>>4668945
“You want most of inner Tarsus,” King Tymaret observes. “This was never going to fit into any definition of ‘easy’, Queen Noel.”

“So that means you do not intend to just make it easy,” you muse.

“No,” King Tymaret shakes his head. “No I do not.”

“Then we should get started,” you suggest.

King Tymaret nods. “We start with Merced.”

“Merced, broadly speaking, wants to join with Hazaran,” you point out. “For them the mathematics are determinate.”

“As they are for Tarsus,” King Tymaret points out bluntly. “Hazaran gains at Tarsus’ loss.”

>It needn’t be so, you know. I’m certain that there’s some sort of trade to be struck.
>The crux of the issue remains – Merced wants to leave. Will you allow it, or not?
>Honestly, I’ve had my doubts about this. I’d need to speak with some of the locals.
>Other?

>>4668975
>>It needn’t be so, you know. I’m certain that there’s some sort of trade to be struck.

>>4668975
>>It needn’t be so, you know. I’m certain that there’s some sort of trade to be struck.

>>4668975
>Other?
Ask what's his angle. He wants something besides just holding onto Merced -- he could have just declared war and be done with it.

>>4668975
>The crux of the issue remains – Merced wants to leave. Will you allow it, or not?

>>4668975
This >>4669123

>>4668975
>It needn’t be so, you know. I’m certain that there’s some sort of trade to be struck.

>>4668975
>>4669123
this.

>>4668975
>It needn’t be so, you know. I’m certain that there’s some sort of trade to be struck.

>>4668975
“You could have simply declared war and skipped this whole affair,” you muse, “so you must want something out of this, even if all you want is a guarantee of future peaceful relations or some sort of trade concession.”

“I see you have given this some thought already.”

“I have,” you admit. “To the extent it made sense to and no more.”

“Then you understand that what I wish for is to recoup some of the long-term losses that my nation will feel for having lost inner Tarsus.”

“Which will be what, exactly?”

King Tymaret nods curtly. “The difference between what the region in question pays in taxes to the crown and what it receives per annum.”

“Losing inner Tarsus would lead to a budgetary shortfall,” you muse.

“That is correct.”

“To what sum?”

The numbers on the paperwork King Tymaret has brought in to you are extensively-backed by figures from the last five years – you would have preferred to have ten years but this will have to suffice – and work out to a substantial sum. It seems that the trade generated by inner Tarsus made it a significant net donor in terms of tax revenue within Tarsus.

“Setting that aside for a moment, we can offer you five years of tariff-free trade with Hazaran,” you reply, intending this offer to cut into the up-front demands that King Tymaret is essentially making. “This arrangement will be something of a trade-off for everyone involved – everyone gains something and loses something.”

“I can understand that much,” he admits. “I suppose the minutiae of what is gained and lost is less relevant.”

“I can also tell you my plans for fortifying inner Tarsus,” you continue. “It would mostly be treated as a strategic buffer zone, concentrating on Merced and the major roads, with marching forts for small units of troops and for my fellow warriors.”

“Claymores.”

“Right, that would be what most people call us.”

“You don’t?”

You shake your head. “Never.”

“That is all understandable,” King Tymaret admits. “Either your father or your former masters clearly gave you some training in strategic matters, else you have some natural knack for them.”
>1/2

>>4669968
“Our warriors are numerous,” you continue, “and will need permission to cross the border freely if you wish for western Hazaran to benefit from their presence on your eastern border.”

“How many?”

“Nineteen, with a further eight in various stages of training.”

“Twenty-seven in all,” the King muses. “I wasn’t aware there were so many.”

“The Organization is in a rough way,” you admit. “Increasingly Lavinia is becoming irrelevant in dealing with yōma eradications this far west.”

“So it would seem beneficial to remain on good terms with you personally.”

“It might,” you shrug. “Though I am also a professional when it comes to eradicating yōma. My own personal feelings do not factor into it – though our ability to reach the locations where we are needed would.”

>I think Hazaran will be able to offer you one-half the loss of revenue per-annum, for the next ten years. It will require certain acceptable delays and a reduction of services during that time.
>Hazaran can cover your per-annum loss for the first year with our new revenue, reducing by one-fifth over four subsequent years. This will allow you some time to adjust your spending to match.
>I think we can settle on one up-front sum, drawn from new revenue and depleting the kingdom’s saved funds by about half. It’s a huge risk for us, but a good-faith gesture as well.
>Other?

>>4669969
>Hazaran can cover your per-annum loss for the first year with our new revenue, reducing by one-fifth over four subsequent years. This will allow you some time to adjust your spending to match.

>>4669969
>>I think Hazaran will be able to offer you one-half the loss of revenue per-annum, for the next ten years. It will require certain acceptable delays and a reduction of services during that time.

>>4669969
>Hazaran can cover your per-annum loss for the first year with our new revenue, reducing by one-fifth over four subsequent years. This will allow you some time to adjust your spending to match.

>>4669969
>Hazaran can cover your per-annum loss for the first year with our new revenue, reducing by one-fifth over four subsequent years. This will allow you some time to adjust your spending to match.
Although the ten-year plan has the advantage of encouraging Tarsus to remain friendly with us for ten years.

>>4669969
>Hazaran can cover your per-annum loss for the first year with our new revenue, reducing by one-fifth over four subsequent years. This will allow you some time to adjust your spending to match.
Seems the most reasonable and fair.

>>4669969
>Hazaran can cover your per-annum loss for the first year with our new revenue, reducing by one-fifth over four subsequent years. This will allow you some time to adjust your spending to match.

>>4669969
“What I can offer is this,” you tell King Tymaret, your tone patient and even. “Hazaran can cover Tarsus for its per-annum loss of revenue for the first year, decreasing proportionally for the subsequent four years. This would give you the better part of five years to adjust your spending estimates and taxation brackets.”

“That’s a remarkably conservative offer,” the king frowns. Clearly he’d expected one of two things from you – either to make him an offer he could immediately reject, or to err on the side of appeasement and give him an offer more damaging to your own interests and more clearly favorable to him.

“You described the issue to me quite clearly – the budgetary shortfall. This alleviates that issue without causing any acute fiscal crises with Hazaran, as the new revenue from the other regions seeking to join us will cover most of the expenses associated with the incorporation process.”

“What ‘expenses’ are you referring to?” the king presses.

“Construction of new fortifications,” you explain. “There are several along the present border on your side, and these must be dismantled to serve as raw materials. That work will take time and cost money. The same process must be carried out in western Noroit should that go forward, as well as a few additions required in southern Sakia and eastern Cuilan.”

“It’s quite an extensive new amount of border and roads to cover.”

King Tymaret frowns at you. “And is that a concern for Tarsus?”

You nod. “It is. Because if I cannot secure at least a viable arrangement for Hazaran then Tarsus will not have a deal either – thus leaving us at an impasse. And that benefits neither of our kingdoms.”

“Is that a threat of violence?”

>Perhaps. There is only so much a kingdom would be willing to accept after all, you should know that.
>I think we should both want to avoid that, so please consider Hazaran’s position as I consider Tarsus’.
>Not in the slightest. Consider for a moment that almost any deal is better for Tarsus than no deal would be.
>Other?

>>4671548
>>I think we should both want to avoid that, so please consider Hazaran’s position as I consider Tarsus’.

>>4671548
>Not in the slightest. Consider for a moment that almost any deal is better for Tarsus than no deal would be.

>>4671548
>I think we should both want to avoid that, so please consider Hazaran’s position as I consider Tarsus’.

>>4671548
>Not in the slightest. Consider for a moment that almost any deal is better for Tarsus than no deal would be.

