Chapter 40: Future International Relations

After three weeks of forging, the great sword of Altair is finally complete, the sword accurately used my design as a base, but of course some modifications are unavoidable, it also has all of the capabilities I want together with Idun's own specifications and was already in the hand of Altair.

Yes, three weeks, that is how long the great sword was created even with the help of many dwarves plus a little assistance of me and Idun. First of all, the metal and materials needed for the sword is hard to process and the blacksmith have to ask many, I mean, MANY members of his race to help him successfully process the metal, furthermore there is the Ouroboros metal that is as big as a fucking boulder so that specifically took a while.

After that, Idun also helped them in the process because the enchantments of the swords that have to be personally enchanted and cannot be provided by the materials, she is worried that it is too complicated for the smiths and decided to personally enchant the blade, and because the sword is so sensitive to make that it will fail if they took a break, she used enchantment magic and blocked the pain, exhaustion, hunger and thirst receptors of the dwarves so that they can go at full blast all day all, night for the whole process without a single ounce of rest.

Dwarves have a good amount of vitality so they luckily braved through three weeks without any kind of rest. I also felt bad of just having sex with Arachne so I decided to help them by using my own flame magic to ignite their furnace in their second day so I also do not have any rest, well I don't mind a three week straight no food spree. Even Idun actually didn't.

The problem is the dwarves, even though they have much vitality that they won't die after three weeks of not eating, they just won't die immediately and Idun even forgot to arrange a banquet, so Virgo took the initiative and made the largest banquet to ever happen in the whole forest, a whole clearing was made by the heavenly stars chopping down trees that is made as tables of exponential amount, Virgo decided to organize a whole banquet for the whole forest so she have to make new tables to accommodate all of them.

The whole servant force of the forest, alongside some volunteers of the minor races was mobilized to do the cooking, I cannot help because I was splurging fire in the furnace at that time, so Arachne took my place and made a web system for ingredients to be conveniently delivered and as zipline for people even if the said ingredient or a cook is in the other part of the forest.

I am so sure that Idun will be scolded like mad by Virgo by forgetting about this important matter. And so with a lot of efforts and Altair becoming the center of attention because of how two rulers and a race specialized in crafting combined together just to create her a weapon, the sword was done three weeks later.

Altair immediately want to try the weapon out but I strictly forbid her to let the sword out of the scabbard until we went back to Valentine, that blade is so powerful and Altair never thinks twice in doing stuff so who knows what will happen if she waved around the sword in another place with many people gathered in that area.

Anyhow, I will really be disappointed if Altair didn't showed results despite our efforts in making her a weapon.

In any case, after the dwarves went out of the blacksmithing workshop, they immediately ate in the banquet together with all the people of their race, Idun also officially announce her ambition of making this forest an official country. All of them shouted praises towards her because of her brilliant idea.

What the heck, creating a country is a brilliant idea? Who would actually not create a country for their race... Oh, Idun's mother went to war against her daughter because of not wanting to make one, now I remember.

So they basically are saying that Vivian is stupid huh?

Ahem, anyway, in the banquet I also suddenly remembered what the other favor I want Idun to give me, however the thing is, I have to make it a proper negotiation because of the hard work her subjects have put for me.

And yup, Idun doesn't have trading partners and I am a prince of a powerful country so I have the assets to make the deal work somehow. My request are, I want Virgo and Libra to come with me temporarily to teach my two subordinates, namely Altair and Vega Magic and Martial Arts respectively.

Libra will teach martial arts to Vega and Virgo will teach some basic magic to Altair.

When I say that I am willing to open trade negotiation to the future nation of Idun this early in the game, all of the races present went quite. I also initially promised to drag the countries that have trading agreements towards Valentine and make them also trade with Idun.

"T-the first negotiations for Idun-sama's nation...!"

"Will she get a good deal...?"

Among other things that have the same meaning but different structure in those two sentences above was heard, Idun immediately made her sharp mode resurface, using table napkin to wipe her dirty mouth and then looked at me eye to eye.

"And what would be my future nation will get from you?"

If a normal prince of a well built country hear this from a person who wants to build a nation that didn't even started to build residential houses, he will sure to get mad and walk out. However, I know that Idun knows how precious her resources for the world is, there are three Kingdoms in the back of her forest that is drooling to negotiate with her, but she is just exclusively open for deals with our country because she doesn't have a good administrative structure yet, meaning she cannot handle trades in an organized manner as of now, so she just choose a country that she trusts the most.

I just smiled and ate a portion of the steak in front of me with a fork.

"State your demands."

In this deal, Valentine will surely benefit, I didn't even consulted my sister because I know that she will agree to it even after I say to her just after I closed the negotiations. There are resources in this forest that is greatly needed by my country, mostly in the medicine department because of the high vitality of the two races in that place, the prescription drugs in that place are highly potent and have a higher dosage than normal and our herbal resources are limited.

