BXBX NOVEL Chapter 78: | 078 | Diplomatic Talks
The two were talking through the runic communicator, and none of them were willing to enter the other\'s ship. It was understandable. After all, none wanted to die from an unexpected assault.
"They have no mana." War Master Theodore, who stood beside Captain Stolz, muttered in disbelief. He couldn\'t believe that humans with no mana could achieve such a level of technology.
Captain Stolz raised an eyebrow when he heard of Theodore\'s words. But the fact that their adversary didn\'t have a tinge of mana made things better for him.
To humanity, mana and magicraft were akin to a divine right. Without it, can one even consider themselves as human? Or were they simply sub-creatures in a human body?
"Are you confident of handling them, War Master Theodore?" Captain Stolz quietly inquired to the old man. Theodore looked at him for a second before glancing at the naval guns in the two metallic warships\' bows.
"They themselves aren\'t the problem. It\'s their technology that brings us trouble. We need to be careful when handling the diplomatic talks, Captain Stolz." Theodore expressed his thoughts about the matter.
"That makes sense."
"I guess it\'s time to start negotiations." Captain Stolz smirked before opening the runic communicator once again and continuing. "Let\'s start with the diplomatic talks."
"Alright, let\'s start it." Charlotte calmly responded while watching the two figures in the battleship\'s bow with a scrutinizing gaze. She concluded that they must be the high commands of the fleet.
The Marines in the UNS Light Bringer had already prepared themselves. Various Anzio 20mm Vulcan were mounted throughout the destroyer and frigate to dispose of the Magus, while the warships dealt with the medieval battleships.
"Vice Admiral, the preparation is complete." An officer reported with a salute. Charlotte nodded to him while turning her eyes back to the battleship in front of them.
The officer then returned to the interiors of the warship as only the Vice Admiral and the Marines were allowed in the decks.
\'They are very arrogant.\' Charlotte thought while observing them. The ones before her were already looking down on the United Navy after discovering that it was crewed by humans with possibly no mana.
\'It looks like Lieutenant Laplace was right about the United Navy having no personnel that could use mana. How unfortunate…\' The Vice Admiral was a bit disappointed as it practically blocked their way to learning more about magicraft.
Anyone from the former world dreamed of wielding magic as their own. Sadly, it wasn\'t possible in the current one. But perhaps the Fleet Admiral would be able to do something against it.
After all, he was none other than Fleet Admiral Abraham Shepherd. He might seem or appear like a human. But his capabilities aren\'t human-like at all.
\'Well, whether we can use mana or not doesn\'t matter in the bigger picture. What matters most is that in this world. We are the minority. And one knows what humanity can do to minorities.\' Charlotte felt that their future would be rocky from this very moment.
\'Oh, well… I\'ll let the Fleet Admiral handle it.\' Charlotte thought to herself and turned her attention to the diplomatic talks before her. After all, the other side was about to start the negotiation.
"First, we will discuss our demands." Captain Stolz said with determination.
"The Colonial Dominion of Terra has the right over the entire sea region. It is under the authority of the Viceroy and the dominion of the Sovereigns. Your forces are breaking that covenant and are intriguing our jurisdiction. Do you have anything to say?"
Captain Stolz\'s words were laced with arrogance. He was looking down on the United Navy as if they were pests invading his backyard. If they didn\'t follow his demands, he would destroy them until nothing was left.
Charlotte looked at him without giving much of a reaction. His arrogant tone and his display of woeful power didn\'t bother her at all.
"First of all. The United Navy has jurisdictions over 200 kilometers from their territorial land. We were merely securing our borders, to not let random pirates try to bother us. I don\'t have much to say, and we won\'t apologize for it."
Her stance was pretty clear. The United Navy doesn\'t care about some weird divine right over an entire sea. What was near them was what they owned.
"I see… Is this your stance about the matter?" Captain Stolz questioned while Charlotte didn\'t reply. He furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his fist before continuing.
"If then, we shall make our demands."
