Vale smiled.
"Your words are quite interesting."
"And yours keep on surprising , Vale. Not once have you cowered despite the difference in our strength."
Vale sneered slightly.
"Cowering before you would be an affront to what I’ve gone through. It would be denying my own worth to revel in inferiority."
The general reeled back and stroked his gray beard.
"Ha ha! Well said! Truer words have never been spoken!"
Vale leaned back in his chair, glancing at Sivian, who held an odd look on her face as she stared at the female knight, Sandra, who had approached and stood side by side with the out-of-place knight.
"Tell , Grady. What would my enlistnt entail?"
The older man’s laughter died down, but his lips remained curled in a smile.
"The basis of what we desire is your presence amongst our force. Naturally, without imposing your ability upon them."
’So... he wants to stand on his side when the staring contest starts?’
It was almost inevitable that Celestia would arrive at this point sooner or later and establish a position on their side, watching over Akkuron.
"I don’t entirely understand what you get from such a thing, but I won’t ask for your reason. But surely you know I’d be putting myself in danger? How am I to trust that you won’t stab in the back? Or that Celestia won’t co to pay a nasty visit?"
"Good questions, Vale. The only solace I can provide is that my blade is sheathed at the mont."
A scowl grew on Vale’s face.
’But will it remain sheathed?’
The answer was quite obvious...
The mont they had no need for Lust and were done with Celestia, the blade would spin around.
Yet, Vale was strong-ard into just accepting that fact. It would be up to him to beco powerful enough to defend himself from Grady and Akkuron’s whims.
"Is that so?" Vale muttered quietly. "But how can you guarantee Celestia won’t retaliate by invading my dungeon?"
Grady smiled.
"Emotional as those zealots are, even they wouldn’t be dumb enough to do sothing as foolish as that if they see you on our side. Besides, they’ll know we’ll take advantage of them the mont they do sothing so foolish."
’Tch.’
That wasn’t an answer Vale liked either...
Grady didn’t let the silence linger for long, soon filling the empty air.
"But that bleeds into my next desire." Grady smiled. "You seem like an intelligent man, Vale. Surely you should understand. But the Scar separating our nations is a major inhibitor in our ability to cross the threshold and even mount an advance on Celestia. It will also be the central point in defense."
Grady kept his eyes focused on Vale’s.
"Here, let fra it like this, Vale. It’s not a matter of crossing, but superiority in territorial control. So then, how do you think we plan to control the gorge?"
Quickly understanding, Vale’s eyes widened. Sothing had just popped up in his mind; sothing he hadn’t even considered.
Vale shook his head.
"Are you crazy?"
The old general fell backward in his chair.
"War itself is crazy. To win a war, one has to beco crazier than the idea of war."
Vale exhaled a long sigh.
"So, if I understand correctly... You wish to use my dungeon as an outpost from which to control the Scar, don’t you?"
Grady clapped, his face only betraying a semblance of such emotion.
"It seems I may have to enlist you as a tactical mind as well!"
Vale had a scary thought pop into his mind.
’Wait... No way, right?’
His eyes found Sandra, a red-haired knight not wearing a helt.
Grady quieted down, then asked:
"What’s with that look in your eye, Vale?"
"I simply realized an oversight."
"Oh? What would that be?"
"You’re strong, and you know it. Celestia has made no appearance in the area. Yet you brought with you fifty... Are you planning to leave them here?"
Grady smiled.
"Truly, a brilliant mind you possess."
’...’
Vale had never thought he’d rue being right to this degree.
’I don’t even have ti to prepare!’
Vale’s shoulders slumped slightly.
"This didn’t go as I expected at all..."
Grady smiled.
"Oh? Pray tell, Vale. What did you expect?"
Vale sighed. He wished he could say: ’You don’t have to keep using my na. I get you want to appear friendly! Now, please stop.’ But he didn’t.
He replied:
"In the simplest terms... I expected to be made into a resource."
Grady chuckled lightly, then deepened his voice slightly.
"Oh Vale, we are all resources of a higher power. How could I make you what you already are?"
He seed mightily pleased with that as he laughed again, then added:
"But to answer directly... No, we are not asking to be allies. Yes, at first we ca here intending to squeeze compliance out of you and secure additional Aether; however, your own displays so far have put those desires on the back foot... You’ve expressed much more use to us than we’d get from just controlling you like so puppet."
Vale stayed silent for a mont. He once again interlaced his fingers and leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.
"What exactly do you an?"
"From what I’ve seen of you, there’s no reason I should have to explain."
Vale closed his eyes and looked down as he began focusing.
"I see."
After a few beats of silence, Vale opened his eyes, staring at the out-of-place knight.
"If I am to agree to your first demand, then agreeing to the second becos necessary. And if I reject, I’ll be forced to comply or be left to fend for myself while caught in your war. How sly."
"Don’t misunderstand! Ha ha. I was sly in my youth," Grady laughed, awfully pleased with himself. "These days I’m simply a pragmatist."
Vale sighed.
"I’ve learned sothing about pragmatism in my ti on Pandora."
"Oh? Which is?"
"It doesn’t exist."
All of a sudden, a raging wall of pink fla grew from the ground and surrounded them.
Vale chuckled as he stood up and looked at the knight who didn’t seem to fit inside their own armor, and said:
"Welco to a world without witness."
Vale took a step toward them.
"Now, you’re going to tell what I want to know."
The knight stepped back and put a hand on the hilt of their blade, preparing to draw. But the way they gripped the hilt showed they had no sense of a blade.
’Ti to gain so agency in this negotiation.’
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