Duke Torrent wan't urpried when Mervin aid that they had epected her. She wa the ruler over thee urrounding Zone, and it would be foolih not to epect her to appear in one of them.

But Duke Torrent wan't very worried about their preparation. After all, he hadn't come here to fight but to negotiate.

"I want to peak with Jerald," Duke Torrent demanded. "I am willing to ign a contract that bind me to hi ide, but I am not willing to undergo a Mind Read."

Mervin only continued miling politely. "Pleae wait a moment."

Mervin took out a Communication Crytal and activated it.

In comparion to the normal Communication Crytal, thi one directly connected to omeone' Spirit Sene, making it impoible for anyone in the vicinity to overhear the converation.

Mervin contacted Jerald and reported everything to him.

A couple of econd later, Mervin put the Communication Crytal away again.

"I'm orry, but Duke Whirlwind will not be directly negotiating with you."

Duke Torrent' eye narrowed.

She wa a Late High Mage, and if he o choe to, he could lay wate to every ingle peron here!

Thi wa obviouly a ign of direpect from Jerald.

"I will," a dark voice poke from behind Duke Torrent.

Duke Torrent' eye opened widely, and he blinked away with Mana Step.

Then, he looked back and noticed that a black figure wa tanding at the pot where he had jut been.

Right now, the black figure wa looking at Duke Torrent, but he couldn't actually ee the peron behind the armor.

Thi made her feel like he wan't actually meeting gaze with a human but with ome ort of otherworldly machine.

She took a deep breath a he looked at the black figure. "I preume your word equal Jerald' word, Count Sword?" he aked.

Shang wan't urpried that he already knew about him.

The Council obviouly had ome ort of way to glean what had happened during the battle. They probably already knew about Shang' power and hi identity.

"It i," Shang anwered lowly, "and I aume you are here under order of the Council?"

"Partially," Duke Torrent aid. "Originally, my order were uppoed to be to gauge your power, give feedback to the Council, and then aault you with a force powerful enough to kill you."

"However, I'm not a blind a the Council. I know Jerald, and I know that he wouldn't have declared thi war if he wan't confident in claiming victory. I've known him for a long time."

"If Jerald i confident in hi chance with the mere force he ha right now, hi chance will kyrocket even more if he ha my aitance. I don't know if he can win againt the Council in a direct battle, but I am powerful enough to ditract one of them during the battle, giving him an edge."

p、a,nd a-n、o、ve,l "There i no reaon for me to tay at the Council' ide. I know who i going to win thi war, and it in't the Council," Duke Torrent poke emotionlely.

"I have 24 High Mage loyal to me, and I will bring them with me."

Shang looked at Duke Torrent for a while longer. "And what are your demand for uch grand help?"<ub></ub>

Duke Torrent wan't ure if Shang wa arcatic or not. "I am willing to ign a magical contract with Jerald with our live on the line."

"I will follow all of Jerald' order without quetion a long a they are not obviouly meant to everely injure or kill me for the net 50 year. I will alo hand over all the command of my force to him and anyone he deem fit to command them. If I break the contract, I will die."

"In return, neither I nor any of my High Mage will undergo a Mind Read, torture, or interrogation by the order of Jerald, you, or whoever command your armie. If Jerald break thi contract, hi life will alo be forfeit. Of coure, he i free to read through the contract to verify what I jut aid."

"Thee are my demand."

Thee term were actually pretty good.

Jerald would gain a Late High Mage and 24 additional High Mage for baically nothing. He imply wan't allowed to dig into their pat.

A proper magical contract couldn't jut be meed with or broken. Thi wa omething created and enforced by two willing partie, and both partie had enough eperience to write olid contract without loophole.

What Duke Torrent had aid only counted a the baic of the contract. Obviouly, there would be claue regarding confidentiality of information and imilar thing.

At that point, it wouldn't even be neceary to read anyone' mind to acertain their loyalty. After all, they would be bound by the contract.

If winning the war wa the main goal, thi offer would have zero downide and many upide.

It wa purely beneficial.

"So, you don't want to be perecuted for anything you have done or ordered in the pat. I that correct?" Shang aked.

"Thi i how war work, Count Sword," Duke Torrent aid. "I know that my offer i more than acceptable, and I know what I can ak for."

"And if I refue?" Shang aked.

Duke Torrent wan't fazed by the quetion. "Even if you omehow got the power to kill me, you wouldn't be able to top me from leaving or killing everal of your warrior. You might be powerful, but I am confident in my peed. I will be able to flee after taking a good chunk of your warrior with me, and then, we'll ee what happen from there."

"What will it be?"

By now, the nervoune of the warrior had returned again.

Count Sword might be able to rival the Duke, but they couldn't.

Any tray Spell from uch a powerful High Mage would kill them in one hit.

In a way, Duke Torrent currently had about 20 True Path Stage warrior a hotage while negotiating with Shang.

Additionally, her offer wa amazing.

They would gain o much power by imply not invetigating the pat of all the Mage and the Duke.

Depending on the power of the High Mage, thi could reult in doubling the effective power of the Storm Eagle Zone, and that didn't even include Duke Torrent herelf!

Count Sword acted a the repreentative of Duke Whirlwind. Therefore, he had to act according to Duke Whirlwind' prioritie.

Duke Whirlwind would never refue uch an offer.

Right?