“Just no killing, or as little as possible. I really don’t want to force them to join us, but I can’t have a hostile force within the empire.”

  Lenora says “I can work with that. If they are anything like our clans, then as a woman I am going to have to bust some heads before they will listen to me.”

  “Yes, you will. The tribes respect strength above everything else. I got several of the tribes to join just by showing my strength.”

  Grimgar says “Then maybe I should go?”

  Lenora says “No, I have been working on my core, I will be plenty strong enough. Besides, you have to stay and escort Ash through our territory. After what he has done for us, it is the least you can do.”

  Grimgar says “True enough. As usual, you are right. You go, I will take care of things here.”

  “Sounds like we have a plan. Now, let’s go join the others for dinner and I will introduce you to them.”

  Grimgar says “Who are we meeting?”

  “The rulers of all of the kingdoms on the southern half of the continent.”

  Grimgar laughs and says “Wow, you really don’t do things in a normal way! Alright, let’s go meet them.”

  Lin and I take Grimgar and Lenora over and introduce them to all of the rulers. We all sit down to dinner and discuss the current situation on the southern half of the continent. Grimgar is actually quite pleased when he learns about what we did in the desert.

  It won’t really affect his tribe, but it is a good thing for some of the other clans that live near the desert. He is also happy to hear that we freed a number of beastmen slaves even if most of them chose to move to the peninsula. Lenora even says that she is looking forward to checking in on them to see how they are adapting to life on the peninsula.

  Once everyone is done eating, Vex starts talking to Grimgar about allowing trade through his lands. Grimgar isn’t immediately opposed to the idea, but he does have some reservations. Just because Vex is a decent king doesn’t mean that the merchants of his kingdom are.

  “There is something else you should consider. Moving trade away from a kingdom that basically just lost a war is going to put them in a pinch. From what I have heard, this king is likely to do something stupid when that happens.”

  King Vex says “Wait, are you saying we shouldn’t make a trade route?”

  “No, you absolutely should. I am just saying that you should be prepared for him to do something stupid. In fact, you should be prepared to take advantage of him doing something stupid.”

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  Grimgar says “What would you suggest?”

  “Well, I think the most likely thing for him to do would be to move in and seize the new route. That way he could charge a tariff on all the merchants using it. I would have scouts watching and then when he makes the move, ambush his forces. Then at the same time, Vex should be ready to declare war on him and grab some land. If he has to fight on two fronts, he should quickly surrender.”

  King Vex says “What grounds would I have to declare war and attack?”

  “Simple, sign a defensive pact with the Black Lion clan. Then him attacking them would be the grounds you need.”

  King Vex says “Yeah, that would work. Grimgar, how does that sound to you?”

  Grimgar says “It would be the first time my clan has ever signed any kind of agreement with a human nation. There are going to be those in the clan that are against it, but yeah, let’s do it.”

  Emperor Amn says “Once again, Ash proves just how good he is at politics.”

  Lin says “Yeah, as long as he doesn’t have to talk to people!”

  Grimgar says “It sounds like some things haven’t changed!”

  Lin says “Oh, trust me, Ash may look different, but he hasn’t changed at all.”

  Grimgar says “That’s actually reassuring. Stability in someone with his power is definitely a good thing.”

  Emperor Amn says “That is a statement that I completely agree with. Ash’s power is enough to intimidate entire nations. A single person having that kind of power is worrying. I honestly don’t ever want to have him mad at me.”

  Lin says “Oh, he’s not that scary when he’s mad. He’s actually pretty good at controlling himself.”

  Emperor Amn says “You know, Ash said something similar about his wives not long ago. I didn’t believe him then and I don’t believe you now!”

  That statement leads to quite a bit of laughter from everyone but me, I wisely keep my mouth shut. I noticed that Lin was watching me instead of Amn, so I make sure my face doesn’t show anything. Lin actually smirks at me when she sees how hard I am trying not to react.

  Finally, Lin lets out a chuckle, smiles, and gives me a side hug, then she turns her attention back to the conversation. It has shifted back and Grimgar and Vex are discussing the details of their alliance. After talking for a bit, Vex calls over a servant and they write out the actual alliance terms.

  While that is happening, Asuna comes over to bring me the puppy who is awake and freaking out a little. As usual, he calms down as soon as he smells me and I take him and feed him. As I am feeding him, I realize that he is double the size he was when we found him.

  Lenora says “Ash, why do you have a rage hound?! And why is it white?!”

  Grimgar says “What?!”

  “Wait, you know his breed? What can you tell me about it?”

  Lenora says “Well, I am pretty sure. He has the right look, but I have never seen a white one so I can’t be sure.”

  “Uh, he was red at first when Asuna found him. The white is the result of something that happened.”

  Lenora says “That is the right color for a rage hound. I can’t be completely sure, but he looks exactly like the one puppy I have seen.”

  “Alright. So, what can you tell me about rage hounds?”

  Grimgar says “They are pack hunters that live in the mountains. They will hunt just about anything. I have even seen a pack take down a giant before! They get their name from how they act, once they engage a target they won’t stop. Even if they lose, they will fight to the very last. Luckily, they don’t stray far from the mountains or we would have a lot more trouble with them. How did you end up getting a puppy? You would have to slaughter the entire pack to get one!”

  By this point the puppy has finished eating and is just laying in my lap as I pet him. I tell Grimgar and Lenora the story of my attack on the island and Asuna finding his cage. Of course, that isn’t enough for them and I end up having to tell them about him turning white when I summoned Victoria.