Chapter 352: Plans [3]
"If getting revenge against the Frosts is some goal of yours, even if it’s not the only one... I can be quite helpful in that regard. Surely you would need some assistance while going against a House that is considered close to a major power despite being a duchy in the Veltran Empire."
Close to a major power... Leon had his own way of degrading the Frosts despite them being capable of holding their own against the other major powers.
Still, I could see that Leon... House Black in particular seemed to have taken some deep interest in me, if their heir was openly displaying his interest in fighting against the Frosts.
In case this information was leaked, it could very well result in damaging the relations between the Veltran Empire and the vampires as a whole, as such a statement from one of the four ruling families of vampires was as close to a declaration of war as it could be.
"Join me... be part of my House, and you will have the might of the Blacks behind you."
Silence.
Might of the Blacks... the words resounded in my mind as I thought about the vampires.
Their species was the strongest in the world, having the best physical abilities out there, though in terms of raw physical strength, werewolves weren’t behind either.
And the Blacks were indeed the de facto leaders of the vampires, with only three other houses to share their power with.
Still, even amongst them, House Black could be considered the strongest, though the actual comparison would require knowing all of their hidden cards, which are largely unknown to the public as well as to the fellow houses of the same race.
"Does it mean that your House is prepared to go to war against the Veltran Empire and the Human domain as a whole?"
I had to understand the extent to which Leon had decided to support me—
"We would never initiate the war, but if it comes knocking at our door, then the Blacks wouldn’t budge either."
"..."
"The vampires would reciprocate in kind."
Leon leaned back in his seat while closing his eyes, waiting for my reply.
Things were moving at a fast pace, and the sudden invitation was certainly an unknown variable in my path.
I had different ideas about using the vampires for my goals, but I had never expected a direct offer from their side.
"Why the extreme interest in me, going as far as to jump into a war if the need arises?"
Though I had begun to have hints about it, I wanted to confirm it from Leon’s mouth.
Leon, on his part, slowly opened his eyes before resting his head on the knuckles of his right hand and leaning enough to look in my direction.
"You may already know, but your potential is immense, so recruiting you to our side would be a logical move. As for engaging the Veltran Empire in a war... you are not the only reason for that. Someday or the other, a war between the two of our races was inevitable. Your addition to the scenario just makes it more likely."
Leon laid out the facts without caring for their consequences.
"Don’t you think it’s risky to express your honest opinion before a human, who could very well side with his race, if I decide against joining your House?"
I had to say the Blacks were opportunists, and as for their decision, it was a calculated one, knowing that they would be using me just as I would be using them in return.
"Well... there’s always a risk in everything, but what I had just said wasn’t some confidential information. Every single person in a position of power knows about it."
What Leon was saying might have been the truth, but it was just a smoothly buttered-up version to make me trust him.
In reality, I knew that the war was very far away.
In the original game, it was just before the inter-planetary wars during the alien invasion that the war between the various races had taken place, and even that wasn’t a disastrous one, as Noah had played a huge role in being the mediating factor between all the major powers in the world.
Leon was just trying to use that distant fact to solidify his own narrative, but it wasn’t like I was against it.
Adaptability was more important than anything, and the moment I remained stiff in my approach... it meant that I was already defeated, even before the war could begin.
D.X. had been constantly trying to broaden its presence in the territories of the vampires, so siding with Leon would only help me to speed up the process, and gaining some new pawns along the way was just a bonus for me.
Still—
"What do you expect from me in return?"
I could side with the Blacks, but not at the cost of my freedom.
It wasn’t like I was desperate for their cooperation.
I could very well fight my enemies with the forces of D.X. available at my disposal... forces that grew stronger with each passing day.
Leon didn’t reply immediately, choosing to observe me in calculated silence.
I didn’t pressure the guy, as his reply would decide the terms of our cooperation going forward.
As the topic had been brought up by Leon, I wasn’t going to give up on the opportunity.
Even if the talks failed... there were several other ways in which we could possibly cooperate, and the willingness of the vampires to engage in a war gave me all the more reason to include them on the board.
"There could be several expectations put on you, but knowing your nature, I don’t think you would agree to being subservient to us."
Fair enough.
"Let’s keep it simple. Someday or the other, the Frosts would end up as our enemies, so joining hands with my House for that matter would be beneficial for both of us."
Leon paused at the end before extending his hand towards me.