"Impossible!"
Marius's thunderous voice could be heard by the villagers and soldiers outside the house, startling everyone.
The Kingdom's knights, in particular, stomped their feet in anxiety.
It was their first time seeing the usually refined and elegant Prince so emotional. Yet, they dared not barge in—Roy, inside that room, possessed absolute power!
How could Marius not be emotional?
The conditions Roy proposed were tantamount to slapping the Kingdom across the face, dancing repeatedly on their bottom line, and then finishing with a lightning-fast five-whip combo...
Autonomous regions weren't unheard of in the Kingdom.
But exemption from Kingdom laws, taxes, and labor was simply too excessive—it would be a state within a state!
The most outrageous part was the last condition.
It was unacceptable. God Ares becoming a subordinate god to Goddess Astrea? Was this a joke? That would mean handing over the entire Kingdom of Rakia! Suddenly, they would have a Grand Empress Dowager looming over their heads!
"Justice Bud, the Kingdom can compensate you ten million Valis, but we will never agree to those two conditions!" Marius glared at Roy furiously.
Roy wasn't surprised by Marius's reaction at all. He smiled. "Prince, it seems you haven't grasped the situation yet. With my strength, do you think it would be difficult for me to install a new ruler for the Kingdom?"
To be honest, it wouldn't be difficult at all.
Even if Ares and Marius hadn't come to this small village, Roy and Ryu could have entered the capital and taken the enemy general's head amidst an army of thousands.
"Picking a puppet from among the subordinate gods under God Ares... that sounds like a nice idea," Roy said, his tone carrying a dangerous edge.
Marius's face turned ugly. So terrifying!
It felt like he was facing an enemy with X-ray vision and mind-reading abilities; the other side knew everything like the back of his hand.
Ares's stupidity and perpetual warmongering couldn't come without cost.
There were countless factions within the Kingdom of Rakia.
Usually, they were suppressed because Ares controlled all high-level warriors through sheer force.
But the Astrea Familia was even stronger. They had the power to destroy Ares's iron-fisted rule, install a new puppet, and take control of the Kingdom of Rakia.
Tied to the pillar, Ares panicked. He struggled constantly, making muffled "Mmph! Mmph!" noises.
Marius, however, maintained sufficient composure. A cold sneer curled his lips. "Justice Bud, then do it. What are you waiting for?!"
As his voice fell, the room plunged into silence, every corner filled with a murderous atmosphere.
Roy stopped smiling and stared at Marius.
The latter met Roy's gaze without fear.
After a long while, Roy sighed. "Prince Marius, you're so smart... I really can't bear to kill you!"
"Heh!"
Marius sneered.
Roy's threat sounded terrifying.
But toppling a nation wasn't that easy. Who could guarantee there wouldn't be any accidents along the way?
Would Marius's remnants scattered across the country or the subordinate gods have other ideas? What about the reactions of neighboring countries? Most importantly, the territory of Rakia was too vast.
If Roy were willing to become the King of Rakia himself, none of this would be a problem. Within ten or so years, he could restore the nation to its peak.
But he wasn't willing to do that.
How could the power of a mundane nation compare to supernatural strength and the longevity granted by Falna?
Marius had seen through this exactly.
Replacing the ruler was Roy's absolute last resort—a terrible option among terrible options.
Governing a country was a massive waste of time; the situation with the Soma Familia had given Roy a deep understanding of that.
Once he took over this mess, he would definitely end up running around the Kingdom like a firefighter, suppressing rebellions, developing the economy, dealing with natural and man-made disasters... Amidst all that chaos, what would happen to the village?
Unless he became a full-time babysitter, Marius's remnants would slaughter this small village in minutes.
Marius's tone softened. "Justice Bud, stop testing the waters. State your real conditions, and the Kingdom will consider them accordingly!"
Having seen through Roy's probe, Marius didn't get cocky. As a prisoner, he had no right to be arrogant.
Roy rested his hands on the table, propping up his chin. "The conditions remain the same as before. The village becoming an autonomous region is non-negotiable. As for God Ares becoming a subordinate god to Goddess Astrea... we don't have to announce it publicly. We can sign a private agreement..."
Marius frowned deeply. It seemed the other side was adamant and refused to budge. What should he do?
"Prince, don't be hasty!"
Roy smiled. "In exchange, I will hand Welf Crozzo over to you!"
Welf Crozzo!
Hearing this, Marius almost thought he had misheard. Why would he hear that name from Roy's mouth? Then, his eyes widened to their limit.
"Justice Bud, do you know where he is?" Marius stood up abruptly.
"Mmph! Mmph!" Ares, tied to the load-bearing pillar, had eyes shining with light as he struggled frantically.
"Mmhmm."
Roy's smile deepened as he nodded gently.
As mentioned before, the ancestor of the Crozzo clan had saved a Spirit, thereby gaining Spirit blood. This allowed them to forge "Crozzo Magic Swords"—far more powerful than ordinary magic swords. Their power was comparable to the super-long chant attack magic of high-level adventurers, and they were instant-cast.
The descendants inherited the Spirit bloodline.
Later, the Crozzo family manufactured a large number of magic swords for the Kingdom of Rakia, earning the title of "Magic Sword Nobility."
However, the magic swords destroyed the homes of many Elves and Spirits during wars, inviting the hatred of Elves. Eventually, they were cursed by Spirits, rendering the family unable to create magic swords anymore.
The only exception was Welf Crozzo!
On his tenth birthday, Welf Crozzo received the "Falna" and manifested a Skill called "Crozzo Blood," allowing him to forge Crozzo Magic Swords!
Afterward, he was forced by all his relatives to produce magic swords endlessly. Welf felt immense grief and indignation, eventually severing ties with his family and fleeing the Kingdom of Rakia.
Letting Welf Crozzo escape was an unspeakable pain in the hearts of Rakia's higher-ups. They had even sent the goddess who helped him escape back to Tenkai for it.
Welf Crozzo was a strategic existence!
As long as they obtained Welf Crozzo, they could once again acquire powerful Crozzo Magic Swords, continue their conquests, and plunder resources from other nations.
Roy knew very well how much importance the Kingdom of Rakia placed on Welf Crozzo.
In the original timeline, to get Welf Crozzo, the Kingdom even mobilized an army of thirty thousand to forcefully attack Orario. They also secretly sent several squads to contact Welf, using threats, bribes, and appeals to family sentiment—doing whatever it took to abduct him back.
This was Roy's true trump card.
Marius's eyes flickered. If they could get Welf Crozzo, Roy's conditions might not be unacceptable—even the last one, about Ares becoming a subordinate god to Astrea.
As long as the relationship wasn't made public.
He already knew what Roy intended to do!
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Danmachi : Starting with an Elf (444 Chapter – Ongoing)
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