47 『Illusion of Choice』 (1/2)

Her father needed, no, she needed the Dragon to side with the Kingdom by just about any means necessary. If it meant she would survive, if it meant she'd be able to chain up and raise her Climb like a puppy... Then she'd sacrifice her dignity, her everything, as long as she got what she wanted.

Princess Renner, the Golden Princess was not what she seemed.

However at the same time, there were quite a few things that she could offer. The question was, what was viable? Tax exemptions? No trade tariffs? The economy was already dead, it wouldn't do her kingdom any good, even if they got the Dragon on their side with that deal. If anything it would force them into a war with their neighbors in order to get a steady simpend of economic growth... But they couldn't even afford that. Or it would leave them open for the Dragon himself to invade the rest of their territory unhindered.

Her thoughts were going all over the place. The things she could offer, the things her father was prepared to give him. Despite all of this, the face she gave was one full of confidence and deep pondering. She couldn't lose face here, otherwise he might just walk all over her.

”Have you ever found a needle in a haystack?” Vertum leaned forward, resting his folded hands on his ankle now as he did so. This question stemmed from the scent of her anxiety, her chemical reactions and hormones didn't lie unlike her pretty outer expressions.

The Princess's eyes snapped to attention, before her brows furrowed. ”Pardon?”

”You were planning on telling me your father was going to be willing to give me anything, most likely, right?” Vertum sighed quietly and shook his head. ”Even if you offered anything, there would be very few things that I would find to my benefit.”

Her lips parted, she knew he was looking down on the Re-Estize Kingdom, but she didn't let any false sense of patriotism or pride in her family raise to the occasion.

”Can you find one, single, person in a mass of several hundred thousand?” Vertum raised a brow at this, resting his jaw to the side lightly awaiting her answer.

Ninya's eyes rested on the back of the man's head as he was leaned forward. Was he asking about what she was thinking he was asking for? One person out of thousands of people.

Who else would he be looking for? Though couldn't he just use divination? Was he testing the woman? Ninya didn't know what to do or to think. She didn't let her hopes blind her however, shifting a bit more on the sofa as she remained next to him.

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”I... Suppose?” The Princess squinted her eyes slightly at the man, trying to figure out his angle, before quickly noticing Ninya's gaze. There seemed to be a hopeful glint.

Perhaps these Silver Ranked individuals were more than just useless bodyguards? They weren't really here to protect him, were they? No, it seemed like they were just company to have around in a world that was probably unknown to him, as he was believed to have been underground for centuries prior to modern day.

”Are you looking for someone in particular?” Renner's eyes drifted from Ninya to Vertum.

Vertum seemed to shrug as he leaned back again, fixing his jaw. ”Perhaps, or maybe I'm just pulling your leg and hoping it pops off.” His tone was sarcastic and hardly that of a polished nobleman speaking with Royalty, it was just as described by the Head Warrior. ”Either way I'd be able to find them myself.”

Ninya raised a brow at this behavior in which the Dragon was entertaining.

A large smile engulfed the Golden Princess's lips as she nodded lightly to his words, hardly giving much a negative reaction to this. ”What is it you want exactly?”

”After evaluating my neighbors, a mutual defense pact or a guarantee of Independence is out of the question for the Re-Estize Kingdom. We can achieve those on our own.” His head cocked to the side, naming some of the things that could've been on the table, but were utterly useless.

Shaking her head lightly, she'd ask, ”Do you want a trade pact?”

”What would we trade? Grain?” Vertum didn't expose the fact that they tapped into underground mineral deposits within the Great Forest of Tob.

”We can lessen the inflation prices of exports and imports towar--”

”Not interested in trade, not with a Kingdom that is plagued by inssessent nobility who doesn't behave itself,” referring to the crooked nobles that were far beyond corrupt.

She was quiet for a few moments, her fingers digging into the blue skirting of her dress. ”You still haven't named what you wanted.”

Vertum snickered quietly at her claim. ”How about this... Renner, what can you give me?” Without using her title of Princess, he asked her this, but she was prepared and seem to care all too much.

Now with the spotlight focused on her and not towards what her father could give him, she frowned. If she had the power to do so, she'd give him E-Rantel, but that was keeping the Empire from coming through their territories. If the Empire were to be let through by him and into their Kingdom, it was unlikely they'd survive a war in the homeland.