Chapter 46: Arranging a Deal
Chapter 46: Arranging a Deal
Aleron, Yueha, and Rias went to the Royal Palace to meet with the Emperor while Odar returned to the secret realms since the Epic-rank pills to increase stats were ready.
Entering the Royal Palace, Rias led Aleron and Yueha to a garden at the back where the Emperor and Empress of Longinus Empire were having tea.
As Aleron, Yueha, and Rias entered the garden, the duo looked at them out of curiosity.
'White hair with some strands of black at the side? That anomaly aside, he doesn't look that impressive,' Emperor Longinus thought upon seeing Aleorn, but the moment his eyes laid on Wang Yueha, he almost dropped the teacup from his hand.
'Who is this otherworldly lady?'
"Ahem..."
He immediately looked ahead at his wife and smiled, "Hmm?"
"She is a Primeval-rank according to her physical aura," Empress Longinus rolled her eyes and spoke under her breath, "Either die at her hands or at my hands."
Emperor Longinus frowned, "Come on, I just glanced at her and was surprised."
Rias was walking ahead, so she arrived first and gestured with her hand at Aleron and Yueha while smiling, "Please sit."
The table was big enough for all of them.
However, Yueha didn't sit and just stood behind the chair where Aleron sat, "I am fine here."
"It's okay, Yue. Sit here," Aleron chuckled.
"If you say so, Master," Yueha nodded with her usual faint smile.
'Master?!'
Emperor and Empress Longinus were shocked, and it was clearly visible in their eyes.
At the moment, they understood why Rias refused to elaborate on their background.
A Primeval-rank calling an Epic-rank their Master was something they never thought they would witness.
'I guess they understand now,' Rias internally chuckled looking at her parents, who also glanced at her and understood.
'Yes, don't mess with them.'
The meeting wasn't anything serious or stiff.
Aleron greeted them and talked without being overly formal since he didn't want to behave like someone he wasn't.
However, he still had one thing in mind and he wanted to lay it out.
"Ahem, so does your empire have Beastfolk slaves?"
Rias was surprised at this question. Although they had both beastfolk and human slaves, she didn't particularly like to enslave them just because they were beastfolk.
However, the market of slaves was run by people.
Due to the conflict between Longinus and the Nightwing empire, the affiliated adventurers fought at each other's territory and if they encountered villages or settlements of humans, they would bring them back as slaves.
People of the Longinus empire would bring humans of the Nightwing Empire as their slaves and vice-versa.
"Yes, of course," Emperor Longinus nodded while caressing his head. "Do you want some beastfolk slaves?"
Aleron's expression was plain at the moment, but he was contemplating internally, 'What do I say to dispose of their idea of slaving innocents?'
He wasn't against slaving as a whole. People who commit crimes must slave away their lives for atonement, but slaving people just because of their race? Just because they were from another place?
It didn't settle well with Aleron and he wanted to change it. He had understood the power structure of the Empire by now, so he also knew that he was powerful.
Longinus Empire didn't have any powerhouses of Primeval-rank, but he had two!
Of course, he knew he wouldn't be able to bring change this massive overnight, but he wanted to get started on it.
"I'll be frank with you," Aleron said with a smile. "The idea of slaving innocent people is very repulsive to me."
"You want to free Beastfolks?" Empress Longinus raised her eyebrows.
"Yes," Aleron nodded.
"If we free them, they will still bear hatred against us for enslaving them and will attack us," Emperor Longinus said with a frown. "And then we will either kill and capture them again. What's the point of increasing efforts?"
"Give me all of your enslaved beastfolks," Aleron said with a smile. "I want every one of them, even those that are sold to people of your empire."
Everyone was stunned, except for Yueha who calmly sipped the tea and subtly nodded.
Emperor Longinus looked at Aleron's eyes and rubbed his beard. A second later, he said, "About over two hundred years ago, we only enslaved general criminals and natives of the Nightwing Empire due to our conflicts."
"But Nightwing Empire started enslaving all beastfolks, even those who had peacefully settled down in this continent as their new home."
The emperor continued, "They imposed this law everywhere, and my grandfather also partook in this because Beastfolks were essentially our enemies who invaded us and wreaked much havoc."
Aleron frowned, "And by now, humans think it's natural to enslave them and treat them as objects. I don't care what has been happening before, but I will change this."
"For my peace and my contentment," Aleron's eyes had turned sharp as he continued, "Please gather up all beastfolks in your territory. I know it is too much to ask for free, so I will give you a gift and a promise."
"The promise is that I will go into the ruins of Azure Shard Moon with Rias and come out on top, above everyone else for your Empire's progress."
The royal trio was startled, but the confidence Aleron oozed out was something they couldn't ignore based on just a single achievement that he had shown to them.
Preventing the Akuma from possessing him and defeating him, who could be a nightmare to all of them!
"And the gift is...I haven't thought about it yet, but it will be something good," Aleron smiled and took out a bow wrapped in a coating of Magilore as it floated at the center of the table.
Echostorm Starwink Bow-a Peak Primeval-rank Weapon!
"It will be something on this level."
Emperor and Empress Longinus looked at the bow with shock filling their eyes. They couldn't notice Magilore, masked as Mana on the surface, with their attention on the bow that oozed
its Primeval aura.
"T-This...this is a Primeva-rank weapon," Rias stuttered, her eyes flickering. "It's more powerful than our treasured Primeval-rank Gauntlets!"
Aleron waved his hand and put it back into his system inventory, which also surprised them because Aleron didn't have any bangle or ring to indicate that he had a storage item. "Alright. I'll round up every single Beastfolk in Longinus Empire and the kingdoms in our jurisdiction," Longinus Emperor nodded with a smile. "I don't know how long it will take, but as soon as it's done, I will contact you directly."
"Rias, give him my comm card's number."
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