I was a bit ashamed of my childish behaviour but I was just mentally spent after the constant state of war. Once I called all my wives, Eva, Janet, Ban, and my proven board of advisors, we all moved into one of the conference rooms in the Palace. Princess Theresa was sitting across the table with a bit of a shocked face, accompanied by the Captain of her guards and two female knights. While she was calmly explaining the strange weather anomaly that struck her kingdom, I sent Arani and twelve more Storm Eagles to take a look at the situation in her kingdom. The story wasn't particularly long or complicated but it was surely mysterious.
"I'm honestly not sure what could be the reason..." Lavender said once the Princess finished as she turned her head towards me. "However, we should feel such drastic weather changes in Arcadia but this is the first time I have heard about it."
"Don't look at me." I shook my head. "I have no idea what's going on and even less knowledge about the weather. Nevertheless, I would like to hear what you expect me to do, Princess Theresa?"
"While I said that I was sent to ask for help, we understand that what we ask for is a serious expense. This is why we would like to make a deal with Arcadia." She started carefully, but seeing my patience running out, she quickly changed her approach to a more direct and open one. "In exchange for the needed supplies, we will grant you rights to excavate iron ore from one of our unused iron mines."
"Hmmm..." I rubbed my chin. That was a sound offer. No matter how much steel we had, there wasn't enough. "What supplies do you need?"
"We need food and firewood. The help with investigation for the reasons behind the weather anomaly would be appreciated, but that's currently less important." She held her breath as if she expected refusal.
"Mhm." I quickly took a look at Arcadia's supplies and tried not to change my facial expression. After sending aid to Hilgvar and Verksa, our food supplies dwindled. However, I believed it should have been possible to feed the population of Iceleon... "How many people do we need to feed anyway?"
"There were eight hundred seventeen thousand eight hundred fifty-four people accounted for in the census from March of this year." She quickly looked at the paper she had in her hand.
I nodded and closed my eyes. It was nice to see that at least she was prepared for this meeting. I ordered Jasper to make estimations for feeding this many additional people for, at least, the next half of a year. The answer from the Warehouse Master was almost instantaneous. The current supplies won't be enough to sustain the population. However, the current food production was going to be increased in the following months with the subjugation of the additional Dungeons in the Everlight region. There was also an additional Dungeon in the Hilgvar province, on the lands of former Verksa. I internally smiled upon hearing his reply and forwarded it to Freya. If she was going to stick to her plans, we should be able to double or even triple the food production.
I opened my eyes, and making sure to keep my neutral facial expression, I inquired. "What kind of yield from that mine should we expect?"
"I checked the historical data, and it said that before the mine was closed, it produced close to half a ton of iron ore monthly." She replied with a calculated smile.
"Why was it closed then?" I asked calmly so as not to get carried away by excitement. With our industrial equipment and a crew of skilled Dwarven miners, we could easily produce ten times what the Iceleonians believed was the limit.
"There were a lot of reasons." She admitted quickly and confidently. "First and foremost, we lost reliable trade partners when the Kingdom of Berna started conquering the neighboring countries over a century ago. There was no need to excavate that much iron just for ourselves. The Holy Kingdom of Berna tried, many times, to obtain our iron, but we knew they would use it to conquer our Kingdom. Fortunately for us, the Kingdom of Cridia and the Empire of Metaka entered an armed stalemate with Bernans and Iceleon was declared neutral. Unfortunately, the Empire of Metaka and the Kingdom of Cridia had access to many Dungeons so they only bought very small quantities of iron from us."
"Hmmm... So the iron vein wasn't mined out?" I wanted to be sure.
"Absolutely not." She sternly refused and shook her head. "The vein was rich, and the last mine Overseer estimated that production could easily be maintained for the next few decades."
"Vernon?" I looked at my best shot of mining expertise.
Ian, Ragnar, Bjorn, Verni, and Vernon were calmly sitting near my military commanders. The questioned Dwarf thoughtfully rubbed his braided beard and smirked.
"If the vein was not exhausted, we can restore the mine to its prime condition in no time." He shrugged. "However, until I see it myself, I can't say for sure if it's even worth it."
"All right." I nodded, but there was something else that she wasn't telling me.
"What about the mine itself? From what you are telling us, it hasn't been used in a long time. Was it overrun by some monsters?" Luna asked with an innocent smile and a deceivingly uncertain voice which made Princess Theresa cringe. Bingo.
"Unfortunately, yes. Some kind of spider monsters turned the mine into their den." She lowered her head but admitted the truth without pointless ado.
"I see." I smiled flatly, finally having the full picture. "So you would like to use my forces to clear a mine you have lost to monsters? For how long would you be willing to lend us that mine?"
"I believe that one year of unrestricted mining rights is reasonable." The Princess decided to avoid commenting on the monster situation, which I found amusing. "Of course, there will be no taxes or tolls."
