Volume 4 Chapter 16 (2/2)
”……to the next point then, Procell-sama. Won't you consider adopting the same set of laws being followed by my city and others all over the empire? After all, the empire has prospered for many years using these laws. Our tested and proven laws are much better than your unrefined laws.”
”I refuse. Our city will operate with our own rules. That being said, as stated in those documents, we will permit you to establish your own consulate here and everything within that territory can be under the jurisdiction of your laws if you so choose. However, even one step outside of that territory will remain to be under the jurisdiction of Avalon's laws.”
This was absolutely necessary.
If I allowed them this, troublesome fellows would come here from the neighboring city and do whatever they pleased. Extremely speaking, it was possible for those guy to rob and rape but be judged and punished only by that city's laws.
”Procell-sama, do you even intend compromise!?”
”But I already am and hence, that suggestion.”
How dare he accuse me of such when I have been compromising so much already!
”Then, lastly, will you also completely reject the implementation of tariffs and tolls to those going to this city and the handing over to us the 30% of the collected total?”
”Yes, we will. After all, Avalon is best known as a free city. Not being one anymore would mean the death of our city.”
We were being pressured to do this as well.
Our city's charm lied with its cheap taxes. If we allowed the other city to apply more and more pressure on us, Avalon would also have to adopt high taxes. If that happens though, we would also have to burden our citizens with the taxes and thus, our charm would be halved at the very least. Though that might just be what they had in mind.
”Unacceptable, Procell-sama! Do you even understand the state your city is in!? If our city was to put an embargo on your city, you would wither away even before the fighting begins. Avalon is dependent on our city after all.”
”Feel free to do so. Your city is no longer our only source of business.”
Undeniably, they were our source until a few days ago. However, now, that was nothing but a tale of past. Now, we had air transportation via the Hippogriffs. Thanks to them, we had rapidly gathered commodities from all over the world.
Applying pressure and prohibiting their ally cities from selling to us might work if not for the fact that the Hippogriffs could fly 600 kilometers in a day even with some load. Influencing their way through every settlement and city within that range simply wasn't possible.
On the other hand, merchants from the neighboring city were even choosing to pay for fines just so they could come to Avalon and buy the goods gathered here.
”Wh- Th-then, what if we prohibit the very travel to this city?”
”Feel free to do so as well. Rather, please do so. As things are, if you were to do that, the number of people that will leave your city and settle on ours will be quite significant, won't they?”
Currently, Avalon was overflowing with supplies and even entertainment.
Our tax was low and the cost of living here was already lower than in the other city.
We were constantly building houses and yet we could still not keep up with the increase of people. That inflow of people would increase all the more should they prohibit the travel to our city and for that, we would truly be grateful.
”I-it will come to war then. This little city will be erased in instant. Before even that happens, with war on the horizon, your residents will dessert your city.”
”That is certainly worrying.”
At Avalon's heart was its immigrants.
If they were made aware that staying here would put their lives in danger, they would probably return to their home city.
”Yes, right?”
”I think most of them will remain though. Even supposing a war does happen, we will come out as the victors after all.”
”How can you even believe that?”
”You've seen them, haven't you? The golems, I mean.”
Telroma was at a loss for words.
He knew I wasn't spouting nonsense.
”Avalon is not afraid of engaging in war…… that said, it's pretty much inevitable to lose the lives of civilians , isn't it?”
To my rather reserved words, the civil official smiled broadly.
”Yeah! So, compromise more—”
”Quit screwing around!”
I purposefully showed my anger and slammed the desk. The desk creaked and then broke.
”Hii!”
”I'm only going to compromise as much as I said I would. I don't have to but I have conceded to those things and you're asking for more!? No, I absolutely refuse! ……Follow me, I'll show you something good.”
After my outburst, I suddenly laughed.
”Ye-yes”
The civil official stood up and nervously followed behind me.
Our destination was a [Plain].
Avalon was bound to get cramped for space so I purchased another dungeon room. In the future, I would also be making this a part of the city but for the moment, I intended it to be the battleground for the upcoming war. I could only earn DP by killing if my party was the one that killed an enemy or if the death happened within my dungeon. There was no way I was going to waste the tremendous DP the war was going to give and hence this dungeon room. If the fighting took place here, I could earn all those DP.
Anyway, in there, I had a little surprise prepared for Telroma.
◇
We had arrived in the [Plain] that was in the backend of Avalon.
Upon seeing the spectacle I had prepared, the delegation, beginning with the civil official, froze in place.
”T-This is”
What they saw was the gathering of all our golems, even the ones not assigned to guard Avalon.
All in all they numbered 332 golems.
It was bizarre spectacle, indeed.
Upon my command, the golems all at once unleashed their magic power.
At that moment, the delegation was convinced. Convinced that should there be a war, they would be on the losing side.
”These are the golems made by this city's dwarves. Each and every one of them holds at least the same power as a veteran adventurer. You are free to wage war on us but in the event that you do, even assuming that you win, expect your side to suffer enormous casualties.”
”This is impossible. Even if you're a sage of the country, it should still take you months and years to build this many golems that are this powerful.”
It was a natural response. For the humans, it would probably take at least someone with the capabilities of an A rank to build even the C rank golems that the Dwarf Smiths could make.
”Do we have an understanding? If you want to go to war with Avalon, do so with the resolve to fight against them. Well then, this negotiation is hereby concluded. I shall guide you to your carriage.”
And so, I guided the frozen-in-place delegation toward the entrance of the city.
Showing them the golems served both to threaten as well as to misdirect them. As far as Avalon was concerned, the golems were but foot soldiers placed in the front lines. If the enemy was to focus on thinking up of counter-measures against them, it would be easy to surprise them with our other troops.
For this war—should they foolishly choose to proceed—our forces would be composed of the sniper corps led by Aura, the golems, the dragons, and the intelligence unit led by R'lyeh Diva. The other monsters would be kept in reserve. After all, we still had to appear like a city of demi-humans.
As the delegation that turned ghastly pale returned home, I wondered whether the other city would still choose to go to war with us even after all these threats. I'm looking forward to see the humans' response.
◇
Several days later, a letter arrived.
It was a proclamation of war from the neighboring city. The war was scheduled to begin three weeks later.
There was also a recommendation for our surrender. It seemed like that if we were to surrender, aside from being forgiven, we would also receive slightly better terms than what we were originally given.
Of course, I hastily threw away the paper that contained the recommendation for our surrender.
”Are they stupid?”
From the declaration of war to giving us three weeks, it was stupid.
Oh well, now that it's like this, it can't be helped; I'll now have to show them their place. And then, I guess I must do some adjustment within Avalon so that I can lessen the humans that will want to leave our city.