I stare at the communication device after calling Brendu twice without receiving any response. "We need to stop our comrades from killing each other." I look seriously at the Escamus standing before me.
"We have to go together. If I stop my people from here, it'll become a problem. Your companions will massacre my subordinates." Edupe takes a few seconds before answering.
"Can you go find Brendu?" I ask Glia through our connection. "When you get there, explain what happened as quickly as possible. Once everything is ready, let me know." That way, both sides can stop fighting at the same time.
"Do you trust him? I don't want to leave you alone with someone who was trying to kill you just a minute ago." Glia hesitates for a moment.
"I'd rather keep him close with no one else around. I won't be able to fight properly if I'm attacked by his subordinates or if I have to protect the others. I'd also rather have him nearby so I can tell him when to stop the other Escamus. And don't worry. Even though we've recovered the same amount of mana, my wounds are closed while he's still badly injured." I reassure Glia.
"Alright, but I'll come back immediately if anything goes wrong." She gives me one last warning before materializing beside me.
Their eyes meet. Glia looks extremely wary of the Escamus, with a hint of anger in her expression. Edupe's eyes widen in surprise. Apparently, he hadn't realized I shared such a close connection with someone.
Glia vanishes in an instant. She's moving at full speed, pushing her mana to its limit to reach Brendu as quickly as possible. "Kill him without mercy if he tries anything suspicious," she sends through our connection while racing away.
"You're a chest full of surprises. I never expected you to have such a close bond with a Grade 4 monster that powerful. Now I truly want to make our agreement a reality." His eyes remain fixed on me, shining as though he'd just discovered a priceless treasure.
"Aren't you afraid I'll attack you?" The Escamus sits before me, overflowing with confidence.
"You won't. People like you don't stab others in the back during negotiations." His eyes sharpen. "I've met thousands of people over the course of my life. The craziest ones are usually the most reasonable. I had my doubts because, by human standards, you're considered handsome. But during our fight, I realized you're insane." His chuckle irritates me a little.
"I'm insane? In what way?" I can't deny that his eyes carry the wisdom of an old man. That's not something anyone acquires quickly. It takes decades to learn how to judge people and develop eyes like those.
"Completely insane. Half-mad, I'd say. It's been a long time since I saw a human or monster enjoy a fight where their life hung by a thread, where a single blow could erase their existence. I saw it during our battle. You were smiling, sticking out your tongue, licking your lips. Those gestures only prove how much you love fighting at your limit. That's the mark of a madman." Edupe's words leave me speechless.
"I'm not insane... I just enjoy the adrenaline sometimes." I try to defend myself somehow.
"I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Having something unusual about you makes you easier to trust. I never trust people or monsters who look too perfect." His faint smile annoys me even more.
His words are like a dagger. Hearing them from a human would be understandable, but hearing them from a monster somehow hurts even more. I rein in my emotions. I can't let myself get worked up over a few words. He doesn't seem to have any ill intent. He's simply saying what he thinks.
"Glia has already reached the person who can stop the entire army. They're talking now." I speak again a few minutes later. We'd stopped talking because there was nothing left to say. We simply remained where we were, neither of us taking our eyes off the other.
"Good. Tell me when they're ready. I only need to give one order for my subordinates to stop." His words carry unquestionable authority.
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"Everyone is gathering around the camp... I arrived at a good time. Cokue is badly injured. He's lost an arm and is limping, though it's strange to see him grinning from ear to ear." Glia reports through our connection.
"Tell them to stop." Those words weren't directed only at Glia—they were for Edupe as well.
"Did they stop? Tell me quickly. If this bastard lied to me, I'll take his head today no matter the cost." I ask Glia.
"Relax. They really did stop instantly, and now they're retreating in an orderly fashion." Glia's answer eases my mind.
"Are they heading this way?" I ask, slightly alarmed.
"No. They're simply moving several hundred meters to the side. They stopped after retreating a little more than a kilometer from our position." A few seconds later, Glia speaks again.
