"Peace?"
Roderick looked up; the Nether Dragon seemed to be hinting at something.
Ferrum left the Throne and walked down the wide stone steps. As the twelve-meter-long Giant Dragon approached, the oppressive feeling was far more astonishing than when it was coiled on the Throne. Roderick had to strain his stiff neck to see those golden eyes.
"Peace."
Ferrum confirmed the wording. "I agree to return the prisoners, but within thirty days, the Southern Territories Army is not allowed to enter the territory of Golden Grain City, nor can it provide any assistance to the Tagoma Kingdom."
Roderick immediately shook his head. "That's impossible."
Even after paying the ransom, the Southern Territories will still launch attacks against the dragons. They want to reclaim Golden Grain City and drive the dragons out of the Tagoma Lands. Once they gain the upper hand, they may even launch a counterattack on the Lost Wilderness.
Prisoner exchanges will not affect the course of the war.
"Then we have nothing more to say to each other."
Ferrum didn't seem to care. " Lya is doing very well with me. I'll take care of her in place of her father."
"Your Excellency... Lord Ferrum."
Roderick was silent for a moment. "We are willing to pay the ransom. If you have any objections to the ransom, the Beoranz Lineage can still negotiate, but what you are proposing now is a demand that we cannot accept at all."
Nether Dragon lowered his gaze. "What do you have to say?"
"War is not a duel between warriors. The Duke has made a great promise to gather his vassals and army, and all the soldiers are eager for rewards. If we rashly cease hostilities, the Beoranz Lineage will bear all the supplies for the vassals and the army. Over the course of thirty days, the soldiers' morale will continue to erode, and they may even desert on their own."
Roderick sighed softly, "Lord of Ferrum, we came with great sincerity to ransom the prisoners, but that does not include allowing our army to crumble."
After a moment's thought, Ferrum recalled the war between his family and the Bloodridge Tribes. At that time, the Titan' pressure on the border forced his family to mobilize their Warband to deal with the situation, which ultimately led to his family launching an offensive.
Once a ruler's order is issued, it easily gains momentum, carrying the interests and will of tens of thousands of people. It's like a rumbling war chariot that even the helmsman cannot easily turn back unless sufficient benefits are obtained or a sufficient price is paid to stop it.
Just as now, if the family wanted to end the conquest, Ferrum and his companions would absolutely not agree.
This is what is meant by "military orders are as firm as mountains".
"Collapse and disintegration..."
While contemplating how to be a good ruler, Ferrum remained expressionless. "Once the great wheel starts turning, it is indeed difficult to stop unless it crashes into an impenetrable wall. Now that we have captured Deep Rock, Golden Harvest, and Agate City, the Giant Dragon's power is unstoppable. How many of you are willing to fight? And how much are you willing to pay for this war?"
"No matter how much is lost, it can never be more precious than losing a life. I've heard that the Four Realms are more like independent mini-kingdoms compared to Tagoma. Are the people of the Southern Territories going to die for the Westerlands? Are you planning to meet our army at the first opportunity?"
Roderick felt a fear seep from his heart and spread throughout his body. He knew that what the other party said made no sense, but for some reason, Ferrum Solax had a natural aura of authority, as if his words would definitely come true.
"I've heard that Giant Dragon prefer straightforward language and dislike embellishment and beating around the bush."
Roderick took a deep breath, finally dispelling the fear and trepidation in his heart, and said, "In that case, I think I should be more frank, Lord Ferrum. Everything you've said and done is just an attempt to buy time."
" The Giants of Tagoma have awakened from the sudden attack, and the entire realm is determined to launch a counterattack against the Giant Dragon. In the Southwest Region, Greyhawk City alone has amassed an army of up to 40,000 men. With the addition of troops from the Royal Domain and the South, Tagoma will have more than 100,000 troops deployed in the southwest when the next battle breaks out."
