Shien's Bargaining Chips and Stubborn Resistance

"Tap."

Shien's finger barely made a sound against the table at the head of the room, yet the hall fell silent at once.

"The Graymist Defense Zone is nearly at its breaking point. If you keep defending your own territories separately, you won't survive even the first night of the next Blood Moon Season."

The faces along both sides of the long table shifted. Valen gave a cold snort and raised his chin slightly. Clearly, he had taken none of it to heart.

Shien glanced at him, then continued. "I know what you're afraid of. You think Blackpine Fief will use coordination as an excuse to swallow you whole.

"I only need control for a few years to stabilize the entire Graymist Defense Zone. Once things have settled, you can return to your own fiefs and remain lords as before."

Otto's eyelid twitched, and Harper visibly relaxed.

"And I won't take over your day-to-day rule." Shien placed a hand on the edge of the Sand Table, his ice-blue eyes sweeping over them. "What I want is wartime control."

"Priority authority to deploy troops across the defense zone, authority to assign craftsmen during wartime, authority to build roads and fortifications, and unified control over the movement of supplies. All of it will fall under Blackpine Fief's Coordination Office."

At those words, Otto's and Harper's shoulders, which had just relaxed, tensed again.

Shien gave them no time to dwell on it. "Of course, I'm not asking you to hand these over for nothing. In return, you'll have priority access to Blackpine Fief's latest military equipment. The Coordination Office will also provide the funds and people to reinforce each of your defensive positions.

"Wherever danger strikes first, Blackpine Fief's mobile heavy cavalry will go there first."

At that, Shien leaned forward slightly.

"If