Day 20 in Integration

Sitting under the umbrella at a comfortable pillow, Will was nervously observing surroundings expecting that at any minute there could be an ambush. Contradictory to him Tao who was sitting opposite to him was looking relaxed as if he came for a picnic.

It was Tao who first broke the silence.

-Lord Kondor you look bad, is everything alright?

“I look bad because of you!”

-Don’t worry I just tired because of the constant battles that I and my army experienced.

Answered Will calmly, despite cursing Tao inside.

-Lord Kondor I don’t understand why there need for violence if we all can live in peace and prosperity.

Will answered with words that are very unlike his normal worldview.

-Strong devours weak, it is the most ancient rule of the world there no need to question it.

Tao’s smile broke.

-But what about the blood that will be shed in the process? Is it okay if because of the ambition of one man countless innocent lives will be lost?

Said Tao with an emotional voice that is on the verge of cracking.

“It is just a game why you are making this that difficult”

Will felt a little uncomfortable but he knew that all he was doing was playing a game. If he would worry for every NPC he wouldn’t be able to play Integration.

-If innocent lives are that important for you then why won’t you surrender? I promise to treat your people just like my own.

Tao returned his smile and with a light tone as if he didn’t just make that emotional speech said.

-Then how about we would discuss conditions?

Said Tao and pulled out the yellow paper.

-This is a magical contract, after singing this contract both sides can’t break conditions that were written.

Will need a second to recover after Tao’s sudden change.

“Was he… Just acting when talking about innocent lives?”

-Lord Kondor?

Coming back to senses after Tao’s question, Will answered with ire.

-My conditions are very simple you would completely surrender and I would spare your life.

-Hahaha… Lord Kondor, you are a very funny person. How about this, we would pay you taxes with resources every month and in return, you would protect us.

This time it was Will who insincerely laughed.

-HAHAHA… Oh god, I didn’t laugh that hard in many years, you are much funnier than me mister Tao.

After looking at each other eyes for a few seconds as if competing on who would break eye contact first, feeling that his ultimatum was a little unreasonable, Will suggested.

-It looks like at this rate we’ll never come to an agreement. How about you make your suggestion and I would say if this is negotiable.

Tao didn’t think too much.

-We want complete autonomy, my lord should remain ruler of this village and if this condition won’t be accepted then this is the end of negotiations.

Look in Tao’s face was saying that in this matter he won’t make concessions.

Will looked at the village that was behind Tao.

“It is hard to admit but their village looking much better”

Contradictory to Will’s village that was looking like a complete mess with homes built anywhere and anyway, this village was looking very beautiful with neatly arranged practically identical houses.

After conquering this place Will wanted to make here his capital.

"Nobody said that I would get everything I want"  

-Mister Tao, your village is looking very beautiful.

Bewildered by sudden praise Tao awkwardly answered.

-Thank you for your kind words.

-It looks like you have a pretty good architect.

-My lord is a very good architect, it is thanks to him our village looking that good.

Said Tao almost radiating pride.

Will chuckled at the sudden change in Tao’s attitude.

“Looks like he truly loves and respects his lord”

After thinking for a little bit, Will put forward his conditions.

-I can agree to your autonomy but you have to give half of all your resources including weapons and all animals…

Tao’s eyebrows twitched but he continued listening.

-Give half of your present population and every week send 35 people to my village.

Tao’s smile completely vanished.

-First half of the population that you would send has to include all your weapon and armor production-related class owners, construction-related class owners, and all your combat class owners including hunters, and their families.

Tao wanted to object but Will gestured with the hand that he didn’t finish.

-And Lord Zachberg would come to my village.

-It is some ridiculous condition that you have there.

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Said Tao without even bothering to cover his hostility.

-If you want to have complete autonomy then all conditions that I listed are non-negotiable.

Tao answered irritated.

-Lord Kondor if you want war then why you even bothered to come here?