>>4671548
>>Not in the slightest. Consider for a moment that almost any deal is better for Tarsus than no deal would be.

>>4671548
“Not in the slightest,” you assure him calmly. “I simply think you should consider that the possible consequences of failing to secure some sort of agreement would be worse than almost any deal you could imagine – let alone the one I just offered you. Which I hope you will agree was a reasonable offer.”

“It had…” King Tymaret muses. “I suppose I would call what it had a certain ruthless sensibility to it. Five years, from full revenue to none you said?”

“That’s correct,” you confirm. “Do you have a counter-proposal that you think my kingdom will be able to accept?”

After a long pause, the king shakes his head. “No. If we are both going to be honest, I cannot think of a way to handle this situation that would be more favorable to Tarsus without becoming unfair to Hazaran.”

>Then I think it makes some sense to take a recess. Consider what’s been said, then come back fresh tomorrow.
>Then I think we’ve reached an agreement. We should take these details back to our respective kingdoms for final ratification.
>Other?

>>4673394
>>Then I think it makes some sense to take a recess. Consider what’s been said, then come back fresh tomorrow.
>Wouldn’t want you to think I’m hurrying you and it is very possible one of us missed something. Still I appreciate you engaging in diplomacy in mostly good faith.

>>4673394
>Then I think it makes some sense to take a recess. Consider what’s been said, then come back fresh tomorrow.

>>4673394
>Then I think it makes some sense to take a recess. Consider what’s been said, then come back fresh tomorrow.

>>4673405
>>4673394

>>4673394
>Then I think it makes some sense to take a recess. Consider what’s been said, then come back fresh tomorrow.

>>4673394
“I think it makes sense to take a recess for the evening,” you admit. “Come back in the morning to finalize our arrangements, assuming neither of us comes to some dramatic realization that we missed something.”

“I would agree,” the King admits. “We will meet here after breakfast.”

…

You gradually work your way back out through the building, reuniting with your comrades along the way and eventually returning to the inn where you’ve booked a room for the four of you. Valentina, Vanessa, and Aurora all agree to have a meal delivered to you upstairs rather than eat downstairs, and when it arrives you notice that Nina has fixed four small portions for you.

“Thank you,” you tell her graciously, accepting the plate. “What is it?”

“A little bit of pastry with goat’s cheese, bacon, and caramelized onion, two slices of peach preserved in honey and wine, a little bit of spiced chickpea, and a corner of flatbread.”

“Not bad at all,” Valentina muses happily. “It wouldn’t be too out of place in Hazaran.”

“That’s good to hear,” Nina smiles back.

Aurora seems to take the hint. “That’s what you intended?”

“Yeah,” Nina tells you. “So I did that well?”

“Very much so,” you agree. “Thank you, it’s very comforting.”

“Then mission accomplished!” Nina smiles.

…

Not long after dinner, there’s a knock at your door. Vanessa opens it to reveal another familiar face.

“Lawrence,” you greet the trader warmly. “Please.”

“Queen Noel,” the man smiles as he sits at the small table your room was furnished with. “Doing well for yourself I see.”

“Very,” you reply, giving him a suspicious glance. “I was not aware that you made house calls. What brings you here?”

“I have some business to attend to,” Lawrence admits. “Wanted to see how the negotiations were going.”

>Well. I think we have the basics of a deal worked out.
>I get the distinct impression he really would rather not be doing this.
>I’m not sure I follow. You say you have ‘business’… and yet here you are.
>Other?

>>4674885
>I’m not sure I follow. You say you have ‘business’… and yet here you are.

>>4674885
>>I’m not sure I follow. You say you have ‘business’… and yet here you are.

>>4674885
>>I’m not sure I follow. You say you have ‘business’… and yet here you are.

>>4674885
>I’m not sure I follow. You say you have ‘business’… and yet here you are.

>>4674885
>I’m not sure I follow. You say you have ‘business’… and yet here you are.

>>4674885
>I get the distinct impression he really would rather not be doing this.

>>4674885
“I’m not sure I follow,” you admit. “You say you had ‘business’, and yet here you are… not seeing to business, so far as I can tell.”

Valentina stops munching on her pastry abruptly, and she’s not the only one listening in.

Perhaps sensing that his response is actually being listened to by not one but four silver-eyed witches, Lawrence suddenly seems much more tense. “I… okay, you got me. I wanted to see you.”

“… why?”

“Because why wouldn’t I?” he shrugs, almost struggling to answer a question the answer to which he clearly considers too obvious to even discuss. “When we met you lifted up my whole cart so I could fix the wheels, then sniffed out all my cargo just for fun. And now you’re a warrior-queen, like something out of one of the old fables.”

You take a deep breath before speaking. “Okay, so now what? You have my ear.”

There’s another pause. “I… may not have thought this through.”

“You think?” Aurora muses.

“I didn’t think I’d get called out so quickly!” he protests. “I thought we could just chat about the situation with inner Tarsus and that’d fill the time!”

Aurora raises her hands. “Hey, men can get kind of dumb when they’re smitten. I get it.”

Valentina glances at her. “You mean you think...”

“It fits, doesn’t it?” Aurora smirks. “Wouldn’t be the first time a guy fell for one of our kind.”

“I think maybe you should ease off a bit, Aurora?” Vanessa muses quietly.

“Why?”

She gestures towards Lawrence. “He’s starting to look like a beet.”

>… talking about the situation in Tarsus sounds fine. Have you anything to add, Lawrence?
>You don’t NEED an excuse to make a social call, you know. Am I THAT hard to approach?
>Lawrence, as a half-yōma AND a queen I’m not exactly one for “fraternization”. Sorry.
>Other?

>>4676395
>Shall we talk outside?
>>You don’t NEED an excuse to make a social call, you know. Am I THAT hard to approach?

>>4676395
>You don’t NEED an excuse to make a social call, you know. Am I THAT hard to approach?

>>4673394
wait... isn’t Lawrence already married? I distinctly remember one of our clients prior to our defection getting married.

>>4676395
>>You don’t NEED an excuse to make a social call, you know. Am I THAT hard to approach?

>>4676606
No Lawrence was the wandering merchant who we hitched a ride with a few times. Also was the guy who got jumped by bandits who we scared off by flexing on them.

>>4676395
>You don’t NEED an excuse to make a social call, you know. Am I THAT hard to approach?
>>4676606
That is my recollection too. Hence, do *not* wander off with him.

>>4676395
>Lawrence, as a half-yōma AND a queen I’m not exactly one for “fraternization”. Sorry.

>>4676606
Thread 35, Lawrence has a fiancé, Naomi. So chances are, yes, he is married.

>>4676395
>Other?
>Get him alone
>Ask what happened to his fiance
If we're to let him off, it's better to do it without witnessess. Hes embarrassed as it is.

>>4676395
>You don’t NEED an excuse to make a social call, you know. Am I THAT hard to approach?

>>4676395
“Even if you are a married man now you do not have to find excuses to make social calls,” you muse playfully.

“Ah,” Valentina sighs slightly, almost as if in relief.

“I’m just having fun with you,” Aurora shrugs. “When we’re not out there killing yōma I get bored.”

“Thank you my young friend,” Lawrence mutters quickly to Vanessa before coughing into his fist. “Well, to be honest I was curious how things went today. I do after all have a vested interest.”

“It’s not completely clear to me how things went,” you admit. “The King of Tarsus was obviously hesitant to lose the region, and was most likely hoping that I would give him an excuse to turn this into a battle.”

