BXBX NOVEL Chapter 69 Peace Pact
"Turn it off. I think we\'ll come back to the topic of the Elven Queen later." Adam grimaced and shook his head, signaling for Amarantha to stop the playback.
She complied, and immediately the screen disappeared, along with all the unpleasant sounds. Alexander snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.
"This Amaria they speak of is very ruthless. I\'ve never seen such killings. But, Adam, according to your description, she was a tender and kind woman?" Alexander smirked. "It looks like you\'ve been deceived."
"I don\'t care. Elfheim doesn\'t matter to me anymore, so let her have her fun there as she pleases." Adam didn\'t humor Alexander\'s joke and shrugged indifferently. "Besides, we can discuss the war later. I\'m more interested in knowing the reason for your visit to my city, Alexander."
Adam\'s aura suddenly shifted, becoming more serious and authoritative. Alexander noticed the change but merely shrugged. After a brief silence, he replied:
"The sudden appearance of the new town alarmed us, so it was decided to send someone for reconnaissance. I volunteered to go and find out the situation, but I didn\'t expect to find a full-fledged city here." Alexander leaned back in his chair and snorted. "I reported the danger to the top leadership, and after a few days of discussion, they decided to enter into a non-aggression agreement with Amarantha, but she insisted that the agreement be made with you." Alexander raised an eyebrow and playfully put an arm around Adam\'s shoulder, smirking. "Listen, we\'re both gentlemen here, so why don\'t you give me some advice? I\'d like to have such hot and powerful support too."
Adam rolled his eyes and smiled, replying, "Firstly, you need the looks, like mine."
Alexander flinched and deflated, realizing he wouldn\'t cut it from the start. He quietly cursed all the handsome men in this world and returned to seriousness before placing a document on the table.
"I need your signature, and then we\'ll make a magical oath. You can review all the details that need to be agreed upon and add your requirements. Although I\'d prefer if you didn\'t ask for anything, it\'s impossible," Alexander sighed.
Ignoring Alexander\'s dejected mood, Adam took the paper into his hands. The agreement primarily concerned someone claiming to be the second prince. His name was somewhat complicated, and Adam wasn\'t particularly interested, so he continued reading.
To be straightforward, there weren\'t too many terrible conditions or traps. There were, of course, secret attempts to gain more benefits and even try to collect taxes, but Adam refused all of that right away.
"You understand that I will never agree to pay taxes to another state unless there\'s some benefit in it for us?" Adam frowned, looking at Alexander. "I believe we are both smart people here and understand that you can\'t ask for something without offering an equal price in return."
Point 1.5 stated that the city of Sedion was obliged to pay taxes to His Highness, the second prince, for some illusory protection and the expenses related to the agreement. It was evident that it was merely an attempt to take as much money as possible.
Moreover, after the agreement was made, Adam would be required to pay 10 Platinum Dragon Stones as a token of gratitude to the prince for his generosity and willingness to protect the city of Sedion in these trying times.
"Moreover, the agreement is made with the second prince, whom I don\'t know at all. And I\'m being very polite in my words, considering the absurd demands." Adam frowned and pointed to Section 2.2. "In this section, it explicitly states that every year, in winter, the mayor of the city of Sedion must visit the Second Prince and inform him of his good intentions. And, by the way, they casually mentioned gifts that amount to a whopping 25 Platinum Dragon Stones! Absurd!"
Adam\'s face distorted with anger, and his demonic wings unfurled while his eyes turned red. His aura became chaotic, and the pressure weighed down on Alexander.
However, it didn\'t have much effect as Alexander was too strong, and it was evident that he felt uncomfortable with this agreement. He cleared his throat and looked a bit flustered, but he still tried to insist.
"I understand it\'s absurd, but I need to stand up for the demands. His Highness Ladiron Derek Urisanian von Avalonia promises trade assistance and more. He hopes for good cooperation with the city of Sedion." Alexander hesitated for a moment before quoting the prince\'s words. "For your information, I\'m just quoting him, alright? \' Mayor of Sedion, Adam Harris It wasn\'t so difficult to learn about your identity considering the influx of information during these trying times. I\'m sure many would like to destroy you just because of your race. And I\'m willing to help you and provide cover if you agree to these conditions.\' That\'s it..."
Crack!
A loud sound echoed as Adam slammed his fist on the table, shattering it into dust. His brows furrowed, and a low growl escaped his lips.
