“That’s insane!” Drim slumped back in his seat in disbelief. “It was obvious that they were pushing their control, that they’d target Last Bastion eventually, but I never would have guessed like this. You said this was public information, right? There’s no way the rest of the world won’t find out about this. Hell, if it’s open conflict, then countries will be sending hundreds or thousands of soldiers, maybe even their entire armies. How can this be allowed to happen?!”
“The Central Peace held a vote…” Harth leaned forward in his seat, resting his face into his laced fingers, clearly sharing his nephew’s disgust. “After the bounty was revealed, the Representatives held countless sessions, and had several rounds of voting as to whether they would abide by its terms. It eventually won by a 53% majority.”
“Wait, if the bounty has been known for about a week now, or even assuming that the CP vote just happened. Why hasn’t there been any movement?” Phon jumped in. “If the prize is as luxurious as you’re leading on, you’d think that the attacks would have already begun.”
“That was part of the conditions that finally allowed the vote to pass,” Harth added. “The critical one is that no action may be taken against Bastion in any form until the Kazji induction is complete, thus actually making it the official final nation. This will occur in two days at exactly [400]. Any attack or invasion before then would be seen as treason against the Central Peace.”
“Another condition was that the leaders of Bastion had to be made aware of these exact circumstances to be given time to evacuate or respond to the terms, which they were as of yesterday. However, there’s also been no movement on their end; no evacuations, no attempts to surrender or plead for their lives.”
“I’ll add to your question, Drazah,” The Warden chimed in. “The reason this is being allowed to happen is because it is Last Bastion. I’d like to believe that if it were any other nation, this travesty wouldn’t even be suggested. But given Bastion’s reputation, a lot of people would prefer it didn’t exist, and even more would feel like they were just casually wiping away a stain on humanity.”
“And if it were just those rich bastards living in their haven at risk, then I could probably sleep at night. But they’re not taking into account everyone else, all those who work as servants for the mawhgers and are just doing their jobs. They suffer Last Bastion in hopes that they can earn their own fortunes and escape as quickly as possible to better lives. Not just to the elite, but to those with nowhere else to turn, that country is often seen as their last hope.”
“If nothing is done, they’ll all be killed and their lives written off as a political triumph. That would not be a Central Peace I could stomach serving any longer. Things have already gotten out of hand, and will only get worse if they’re allowed to do this. It’s beyond me to comprehend how anyone can justify this as good for the world. So I’ll do my part, what I believe in, to protect it.”
“As will I,” Harth affirmed. “When we are done here, I’ll be headed straight to Last Bastion along with a group of Central Peace Directors, including the Head of the Treasury Department and the PostMaster General who you know. One of their leaders has agreed to meet with us, and we’ll do everything in our power to do the sensible thing and get them to join the CP.”
“None of us have any political ties, which is why we’re allowed to attempt this in the first place. No politicians are allowed to make contact before the two day grace period, though I’m sure many have anyways to try and get a jump start on a potential treaty. Assuming we can break through their stubbornness, and they agree to join, we will work tirelessly to get them inducted before their country can be destroyed.”
“As you can see with Kazji, the standard onboarding process takes ten days time. We’ll try to get it done in three. I can’t see it being completed any faster than that. That still of course brings us over the two day deadline, and there’s no way the rest of the world will just sit around and wait. We’ve already had our pleas fall on deaf ears.”
“Finally, that brings us to why we’re here. Last Bastion has no proper military to speak of. There is a hired retinue of guards that patrols the city, but they do nothing more than keep out those that don’t belong. They have no contractual obligation to actually defend the country in a time of war. Hell, they won’t even stop a crime they see right before their eyes if it has nothing to do with their employer.”
“A few of the citizens have their own private armies or bands of mercenaries on retainer, but they can’t be relied on against something of this scale. Bastion may as well have an open front door. That is why, while we work to secure their future, we are requesting that the Fiends For Hire defend the city. We’re not expecting you to fully stop the invasion, or to defeat every army that comes. All that we ask is to buy us some time. Hopefully it will be no more than a day.”
“Wow, uncle, if you weren’t family I’d laugh you out of the room,” Phon adjusted anxiously in her seat. “You’re asking us, a group of no more than a handful, to face off against the entire world—putting our lives on the line for insufferable asshats that most believe would be better off dead.”
“Yes, that about sums it up,” Harth put a bow on his ludicrous request. “Maybe I’m biased as your uncle, but I believe that you are more than capable enough to take this on, and there is no one I would trust more. Though there is another reason why we’ve specifically seeked you out for help.”
“We need to give them a common enemy,” The Warden took over. “Think about it for a moment. If the prize is worth destroying a nation over, what else would they do? Would they really let someone else beat them to it so easily? If anything, the lands outside Bastion’s walls will turn into a massive gravesite before a single drop of Bastard blood is spilled. At worst, it could lead to a new world war.”