Gathering determination, Will said.

-The only reason I am even giving you an opportunity to have autonomy is because I don’t want to waste lives. In the long term war definitely would’ve been a much better solution for me, even if I would need to kill everyone in your village after 20 days losses would be covered, needless to talk about the benefits of getting all your resources.

-Even if you will win, it’ll cost you many lives.

Said Tao half-heartedly.

-Maybe, but it’s worth it. Just think about my conditions for a little bit, they are not that bad.

After few minutes of pondering in silence, Tao looked calmed down.

“I can’t understand was he irritated for real or this was acting too”

As Will was observing him, Tao said.

-Lord Kondor, I can agree with giving half of our current resources but about other terms… Khm…

After clearing his throat, Tao continued.

Firstly, we can’t give you half of our population not now and not in the near future because our village would be under threat if we do. You may not know this but not too far away is bandit lair and…

Will interrupted Tao.

-I know about bandit lair, we recently encountered and killed a bunch of them so I am pretty sure that they would come for revenge. Unfortunately, your village is much nearer to them than mine so I fear that they would think it was you who attacked them. And believe me, when they will come even if you by some miracle would survive, casualties would be devastating.

Will a little bit exaggerated threat of bandits, but even if Tao don’t fully believe him, bandits were a big threat and it can’t be denied.

-So you hint that if we would agree to your conditions you would be able to protect us?

-If you would build a fort for my army and provide food then I could place them here.

Will already wanted to build a fort between his village and bandit lier so his village won’t suffer because of battle, and even if the fort won’t be able to stop bandits then Will would at least know that bandits were coming. Now when there is such an opportunity to force somebody else to make a fort for him and even feed his army, needless to say about the benefits of having an army to keep in check this village that can become a potential enemy, he would gladly take this opportunity.

-Building a fort would take time.

-I am sure with your experience you would quickly handle it.

Said Will looking at a beautifully built village.

After discussion of some more details about the fort and army that would be placed there, Tao moved to the next topic.

-Lord Kondor, I can understand that you want to suppress our possible resistance by taking combatants and military gear production classes so I will give up here, but we can’t give you hunters. Without them, our food supplies would be greatly reduced and we would starve.

Said Tao with a pathetic tone.

-Mister Tao, even if you somehow would spend all your food then you always could buy more from auction, and if you don’t want to buy from auction then you could always trade with us. We would gladly trade food for building materials which looks like you have in abundance.

Will from the beginning noticed that their village was built not from normal wood like he had in his storage. They were using something like, slightly shining red wood. Knowing that their lord was a good architect Will added two and two and came to the conclusion that Nigel got as a reward from trials some special building that was producing that wood or something alike.

-Lord Kondor, you are not going to compromises at all...

Said Tao with a sigh.

-Okay, I would agree to this too, but about taking my lord…

-You don’t have to worry I don’t have any ill intention. The reason why I want Lord Zachberg to be near me because of his talents as an architect, I would guarantee his safety… Of course, as long as he does not make any hostile action against me.

-If my lord would be in your service then you have to give him the highest possible rank so he would be the second most important person after you.

-I would give him one of the most high-ranking positions where he would be just below me. Deal?

-…Deal.

With this, the main part of negotiations was over and the time came for small details as what make with resources that don’t split to two, or if one livestock had just one female to whom she should go and alike.

-Lord Kondor, we would like to take 8 armed horses from you. If this is possible half males and half females.

-Unfortunately, I have too few horses so I can’t share them.

-Don’t reject so quickly, in exchange we would give you information about the location of two places that you would like to know.

-Go on.

-First is the location of the native human tribe…

Will quickly interrupted Tao.

If you are talking about the tribe that is in the east and has a population of about 250, we already know about them.

Tao looked disappointed but continued.

-Second place is the location of the horse herd, there more than 100 of them.

-If you know this then why won’t you catch horses for yourself?

Tao shrugged.

-Unfortunately, it is not that easy as it sounds. This horses is very fast so it is very hard to catch them and even when we sneaked to them and caught one with ropes, that horse easily broke out.

To the head of Will immediately came nets with which bandits kidnapped tribesmen.

“They looked pretty strong, maybe with them we would be able to catch these horses”

Barely holding back excitement, Will said.

-I am interested in the location of horses, but considering that I already know about the tribe I will give you just 4 armed horses.

-How about 8 horses but without armor?

-I can give you just 6.

-Deal.

When there was nothing left to discuss, both sides agreed to meet again after half an hour to sign the contract and went back.

When Will came up to the army, Sadar who was waiting at the front with Tonra, immediately asked.

-So how did everything go?

-You know, everything went pretty good… Maybe even too good… Sadar what do you think is Tao someone with whom is easy to deal?

Seeing the confusion in Sadar’s eyes Will knew the answer.

“No, he doesn’t look like somebody who would that easy make concessions, then… Why has he gone easy on me? Was my first impression about him too exaggerated or… There something else?”

-Sadar, you would come with me when I would go to sign the contract.

-I would gladly go with you but... Didn’t you say that you can’t take with you somebody as long as the opposite side came alone?

-Tao doesn’t have the right to sign the contract, so he will come with mysterious lord Zachberg.

-Can I take a weapon?

-Can’t you deal with them without a weapon?

Said Will teasingly.

-Of course I can. I just was afraid that if I won’t take a weapon you would be scared.

Will and Sadar looked at each other for a second and chuckled.

This time it was Will and Sadar who first came to the place of negotiations.

As Will was nervously waiting, he saw how from the village were coming two silhouettes, one was Tao and next to him was as Will suggested Lord Zachberg.

Nigel Zachberg was a blond man with blue eyes, he was like one of those popular guys in school with his confident smile and relaxed posture.

-Lord Kondor this is my lord, Lord Zachberg.

Lord Zachberg with a smile raised his hand for a handshake and Will automatically answered to him.

-Nice to meet you, my name is Nigel Zachberg. It looks like from now on we would pla… sorry, work together so call me just Nigel.

-My lord!

-Don’t make such a face Tao, I am sure me and… was it Sargon? I am pretty sure that I and Sargon will get along.

Said Nigel with a wink.

Will was surprised by the friendliness of the opposite side. He expected some ire and hostility considering that Will came here as a conqueror.

“Indeed, for players it is just a game so they won’t take things like that too close to the heart”

-Nice to meet you too, Lord Nigel. It would be a pleasure to work with you.

Said Will with a smile

The procedure of making a contract was weird, Will and Nigel had to place their hands to contract while Tao was saying conditions and say “I agree”. After every agreement, the contract filled by itself, and when the contract didn’t filled it meant that some detail was missed.

-Magical contract is reading what you think when listening conditions, when both of you imagine the same thing and agree to that, contract filling itself. For example, if there would’ve been some kind of ambiguity that you interpreted differently then the contract won’t fill itself.

Tao kindly explained to two lords as if they are children who don’t have any common sense.

When every detail has been negotiated and all conditions were filled, Will and Nigel signed the contract.

For a second contract shone dazzlingly and in place of one contract appeared two.

-For cancelation of contract, both copies have to be destroyed.

Said Tao throwing a quick glance at Will.

One of the conditions that were automatically filled by contract was that both sides can’t attempt to destroy the contract of the opposite side by force. It was one of the conditions that magical contracts always put by themselves if some other security measure wasn’t discussed.

Considering that it wasn’t easy to organize the movement of that many people and resources, it was decided to set out in the morning of the next day.

Nigel kindly offered for Will and his army to spend the night in their village, but don’t entirely trusting them Will refused referring to the fact that villagers can be scared because of their presence.

“In the end, they didn’t tried to undertake any hostile action. Am I too distrustful?”