Chapter 285: A Simple Contract

Axel and the other party, Queen Sharika Zareen, began their discussions.

Of course, it wasn’t just her who came either.

Along with her, a group of three old men, two maid-like figures in the same style of dress as Sharika, and five men who looked like guards.

Only the queen sat down, with the two maids helping her with the little things. Their raison d’être was to poison-test the food and drinks served to her, though.

Axel could understand their worries, so he didn’t make it harder for them. He didn’t show any displeasure for their “distrust” in him at all.

“So…” Still, business is business, so he had to act seriously. “You are here to form an alliance with me?”

“Yes, Great King Axel.”

Sharika smiled, nodding her head lightly.

Of course, Axel anticipated this beforehand. Even if their situation was not good, they’d lose face if she asked to be under him straightforwardly. Thus, framing it as an “alliance” would let them keep their dignity intact.

However…

“I’m sorry, Queen Sharika. However, you seem to be misunderstanding the meaning of an alliance.” Axel sighed, placing his teacup down.

“…What?”

Confusion flashed in her golden eyes, but Axel anticipated that already.

He smiled. “An alliance is formed when both sides have something to gain from it. However, if we form an alliance, wouldn’t it be only your side gaining something?”

“You bastard!”

“How dare you talk like that to our Queen!”

Of course, the first ones to act up were the five guards.

They raised their spears, aiming them right at Axel—an act that, logically, allowed him to eliminate those five at once.

“Hm?”

But just as he was about to start a show, he noticed something was strange. One of the five was moving… against Axel’s script.

Instead of aiming his spear toward him, the spear headed straight for the person closest to him. The one sitting with her back facing the man. The two maids saw the incoming “attack,” but with their reflexes, it’d be all over before they could even register what they were seeing.

“…Seriously?”

Of course, to Axel and the girls, such an act was like watching a movie in slow motion. They had all the time in the world to come to the Queen’s side and stop the attack. Of course, it wasn’t Axel that moved—he didn’t even need to.

“Stop!”

Rather, it was Eve.

A small girl gripped the thick shaft of the spear, holding it in place. The tip just an inch from touching the Queen’s head!

“K-Kyaaah!”

Only then did the maids finally realize what they saw and raised a shrill scream.

“Tsk!”

The man who attacked clicked his tongue before trying to pull the spear forcefully back. However, to his shock and surprise, the weapon didn’t budge even an inch. It was just sitting there, in Eve’s grasp, almost as if it was rooted in place!

The other four guards returned to their senses and started to move to apprehend him. Realizing what was to come, the man quickly jumped back, leaving his spear and gaining distance—or at least he pretended to.

“Ptew!”

But as he backed away, he spat something from his mouth.

A small, silver needle.

It was so small that it was hard to see, but hefty enough that wind wouldn’t even affect its trajectory over the few meters it had to cover.

TING!

Though, of course, Eve didn’t allow such transgression.

With a flick, she sent the needle shooting toward the ground, embedding all the way into hard rock! Not only that, but she even kicked a pebble from the ground, and flicked it toward the escaping man.

Like a rifle bullet, the pebble flew straight without deviation, hitting the man’s right thigh.

The damage was heavy, causing the man to stumble and fall face-first onto the ground. It was such a forceful fall that he smashed his nose against the ground, making it bleed.

Though his “allies” didn’t bother pitying him.

The four other guards apprehended the fool, and quickly tied him up with rope.

“Kuh…!” But of course, it still didn’t end with just that. “Return the Glory of the Sun!” He shouted before—

CLACK!

—biting something hard inside his mouth.

A poison capsule was embedded in his molars, and was broken that moment. Poison quickly spread around his body, causing a swift death within seconds.

“…”

Axel didn’t do anything.

Eve, too, didn’t try to salvage the situation by detoxifying the poison.

With their speed, it would be easy to pour a potion into the man’s mouth and save his life, but they didn’t. After all, doing that could lead to a muddy end.

’Let them handle their matters, and let us handle ours.’ Axel thought with a thin smile.

