Resolve, p.19
Resolve, page 19
“No, most that reach tier 5 simply act as support and stay at level 129 as the risk of reaching tier 6 for a non-combat class is extremely high.”
“There is a reason for that, and I promise you that when you can cross that threshold, you will understand.”
“Very well, you win, as long as you can ensure that my life will be intact should I fail.”
Xeal smiled at Dyllis as she finally relented, enjoying the rest of their date before spending the rest of his next several logins grinding his skills as he reached level 79 on day 4 of the new year, and on day 7 he had a similar conversation with Enye, but it went much better as Dyllis had given her forewarning of it beforehand. She had accepted it with a smile and Xeal realized he didn’t actually know her class and was surprised to learn that she walked the path of a rogue. With that information, Xeal began to build his plan for both of them to train once he reached tier 5.
Morning November 18, 2266.
Alex stretched as he got out of bed. It was Sunday and under normal circumstances he would spend the morning doing a bit of light stretching before simply relaxing with Sam and Nicole. However, as it was the last day of Abysses End’s visit, they had a group run in the hills ending later than normal as they would wait to enjoy the sun rise around 6:33 before leaving. This meant that the run would start around 5:50 with a 5:40 meetup time, so Alex still had an hour to kill and was thinking about how he was going to spend it when he heard a knock on his door. When he opened it he found Mr. Chun from Jingong standing there with a smile.
“Good morning, Alex. I do hope you don’t mind my intrusion.”
“Mr. Chun, I take it Jingong has reached a decision.”
“Ah, straight to the point. May I come in and sit?”
“Give me a moment. We are just waking up and need a bit.”
“Very well, I did come without warning after all.”
Alex closed the door before letting out a sigh. He had hoped that Jingong would be unwilling to pay his price, but it seemed that they were just that desperate to salvage whatever they could. After ensuring that both Sam and Nicole knew that they had company, Alex went back to the door as Nicole put on some tea.
“Alright, we are good. Now please come in and have a seat.”
Mr. Chun smiled as he entered the apartment and took a seat.
“I must say, it is rather refreshing to meet with you. It reminds me of what it was like to be young and just starting out.”
“Indeed, life tends to slip away before we even realize it was here.”
“You speak a truth that most your age have no appreciation for. Now on to the matter of the day as I know you need to be somewhere else this morning.”
“So, has Jingong accepted my terms?”
“Not exactly. We appreciate the thought behind your proposal, but we feel it leans too much in your favor. If possible, we would like you to consider an alternative proposal that we believe is fair.”
Mr. Chun handed Alex a few pieces of paper that had bullet points of what Alex knew would be turned into a legal contract that he would need a lawyer to read over and ensure he wasn’t being taken for a ride if he agreed. As he read them over, he wanted to roll his eyes. Jingong was clearly treating him like he was a simple teenager that didn’t know how to see a trap when it was before him. One of the bullets lost in the middle could be twisted to turn him into their bank account should they be unable to make payroll. Alex didn’t even bother finishing the rest of it at that point as Nicole arrived with the tea. Alex took a sip to help calm his nerves before responding.
“Mr. Chun, this document is an insult to my intelligence. It is clear to me that Jingong is not sincere in their motives. I apologize, but I believe that we are at an impasse too large for negotiations to bridge.”
Alex watched as Mr. Chun tensed up and was about to speak before Alex stopped him.
“Mr. Chun, I do not believe that you are the main architect of the offer before me, nor do I believe you have the power to actually negotiate on behalf of the main office. I do not wish to waste my breath explaining things again. Tell those who have made this plan that I refuse to work with Jingong moving forward.”
Alex could see Mr. Chun holding back his temper as he responded through clenched teeth.
“You don’t understand the opportunity that you are throwing away here.”
“No, I understand the trap that I am avoiding completely. It is clear that the end result of any cooperation with Jingong will see my workshop be consumed completely.”
“Please reconsider.”
