Chapter 369 - Selling Out

Chapter 369

First Landing Bay, Royal Capital of Sapphire City

Archmage Council Spire

"Can't we fight them off?" Said Trivy.

"Do we even want to?" Answered Maes, as Vindal opened his mouth. Everyone stared at him, as he shrugged and steepled his fingers. "Rebirth has no quarrel with us. The only reason the archduchess would come in our direction is to deal with the UDC and Tivaro."

"...I'm starting to see why you didn't want our colleagues here for this." Said Trivy, slowly.

"Yes. Because we all know what our beloved Archmage of Life Ulvi would say. 'The United Dungeon Council is a trusted ally and a vital part of our internal stability and agricultural production, any action endangering our relationship with it is simply not something we should remotely contemplate'." Vindal looked like he was going to spit, before deciding better of it. "So she'd advise we become doormats."

"As much as I hate to say it, she has a point." Trivy rubbed her forehead. "If we pick a fight with the cores, our agriculture collapses, and then what?"

"We don't get freaking ground into the dust like Sunrise did." Vindal leaned forward. "Fact is, we couldn't fight Sunrise off. Even when they were fighting the crown we only did raids. What the hell makes you think we can stand in the way of the dungeon core who completely annihilated them? Huh? Do you want to see what'll happen if those 'Mackies' of hers march on SouthMarch? I don't!"

"Vindal, calm down." Said Maes. "Your points are valid, but getting rowdy won't help with the situation." He glanced at Jaika, who was staying silent, scribbling notes and...doing calculations? "What are your thoughts my dear?"

"How certain are we these ships are heading north?" Said the minister of trade, not even looking up from her notebook.

"I'm sorry?"

Jaika sighed, and lowered her notebook, glaring at the minister of foreign affairs.

"How do we know they're coming for us?" She flipped the notebook, filled with equations and notes none of them could make heads or tails of, even as she tapped the different parts as she talked. "Right now, we're not their primary problem, and neither is the UDC. They have to stabilize and rebuild all the territory Sunrise ravaged, and a fleet won't help with that. We aren't impeding the trade route that is the entire reason the archduchy even exists. But South? It may be flowing around the corks but the Senate and the Republic are still clogging it pretty badly."

"What makes you think the trade route is their absolute priority?" Asked Maes.

"Because if it wasn't, Crystal wouldn't have made her 'branch offices' in Darthar and Erakis, nor wrestled both from her allies as her first priority." She flipped the notebook back, and began scribbling again.

"So you think she's just going to...ignore the UDC?" Vindal's disbelief was clear for those who knew him.

"Why not?" The minister of trade shrugged, not even breaking up her writing. "They sure didn't seem to do much except die screaming and running away."

Vindal opened his mouth, and closed it, clearly trying -and failing- to find any counter arguments.

"She has a point." Said Trivy, relief visible on her face. Which was no surprise, when war came and the costs began to pile up, her ministry was the first to suffer...and the second most convenient scapegoat to lose face (or their head) in the aftermath. "We're not the issue, and the UDC hasn't exactly covered itself with glory."

"While that may be true, there was a second reason I brought you all here." He took a deep breath. "I have acquired considerable evidence that Rebirth is about to begin a summit. A summit with plenipotentiary representatives from the Asarian Kingdom, the New Republic, the mountain clans of the Far Reach, The Tarkian Hegemony, as well as observers from Gorromar."

"That's..." Trivy swallowed. "That's everyone on the continent."

"Except for us." Said Vindal. That was ignoring the old Republic of course, but...well, their days were numbered, at best. "They're about to do something big. Question is what?"

Maes leaned forward.

"I have it on good authority that the Asarian Kingdom is planning to cede Kaidan and Lorenz to Rebirth."

Vindal blinked, then his face went white.

"Oh fuck. The New Republic's about to give them the north?"

"It seems the most probable outcome." Maes closed his eyes. "Which means our age old nightmare has, at last, come to pass. The Asarian Kingdom is about to access the south of the continent."

"They did the second Rebirth popped into the picture." Vindal sighed. "But I see what you mean. Damn it."

"How is that...bad?" Said Trivy, and Jaika spoke up.

"With total control of the trade route, the kingdom's capabilities will improve geometrically. Their technological stasis has been broken by Rebirth. Now all they require is an industrially developed nation to kickstart the process. With the north of the Republic under their control, they will have a direct access to the Tarkian Hegemony, and de facto corner Gorromar economically. With the reputation increase and popularity from destroying Sunrise and ending their depredations, not to mention becoming the only possible raw material supplier for Gorromar, they will be able to leverage a massive amount of economic and then military potential." She looked up from her notebook. "That is, of course, not counting Crystal and Rebirth's own already impressive contributions to both."

"And since we're not in the summit..."

"It means we're on the menu." Finished Vindal.

"Fuck." The minister of the economy leaned back into her seat. "We're screwed, aren't we?"

"I hope not. But part of my solution is why I have gathered you here today. Our objective, ladies and gentleman, is to find a way to not get devoured by Rebirth as it marches North."

"Great. That's not a tall order at all." Said Trivy, her voice dripping with irony. "What could we even offer them? We have no leverage."

"Maes, stop beating around the bush." Vindal leaned forward. "We do have one, single piece of leverage. The one and only thing we can offer Rebirth and its psychotic leaders is Tivaro."

