Soon enough the Hidden Powers reached the Throne room.
Vitae, who was at the head of the pack and stopped when he reached the center of the Throne Room before turning to face the people who had followed him.
"You find yourselves in the presence of the King of Vita Capital City! A thousand blessings upon you for witnessing such grandeur during your dreary lifetimes!"
Vitae's words were as piercing as before, but the Hidden Powers continued to endure. An Aether lifeform was a new thing to them, since Aetheric Energy itself was so precious and rare.
His loose tongue only increased their wish to personally capture the fellow and either dissect or use him up for their own purposes... but things hadn't reached that stage yet.
At this time, their eyes fell onto Draco, Riveting Night and Hikari. The majority of them had already seen Draco when he had first created the Dragon's Blessing potion back at the Tradeskill Association's building.
However, they were still unaware that what he created back then had anything to do with Dragons. Otherwise, they would have directly gone mad and done everything to seize the items.
The other powerhouses who had never seen Draco were influenced by his high State of Being and were very slightly suppressed. The golden aura surrounding Draco, coupled with his lax and arrogant pose, also made them feel a little stifled.
Many noticed Hikari's beauty and their eyes sparkled. She was simply something straight out of a portrait, not the kind of beauty to exist in reality at all.
Her State of Being was just as high as Draco, which was surprising. Since Dragons had long been exterminated before this era, none of the Hidden Powers could recognize this State of Being for what it truly was, except that it was strangely high.
Then, they gazed at Riveting Night. Her State of Being was much lower than the other two, but it was far above a common human.
Riveting Night hadn't achieved bloodline compatibility like Draco, so she wasn't able to enjoy the full amount of benefits her Amaterasu Lineage should grant her as she lacked the system's recognition.
However, that would soon be sorted out. For now though, Riveting Night seemed the least impressive of the three, yet all of the Hidden Powers couldn't help but feel a tingle of worry.
That was because her ever dark hood couldn't be seen into, even with their power and various ocular skills. It was like trying to peek into the abyss.
While they were observing the three, they, in turn, were also being observed by Draco and company. Hikari was greatly unimpressed. None of them were stronger than her family members had been, but how could that have been possible?
Her parents were God-Rank Dragons and her siblings had either been God-Ranked or Semi-God Ranked. If any of them could've come close in terms of strength to Dragons, they would've been Gods and receded into heaven.
How could the mortal races of this era possibly hope to match up to that? If they were so good, they wouldn't have 60% of their population culled after every Great War.
As for Riveting Night, she was a lot more aware of the details. Therefore, she knew about skills such as Omega, as well as the effects of Destruction Energy. These Hidden Powers were in for a rough time.
However, the problem was that Draco was one person while they were many. Their numbers almost reached 300, spread across the various races, with humankind having the most.
Omega was a great skill, but the limitations placed on it were annoying.
As such, Riveting Night settled down and waited to see how Draco would deal with them, though she had an idea of what he would do. At the same time, she resolved to find some time to do something crazy enough to get herself a Divine item as well.
After all, they both shared about the same knowledge, so whatever Draco could do, she could do too. That was why Draco treasured her semi-reincarnation greatly. She took 50% of the burden off his shoulders if not more.
Suddenly, Draco laughed.
"Hahaha, this King is truly too blessed to have all you great personages visit me on such an auspicious day! I have just finished sacrificing so much to upgrade my Settlement straight into a City-State!"
Draco's laughter slowly came to an end as he smiled lightly at the various Hidden Powers before him. "To see you all come at such a perfect time, it surely must be to congratulate me, right? People of your stature wouldn't come to steal food from the mouth of a junior after all."
The eyes of the various Hidden Powers sharpened as they gazed at Draco. It seemed that they had underestimated the fellow. With just his introductory words, he had placed his claim on the moral high ground.
So, he wanted to play this game?
Who amongst those present had not lived for at least 10x Draco's age? They had all encountered people like him dozens of times on their way to the top.
Most of the Hidden Powers kept quiet, but they smiled thinly. They perfectly knew where their own strengths lay and who among them had the sharpest or smoothest tongues.
All unanimously agreed to let those be the first to speak.
True to that, one of the neutral races took a step forward. It was a member of the High Elf race, a Rank 7 Mage God called Philomena. She was the typical gorgeous elven woman with an outstandingly sculptured face and a body that screamed 'willowy beauty'.
With a tiara on her head, she certainly seemed noble and her words also suggested as such.
"It might be a bit presumptuous, but I hope to speak to His Majesty Draco on behalf of my colleagues gathered here. Does anyone have any objections to it?"
The various Hidden Powers smirked as they gave their assent. When it came to matters of law, diplomacy, and government, High Elves were unmatched.
"Thank you all for this chance."
"Firstly, allow me to congratulate His Majesty on his successful upgrade of the Vita Settlement to a City State. Your hard work and suffering have been rewarded and you have been able to acquire a marvel of the modern-day."
"This is a direct indicator of your personal and general importance, as well as your immense talent."
"Ever since Immortal Adventurers came to this world, you, in particular, have astounded us time and time again with your growth, wisdom as well as prowess. We all have placed great hopes in you to lead your people in the future defense against the scourge that are the Demons."
"Secondly, I would like to say that the benefits the Vita Capital City have presented to your Immortal Adventurer Guild, Umbra, are truly amazing and astounding."
"Putting aside the benefits to crafters, some of the other benefits are tailored to us natives of the world like the increased lifespan, the resistance to diseases and the population growth."