“Mr. Chun, the only reason I even entertained it at all was to hinder the growth of the other major players who will profit from the fire sale that your workshop is about to go through simply to ensure that your executives get their golden parachute exits. Now I do apologize, but as you know, I have somewhere to be soon.”
With clenched fists Mr. Chun bid Alex, Sam and Nicole farewell before leaving. Once he was gone, Alex picked up the papers that had been left behind and took some quick pictures of them before sending them over to Background Inc., with a message expressing his displeasure that he had already been outed as the client in all of the recent acquisitions.
“Alex, are you alright? You seem upset about what just happened,” checked Nicole.
“Nicole, read this and tell me what you think.”
Nicole took a moment to look through it before looking at Alex in confusion.
“I don’t understand what the major issue is. It seems like an outline for mutual cooperation that gives you most of what you asked for. Sure, they are trying to increase their profits slightly, but I fail to see what the major issue was.”
Alex took it and pointed to the lines that he had problems with and explained why on each of them, stopping at the one that had shut down any negotiations.
“This line says that FAE will assist Jingong in establishing itself outside of Nium once their members begin to reach tier 5. The issue is it fails to say to what extent, and in all likelihood once this was turned into a legal document several hundred pages long, it would include financial assistance without limit. Then they would hand us the contract to sign with only days to look over it and hope that we missed it amongst all the legal jargon.”
“I see, though are you sure you are not simply projecting?”
“Nicole, Jingong, Fire Oath, and Abysses End are all the same. They all claim to be the only one that is just and fair of the super workshops, but they all would sell their mother if it gave them a leg up.”
“Alright, we should get ready to go.”
As Alex drove to the designated area that was around a half hour away, he worked to calm himself down as he prepared to face the second-to-last event of the visit. As he arrived, he found the rest of the group already present and they all spent some time stretching out and getting ready for the run. As they ran, Alex could feel his body complain from the fact that it had been about a month since he had been on a good run. He didn’t feel like it was too bad thanks to the cardio that swing dancing provided, but he could tell that he was not in the same form he was the last time he made this run. Alex was happy when the run ended without any moves by Saki or Nantan, though that just made him worry for what their plan was for the evening bonfire. When Alex logged in at 8:00, he smiled as it was going to become the new normal and he had already communicated the shift in time with Samuel, Sensei Sano and Sensei Kikuchi, all of whom were pleased with the shift as 6:20 was a much easier start time for them.
ED year 2 days 9-10.
Xeal stepped out of bed and stretched early on the day of the summit between Prince Victor and Chief Xuk, which would determine the future of relations between Nium and the orcs. Xeal knew that it wouldn’t be as simple as showing up and signing some papers. No, the orcs valued strength far too much, which put Prince Victor at a major disadvantage as he was only at tier 6, which for a human was impressive, but to an orc he would be seen as too weak to rule. Even if the king attended it wouldn’t help as he was just barely tier 7, and as old as he was, they would see him as lazy for not growing further. No, the negotiation must be predicated on potential, not the current situation. Xeal reviewed his plan and made sure everything was in place as he enjoyed breakfast while Bula watched him as she always did. When 8:00 rolled around, it was time to see how things played out as there was no longer time to worry about what could be done. He just had to do what he was going to do as he stepped out of his home.
As Xeal entered the teleportation hall, Aalin, Gale, Dyllis and Enye all met up with him, dressed as if they were going to a nice dinner with their courtship gifts on. Xeal had to smile at them as he gave each a kiss as Enye’s guards took up positions around the group. With a smile and a nod, the five of them stepped through the gate, arriving in the frontier town where the summit would be held just outside its wall. The group left the town and made their way the half mile away where the venue for the summit had been assembled. The setup was simple, with a simple circular three-foot-high perimeter wall made of spikes that pointed outward with a radius of 100 feet. Inside the wall were a few areas that were set up for guards from both sides to take up position at. In the center was a tent that currently had all four sides rolled up so it looked more like a canopy in its current state, with a table that would allow only Prince Victor and Chief Xuk to sit. Members of FAE were still moving about to make sure everything was in place according to Xeal’s directions. Takeshi had been placed in charge of it and Xeal was happy to see that everything was coming together seamlessly.
