"Why must you seek to serve soone?" I asked Kendel once we returned to the top of the iceberg. "Is it so Class restriction?"
He nodded and shivered. I prepared a spell to dry and warm him. "My Lady is very wise. Indeed, most of my Class Perks don't work unless I am serving soone. They are, nevertheless, very potent when they do."
Just the fact he'd resisted my song already showed it. I looked at the ships then back at him, "Just one thing before we go. What's your HP maximum?"
"Thirty-seven million, milady," he said with pride. "I have {Pinnacle of Endurance}. It increases my HP by 50% pool and doubles the regeneration."
Sure. The Pinnacle of anything sounds so amazing. I knew it very well. Knew.
"Let's go," I waved him forward.
We reached the ships and I saw the people on the deck run away from the railing in panic. "They're afraid of you," I remarked bitterly. "They don't know you serve a new master."
A thought crossed my mind. if the King died, the System must've made another one King. "Who was that [King]'s heir?"
"The crown prince was studying abroad in a neighboring kingdom, one of our allies," Kendel answered.
"The System made him King after I killed your forr master. I don't know if the Queen receives a notification, but it seems she doesn't. Stay here. I'll go talk to them alone. I want to avoid bloodshed."
It might have sunded hipocritical and it probably was. Surely there were people on the attacking fleet that didn't deserve to die. However, I lacked the power and precision to separate them and punish only the wicked. So they died by association.
In the end of the day, rcy is a luxury for the truly strong.
I leaped on the ship's deck with a single bound. Rabbit powers. So swordsn ford a ring around . I picked up a faint sll of blood.
"I am [Princess] Arista. You are in my territory. Cease all hostilities or face the consequences. This is a {Royal Geas}. Drop your weapons and stand aside."
I took the hit to my Energy pool while the defenders of this ship took the hit on their HP pools and fell to the ground.
"Do as she says!" Ca the order from an older man watching from the back. "Drop your weapons and stand aside! Your Highness, could you release them from your spell?"
I did. They stayed on the ground, panting and twitching. Resisting a {Royal Geas} is awfully painful, or so I've been told.
"I am Duke Xenion, Your Highness. I am terribly sorry we invaded your territory. Please co with , we'll explain everything," He said while bowing from the waist. "No harm will co to you."
"I'm not worried about getting hurt, Duke," I said and stared at his eyes without moving. I had a neutral stance.
"I understand. We watched you fight King Persius' fleet. I can only hope he's dead."
I made the King's head drop a few ters in front of him. It rolled on the deck, spilling so blood from the neck stump.
"The tyrant is dead!" Duke Xenion declared with enough enthusiasm to make people believe he did it. The occupants of the small fleet cheered.
In fact, I felt strangely elated after his declaration. The n and won on the ships cheered. I frowned as I realized he'd used so ability. Maybe it was ti to pick my new [Diplomat] abilities. Just like [Musician], getting past the 150 proficiency barrier opened up so strong abilities.
Diplomat[217 / 274]: You know how to negotiate treaties and get your way around foreigners without angering them.
Critical Mind: Negate (Proficiency/25) positive reaction modifiers from the other party.Detached Analysis: Negate (Proficiency/4) positive Charisma bonuses from the other party.Treaty Retreat: Your evasive Diplomat abilities may still trigger for up to (Proficiency/40) days after you complete an agreent.Diplomatic Immunity: If the other party becos hostile, you suffer neither damage nor effects from their attacks for (Proficiency/50) seconds.Foreign Policy: When negotiating with foreign dignitaries on your own territory, add (Proficiency/5) to all your contested Charisma and Willpower Attribute tests against them.
This content has been unlawfully taken from ; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"You're leaving sothing out of your declaration, kind Duke," I told him with just a hint of a threat and activated {Strongarm Negotiations}. He turned around to look at and creased his eyebrows ever so slightly.
"I am sorry, Your Highness. I was so excited with the good news I've completely forgotten my manners. Allow to rectify it," He said with feigned contrition and shouted again, "We are eternally grateful for Princess Arista's deliverance and hospitality!"
I took two steps his way. "I have still not decided what to do with you," I told him with a bit more emphasis. "The Duke may be used to manipulating his people back ho, but in here you only jeopardize their survival."
It was ti to put so pressure on this sleazy noble. I looked in the direction I'd co from. "Kendel! Co to , my [Juggernaut]!" I also asked Nenandil, who was down there in the glacier, to make so stairs for him.