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
“But if they’re so distracted fighting against the Fiends For Hire, then that drastically reduces the odds that they would turn against each other. Also, just having you there should hopefully act as a deterrent against some of the countries with smaller militaries. Hopefully they’re smart enough to not send their soldiers up against Fiends to be slaughtered.”
“That does bring up one of my biggest questions,” Drim had been running the circumstances through his head without pause. “How big of a force are we talking about here? I have to assume not every country is participating in this. Do we have a count or general guess of those that will be?”
“I can’t tell you most of who will be attacking,” Harth answered honestly. “We can only tell you those that for certain won’t be. And they’re the ones who signed on for this request.”
“However… we can confirm one country that has made their intentions clear. We heard it straight from the Representative's mouth. Our group had tried to get him on our side, since that would have been a major boost to our standing on the matter. But he told us plain and clear that he’d be abstaining from any input in the discussion since Horage had already decided to participate.”
“Tch, damn,” Phon clicked her tongue. “If we’re going up against Horage then all of the other countries may as well not be a factor. They have the largest military in the world by several magnitudes.”
“Yes they do,” their uncle agreed. “However, since it is so large, our hope is that they won’t be able to fully mobilize in time. Either they’d send only part of their force right away, or only be able to attack once we’ve already completed the induction process. That is the main reason we’re trying to get this done in under three days. But they could always surprise us too.”
“What about the CP military?” Drim inquired.
“It’s complicated,” The Warden scowled. “For now, they’ve been ordered to stand down. In no way can they act in defense of Last Bastion since it’s CP member nations that will be attacking. However, they also aren’t allowed to participate in the invasion. That said, you may still see some hidden among the other armies at the behest of their original countries. Feel free to not hold back against them, since they’d be breaking our rules at that point.”
“But… I should say that the military will actually be on standby. If our faction is successful, and Bastion is made a member, then our army will be immediately deployed in their defense. Though we’ll obviously be spreading the word and ordering the other countries to stand down as soon as the final paper is signed. Since Last Bastion is about as far away from the CP as you can get, they’d only arrive after everyone else has retreated. This is assuming that no nations go rogue and actually follow the edicts.”
“And just from my own investigative efforts, I will say that you should expect some Fiends. A few Reps have been boasting lately that their countries had recruited some. I doubt it will be an amount that could rival either your group or the CP, but as we all know, a single Fiend’s power could turn the tide in any war.”
“So what do we get out of all this?” Phon got down to business.
“What do you want?” Without pause, The Warden jumped into negotiations with her.
But Drim interjected before it could go any further. “Nothing! We want nothing. Consider the information you’ve already given us as payment enough. We accept this job, but I only speak on our own behalf. If any of our members don’t want to participate, we won’t force them to put their lives on the line.”
“Though even if it’s just Phon and I, we will protect Last Bastion for as long as we can, if nothing more than to ensure our uncle’s safety while he’s there. Do you agree, Phon?”
“Yeah, I guess I’ve got no choice,” she merely shrugged. “Someone has to keep the stupid men of this family from getting themselves killed. But I’ll counter with a condition of my own, Drim. We won’t be holding back. This is real war. If we restrain ourselves to try and keep casualties to a minimum, then we’re only increasing our own chances of failure, and putting unnecessary risk on our group.”
“No, I agree completely,” Drim surprised her. “We will give everything without restraint. The politicians have made their choice, and their choice will have consequences. I deeply pity the soldiers they will pit against us, and I hope they’ll be smart enough to turn tail and run, that they’ll understand this isn’t a cause worth giving their lives for. Obviously our aim won’t be to kill anyone, just to hold off invaders, but as you said, this is war.”
“Well then, if we’re all in agreement…” The Warden sat their cup back down on the table and stood up. “Since I’m no longer part of this, I will return to headquarters and do what I can on my end.”
But unexpectedly, they didn’t head to the door to leave. Instead, they took a few quick quick steps towards Mallea who had been standing stoically off to the side this entire time, barely reacting to any of the words that had been said. She was caught off-guard by the quick approach and her eyes shot open in surprise when The Warden grabbed her face.
“So you really don’t remember…” the artificial human stared into Mallea’s quivering eyes. “Then that’s that then.” The Warden let go of her face and headed to the exit. “Enjoy a few moments with your family, Harth, but don’t dally. There’s too much at stake. Farewell, Drazahs. I hope if we meet again, it is in a more public and official capacity.” They then turned to Mallea one last time. “And farewell, sister.”
With The Warden gone, the Drazahs did enjoy a brief family reunion, though the conversation wasn’t as light-hearted as any of them would have liked. Instead, they spent a few minutes discussing a few more specifics of the operation. When it was time to send their uncle off, they also gave him a parting gift to help him in his endeavor.
In the Bastard Nation, Victori’s voice rang in their ears. “To the leaders, citizenry, and employees of Last Bastion, your lives are in grave danger. In two days time, your country will be met with forces you can’t hope to withstand on your own. Forget your pride, your stubbornness. Listen to those who come to your aide with an open mind. And do what is right to ensure the safety of your own lives, the lives of those who rely on you, along with all of your worldly possessions.”