“It has been a long time since King Tymaret had any sort of prestigious victories to mention,” Lawrence muses thoughtfully. “An ageing king tends to lose respect through inactivity, not gain it.”

“So you believe that this is about respect?” you frown.

Lawrence shrugs. “It’s possible. Or maybe that’s just his attitude, either one’s consistent.”

>Thank you for that perspective. It may prove useful when we meet again tomorrow.
>I think we managed to move past that particular issue… hopefully.
>Let’s talk about something else, shall we? So whose idea was all this anyway?
>Other?

>>4678368
>>Let’s talk about something else, shall we? So whose idea was all this anyway?

>>4678368
>>Thank you for that perspective. It may prove useful when we meet again tomorrow.
>"So how's the wife?"

>>4678407
>>4678368

y'know what, sure.

>>4678368
>Thank you for that perspective. It may prove useful when we meet again tomorrow.
>Other?
Ask about business in general. Are the trade routes secure? Any difficulties?

>>4678368
>Let’s talk about something else, shall we? So whose idea was all this anyway?

>>4678407
>>4678368
Supporting

>>4678368
>>4678407

Yea, how is she? And when can we meet with her to gossip--I mean visit?

>>4678368
>>4678407
Supporting

>>4678368
“Thanks for the perspective,” you incline your head politely. “It might be helpful when we meet again tomorrow, so I’ll be sure to keep it in mind.”

“But anyway… how’s the wife?”

“Well,” Lawrence nods, “She’s well, thank you.”

You nod. “So… what’s she like?”

“Not like you,” he admits. “But in a good way.”

“What does that mean?” you ask curiously.

“Normal,” Lawrence tries to clarify. “Which is… nice, actually. Pretty, but not perfect. Smart, but not so smart I can’t understand her. Not sure she could take a yōma, but she could strip my hide if I crossed her.”

“Sounds like a catch,” you muse. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” he smiles slightly. “So, what’s been new with you, other than the obvious?”

>If you’re asking if I’ve met anyone, the answer is no.
>I may not have found a husband, but I have a lot of ‘children’ around these days.
>Mostly work. Odd, it’s been quite a while since I killed a yōma.
>Other?

>>4680036
>>I may not have found a husband, but I have a lot of ‘children’ around these days.

>>4680036
>>I may not have found a husband, but I have a lot of ‘children’ around these days.
>>Mostly work. Odd, it’s been quite a while since I killed a yōma.

>>4680036
>I may not have found a husband, but I have a lot of ‘children’ around these days.
>"I like to call them 'ducklings' given how they tend to follow the older girls around."

>>4680036
>I may not have found a husband, but I have a lot of ‘children’ around these days.

>>4680036
>I may not have found a husband, but I have a lot of ‘children’ around these days.
>Mostly work. Odd, it’s been quite a while since I killed a yōma.

Random thought: but since we travel so much, maybe we could bring back a souvenir once in a while: like an exotic plant for Solaris, or a bottle of wine for mother. They'd probably appreciate the humanizing gesture most, but the other Warriors might prove difficult to shop for. Wait, don't we know a painter? Hmmm.

>>4680036
>>I may not have found a husband, but I have a lot of ‘children’ around these days.
>>"I like to call them 'ducklings' given how they tend to follow the older girls around."
>Mostly work. Odd, it’s been quite a while since I killed a yōma.

>>4680036
“I may not have found a husband in this time,” you muse, “but I seem to be surrounded by children… the ‘ducklings’ our faction in Scaithness keeps pulling in. Trainees and rookies who follow around the older warriors like lost little sisters.”

“I was one of them,” Vanessa offers with a smile and a little wave. “I remember you, from our first mission.”

Lawrence squints for a moment. “I’m not actually struggling here… you basically look the same as you did back then. A little older maybe, but not by much. It’s good to see you well… and your friends from back then?”

“They’re doing well too.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“It was a close thing,” you admit. “It always is.”

“But it sounds like you’re happy at least,” Lawrence muses.

>I won’t be until I’ve secured a future where they can be free, and live whole, fulfilling lives.
>Actually, right now, I’d say so. And I don’t feel like insisting on adding a husband into the mix.
>I… DO think that the Kingdom of Hazaran will expect me to marry for politics at least.
>Other?

>>4681562
>>Actually, right now, I’d say so. And I don’t feel like insisting on adding a husband into the mix.

>>4681562
>Other
>It's a bit hard to say. I'm still waiting on several, large proverbial shoes to drop right now. I'm still more cautious than anything else. But I do take some satisfaction from being able to help those near and dear to me and some comfort from knowing I have their support and esteem in turn.

>Suffice it to say, though: I'm aware of things that make contentment difficult at best. Just comes with the job I suppose. Both of them.

>>4681562
Seconding >>4681623

>>4681562
>>4681623

>>4681562
>Actually, right now, I’d say so. And I don’t feel like insisting on adding a husband into the mix.

>>4681562
>>4681623
this

Queens phone is range banned and since he can't post otherwise we will have to wait till Monday for an update.

This may be a dumb question: but aren't those easy to get around with a proxy?

>>4683350
maybe, i only relay what i read on the discord

>>4683289
Why banned? What did he do? What did he shitpost?

>>4684147
Range banned means someone in his area was such a problem that they took a nuke to the ban so they could not IP evade. He did nothing, his neighbors on the other hand...

>>4684415
..... will need to have pizza sent to his house.

File: warrior_uniform.png (663 KB, 900x1300)

663 KB PNG

Claymore themed art interlude while we wait?

File: tumblr_oks6l7iccj1ruzfppo(...).png (777 KB, 786x773)

777 KB PNG

>>4686367
ok

>>4681562
“It’s hard to say,” you admit. “It’s satisfying to be able to help people I care about... at one point I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to have that again. But I’m always at least vaguely aware of how tenuous it all still is.”

“So I’d say I’m happy, yes, but also wary.”

“That must be tiring.”

You shake your head. “In a sense, perhaps. We warriors do not tire the same way ‘normal’ humans do. Our physical endurance is greatly enhanced, our need for rest is lessened... but the way we handle things emotionally can be irregular.”

“Few of our kind are as calm and collected as miss Noel tends to be,” Valentina offers.

You shake your head. “Though in any case, warriors tend to handle ‘stress’ better – since I can tell you now, fighting for your life against yōma on a regular basis, separated only by days of ceaseless travel and social isolation can be quite stressful.”

“I’d imagine the wandering becomes therapeutic in and of itself after a while,” Lawrence muses.

“For some,” Aurora offers. “For others it would simply be a nuisance, or even an added source of stress.”

“For me it was always draining,” you admit. “I could give you one example, miss Nina – I met her during a mission here. She was serving at a pub that was filled with yōma, five total, only four of which my handler warned me were there.”

“I was concerned at first that she was going to become an outcast, since I’d seen that happen before, but I had to leave.”

“What happened to her?” Lawrence asks curiously.

“She owns this inn,” you smile. “So that turned out well enough. But for every Nina there are maybe a dozen who I never heard from again after I left their hometown. There have been two towns I found wiped out entirely.”

...

Eventually it comes time to turn in for the evening – mostly for Lawrence, that is – and before he excuses himself he asks if you would like him to arrange to have anything delivered to Scaithness.

>Some spices. That would be good.
>Information would be the most useful.
>Actually yes, painting supplies.
>Other?

>>4684415
4chan bans all mobile ISPs (verizon/AT&T/etc) because of how trivial it is to get banned and get a new IP and continue acting like a shithead.

>>4686912
>>Actually yes, painting supplies.

>>4686912
>>Actually yes, painting supplies.
>Some spices. That would be good.

