Chapter 280 - Secret Meetings with Spies
The last time I heard was that this auction house was doing quite well. Sure enough, the amount I paid to get that slave prince from the fallen kingdom before has given them quite the sum for expansion. I heard that the auctions have increased from once a week to thrice a week now. Today I was lucky since today is the schedule for the first auction for this week. I wonder if I will find anything or anyone interesting for today.
I wore the free mask and black, hooded cloak that they are now providing their guests to hide their gender and identities for security purposes. I can't help but smile since they are really helping me out here. I was given a VIP pass last time I was here so I automatically got one of the VIP rooms at the second floor of the auction which was facing the stage directly.
I waited patiently for the auction to start while I enjoy the complimentary refreshments provided on the house. Once the staff that brought my food left and I was alone in the room, I called for Void so we can speak more about the updates he had and the new tasks that I have for him. Within a minute, he appeared kneeling in front of me in a respectful manner.
I greeted him and asked him to rise then sit comfortably beside me instead. He followed my instructions quickly and started giving his report without me having to ask for it.
He started his brief report from Zanahavre and how the current king of fairies, Peony has been managing his upcoming departure from the current sanctuary he is in. It seems that his conviction about leaving for a better place got him more supporters and believers who are willing to move out together with him. Most of them, as expected, were regular citizens and not part of the nobles' faction where his five wives belong to.
Just as I thought, all of Peony's sons decided to leave their respective maternal families to follow wherever their father may be going. We all know their reason for doing so quite clearly. I may or may have purposely took their first born children also known as Peony's grandchildren as hostages. I am not asking anything from them since I can perfectly raise my children on my own but as father's they would definitely go where their children are to try and convince me to accept their help in raising them. Honestly, I only need their essences to nourish the children and nothing else.
I don't have much feelings for those fairies and I am simply doing this as part of my mission. Those life orbs are still my children though so I will love them and take care of them just the same as my children with my husbands. I don't think men would let other men raise their children or have them born and grow up far from them. I may have created more problems than solutions but again, let the future me take care of the future problems.
His next report covers the updates from his own sanctuary, Aeterdumnox. He excitedly shared the positive feedback from the side of the dark elves regarding the possible move to the new world tree realm. I gave him permission to discuss the rules to his people in advance regarding the "rent" which is the same thing I asked from Peony. None of the dark elves opposed the idea at all.
As for the side of the blood demons, he chuckled as he shared that right after stepping foot to their side of the territory, he was attacked by their prince for smelling like "his wife". He laughed out loud this time and told me that he teased the short-tempered and childish prince even more by saying that he was just intimate with me earlier. He even taunted the guy about not being able to do anything about it even if he did not like it. I smiled and shook my head at Void calling somebody else childish when he is just the same.
He coughed when he noticed that he was being too comfortable and forced himself to look serious again. He continued his report and said that on the side of the blood demons, the king has shown his interest in my offer but with his pride which was high as the skies, he refuses to get the help without paying something in return. He discussed the "rent" with them which the king agreed on but the old guy still insists that I, as the landlady, should ask for something else from their race in exchange.
I laughed a bit and looked at Void meaningfully. He looked stunned but he waited for me to speak. I shook my head and told him, "His son has technically given me the payment of about a year's worth of rent for their whole race back in Arista. They can technically move anytime they feel like it."
He looked at me and rolled his eyes. He then gave him own sarcastic comment on the matter, "You did play with the prince quite roughly back in Arista and you had to think of a story that I need to tell the blood demon king about what happened to his only son. When I saw him, he was full of those red marks and he looked quite empty mana and stamina wise. Wait... Don't tell me... You and him..."
I raised my hand to stop him from saying anything further from that dirty mind of his. I looked into his eyes and responded, "We did not do THAT or whatever you are thinking of. I only took his seed which is now currently incubating into my cute baby blood demon children as we speak and also a huge chunk of his mana and life essences at that time to nourishment my baby as it grows. I also saved that prince from being tainted and enslaved back in Arista and even gave them orbs filled with nourishment for their race so the king should be accepting my terms with no qualms, shouldn't he? Aren't those things enough to exchange for better living conditions for all the members left of their race?"
He shook his head and told me directly, "The king and the prince will never accept using their next of kin as payment even if it means that their whole race will have a better life. Fathers will never allow their children to grow up away from them especially due to the fact that fertility rates are almost non-existent for mystiques. They will never know when the next child will be born so they will never risk losing one that is about to be born in a few months."
I smiled at Void and replied, "If they answer that way, this is what I want you to tell them: "You can't get the both. If you do not agree with my proposition you will lose more." If they ask why, tell them their race will lose the chance to live in the world tree realm forever and they will never see their next of kin in their lifetime so they better choose wisely."
It is kind of bullying on my part but I really need tenants who are going to pay rent and help Laerad maintain the new world tree realm's required mana consumption. I am not one to offer living in the realm that me and my husband built from the ground up as just some form of charity. Based on Laerad's memories, giving stuff to these beings for free resulted to him almost dying due to being overly generous. He shared me what he has learned and that is to never be the weaker one in any agreement or negotiation so here I am taking what I need and setting the terms and conditions. Take it or leave it.
Void sighed at my last instructions but still nodded to show me that he understood them perfectly. He then moved on to the topic by asking me more information about the whisper I have sent him. I smiled at him because it is so easy to talk to him. He focuses on more important things rather than arguing with me.
I leaned back on my chair and looked towards the ceiling. I then spoke in a nonchalant tone, "I want you to check on what is happening in Lyartaim and that separate hellish village they built. I need information like how many and who are being kept inside the village. I also want you to check potentially useful people I can snatch from them, preferably unmarried, of course."
Void stood up and asked, "Is this similar to the operation in Freyheimr? Are you planning to snatch and rescue people again?"
I answered, "I did plan to snatch people but it is more of a rescue mission. You would know what I mean once you infiltrate that hellish village." I touched Void's hand and place a mark of Marahuyo on him. I then continued, "If you think that there are people that need urgent care or help, steal them away and bring them to the sanctuary I have built. Just release your mana on that seal and say "Home" and you will be teleported right outside its borders."