Chapter 752 Negotiating I
“We should ensure that, regardless of the outcome, we do not fully join the Astral Conclave and remain mutually beneficial allies. That way, we retain the freedom to communicate and trade with all civilizations without restrictions, which will allow us to expand as quickly as possible,” Youssef reiterated, echoing his earlier stance from when the issue was confined to Xalthar’s ship.
“Our sovereignty must be maintained, with a strict prohibition on enslaving our citizens as another non-negotiable,” Jeremy added. As the Minister of the Interior, his primary concern was the protection of the empire''s people, while Youssef’s focus, as an external strategist, was ensuring the empire’s position was safeguarded from the perspective of outside entities.
{Free trade agreement. On the surface, it might seem like they are the only ones benefiting from this, but it will mark the beginning of their loss of trade dominance in the Conclave to the empire,} Nova interjected, fully aware of Aron''s long-term plans. A free trade agreement was the essential crack in the wall that would enable their strategy to unfold.
One after another, both the humans and AIs in the room began pitching in ideas, each voicing key points Aron should consider. He listened carefully, mentally filtering and prioritizing their suggestions, determining which were non-negotiable and which could be compromised based on the situation.
Meanwhile, news of the negotiations had been broadcasted to the public, with citizens being encouraged to submit their own suggestions. Any proposal deemed substantive by the AI would be forwarded to the emperor, adding another layer of input to the situation.
The meeting spanned several hours in VR time, during which Aron fully immersed himself in strategic discussions now that the ceasefire allowed him to log in. Though only half an hour had passed in the real world, he emerged from the session with a well-thought-out list of terms and conditions to be included in the contract.
His priorities were clear, and each suggestion had been meticulously weighed for its importance and potential impact on the empire’s future dealings with the Astral Conclave and other civilizations.
"I''m pretty sure you know we can''t just give you anything beneficial without earning something of equal value in return," Liasas said calmly, her tone measured. Yet, many wondered if her calm demeanor was a facade, hiding intentions beneath the surface, much like humans often did.
Aron didn''t miss a beat. "I could say the same for your side," he replied with the same steady calmness. "But it seems you''ve forgotten this isn''t a typical agreement—it''s a wager. The winner takes the majority of the benefits, and the loser faces the more exploitative terms. As long as I win on our side, all my conditions will be accepted by yours, just as you’ll get yours if you win."
His response made it clear: he wasn’t willing to back down, nor was he going to let his conditions be dismissed so easily. He had laid out his terms with the intention of securing them through victory, not through compromise.
"Although that’s true, the demands should at least be achievable and reasonable," Liasas responded. "Otherwise, we could have just demanded to turn your race into slaves if we win or forced you to hand over all your mana stones without compensation.
Aron remained unfazed. "That''s true, but nothing in my list of demands is unachievable. And saying your side’s demands aren’t overreaching is an understatement of the millennium. You’ve got a clause that forces us to sell you mana stones at mining cost if you win, which is essentially the same as enslaving us, except we''d be managing ourselves."
He paused briefly before continuing, "If we want to avoid overreaching demands, then both sides need to step back, or we could structure the deal in a way where the benefits scale with the level of victory. A perfect win would give one side maximum advantages.
Alternatively, we can make it so each civilization negotiates with us individually, with only the winning civilization getting their demands fulfilled. If they lose, they meet our demands. We''re open to either, or a mix of both, since some of our demands require the Conclave’s full agreement. And those present here have enough votes to make that happen."
With this, Aron laid out his strategic reasoning, justifying his seemingly outlandish demands while offering a more balanced approach to negotiations.