>>4686912
>>4686922
this

>>4686912
>Information would be the most useful.

>>4686912
>Some spices. That would be good.

>>4686912
>>Some spices. That would be good.

>>4686912
>Information would be the most useful.
>Actually yes, painting supplies.

>>4686919
Don't mobile phones have ID you can based on the phone instead of the IP?

>>4686912
>Actually yes, painting supplies.
>Some spices. That would be good.
>Other?
Rock Runes. Any rocks with old symbols or sigils on them, and if you can document where and when they were found or any accompanying documentation as well I would greatly appreciate it. For SCIENCE!

>>4686912
“There are a few things that we do not get with any regular frequency,” you admit. “Good spices and painting supplies chief among them.”

After a moment, Lawrence smiles in understanding. “I think I follow. Morale?”

You nod. “Morale.”

“I did figure those stewards of yours could do a lot more with different ingredients,” Aurora admits, seemingly intrigued by the idea.

“And it’s been a while since we all painted together,” Valentina muses. “That was nice. I want the newbies to experience it too… or at least something like it.”

Now that she mentions it, she’s absolutely right. Even when you’re all concentrated in one place like this, there’s a tendency for the tasks before you to take priority. The demands of governance such as they are, of diplomatic engagements, of missions to deal with yōma and until recently to extract your fellow warriors from hopeless situations – all of it.

“I’d like that too,” you eventually admit. “And not just for the new ducklings.”

“The new ducklings,” Vanessa repeats thoughtfully. “Does that mean we’ve ‘graduated’ now?”

“You’ll always be ‘my’ ducklings,” you muse.

…

The next morning you meet with the King once more, again in another man’s office. This time he seems to be making less of an attempt to flaunt his temporal authority, and is wearing a much less gaudy crown much more in line with your own restrained headwear. For your part nothing much has changed – the way you had things organized before remains the most effective way, since Vanessa’s presence at your side will give you immediate access to her sensory abilities.

“Have you come to a decision?” you ask calmly.

His response comes with a curt nod. “I have decided that my nation has no choice but to accept your terms as offered. Inner Tarsus has become a problem with an easy solution, and expending the resources to fight an insurgency here is not that solution.”

>No one said anything about an insurgency. Hazaran is not threatening you.
>It IS possible that the idea has been planted in too many heads at this point.
>I hope this means that our nations can continue to coexist peacefully.
>Other?

>>4688662
>>I hope this means that our nations can continue to coexist peacefully.

>>4688662
>I hope this means that our nations can continue to coexist peacefully.
>No one said anything about an insurgency. Hazaran is not threatening you.

>>4688701
>>4688662
Support

>>4688662
>I hope this means that our nations can continue to coexist peacefully.
>Other?
Since we are here face to face already, shall we also discuss what we can trade? Perhaps a trade deal on top of things can smooth out any misgivings.

>>4688662
>I hope this means that our nations can continue to coexist peacefully.
>No one said anything about an insurgency. Hazaran is not threatening yo

>>4688662
>>4688701
This

>>4688662
“I hope this means that our nations can continue to coexist peacefully,” you muse, “but I would be interested to know where you got the idea of an insurgency from. Hazaran is making no threats to fund or direct such an effort.”

After a moment, the king nods in agreement. “No, nor would I accuse you of anything of the sort. It is in fact quite a different issue.”

“Prompted by?”

“The merchants’ guild in inner Tarsus,” he admits after a moment’s consideration. “A representative of their organization visited me yesterday evening and mentioned the possibility.”

“And you took it for a threat?” you press.

“I did. It would not of course guarantee that outcome, however he understood well enough that I would realize that even the possibility would be concerning enough to shift my thinking in favor of simply accepting your proposal.”

>Was it a man by the name of Lawrence, by any chance? He visited me as well.
>Does the merchants’ guild have a history of doing this sort of thing in Tarsus?
>I am confident it was not a threat, however your assessment is not incorrect either.
>Other?

>>4689804
>>Does the merchants’ guild have a history of doing this sort of thing in Tarsus?
>Did the man say his name?

>>4689804
>>>Does the merchants’ guild have a history of doing this sort of thing in Tarsus?
>>Did the man say his name?

>>4689804
>Does the merchants’ guild have a history of doing this sort of thing in Tarsus?
>Did the man have a name?

>>4689804
>I am confident it was not a threat, however your assessment is not incorrect either.

>>4689804
>I am confident it was not a threat, however your assessment is not incorrect either.

>>4689804
>Does the merchants’ guild have a history of doing this sort of thing in Tarsus?
>Did the man say his name?

>>4689804
>Does the merchants’ guild have a history of doing this sort of thing in Tarsus?

Just how big are the cojones on these merchants?

>>4689804
“Did this man have a name?” you ask with a frown, already anticipating the answer.

The King nods, his ow brow furrowed in disapproval at the very memory. “It was Lawrence, he offered me no family name – wisely. In fairness he made no explicit threats, and professed to be a mere messenger for certain members of the guild who remain nameless to me.”

“So that was the ‘business’ he mentioned,” you grumble.

“You know this man?”

“He is an acquaintance,” you confess. “He owes me several debts of gratitude.”

“And you spoke with him last night? About what?”

“His wife mostly,” you shake your head. “That and he agreed to try furnishing Scaithness with an increased traffic in art supplies and spices.”

“Art supplies and spices?” the King repeats in surprise.

You nod. “He wanted to know if we wanted anything. We do not get the same variety of spices that are available in the Capital in Scaithness, nor do we tend to get the sort of art supplies that might otherwise be available. Both would help keep morale among my kind higher.”

“In other words a very different conversation altogether.”

“Very,” you agree. “Have you had troubles like this with the guild in the past, or is this an unusual case?”

The King frowns. “I am not certain I wish to tell you anything more than necessary.”

“If this is going to be come a problem shared by both our nations,” you counter, “then should we not share in the task of finding a solution?”

“You speak wisely of course,” the King admits. “This has never happened before. There have always been odd reports of bribery and so forth, but never anything directed at the crown. Whether that is cause for reassurance or alarm is not for me to decide.”

“Thank you,” you incline your head politely.

>Finalize the deal with a toast before taking the paperwork home.
>Simply sign the normally-required forms and leave it at that.
>Other?

>>4691098
>>Finalize the deal with a toast before taking the paperwork home.

>>4691098
>>Simply sign the normally-required forms and leave it at that.

>>4691098
>>Finalize the deal with a toast before taking the paperwork home.

>>4691098
>Finalize the deal with a toast before taking the paperwork home.

>>4691098
>Simply sign the normally-required forms and leave it at that.

>>4691098
>>Finalize the deal with a toast before taking the paperwork home.

>>4691098
It’s all rather businesslike after that point.

There’s a huge amount of paperwork involved in finalizing the arrangement you discussed yesterday, which is no surprise. Multiple copies of forms which themselves each require multiple copies, enough for multiple official official channels and for the archives as well. Each of them has to be signed by each monarch, then cosigned by witnesses, and finally stamped with personal seals.

But eventually, with a folio full of documents, you are free to return to the inn with some sense of success.

The next morning you say your goodbyes to Nina for the time being, and you’re able to tell her now that she may become a citizen of Hazaran in the coming months – which is honestly incredible news.

>Take this straight to the Capital and deliver it to the Kashag and to Noventus.
>Head back to Scaithness with your cohort. It’s time to go home for a little while.
>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.
>Other?

>>4692795
>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.

>>4692795
>>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.

>>4692795
>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.

>>4692795
>>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.

>>4692795
>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.
What happened to our toast?

>>4692795
>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.

