Chapter 107 107: The Emperor's plan

If we reach 25 comments, . You have five hours from the time this chapter is posted. If we reach the goal, the next chapter will be posted in eight hours.(Valid comments must include information about what you like or dislike about the story, what you would like to see about the story, or any questions you may have about the story, as the devil is in the details.) ----------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. ------------------------------- Sigmarzeit-18-25,2490 IC "Alright, my cannons are out... now, could you tell me what was negotiated?" I said, looking at the imperial ambassador, who was standing next to the table with a half-empty glass of wine in hand. "It's not something that should concern you much, Graf Albrecht, since you don't seem to have the slightest bit of diplomatic tact," he replied with a tense smile, trying to maintain his composure. "Are you kidding? No... I have more right than anyone to know why I had to go toe-to-toe with Marienburg's mercenary armies," I said, locking my gaze on him. "All of this happened because of your lack of tact, Graf. When my counterpart presented himself to you, he asked to speak to a diplomat with negotiation authority, correct? But that message never made it to Altdorf... you simply slammed the door in Marienburg's face, and they clearly didn't take it well. You forced them to attack you, ruining the imperial plan. You're lucky it all turned out well," the ambassador said, trying not to avert his eyes. "Oh... so you dragged me into politics and didn't tell me. That sounds more like incompetence from whoever planned the whole thing. If a 'plan' isn't communicated to the one who has to carry it out, these things happen... and as you say, it falls apart. Or do you think that with no information whatsoever I'd just sit quietly, watching an army march into my lands demanding compensation?" I replied, slowly walking toward him. "This was the Emperor's plan. Are you saying it's a stupid plan? I think it's stupider to strike first," he shot back, though his voice dropped half a tone. "Stupider will be the one who falls off his horse on the way back, ambassador... don't you think?" I said, getting close enough for him to feel my shadow looming over him. "Is... is that a threat?" he asked, swallowing hard. "A warning. I've seen many people fall off a horse and never get up again," I answered, stepping behind him and placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "So tell me what was negotiated. I don't like being left in the dark, especially when I had to move a large part of my forces to stop the merchants from doing something that could harm us." "As I said... this escalated because of you and—" "I didn't ask you that," I cut him off, tightening my grip on his shoulder. "This was all part of a plan to make Marienburg understand that their scheme with the Bretonnians had been exposed. By negotiating, we could obtain... well, we still don't know who authorized the passage of troops through Marienburg's fortress, but that affects their position and reputation. The Emperor hoped to secure a low-interest loan to hand out generous gifts to the electors, so they would 'choose wisely' in the next election of the chosen," he explained, trying to keep calm. "All this... for a loan? The Emperor set up this whole conflict just to get a loan?" I asked in disbelief. "That loan included payment for your services, Graf. And... everything blew up because we didn't inform you of the plan. We didn't think you would act so brusquely with Marienburg's envoy, much less that you would defeat their mercenary army so easily... and even less that you'd blockade the Reik," the ambassador said, forcing a half-smile. "Of course, because I couldn't beat Marienburg in economic terms on my own, so the most sensible thing was to show them the conflict would hurt them much more than me," I replied, crossing my arms. "And it worked," he admitted. "Brutes like you, with good tactical sense, make my job easier... since I can make it clear that it's either negotiating with me or with you, who clearly has no diplomatic skill." "Because I won," I replied. "I kicked their asses twice and destroyed three of their ships... and I hardly took any casualties. That's a full victory. Rarely does the victor bow before the defeated." "Well, it wasn't a total victory... but it was a partial one," the ambassador said, swirling the wine in his glass. "Marienburg could easily mobilize thousands, even hundreds of thousands of mercenaries, if given enough time for all their gold to circulate through the cities that usually supply them with troops. So this victory is temporary... but it puts us in a strong position to negotiate." "And... what did you negotiate? Because something tells me you didn't close the loan," I asked, staring at him. "Ah... at least you're not blind," he answered with a barely concealed smirk. "Marienburg wanted you punished for your offense, but the Emperor won't sanction a loyal servant. And don't worry about the lawsuits in Altdorf; it's already been made clear to the judges that they must be dismissed immediately. Instead of a loan, we agreed on a payment to get trade flowing again and the release of all prisoners in our custody. In exchange, the Emperor will receive compensation of three million crowns for the 'minor issue' of the Bretonnian passage, plus an annual payment of half a million for five years, to guarantee good relations." "So you squeezed them dry," I said without looking away. "That's right... and forgive me for not including you in the negotiations. They didn't even want you present; you know, they see you as a brute, and your presence could have made these delicate circumstances worse," the ambassador said, raising his glass. "Alright... and how much is my share then?" I said, taking a few steps around the newly finished hall of the fortification. "Considering the problems that arose... do you think you should get anything, Graf?" the ambassador replied. "I get the feeling you're begging to get lost in a forest full of beastmen, with your hands and legs broken, aren't you?" I said, stopping in front of him. The ambassador sighed. "It's not fun talking to