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"So how did you find me?" The fifth prince was a handsome young man of Aditya's age and his height. He was a Peak 2nd-order cultivator. He had white hair just like the white dragon king. He had brown pupils and pale white skin that almost made others believe that he was a vampire but in reality he was not.
"Such a silly question. If there is anyone in this continent who can find your location, it has to be me." Aditya replied with a smile.
Presently, The Istarin Emperor and the fifth son of the White Dragon King were sitting in the living room. Aditya's visit surprised and also shocked the fifth prince and his men who were here to protect him. Aditya was almost attacked by the fifth prince's bodyguards. Fortunately, the fifth prince stopped them in time otherwise, Aditya definitely would have killed a few of them.
"I have been keeping a watch on you for a few months. In these 2 and half months, you have been slowly trying to expand your influence from the shadows. You have eliminated the people who could become your obstacle from behind the scenes. I liked the way how you targeted the people from the church. I am very impressed."
"Surely the Istarin Emperor is not here to just praise me for what I have done in the last two and half months' time."
"Haha! Today, I am here to do business. A deal that will benefit both of us. A deal that will help you realize your dreams and A deal that will turn the Istarin Empire into the Northern Frost Dragon Empire's biggest ally and friend. What do you think?"
Hearing Aditya's words, the fifth prince looked very surprised. Even the butler and the dark elf maid standing behind the fifth prince looked very surprised.
After a moment of silence, the fifth prince finally extended his right hand for a handshake. "My name is Jordan. It's nice to meet you." Aditya shook hands with Jordan with a smile. By extending his right hand for a handshake and by introducing himself, Jordan was indirectly telling Aditya that he was interested in this deal.
"It's nice to meet you too."
"So Your Majesty, what exactly have you planned? I would like to know what is your offer." Jordan asked with a smile. Meanwhile, the dark elf standing behind Jordan walked to the kitchen.
"Before that, I would like to ask you a question if you don't mind." Seeing Jordan nodding his head, Aditya went ahead and asked the question.
"Did the death of your father impact you in any way?" There were two main reasons why Aditya had specifically approached Jordan not anyone else. The first reason was the relationship between Jordan and his father. The White Dragon King wasn't exactly a good father to his children. He was a playboy who had 5 wives and many women. It was a known fact that the Emperor has slept with all the beautiful maids that worked in the royal castle.
It was very unlikely that Jordan actually had any feelings for his father. Aditya had killed the White Dragon King. Although no one in the Northern Frost Dragon Empire knew this, there is a chance that in the future this information might get leaked. Even if Jordan learns this he won't do anything to betray Aditya as he has no feelings for his father. Among all of the children of the White Dragon King, Jordan and his young step-sister were the most ignored children. Both Jordan and his young step-sister only saw their father when they both were called to the throne hall.
The second reason Aditya came to Jordan is because of his views against the people of the church. The White Dragon Emperor was a holy magic user. People even called him an archangel mainly because of his handsome appearance and his white wings. In the last 500 years, the White Dragon Emperor has allowed the church to grow in the Northern Frost Dragon empire. After 500 years, the church's influence expanded all over the Empire.
While a few of Jordan's siblings did things to please the Church so that the church would support them to become the next ruler of the Empire, Jordan did the opposite. He was able to see the ever-growing power of the church. Without the White Dragon King, there was no one else that could control the church. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the church indirectly controlled the entire Empire as they had the support of all the citizens and they often portrayed themselves as a spirit of hope to the citizens. The church had the power of the power. They can change public opinion at their will.
In some way, the church had too much soft power. And their soft power was even more threatening than Empire's military. While the Northern Frost Dragon empire can fight against any Empire from outside using its military, the church's soft power had the terrifying ability to turn its own people against its King. The White Dragon King has raised a dog for 500 years. Upon his death, his dog has become the strongest thing in his empire.
The black dragon King had long seen this. So in counter, the black Dragon King had taken strict actions against the church so that the church can never influence the people of his Empire. The Black Dragon King wasn't going to let a religion that have started in his biggest rival and enemy's Empire spread to his empire. After the Istarin empire took over, some people from the church came to Watson to spread their religion in the Istarin Empire. What the church wanted was to brainwash the masses in the name of spreading religion.