Hearing me say this, Idun immediately smiled, she knew what she will offer is mutually beneficial on our both sides but still leans a bit higher to her.

"Alright then... Let's see, I want my future nation to be a primary priority in your trades in raw medicine ingredients, I can offer the golden fruit and the medicinal herbs in this forest's natural herbal gardens. The price shall be discussed when I made our official currency."

"Furthermore, I want my ores to be also become a priority in your military weapons and armor industry... I personally knows how strong your equipments are, so I am sure that you can appreciate a further upgrade in your military power, right?"

She made a very satisfied smile as I can almost see the "Haha, got you!" Sneer in her heart. Yup, she got me, this person knows a lot about our country and knows its weakness in which is the Health Department, so she dangled a deal that cannot be refused.

Being a priority basically means that, before any trading partners, the certain partner that was listed as priority will be tapped first for resources, meaning they can get a good deal all the time. Basically, they are VIP that have the greatest benefits than the people in the back row seats.

Tsk, all of that for two subordinates. Well, they are exceptionally special because they are the closest servants of Idun so I guess I can understand.

But still, I won't let anyone one up and manipulate me, I do not get manipulated because I manipulate people. So I immediately made a slight nod and also started to splurge out my conditions.

"I agree, however, I also want to have some profit from this negotiation."

"First, I want you to make our country your priority and primary source of chemical products and cosmetics. I also want my country to be able to trade alcoholic beverage into the far future of your nation when the citizens can already afford to splurge money for leisure. Furthermore I want a publishing house to be able to build an international branch into your country, which will also be implemented in the far future."

I made a very evil smile that stunned all of the people here and made them wary of me, I immediately wiped it off and regained my normal smile. Oops, I didn't controlled myself and made my smile when I successfully tricked someone.

If Idun have a good economic weapons namely the golden fruits and the minerals inside the labyrinth. I do know a weakness of hers that she cannot conceal, they lack historical records for the past two hundred years, meaning that they have a non-existent cultural index because, well, history is a great part of a nation's culture.

That means less visits from tourist and a stagnant economy.

She immediately started to make a defeated smile as she knew of this too, furthermore, because she knew that she lack chemical resources to make cleaning agents, bug sprays and the such plus the fact that literature is one of Valentine's greatest assets and this publishing house will surely help her nation become more well known for tourists wanting to see the majesty of her future country, ramping up the economy of her soon to be built nation, she cannot decline my deal even though she knew that a branch in the capital city will lead to another branch in the future towns and affiliate territories and if Idun desires so, to future vassal nations, she still cannot deny the benefits of this offer outweighs the cons.

Well, the con is basically Valentine strangling the Creative and Technical Writing sector of her country, but in exchange of tourists and profits, she have no choice.

As a side note, do you wonder how strong literature in our country is?

Well let's just say that the richest author of my nation is as rich as a baron (lowest noble title) without the actual title, that's how rich they are, they can maintain a whole concubine quarters and so, like how a noble can do and some of them became noble themselves.

This is the same with people in the publishing business

Cool huh? Well the industry started when people exploited my obsession in reading books and it suddenly exploded because I invest to them and before people knew it, being a writer is now the best job in Valentine that a kid can aspire to be.

"Tsk... Scheming bastard... Ahem, Alright then. Let me confirm it, My nation get priority treatment in raw medical ingredients and minerals, Your country will get priority listing in chemical supplies, Alcoholic beverages and Cosmetics, you will also temporarily use the services of Libra the Scales and Virgo the Maiden. Furthermore, Valentine will have a publishing house publish our history and my mythology and spread it to the world. Is that all?"

I made a wry smile as I heard the word "my mythology", this person is so shameless that she really said in front of me that she will make someone write about her life, well her life is dark enough to be a mythology so I guess that's fine.

"Yes, that is all."

I stood up together with her as we both reached out our hands towards each other.

"Happy Cooperation, Idun-Sama."

"Happy Cooperation, Loki-Dono."

Some people will call a trades meeting between a well built and powerful nation and a country that is not even built, strange and stupid, but I know that this will be a good deal so, who cares about weirdness.

After this, we immediately reported this negotiations to my sister and of course she agreed as expected, I also said that I will go back to Valentine tomorrow and she evidently became more cheerful.

Her mood changes can be noticed easily because of how composed my sister usually is and I can only laugh at her trying hard to look emotionless.

And so with that, we spent the whole day celebrating the successful first negotiations of country of Idun she named after her surname, Marchenwald, we held an official contract signing on the same day that was attended by all the races of this forest.

And so the day passed just like that, and the day of our departure is finally on sight.