Inazuma, Kujou Encampment.
This was the Shogunate army's frontline headquarters, responsible for late-stage supplies, command, and operations.
"General Kujou!"
The soldiers stationed at the camp entrance immediately saluted upon seeing the two figures descending from the sky—one of whom was Kujou Sara herself.
"Mm."
Kujou Sara acknowledged them with a nod and led Nolan into the camp.
"Miss Sara, are you holding the negotiations here in the afternoon? I doubt Miss Sangonomiya would risk coming to this place."
Nolan looked at the heavily guarded encampment and asked with curiosity.
"That tactician, as meticulous as she is, would never come here. The negotiations will take place on the beach at the border between Kujou Encampment and Tatarasuna.
"To prevent any unexpected incidents, both sides will bring a small force for security."
Kujou Sara explained simply.
"I see."
Nolan recalled the original storyline, where the two armies met for negotiations, and it did seem to align with what she was saying.
"Since the General has entrusted me with assisting in the peace talks, Miss Sara, why don't you tell me what conditions the Shogunate is willing to accept?"
If he was to mediate the negotiations, he first needed to understand the bottom line of both sides. Otherwise, it would be difficult to gauge how far he could push either party.
"Mm, I'll go over it with you in detail later."
Kujou Sara naturally understood this reasoning—that was exactly what she was about to do.
---
Not long after, the two arrived at a wooden structure in the traditional Inazuman style, also guarded by Shogunate soldiers.
However, with Kujou Sara leading the way, they were allowed inside without any trouble.
The interior was spacious.
Two large pillars stood in the middle to support the roof, with rows of tables and chairs lined up on either side.
At the back, on a slightly elevated platform, there was a desk covered in numerous documents.
Judging by the layout, this seemed to be the office of Kujou Sara—the supreme commander of the front lines—where she usually worked and discussed battle plans with the captains under her command.
But now that both sides had ceased hostilities, the place wasn't nearly as bustling as before.
Kujou Sara walked to the desk, sat down in her chair, pulled out a prepared document, and handed it to Nolan.
At the same time, she parted her soft lips and spoke:
"This is the list of conditions the Shogunate requires Watatsumi Island to agree to. You don't need to worry about the terms that have already been settled.
"The remaining disputed terms are where we need you to step in and mediate."
"Alright, I'll take a look."
Nolan nodded, grabbed a chair, and sat down.
He already had a general idea of the points where the Shogunate and Watatsumi Island had failed to reach an agreement.
This document provided a more detailed breakdown.
The first issue concerned Watatsumi Island's military. The Shogunate wanted the island to completely disarm and allow Shogunate forces to station there for protection.
As soon as Nolan read this condition, he knew there was no way Kokomi would agree to it.
Without military strength, she couldn't guarantee that the Shogunate wouldn't turn on Watatsumi's civilians once they were defenseless.
As the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi, she had to consider every possible scenario.
A deal where her people had no leverage? If Nolan were in her place, he wouldn't agree either. At worst, they could continue the standoff.
Now that the Sakoku Decree was gone and trade routes were open, Watatsumi Island wouldn't face immediate shortages of supplies.
The Shogunate likely understood this as well. They probably proposed such an unreasonable demand just to lower Watatsumi's expectations—making them more willing to accept the other, slightly less extreme conditions.
Nolan moved on to the second unresolved issue: taxation.
Since Watatsumi was officially part of Inazuma, post-negotiation policies needed to be clarified, ensuring both sides' interests were protected.
Watatsumi's leadership understood this as well. If they wanted the benefits of the Shogunate's economic and trade policies, they would naturally need to fulfill their tax obligations.
However, the problem lay in the tax rate.
Watatsumi Island's proposed tax rate was about 5% higher than that of other Inazuman cities.
This was completely unreasonable.
Watatsumi had already suffered severe economic damage due to the war. Imposing higher taxes on them was akin to rubbing salt into a fresh wound.
So, Watatsumi rejected the condition and instead demanded five to six years of tax exemption to allow for recovery.
Logically speaking, the Shogunate could have simply applied the same tax rate as elsewhere in Inazuma. If they were feeling generous, they could even grant a one- or two-year exemption.
