Finally, we endeavored to contact the Eastern Trade Union. We would need to go about it carefully. First impressions were crucial, after all. Once I had carefully combed through the information the Masquerade Swarms had delivered, I decided today would be the day. However, it didn’t go as smoothly as I’d intended.
“Halt! The capital city of Khalkha is past here! Present your entry permit!”
The Arachnea messenger I’d sent was accosted by a guard outside Khalkha’s walls.
“My. You’d demand something like that from someone of my lofty station?”
“Hrm. Who are you, miss?” the guard asked her, suspicion written on his features. “That’s quite a fancy dress you’ve got there. Are you some rich family’s daughter?”
“Hey, hold on,” said another guard, giving him a nudge. “Look closer.”
After a beat, the first guard’s eyes widened in surprise. Of course he’d be shocked; my messenger naturally attracted that kind of attention.
“That coat of arms belongs to the Maluk royal family! Are you Princess Elizabeta?!”
I’d chosen Elizabeta because I believed she’d be ushered into the country and permitted to meet with the Senate quickly enough. Even if things escalated, and I had to abandon her there, I wouldn’t grieve her loss very much. She was the perfect messenger for us.
“Indeed I am. I’ve come to meet with the Senate—in confidence, if possible. Could you show me the way? But remember, this must remain strictly between us. Not a soul must know of my presence. Understood?”
“Well, err, we’ll have to ask the man in charge. Please, be patient.”
One guard went to consult their commanding officer, who would pass the information up the chain of command until news of Elizabeta’s arrival and her request reached the ears of the Senate.
That would take some time, though. Until then, Elizabeta would have to sit and wait. I was grateful it wasn’t me there.
At last, the words I’d been hoping for came. “You have permission to enter. Come, right this way. The Senate has agreed to meet with you.”
“Thank you kindly.”
Good. Now we can make contact with them.
“Follow me, Your Highness.”
A guard guided Elizabeta through the city, eventually bringing her into a large, bustling brothel.
“Please wait here. My apologies for bringing you to such an unsightly place, Your Highness, but I was told this meeting was to be confidential.”
True, this place was probably ideal for a discreet meeting, but I couldn’t help but wish they’d have picked somewhere a little more tasteful. Elizabeta was led into a spacious room that appeared to be the brothel manager’s office, where she took a seat on a chair. All that remained was to wait for the Eastern Trade Union’s higher-ups to arrive.
Elizabeta spent an hour there before someone finally showed up. It was Ventura, a well-built dwarf who was the chairman of the Senate.
“Welcome to our fair country, Princess Elizabeta. I was told you’ve come seeking a private meeting. How can I help you?”
I imagined he must have been especially busy with his duties during these tumultuous times.
“You may be under the impression that I am Maluk’s princess, but that’s not the case,” Elizabeta replied. “Right now, I am one of the Arachnea.”
Ventura’s brows lifted in alarm. “The Arachnea, you say? You mean, you’re one of those...monsters? Whatever do you mean?”
Elizabeta was known far and wide as Maluk’s princess, and she had been Maluk’s representative during the last international conference. Yet here she was, suddenly admitting her allegiance to the monstrous faction that had viciously overrun several countries. From Ventura’s perspective, this was a baffling development.
“The Kingdom of Maluk has been conquered, myself included,” Elizabeta continued. “However, my mistress does not wish to see the Eastern Trade Union meet the same fate. Doing so is perfectly within her power, but right now, the Arachnea are different than they were when they took over the kingdom.”
“Hmph. I assume the war with Nyrnal is what changed your way of thinking, then,” Ventura remarked. “I hear you’re in quite the predicament.”
“I believe you’re in an equally unfortunate position, no? If I may be so bold, it seems your country is in a rather sorry state, pressed as you are between the Empire and the Arachnea.”
“You’re well informed. I suppose you would be since this isn’t something we can very well hide. Indeed, being sandwiched between two threats is giving us quite a bit of grief.”
Oh, I know. The Eastern Trade Union is currently in a critical position when it comes to both military and external affairs.
“The Empire cannot be trusted,” Elizabeta said firmly. “They took advantage of our occupation of Frantz to launch an invasion. They stabbed their fellow men in the back. Are you going to permit that?”
Ventura gave a shake of his head. “That doesn’t mean the Arachnea are trustworthy. True, the Nyrnal Empire did take advantage of a war to stage an invasion, but it was you Arachnea who started that war. No, you aren’t worthy of our trust.”
Talk about a harsh judgment. The Arachnea were the ones who had plunged this continent into war, that much was true. But we did have our reasons for it.
“With the Kingdom of Maluk, the war began because the elves’ right to exist was being threatened. As for the Dukedom of Schtraut, there was an act of treachery among the leaders of the country, who opened hostilities against us. We only fought the Popedom of Frantz because they declared war on us first; we even worked to ally with them. We do not attack other nations indiscriminately.”
That’s right. I won’t allow any more needless slaughter. I made a promise to Sandalphon.
“Let us assume I believe you,” Ventura said. “What do you want from us?”
“An alliance,” Elizabeta replied. “The Arachnea seek an alliance.”
At last, they’d moved on to the main topic.
“An alliance with you?” Ventura asked with a dubious look. “The Adventurers’ League reports that your creatures have sentience and intelligence, but are you really smart enough to ally with us like a human nation would?”
“Absolutely. We do not simply massacre the nations we defeat. If you look at the situation in the Popedom of Frantz, that much should be clear. We signed a peace treaty and concluded that war through conversations and understanding.”