vstars Chapter 594 Game
Chapter 594 Game
Graynburg, a border city at the junction of Brun Province and the Yoda Empire, is a typical border trading town.
Half of its architecture follows the pointed stone structures of Helderland, while the other half features the domes and arches of the Yoda Empire.
On the streets, vendors shouted to the passers-by in two accents, and Helderlan's gold coins and Yoda's silver coins circulated in the market.
At the center of Grein Castle is a parliament hall, which was once the local administrative center. Today, it will be the place where the two countries' lord chancellors negotiate.
Inside the council hall, representatives from Helderland and Yoda sat on either side of the long table. Theo, the Helderland Minister of Seals, wore a dark black tuxedo and the Helderland Kingdom's Golden Eagle Medal on his chest. His face was calm and his eyes were sharp.
Next to him sat E, Heldran's ambassador to Yoda, and two military advisors.
Opposite, Figos, the Chancellor of the Yoda Empire's Seal, was wearing a neat white military uniform, with an expression of pride and seriousness.
His adjutant sat beside him, always keeping a document ready for his reference.
The meeting hadn't even started yet, but the atmosphere in the hall was already as heavy as the low pressure before a storm.
Figos spoke first, his voice low and firm:
"Minister Theodore, we must be clear about one thing—the territorial sovereignty of the Yoda Empire must not be violated. Heldran's civilian organizations have illegally occupied land within Yoda, established strongholds, and even collected 'protection fees' for years. This is a blatant act of aggression!"
Theodore nodded slightly, his expression calm, but a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes:
"Minister Figos, we understand your position. But does the word 'years' mean that your government was previously unaware of these actions? Your government's efficiency is truly troubling."
Figos sneered:
"Of course not! We have been cracking down on these illegal activities, but shouldn't Helderland also reflect on why these 'civilian organizations' are so rampant in Yoda without the support of the Helderland government?"
Theodore did not refute immediately. Instead, he took out a stack of documents from the folder and slowly pushed them to the center of the table.
"Minister Figos, our accusations are not groundless. These documents document the beneficial dealings between certain officials of the Yoda Empire and these 'civilian organizations.' They collected tax revenues and condoned or even shielded these illegal activities."
Figos's expression changed slightly. He reached out and picked up the document, quickly flipping through a few pages, frowning.
"These...these are just your accusations without any evidence. They don't mean anything at all!"
"No, that's the truth."
Theodore responded calmly.
"If your country is willing to conduct a thorough investigation, we will provide more evidence."
Figos put down the documents, took a deep breath, and tried to regain the initiative in the negotiations:
"Regardless, these Helderlan citizens must pay the price for their criminal activities within Yoda. We demand that the Helderlan government pay a ransom to compensate Yoda for its losses."
Hearing this, Theodore's mouth corners slightly raised, but his eyes became even colder:
"Ransom? Minister Figos, are you asking Heldran to pay for the corruption of your officials?"
Figos refused to back down:
"This isn't a corruption issue; this is compensation! The illegal organization formed by you Helderlans has disrupted Yoda's economic order and plundered our resources. The Helderlan Kingdom must be held accountable!"
Theodore shook his head and said firmly:
"If you insist on demanding a ransom, then we must also demand an investigation into the misconduct of your officials. Otherwise, it will set a dangerous precedent. All corrupt officials in your country can use the excuse of 'the evil deeds of the Helderlanders' to cover up their own corruption, and our Kingdom of Helderland will be accused by you for things that didn't happen at all."
Figos was silent for a moment. He knew that what Theodore said made sense, but the Yoda Empire must never show weakness in diplomacy.
"So, what does Minister Theodore think should be done?"
Theodore said slowly:
"First, we must make it clear that these illegal organizations are not officially supported by Helderlan, but are the work of a few greedy individuals. Secondly, the cover-up by your officials cannot be ignored. We recommend that all Helderlan citizens involved in this case must immediately leave Yoda territory, but the military forces carrying out the mission must be Helderlan or neutral Blackwatch mercenaries. Yoda's military can only escort them to prevent escape."
Figos frowned:
"No! These criminals must be escorted by Yoda's army to ensure they don't escape!"
Theodore shook his head:
"If the Yoda army intervenes directly, it will probably cause a strong backlash from the Helderlan people. We suggest that the Helderlan army or the Black Watch mercenary group carry out the evacuation mission, and your army will only monitor the border to ensure that no one escapes."
The two sides argued for nearly two hours, but could not reach an agreement. Figos insisted that Helderland pay compensation, while Theodore refused to allow the Yoda army to directly control the evacuation process.
Finally, Theodore stood up, his tone calm but firm:
"Minister Figos, today's discussion has reached a sufficient depth. We both need time to consider each other's position. I suggest that we adjourn this meeting and continue tomorrow."
Figos snorted coldly, but he also knew that no final agreement could be reached today, so he nodded in agreement:
"Okay, we'll continue tomorrow at noon."
The door of the conference hall slowly closed, and representatives from both sides returned to their residences, but the game was not over. Both sides were asking their country's leaders for the next instructions.
Negotiations resumed at noon the next day.
Figos' attitude softened slightly compared to yesterday, but he still insisted:
"Minister Theodore, we still believe that Helderlan must be held accountable for these illegal activities. However... we are willing to compromise. Helderlan citizens can evacuate on their own, but it must be carried out by the Helderlan Army or the Black Watch Mercenaries. The Yoda Army will only monitor the border to prevent escape."
Theodore smiled slightly, knowing that Figos had finally given in.
"Minister Figos, this is a reasonable proposal. We accept it."
Figos also nodded:
"But there is one thing. The Kingdom of Helderland must submit a list to the Yoda government so that we can confirm that no one is left behind."
Theodore agreed:
"Yes, but the list must be verified by the Helderland government to ensure that it only contains people who are truly involved in the case."
Finally, the two sides reached an agreement:
All Helderan citizens involved must evacuate Yoda territory immediately.
The army carrying out the evacuation mission must be the Helderland Army or the Black Watch Mercenary Group.
Yoda's army only supervises during the escort to prevent the relevant personnel from escaping.
The Helderland government will submit a list of evacuees for verification by the Yoda government.
After the meeting, Theodore shook hands with Figos. Although both sides knew that the negotiation only temporarily eased the conflict, it at least avoided a greater conflict.
Figos whispered:
"Minister Theodore, I hope your country can restrain your citizens and prevent similar incidents from happening again."
Theodore smiled slightly:
"Similarly, Minister Figos, I hope your country can strengthen internal supervision and prevent corrupt officials from continuing to shield criminals."
The two men's eyes met, and they knew what was going on between them, but neither of them pointed it out.