Chapter 388
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Chapter 388
The next move did not come for several months, while gears turned behind the scenes on both sides. Another ship arrived, and unless turtles were much more common in the Exalted Archipelago than expected, it was likewise from the Ponderous Turtle Clan.
Though they docked in the port, they would not leave their ship. Given what had already happened it was quite reasonable, though Kumbukani and the other elders were not happy to leave the protection of the council chambers. There were sufficient cultivators to defend them, and a handful were instructed to remain close. They didnt want anyone to be too uncomfortable but security was important as well.
Have you returned with what you owe? Kumbukani projected her voice from the dock towards the ship. She was ready to protect herself if needed, but kept her posture neutral. If there was to be any sort of real negotiation, it was important to balance all proper factors. Confidence and strength were important, and those were often displayed by a bit of aggression. The difficulty was not going to the point of provocation, which was not what the continent intended at the moment. They were already balancing on the edge, but they had to avoid showing weakness in the initial encounter above all else.
Show them, commanded a woman standing prominently on the foreign ship.
One of the dinghies was quickly loaded with a few chests and lowered into the water. It hardly looked anything like the promised payment, but looks could be deceiving. The single individual rowing the small boat didnt take long to reach the docks, and he carefully placed the chests at end of a pier, lined up next to each other facing the council.
Enitan, if you would? Kumbukani gestured to the formation specialist theyd brought along. He wasnt one of the masters- there werent so many that they could bother them just for something like this, and risking revealing their identity was another issue.
After a quick inspection of the chests, Enitan opened one. Inside was revealed a sparkling hoard, glistening with gems and metal. It was impossible to see all of it, but the senses of those nearby revealed how much more there was inside than just on the surface. These chests carried much more than a storage bag would, though their bulk clearly made them less of a convenience.
Enitan reached in and pulled something out, perhaps to verify what he was seeing inside. He opened the other chests to reveal similar bounties, from which he ultimately presented some samples to Kumbukani. It does seem to be legitimate.
Very well. Kumbukani had no doubt that her words would be heard even if she didnt project her voice, but it was simply polite to do so. Is this it? You think we will believe that the Ponderous Turtle Sect has so little? She kept her voice as steady as possible. Technically she didnt know how much wealth they had, but there were estimates indirect estimates from decades prior, but enough. This is merely sufficient to buy the freedom of your Grand Elder at most. For everyone, or even the young mistress of your clan Kumbukani shook her head.
The woman from the Ponderous Turtle Clan gave away very little, but the subordinates around her revealed more whether they wished to or not. It is not easy to consolidate our wealth so quickly, the elder replied. But you will not wring us dry so easily. This is more than sufficient to buy the freedom of Grand Elder Myron as well as four of the others.
Good, she was willing to negotiate. And she wasnt so foolish as to pretend that the young mistress of their clan was worth anything less than the price of all the others put together- even the Grand Elder. This portion is barely enough to cover the Grand Elder himself, but perhaps we can include one of your other subordinates.
Him and three others, the counter offer came. The quality of our offerings has escaped your eyes.
She could go with that offer. But she could do better. Myron and two others. I could throw in another half, but I imagine you wouldnt see that as a greater number.
Nergiz must be among them, the woman finally replied.
-----
That would be the Soaring Air Sect, then? Kseniya frowned as the Order gathered together. A shame Anton was out at sea, though even I usually do not sense so directly upward. Its only a few kilometers, but with sufficient stealth capabilities she nodded.
The question now is what to do with the rest of the prisoners, Matousek said. We have them very well secured. It is unlikely anything but an assault by a full sect could break through here, but we dont know how many sky ships are available or other relevant details.
I cant believe the Worthy Shore Society didnt tell us about sky ships, Catarina complained. I could have been preparing so many useful formations against them!
Grant and the engineers will need to know as well. Preparing weaponry that can attack so high might be difficult, but we should at least be able to make a few. No indication of if the ships are built for combat yet, but any failures in their functionality would be significantly worse for sky ships.