“Xeal-san, it is good to see you. I take it everything is to your liking?”
“Takeshi-san, everything is perfect. Now let’s just hope the rest of the plan goes well.”
“I understand. I will take my team and stand by in the town until called for.”
“Thank you and make sure you meet up with Amser and the others. We may need all hands on deck for this one.”
“Understood. I wish you well, Xeal-san.”
“Same to you, Takeshi-san. Let’s get through the day so we can plunge into our tier 5 trials without worry.”
As Takeshi and the other members of FAE withdrew, Xeal could see the two processions that belonged to Prince Victor and Chief Xuk come into view. Prince Victor was joined by several nobles, with the most prominent being Marquess Bexley and his daughter Nora. They were surrounded by some of the kingdom’s most elite troops as guards, the lowest of which were at level 240. These were the cream of the crop when it came to military might in the kingdom outside the royal guard, of which a few had made the trip as well. On Chief Xuk’s side there were around 100 orcs riding on their tamed boar monsters, half of which were tier 7. Additionally, all of Chief Xuk’s 25 wives had made the trip as well. It was just as Xeal had expected. Between the two parties there was enough power to easily capture any city other than the capital in Nium, with a few exceptions. Xeal smiled as so far everything was going according to plan. Now he just needed to bring everything together.
As both groups reached around 100 feet from the wall, all but the core of each party and a half dozen guards on both sides stopped and took a readied position. For Prince Victor this meant Marquess Bexley and his daughter Nora were the only ones of the nobles to step forward. On Chief Xuk’s side he strode forward accompanied by two of his wives, one of which Xeal recognized as Bula’s mother Bulfim, and the other seemed to be the eldest of his wives. As they approached, Aalin, Gale, Dyllis and Enye each took position at the four corners of the tent, while Bula and Xeal stood next to the table that Prince Victor and Chief Xuk would sit at. Xeal could feel the tension as the two groups stepped inside the wall and their guards halted as they took up their positions along the perimeter. 20 feet from the center all weapons were dropped as a show of trust between the two parties. Finally, both parties stood just outside the tent as they faced off with one another. Marquess Bexley was by far the strongest of the nobles combat wise in all of Nium at level 250, but he was out matched by Chief Xuk at level 270, with both his wives being at level 199. With Prince Victor at level 150 and Nora at 50, it was obvious that if a fight broke out, escape would be the only hope on the prince’s side. Still, Prince Victor stared at Chief Xuk with no fear in his eyes. It was time for Xeal to play his role of host of the summit.
“Prince Victor and Chief Xuk, if you would both please vow to meet in good faith and step into the tent.”
“I, Crown Prince Victor, future ruler of the kingdom of Nium, do swear that I am here in good faith to find common ground with Chief Xuk.”
“I, Chief Xuk, leader of the proud and ferocious orcs of Ozzugh, do swear that I meet with the future ruler of Nium Prince Victor in good faith.”
As the two spoke, the first of Xeal’s preparations took hold and they both felt their oaths become binding.
“Very good. As you both just felt, your oaths are binding, as they have formed a contract with me at the center of it. The moment either of you leave the tent, the oath will be over and no lingering effects will be felt.”
Both Prince Victor and Chief Xuk nodded before taking their seats as Aalin, Gale, Dyllis, and Enye each dropped a side of the tent, leaving the four of them alone inside the tent.
“Now, as agreed upon, I will act as arbitrator for these talks. As such, I will remain neutral in all areas, but one. I will pursue the goal of uniting Nium and Ozzugh as one land under two rulers, strengthening both as I do so.”
“Very good. Now, before we begin, I wish to ask my daughter a question. Bula, what has been your impression of Nium and the humans?”
Bula took a second to gather her thoughts before speaking.
