The Martial Unity

Chapter 3433: Emperor and Empress

While Rui and Amare headed to the capital city of Schleme to eat the skewered barbecued fish, the rest of the world was still reeling from the events that came about from the Dragon Emperor’s attack on the Hlakaschken Trade Empire.

Less than twenty-four hours had passed since the event had occurred, after all. Since then, many forces in the true world had come out and condemned the Dragon Emperor for his attack on the Hlakaschken Trade Empire.

Six of the now seven pureblood civilizations of the true world condemned the dragon for its belligerent behavior and its unwillingness to respect the armistice and the military security agreement that the dragon himself had adhered to for many years, since the Unfolding.

At the same time, it was proved to be a radical signal to the entire world regarding the shifts in the Hlakaschken Trade Empire’s position in the geopolitical landscape. Until this point, the full shift in the island nation’s position in the true world had yet to fully settle into everybody’s mind.

Now, however, it was clear that the Hlakaschken Trade Empire was no longer to be one of the most popular commercial trade hubs in the entire world. It was also no longer supported by the tug of war that occurred between the six pureblood civilizations that occurred in the past, and was now forced to find a new place in the true world.

What surprised everyone, however, was Empress Schlieffen’s statement regarding the neutrality of the Hlakaschken Trade Empire. One that Rui had requested her to make in order to get the intelligence from the Whisperer.

Many political leaders tried reading into why the Empress of the Empire had chosen to reverse her rhetoric. The same rhetoric that she had been pushing for in the past ten months since the Unfolding, forced to side with the Evolutionary Army lest she be turned into its enemy.

Her previous rhetoric was quite understandable, human civilization has tried its best to spread word to all other civilizations regarding Anthea’s evolutionary legacy, so everybody had been aware of the threat that the Evolutionary Army had stewing in its already born first generation of evolved evolutionaries born from Anthea’s seed.

It made sense that she wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Evolutionary Army.

However, after the Dragon Emperor’s attack on the Hlakaschken Trade Empire, she had returned to neutrality. Most people took this to mean that the show of power that the ’Omni-Martial’ had shown in the Hlakaschken Trade Empire had moved the Empress into a position of appreciation of human civilization and an acknowledgment of human civilization’s ability to form a new balance of power to allow the Hlakaschken Trade Empire to remain neutral.

”I must say, I am rather glad to receive your request for a meeting, even if virtual.”

Emperor Rael’s voice was rich and powerful, while his tone was one of courteous respect. He enunciated his words correctly, not having entirely gotten accustomed to speaking the native language of the Hlakaschken Trade Empire.

His attire was not among his most extravagant or ostentatious fits, but rather a more practical, traditional ethnic formal wear of the Kandrian Empire. The golden-silver crown with the crest of Kandria etched on it sat perfectly on his head, enhancing the weight of his presence.

Before him in his office was a virtual projection of Empress Schlieffen, sitting gracefully on a chair with an elevated position to ensure that her diminutive stature didn’t allow the people she spoke to look down on her like a child.

Empress Schlieffen raised her eyebrows with an expression of appreciation. ”Your Majesty Emperor Rael, I must say I’m honored that the Emperor of Harmony is speaking to me in my mother tongue. You have paid me great respects by speaking to me in my language.”

Empress Schlieffen knew not to let her personal dynamics with the charismatic Emperor to affect her relationship with the Panamic Alliance, but being spoken to in the language that she was most comfortable with was something that she appreciated and found difficult to not affect her decisions.

The Emperor of Harmony had a magnetic presence, one that simply drew people to him.

”I take it a point to learn the languages of all important polities in the world.” The Emperor of Harmony smiled, speaking carefully. ”It helps me gain a much deeper understanding of their culture, their people, and even their leaders in a way that not even the finest intelligence gathering can compensate for. Although admittedly, the first time I did this was close to four centuries ago. I had not expected to ever do this again with a whole new world beyond our continent.”

”That is rather fastidious of you,” she replied with an impressed tone. ”My sources tell me that you are a leader among leaders, and I can see that description of you was not exaggerated in the slightest. As for not having expected to learn new languages again...”

Her expression grew serious. ”I must confess, I, too, did not expect a new continent to pop up at the very center of the world and displace Grinolia Island from our position at the center.”

The air tingled with a hint of tension.

The Emperor of Harmony studied the diminutive hybrid with an elven and a dwarven hybrid, cold-reading her on the spot. While his insights into the dwarven and elven psychology were limited, there were some behavioral traits that were universal across all species within the homo genus.

Slight tensing in her jaw muscles.

An inorganic controlled rate of breathing.

Slight dip in her tone by the end of her words.

She was clearly displeased by the existence of the Panama Continent and the impacts that it had had on the Hlakaschken Trade Empire. For the Emperor of Harmony to truly win her over, he would need to offer something as great as what they had lost.

Emperor Rael smiled at her.

”Empress Schlieffen, how would you like your nation to become the largest broker and dealer of esoteric goods and services exported from the Panama Continent?”