"You expect me to feed your entire country for an unspecified time in exchange for roughly six tonnes of iron ore? We are speaking about hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of various consumption products. How do you expect to transport it to Iceleon? Lion's Pride can't carry a lot of such a large volume cargo. It would take two weeks to reach Arcadia using the route through Everlight. You can't expect to risk your only ship to cross the mountains every time. Even if we transport the goods to a safe storage point in Everlight, it would only shorten the time by two to, maybe, four days."
The Princess looked as if she wanted to say something but she slowly sagged and lost her previous enthusiasm.
"I see that your problem is even more complex. Don't misunderstand me Princess, we want to help your country. It's clear to me that you are underestimating the problem you currently face. So now is not the time to play games Princess, put all your cards on the table." I smiled warmly while she returned a somewhat alarmed face. They should have a few more iron mines to sweeten that deal...
"My father wanted me to offer you a political ma-"
"Na! Na! No! Stop right there! Thank you very much but no." I raised my voice, scaring her a bit. She pouted a bit and started turning dangerously red so I had to clarify things. "Princess Theresa, I don't believe that marriage is the best idea to solve your country’s problem. You are cute and charming but I really don't want another wife. I firmly believe that the Kingdom of Iceleon and the Empire of Arcadia can achieve a mutually beneficial agreement without erasing another Kingdom from the face of Aderon."
Her face was beetroot red but, suddenly, she burst into lighthearted and honest laughter. The Captain of her guards sighed miserably but the female knights near the Princess began to chuckle despite their honest efforts to remain serious. I gave them a moment since it appeared like some sort of inside joke.
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"Now I know how all those nobles felt when I flatly refused their advances. Well... I guess I deserved that." She tried to remain positive but it seemed she was still shocked.
I wanted to say something but just one glance at Amber made me realise that she was absolutely opposed to the idea of this particular political marriage. It was a first. I decided to ask her later about it but, before I could say anything, Cahrona looked at the Icleonian Princess with a very hard-to-described gaze. It was a strange mix of pity and compassion but also carried a lot of apprehension. Her voice, however, was gentle and warm.
"I see the small changes, important ones, but still not enough... Your heart must change Princess Theresa. You must understand the needs of others for you to learn the meaning of love." The Succubus in an Elven disguise smiled. "However, I'm sure that once you realise that and change accordingly, you will find the love you have always dreamt about."
"Thank you for your kind and wise words, Empress Cahrona..." Theresa smiled but she was a bit sad.
I remained silent, wondering what was going on with Amber and Cahrona acting in this way. I firmly decided to avoid any consideration of that topic in the foreseeable future with anyone from Iceleon.
"What Emperor Theon desired, Princess Theresa, were the rights to all the mines of Iceleon." Irene stepped into the discussion with a neutral facial expression and a trained negotiation tone. "Alternatively, we could achieve a satisfactory compromise where we trade the help you expect for iron ore. Overall, we would include the transportation of goods and help with the distribution of food to the cut-off cities."
"Honesty for honesty. Your country needs food to survive and we need all the iron we can get to develop." Mia smiled and I decided to see what kind of deal my cunning wives were going to strike with the obviously desperate Princess.
After their return from the peace conference with the Union, Mia was instantly taken in by Amber to get help for the Empire's Treasury Department. Aoi, who previously tried to run it, gladly ditched the responsibility on Mia and focused on her beloved Navy. The experienced Nekomi skillfully managed to tame the previously wild department and, since then, she was in charge of it. On the other hand, Tia, who was more military-minded, focused on loose work in the military administration, which made her work directly with me, Luna, and Aoi.
"Please don’t forget about the firewood we need. Even if the temperature normalises, there will be no chance for my people to gather enough to survive a normal winter. However, I'm afraid when winter comes, it will be the worst winter in the history of Iceleon." Princess Theresa nodded slowly with a frightened gaze. "I will admit that your concerns about the transport of these goods eluded me. I was so focused on securing help in the first place that I forgot it wouldn't just magically appear where we need it. How much iron ore do you need anyway? We have iron ingots stored and preserved so we can make a partial payment in advance while you reactivate the mine. Or mines..."
"I won't be disclosing any sensitive data, but I will tell you that HMS Scimitar weighs over four thousand and one hundred tonnes." Aoi smiled viciously, making Theresa go pale. "We are really interested in your iron mines. All of them. I like the honest tone of our conversation so I would like to keep it that way."
"Let's say that Icelon pays with iron for all your help as you desire. We could even give you access to our unused iron mines." The Captain of Theresa's guards started with respect though a bit too much pride and annoyance in his voice added, "What would stop you from conquering Iceleon in the future?"
"Captain, are you dumb or something?" Aoi sighed and looked at the Human with a gaze that questioned his critical thinking. Or his sanity in general. "A few moments ago, your Princess was offering a political marriage, which, if it came to pass, would mean the end of the Kingdom of Iceleon. It would turn you into an Arcadian province. Why in the world would the Empire want to waste the time and resources to obtain something through war that was simply offered as a gift?"
