NOVPUBDuke Moriarty began to carefully articulate the position of the Pranter Empire and its expectations for the upcoming negotiations.
The room was lit by carefully adjusted light.
As the sound of the increasing rain outside mingled with the gentle hum, the voices also blended with the white noise.
The view outside the manor was blurred by the rain, but the swaying tree shadows and distant green hills were still faintly visible, their green dimmed by the rain, making the gray skies around seem even more somber.
Hyperion looked out the window, and although the sounds of the conference room filled her ears, all she could think about at that moment was whether Lanci had brought an umbrella or not.
She recalled the time at the Boss Cat Restaurant when she went downstairs to bring Lanci an umbrella and then chatted with him under the eaves for a while; those moments didn’t seem special at the time, but now, they seemed quite beautiful upon reflection.
"I think, Duke Moriarty may have misunderstood our intentions here?"
Calila’s slightly displeased voice brought Hyperion’s attention back.
Hyperion glanced sideways and noticed that Calila, sitting beside her, had already furrowed her brows after a brief exchange.
"This is the situation, our Pranter Empire’s initial intention is not to seek confrontation, and we simply do not have the power to confront the overwhelming forces of the Huo Ning Empire. The cabinet had already been actively discussing the possibility of peace talks with the Huo Ning Empire even before the fall of the Briss Kingdom, and even the Prime Minister is no longer opposed to seeking possible peace talks now. I believe, through our joint efforts, we can avoid unnecessary sacrifices. The same goes for our relations with the Demon World; we would prefer to use diplomacy and negotiations as tools to find a solution that benefits all parties."
Duke Moriarty continued to maintain a polite smile, explaining to Calila patiently and respectfully.
The pale, weak light could not penetrate the overcast sky, barely managing to outline the shapes of objects in the room.
"Duke Moriarty, may I understand that the Pranter Empire has given up resisting the Huo Ning Empire and the Blood Clan?"
Calila asked.
"It’s not quite that simple, as we still need to maintain the possibility of resistance and not complete submission; otherwise, we would have no bargaining chips to negotiate with."
Duke Moriarty spread his hands with ease.
"In that case, why not try a resistance that has a greater chance of success—joining forces?"
"I don’t see any chance of winning."
"..."
Calila felt like talking to this man was like punching cotton.
He wouldn’t say anything useful, yet he seemed to effortlessly dismiss the Demon Race’s real intention to form an alliance against the Huo Ning Empire.
According to Calila’s information, the current Pranter Empire’s parliament was still hesitant regarding the alliance proposal initiated by the Demon Race.
After all, in the eyes of the Pranter, the sudden change in the Demon Race’s attitude was too illogical, and any alliance with the Demon Race was undoubtedly a gamble.
The Demon World was much stronger than their Pranter Empire.
Moreover, recently there had been signs of the Demon Race negotiating peace with the Blood Clan, even welcoming a Blood Clan delegation to the Demon World with great fanfare.
If the Demon Race was attempting to help the Blood Clan probe the Pranter Empire, aiming to strike a fatal blow and effortlessly swallow the Pranter Empire, that possibility remained.
But Duke Moriarty’s personal attitude was clear; he was just short of openly telling the Demon Race not to interfere with the peace talks between the Pranter Empire and the Huo Ning Empire.
As a member of the Conservative Party, he had his own judgments and interests.
"Duke Moriarty, could you please contact Prime Minister Wilford for me? I wish to have a brief communication with him."
Calila took a deep breath and continued.
Even Empress Kexiya had the courage to resist, indicating that not everyone in the Pranter Empire shared the same attitude as Duke Moriarty.
"I apologize, the Prime Minister has his duties, and as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, this is within my responsibilities. I cannot simply delegate everything to the Prime Minister."
Duke Moriarty shook his head regretfully.
"Then would you be able to use Communication Magic to convey to Helsaraym that I wish to briefly communicate with the Prime Minister and let him decide whether he would like to talk to me?"
Calila backed down one step further.
"I’m sorry, you can convey your thoughts to me first. Or is there some secret scheme you must discuss with the Prime Minister in private?"
Duke Moriarty looked at her, smiling calmly and unruffled,
"Please tell me your thoughts first, and I will relay the message to the Prime Minister."
Calila felt her blood pressure rise.
She exerted all her effort to suppress her anger.
This Minister of Foreign Affairs had no intent to resist; he only thought about negotiating peace with the Blood Clan. Although he did not have the authority to refuse or decide on an alliance with the Demon Race, Calila believed that if she let him pass the message, the meaning would definitely change by the time it reached Prime Minister Wilford.
Now she wanted to meet the Prime Minister, but this Minister of Foreign Affairs stood in her way.
The more sincerely she begged, the more adeptly he seemed to playfully brush her off.
Calila now had reason to suspect that Duke Moriarty was already making connections with the Blood Clan.
"Lord Calila, I am well aware of your hostility towards the Huo Ning Empire and your determination to resist. However, in this long night, we must seek out the light, even if it’s faint to the point of being almost invisible."
He paused briefly to ensure his words provided time for everyone to think,
"Our nation, our people, are in a state of uncertainty and fear. We cannot lead them towards a future full of bloodshed and destruction. Yes, compromising with the malice of the Huo Ning Empire may seem weak, but if it can save tens of thousands of lives and allow our children to grow up without the shadow of war, is it not worth our while to explore the possibility at least?"
