"First of all why don't we start off with the basics? Let's introduce ourselves. I am the Storm Dragon King of Thera Kingdom, Charles."
"I am the King of the Nyland Kingdom, Mark Vega." Unlike others, Mark Vega was an old man with a white beard and white short hair. Despite looking like 50 years old, King Vega was actually one hundred and fifty-one years. Unlike other kings in this meeting room, Vega's cultivation was the lowest here. He was only a beginner second-order.
"I am the Nepoca King, Ethan Scott." The Nepoca King was a middle age looking man with long black hair. King Ethan was about 6 feet tall and had a slim body. He was a Peak 2nd-order cultivator. Even in the meeting room, he was wearing armors which showed that he was a cautious man and was afraid of Aditya.
"Good. Now that everyone has introduced themselves let's start this meeting." Vega elegantly cut the steak and began eating it. His calmness and relaxed behavior surprised everyone.
Since King Vega of Nyland was eating without any fear of poison, Aditya also started eating. He took a sip of the red wine and then ate the fried chicken.
King Charles also relaxed and started eating. Only King Ethan didn't start eating. It's not that he did not want to eat, it's just that he wasn't in the mood of eating when he was in front of the Nyland King and the Istarin King.
In the past, there was a time when the Nyland and Nepoca Kingdoms almost went to war because of some disagreements. But later, Ethan's late father realized his mistake and apologized to the Nyland King which prevented the war between the two Kingdoms.
"Ethan, I have to say that I am disappointed." King Vega gulped down the wine and looked at Ethan whose face looked very ugly.
"Your father, the late King of the Nepoca Kingdom was a wise man. Under his rule, the Nepoca Kingdom reached its peak. The Kingdom surpassed the Zulux Dynasty in power and became the second strongest Kingdom in this part of the continent."
"Unfortunately, you were not capable enough. You could not hold on to your father's glory. Instead, under your ruler, the Kingdom's condition has been worsening. The military power has drastically decreased. Corruption level has increased and the common people are suffering."
Unable to hold his anger anymore, Ethan glared at old man Vega and shouted in loud voice. "Who are you to lecture me? I know how I should rule my Kingdom. I don't need others to teach me how to become a wise king."
If Vega was in his younger days, then the very instance Ethan had said those words, his head would have fallen to the ground. However, Vega was the oldest here. He simply ignored the words of Ethan and continued to eat.
After a while, Ethan calmed down and realized what he had just done. While everyone calmly ate, Ethan started sweating as he had insulted the Nyland King in front of other Kingdom kings.
"Your Majesty, I apologize I lost my calm there." Without caring about his image, Ethan stood up and bowed his head in apology. If he hesitated now and refused to apologize his Kingdom won't exist anymore. As offending the Nyland Kingdom was like inviting death itself.
"Apology accepted. But do remember that there will never be the next time. I may have become old but I have the power to rip off your head." Ethan's entire body slightly trembled when he heard those threatening words.
While this was happening, Aditya simply smiled and shook his head. He now understood why the Nepoca Kingdom has been in decline.
"Now, King Aditya, state your conditions for releasing my Duke."
Aditya stopped eating. He calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin and then looked at Ethan. Just a simple look made Ethan nervous. Aditya was too calm in his meeting. Even though he was less than 20 years old, he was very calm and mature.
"I don't want too many things."
"What do you want? Gold, wealth or artifact or troops, or siege weapons. I heard that the Istarin Kingdom is lacking in siege weapons." Ethan said the last part in mockery.
"What would I do with gold? I have enough artifacts in my royal treasury. I don't need your trashy artifacts. As for troops, King Ethan in case you forgot, out of one hundred and ten thousand troops that you previously had, you already have lost fifty thousand. You barely have enough troops to guard your territory yet you want to offer me, troops, as ransom." Aditya chuckled as he picked up the wine glass.
King Charles was listening to their conversation while King Vega was listening while eating. He ate like a hungry beast who hasn't eaten for months. He looked simply too busy eating. "I love this curry."
"Then what do you want? Don't play around." Ethan was becoming impatient.
"Simple, I want all of Duke Easton's territory."