>>4692795
>Spend some time, publicly, on the way back in what is now the border regions.

>>4692996
My brain stopped working for a moment while I was tallying the votes is what happened.

>>4692795
You decide that it wouldn’t hurt to be seen publicly along the way back, and out of all the locations between where you are and where you’re going the border town of Aith is probably the top on your list. It’s right on the border, just halfway between Merced in inner Tarsus and the Capital city of Hazaran, set deep into the concave swoop of border that makes up Hazaran’s western edge.

Here there exists an interesting caveat to the absorption of inner Tarsus into Hazaran – the fact that there are a number of paired towns on either side of the border that primarily exist because of each other, and not because of any real economic rationale or deep historical significance. Aith is one half of one pair of settlements like that, and occupies a nice spot along a river cut deep into the landscape. Two halves of one city wall, with towers where each half meets the water’s edge, and with the side facing the official border hosting a fortress that sits astride the main road into the city.

This city has a high concentration of cannon of course, as the centerpiece of the entire defensive area, and because it needed to be able to oppose a smaller but still significant fortified town within sight of Aith’s walls.

This town’s name is Reida Broch, and it’s not quite so extensive in its defenses. The walls are lower, made from rammed earth and topped with a head-height wooden palisade, though the entrances are stone-fortified gates with blockhouses crossing the roadways below, and the corner towers contain significant powder magazines. The center of the city is an open square ready for parades and shows of force.

“So what were you planning next?” Aurora wonders aloud.

>I should start in Reida Broch. They may be unaware of how quickly things have progressed.
>Aith has been on the front lines for decades. We should start there for obvious reasons.
>With two messengers, we can arrange to meet leaders from each settlement in a neutral location.
>Other?

>>4694370
>With two messengers, we can arrange to meet leaders from each settlement in a neutral location.

>>4694370
>With two messengers, we can arrange to meet leaders from each settlement in a neutral location

>>4694370
>With two messengers, we can arrange to meet leaders from each settlement in a neutral location.

>>4694370
>With two messengers, we can arrange to meet leaders from each settlement in a neutral location.

>>4694370
>>With two messengers, we can arrange to meet leaders from each settlement in a neutral location.

>>4694370
“If we send two messengers,” you reason aloud, “one to Aith and one to Reida Broch, we can arrange to have parties from each settlement meet in a neutral location to discuss how this should proceed.”

“Valentina, please take a message to the governor in Aith for me. Aurora, please take a message to the town master and the military governor in Reida Broch. Both should be in attendance.”

“And where will serve as a neutral location?” Valentina asks curiously.

“Well,” you muse, “Vanessa and I will see to that.”

“We will?” Vanessa glances at you in confusion.

“Oh yes,” you insist. “We will.”

...

By the next morning the broad plain between Aith and Reida Broch, through which the official border runs somewhere imprecise and honestly somewhat meaningless, there suddenly stands a series of tents. These are of the ancient style, somewhat more formal than the usual structures provided as homes for Hazari military officers on the march. Finely carved and polished wooden ribs run outwards from a central hoop, held up by intricately carved hardwood posts. Canvass with waxed outer layers hangs as a ceiling material, and the floor is a serious step up from the norm – actual wood, with fine carpets.

At the center of the tent there’s a pile of stones gathered from nearby, all set in a hole left there in the wooden floorplanks, serving as a hearth. At the moment the canvas sides of the tent are raised slightly to allow a breeze in, and the top is closed to keep the midday sun out.

“Please,” you greet your first guest, led in through the wooden door on the far side of the tent, “come in and sit.”

The governor of Aith is an older man, stern of countenance with grey hair – in other words, he looks exactly like the other military men gone grey and settled into administrative roles who you’ve met.

“How rare,” he muses at his surroundings. “Governor Septim. I hear good things about you from Noventus, Queen Noel.”

The typical manner here is for the host, particularly one of your standing, to sit in a low chair and for everyone else to sit on cushions on the floor. Positioning is important: when Valentina escorts Governor Septim in she sits at your left, while Vanessa sits behind your chair in the position of an advisor – suitable given her status as a sensory-type.
>1/2

Next come Aurora and two guests, who take seats in front of you but opposite the governor of Aith. One of these is Fernando Holzt, the one with the longer beard you think, who is the civilian master of the town of Reida Broch. The other, another stern military man but this time with a thick moustache on his upper lip and no hair on his scalp, is clearly General Eduard Glanz, in command of all Tarsan military units along this stretch of the border. Of the two, General Glanz seems the less happy to see you and your governor, however his sense of professionalism forces a curt bow out of him, which you return with a slight nod of your own head.

“General Glanz, thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice,” you greet him politely. “And Mr Holzt... I must confess I have no idea what the formal name of your current office is.”

“I would be a registrar,” Holzt clarifies. “My role is one of ensuring proper filing and archival of all official documents for legal and civil administration for the county of Reida, for which the Broch has become the major settlement. I believe the old Hazari word would be ‘Tzongdu’?”

“Your pronunciation is slightly off,” you muse, “but I get the general idea. It would make you a high-ranking civil servant with regional authority, but the only national authority you have is as an advisory role in combination with others of your approximate rank.”

“That’s exactly right, ma’am.”

>Good, it seems unlikely then that any of your responsibilities will differ as a Hazari town.
>To begin, I should state it explicitly: Reida will now fall within Hazaran’s borders. That is why we are all here.
>General Glanz, your garrison here and the fort at Aith are the biggest sticking points. Your thoughts?
>Other?

>>4695733
>>To begin, I should state it explicitly: Reida will now fall within Hazaran’s borders. That is why we are all here.

>>4695733
>begin, I should state it explicitly: Reida will now fall within Hazaran’s borders. That is why we are all here.

>>4695733
>To begin, I should state it explicitly: Reida will now fall within Hazaran’s borders. That is why we are all here.

>>4695733
>To begin, I should state it explicitly: Reida will now fall within Hazaran’s borders. That is why we are all here.

>>4695733
>>To begin, I should state it explicitly: Reida will now fall within Hazaran’s borders. That is why we are all here.

>>4695733
“To begin, I should probably start by stating it explicitly,” you muse. “King Tymaret of Tarsus and I have signed an official agreement regarding inner Tarsus. Once this agreement goes into effect, the new border between our nations will run past Merced – placing all of Reida within Hazaran.”

It’s hard to say which of the three men is most stunned.

“What of my command?” General Glanz demands. “What of the defenses around Reida Broch?”

“Those belong to Hazaran now,” you explain. “Any of your men who wish to remain will be kept on at the most equivalent rank, while those who do not are free to leave. Your cannon you can take with you, but the fortress stays where it is.”

“Why?” Governor Septim demands.

“To be gradually dismantled,” you clarify, “and be reduced in scale. The materiel will be removed to Merced and the area around it, save for perhaps two gun towers. The defenses around Aith will also be revised to reflect the reduced threat of shelling – now it’s the odd yōma to be concerned with, not cannon fire.”

“The details have been signed into effect?” Septim presses.

“You will keep your river defenses,” you offer. “But your city is no longer on the border. It is a city on a major trade corridor, unlike many of the other towns which were once at the western end of our kingdom.”

“And what of those towns?” Septim demands.

“And their Tarsan counterparts?” General Glanz adds. “Loathe as I am to throw in my weight behind Septim here.”

“Will be in the same position,” you reply with a frown. “These settlements will no longer be key military outposts, but will still be functional nodes in shipping goods and materials around Hazaran. At the north end they will become a part of the network carrying goods from inner Tarsus into Sakia, and at the south they will serve a corridor that runs all the way to the southern sea.”