Well have to wait for the final information to come in, Kseniya agreed. These message plates are great, but they dont make long conversations or detailed explanations easy. I wonder if they had some way to track those chests?
Absolutely, Catarina said. Now I wish Id rushed over for the inspection. I was going to do it later bleh. What was that, five percent of the sects wealth?
Maybe. Certainly not more, perhaps somewhat less. They asked for ten percent total, but obviously there were shenanigans involved.
What about the council? Matousek asked. Were they safe?
We didnt hear anything about that, Kseniya said. Wont take long to ask. She made use of the communication plate in front of her. Council-is-safe. Good.
What does that mean, though? Matousek questioned. Did they not consider it important to retaliate against them as figureheads, or could they not? Are there only two skyships, or is this the limit of what the Ponderous Turtle clan could swing to help them on short notice?
There have to be more, Kseniya said, But not that many. I cant imagine its inexpensive to fly those things, she looked to Catarina.
That would depend on the quality of natural energy in the area. High up well, theres no way it maintains stable power all the way across the oceans. Large portions of that keep the natural energy primarily down in the water.
Well have to coordinate with the others about the prisoners, Matousek said finally. We have no easy communication method to even make demands, and it might be better to show our sincerity. The Ponderous Turtle clan has shown they arent willing to be reasonable.
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Chapter 388
The next move did not come for several months, while gears turned behind the scenes on both sides. Another ship arrived, and unless turtles were much more common in the Exalted Archipelago than expected, it was likewise from the Ponderous Turtle Clan.
Though they docked in the port, they would not leave their ship. Given what had already happened it was quite reasonable, though Kumbukani and the other elders were not happy to leave the protection of the council chambers. There were sufficient cultivators to defend them, and a handful were instructed to remain close. They didnt want anyone to be too uncomfortable but security was important as well.
Have you returned with what you owe? Kumbukani projected her voice from the dock towards the ship. She was ready to protect herself if needed, but kept her posture neutral. If there was to be any sort of real negotiation, it was important to balance all proper factors. Confidence and strength were important, and those were often displayed by a bit of aggression. The difficulty was not going to the point of provocation, which was not what the continent intended at the moment. They were already balancing on the edge, but they had to avoid showing weakness in the initial encounter above all else.
Show them, commanded a woman standing prominently on the foreign ship.
One of the dinghies was quickly loaded with a few chests and lowered into the water. It hardly looked anything like the promised payment, but looks could be deceiving. The single individual rowing the small boat didnt take long to reach the docks, and he carefully placed the chests at end of a pier, lined up next to each other facing the council.
Enitan, if you would? Kumbukani gestured to the formation specialist theyd brought along. He wasnt one of the masters- there werent so many that they could bother them just for something like this, and risking revealing their identity was another issue.
After a quick inspection of the chests, Enitan opened one. Inside was revealed a sparkling hoard, glistening with gems and metal. It was impossible to see all of it, but the senses of those nearby revealed how much more there was inside than just on the surface. These chests carried much more than a storage bag would, though their bulk clearly made them less of a convenience.
Enitan reached in and pulled something out, perhaps to verify what he was seeing inside. He opened the other chests to reveal similar bounties, from which he ultimately presented some samples to Kumbukani. It does seem to be legitimate.
Very well. Kumbukani had no doubt that her words would be heard even if she didnt project her voice, but it was simply polite to do so. Is this it? You think we will believe that the Ponderous Turtle Sect has so little? She kept her voice as steady as possible. Technically she didnt know how much wealth they had, but there were estimates indirect estimates from decades prior, but enough. This is merely sufficient to buy the freedom of your Grand Elder at most. For everyone, or even the young mistress of your clan Kumbukani shook her head.
The woman from the Ponderous Turtle Clan gave away very little, but the subordinates around her revealed more whether they wished to or not. It is not easy to consolidate our wealth so quickly, the elder replied. But you will not wring us dry so easily. This is more than sufficient to buy the freedom of Grand Elder Myron as well as four of the others.
