Chapter 181 Chapter 182 Negotiation (Part 1)
Ten minutes later.
In the bedroom.
“Jenna, I really don’t want to go,” Jima protested, tightly gripping the door frame. “I actually have social anxiety; my tongue gets all tied up when I talk to important people.”
“Jima, don’t be ridiculous. You are an important person in this city right now,” Jenna tugged at her sleeve. “The invitation clearly states you must attend the meeting.”
“Stop joking. You know my status. What if I go in, throw a tantrum, and a hundred gunslingers pop up from the ground and drag me to the dungeon to face a public execution in the name of Sigma? Who in their right mind would willingly walk into someone else’s territory?”
“You’re overthinking it. I’m still an honorary member. If we start capturing people every day, will there be anyone left to negotiate with in the future?” Jenna wrapped her arms around Jima’s slim waist and lifted her up, “Not attending the negotiation will only lead to a falling out, which is bad for both sides.”
“So troublesome. Can’t humans be like demons, resolving conflicts by just standing up and hacking at each other, the one left standing wins? What’s the point of all this legal mumbo jumbo?”
“Humans aren’t as barbaric as demons.”
“Unless you promise me that no matter what happens, you will protect me, even if it means taking a life to help me escape. Otherwise, just carry me over there.”
“Okay.”
“You can put me down now,” Jima instructed. “By the way, you need to have a proper conversation with that big sycophant, Mr. Isaac. Avoid any conflict. Remember not to throw him down the stairs like you did when we were kids.”
Jenna, who felt she had been wronged, found it amusing and said, “That’s exactly what I had in mind.”
Once set down, Jima dashed away.
Not long after, she returned fully armed. She wore a red hooded cloak and a leather corset with a row of potions—red, blue, yellow, and orange. She also had a pitch-black horned cup hanging from her side, along with a short sword.
“Alright,” Jima stood on her toes to check, “Jenna, do you think I should take the crossbow too?”
“No need.”
Jenna carefully scrutinized Jima, noticing that she looked a bit “hollow,” somewhat faded. Just as Saint Jenna was about to observe further, Jima rushed to the front and said, “Jenna, quick, see what that guy is trying to pull.”
Jenna, with her punctual habits, reminded her that they were likely going to be late.
“It seems we might be late.”
She hurried to catch up, her chest bouncing slightly.
Before long, the coachman urged the horses on, carrying the two women down the street.
They encountered three separate car accidents along the way, luckily with no harm done to them. Jenna also ran into a family friend; they were walking on the street instead of using a carriage.
After stopping to greet them, Jenna learned that they had suffered too great a loss from car rides in recent days and decided to walk instead.
After exchanging goodbyes, the carriage continued on its way.
Jenna closed the window and asked, “Jima, isn’t this a bit too much?”
“There are so many people losing their fortunes at the racetrack outside the city,” Jima replied without hesitation. “But they accept it, as it continuously produces impoverished families, leading to a new batch of desperate robbers in the city. At least the potions we sell won’t make people grab knives and go looting.”
After thinking for a moment, Jenna said, “That makes sense. Since the law allows the existence of racetracks, it suggests that they believe the benefits outweigh the instability brought about. Then the potion, which is less harmful than the racetracks, should also be fine.”
Indeed, those with good intentions tend to link their standards of kindness with the law.
Jima sighed with relief inside. If things continued this way, even if Mr. Isaac provided evidence proving that Jenna was an accomplice to the harm done to Marlin City, Jenna wouldn’t feel much guilt. At the very least, the guilt generated would be less than the shame of her family going bankrupt because of her.
After all, the core of this conflict lay in Jenna’s own guilt.
Five minutes later, the carriage stopped by the square in the city center.
The meeting place was in the building where the “Mayor’s Council” usually convened. Marlin City is a “Free City,” directly reports to the emperor, rather than a local noble, and the mayor is elected by the city guilds and prominent figures.
Just after they disembarked, an imperial captain approached them. He was clad in armor, wearing a summer Charel helmet adorned with colorful feathers, several medals on his chest armor, and a long sword at his waist. He approached and spoke in a rough voice, “I take it you are the Saintess Jenna from the Cathedral, correct?”
“Yes, and you are?”
“I am here in Marlin City to recruit soldiers for the Empire,” he said. “The great emperor does not refuse the assistance of a saintess, especially one who can turn all the green skins on the city walls to charcoal. The electoral candidates in the south urgently need the assistance of the emperor’s army.”
Both Jenna and Jima were perplexed.
Jima even began to suspect that this might be a new type of scam. Perhaps they thought Jenna’s chest was large enough to be easily fooled and intended to abduct her—after all, what kind of scammer would dare to target a saintess? Were they crazy?