“Father, I have been in Xeal’s, or one of his women’s presence the entire time outside of his residence, so my impression is not complete as it would be had I walked the kingdom alone. Now with that being a given, the humans’ and our life philosophies are entirely different. Where we believe only the strong have worth and the right to survive and continue their line, humans believe that all have a place if they have a skill that can be of use in some way. As for the treatment I received, most of the natives of our world look at me with either fear or hatred, while those who hail from the same world as Xeal look at me with indifference or curiosity. I should also add that simply by being next to Xeal, no human has even dared to lash out at me, and still others are willing to serve me happily. Those close to him place great faith in his words and will. Aunt Durz was right in her evaluation from what I can see.”
“Thank you, daughter. Now, Prince Victor, what is it you hope for by adding my lands to those you will rule, albeit indirectly, and what are you offering to us in return?”
“Thank you, Chief Xuk and Bula for your words. Now, as to what my purpose here today is, it is simple. With the arrival of Xeal’s kind, the world has shifted out of balance. War is coming, slow as it may be. However, this war will not be one in which we can hope to survive without adventurers like Xeal in our ranks, as without them our armies will be little more than a delay tactic in the grand scheme of things. I will not mince words with you, Chief Xuk. Before that war I must deal with you and your people as if left alone, I would have the fear of an attack in the rear as I fight to hold the front. My hope is to fight side by side for survival with you and your brethren, and what I offer is the right to move freely for the most part within the kingdom.”
“Interesting, yet if we were to move about now, we would likely be chased out by the locals. How will you address this?”
“All changes take time. There will be friction and incidents on both sides. All we can do is work to mitigate things as much as possible…”
Prince Victor and Chief Xuk continued to discuss exactly what cooperation and a joining of the two would mean for several hours before the next of Xeal’s preparations came into play.
“Prince Victor, I believe we have come to something that should be agreeable for both sides. However, there remains a single issue. You are simply too weak for me to allow you to rule us, even indirectly, as things are set.”
“Chief Xuk, if I may step in for a moment, Prince Victor may not be able to defeat you in combat, but if I may be so bold as to say he has a force that is growing at this moment that in a matter of years would be able to push your lands to ruin with ease as they are now.”
“Oh, and where is this force?”
Xeal smiled before responding.
“The core of them can be here in a matter of minutes if you like as I am their leader. It is a force made up of adventurers like myself who never stay dead. You could say that like you I am a leader who has given Prince Victor power over me, should you agree to terms.”
“I know your strength. I also know you are an anomaly of your kind from what Durz has told me. Even if you will stand atop the world one day, that day is not today.”
“Chief Xuk, did you bring the ten newly minted warriors that I asked for you to in my letter?”
“Yes, I brought the most promising of them just as you asked.”
“Very good. Now I would like to perform a demonstration of the future that you are bowing to once you accept terms. I will have your ten warriors face off against ten of my guild members in a friendly bout. All of my members have yet to reach tier 5 and should be at a significant disadvantage, yet I promise you that we will win more of the matches than your warriors will.”
“And if they fail?”
“If they fail, I will step down as their leader, as I will have failed in nurturing them correctly.”
As Xeal smiled, Prince Victor looked concerned as he hadn’t known about this move ahead of time. If the FAE members lost and Xeal stepped down as guild leader of FAE, it would deal a major blow to his plans.
“Accepted. I take it that the contest will be held where we are now seated.”
“Yes, and to be clear, it will only be ‘til first blood.”
“That is acceptable.”
With that Xeal messaged Takeshi to have himself and the others come to the summit. Quickly the tent was removed as both parties retreated to their respective sides of the area as the ten young orc warriors came forth, followed by the ten members of FAE. This group consisted of Takeshi, Amser, Amet, Clara, Casmir, Leaena Asellio, Ryū Kenshi, Vita Xantara, Saima Mahal and Friva. All of them were at level 79 and would, like Xeal, be challenging the nightmare version of their tier 5 trial as long as they won their match today. As Xeal inspected each of them, he simply smiled as he hadn’t seen several of them for months in ED time, yet he had been impressed by what were in the reports concerning them. It was time to see if it was truth, or just an inflated account of events that had landed them here.
