Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Chapter 735 Negotiation

In the end, Rain went to talk with those two the next day about the meeting. Thanks to the intelligence that he got, they could tell that the magic people were too busy improving their defenses, but that wasn't entirely a good thing for them since if another war starts, the magic people can always return to safety if something happens and then try again before they suffer heavy casualties.

"The best option when it comes to negotiations in times of war is to be unreasonable first and then demand a lot from the other side, but I have the feeling that the person supporting them is expecting that we will do this," Rain said. "Hence, we need a better plan."

"This will be hard… we can't be too obvious then," Esmeralda said while considering their options. "We have to make them at least understand that we don't want to sign any magic contract and for starters, we have to ask for compensation to make them think that they have to show a clear proof that they wish for peace."

"Their knowledge and magic technology is obvious out of the question, they won't share that," Branden said. "We need to ask something that they can't accept so fast and it will make them thing for a while about how that could affect the power balance between the nations."

Rain came to a deeper understanding of why diplomacy might not be his forte. While he acknowledged a knack for deception or tactful maneuvering in certain situations, the complexities and intricacies inherent in diplomatic negotiations appeared annoying to him. Juggling various issues, weighing multiple perspectives, and navigating through intricate political landscapes seemed burdensome.

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This recognition highlighted to Rain why the role of a diplomat might not align well with his preferences or strengths. After thinking for a while, nothing came to mind to them… that only showed how troublesome the studio was. In the end, they had to think for several days before coming up with some idea.

"I guess we can only demand a bunch of their high-quality potions, it is something that they have that they can share without too many repercussions," Branden said. "Around five hundred of them should be what they can produce yearly and if we demand that amount, they should have to think for a while."

"All right, we will leave that to you, Rain," Esmeralda added.

"No problem," Rain said after he crossed his arms.

Just one of the most powerful potions that the magic people could produce was enough to make Rain recover all of his mana, and he needed five of the best of the humans to do the same job. That will make Rain gain some time in battles against all enemies.

While many utilized the remains of the dragons for crafting weapons and tools, a separate group devoted their efforts to alchemical pursuits using these formidable materials. Despite their hard work, progress in the field of dragon-based alchemy appeared rather limited. Despite the potential for numerous advancements, the innovation and breakthroughs in this area seemed to have stopped.

The intricacies and complexities of transmuting or manipulating the dragon remains through alchemical processes posed significant challenges. Despite the vast resources available in the form of dragon bodies, achieving substantial advancements in alchemy using these materials remained difficult without proper knowledge about them.

At one time, Rain also studied the potions that he got from the magic people, but he wasn't able to learn anything from it… the potion components were so hard to find in the liquid that one could only think that they did that on purpose to hide the formula.

Regardless, when the time came. Rain, Asche and Liss went to talk with the same group when they appeared on the determined day. Without wasting time, Rain went to the point.

"Her Majesty came to realize that while it is useless, we can only sign truce in the old ways, no magic contract will be sealed," Rain said. "To make us understand that your side is serious about this, her Majesty asks for five hundred of your best potions. This isn't up for negotiation."

Rain noticed a sense of frustration emanating from the diplomatic group, and it was evident that they were rather displeased. Despite sensing their annoyance, Rain chose to maintain a composed demeanor, refraining from displaying any satisfaction or acknowledgment of their evident discontent.

Though internally satisfied with provoking a reaction from the group, Rain realized the importance of concealing any sign of satisfaction. Instead, he adopted a neutral and composed facade, understanding that revealing his satisfaction could potentially affect the ongoing negotiations.

"Such resources isn't something that we can trow around willy nilly, we need them to defend ourselves against the dragons," Losar said.

"I guess the negotiations end here then," Rain said. "You can't forget that the dragons caused us a lot of trouble because your war weakened us as well. If you aren't willing to pay for the problems that you have caused, we don't have any reason to negotiate."

"We can offer half of that if you sign the contract," Losar said. "Your conditions are too harsh when we are trying to be reasonable."

"I guess I am wasting my time there, this isn't up for debate," Rain said. "You can return here again with the exact number of potions and we won't sign any suspicious contract."

Rain recognized that departing abruptly from the negotiation table might typically create complications, but in this instance, he didn't hesitate to do so. Through their brief exchange, Rain grasped that although the magic people had substantial assistance, their resources were finite, and their ally wasn't capable of resolving all their issues.

This realization led Rain to swiftly make the decision to leave the negotiation. Understanding the limitations and dependencies of their opponents, Rain believed that their reliance on a single source of aid could potentially be exploited to their advantage in future discussions… and he was willing to do that a lot.