Once I ntioned the [Juggernaut], a dead silence took over the ships' crew. The sound of plate armor jiggling and clinking as the black-clad man ca into view rang and echoed off the artificial iceberg.
Kendel jumped over the railing and walked to my side. "You called, my liege?"
"I take you've t Duke Xenion before."
"Indeed," he turned chanically to face the Duke. As if the spoken party wasn't just a few ters from us, I asked, "What kind of person is His Grace the Duke?"
"A shrewd and skilled [Politician], milady," I could hear the grin in his voice. "He's known to sway the hearts of even the most adamant opposition."
"Indeed. I've noticed it, thank you, Kendel. I believe the Duke will see that he found more than his match in . Because he wouldn't want to push his luck too much, after all, he saw do to the other fleet."
Using Kendel's na reinforced the fact he now served . After all, it was improbable that the Duke didn't know of the [Juggernaut]'s contractual conditions. He might even have known Kendel was his birth na. I wasted no ti and (diplomatically) nuked him from orbit.
Oratory
Friendly
Charismatic
Strongarm Negotiations
lodic Voice
Critical Mind
Detached Analysis
Foreign Policy
Harmless-Looking
Divine Negotiator
Contested Charisma check won.
The old man miffed but stayed put. Soone ca from the lower deck. Wearing gray clerical robes stained by so clear fluid and blood, a priest of Galbarar approached the Duke.
"Now, now, Simon. Don't give the rmaid [Princess] more trouble. You may go see your niece and newborn grandnephews now, old man. They're doing fine," They stared at each other with serious faces for a mont. "Let handle this," the priest finished with what didn't sound like a request.
Without a word, the Duke stord down the stairs. The priest approached but kept a reasonable distance. I waited for him to make the first move.
"Guards, your presence is not required here. You are dismissed, return to your quarters," he said to the n that were doing their best to avoid my notice. They picked up their weapons and retreated, clearly defeated.
The priest knelt. "Your Highness. I am Rhubarb, [Bishop] of Galbarar. We suffered a coup back ho and found ourselves forced to flee for the pregnant Queen's safety. Seeking divine guidance, I asked Galbarar what to do. He told to take so ships and co here to et a friend."
I snorted then grunted a peal of laughter. I was equal parts amused and distressed. "A friend, right? Maybe you've just found her if you check my titles. Go ahead and stand up, Rhubarb. I'll grant you sanctuary if you guarantee to keep your warriors' weapons sheathed and the Duke's renowned silver tongue locked behind his teeth so I don't have to cut it off."
The priest stood up and dusted his robes. He took a good look at and his eyes went wide, an expected reaction. "I see," he said with a glimr of tears in his eyes. Then he raised his hands to the sky. "Galbarar has not led us astray, may He be praised."
I used a simple cantrip of [House Magic] and threw the spell at his clothes. Glimring sparkles shone wherever it was dirty or stained. To sum it up, the priest vanished in the glow of the cantrip and returned to our sight wearing pristine white robes with gold trim and embroidery in Galbarar's symbols.
"Oh, it was white, to begin with," I mused out loud.
He rose his hands and looked at his sleeves. "I'm afraid I didn't have much ti to pack my personal affections, Your Highness. The only clothes I brought were these robes. I apologize for the unsightly display."
I smiled to reassure him, "It is fine, Rhubarb. You are among friends now. Allow you to introduce Kendel the [Dark Juggernaut]. He's recently entered my service."
[Bishop] and [juggernaut] looked at each other. "It is a pleasure to et you, [Bishop] Rhubarb," Kendel said with a cheerful voice, much different from the previous chanical and dead tone he used when we fought.
Rhubarb, on the other hand, was genuinely beaming. "I'm glad you found yourself back, young lad. I hope you find happiness serving Her Highness Arista," he said and I was surprised that he knew my na. When he noticed that, he winked, "Galbarar has blessed with good ears."
"Thank you, father," Kendel lowered his armored head in reverence.
I reached out and touched the two n's shoulders. "Gentlen, now that we are on the sa page, how about we get you out of this ice and sowhere comfortable? While we don't have dry land you can set foot on, I have a place you can stay."
Their ships were fast but small for the number of people that ca with them. About fifty on each vessel, half of what Rhenius' expedition had. I still had the barge used by them, so why not lend it to my new friends?
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