“Some people may need to find new jobs, or make alterations to their businesses. Some may wish to move towards the new border near Merced.”

“And will you be facilitating these shifts?” Septim frowns.

>To a small degree, yes. At my direction certain opportunities will be made available.
>If you’re talking about your own place in the council, you will serve where you are needed.
>It will be difficult at first, but there is enough money in the coffers to shift around.
>Other?

>>4696792
>>To a small degree, yes. At my direction certain opportunities will be made available.

>>4696792
>>To a small degree, yes. At my direction certain opportunities will be made available.

>>4696792
>To a small degree, yes. At my direction certain opportunities will be made available.
>Other?
Point out that being away from a border means security and possible growth, if the opportunities are recognized.

>>4696792
>To a small degree, yes. At my direction certain opportunities will be made available.

>>4696792
>To a small degree, yes. At my direction certain opportunities will be made available.
>It may be difficult at first, but there is enough money in the coffers to shift around.

>>4696792
“I intend to make a few opportunities available,” you admit, “according to the predicted needs of the kingdom of Hazaran. But that is not all, of course – there is also the fact that all of these settlements will benefit from the spread of peace and stability through the region.”

“As the military affairs move outward towards the new border,” Holzt reckons. “Yes, I believe that could work nicely.”

“I disagree,” General Glanz counters curtly.

“You would,” Septim rolls his eyes. “Anything that works to the advantage of your old enemy in Hazaran can’t be good for Tarsus, and anything bad for Hazaran must be good for Tarsus, right?”

“After all these years you finally understand me,” Glanz smirks. “I’m almost touched.”

“Then again, what makes you think this is to Hazaran’s benefit?” Septim presses.

“Your queen seems to be strongly for it,” Glanz shrugs, “so either you’re calling her a fool for mis-estimating the benefits to Hazaran or you’re admitting your own foolishness for doubting her.”

“Bad blood, it seems?” you muse.

“These two were fighting each other during your father’s reign,” Holtz informs you. “So there’s quite a bit of blood between them, much of it bad, but most of it someone else’s.”

“And what would you know of such matters?” Septim demands.

>He may not be a military man, but he seems to understand both of you perfectly well.
>Septim, perhaps you have forgotten that Hazari military and civil ranks have parity?
>You are all three my guests. Control your tempers lest you risk insulting your host.
>Other?

>>4698291
>>Septim, perhaps you have forgotten that Hazari military and civil ranks have parity?

>>4698291
>Other?
Smile tolerantly and crack a bon mot, like "Please gentlemen, give peace a chance, lest ye be embarrassed in your old age."

>>4698291
>He may not be a military man, but he seems to understand both of you perfectly well.

>>4698291
>Septim, perhaps you have forgotten that Hazari military and civil ranks have parity?

>>4698320
>>4698291
this.
>He may not be a military man, but he seems to understand both of you perfectly well.
>"Give peace a chance, lest ye be embarrassed in your old age."

>>4698291
>>Septim, perhaps you have forgotten that Hazari military and civil ranks have parity?
>Secondly The King of tarsus ceded the land peacefully in exchange for certain considerations, because he knew holding it was not likely. There is more to both nations of ours than war.

>>4698291
“Governor,” you muse in your best imitation of a polite tone, “perhaps in your old age you may have forgotten this, but in Hazaran equivalent civil and military ranks hold parity.”

“I have not forgotten,” he replies curtly, “however that man is not Hazari yet, nor is his town.”

“He is here because I wanted his opinion, as one who is soon to be an official serving in my government,” you insist. “And in case you have forgotten in your old age it is in fact my government, as when last I checked a Queen outranks a governor.”

“If I may,” Valentina offers from your left, “Hazari tradition is that to insult a fellow guest is to insult the host. So maybe it’d be wisest to take a moment and let tempers cool?”

“I agree,” you nod. “Perhaps refreshments would be in order?”

“I’ll handle that,” Aurora offers. “Getting a bit stuffy in here anyway.”

She lets herself out for a few minutes before returning with a glass bottle of wine, previously left in a shaded part of a nearby creek, and some good cheese, dried fruits, and sliced bread. Plates were already waiting in the tent, and Aurora makes a little small talk as she sets about dividing the spoils along with Valentina.

“So… there were a lot of soldiers out there,” she begins awkwardly. “A lot of them with guns.”

“Pointed at each other I take it?” Vanessa asks curiously.

Aurora shrugs before passing a plate to the General. “Hard to say, we’re right in the middle of it.”

“That sounds ominous,” Holtz spares a glance at the door. “Should we be worried?”

“The four of us, no,” you muse thoughtfully. “The three of you, however… well, that just has to be up to you to decide.”

“Now, are we feeling a bit more like being productive?”

Governor Septim glances at the glass of wine in his hand. “What… may I ask, is this?”

“One of Hazaran’s new lords makes it on his estate,” you explain. “He’s an acquaintance of mine from back when I served no other role than that of yōma exterminator.”

>Allow me a moment to assuage your respective doubts about this, the same way I did for the King of Tarsus.
>Boring as the details may be, the first thing we have to discuss here is the logistics of regional disarmament.
>Tell me something… is your interaction here, between General Glanz and Governor Septim, representative?
>Other?

>>4699254
>>Allow me a moment to assuage your respective doubts about this, the same way I did for the King of Tarsus.

>>4699254
>>Allow me a moment to assuage your respective doubts about this, the same way I did for the King of Tarsus.

>>4699254
>Allow me a moment to assuage your respective doubts about this, the same way I did for the King of Tarsus.

>>4699254
>Allow me a moment to assuage your respective doubts about this, the same way I did for the King of Tarsus.

>>4699254
>>Allow me a moment to assuage your respective doubts about this, the same way I did for the King of Tarsus.

>>4699254
>Allow me a moment to assuage your respective doubts about this, the same way I did for the King of Tarsus.

>>4699254
“If you’ll allow me a moment I can assuage the three of you the same way I did the King of Tarsus?”

Hearing no disagreements with your proposal you continue. “The general plan was to address the budgetary shortfall for Tarsus over the next several years, using all revenue gathered from inner Tarsus including Merced and decreasing the proportion of that revenue used for that purpose by one-fifth per subsequent year.”

“That would allow the government of Tarsus to adjust their budgetary planning. While it prevents Hazaran from spending that revenue in full for several years, it does allow us to grow – albeit slowly – within a careful five-year plan.”

“All the key details have been worked out to the degree such things can be dealt with by the governments. All that remains are the comparatively minor details, to be dealt with region by region.”

“And you say that King Tymaret signed these documents?” General Glanz frowns. “I will need confirmation of that of course, however if that is the case... as a military man, my duty in this instance is clear.”

“I see,” the governor muses carefully. “There is a certain aspect of duty to this situation, is there not? So what would the queen of Hazaran have me do at this crossroads?”

>Carry out my orders. Prepare for the incorporation of the nearby Tarsan territory.
>Would you be happier if you were deployed to a more ‘forward’ settlement?
>I want you to oversee the shift in military assets towards the new border.
>Other?

>>4701025
>>I want you to oversee the shift in military assets towards the new border.
Giving him the choice isn't what we should do as a monarch, we need to be the one making the decision.

>>4701025
>Carry out my orders. Prepare for the incorporation of the nearby Tarsan territory.

>>4701025
>Carry out my orders. Prepare for the incorporation of the nearby Tarsan territory

>>4701025
>Carry out my orders. Prepare for the incorporation of the nearby Tarsan territory.

>>4701025
>Carry out my orders. Prepare for the incorporation of the nearby Tarsan territory.

