Lucian kept his expression neutral, "I'm not betraying it, it's just the lost east walls you'll conquer, and those don't belong to the north."
"Or the south," King Eon added. He stopped, turning to face Lucian, his eyes narrowing. "How much do you know about the Lost East Walls?"
"Enough to know that they are worth more than a gold mine." Lucian didn't back down, chuckling at the King's challenging tone. "I'm not here to steal from you, Hunter King Eon. I'm here to offer a trade. I keep the gold mines, and in return, I provide you with a path to the Lost East's resources and the east walls themselves."
"I can take them myself." The King's smirk widened.
"For how long until they get retaken? You will need more than an army to keep your hold on them," Lucian pointed out, "My influence in the north will make your life much easier."
"..." King Eon was silent for a mont, considering the offer. He took another drag from his cigarette. "Half."
"Full. I'll be investing in this mine, the cost of the operations and the workers' wages will be on . Not a small fortune. Half is not worth it." Lucian's tone was firm, but not disrespectful.
The King dragged on his cigarette, the tip glowing red. "Why would I give you the whole mine?"
"Because you know that if you don't, the South will be the one to suffer the consequences." Lucian leaned forward, his voice lowering. "I will make sure of it."
The King's eyes flashed dangerously, the cigarette between his fingers crushing into ash.
He grabbed Lucian by the collar, pushing him against the wall, his face close enough that Lucian could sll the tobacco on his breath. "You dare threaten ?"
Lucian waved his hand before his face to move the smoke away, his eyes burning with cold fire. "I'm not here to beg for scraps, and from the way you are treating , I'm no longer sure if I want to deal with you at all."
Getting rid of Glory's founder would be easy for the king, but the ss that would follow was not worth it. It was called Southern Alliance for a reason. Eon didn't rule all of the south, nor did he have the power to take it all for himself.
"I just got a little bit too excited, that's all," the King said, letting go of Lucian's collar, dusting it off as an apology, "Taxes will be raised, however. We are at war, and the funds are needed."
Lucian adjusted his clothes, "I expected as much."
The agreent was settled, and they shook hands on it, sealing the deal. The official docunt would contain more details, such as the responsibilities of each party, the penalties for breaching the contract, and the terms of the trade.
There was no information about Lucian supporting and helping the southern army in it, for he was supposed to be a neutral party.
But the deal included infrastructure developnt for the gold mines, which would benefit the southern army in the long run, through the supply lines, roads, and other facilities.
Lucian's n were waiting for him outside, relieved to see him alive. Though the worst has yet to co.
For the next few days, they were going to set up their base of operations and begin the process of taking over the gold mines.
The Hunter King didn't leave the mines yet. He watched them like a hawk, scrutinizing their every move for a whole week as his people got ready to move.
The performance of the Vices was crucial for the success of the mission, as well as the behavior of the rcenaries (feral soldiers).
King Eon even pulled over Roland, the new rcenary captain, for a little chat.
Roland explained that he worked as a loan shark, his group had grown in numbers, and began protecting their clients' caravans and warehouses as well.
It was a believable story, trackable and easy to find witnesses for, should the King wish to verify it.
After making sure they were not spies and not there to cause trouble, he left them to their own devices.
"Comandant Grim," Lucian greeted the man as he prepared to leave with his n, "Thank you for your help."
There was no action in the mines, and commandant Grim was a man of war, he was excited to go back to the battlefield.
"Keep it in top shape," he said in a gruff voice, the sternness in his eyes softened by a rare smile, "Or I'll have to co back and take it myself."
"You're welco to try," Lucian replied, matching his tone. "Good luck on the battlefield, commandant."
With the commandant gone, and the King's attention shifting elsewhere, Lucian and his team started their work.
The first order of business was to change the soldiers' uniforms, giving them a new set of clothes that had the Glory's symbol on them.
The gold mine workers were kept the sa, and so were their tasks. Lucian didn't want to disrupt the production process until they were fully settled.
He and his Vices spent most of their ti in etings, discussing the future plans and the steps they needed to take.
The mine had its own problems, which were quickly addressed.
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The mines beca Glory's new base of operations, taking advantage of the defenses already built around it.
The southern Vices moved their families near the area, and began living and working there.
Leaf's projects in the north had been passed down to their loyal employees to handle, while he took over managent of the gold mines' operations.
Fishbone and his wife were tasked with handling the logistics of the supplies, making sure the food, water, and other necessities were delivered on ti.
Mumbai took charge of the finances, tracking the inco and expenses, and making sure the budget was balanced.
She also communicated with Fishbone's wife regarding the new rations plan, contacting the local suppliers, and managing the contracts.
They couldn't invest all their capital in the gold mines, so they had to find ways to make the business profitable as soon as possible, which was Cansan's job.
He would focus on finding buyers for the gold and negotiating the best deals in the northern markets.
Lucian, on the other hand, was busy bonding with the feral soldiers most of the ti, increasing the duration of their loyalty.
The rest of the ti, he would spend planning and strategizing, going over the reports from the other Vices, and making the final decisions.
"An invitation to the Royal Academy's annual ball." Jax handed over an envelope to Lucian, who was having a bath after a long day of working.
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