"Also, your optimism that the Kingdom of Iceleon has the means of defending itself against any hypothetical Arcadian aggression right now is adorable." Luna chuckled while Captain Natan Krone turned so red in embarrassment that I actually pitied him. He fully deserved this and I wasn't going to save him.
"Captain, your concern is commendable but shamelessly misplaced." The Princess sighed while trying to save the remaining dignity of the unfortunate man. "The Empresses are correct. We are in a weak position right now but our concern about the future of the Kingdom of Iceleon remains."
"How about an alliance with a mutual defence pact?" Amber suggested which raised many incredulous looks, mainly from the Iceleon delegation.
"With all due respect, Empress Amber, but how in the world could a small country such as Iceleon contribute to the safety of Arcadia?" Theresa tried to remain serious but the prospect alone was way too ridiculous for her to even consider.
"With your iron of course." Amber shrugged, gaining the sudden attention of the delegation. "Why would we have to wage a senseless war? For resources? Arcadia has these resources in abundance. We are not greedy. You have arrived at our doorstep honestly asking for help. You tried to negotiate with terms that would favour both our countries. Yes, it's true that you didn’t disclose that the mine you offered was taken over by monsters. But, once we asked, you admitted the truth immediately. That speaks volumes about your upbringing and the virtues valued in your country."
"Thank you, Empress Amber." Theresa smiled with gratitude at my wife while I couldn't fathom what made Amber disagree so firmly yet silently with the proposed political marriage.
"Arcadia values honesty and truth above military might and prowess." Amber continued. "We can afford both of those because our armies are vast and unrivalled. Iceleon needs help and we need stable neighbours who share our values. Metaka is one such neighbour. Nothing stops Iceleon from being another."
"There is, of course, a far wider range of solutions available to help our allies." Irene smiled softly.
"It's hard to believe that Arcadia might be interested in such an alliance" the Princess spoke carefully but her voice betrayed her nervousness.
"When you look at a map, you will note that Iceleon is between Arcadia and Metaka. There is only the Kingdom of Ebrus on the far east and rather a big swathe of no man's land including a large forest to the north. That means your country is effectively locked between two huge empires. Arcadia and Metaka, who are basically allies, and whose partnership will only grow in the foreseeable future. Neither Arcadia nor Metaka are currently interested in expansion." Aoi pointed towards the large map on the wall.
"But, why would the Empires of Arcadia and Metaka bother to ally with Iceleon? Wouldn't it be easier to simply demand anything you want?" The Princess still had trouble with comprehending the direction of the discussion.
"No if Arcadia wants to coexist peacefully with other countries of Aderon. We can develop honest relationships built on trust and fair agreements." I sighed because we were starting to waste time. This finally shook the Princess and made her Captain stiffen. "Look, you admitted Metaka and Cridia would have declared war on Berna in defense of any invasion of your country. If Arcadia took control of Iceleon, in one way or another, it would seriously damage our relationship with Metaka. Isn't it better for all of us to create a trade union of some sort? I'm sure that Metaka would be interested in such an opportunity. With it, they would obtain access to your markets as well. In the end, you would be able to freely sell your iron again while being formally and practically protected by two Empires."
"Oh, I see." Princess Theresa exhaled with relief as some sort of realisation dawned upon her. "What you really want is the mutually open market between Arcadia, Metaka, and Iceleon?"
"You can say that." I nodded. It wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind, but sure, we can start there as well.
"If such an agreement between our nations came to pass, Iceleon would benefit greatly. If you would allow, further negotiations on that subject can wait. Our main concern for food and firewood, however, remains." She finally relaxed. "The Kingdom of Iceleon has eight iron mines in total..."
"And one Dungeon situated near the mountains. Subjugating it would greatly improve the chances of your kingdom's survival," I interrupted her, making her eyes go wide.
"But subjugating a Dungeon is imposs-" She fell silent and stared at me with a stunned expression. "You can do it?"
"Yes," I answered shortly with a shrug. That much should be clear to her already.
"But once you do it... What about the resources and access to the Dungeon itself?" She asked, alarmed.
"I admit that those concerns are legitimate. However, this is the best shot we have for saving your country. Contrary to Lion's Pride, the ships of our Royal Navy can traverse the mountains without any risk. I will use that Dungeon to build an embassy and military base where my ships and necessary personnel will be stationed for the duration of this mission. What's more, we can't be sure how long the abnormal weather in Iceleon will last, so securing the Dungeon and using its safe zone to build a city might be necessary. The bad weather won't affect the Dungeon at all. However, if you don't mind, I would like to simply implement a finders keepers rule for the loot and the resources."
"That's fair..." She nodded slowly as if she were trying to notice any hidden traps. I wasn't going to tell her that I would be effectively taking over that Dungeon. Life is unfair. However, she sighed, knowing that she didn’t have much choice in that regard anyway. "Then we should discuss the amount of help that can be provided by Arcadia and payment for it."