you... why does everything have to turn into a death threat? It's just a way to guide the conversation." "I know that perfectly well," I replied, stepping closer. "But I prefer my own way... it works very well with cowardly leeches like you. And it might... just happen... that if you keep trying to make a fool of me, this interaction could end in a way you won't like." "It's still under determination... what was agreed upon was beyond what my counterpart was authorized to grant. It needs formal approval from the board. The cessation of hostilities is already clear; Marienburg loses a lot without trade with the Empire. They'll probably pay. When they do, your share will be decided." "We should have maintained the blockade. That would have pushed them more to send the gold," I replied. "Again... just because it affects them doesn't mean it doesn't affect Altdorf. Merchants and artisans were already complaining about the lack of supplies. This was supposed to be a short conflict," said the ambassador. "And it was," I replied. "But we can't keep dragging it on. No one wants a fight this long, Graf... so, I know it's difficult for you, but please don't do anything. Wait for it to be resolved through diplomatic channels," insisted the ambassador. "Fine by me... I'll make sure to clean the bridge well from blood-stained rocks and rivers full of bodies, so that when peace returns we won't have trouble with corpses rising among us," I replied. "Very well, do that... and tell my guards to stay closer to me, please. I don't want more problems like this," said the ambassador, pouring himself more wine. I left the half-built fortification by the dawi and informed the dwarf auxiliary force that the fight was over, thanking them for their service and assuring them they would be compensated in whatever way they deemed appropriate, which Durán would determine later. In the following days, seeing that the danger had greatly diminished, I ordered the militias back to their posts. Surveillance in my cities had dropped too much: with three thousand militiamen in the dawi tunnels and five thousand with me, only two thousand men were left to guard more than a hundred thousand souls—a huge challenge. I took the time to, along with Thorek, inspect the wheat fields. Our granaries were full of legumes, one of the most abundant harvests in memory, thanks to a skilled dawi who micromanaged each crop. During my absence, my dwarf council had proposed something interesting: to prevent tensions between the mountain clans and my domains from worsening, a special position would be created for another dawi, tasked with informing me of all grievances committed by my subjects against the clans and mediating to resolve them quickly, thus avoiding their entry into the Dammaz Kron. I thought it was an excellent idea. Before, I had to deal with such problems myself, but now a group of dwarfs and my own men would mediate and resolve the minor disputes arising from this new friendship. Since some clans had started sending members to my cities to purchase trade licenses, we would soon have many dawi merchants supplying the growing mountain domain, which was expanding daily and needed a constant flow of supplies to sustain its growth. Everything arrived just in time for my abundant harvests to fill their granaries. Having such a good relationship with the local dawi thane made it very easy for me to secure agreements that would normally require paying huge amounts of gold or materials. Durán was always the first to speak to allied clans on my behalf, seeking the most peaceful coexistence possible. For now, we both needed each other: I depended on the dwarfs because they opened the doors to their markets, and they depended on me for the military and economic support I was providing. It was a very convenient relationship for both. After reviewing some local matters—including a trial against some alleged cultists who turned out to be merely devout followers of Taal, mistaken for their forest rituals—I returned to guard my bridge with Marienburg for several days, until finally the diplomat returned accompanied by Marienburg ships. This time, they did let me into the meeting room. The negotiations would be held in my bridge fortress, and it would have been strange to exclude me. Marienburg agreed to pay the annual tribute... though only half. They agreed to deliver two million crowns to end the conflict, and what followed was probably the most tedious thing I have ever witnessed: diplomats talking endlessly about why they deserved more or should pay less, depending on their positions and "prior commitments." Several times, the ambassador gestured toward me, and I barely reacted, almost dozing off. Each time he did, the Marienburg diplomat pressed his lips together. After endless hours, they agreed on a payment of two and a half million crowns, plus four hundred thousand crowns annually for the Emperor for five years. Once the deal was sealed, they began drinking wine and chatting like old friends, almost ignoring that, not long ago, thousands of mercenaries and some Imperials had died in this very place on blood-soaked battlefields. 'So this must be how soldiers feel when diplomatic agreements close without acknowledging their merits,' I thought, watching them celebrate the end of hostilities. After that, Marienburg ships stopped at Merxheim and began unloading part of the compensation for the "misunderstanding." They left me half a million Imperial crowns for my services, and the Emperor granted me an annual income of one hundred thousand crowns for the next five years. I also received a formal invitation to the capital for having "financed" the Bretonnian campaign with enough gold to cover several months of operations. Apparently, the gold gifts for the electors are not mere gestures of courtesy, but resources meant to mobilize men for the Imperial offensive into Bretonnian territory and secure the election. The Emperor may be a son of a bitch, but he's not stupid. ----------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. ------------------------------- I translated this chapter with ChatGPT because, for some reason, I wrote it in Spanish instead of English and didn't have the time to do it by hand