"Yes." Maes looked at them, meeting their gaze in turn, even Jaika looking up from her notes in shock. "We're here to discuss how we can sell the UDC out so we don't get annihilated for being between Crystal and her target. And do so without the rest of the council throwing us to the wolves for discussing it. So, any ideas?"

*****

"You know, this really isn't what I expected us to use all that hard work for." Said Ghost, staring at the fusion reactor. "I spent...so long tracking down these things and getting them working again."

"I promised CQ sunlight. She will get some sunlight." Alexandra smiled at Ghost's eye roll. "I know, I know, might have been able to use mirrors, but then what? Direct way for someone to look in and see my daughter taking a swim, among other things. Hell no. And anything else wouldn't have been truly sunlight."

"Well, you're the boss." Ghost stretched. "I'll admit, it'll be good to lay down for a while, relax."

"Yeah. I think some downtime will do us all some good."

"And then some."

"Oh, and I hope you know that if you tell Emilia about what Arcadia used to do at the beach, I'm giving you concrete shoes and giving you the great dip, right?"

Ghost froze.

"I...yes, of course."

Alexandra smiled, clapping her hands.

"Great! Good to know we're on the same wavelength."

"Right. Uh...do you intend to invite Allya and Pyn?"

The dungeon core frowned.

"I was thinking of keeping it in house, but..." She grimaced. "They probably could use a break too. Maybe even Trira. Poor woman barely started putting together an intelligence agency, and now she's having a trial by fire with the summit."

"Nothing like learning on the job."

"I'd rather it not be potentially at the expense of the representatives."

"Right. Might beef her up with some reinforcements."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate them."

Alexandra nodded.

"I'd be amazed if she didn't. Alright, while my conscience is clear for having worked on this relaxation thingy for a bit, how are things going?"

"Got the fuel siphons working, you know for that plan we had to go grab the helium three from the wrecks around the city?"

"Right. You'll be ready to start soon then?"

"Yep. Though don't expect large quantities. We've made a lot of progress, but the stealth golems aren't what I'd call spacious in terms of cargo capacity."

"Any is better than none. Even if it's super expensive to make through my dungeon powers, having it available to power up the Flickerlight and some of our designs will help a ton."

"Can't argue with that." Ghost sighed, rubbing her neck. "Welp, back to the salt mines. Just make sure I get a bikini for the beach episode, right?"

Alexandra snickered.

"I'm sorry, 'beach episode'?"

"Yeah! Every franchise has to have one. Preferably with plenty of bikinis and fan service."

"If someone 'fan services' my daughter, no one will find what is left of their body."

"Agreed. But don't you dare tell me you're not looking forward to seeing Emilia in a new bikini, mmmhhh?"

"Well, I..."

"Or her peel off y-Mmmhhh!"

Alexandra glared at the apparition, her hand firmly on her other self's mouth.

"Salt mines. Go."

Ghost chuckled, but threw a mock salute before vanishing in a swirl of particles of light.

Alexandra sighed. Sometimes she was jealous how her other self could just...move around like that.

"I guess I should probably get some more stuff done as well." She mumbled to herself. "Where did I put the schematics for the third floor's water features again? Damn it, I should redo my indexing system."

TO-DO LIST UPDATED

"Yes, yes, I get it." Someday she'd update that software.

Someday.

*****

Allya blinked as she heard the buzzer, and tapped her desk, Camille's hologram appearing above it.

"Hello milady! My apologies to disturb you, but a few old friends would like a few minutes of your time."

"Old friends?" The archduchess tilted her head, before smiling as an image appeared. "Oh! Of course, show them in."

"Very well milady."

Allya tidied up her desk, before speaking up as someone knocked on the door.

"Please, come in!" Said Allya, smiling as Valker opened the door, letting the small party of adventurers into her office. "Raika, and company! It's good to see you guys! How have you been?"

"Pretty good." Said the party leader, as she shook the archduchess' proffered hand. "Thanks to you in large part, your grace."

"Argh, please, dispense with the formalities. I'm already being crushed under the weight of protocol, I'd rather not add more."

"Fair enough."

"So." She gestured for them to take their seat, before sitting back down herself. "What can I do for you my friends?"

"We've been...thinking about things, what we wanted to do." The party leader sighed. "And we came to a conclusion. We're going to move out."

Allya blinked.

"Oh." She leaned back, her mind reeling. Crap crap crap, how was Alexandra going to react to that. "Are you sure?"

Raika held up her hands.

"I'm not calling your hospitality into question milady! You've been extremely generous. No, it's just that...there are things we've all agreed we need to do. Things that, in fact, we would like you to help us with."

"Well that's not ominous at all." Allya's smile fell as she saw the young woman's grave expression. "Sorry. What is it? What can I help you with?"

"Do you promise to keep it to yourself?"

"Within the bounds of it not being of critical importance to myself or my sworn allies, yes."

Raika hesitated, and sighed.

"That's about as good as I'm gonna get out of you, isn't it?"

"If I didn't add those provisions in, would I really be someone whose word you'd trust?"

"No. No I guess not." Raika sighed, closing her eyes, and took in a deep breath as she opened them, her gaze meeting Allya's and her tone deadly serious. "Archduchess Allya Nouvelle-Aurore, I formally request your assistance in mounting a search and rescue expedition for the extradimensional Alexandra Rousseau, who was kidnapped two years ago in the western baronies."