>>4701025
“I have one question for you in exchange,” you muse. “Can you follow my orders, Governor? Or is this going to be a problem?”

After a moment the old man gives you a curt, professional nod. “I can.”

“Good,” you reply. “Then my orders are for you to coordinate with your counterpart here, Holtz, in working to incorporate Reida into the realm of Hazaran. It won’t be simple, and it’s not something either one of you can solve on your own with the tools available... which should make it a useful exercise.”

“An exercise?” Holtz repeats.

“Exactly,” you confirm. “If this new arrangement is going to be successful the regional authorities in Hazaran and what until recently was Tarsus.”

“I... disagree with these terms,” Governor Septim admits. “It would be preferable to avoid making any payments to Tarsus over what is essentially the desire of Tarsan citizens to leave.”

“Unfortunately I saw few alternatives,” you admit. “I thought it preferable to make certain payments with money we would not otherwise have had available than to spend lives on settling the question.”

“And as for the Tarsan military?” Governor Glanz presses.

>I want your help – all we really need from you is the manpower your subordinates can offer.
>Nothing. Absolutely nothing, aside from your subordinates’ decisions to either leave or stay.
>I have an interesting proposition: joint operation of the new border outposts.
>Other?

>>4702595
>"If this new arrangement is going to be successful the regional authorities in Hazaran and what until recently was Tarsus will need to work together long-term towards shared goals, within the appropriate Hazari framework."
Part of that update just didn't make it for some reason. I've had a long day, so that's had something to do with it.

>>4702595
>I have an interesting proposition: joint operation of the new border outposts.

>>4702595
>>I have an interesting proposition: joint operation of the new border outposts.

>>4702595
>I have an interesting proposition: joint operation of the new border outposts.

>>4702595
>>I have an interesting proposition: joint operation of the new border outposts.

>>4702595
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 9, 10, 5 = 24 (3d10)

>>4703607

Rolled 2, 5, 2 = 9 (3d10)

>>4703607

Rolled 5, 6, 6 = 17 (3d10)

>>4703607

>>4702595
“I have an interesting proposition that you may not be able to accept,” you muse. “Something I quite honestly just considered – we could collaborate on dismantling and relocating existing defenses, to form matching defenses along the new border.”

“Matching?” the General repeats. “Clarify.”

“Well, imagine that you have a Z-plan tower,” you muse, “with two gates passing below the central axis. You could have a curtain wall there, treating each half as an L-plan tower where each short leg is unable to fire on its partner.”

“I see,” Holtz nods in comprehension. “In some urban parts of Tarsus, especially near the coast, houses will have what is called a ‘good neighbor’ fence, where the vertical rails of the fence sit on alternate sides. So between one post and the next the rails will be on one side of the fence, and up to the next post beyond that the rails will be on the other side.”

“I have to admit that proposal is rather intriguing,” Glanz admits, stroking his stubbly chin in contemplation. “Yes... that would indeed make it quite simple for both nations to quickly re-establish the defensive lines in such a way as to prevent banditry.”

“It would also allow for my cohort of half-blooded warriors to better patrol the border regions,” you add. “One of my long-term concerns is facilitating that cyclic movement, allowing pairs of us to serve regions outside the borders of Hazaran. Now that we are already bound to re-draw those borders, it presents an excellent opportunity to make the appropriate adjustments.”

There are some serious concerns about those arrangements, naturally – on both sides. But with any luck you may actually be able to pull something like this off. There are after all certain points in favor of such cooperation, on both sides.

“You believe that looking forward banditry will be the biggest threat?” Governor Septim frowns.

>I do, yes. And I believe that, in time, most people will come to realize how many of our major concerns are shared concerns.
>Maybe. But I also know that any army would hesitate to attack its own defensive outposts along their borders.
>Maybe not. But at least this way there’s a chance we can start thinking of one another as trustworthy neighbors.
>Other?

>>4704252
>Maybe not. But at least this way there’s a chance we can start thinking of one another as trustworthy neighbors.

>>4704252
>Maybe. But I also know that any army would hesitate to attack its own defensive outposts along their borders.

>>4704252
>Maybe. But I also know that any army would hesitate to attack its own defensive outposts along their borders.

>>4704252
>Maybe not. But at least this way there’s a chance we can start thinking of one another as trustworthy neighbors.

>>4704252
>Maybe not. But at least this way there’s a chance we can start thinking of one another as trustworthy neighbors.

>>4704252
>>Maybe. But I also know that any army would hesitate to attack its own defensive outposts along their borders.

>>4704252
“It could serve as the first step towards becoming more trusting neighbors,” you muse, “but at very least it would serve as some mutual insurance – very few armies would be too eager to shell their own castles.”

“That may be true,” General Glanz admits. “Could I see some further specifics?”

“So that you will know whether to advise your government to proceed with such a plan?”

“It could be considered by some to constitute a security risk,” Glanz confesses.

“Do you see it as one?”

After a moment, he shakes his head. “No, I do see it as what I believe you intend it to be – a compromise.”

You nod. “Good.”
>3d10, best of three
>may update again after dinner

Rolled 7, 7, 6 = 20 (3d10)

>>4705393

Rolled 4, 10, 1 = 15 (3d10)

>>4705393
Fucking hell, too many zeroes

Rolled 10, 7, 5 = 22 (3d10)

>>4705393
>>4705400
Er...

>>4705393
With a little help, you manage to work out exact dimensions and plans for a Z-plan fortification along the lines you described to General Glanz. Thick lower walls of stone, thinner walls of brick and plaster above, curved demi-barbette towers that cover the passageways underneath the barracks. You even carefully engineer heating and plumbing systems, at least in such detail as to assure anyone examining these plans that there are no easy means for one side of the fortification to sabotage the other.

You’re even able to, with some help from Holtz, make a rough estimate of how many of these fortresses you can build from dismantling parts of existing defensive walls that the shifting border would leave meaningless. Just the planned revisions to Reida Broch alone would allow you to build several.

“I must admit, this seems increasingly like a good value proposition,” Glanz admits. “But what of the existing defenses around Merced?”

>Those, aside from the guns, are to remain where they are.
>That will have to be subject to further negotiation.
>Perhaps we should put that on a five-year track to replacement?
>Other?

>>4705782
>>That will have to be subject to further negotiation.

>>4705782
>Perhaps we should put that on a five-year track to replacement?

>>4705782
>Perhaps we should put that on a five-year track to replacement?

>>4705782
>That will have to be subject to further negotiation.

>>4705782
>>Those, aside from the guns, are to remain where they are.

>>4705782
>>That will have to be subject to further negotiation.

>>4705782
“That may have to be subject to further negotiation,” you admit calmly, “as it represents a fairly substantial issue for Hazaran’s defense of its new territory. However I see no reason why I shouldn’t propose a similar five-year time frame for resolving the issue, matching the resolution to the issue of tax revenue.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” the general admits frankly. “Assuming our counterpart in Aith can bring himself to agree?”

After a moment Septim nods. “What I can do is follow orders.”

“That may have to suffice,” you nod. “General Glanz, if you could take these documents back to Tarsus with you.”

>Make a public showing in Aith proper on the way back.
>Make a public declaration in the Capital.
>Meet Noventus, have him make the speech.
>Other?

>>4707235
>Make a public showing in Aith proper on the way back.

>>4707235
>Make a public showing in Aith proper on the way back.

>>4707235
>>Make a public showing in Aith proper on the way back.

>>4707235
>Make a public showing in Aith proper on the way back.

>>4707235
>Make a public showing in Aith proper on the way back.