"The so-called United Navy of yours must be dissolved. You will accept the rule and authority of the Sovereigns. You will surrender your technology and vessels to our fleet. You are fortunate to have received this chance."
The demands of the bastards were a lot greedier than expected. They wanted the dissolution of the United Navy, taking its vessels and technology, while its personnel became mere servants to them.
The previously calm Charlotte felt a nerve popping up on her forehead. The gal of the assh*le to say such a hideous thing before her. It made her want to shoot him in the head.
\'Calm yourself, Charlotte. Handle the talks with rationality.\' Charlotte calmed herself down and halted her body from doing something stupid. It would be problematic if the United Navy started the war.
"This is a diplomatic talk. You don\'t have the right or place to demand ownership over the United Navy." The Vice Admiral coldly responded to Captain Stolz. Her gaze was piercing yet empty.
Hearing the words of the Vice Admiral, the edges of Captain Stolz\'s lips rose. A smirk emerged on his face as he looked down at the annoying insects before him.
"You seem to have misunderstood something. We don\'t treat you as equals. You\'re a tiny bug we can easily crush, so we have given you a chance for mercy. And this is what you do?" He furrowed his eyebrows and continued.
"You\'re nothing more but pests that can\'t even use magic. Don\'t overestimate yourselves and accept our demands. Or, there will be nothing left of you after this."
Theodore wanted to facepalm after hearing the words of Captain Stolz. It seems that the demands of the Sovereigns were a lot deeper than expected. Well, it was somewhat understandable.
The technology the so-called United Navy had was lucrative. If the Sovereigns get their hands on it, they might be able to advance the power of their fleets.
"If this is what you\'re planning to talk about in our diplomatic talks, then let\'s have it canceled. I don\'t intend to listen to your demands." Charlotte sighed and turned her back from the Everlasting Sun.
Captain Stolz gritted his teeth and felt that he wasn\'t being taken seriously by the pests before him. This was the first time this had happened. Were they a lot stronger than they expected? Or were they simply ignorant of Principatus Humanum?
"Do you think we will let you leave?" Captain Stolz said to the runic communicator. A Magus swiftly teleported into the decks of the UNS Light Bringer to attack the Vice Admiral.
But before he could take a single step in the destroyer\'s decks, a deafening echo followed.
*BANG!*
The Magus\'s head exploded while his cracked shield crumbled apart in a second. He fell to the floor leaving a corpse and bloodstain on the UNS Light Bringer\'s decks.
"It seems that you weren\'t planning for a diplomatic talk since the beginning." Vice Admiral Charlotte coldly remarked while staring at Captain Stolz and War Master Theodore with arrogance.
"We can see this as the Declaration of War. Or perhaps it is one." She continued walking away while the Marines guarded her with utmost efficiency.
"War Master Theodore…" Captain Stolz glanced at the War Master, desiring for his help. While Theodore didn\'t want to provoke an opponent, Captain Stolz had the orders of the Sovereigns. It wasn\'t something he could easily ignore.
"I\'ll take her out." War Master Theodore took out his grimoire and prepared a lightning bolt spell. It should be enough to take out a mana-less human.
*Crack!*
A crack of thunder escaped the confines of Theodore\'s spell circle. In an instant, it arrived behind the Vice Admiral, but before it could hit her, an arm emerged out of nowhere and blocked it.
It was pale and slim, signifying that it came from a woman.
"My, my… Captain Stolz, you\'re the same as before." An arrogant voice echoed throughout the sea. The lady-like figure behind the Vice Admiral raised her head, revealing her face to the two in the Everlasting Sun.
"Dragoness!?"
"How?"
From the scene of the devastated remains of escort ships and the corpse of the Elder Leviathan, they had concluded that it was a three-way fight. A battle between their force, the unknown force, and the dragoness.
To think that the dragoness and the unknown force were allies all along. Especially when the people in the so-called United Navy were also humans on their own.
"You actually attacked the stone-faced girl. He\'ll be angry about this, you know?" Laplace uttered with a teasing tone and disappeared from her position.
She appeared beside Captain Stolz and tapped his shoulder, sending an electric current to his spine.