Aditya knew that if he let the church enter his Empire, within a few decades, even his standing as the Emperor would be in danger by the church's terrifying power to influence the masses. For example, if he took any steps that were against the church's goals or if his actions indirectly harmed the church, the church could declare Aditya as evil and turn public opinion against him. Many Empires and Kingdoms have fallen because of this.
Under Aditya's orders, a few of the Dragonians beat the members of the church and sent them back to the Northern Frost Dragon Empire. The current existence of the Church in the Dragon Empire is like the existence of a virus with the power to hypnotize people.
After 500 years almost every force within the Empire had submitted to the church. The ones who didn't submit to the church were a few nobles who had seen the true face of the church and had been wanting to reveal the church true face to the citizens of the Empire. Jordan easily gained the support of those nobles as he was also against the church.
"Did the death of your father impact you in any way?" This question could be a very heavy question for some who loved their father but for Jordan, this question was silly. Even though both shared the same blood and were father and son, the relationship between them was very light. Jordan wasn't affected the least when he learned about the death of his father. He didn't even feel a thing. Jordan did not hate that man as he had given him everything. Growing up, the fifth price never felt the need for a father figure as his mother had never let him feel the need for a father.
"Your Majesty, this is a very stupid question. I barely knew who my father was. Why do people expect me to shed tears for a person whom I barely knew? We have very few interactions. The only times we ever talked is when he ordered me to do something as the Emperor." Jordan was slightly angry at the fact that the people around him expected him to mourn for a person whom he barely knew. Yes, that man was his biological father but that man never was a part of his life. Despite living in the same royal castle, Jordan and his father lived a very different life. Both only met at the throne hall; mostly when the Emperor summoned his entire family for an important announcement.
"Unlike of some siblings who shed crocodile tears, I can't do that. I am not good at acting." Jordan was talking about his brothers and sisters who shed fake tears to gain sympathy.
"Your Majesty, now I would like you to answer my questions." Jordan respected Aditya more than he did his own biological father. Aditya has managed to accomplish more than what his father had taken accomplished in 500 years.
"There is no need to be so formal. After this meeting, we will be allies so you can just call me by my name." Jordan just nodded his head. But Jordan's butler looked very surprised hearing this. Since Aditya was letting the fifth prince call him using his name, this showed that Aditya held Jordan in very high regard. Only someone worthy of Aditya's respect would be able to call him by his name.
"I will keep things simple. I will help you out. The Istarin Empire will help you out from the dark. You will be able to deal with the church and your siblings. You will just need to accept my hand." Meanwhile, the dark elf who was Jordan's personal maid returned from the kitchen. She returned with two cups of tea.
"But there is a catch, isn't it?"
"Haha! You caught on quickly. I like that."
"When you become the Emperor, the Istarin and the Northern Frost Dragon Empire will become allies. In exchange for all the help that the Istarin Empire will be providing you from the shadows when you become the Emperor, you will have to give the ownership of three mana stone mines." Jordan, his butler, and his maid, all three widened their eyes in deep shock.
"Giving you three mana stone mines would be the same as crippling our own economy. This entire Empire is dependent on the export of mana stones. If I give you the ownership of three mana stone mines, the Empires will make a huge loss. I apologize but you will have to lower your price. The price is just too big for me to afford."
Nearly 91% of the Empire's earnings came from the sale of Mana stones. Not to mention the tons of gold that the Empire saves from not having to import mana stones from foreign Empires. If Jordan gives the ownership of three mana stone mines to the Istarin Empire, the Empire's earnings will be reduced by 33%.
Aditya fully know that Jordan was going to refuse. "Okay, fine. Just give me ownership of the Rosemire mine." On hearing Aditya's words, Jordan and his butler looked at each other and nodded their heads.
"Alright." Seeing Jordan agreeing so easily, Aditya inwardly grinned as his plan had worked. Aditya wasn't going to get involved in the mess of the Northern Frost dragon Empire for no reason. The Rosemire mine was the third largest mana stone mine in the Northern Frost Dragon Empire. Or at least that's what the public and most of the people believed. Even though the Rosemire mine is the third-biggest mine, in terms of size, it was comparable to the second-largest mine.
Aditya has been after the Rosemire mine from the beginning. Of course, he wasn't going to demand the Rosemire mine from the beginning. He instead asked for three mines. Jordan had the option of giving any three mines to Aditya; as Aditya never specifically asked which mines he wanted, Jordan could have given him three small mines. Jordan failed to realize that from the beginning he had fallen under Aditya's scheme.
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