The Martial Unity

“The best part?” Rui’s tone was excited. “The Hlakaschken Trade Empire is one of the most secure neutral powerhouses in the world. It has forged treaties with virtually every single pureblood civilization in the world that guarantee independence. Including…”

He directed a knowing look at her.

“The Evolutionary Army and the Imperial Tekvorian Federation. It is said that even the giants don’t attack the Hlakaschken Trade Empire.”

Her eyes widened. “How did they possibly manage to get these bloodthirsty civilizations to broker peace with them?!”

“It’s because no civilization is absolutely independent and self-sufficient,” Rui replied knowingly. “Not even the Evolutionary Army. Armies have needs. They need energy, they need infrastructure, they need resources, and supplies of goods and services that they possess no skill to make. It doesn’t matter how powerful they are as long as they have needs that they themselves cannot fulfill.”

“And they must rely on the Hlakaschken Trade Empire to get by!” Amare’s eyes widened with shock. “That’s… that’s an incredible way to ensure that nobody attacks them.”

“That’s not all,” Rui replied. “Need alone isn’t enough to suppress these hostile civilizations. The way that they truly get them to put their arms down is by gaining a treaty of protection from all civilizations, except the elves of course. All non-imperialistic civilizations in the true world have signed the Hlakaschken Protection Pact which swears that they will wage war against any civilization that dares to attack them.”

“That must form an incredible deterrence,” Amare remarked knowingly. “Not even the Evolutionary Army and the tekvores would be willing to endure that much pressure.”

Rui nodded. “And because they need the Hlakaschken Trade Empire to fulfill their needs, because most other civilizations hate the Army and the Federation, they have no choice but to comply and maintain peace with the Hlakaschken Trade Empire.”

“It’s brilliant,” Amare admitted.

“It’s what my father is trying to do at the moment,” Rui informed her knowingly. “The Panama Continent is astronomically more valuable than the Hlakaschken Trade Empire for the value of its exotic treasures, which makes his job astronomically more difficult than the founder of the Hlakaschken Trade Empire. It’s why I’m going around the world trying to help him just as I had with the other human nations during the Beast Incursion.”

“Has the Hlakaschken Trade Empire made peace with the Kandrian Empire?” she raised an eyebrow.

“After the Unfolding had just completed, they, like everybody else, had sent explorers to the new continent,” Rui remarked. “However, they came in peace and have insisted on peace from the very get-go, which is very predictable given their history. The biggest issue is that they are unwilling to bear arms if the Panama Continent is ever attacked. That is something that is grinding negotiations. My father has finalized very few military alliances, and military alliances are what we need.”

The Kandrian Empire didn’t need fair-weather allies in the current geopolitical situation.

They needed military allies to deter the maniacs who greeded for their resources.

“They’re a trade empire,” Amare remarked. “It says so right in the name there, doesn’t it? Why would they bear arms? They probably don’t have a strong military, surely.”

Rui directed a knowing gaze at her.

“Don’t be fooled, Amare. Such a powerful empire is not going to be weak. All that wealth they have is undoubtedly making sure that their defenses are formidable,” Rui told her knowingly. “That is why my father hopes to forge a deeper relationship with them. Thankfully, both my father and the Hlakaschken Trade Empire have a lot in common in terms of philosophy, so that has proven to be a powerful common ground.”

“Do you think your father can convince them to become a military ally?” she raised her eyebrow.

A confident smile emerged on his face.

“Of course. He’s my father. He is the Emperor of Harmony.”

Of course, Rui intended to make his life easier.

He was serving as an ambassador, after all.

“The best part?” Rui smiled at her. “The Hlakaschken Trade Empire doesn’t go through extensive formalities with people of status.”

She turned towards him. “Meaning…?”

“It’s a no-nonsense country that stands on business,” he told her. “They don’t bother with processions, or banquets, or welcoming ceremonies for the dignitaries of other countries. It is absolutely neutral, and everybody who enters the country is expected to obey its laws. Meaning…”

He grinned at her.

“We will be regular visitors who won’t be fawned over by the country’s leadership.”

Her eyes lit up with delight at those words.

“That’s incredible…!” She immediately grew more excited about the country. “Now I can’t wait to get there!”

She, like him, had grown tired of being fawned over every time they visited a new place because of their status. To be taken in large processions and then be tossed into the most extravagant and ostentatious housing quarters that existed.

She didn’t like it and much that rather preferred to be left alone in the country of choice.

“Wait.” She paused, turning towards him with a frown. “Won’t we stand out a lot as humans?”

“You would think so, but in reality, the Hlakaschken Trade Empire is a very racially diverse country,” Rui told her. “Not only does it contain populations of the six races, but it also contains virtually every combination of hybrids in the world, or most of them at least. Which means that it allegedly contains a jarring degree of diversity in appearance. We won’t stand out that much in an environment like that.”

“…I see,” she remarked with an uncertain expression. “But if people do recognize, we might stand out too much or worse.”

“We stand out all the time anyway.” Rui heaved a resigned sigh. “I can’t even appear before normal people in the Panama Continent before instantly being crowded by everybody everywhere.”

It was one of his greatest regrets.

“I’m hoping that the Hlakaschken Trade Empire will be different,” he gazed forward towards the horizon of the ocean, far in the distance. “I’m hoping we can have an experience like no other.”