And she just said that it was her own oversight. Indeed, the Dragon Kingdom suddenly hiring so many Undead laborers was the Female Devil's doing. This Female Devil even thoughtfully sent them Undead Archmages. This time, the Female Devil had let slip, so she had been pretending to be clueless all this time, hadn't she?
So this fellow had known all along that the Empire and the Dragon Kingdom would have such problems, which is why she came! So her purpose in coming here was this from the start! She wanted to force Undead mages on the Empire… As for the teachers, that was just an excuse, wasn't it! Otherwise, she wouldn't have rejected them even when offered for free.
Although he understood her purpose, for the Empire, this move was indeed a bit vicious. It targeted the Empire's current weakness, seemingly sending a timely "antidote," but this "antidote" was also poison. One must know that allowing Undead to control the entire Empire's medical system meant almost directly controlling the Empire's populace.
Just like the Dragon Kingdom now, which hired so many Undead laborers to start reclaiming land and even arranged them in the Dragon Kingdom's vital mining cities. Although on the surface, the relationship between the Dragon Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom was an alliance, in reality, it was no different from the Empire's status as a vassal state.
This was also the result of the Female Devil Elizabeth targeting the Dragon Kingdom's weakness of manpower shortage due to its long-term conflict with the Beast Kingdom, wasn't it! Is this Female Devil now planning to use the same trick to deal with the Empire?
"The Dragon Kingdom, ah… The Dragon Kingdom must have better teachers than the Empire. In that case, Your Royal Highness Elizabeth, please take care. It's a pity I couldn't help you." Jilniv said. If that's the case, then I won't let you have your way this time! Elizabeth!
Huh? She didn't fall for it? Ellie was stunned now. Of course… as a professional actress, Ellie remained expressionless, though she was already a little flustered inside. This time, the Blood Emperor actually didn't fall for it? This was impossible, it made no sense!
"Hmm, then I'll be going. There's nothing to be done, Arshe." Ellie said, looking at Arshe. Ellie was indeed at a loss now. She hadn't expected the Blood Emperor not to fall for it this time, but instead to approach the problem with normal thinking. This was bad.
"But wasn't it just…" Arshe also grew anxious. Hadn't His Majesty Blood Emperor Jilniv just said he would give them away for free? How could they return empty-handed all of a sudden? This wasn't right!
"Arshe, the most expensive thing in the world is something free. If we accept the teachers Emperor Brother gives us for free, it would indeed alleviate our severe teacher shortage. However, I currently represent my country, the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom, in a conversation with Jilniv, the Emperor of the Bahaus Empire. If, from a national standpoint, we accept Emperor Brother's kindness, then the Magic Kingdom will incur a debt called 'favor,' and that debt is very difficult to repay." Ellie spoke her thoughts openly in front of the Blood Emperor.
"I understand." Arshe nodded, half-understanding.
"Then, Emperor Brother, I've bothered you enough. I'll take my leave now." Ellie was truly planning to give up on tricking the Blood Emperor and would just have to go trick the Dragon Queen instead.
"Ah! So Your Royal Highness Elizabeth was worried about that! That was indeed my oversight. Your Royal Highness Elizabeth, I have a proposal." Jilniv called out to Ellie once again.
Who said this Female Devil didn't understand politics! Uh… it seemed he himself had said that, Jilniv thought. To consider issues from a national standpoint, and not make mistakes in taking advantage, and even utter such a profound truth as 'free is the most expensive'—this Female Devil might be even better at politics than he was!
"Hmm?" Elizabeth was genuinely a little curious now. Given the situation, what else did the Blood Emperor want to do?
"The reason I hesitated to name a price earlier was that I was afraid a price too high would affect our relationship, and a price too low, as Your Royal Highness Elizabeth said, would cause the Magic Kingdom to incur a debt of favor. So I hesitated." Jilniv said.
"And then?" Ellie had no idea what the Blood Emperor was still trying to do.
"How about this? Regarding your proposal just now to exchange fifty Undead Archmages for ten teachers, could we reduce the number to twenty-five, and then our Empire could also participate in the management of these Undead Archmages?" Jilniv said.
Reducing the number by half and allowing the Empire to also have a hand in managing these Undead Archmages would solve the problem.
The reason he feared Elizabeth placing Undead Archmages within the Empire was precisely this point: these disobedient Undead Archmages might do something untoward to his people, and before long, the people who originally worshipped the four great gods might all start worshipping Ainz Ooal Gown. That would truly be the end.
"Eh??" Elizabeth's eyes widened, looking at Jilniv with an incredibly bewildered expression.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Is the number still too high? Then, would fifteen for ten work?" Jilniv continued to lower his stakes.
Though he found Elizabeth's very surprised expression a bit strange. Was she surprised that he had seen through her scheme?
"Um… I'm not complaining about the number or anything, it's just…" Elizabeth looked at Jilniv with a confused expression, paused, and then uttered a sentence that almost made Jilniv collapse.
"It's just, shouldn't the management rights naturally belong to your Empire? Does Emperor Brother mean that our Magic Kingdom still needs to coordinate in the management?" Elizabeth asked, looking at Jilniv with great incomprehension.
"Wh-What!! What did you say!!" Jilniv lost control of his emotions for a moment and shouted loudly.
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