"This bastard thinks he\'s the king of the world?" Adam roared, glancing at Alexander. "Fine, I understand his position. Amarantha!"
"Yes?" Amarantha\'s soft voice came from behind Adam, surprising him for a moment.
Turning his head, he saw her relaxed expression, indicating that she had been prepared for this moment for a while. Adam sighed and calmed down, offering a gentle smile.
"Amarantha, can we withstand Avalonia\'s army in case of a critical situation?" Adam asked seriously.
After a brief pause, Amarantha leaned in close to his neck, inhaling his scent. With a seductive smile, she replied, "It won\'t be a problem to even annihilate their entire army."
Turning to Alexander, Adam gave him a piercing look, squinting his eyes.
"I hope you\'ll talk to your prince about this. I\'ll provide my version of the agreement. He has every right to refuse, and I won\'t take any action against him, but if it turns out the prince has malicious intentions, his head will be the first in my collection."
Alexander sighed and stood up. In his hand was a token used for long-distance communication. Exiting the room, he started conversing with the second prince.
Meanwhile, Adam and Amarantha sat next to each other in silence, lost in their thoughts. However, Adam broke the silence as he smiled and embraced her waist.
"I missed you." His tone was sincere and grateful. "But..."
Amarantha looked at him questioningly, and Adam grinned, lifting her chin with his index finger. "Why don\'t I see you in a wedding dress?"
Amarantha glanced at him expressionlessly and laid her head on his shoulder. Adam raised an eyebrow at her seriousness and gently stroked her hair.
"What\'s wrong?"
"Nothing... I missed you so much." Amarantha sighed and looked at Adam from the corner of her eye. "Do you know about the Chaos Empire?"
Adam was surprised by her question and tensed, trying to recall everything he knew about that empire. The homeland of demons, a hell on earth The Demon Queen easily controlled the entire empire and could determine the fate of the world.
"The homeland of demons... I don\'t have memories of it." Adam frowned, attempting to remember anything, but he couldn\'t. The previous owner of this body didn\'t want to share that information with him.
"Anyway, they suddenly became active, and it seemed like they were searching for something. All the demons from the outer world were summoned back. So, you should be cautious," Amarantha said, covering her face in his embrace. "I don\'t want you to get hurt."
Adam smiled and stroked her head. However, thinking about the Chaos Empire...
"What happened?"
***
Two hours later...
"Ugh... why did I agree to this crap at all? Someone kill me," he sighed loudly and plopped heavily on the chair. "Alright, just finalize the agreement, and I\'ll leave. This time, the prince agreed."
Adam smiled and handed him the paper. Alexander took it and began to read. The agreement states as follows:
The Kingdom of Avalonia and the city of Sedion, according to their mutual will and voluntary agreement, hereby enter into this non-aggression pact, with both parties strictly abiding by the conditions outlined below.
Article 1: Duration 1.1: Both parties agree not to attack each other and refrain from any hostile actions for twenty years, starting from the date of signing this document.
Article 2: Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity 2.1 The Kingdom of Avalonia and the city of Sedion acknowledge and confirm each other\'s sovereignty, as well as the right of each party to independence and territorial integrity. 2.2 Both parties commit to respecting each other\'s borders and territories and refraining from any actions that may lead to a violation of the other party\'s territorial integrity.
Article 3: Mutual Peaceful Dialogue and Dispute Resolution 3.1 Both parties undertake to maintain an open and constructive, peaceful dialogue to resolve potential disagreements and disputes that may arise during the term of this agreement. 3.2 In cases of disagreements or disputes that cannot be resolved diplomatically, both parties agree to resort to neutral mediators or arbitration to find a fair resolution.
Article 4: Mutual Cooperation 4.1 Both parties express their willingness to engage in cooperation in trade, culture, science, and technology, promoting the prosperity of both nations. 4.2 The parties shall encourage the exchange of information and knowledge for the benefit of their people and mutual respect.
Article 5: Violation of the Agreement 5.1 Violation of this agreement by either party will be considered a serious breach of peace. 5.2 In the event of a violation of this agreement by either party, the other party has the right to suspend its obligations under this agreement and take appropriate measures to protect its interests.
Article 6: Termination of the Agreement 6.1 This agreement shall automatically terminate after twenty years from the date of signing this document. 6.2 This agreement may be terminated prematurely by mutual consent of both parties.
Alexander read through it, and with every word, he grew more and more grim. Finally, as he finished reading, he let out a heavy sigh.
"My life was sweet until I decided to take a stroll."