The imperial captain raised his hand and pointed at Jenna, saying, “The Empire needs you. Will you serve the legitimate emperor of the Empire? Just one year is all it takes.”
Jenna replied, “I’m sorry, this is all too sudden. I have urgent matters to attend to.”
“You’re going to a meeting, right?” The imperial captain said, “I may have been too direct, but I have no time for meetings. Sitting on a chair feels more unbearable than facing the endless green skin horde’s Waaaaagh. I’ll put it this way: if you are willing to serve the emperor for one year, your family will receive a business license issued personally by the emperor, and your younger siblings will enjoy related privileges because of your honor. You can discuss specifics with my subordinates.”
“Well, I need time to think this over carefully.”
“Time is short,” the imperial captain said, “I need to return to Adol tomorrow. There are no decent troops here in Marlin City; not a single one willing to enlist, for heaven’s sake.”
After he finished speaking, he cursed and turned to leave, the armor clank sounding as he moved.
“What do you think, Jima?”
“Jenna, didn’t you use any divination magic to check if he was lying?”
“No, that would be too rude.”
“I think most of what he said is true.” Jima said, watching the imperial captain’s departing figure. “If it were false, the cost of that armor would be too high.”
“But why is the Empire suddenly recruiting me?”
“It could be due to an urgent war situation,” Jima mused, her golden eyes turning anxiously towards the building ahead, where a clock tower stood. “Or it could be that Mr. Isaac’s family is powerful, having made connections with various factions in Marlin City, leaving you with no chance. At this time, the Empire extends an olive branch, willing to be your backing in exchange for your service.”
A transcendent being capable of using battlefield spells is undoubtedly a hot commodity for the military.
Jenna stepped forward, heading towards the building and glancing at the time on the clock tower, saying, “This sounds impossible. After all, I am also a saintess; can they act with such impunity?”
“Strong dragons can’t suppress local snakes.” Jima shook her head. “If you simply took your entire family and fled, they wouldn’t dare stop you. But if you choose to stay and fight against them, that’s another matter.”
Jenna seemed a bit restless, “Regardless, we still need to attend the meeting and discuss it further.”
As the clock tower began to chime, the two women, guided by attendants, stepped into the meeting room located on the second floor. The room was spacious enough for fifty people to brawl without issue, with a single glass window free of visible bubbles, allowing the morning sun to stream into the chamber.
In the center of the meeting room was a round table, symbolizing equality among the parties. However, a handsome figure with a golden mask covering the upper half of his face, Mr. Isaac, sat at the twelve o’clock position, while all other seats were occupied, with only one spot vacant directly opposite him at six o’clock.
Is this a provocation against the king? Ha, I graciously lower myself to be your opponent and will scatter your ashes.
Jima steeled herself, knowing the seriousness of the situation. She pulled out a high-backed chair and sat down. She initially wanted to interlace her fingers to support her chin but found the table too low to be comfortable, so she gave up.
With no available seats left, Jenna stood by Jima’s side.
She gazed with her bright, black eyes, locking her stare onto Mr. Isaac.
The room was extremely quiet, and the other eleven attendees fixed their eyes on Jima with surprising synchronicity.
Indeed, Mr. Isaac must have made unsavory dealings with them; I want to see what tricks they are trying to pull.
Mr. Isaac shot an unfriendly look towards Jima, who squinted her eyes, returning his unfriendly gaze.
“Ahem.” Mr. Isaac stood up and said, “It’s good to see you and Jenna again, but—”
“But what?” Jima interrupted. “No need for pleasantries; just get to the point.”
“But the seats are reserved for the members of the Extraordinary Committee.” Isaac raised his hand, pointing at each of the seated individuals, each of whom had someone standing behind them to varying degrees. “The rest may stand.”
“……”
Jima looked at Jenna, who awkwardly nodded.
Unfazed and with steady composure, Jima stood up, making Jenna deeply admire her thick skin.
Jenna sat down on the chair, gently adjusting it forward to prop up her chest on the tabletop.
Jima positioned herself behind Jenna and noticed a gaze fixated on her that made her scalp tingle. Following the line of sight, she saw a square-faced witch hunter wearing a high-top leather hat, staring coldly at Jima with his gray-black eyes. The silver skull on his hat seemed to look at her too. It felt like a vulture was watching her.
Feeling creeped out by the intense stare, Jima decided she didn’t want to see the fervent witch hunter anymore and turned her head back.
“I now declare the meeting officially open.” A person standing up struck a bell with a hammer.
“I accuse Committee Member Jenna’s family of abusing extraordinary powers, leading to significant disruption of social order,” Mr. Isaac’s voice boomed. Afterward, with a tone of regret, he added, “Jenna, it’s painful to see you step onto the path of evil.”
