Chapter 161: Envoy of the Second Continent

High Envoy Cassian gripped the polished brass railing of the Arbiter’s Grace tightly. As the diplomatic vessel cleared the outer defensive perimeter of the Seventeenth Continent, the arrogant dismissal he had maintained for the entire month-long voyage completely evaporated.

’We were told this was an exhausted deadland,’ Cassian thought while his stomach twisted violently. ’Intelligence classified them as a fractured population barely surviving the regional integration.’

He glanced over his shoulder at his lead tactical advisor.

“Are the mana-dampeners active?” Cassian whispered frantically.

The advisor swallowed hard, his eyes darting nervously across the shoreline. “They are at maximum capacity, Envoy. The ambient energy here is suffocating.”

The water of the Continental Moat below churned with dark and dangerous currents. The ship navigated past massive corrosive spore reefs breaking the surface in sickly purple and green clusters. Highly advanced naval mines drifted just beyond the established shipping lane.

Down in the depths, dozens of aquatic mutants patrolled the moat in flawless formation, tracking the diplomatic vessel with raised star-iron spears.

The City of Spiral rose from the northern docks in a staggering display of fortified brutalist architecture. Towering Treants acted as the primary support columns for the inner wall’s bastions, their ancient timber bodies fused with the Omni-Web’s shimmering blue veins.

Down on the stone pier, a solid blockade of Shell-Kin formed a living, impenetrable wall. Behind them, thousands of perfectly synchronized Vanguard troops stood in flawless, silent phalanxes.

At the very edge of the main dock, three figures waited in absolute stillness.

Cassian recognized them instantly from the fractured intelligence reports. Elian stood in the center, projecting an unyielding, imposing authority over the harbor. Warlord Gorak flanked him on the right, casually resting his heavy star-iron gauntlet against a stone pylon.

On the left stood Iron-Scale, his bladed exterior reflecting the bioluminescent glow of the moat.

’They brought the supreme military commander, the Prophet, and their apex warlord just to greet a single diplomatic vessel,’ Cassian realized with a sharp spike of genuine fear. ’This is a designated show of force.’

“Envoy,” the second advisor whispered from the lower deck, his voice trembling slightly. “The tribute cases. Will they be enough to satisfy them?”

Cassian looked down at the heavy crates of high-tier materials stacked near the boarding ramp. The Iron Arbiter had sent a fortune in rare metals and core crystals. Looking at the continent-spanning industrial machine operating effortlessly around them, Cassian suddenly felt incredibly poor.

’They might find this tribute completely insulting,’ Cassian thought.

“Keep your heads down and avoid any sudden movements,” Cassian ordered under his breath. “Speak only when directly prompted.”

The ship’s heavy ramp lowered with a loud mechanical groan. It hit the stone pier with a solid thud, vibrating the deck plates. The three Vanguard commanders withheld any formal salutes or greetings. They simply watched the emissaries approach with the cold, calculating gaze of apex predators.

Cassian let out a shaky breath, adjusted his ceremonial robes, and marched down the ramp to negotiate the survival of his empire’s eastern front.

High Envoy Cassian took a steadying breath and descended the heavy iron ramp. His honor guard followed closely behind while struggling under the massive weight of the four tribute crates.

Cassian reached the bottom edge of the ramp and prepared to step onto the stone pier. Suddenly, Iron-Scale stepped forward to block the path. The Kobold’s bladed scales clinked menacingly as he raised a single clawed hand.

“Halt,” Iron-Scale commanded smoothly. “Open the crates.”

Cassian froze in his tracks. ’He wants to inspect the tribute here on the docks?’ he thought frantically. He forced a diplomatic smile and cleared his throat. “Supreme Commander Iron-Scale, I assume. It is a profound honor. We intend to present these gifts directly to your Sovereign during our formal audience.”

“The Sovereign delegates all border security to me,” Iron-Scale replied. He tilted his sloped head slightly to lock his slitted eyes onto the High Envoy. “Open them now, or return to your vessel.”

The lead tactical advisor leaned forward to whisper quickly in Cassian’s ear. “Envoy, protocol dictates we present the tribute to the ruler. Surrendering it to the border guard compromises our negotiating position.”

Gorak let out a sound like grinding boulders. He shifted his massive weight and dragged the tip of his star-iron gauntlet across the pier to create a bright shower of sparks.

“You are currently standing on Vanguard territory,” Gorak rumbled. “Comply with the order. I can easily crush your vessel into scrap metal to save you the journey home.”

Elian stepped forward to offer a very polite and highly unsettling smile. “Warlord Gorak is entirely serious, Envoy Cassian. Please follow the security measures.”

’They are going to kill us right here on the ramp,’ Cassian realized with absolute certainty. His diplomatic training completely failed him under the suffocating pressure of the three commanders.

“Open them immediately!” Cassian snapped at his guards.

The guards dropped the heavy cases onto the ramp and quickly unlatched the thick iron locks. The lids fell back to reveal row after row of glowing blue Aether-Crystals and refined Mythril ingots.

’This is the wealth of a dozen conquered cities,’ Cassian thought proudly, regaining a fraction of his composure as the ambient light caught the precious metals.

Iron-Scale stepped onto the ramp and picked up one of the glowing Aether-Crystals. He tossed it lightly in his hand before holding it up to the dim sky. He sniffed it once, sneered, and dropped it back into the crate with a dull thud.

“Low-density energy output,” Iron-Scale noted dismissively. “The purity is severely compromised. Gorak, could your Troglodytes even use this to fuel the outer forge?”

Gorak snorted loudly. “We use better rocks to line the latrines in Onyx Hall.”

Cassian stared at them in complete shock while his advisors visibly paled. The Iron Arbiter had sent this fortune to buy an entire army. These commanders were treating the priceless tribute like common gravel.

“It is acceptable as a minor toll fee,” Iron-Scale decided. He waved his hand toward the waiting Vanguard troops. “Confiscate the crates. Escort the envoys to the holding sector. We will see if your words hold more value than your rocks.”

Up in the Void, Red was playing with Glitch, not even paying attention to what was happening in the City of the Spiral.

“I will let them handle everything and do what they want.”

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