Good, she was willing to negotiate. And she wasnt so foolish as to pretend that the young mistress of their clan was worth anything less than the price of all the others put together- even the Grand Elder. This portion is barely enough to cover the Grand Elder himself, but perhaps we can include one of your other subordinates.
Him and three others, the counter offer came. The quality of our offerings has escaped your eyes.
She could go with that offer. But she could do better. Myron and two others. I could throw in another half, but I imagine you wouldnt see that as a greater number.
Nergiz must be among them, the woman finally replied.
-----
That would be the Soaring Air Sect, then? Kseniya frowned as the Order gathered together. A shame Anton was out at sea, though even I usually do not sense so directly upward. Its only a few kilometers, but with sufficient stealth capabilities she nodded.
The question now is what to do with the rest of the prisoners, Matousek said. We have them very well secured. It is unlikely anything but an assault by a full sect could break through here, but we dont know how many sky ships are available or other relevant details.
I cant believe the Worthy Shore Society didnt tell us about sky ships, Catarina complained. I could have been preparing so many useful formations against them!
Grant and the engineers will need to know as well. Preparing weaponry that can attack so high might be difficult, but we should at least be able to make a few. No indication of if the ships are built for combat yet, but any failures in their functionality would be significantly worse for sky ships.
Well have to wait for the final information to come in, Kseniya agreed. These message plates are great, but they dont make long conversations or detailed explanations easy. I wonder if they had some way to track those chests?
Absolutely, Catarina said. Now I wish Id rushed over for the inspection. I was going to do it later bleh. What was that, five percent of the sects wealth?
Maybe. Certainly not more, perhaps somewhat less. They asked for ten percent total, but obviously there were shenanigans involved.
What about the council? Matousek asked. Were they safe?
We didnt hear anything about that, Kseniya said. Wont take long to ask. She made use of the communication plate in front of her. Council-is-safe. Good.
What does that mean, though? Matousek questioned. Did they not consider it important to retaliate against them as figureheads, or could they not? Are there only two skyships, or is this the limit of what the Ponderous Turtle clan could swing to help them on short notice?
There have to be more, Kseniya said, But not that many. I cant imagine its inexpensive to fly those things, she looked to Catarina.
That would depend on the quality of natural energy in the area. High up well, theres no way it maintains stable power all the way across the oceans. Large portions of that keep the natural energy primarily down in the water.
Well have to coordinate with the others about the prisoners, Matousek said finally. We have no easy communication method to even make demands, and it might be better to show our sincerity. The Ponderous Turtle clan has shown they arent willing to be reasonable.
Chapter 388The next move did not come for several months, while gears turned behind the scenes on both sides. Another ship arrived, and unless turtles were much more common in the Exalted Archipelago than expected, it was likewise from the Ponderous Turtle Clan. Though they docked in the port, they would not leave their ship. Given what had already happened it was quite reasonable, though Kumbukani and the other elders were not happy to leave the protection of the council chambers. There were sufficient cultivators to defend them, and a handful were instructed to remain close. They didnt want anyone to be too uncomfortable but security was important as well.Have you returned with what you owe? Kumbukani projected her voice from the dock towards the ship. She was ready to protect herself if needed, but kept her posture neutral. If there was to be any sort of real negotiation, it was important to balance all proper factors. Confidence and strength were important, and those were often displayed by a bit of aggression. The difficulty was not going to the point of provocation, which was not what the continent intended at the moment. They were already balancing on the edge, but they had to avoid showing weakness in the initial encounter above all else.Show them, commanded a woman standing prominently on the foreign ship.One of the dinghies was quickly loaded with a few chests and lowered into the water. It hardly looked anything like the promised payment, but looks could be deceiving. The single individual rowing the small boat didnt take long to reach the docks, and he carefully placed the chests at end of a pier, lined up next to each other facing the council.Enitan, if you would? Kumbukani