Roderick said, "We know you are pacifying the surrendered people, recruiting new soldiers, and reorganizing your troops, but whatever you do, the situation is already extremely precarious. The reason you said you wanted to make peace with the Southern Territories is because you wanted to concentrate your forces on Greyhawk City and the Royal Domain. All the Tagoma can see through this intention, so the Southern Territories will never agree to a peace with you."
"Humans are all idiots," Ferrum suddenly said.
Roderick was taken aback.
"We come from the wilderness, and Agate City and Golden Grain City are things we conquered. So what is there that we can't abandon?"
Ferrum coldly said, "You think you've surrounded me, but I can completely abandon everything I have and concentrate my forces to break through from the South. The troops of Greyhawk City and the Royal Domain are utterly incapable of supporting you; they can only chase after you in the shadow of Dragon Wing. I can fight you to the death in Riverrun. If I succeed, I'll march straight in and break through the Southern Territories, killing everyone who stands in my way."
How dare you refuse my kindness?
The Giant Dragon raised its head. "If the Southlanders so desire war, then I will give you war. Nothing will be left of that land but death."
Roderick pursed his lips tightly.
This tactic would be impossible in a war between feudal lords; no lord would abandon his land and people. But as conquerors, they are very likely to fulfill such a declaration, these mad dragons...
The Beoranz Lineage is not afraid of war, but they must consider its consequences. If war breaks out as Ferrum suggested, even if the Tagoma Kingdom ultimately wins, the Southern Territories will inevitably suffer heavy losses and be nearly wiped out.
In Westerlands, even though the Westerlands is now nearly lost, the Warden of the Western Marches still firmly hold Greyhawk City, tightly controlling their forces, unwilling to fight the Giant Dragon unilaterally, and insisting on support from other families.
Roderick remained silent.
As Southlands Envoy, he was not lacking in ability and did not show any fear or anger at being threatened. He simply lowered his head and considered Ferrum's words repeatedly in his mind.
"Then, please let me confirm again."
After a long pause, he finally said, "Lord of Ferrum, Beoranz is the first noble family to make contact with the Giant Dragon. If the Southern Territories rejects your thirty-day offer, are you prepared to abandon Gold Harvest and Agate, gather all available troops, and march south to fight us to the death?"
If dragons are truly this ferocious, then this news is enough to make all the major families put aside their differences and devote themselves fully to the war.
"As the first family to contact us, the Tagoma family has extended my goodwill, and I hope you will carefully consider what I have said, because perhaps other families will be more receptive to goodwill."
Ferrum was not falling into their trap. "For example, the guardian of Greyhawk City. If I return the Westerlands to him and make a peace agreement with him, I think he would be very happy."
"But you haven't returned Golden Grain City to us."
Roderick argued, "Besides, this is another negotiation. Perhaps you should meet with the Duke. My visit is about the prisoners; I have no authority to decide on other matters. The 50,000 gold coins and military supplies are the ransom we are paying for Princess Olysia."
After thinking for a moment, Ferrum asked, " Lya, how high is this human's status in your family? How much power does he wield?"
Olysia sat to one side; she was still a prisoner and had no right to speak, only to listen.
Hearing Nether Dragon's question, he replied, "He is my father's assistant, his right-hand man, and someone I trust."
Ferrum nodded, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Roderick again. "You performed very well just now. When the Giant Dragon conquer the Tagoma Kingdom one day, I hope you will pledge your allegiance to me and become my Diplomat."
Alright, enough of this small talk.
Before the humans could reply, Ferrum suddenly changed his tone, stood behind Olysia, his imposing figure towering like a mountain behind the Half-Elf, and spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
"It seems that Lya isn't that important to you, and shouldn't be mixed up with politics. But it's different here. I treat her like a princess, and we've developed a secret affair during this time. So I have a proposal: please ask the Beoranz Lineage to marry her to me, as one of my wives."
Ferrum said, "From this day forward, we will be united by marriage, advancing and retreating together, becoming one family. What do you say?"
Roderick stood there, stunned, as if he were in a daze.