File: Parliament_San_Marino.jpg (571 KB, 1019x1667)

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>>4707235
Along the way back through Hazari territory, you make it a point to be seen in an official capacity. Many large settlements in Hazaran have some sort of accommodations for the sake of the monarchy. Generally this comes in the form of a small palace that serves as a town hall, where the local business of governance is handled most days and a comparatively small apartment is left available for yourself on the rare occasions you may need it.

The one in Aith is four stories tall, with the second floor for local government offices, the third for more formal spaces including those that would be frequented by noble and royal guests, with a balcony in the middle of the facade. The fourth floor has smaller, more private windows, but also has skylights, and serves as a royal apartment. Above that, a bell and clock tower.

Governor Septim shepherds you and your company into the apartments, where you quickly settle in.

“So… what exactly is the plan, here?” Aurora wonders aloud once you’re all alone.

“Well,” you muse, “typically this sort of event is why public buildings of this importance in Hazaran have a balcony.”

“You plan to give a speech?” Valentina furrows her brow.

“Is that a problem?”

“Have you...” Nessa begins hesitantly. “Actually done a public speech since taking back the crown?”

“I practice all the time,” you admit. “But I have only rarely had the chance. Too few things seem to call for it.”

“You practice?” Aurora repeats.

“Yes… same way other people might practice how they might raise a particular issue with a superior at work, or with an acquaintance, but never actually go through with it. Only in my case it can be an interesting exercise to consider how I might discuss an issue before the general public.”

“And what’s the best way to talk about this?” Valentina asks you.

>Defense and security – it resolves some tensions along all of Hazaran’s borders.
>Economics – it makes Hazaran less dependent on its neighbors for trade and transit.
>Yōma – it expands the range that you and your cohort can protect, with no loss to Hazaran.
>Other?

>>4708514
>>Defense and security – it resolves some tensions along all of Hazaran’s borders.

>>4708514
>>Defense and security – it resolves some tensions along all of Hazaran’s borders.
The common rabble don't care much for economics and Yoma is still our business as we're the last big claymore group.

>>4708514
>Defense and security – it resolves some tensions along all of Hazaran’s borders.

>>4708514
>>Defense and security – it resolves some tensions along all of Hazaran’s borders.

>>4708514
>>Defense and security – it resolves some tensions along all of Hazaran’s borders.
can we touch on the other 2 points as well?

>>4708514
>Economics – it makes Hazaran less dependent on its neighbors for trade and transit.

>>4708514
>Defense and security – it resolves some tensions along all of Hazaran’s borders.

>>4708514
>Economics – it makes Hazaran less dependent on its neighbors for trade and transit.

>>4708514
After giving it some thought, you arrange to give a short speech the next morning. From the balcony, dressed as a warrior but wearing your crown of state, you address a reasonable size crowd – mixed administrators and commoners mostly, but with a few dressed in a way that you can identify as being more of the noble persuasion.

“I am Noel Tiberius di Hazaran,” you begin, “and for those who may not have seen me before I am queen of this land. I would like to announce to you officially the annexation of inner Tarsus, as far west as Merced, as well as Cuilan, eastern Noroit, and two minor provinces along our border with Sakia.”

“I must confess that I was skeptical at first, when this plan was presented by representatives from each of these regions. However the benefits were clear – control over the Dari pass at both ends, establishment of a trade corridor from Cuilan to the sea, and access to part of the breadbasket of the west end.”

“This arrangement alleviated several likely problems and threats that may otherwise have arisen in the next five to ten years, to cause uncertainty and crisis within our kingdom. The only matter to be settled was the defense of inner Tarsus, and just two days ago I agreed to a tentative arrangement with King Tymaret of Tarsus regarding those details.”

“Things will look different, and I am personally under no illusions. I assume already that there will be complications and uncertainties. However it is also my firm belief that every citizen of Hazaran regardless of their station will be better off for this agreement, both in terms of wealth and security.”

“The Kashag, my Regent, and the rest of the government at the Capital will be coordinating with the governors to ensure that this ideal becomes reality. You should expect to hear regular updates on progress and what you can anticipate from the process through your governor’s office.”

>Any other outstanding business? (Write-in)

>>4710225
We kinda need to have a talk with the merchant's guild about the whole threatening rebellion in tarsus shctick. Much as i like Lawrence that is a no-no/


Also need to sweep the new people coming in for Org and inkie spies.

Finally what about the other trouble areas in our annexation zone? We only dealt with one, what about the others?

>>4710246
>>4710225
This guy's got it.

>>4710225
>>4710246

>>4710225
In the speech, maybe adress some common myths about yoma, like the one that they transform people they tricked into more yoma

>>4710225
You make a few further public statements – not that day, but while you’re still in Aith immediately after. It’s mostly related to correcting some misunderstandings about the way yōma work, along with suggestions to the local guards and soldiers for how to engage yōma as normal human beings with limited speed, strength, and durability.

It’s also important to direct a few likely officials and officers to assist in weeding out any probable spies in the inner Tarsus region, including either Tarsan loyalists or plants placed there by the remnants of the Inquisition.

Finally, you send a letter to the merchants’ guild in Merced. The tone is cordial enough, however the message is clear – that there will be no tolerance of shenanigans once Merced is a part of Hazaran. They pushed for this, and hard, and now that they have it things aren’t so simple as just changing their minds.

…

The next problem of course is western Noroit – not the easiest problem to solve. You remember there were some problems with the king of Noroit and the leftover extremists still loyal to the Inquisition, which is a fine mess. Hopefully you haven’t inherited any of that in the western corner of the country, but you have little way of knowing from here.

>Head to the Capital to discuss those issues with Noventus.
>Head into western Noroit with a few of your companions.
>Head to the capital of Noroit, and quietly. Keep a low profile.
>Other?

>>4711584
>Head to the Capital to discuss those issues with Noventus.
I feel like we haven't talked to the guy in years.

>>4711584
>>Head to the Capital to discuss those issues with Noventus.

>>4711584
>>Head to the Capital to discuss those issues with Noventus.

>>4711584
>>Head to the Capital to discuss those issues with Noventus.

>>4711584
>Head to the Capital to discuss those issues with Noventus.

>>4711584
You decide to head ‘home’ to the Capital, to speak with Noventus – since this is still quite a significant set of problems to deal with.

…

“So what is it you wish to speak with me about?”

It’s a clear day, pleasantly warm with a nice breeze, and so you’ve met with Noventus on a rooftop patio. Aurora stands by the door, Vanessa sits near the end of the rooftop, and Valentina stands over your left shoulder… somewhat awkwardly in her case. Or at least, for you it feels somewhat awkward.

“I drew an agreement with King Tymaret,” you inform him, “for evaluation by the Kashag. The highlights are that Hazaran will allow Tarsus full use of the tax revenue that would have been collected from inner Tarsus in the first year after transfer of power, decreasing by twenty percent in each subsequent year. This addresses their primary concern, which is the consequence of abruptly losing that revenue.”

“And the funds necessary to move border protections westward?” Noventus wonders aloud.

“Much of the work will be a collaboration between withdrawing Tarsan military units and our own new citizens with Hazari military,” you explain. “These things I arranged with the General in command at Reida Broch.”

“Do you have the original documentation?”

“All up to Hazari standard.”

“Then I can take that before the Kashag,” Noventus nods curtly. “Well done, lady Noel.”

“There is one further matter,” you add. “The matter of Noroit, a region where the political situation is much less stable.”

“I agree that the situation with Noroit presents an issue,” Noventus nods again. “The question is of course – what are we going to do about it?”
>tbc

>>4717803