"Whatever your purpose for forming an alliance here," Vir continued. "That is none of my business. As long as you let me go and continue searching for food stocks, then I will simply assume that I never met any of you."
"Father, don't take his word for it!" said Aranea.
Raemon raised one hand.
"Leader, listen to your daughter!" Sebastian said as well. "We can't just trust him!"
"If we want to build a force," Raemon replied calmly. "Form alliances, then we should be able to read people's intentions."
"Our leader is right!" said the second man.
The man approached Vir and handed the crossbow back to him.
"I think," he continued, "we have something in common here."
"What are you talking about, huh?" said Sebastian. "He's definitely suspicious. And you saw that yourself, didn't you? He even wanted to kill our leader just now!"
"Haven't you realized yet?" the first man replied to his friend. "That's because he hates riders. And we all know that our leader used to be a rider."
"I can't tell you the reason why I hate riders so much," Vir said later. "At least, for now."
"Because you can't trust us yet?" Raemon smiled broadly.
"More or less," Vir replied.
"Yeah..." Raemon nodded. "Just like what my daughter and Sebastian think of you."
"Yeah!" agreed Vir. "So?"
Raemon looked at Vir at a fairly close distance. "You know, don't you? Everything in this world has consequences?"
"Oh, trust me," Vir replied with a faint grin. "I'm very familiar with all the consequences that exist in this world. Even with death itself."
Raemon laughed as he patted Vir on the shoulder. "I'm liking you more and more, young man. Hey, are you married?"
"Huh?!" Vir frowned.
Then all eyes were on Aranea.
"I hate you, Father!" Aranea walked away with a sulking face.
Raemon chuckled again. "Yeah, I know that, honey."
Vir just cleared his throat. Although the girl was indeed beautiful, he had no interest in her at all. The first impression of their initial encounter had left him thinking differently about the girl herself.
"Carl, take him back to that location!" Raemon ordered. "And you too, Sebastian!"
The first man nodded, then looked at Vir, "Come on!"
"Thank you," Vir said to Raemon.
"Think about what I said," Raemon said. "And once you can trust us, then this place is always open to you, anytime!"
Vir did not answer that but chuckled softly and then followed Carl and Sebastian.
***
Meanwhile, in the Central Empire, the Right Counselor and Left Counselor of the Empire were busy making arrangements for the hundreds of horse-drawn carriages.
Each carriage was filled to the brim with several sacks containing staple foodstuffs such as wheat, corn, rice, and so on.
As for the riders, some of them were flying around the grand palace on their dragons.
The Emperor, a 20-year-old girl, was standing quietly on one of the balconies in the South Tower. At least, there were eight towers towering high, surrounding a giant golden dome in the center.
She was accompanied by her beloved cousin, Magnius the Mighty.
"I am convinced," Magnius said. "In this way, the confidence of the people of the four lands will increase in you, Your Majesty."
The Emperor smiled faintly. The beautiful tiara on her head could not compete with the beauty of her features and curves. Her long white hair fluttered in the wind.
"Tell me," said the Emperor. "Have I ruled this world cruelly? Unjustly?"
"Your Majesty," Magnius replied. "You are the owner of this world. Whatever you do, for us it is the will of heaven. So, no one should dictate to you."
Again the Emperor smiled in response to Magnius' answer.
"You are indeed my best cousin, Magnius. Thank you."
"No, you don't need to thank me. After all, I will risk my body and soul for you, Your Majesty."
"You're taking me the wrong way, Magnius."
"Your Majesty?"
"It is not apparent on the surface," said the Emperor. "However, I know for a fact that so much hatred is directed towards me."
Magnius let out a deep breath. Well, it's no longer a secret, he thought.
"What if I told you that every leader has his enemies?"
"You are right," replied the Emperor. "What I want to say is what my late father once did to all the lands of this world."
"Your Majesty," said Magnius. "This is your family legacy. There is nothing I can do but help you in order to preserve this legacy."
"I know, Magnius. I know..."
Down below, hundreds of shabbily dressed people stepped close together. They were slaves with every foot and hand bound in chains.
The imperial soldiers ordered the slaves to enter large cages that would each be pulled by four horses. Each cage held ten slaves, and there were a hundred cages to carry a thousand slaves.
The Right Counselor approached a soldier commander who was in charge of the thousand slaves.
"Leave immediately for the Eastern Lands!" he commanded. "And take this!"
The Commander received a scroll tied with a golden cord.
"It's a letter from Her Majesty," said the Right Counselor. "Give it to the King of the East!"
"Lord Counselor." The Commander nodded.
"Depart now!"
The Commander nodded again before finally turning around and meeting his men.
"We leave now!" the Commander ordered his soldiers when he was already on his white horse.
"Move!" shouted the soldier who was also on a horse, just like the others.
So off went the great company with a thousand slaves in a hundred cages.
"They're already on the move," said Magnius atop the South Tower. "I heard the Right Counselor only prepared a thousand slaves."
"Yeah..." the Emperor nodded. "That's enough for now. If they still need more, they can ask me directly."
"I understand, Your Majesty." Magnius bowed his head.
Down below, the chariots carrying goods began to move one by one. They departed in four large groups. One group of one hundred freight wagons, one hundred soldiers, and a commander moved towards the Eastern Lands, following the wagons carrying the slaves earlier.
One group headed to the North Country, one group headed to the West Country, and the rest headed to the South Country.
Besides being escorted by a hundred soldiers in each group, they were also escorted by dozens of riders with their dragon mounts watching from the air.
"You know, Magnius," said the Emperor. "For a long time now, there has been one thing that has been bothering me."
Magnius looked at his cousin who was both beautiful and had a very masculine voice. It was as if there were two opposing souls trapped in one body in the Emperor.
"Would you be willing to share with me, Your Majesty?"
The Emperor smiled broadly, then glanced at Magnius, "Of course," she replied. "You are the only one I can trust in this world, Magnius."
"Very well, Your Majesty. Go ahead!"
"Before he died," said the Emperor. "My father told me that there would be great opposition to our family's rule."
"Pardon me, but isn't this a given?" said Magnius. "In the history of every empire that has ever appeared on Earth, there has always been a pattern to this story."
"You are very wise." The Emperor chuckled. "And you are right. I did not take the matter relating to the disappearance of the riders seriously at all. After all, I also knew that their actions were also strongly opposed by the people. So, if there are those who are embittered and then kill the riders for the sake of their grudges, then I take it as a matter of course."
Magnius frowned. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. But, I don't understand what exactly you're trying to tell me?"