Naturally, Damien wasn't going to give Matthias an entire cardinal region. It was stupid for him to even consider doing so.
Having sovereignty over a cardinal region came hand in hand with power. The reason the eight great clans were able to maintain their status without competitors for millions of years was precisely because of their status.
The resources they had access to, whether from the environment or the people, were monstrous. That went without even mentioning secret realms and the likes which would become the sovereign's property.
Those who served a great clan would gain benefits unlike any other, therefore, they'd always be the main choice for anyone who wanted to be someone, which meant geniuses would gravitate towards them without considering others first.
No matter what, Damien was keeping the regions he conquered.
The Kyushu Federation wasn't an influence that really craved land or power, but they did crave resources.
What Damien offered wasn't a one-time transfer of territory that would end instantaneously.
He wanted to make a deal that could last as long as possible, because the Kyushu Federation was loyal to those it had business with.
To make this relationship a stable one, Damien hatched an idea.
The Kyushu Federation would have priority bidding rights and discounted prices on any resources coming out of the regions Void Palace ruled.
In return, the Kyushu Federation would treat Void Palace as its proper ally like Veritas did.
Damien didn't skimp on the definition of an ally either. He made certain the Kyushu Federation couldn't just maintain a guise of cooperation without doing anything.
It wasn't an uneven contract despite how it looked.
Priority rights to any and all resources produced by a region was big. With the variety across a cardinal region and their unique environments that bred different resources, each and every great clan could create an economic situation that allowed them to passively maintain income that outweighed their spending at any time.
They could infinitely become wealthier as long as they maintained their positions.
Void Palace also used its resources for commercial benefit, but it didn't actually have a need to rely on them. The palace didn't dabble in anything that required them to purchase resources from foreign sources, nor did they need the resources in their own territory.
They had their own unique methods to do a lot of things others couldn't even dream of, including an entire clan specialized in the law of Creation.
Therefore, whether it be spending on architecture, medicine, or even the training of their disciples, Void Palace was able to do it without spending too much money.
Nevertheless, If the Kyushu Federation could obtain those same resources without spending as much money and while gaining far more in the process, it would be an amazing deal for them.
Especially if Void Palace went on to conquer the Northern Region as well.
But that was the crux of it all.
"For this deal to even begin to work, you have to win the wars you are planning to start."
Matthias pointed it out. He was definitely interested in the proposal, but it was prospective in nature. Unless Void Palace could do as much as Damien said they could, none of it mattered.
"Let me correct you on one thing," Damien replied, aware of his thoughts.
"This war was not started by us. We're just reciprocating the treatment that was given to us all this time."
It might've been a small detail to others, but it really wasn't at all.
The Divine Order and Straea Clan were not stopped by anyone, but everyone was aware of what they were doing.
It had been years.
Therefore, no matter what Void Palace did, nobody was allowed to stop them.
'He didn't come here to make a deal.'
He did, but he didn't.
The deal he planned to make was never meant to be made today.
'No, this is more like…a warning?'
Matthias glanced into Damien's eyes in amusement.
'This boy is quite fierce.'
He was aware of what his people had done. He was the one who ordered it done in the first place.
Damien came here to tell the Kyushu Federation to move their borders back and wait.
The Divine Order would be an example of what happened when someone didn't listen to their warning, and the Straea Clan…
'...it seems he already has an advantage against the order, however, the Straea Clan is not on the same level.'
He was well aware of the differences between the eight great clans.
They weren't nearly on the same scale of power.
Some were weaker, like the Divine Order, and some…
Some were unimaginable even in Damien's current worldview.
The Straea Clan wasn't that great, but they were nearing that level.
Frankly, Matthias couldn't see how Damien planned to defeat them.
'But I'm interested.'
His senses had been tingling from the moment Damien walked into the room.
This man smelled of money.
This was an opportunity for him, as declared by the very senses he'd never doubted even once in his life.
They allowed him to reach his current position by making bold moves nobody else was willing to make and capitalizing on them.
So why would he suddenly stop believing in them now?
"Very well."
He grinned.
He felt like he was getting scammed, but it felt oddly good for some reason.
"We'll relinquish your territory back to you and wait, but if you don't show us something worthwhile…"
"Don't even mention it. There's no point in talking about something that isn't possible."
"Hahaha! I like your attitude."
Matthias laughed happily.
He got the feeling that he'd met someone just like himself, another gambler of fate.
And he was infinitely excited to see what their gambles would amount to.
"Then, I'll leave you to your work. If the deal you proposed earlier is real, then our Kyushu Federation will happily accept it."
Damien smiled and nodded.
"Just keep watching. When it's all said and done, I'll come back and show it to you again. For real, this time."
The two men shook hands and parted ways. While Matthias stayed in his office, Damien used the elevator to return to the ground floor, leaving to meet Nikolas.
'Good.'
Damien smiled.
He didn't know if it would work out, but it seemed he used the right approach.
He'd heard from Nikolas that Matthias Quincy was a huge gambler, and taking that into account, he made a gamble himself.
He placed his bets on Matthias being entertained by his threats rather than offended, and the payout was just as he'd hoped.
Damien stayed in the Southeastern Region for a few more days, over which he already began to hear news about the borders retreating.
And after just a bit of sightseeing, he made his way back home.
At this point, over a hundred years had passed in the sealed-off main palace.
The people there were still the same in soul, but if anyone who witnessed them before the palace was sealed saw them now, they'd be hard-pressed to hold the same opinion.
Void Palace itself had changed.
They were no longer turtles hiding in their shells.
After a ruthless century, they'd become predators.
And the time had come for them to hunt.