“So….” He spoke, tilting his head toward Sharika. “Where were we?”

The woman seemed rattled by the turn of events, however, as expected of a Queen’s dignity, her expression remained flat—seemingly friendly.

“About the alliance and how it should be beneficial to both sides?”

“Oh, right! That!” He nodded. “So, what can you bring to the table?”

Sharika paused, unable to answer immediately.

They were, after all, already at the end of their ropes. They had no resources to spare. They had no riches left. Anything that Axel might be interested in was already long gone to the hands—or legs—of the cockroaches.

But still, she wasn’t blind.

She knew that Axel found something worth saving from them, and that’s why he was here right now. Why he was building a wall to protect everyone. And why, despite saying he had nothing to gain from an alliance, still stayed seated and listening to her, waiting.

After thinking for a long time, she finally came to a conclusion.

“Ishaani, Devi. Please lead the elders and the guards away. I want to talk with King Axel alone.” She whispered.

The two maids she called quickly opened their eyes wide. Shock was apparent even without seeing their expressions under their veils. But still, they remained silent. They didn’t go against the Queen’s wishes, and simply bowed before executing the order.

They pulled the elders and the guards away, and even dragged away the corpse of the “traitor” with them.

A minute later, only Axel and Sharika were left on the table.

Eve and the girls were resting a short distance away—enough that the two’s talk wouldn’t be heard by them, normally. But with their heightened stats, hearing talks a dozen meters away was as easy as breathing to them.

They didn’t even need to focus to eavesdrop!

“I’m sure you have noticed,” she started. “But my reign isn’t a monolith. I have several factions that wanted to eliminate me, even now. Though this is the first time they took such direct actions…”

“Well, as a ruler, having a few enemies is a given.”

Axel sipped his tea, churning out baseless pleasantries while urging her to continue. Sharika noticed that Axel was waiting for her to speak, almost as if he already had an answer he was waiting to hear.

“I really am not fit to be a ruler…”

She whispered, her tone sounding as if she was giving a wry smile.

“I’ll be honest, King Axel. Our people, 150,200 of them, only have enough resources to last a week.”

“…”

Axel didn’t speak.

He wasn’t aware of the quantity of their resources, but he already guessed they were running low. After all, even the guards before were gaunt. Not to the point of skin-and-bones, but definitely could be healthier. Even their skins were dry, a sign of heavy dehydration.

“Thus, I propose this to you now.” She continued. “I will convince my people to fall under your rule, as long as you help me clean up the malignant ones among my people.”

“Oh?”

Axel couldn’t help but smile.

It wasn’t the answer he was looking for, but quite close to home.

“So, you want to nip out the bud of a coup before it even bloomed?” He asked.

Sharika let out a soft chuckle, as if she found his question funny. “If you know a coup is being planned behind your back, it’d be the obvious choice to try and stop it… right?”

Not a single ruler would want to watch his people raise their weapons to pull them to the ground. Or worse, to lop their head off. Axel could understand her reasoning, and also understood that she got a proper evaluation of the girls’ strength after what Eve did.

Thus, even though it wasn’t the answer he was waiting for, Axel still nodded.

“Alright, I’m in.” He said with a grin. “I’ll help you clean your house. And in return, I will receive the land title… Is that fine?”

Axel extended his hand forward over the table, asking for a handshake.

Sharika hesitated for a moment, before nodding.

“Yes, King Axel. It’d be a pleasure to work with you.”

“Alright!”

After a firm handshake was exchanged, Axel took out a sheet of paper and a pen, and began drafting a contract. Of course, just a verbal promise wasn’t enough.

And it wasn’t like he could use Obedience Curse on her either. She would become their ally sooner or later, after all. Thus, a contract. A normal, human contract.

The terms were simple.

Axel would help Sharika to eliminate the malign ones among her people. And in return, Axel would become the overlord ruling above them.

After writing them in three copies, and translating it into words that the Queen could read, they signed the papers without delay.

“With this, we’re all set!”

Axel smiled.

“Now, it’s time for some major overhaul!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep