--- On the same day Colin answered his ultimatum, The throne room ---

"What do you mean he sent US an ultimatum!? We were the ones sending!" The emperor shouts out and throws a goblet half-way across the room which is instantly picked up by a maid.

"It seems like he answered our ultimatum with one of his own! His demands are as following: Everything you own! Wait what? It literally says everything you own here... Which means... From the country itself to the tiniest slave you own..." The messenger reads out the ultimatum and everybody in the room is shocked.

The king starts laughing and after a few minutes of him just laughing, he finally says something.

"Send in the military! Crush them under our iron boot! Seize everything they own in the name of the crown!" The emperor orders his advisors.

--- A few days later, Emperor's Throne Room ---

"What... Do you mean... Our military failed? No... What do you mean our military couldn't even get into the cities!?" As last time, the Emperor shouts out and throws another goblet, like it's one of his customs to throw things when mad.

"I mean exactly that. It seems this Colin forsaw our military and had already hired mercenaries and his own guard and had taken over the cities. The city guards didn't even resist, infact one of our generals saw a few city guards helping them. Also sir... The supplies to the Imperial Capital... They've stopped.

We are recieving none in the way of supplies like food and clothes... It seems they've stopped all trade with the Capital itself so we have to do something and fast!" The advisor once more, advises.

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The king thinks for a while.

"Gather all the advisors! This is an emergency!" He suddenly shouts out and starts marching towards the meeting room inside the capital keep.

--- Inside the meeting room, an hour later ---

"We know why we are called here but what do you expect us to do at this point?" The military advisor immediatly starts off the conversation.

"I don't know but that's why you guys are advisors. Advise me. How can we survive this situation with our Empire intact." The Emperor looks around but nobody dares raise their voice.

"Umm... We can just give up?" The financial advisor finally speaks up after a minute or so of pure silence.

"No! That would mean that Colin gets an entire empire! I built this with my two hands and I'm not giving it to some brat who probably doesn't even know the difference between a wyvern and a dragon! He probably hasn't even fought a boar either!" The Emperor shouts out again and all the advisors are silent.

About seven or so minutes later, a messenger comes through the door.

"Sir! It's a message from Colin! It reads as such: 'In two days, my army shall start marching towards the imperial capital. I will take everything you own with force now. Such as you wanted to do with me. Also.... How does it feel, waking up a dragon you didn't even know existed?'. There is nothing more from that point, sire!" The messenger bows and leaves.

The silence grows.

"Papa! What's going on?" Suddenly, a little girl runs out and jumps on the military advisor's lap.

"Ah, Milly. It's nothing, just go back out and play. We're currently thinking about something." The advisor plays around with the girl a little bit before putting her on the ground.

"Papa. If there's a problem, then always go and try to solve it peacefully! Like talking with the problem!" The little girl runs out smiling.

A minute of silence ensues.

"I'm going to go and visit Colin. Maybe he can spare our families. I'll be taking my entire family with me just in case. I don't know what will happen in the Imperial Capital in the three days it will take me to get to the city where Colin is." The military advisor speaks up and then leaves.

Nobody dares stop him as nobody knows of any other solution.