But increasing the tax burden? That was over the line.
It would only make life harder for Watatsumi's people.
Again, this seemed like another psychological tactic—proposing an extreme demand just to make Watatsumi more likely to accept a less excessive compromise.
The final major issue was governance.
The Shogunate still wanted a hand in Watatsumi's internal affairs, which explained why negotiations had dragged on for so long without resolution.
Nolan sighed. "Miss Sara, don't you think these conditions are too harsh? There's no way they'll agree to this under normal circumstances."
He was starting to feel troubled—how was he supposed to present these terms to Kokomi?
"Of course, I understand this." Kujou Sara scoffed lightly before continuing:
"If we didn't make a show of strength first, who knows what kind of outrageous demands they might have made?"
Then, she added:
"According to the General, that strategist, Sangonomiya Kokomi, is a rare talent.
"Watatsumi can have autonomy, but not complete independence.
"They can get tax exemptions, but not for too long."
After hearing Kujou Sara's words, Nolan finally grasped what the General was aiming for.
So, Watatsumi Island can govern itself, but under the supervision of the Shogunate? Hmm, that sounds reasonable.
"If that's the case, I should talk to Kokomi and see what she thinks."
Nolan rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a moment.
"Before the formal negotiations begin, you should go and speak with her now."
Kujou Sara crossed her arms below her chest and provided Nolan with the location of the Watatsumi Army's temporary camp in Tatarasuna.
"Leave it to me. I'll do my best."
Nolan nodded lightly.
"Alright, then I'll be counting on you," Kujou Sara expressed her gratitude.
[Kujou Sara Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You. Obtained 300 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (60/400)]
Nolan stepped out of the Shogunate army's camp and turned toward the Watatsumi Army's encampment.
This time, he decided against flying and instead opted to use his spatial traversal ability, a power derived from the divine skill "Lumine's Authority."
After "Lumine's Sword God" reached the divine domain level, it granted him abilities akin to those of a god.
Previously, the skill's spatial traversal feature could only be activated by summoning a golden sword-intent avatar resembling Lumine, who would then slash out sword energy to trigger the effect.
But now, Nolan could activate it effortlessly without summoning the avatar, and it no longer required an attack to function.
He could apply the ability to himself or his sword-intent avatars, allowing for silent, shadowless teleportation.
Additionally, the "Thousand Shadows" trait, now enhanced by his divine-level swordsmanship, enabled him to summon more than just one golden sword-intent avatar.
As long as he had enough energy to sustain them, he could summon up to a thousand at once!
However, if he wanted to maintain their presence for extended periods, the current limit was nine. Using them to explore the Beast Realm would significantly improve efficiency.
For short bursts of attack power, he could summon up to ninety-nine "Lumine Sword Gods" within half a minute.
And then there was "Sharp Intent," an ability that could pierce through any defense. Now, it could even be applied to his fists.
With a faint smile, Nolan suppressed his urge to further experiment with the various applications of "Lumine's Authority."
For now, he focused on using its spatial traversal feature to head toward Watatsumi Island and complete his current task.
Taking a step forward, he vanished soundlessly into the void, much like the moment when the "Lumine Sword God" unleashed its sword energy in an attack.
When he reappeared, it was as if he had instantly crossed several kilometers, emerging silently in a new location.
A second step. The same effect.
By the third step, he had already arrived in front of the Watatsumi Army's encampment.
"Who goes there?!"
The guards standing watch were startled to see someone suddenly appear out of thin air, despite their well-trained composure.
Just as Nolan was about to explain, one of the soldiers seemed to recognize him and exclaimed,
"Wait, isn't this the 'Honorary General' that Lady Sangonomiya mentioned in the official announcements? I remember he played a huge role in abolishing the Shogunate's oppressive policies!"
"Yeah, that's right! If it's him, then appearing out of nowhere isn't strange at all."
Another soldier nodded in agreement.
Before long, the rest of the guards also recognized Nolan, allowing him to breathe a slight sigh of relief—at least he wouldn't have to spend time explaining himself.
