Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 697: The Negotiation

TL: Rui88

In the enormous tent, the leader of the plains orcs, Grand Chieftain Abal, welcomed his guests.

The nobles from Crystal Shine, dressed in magnificent attire—that is, Prince Jassim and his entourage—entered the tent one by one with solemn expressions.

“Please, be seated, Your Royal Highness, and all other honored guests.”

Abal sat cross-legged in the main seat to the north, pointing to a row of tables on his left.

On his right sat his trusted high-ranking officials from the King’s Tent, all of whom were staring intently at the human guests.

Prince Jassim nodded and, with his entourage, went to the places Abal had arranged for them. They too sat cross-legged like the orcs.

This posture was very uncomfortable for him, and his already somewhat apprehensive mood worsened.

Both sides introduced their respective members.

Just as Jassim thought they were about to get down to business, the orc Grand Chieftain waved his hand.

“There’s no rush to negotiate. Our guests have traveled a long way and must be exhausted. We must entertain them well. Serve the food!”

At Abal’s command, servants entered carrying enormous platters laden with roasted pigs and sheep, glistening with grease and cooked to a golden brown. They were whole, served just as they were before the guests.

Prince Jassim frowned. This kind of food was too heavy for the people of Crystal Shine, not to mention that his own stomach was no longer young.

“We will talk after we have eaten our fill. Please!”

Abal gestured with his hand and began to feast with gusto.

As soon as the food was set down, the orc generals started, tearing off large chunks of meat with their hands or carving pieces with their knives, then chewing and swallowing them in great mouthfuls. After swallowing, they would gulp down wine to wash it down.

This straightforward way of eating left the nobles of Crystal Shine looking at each other in dismay.

According to their customs, even when eating such hearty fare, it was to be cut into small, fine pieces, accompanied by various appetizers, and eaten slowly with a fork.

“Truly a group of uncivilized barbarians!”

Many thought so in their hearts, but the thought that the kingdom’s army had been defeated by such savage fellows made them even more despondent.

Seeing the humans frozen in their seats, Abal smiled and said, “My guests, are you perhaps dissatisfied with our hospitality?”

“Ah, of course not!”

Fortunately, the orcs had shown them some consideration. There were knives, forks, and other utensils that humans were accustomed to on the tables, which saved the members of the delegation from having to eat with their bare hands.

“So, how should we end this conflict, Your Royal Highness?”

When the feast was halfway through, Abal brought up the main purpose of the meeting.

Prince Jassim said solemnly, “Your war against Ordo is completely unjustified. You should withdraw from Ordo’s lands immediately.”

Bang! “This is retribution and punishment for the humans!”

A younger-looking orc roared, pounding the table in front of him so hard that the food on it nearly shook off.

His features resembled Abal’s. Jassim recalled the introductions from earlier and recognized him as Abal’s eldest son, Aguire.

Perhaps spurred by the alcohol, the young orc prince was somewhat agitated, the hair on his cheeks failing to conceal the redness of his skin.

“Insolent fool!” The guard knight beside Jassim shot to his feet, glaring angrily.

“Arrogant human!” With a clatter, almost the entire row of orcs stood up, glaring back at the knight with equal fury.

Slap! Abal slammed his hand on the table, his face displeased. “Everyone sit down! We are negotiating.”

He glared at his eldest son. “Get out! Making a fool of yourself after a few cups of mare’s piss.”

“Father!”

“Immediately!” 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Aguire sullenly exited.

The remaining orcs sat down, their faces filled with reluctance.

Abal looked at Jassim, feeling a little surprised.

This human king’s father was very composed. During his son’s sudden outburst just now, the old man hadn’t even batted an eyelid, maintaining a serene appearance.

‘Hmph, I wonder if he can remain so calm when we get to the end of the negotiations.’

“Your Royal Highness, please forgive my son’s rudeness.”

Abal apologized, his tone even sounding somewhat sincere, but then his words took a sharp turn.

“But I must say, there is some truth to what he said. Our entry into human lands this time is entirely a matter of principle and justice. It is a reciprocal measure for a thousand years of human harassment of the plains.”

These words made Jassim want to spit a wad of old phlegm at Abal.

The conflict between humans and the plains orcs was a tangled mess. Although both sides felt they were the aggrieved party, if one were to truly get to the bottom of it, it was an unsolvable account where neither side could claim innocence.

Aguire’s behavior just now, whether intentional or not, he took as a preemptive move by the orc side. It seemed they were determined to bite off a piece of flesh.

“My view is the exact opposite of yours.” The prince intended to argue his case. “The Watcher’s Legion has not been active on the plains for a very long time, whereas orc raids south of the Rocky Mountains occur every year.”

“No! Those were not raids, they were reprisals, but they were still half-hearted, completely incomparable to the harm you have caused the plains throughout history,” Abal retorted, not yielding an inch.

The two went back and forth, clashing fiercely for a while.

Finally, Jassim sighed. “Then, Grand Chieftain, what price are you prepared to name? What must be done for you to withdraw from human lands?”

Seeing his opponent soften, Abal was overjoyed.

“The Nerodan Corridor, the Loess Lands, the Blackstone Plains, and the Great Elephant Plains.”

He listed his conditions one by one.

What did he mean? The members of the delegation looked at each other, perplexed.

“This… this is utterly preposterous!”

Prince Jassim’s beard trembled. He had understood Abal’s meaning: the orcs wanted land.

By the Lord of Light, these four areas constituted the entire northwestern region of the Kingdom of Ordo.

The others also realized and exclaimed at the absurdity of it.

Before the formal meeting, the delegation had already discussed their bottom line.

They could give the orcs a large sum of money, or the houses they desperately needed, in exchange for their withdrawal from the kingdom’s lands.

But they had not expected that what the orcs wanted was far beyond what they could accept.

The prince said gravely, “Countless humans live on this land. It is impossible to cede it to you.”

Abal replied, “Oh, we will rule them reasonably. I believe the people here will be happy to accept more enlightened rulers.”

“Enlightened? The model of the plains cannot be applied to humans.”

“We are happy to learn your ways. Since entering Ordo, countless people have come to join us. Would you be interested in reviewing my human army? They are extremely loyal, extremely brave. The war has progressed so smoothly, thanks in large part to them.”

Abal said this and then burst into loud laughter.

And the members of the Ordo delegation were all red-faced with anger.