"What?"
"No. Impossible."
King Charles and King Vega looked at each other in surprise and in shock. Both kings weren't expecting the Dragon King's ambition to be this high.
Duke Easton's territory was on the Istarin Kingdom's borders. If Aditya takes the Duke's territory then he would have 1/5 of the Nepoca Kingdom's total territory.
"Aditya, don't go too far. I am ready to give you any amount you ask for. But if you want Duke Easton's territory, then there is no point in continuing this meeting anymore." Aditya simply smiled as he looked at the little bit of wine remaining inside the glass. While everyone was shocked, Aditya was calmly playing his move. Without realizing he was getting under the enemy King's skin.
"You killed 50,000 of our troops. Not even a single of your troops survived in that fight. If that wasn't enough, now you even dare ask for territory. Where is the justice in that? King Vega, I ask for justice."
"Hehehe!" Aditya smiled as he looked at Ethan.
Seeing those red glowing eyes, Ethan had a bad feeling in his heart.
King Vega stayed silent as he looked at Aditya. "Before this whole war started, you increased the food price making countless people of our Kingdom suffer. When the war with the Zulux Dynasty began, you cut off the food supplies. When he tried to build our port city to start trading, your Kingdom threatened us with military power."
"When the war began, you even sent spies to my Kingdom. Did you really think that I wouldn't know about it? When we asked for an alliance, you never answered my calls. When I and my Kingdom was in one of the most important phases of this war, you decided to invade my territory with 50,000 troops." Aditya paused for a second and looked at King Vega and King Charles.
"From your point of view, I am the villain. And from my perspective, you're the bad guy here. This is simply just two sides of a coin. In war, there is no such thing as right and wrong."
"If you're Kingdom had succeeded in the invasion, then my Kingdom would fall. So stop pretending to be the victim when you're the real attacker." At this point, Ethan's face had turned red from embarrassment and anger. He did not dare look at King Vega and King Charles.
"I can change my demands and ask for something else. If you can't give me Duke Easton's territory I want the ownership of Eastern river city, Ancefield city, and Baymouth Piers city." Hearing the name of the three cities, King Vega and King Charles couldn't help but feel a little pity for Ethan. Meanwhile, Ethan's face simply turned pale as he heard the names of these three cities.
"No way." The Eastern river city, Ancefield city, and Baymouth Piers city, all three cities were important port cities that connected the Nepoca Kingdom to the sea. 80 percent of the Kingdom's whole earnings came from these three cities. Giving up these three cities would be the same as killing the Nepoca Kingdom from the inside out.
Unlike other Kingdoms, the Nepoca Kingdom only had one gold mine. Most of the Kingdom's earnings came from trading. The Kingdom bought food and other necessary items from the merchant that came to their port cities and re-sold these items at a higher price.
"Your both options have been denied. I cannot give up Duke Easton's territory nor I can give my Eastern river city, Ancefield city, and Baymouth Piers city." Ethan's mind was in chaos. Eastern river city, Ancefield city, and Baymouth Piers city were extremely important to his Kingdom, even more, important than Duke Easton's territory.
"That's not how things work King Ethan. You either give me Duke Easton's territory or give me the three cities or you can go back, prepare your army and wait for the Istarin Kingdom to completely take over the whole Kingdom." This is where the meeting got most serious. Aditya has managed to push King Ethan to the corner by demanding something this big.
Among all the Dukes in the Nepoca Kingdom, Duke Easton controlled the largest territory. With the Istarin Kingdom constantly expanding its territory to the Silver Meadow grove and after taking over the Zulux Dynasty, the current Istarin Kingdom was almost big as the Kingdom of Nyland. On top of that, if they managed to get Duke Easton's territory, The Nepoca Kingdom simply won't stand a chance.
Listening to Aditya's direct warning, Ethan's face turned pale. "At most, it would take his Majesty one week. By then the whole Nepoca Kingdom would fall in our hands. We simply could have attacked back after defeating the force of 50,000. But we didn't. His Majesty was kind enough to call for this meeting yet you're disrespecting his kindness." Watson's words added more pressure on King Ethan.