With a smile, Nolan said,
"Hello, everyone. I'm here to see Lady Kokomi. Could someone inform her of my arrival?"
"Understood, Honorary General!"
The first soldier who had recognized him immediately took the initiative, turning toward the camp to report to Sangonomiya Kokomi.
Moments later, Kokomi emerged from the camp, following behind the soldier. Her long, coral-colored hair cascaded down her back, and her legs were wrapped in white over-the-knee stockings.
Beside her was none other than General Gorou, the ever-victorious warrior.
"Oh, it's you! What brings you all the way here?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi's boots pressed into the sandy ground, leaving shallow footprints as she walked up to Nolan with a smile.
"I was invited by the Shogunate to mediate peace talks. Why don't we go inside to discuss it?"
Since there was nothing particularly confidential about it, Nolan briefly explained the situation.
"Oh?" Kokomi folded her arms and gazed at him with deep blue eyes, reminiscent of the vast ocean. A hint of surprise flickered across her expression before she nodded lightly. "Alright, come with me."
With that, Nolan followed Kokomi and Gorou into a room within the camp, which appeared to be a meeting hall.
The room was filled with chairs and tables, and sunlight streamed through the windows, making the space feel bright and open.
"Honorary General, have you brought any news from the Shogunate?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi motioned for Nolan to take a seat while curiously inquiring about his visit.
"Well..."
Nolan saw no reason to hide anything from Kokomi and directly relayed the conditions proposed by the Shogunate.
Upon hearing his words, Kokomi's fair face showed a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Hmph, for generations, Watatsumi Island has always been governed by the Divine Priestess as its highest leader. What right do they have to place us under their supervision?"
"Lady Sangonomiya is right! Not everyone in the Shogunate even supports the peace talks. If they oversee us, they might just use it as an excuse to make things difficult for us!"
Gorou was equally distrustful of the Shogunate's intentions.
"What do you think would be the best course of action, Kokomi?"
Nolan had been asked to mediate because of his relationship with Kokomi. He wasn't an expert negotiator, so instead of playing mind games, he simply asked for her opinion directly.
"The people of Watatsumi Island naturally hope for full autonomy, free from any outside interference. All we want is to conduct normal trade with the other cities of Inazuma.
"Of course, we will also uphold our duty to protect Inazuma. After all, Watatsumi Island is part of the nation as well."
Sangonomiya Kokomi laid out her thoughts clearly.
In simpler terms, she wanted things to return to how they were before—the island would continue developing independently, with the Shogunate having no right to interfere. However, they would still pay taxes and fulfill their duty to safeguard Inazuma.
At the same time, if Watatsumi Island was expected to uphold its obligations, the Shogunate should also implement policies that facilitate commercial and cultural exchanges with the island.
Nolan considered Kokomi's proposal and found it reasonable. If an ideal solution wasn't possible at the moment, maintaining the status quo would be a fair alternative.
"It's clear that the Shogunate sending you here shows some sincerity in negotiating. If they can agree to our conditions, we can make a concession on taxes.
"We propose a two-year tax exemption to allow Watatsumi Island to recover, with normal taxation resuming in the third year. How about that?"
It seemed that Kokomi had already thought of this condition beforehand and took this opportunity to bring it up.
"Hmm... I think that sounds fair, but I'll need to check with Kujou Sara first. She's the one handling this matter in its entirety."
Nolan nodded. He wasn't in a position to make a final decision, so he had to report back to Kujou Sara.
If she was also willing to compromise, then both sides would be making concessions, and a consensus could be reached.
"Alright, Honorary General. Then I'll leave this matter in your hands."
Sangonomiya Kokomi smiled warmly.
She noted that despite being sent by the Shogunate, Nolan wasn't blindly siding with them. Instead, he had considered the interests of Watatsumi Island as well, which made her regard him a little more favorably.
It seemed that their "Honorary General" truly had Watatsumi Island's well-being at heart.
[Sangonomiya Kokomi Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You. Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.6 (280/600)]
Nolan glanced at the affection notification and felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
It turned out that this so-called role of mediating conflicts was really just a glorified "messenger" job, but it wasn't too bad after all.
(End of Chapter)
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