New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Chapter 689 Unvoiced Requests

A servant came back with a tray of cakes and biscuits, setting it between the two men. She pulled off the top of the teapot, where the tea had been steeping for a while, and pulled a tin closer.

She pulled out the leaves with a little scoop, before serving a cup to both the king and the diplomat, as well as small plates with cake on them. The servant then bowed and left the room.

All the while she had been there, the diplomat had eyed her with squinted eyes. All of which had not escaped Astaroth's piercing gaze.

'He's one of those. I hope he doesn't ask for her…'

Astaroth lightly coughed as the young girl left, getting the diplomat's eyes off the servant and back on him.

"You were saying? The rules?" he said, his tone flat.

"Ahh, yes. Sorry, I was distracted. Are all your servants such beauties?"

Astaroth's hand gripped the sofa's armrest strongly as he tried to keep cool.

'Calm down, calm down, calm down. What would Phoenix do?'

As he thought this, images of the diplomat burning to cinders came to mind.

'Nope. Wrong question. Just stay chill. He wouldn't dare ask for her.'

"I think we are veering off subject here, Sir Stinson. Let's stay on track."

The diplomat audibly clicked his tongue, which made Astaroth's eyelid twitch slightly. But he kept his cool.

"All work and no play. Alright, King Astaroth. We can keep this for after I have explained the rules to you."

'I would rather we don't talk about it at all,' Astaroth thought.

"Regardless of the games that will be selected, the regiments that are sent will all have the same amount of warriors, which is to be limited to two hundred and fifty strong. Any group that doesn't meet this criterion is welcome to bolster their regiment with other troops from the coming nation or even with adventurers. But the upper limit is the same for everyone.

"As for the composition, anything and everything is welcome. We had a year when an invitee sent a force of fifty soldiers, along with two hundred beasts. There are no true limitations, aside from the number of bodies. Mounts count in there, so mounted cavalry is often not recommended.

"Aside from this, each force will engage in four events, to rank them, based on performance, before they enter the next stage of the exercises. In past years, there would always be ten forces, so we would then eliminate the two weakest and get into an elimination tournament. But since this year we have an additional two, things will be a little different.

"Every invitee force will pick a number in a ballot and go against another one of the alliance kingdoms. Then, depending on how they did before losing, we will keep the ones with the most potential to go forward with the rest of the exercises."

Astaroth looked him in the eyes.

"And what happens if one of the invitee forces wins his match?"

The diplomat looked at him before bursting into laughter. He laughed for a few moments, expecting Astaroth to join in.

But when he noticed he was the only one laughing, he recomposed himself.

"King Astaroth. I assure you, this has never happened before. There is a reason the alliance is so restrained in its membership. We are the strongest kingdoms in the land.

"If any army from a small kingdom or force could take us on and win, I assure you, they would be in the alliance already. It is the very reason yours was allowed to join. We had a feeling, with Leon in your midst, that it was a possibility.

"The alliance would never allow a lesser force to mock its superiority. Nor do I believe anyone on the continent or the other has the power to do so."

That was the moment Astaroth decided to laugh.

After laughing for a minute, Astaroth wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye and returned to his smiling face.

"I think you misunderstand me, Sir Stinson. The force I am inviting has the potential to tear at my gates, and it keeps growing every passing day. The only reason they haven't tried tearing my doors down again is because they now work for me."

The diplomat smirked at Astaroth's words.

"Although that might be true for a budding kingdom like yours, Your Highness, I wholeheartedly doubt the capacity of this force to take down a part of our military. But I guess we shall see, if you are so confident in them."

The last words he spoke contained traces of venom in them, as the diplomat took it as an affront to their power. But he couldn't treat Astaroth badly, as he was a king part of the alliance.

Why the other kingdoms had accepted such a young kingdom into it was beyond him. But he owed them to treat the newest member with respect.

"In any case, that is how the start will proceed. As for after the first round, we will eliminate the weakest four, and the rest will move on to the traditional format. Do you have questions?"

Gerald was already tired of dealing with this arrogant young king. He was used to visiting the smaller kingdoms, the invitees, and being treated like a superior to their kings.

Yet, this child treated him like someone beneath him. He still hadn't offered him what had caught his eye.

"No questions for me. I think I understand what I need."

Gerald clapped his hands together.

"Good! Then, if that is the case, the day is well on its way to be over. How about we call it a night, and my men and I leave in the morning tomorrow?" he asked, an enormous grin on his face.

Astaroth stood up and stretched his hand across once more.

"I can arrange that. I will have a room prepared for you on the second floor. Your men will get another one, right next to it, and I will make sure you lack of nothing."

The diplomat grinned widely.

'I can't wait to get my hands on that little maid,' he thought, getting all excited.

But Astaroth could almost hear his thoughts through his greed-filled pig eyes.

'I will make sure no female maid goes near your room…'