The Martial Unity

“Understood, Your Majesty.” Mother Alicia nodded. “We will accept your gracious offer and deploy the forces you delegate to us. We are truly grateful for how reasonable you have been during this time. Frankly, you have been excessively gracious considering the lapses in our responsibility to protect our guests. His Highness Prince Rui had been targeted at a moment when his guard was down after indulging in an intimate period with his partner, and being unable to monitor and prevent an attack during such a period is entirely on us.”

Emperor Rael didn’t intend to be too harsh on the dark elves, considering that both he and Rui had been aware of the attack ahead of time. Still, he needed to keep appearances up, lest people get the wrong idea that it was somehow acceptable to have such a lapse in one’s responsibility in security.

“I am not simply letting you off the hook, Mother Alicia,” Emperor Rael replied with a stern tone. “We have yet to discover compensation simply because I’m concerned about my son’s well-being. Although, I am being more pliable because I respect the conviction and commitment to our alliance that the dark elves have displayed thus far by resolutely ending your sisterhood with the light elves. This to me shows that you dark elves are absolutely invested in our relationship.”

“We are invested in our relationship with human civilization,” Mother Alicia assured. “We believe that both sides have much to gain, and we hope that this unfortunate fiasco due to a lapse in our security against our own former sister will not impede this relationship.”

“It will not,” Emperor Rael replied reassuringly. “Not as long as a certain price is paid to compensate us for the damages.”

“How would you like us to go about doing that?” the Mother of Nature raised an eyebrow.

“…Let’s see, how about amending our agreement to include a clause that requires West Genoran Elven Civilization to bear arms to protect human civilization if the latter comes under attack?” Emperor Rael remarked, going right for what he wanted the most.

Mother Alicia immediately shook her head.

“I’m afraid not, Your Majesty. That is one line that we will not cross. We despise war. So much so that we chose to mount a cyber attack rather than a physical one against our sister civilization. And despite suffering from a cyber attack, they have not escalated to a physical attack of any sort. We understand and accept a general demand for compensation, but we cannot possibly go to war as compensation for our lapses in security.”

Emperor Rael had known she would flatly reject the request. In the past five months, he had tried all sorts of measures to try and get them to accept going to war for human civilization in the event that they were invaded by a third party. At most, they had very reluctantly agreed to engage in support and logistical aid, as well as cyber offensives, intelligence gathering, and covert operations in exchange for some amount of esoteric substances and what little esoteric biotechnology the Esocline Federation had developed.

He had simply commenced with that demand to make it more difficult to reject his next demand.

“Then, I would like you to be open to a deal involving your flora network technology,” Emperor Rael informed her with a knowing tone. “The more I see of it, the more impressed I am by what I see. This technology is truly a civilizational upgrade, and I would like you dark elves to be open to trading it to us for an exchange of commensurate value.”

Mother Alicia’s expression grew complicated at his request.

The dark elves had not been as resolute in their refusal to trade their flora network technology as they had refused to partake in war, but it had still been quite resolute.

It was not an exaggeration to say that the flora network technology was the greatest source of power for the elves, without which they would be much weaker than they ordinarily were. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was the center of their homeland dominance against outsiders.

It was precisely that homeland dominance that the Emperor of Harmony wanted to get his hands on.

It was what the Panama Continent needed.

To be invincible within their territory.

“…I will need to discuss this with my sisters back home,” she slowly began. “But if your request is merely that we be open to the trade, then that is likely acceptable. However, if you understand the value of what you are asking for, then I’m sure you understand just how valuable your offer needs to be to get us to agree to giving you this technology. And even if we do give it to you, we will not give you cutting-edge technology, but technology that is a few generations old. We cannot afford to give away the source of our current strength.”

Emperor Rael’s golden eyes lit up at those words.

“That is an amenable condition. I don’t mind that it is generations old as long as it has the seismic energy absorption properties and the information technology elements to it. As for what I’m offering…”

Emperor Rael’s smile grew confident.

“…I believe it is something you will not be able to refuse.”

Mother Alicia raised an eyebrow. “That does sound alluring.”

“Tell me, Mother Alicia,” Emperor Rael began as he peered straight into her eyes with a heavy gaze. “Do you elves believe in extra-terrestrial life?”

“…”

The air grew strangely tense.

The atmosphere tingled at the nerves.

Mother Alicia frowned. “…That is an unexpected question. We elves do not have a universal belief on this particular matter. There are those who believe that extra-terrestrial life exists and has even made contact with us, while there are those who believe that it is no more than pure fiction.”

“Then, let me be a bit more specific,” Emperor Rael replied with a knowing tone as his eyes sharpened.

“Do you believe that extra-terrestrial flora exists?”