gestured to the formation specialist theyd brought along. He wasnt one of the masters- there werent so many that they could bother them just for something like this, and risking revealing their identity was another issue. After a quick inspection of the chests, Enitan opened one. Inside was revealed a sparkling hoard, glistening with gems and metal. It was impossible to see all of it, but the senses of those nearby revealed how much more there was inside than just on the surface. These chests carried much more than a storage bag would, though their bulk clearly made them less of a convenience. Enitan reached in and pulled something out, perhaps to verify what he was seeing inside. He opened the other chests to reveal similar bounties, from which he ultimately presented some samples to Kumbukani. It does seem to be legitimate.Very well. Kumbukani had no doubt that her words would be heard even if she didnt project her voice, but it was simply polite to do so. Is this it? You think we will believe that the Ponderous Turtle Sect has so little? She kept her voice as steady as possible. Technically she didnt know how much wealth they had, but there were estimates indirect estimates from decades prior, but enough. This is merely sufficient to buy the freedom of your Grand Elder at most. For everyone, or even the young mistress of your clan Kumbukani shook her head.The woman from the Ponderous Turtle Clan gave away very little, but the subordinates around her revealed more whether they wished to or not. It is not easy to consolidate our wealth so quickly, the elder replied. But you will not wring us dry so easily. This is more than sufficient to buy the freedom of Grand Elder Myron as well as four of the others.Good, she was willing to negotiate. And she wasnt so foolish as to pretend that the young mistress of their clan was worth anything less than the price of all the others put together- even the Grand Elder. This portion is barely enough to cover the Grand Elder himself, but perhaps we can include one of your other subordinates.Him and three others, the counter offer came. The quality of our offerings has escaped your eyes.She could go with that offer. But she could do better. Myron and two others. I could throw in another half, but I imagine you wouldnt see that as a greater number.Nergiz must be among them, the woman finally replied.-----That would be the Soaring Air Sect, then? Kseniya frowned as the Order gathered together. A shame Anton was out at sea, though even I usually do not sense so directly upward. Its only a few kilometers, but with sufficient stealth capabilities she nodded.The question now is what to do with the rest of the prisoners, Matousek said. We have them very well secured. It is unlikely anything but an assault by a full sect could break through here, but we dont know how many sky ships are available or other relevant details.I cant believe the Worthy Shore Society didnt tell us about sky ships, Catarina complained. I could have been preparing so many useful formations against them!Grant and the engineers will need to know as well. Preparing weaponry that can attack so high might be difficult, but we should at least be able to make a few. No indication of if the ships are built for combat yet, but any failures in their functionality would be significantly worse for sky ships.Well have to wait for the final information to come in, Kseniya agreed. These message plates are great, but they dont make long conversations or detailed explanations easy. I wonder if they had some way to track those chests?Absolutely, Catarina said. Now I wish Id rushed over for the inspection. I was going to do it later bleh. What was that, five percent of the sects wealth?Maybe. Certainly not more, perhaps somewhat less. They asked for ten percent total, but obviously there were shenanigans involved.What about the council? Matousek asked. Were they safe?We didnt hear anything about that, Kseniya said. Wont take long to ask. She made use of the communication plate in front of her. Council-is-safe. Good.What does that mean, though? Matousek questioned. Did they not consider it important to retaliate against them as figureheads, or could they not? Are there only two skyships, or is this the limit of what the Ponderous Turtle clan could swing to help them on short notice?There have to be more, Kseniya said, But not that many. I cant imagine its inexpensive to fly those things, she looked to Catarina.That would depend on the quality of natural energy in the area. High up well, theres no way it maintains stable power all the way across the oceans. Large portions of that keep the natural energy primarily down in the water.Well have to coordinate with the others about the prisoners, Matousek said finally. We have no easy communication method to even make demands, and it might be better to show our sincerity. The Ponderous Turtle clan has shown they arent willing to be reasonable.
