Chrysalis Chapter 1719 - Dealing

“A prudent allocation of resources,” Merchant remarked with a sage nod, her spectacles catching the dim light within the ship’s stateroom. She swept the paperwork from the desk using her foreclaws, stacking the sheets with precision before tucking them into her satchel. “The delvers of Green Mountain are a formidable lot; who could truly value such devoted and remarkable guardians of their home?”

Maintaining a straight face was a challenge, as the Colony had rounded up more than a thousand of those very delvers in mere days. However, Merchant remained true to her nature, appearing entirely earnest and genuinely happy for the mountain dwellers.

To Alice Erry, the display was nothing short of infuriating.

Coaxing the Council into accepting the ant’s extortionate terms had been a grueling ordeal. While no one was prepared to let the ants detain Green Mountain citizens indefinitely—an insult the public would never tolerate—reaching a consensus on a strategy had required the tireless efforts of their finest diplomats.

“We were on the brink of war,” Alice retorted sharply, reclaiming her own documents and stowing them away. “The votes to pay your ransom only swung in your favor at the final hour.”

“War?” Merchant echoed, sounding as if the concept had never even crossed her mind. She shook her head briskly. “That would be terrible for commerce. The costs would far exceed the fee you just paid, and your people would remain in our custody regardless! No, I am gratified that your Council chose the path of wisdom. It suggests a bright future for the relations between our kin.”

Alice harbored deep doubts about that. The Council was livid over the massive expenditure, which had gutted their treasury and necessitated a new tax on the populace to cover the deficit. From the lowest slums to the highest peaks of Green Mountain, the commoners were now even more hostile toward the ants than before.

“If your intention was to solidify my people's hatred for monsters, you have succeeded brilliantly,” she remarked.

Merchant let out a chuckle.

“Not at all. We merely wanted to confirm you were intelligent enough to pay. It truly was the best path forward. Now, when we capture your people again, we can rest easy knowing you will do what is necessary to bring them home without any trouble.”

Alice froze, her brow furrowing.

“Capture our people again? How do you expect to seize them now that they are protected within the city walls? Are you… threatening an invasion?”

“Goodness, no! Don’t be absurd. That would be… why, it would be terribly hypocritical! After we rebuked your people and demanded such a steep price for trespassing on our territory and endangering our kin—”

“Monsters, not kin.”

“To suggest we would storm your magnificent city and… and snatch your delvers from their very beds? That is madness. We have no such plans.”

“Then how could you possibly take our delvers captive a second time?” Alice demanded, her gaze sharpening.

“Well, I assume they eventually have to step outside. Or do they intend to remain huddled within Green Mountain forever? That seems highly improbable, particularly since your Council expects them to repay a portion of the ransom. Those delvers must return to their labors.”

The realization hit Alice instantly.

“So you plan to do to us exactly what the delvers did to you,” she snapped. “Trapping them inside Green Mountain, unable to exit or work, living in fear of being taken. Such a blockade would be a gross violation of law. As a sovereign city, we possess the right to enter the Dungeon.”

“Naturally, you have every right to enter the Dungeon,” Merchant conceded with a grand, dismissive gesture. “We wouldn't dream of stopping you from going in. However, your delvers don't exactly have an inherent right to come back from the Dungeon, do they?”

The question was asked with such feigned innocence and calm, yet it dripped with malice. Alice Erry felt a shiver trace its way down her spine, though she kept her expression neutral. She could see the coming months vividly: teams of delvers departing, only for some to never return. As the disappearances mounted, fear would paralyze the rest, keeping them trapped in the city. If no agreement was reached, they would be forced out. After all, the ants tolerated delvers operating from other cities.

Just not from Green Mountain.

Losing those delvers would strip the city of a vital trade artery and its primary defense during Mana waves. It wouldn't annihilate Green Mountain, but it would result in decades of regression.

All because of some foolish ants.

“Do you truly believe you can pull this off?” Alice Erry asked, her temper rising. “That we and our confederates will just watch it happen? Delvers from the Silver City, Way Island, and Highpeak Stronghold are all present here. Are you prepared for a total war with all of them?”

“Please, Ms. Erry, there is no need for such hostility!” Merchant laughed softly. “War? War is never the goal. This is simply a matter of business. Think of it as… a long-term venture. Are you aware that ants are exceptionally patient? We don't truly sleep. We enter a state of torpor—total stillness where our systems slow to a crawl, yet we remain aware, in a sense, just… waiting. I’m certain your allies will protest and make a grand display of their power.

“But we can wait. We can maintain this for decades. Our numbers far exceed yours. In time, Green Mountain will feel the full weight of its choices.”

Alice glared at the ant, her chest tight with simmering rage. How did these ants dare to think they could succeed? All of Green Mountain was incensed. One more provocation might trigger a war regardless of the Council's wishes. Furthermore, she possessed knowledge the ant lacked: The Church had deployed a Judgement Battalion, and they wanted that massive ant dead. Green Mountain might just be willing to assist them.

Simultaneously, Merchant was aware of a truth Alice didn't know. The Colony—specifically the Eldest—wasn't patient at all. Not in the least. This conflict would be settled with startling speed.

The nameless did not enjoy missing their rest.