"Tell Brendu, Cokue, Joaki, and Murill everything that's happened. Tell the princess to contact my grandmother and Ritmo. They'll know what to do." I temporarily end the connection.
"Did you think I'd deceive you or try to take advantage of the situation? I won't, so don't worry." His voice is calm and sincere. "You're in much better condition. You're fully healed, and we've probably recovered the same amount of mana. Meanwhile, I still have these enormous gashes across my body."
I glance at my swords lying beside me on the ground. My Thundersnow Fangs look utterly worn after facing so many powerful opponents. I never thought I'd reach the point where I'd consider replacing them. They've been with me for so long—it would feel like leaving a part of myself behind.
"As I mentioned, I can't decide the future of my territory, but I can push for an alliance with you... provided you're willing to bind the agreement to your Core." I bring up the contract again.
"Like I said, I have no problem with that. Human adventurers are the unpredictable ones. They ignore orders whenever they feel like it." Through our small Imra connection, I can sense his resentment toward adventurers.
"We can manage that somehow. Even though we're still a small territory, adventurers won't cause problems if we make the rules perfectly clear. I doubt they'll want to make enemies of a territory with so much potential." I'm certain we'll do everything possible if we reach an agreement. Even so, human ambition is difficult to control.
Edupe looks somewhat hesitant, but he has no choice now. Just like us, he can only hope people aren't foolish enough to ignore the rules.
"Do what you have to do. I'm not moving from here, just don't take too long." Although his voice remains authoritative, there's a hint of resignation beneath it. He ends the Imra connection between us, simply allowing his Imra to drift freely so I can still vaguely sense his intentions.
At that very moment, Brendu's call comes through.
"Are you alright? How are you?" Her voice is gentle, filled with concern.
"I'm doing great. He's not as strong as we thought." I make a small joke. I can sense the monster's irritation through our Imra connection. I give him a wink and toss him a bottle of wine. That trick always works. Edupe stares at the bottle for a moment, nods slightly, and his irritation disappears after taking the first sip.
"Don't joke around. Glia told me he was beating you senseless and that you couldn't see any way to win without risking your life." Brendu scolds me.
"Sorry... yeah, but everything worked out in the end." I don't know what expression I made or what leaked through my Imra, but I hear loud laughter from the monster sitting in front of me, which I decide to ignore. "Please contact my grandmother and Ritmo... and if you know any mage capable of creating binding contracts, that would help too." That last part is the most important. Our territory has a Ruby-rank contract mage, but I don't know how effective they'll be against such a powerful Grade 5 monster.
"Samo heard the entire conversation. He volunteered to carry out the contract himself and act as your brother's or your grandmother's guard. His family is well known for this kind of contract. He has plenty of experience and is strong enough to do it without creating any future risks." Brendu gives me some of the best news I could have hoped for.
"Thanks. We'll be waiting. Glia can guide you here once everything is ready." I'll let Brendu handle the rest. If I call my grandmother myself and tell her what happened, she'll probably think I've gone insane.
"This wine is good. It's been a long time since I had a bottle this fine." Edupe raises his bottle. I pull one from my storage and return the gesture.
"Is she your woman? She sounds pretty strict... seems like she has you completely under control." I can sense a trace of sympathy for me before he laughs.
"Yeah... when all of them get together, they sometimes drive me crazy." I look at the enormous scaly monster sitting across from me again. "I can't believe I'm talking about this with someone who was trying to kill me just a few minutes ago." I let out a sigh.
"We'll be partners in the future. It's a good way to start a relationship." The Escamus shrugs. "So you have more than one woman... Are you sure you're not half monster? You're pretty wild."
For a moment, I considered throwing a black sword at his head, but I quickly realized there wasn't the slightest hint of malice behind his words. It was simply an honest comment. I stare at him in disbelief for a moment.
"I'm completely human. I don't have a single trace of monster in me." I roll my eyes and toss two more bottles toward the Escamus. "Who knows how long we'll have to wait. At least we'll have something to pass the time." A huge scaly grin spreads across his face, making me smile slightly as well.