders behind them. The wives simply stared back at me emotionlessly, the elders looked angry while Peony sons were the only ones who still looked panicked for his safety.
Several people were trying to stop his sons from attacking crazily since it is causing havoc and destruction within the meeting room. None of them cared that much that Peony might be in danger. They care more about the possible damage to this building or the said 5 children's bodies. I totally understand why Peony doesn't care about their lives at all.
I looked at Peony seriously and then threw him a storage ring. I then instructed him, "If you have made up your mind to come with me, you can store everything you own in that ring for now. You can't take your house but you can still pack up most of your things in there even living things like plants and anims. The replacement orb is already inside the ring. I am giving you full freedom to only bring those you trust and leave those who are unworthy behind. Tell them I asked you to come with me but don't tell them where you're planning to relocate. Always wear that ring since it will also keep you safe. I will place something pn your sons' bodies to also keep them safe. I will pick you up and your chosen companions in half a month."