" Vic! I've already arranged a banquet. Let's go eat and chat. This is essential. Dalton, you should come too!"
Seeing that Vic's matter had been resolved, the old king was in a good mood. Although the country was poor, a simple banquet could still be prepared.
There was no need for elaborate preparations; all the ingredients came from the island, and even the wine was brewed from island fruits. It was another way of thanking Vic, and the way people expressed gratitude in this world was quite unique.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Although Dalton was a subject, there wasn't a clear boundary or many rules between the old king and his ministers; it was quite normal for them to sit down and eat together.
"Alright! Your Majesty, you don't need to be so polite!"
Vic was somewhat helpless; he really didn't have much to talk about with this old king. However, he wasn't in a hurry now, as Wendy was out of danger. Next, he could focus on his cultivation.
"Yes, yes, let's go! Let's go to the restaurant for a meal."
The old king really wanted to improve his relationship with Vic. How could he say they had a good relationship if he wouldn't even offer him a meal? What a joke! He not only wanted Vic to stay for a meal, but also for Vic to stay overnight at the palace.
After Vic and his group were seated in the restaurant, the old king sent someone to summon Wapol. He was still unaware that his good son Wapol had taken it upon himself to make things difficult for Vic and use him as a show of force; otherwise, he would have been even more embarrassed.
He brought Wapol over now so that his son could make his presence felt in front of Vic.
Vic chuckled inwardly, wondering what Wapol's expression would be if he saw him.
Dalton felt conflicted. His father was trying his best to maintain a good relationship with his son, but his son was trying to ruin it. He chose to remain silent.
When Wapol arrived at the restaurant and saw Vic smiling at him, he felt the urge to urinate returned, and his purple hair stood on end!
If it weren't for his elderly father holding him back, he would have run away long ago. He didn't want to stay near that scoundrel Vic for even a moment longer; it felt even colder than outside, making him shiver.
"Son! This is a distinguished guest from our Drum Kingdom. His name is Vic; you should have met him before."
He's a rising star in the navy, not much older than you. When you become king, you'll inevitably have to deal with him. This is your formal introduction; you can inform each other of any matters that arise in the future.
The old king didn't know how much longer he had to live, so he shamelessly allowed Wapol and Vic to get in touch. He knew that Vic's future was destined to be bright, and that even a simple favor to Wapol would bring him immense benefits.
"We met outside just now, Wapol! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Vic greeted him with a smile, knowing that even Wapol would be terrified of him now, making it virtually impossible for him to seek him out.
Vic was indifferent. Letting Wapol become king was a disaster for the country. If he changed in the future, Vic wouldn't mind helping him. If he was still the same arrogant guy from the original story, it would be lenient of Vic not to personally destroy him.
"Yes... yes! Father!"
Wapol didn't dare look at Vic, but after hearing Vic's answer, he dared not refuse. However, he truly felt the same way as Vic: to stay as far away as possible from now on, and never see him again in this lifetime would be the best outcome.
The shadow cast by Vic was too great for the young Wapol to bear; for the first time, the once arrogant and domineering boy was so frightened that he wet his pants.
Seeing the trembling on Wapol's face, Dalton felt a pang of emotion. Perhaps this fright from Vic might change him in the future. After all, Wapol was the future successor of the country. He used to really look down on Wapol, who followed those two guys around causing trouble and never did anything productive.
Hearing their answers, the old king was somewhat relieved and completely failed to notice Wapol's unusual behavior.
The Drum Kingdom is in a terrible situation. Although it is Affiliated Nation of the World Government, it has no Marine Base on the island for protection, and it has to rely on its own national strength to defend against pirate attacks.
Food transportation is also a major problem; having a strong backer in the navy would make a big difference.
He may not be able to do it this generation, but if the next generation can build a Marine Base, it could benefit the Drum Kingdom for countless generations.
Marine Base are not something to be given up easily, unless there is a major upheaval in the navy, but he dared not even think about that.
If he maintains a good relationship with Vic and also cultivates a good relationship with his son Wapol, wouldn't the chances of success be much higher?
After exchanging a few words, the group began serving food and drinks. The drinks were fruit wine, and the dishes were all very ordinary: fish from the sea, small animals from the forest, as well as mushrooms and leafy greens.
Looking at the food, Vic could tell that the country was in a terrible state. This was food for guests; what would they eat on ordinary days? And what about the common people?
"Your Majesty! The Drum Kingdom so poor now, why doesn't it secede from the World Government? They pay so much Heavenly Tribute every year, and there's no Marine Base on the island. Isn't all that money just wasted?"
Vic couldn't understand this behavior; he had previously witnessed several countries not choosing to join the World Government because they lacked the funds.
It seems there's little difference between joining and not joining the Drum Kingdom, except for the fact that you can attend the Reverie held every four years.
" Vic! You don't know this, but our Drum Kingdom doesn't need to pay the Heavenly Tribute to join the World Government. That's the current situation of the Drum Kingdom. If we had to pay the Heavenly Tribute, the Drum Kingdom probably wouldn't have survived and would have been destroyed!"
The old king was helpless. If countries had paid the Heavenly Tribute and become this poor, that would be one thing—there are many such countries in the world—but his country was like this even without paying the Heavenly Tribute. He felt like a failure.
"No Heavenly Tribute paid? Would the World Government be so generous? Have they changed their ways?"
Vic was quite surprised. In order to get the Flower Kingdom to join the World Government and pay the Heavenly Tribute, they had sent agents to carry out inhumane missions.
They're not even asking for the Heavenly Tribute here? Is this some kind of differential treatment? Did the Flower Kingdom desecrate the World Government's ancestral graves before?
That's definitely not the reason. Vic suspects something is amiss with the Drum Kingdom. Is it because they're a medical superpower? Does the World Government need top-tier doctors?
"Yes! I've read the records left by my ancestors; the Drum Kingdom was among the first Affiliated Nation to join the World Government."
Since then, I haven't been asked to pay any more "Heavenly Tribute." I don't know the specific reason why, but not having to pay is naturally the best thing, and I haven't investigated it further.
The old king made no attempt to hide anything from Vic and directly recounted the ancestral records he had seen.