Philomena smiled gently as she stated this, her light blue eyes reflecting respect and genuine emotions. Whether or not that was truly what she felt, this was what she displayed externally.
Draco was surprised by the angle they chose to attack from. He had expected them to attack from the 'benefit to us all' angle, where they would spout crap about how the benefits of Vita shouldn't be hogged, but rather shared for the benefit of all.
Therefore, if Draco refused, he would have been regarded as a selfish infidel who stood in the way of society's progress denying to help the needy. As such, he would be placed on the moral low ground and these powers might band together to use some forceful means to pressure him.
However, they had used the 'it has no use to you, but a lot to us' angle, which wasn't attacking from a moral standpoint... no.
Philomena had attacked from a standpoint of logic, which was much more effective and universal compared to something subjective as morals.
She even continued after a short pause: "Immortal Adventurers do not seem to possess the ability to reproduce, so the population growth benefit has little use to you. We, however, have difficulties having offspring when cross-breeding, which limits the futures of our races."
"Aside from that, you Immortal Adventurers are unable to die permanently and can seemingly live forever, so a doubled lifespan means very little to you. We, however, have limited lives, which could be used greatly if it was doubled."
"Finally, the resistance to critical diseases is absolutely necessary for us. Immortal Adventurers recover from all ailments over time, even the most potent poisons. Assuming that something is incurable and the Immortal Adventurer dies, they will just come to life as healthy as a newborn babe."
Philomena paused to lowered her head to Draco slightly, putting herself in a lower position.
"What does His Majesty think so far?"
Draco was neutral on the outside, but inwardly he was frowning heavily.
'I have underestimated them…'
He, like everyone, assumed those in power like Rank 7 entities would use typical methods associated with powerhouses, which was bullshit logic, self-serving morals, and oppressive force.
However, while that was partially true as some in the crowd of the Hidden Powers were unhappy with this approach, not every powerhouse was a 12-year-old child that saw life through the lens of their ego.
Some were incredibly astute and knew how to handle social battles like this. They had firm heads atop their shoulders, and were usually extremely successful in everything they did.
Even Riveting Night was gripping her throne's armrest tightly. She was also quite stunned by this approach. The Hidden Powers they usually had interacted with were the type they expected to speak today, but Philomena was a like a surprise hidden trump card.
Since everyone awaited Draco's interim reply, he gave it in the form of: "Interesting. The points Lady Philomena raises are valid. Please continue."
Draco wanted to see their compensation first. They had already put forth their reasoning and position, so now it was left to see their offer.
Even if all they claimed might technically be true, someone of their caliber should understand that anyone in power would not be a kind-hearted Samaritan who would gladly give away all of his hard-earned benefits for free.
In truth, he wasn't averse to selling to the Hidden Powers. That was what he had planned to do long before he saw the boons of the Capital City.
Why else would he have announced the first auction of the Rank 7 Shop?
In the first place he had planned to auction land in his Capital City and make a lot of money from it... or more likely claim the hoarded benefits of those rich tycoons like rare techniques, skills, weapons or materials.
Draco and Riveting Night both knew that building on an Aether Mine would yield great benefits, but they had underestimated how great it would be.
Any single one of the boons were to die for, yet all of them were now acc.u.mulated in one place.
If it weren't for Draco knowing so much about the world, like the implications of the population growth boost, these Hidden Powers wouldn't have needed to come here. He himself would have gone to fetch them to come and look.
However, it was the single boon, the 500% natural population growth, that changed his mind. He knew he could create a Divine Empire that would be loyal to the crown, since only those of his guild would be allowed to create clans.
He wouldn't have foreign elements mixed in that would seek their own benefits and betray them at an opportune moment. After all, Draco wouldn't stay in this realm forever.
He would eventually leave with Riveting Night, Hikari, Roma and his other important people to other sections of Boundless. If they left and other elements used that chance to pressure their descendants who couldn't follow along, wouldn't that just be pure foolishness?
If he could avoid that, he would. It wasn't like he needed these Hidden Powers for anything.
Why, once Draco reached Rank 5 - at the earliest - or Rank 6 - at the latest - his view would be fixed on the Demons and the Gods, not mere Rank 7's like them.
This was because his foundation was too deep. By the time he reached Rank 5, he might be decked out in all Divine items with Divine skills. How would any mortal race be able to resist him at that time?
But that was for the far future.
For now, he had to deal with these Rank 7 NPCs carefully, as they could cause him a lot of trouble. He personally might be able to ignore them, but he had a guild and a city to think about.
Philomena smiled. "We would like to purchase land in your new city to situate some of our outstanding youths. We would refrain from bringing in all our clan members as that might destabilize the balance of powers in your City State. We can recognize that much."
"Should you be interested, our agreement would be structured as follows; You allow us to purchase standard lots in your City State, whether it be near the center or on the outskirts, which can be decided at a later point in time."
"Each one of us agrees to limit it to 100 people per lot, comprised of our most outstanding juniors. They'll be allowed to reproduce and fill our own respective lots, and the other available spaces can be bought by us. They'll be given nobility of which rank you may choose, in order to secure some status."
"In exchange, we'll provide protection for the Vita Capital City during the Great War and at all other times. We'll also agree to purchase the lands at 150% objective market value in order to show our sincerity."
"What does His Majesty think?"
Philomena smiled brightly as she laid down the conditions, and the other Hidden Powers also chose this moment to exert their auras ever so slightly. It would look like it was a blunder due to their excitement, but any sharp person could see through the veil of bullshit.
However, Riveting Night's arm which had been gripping the armrest suddenly loosened and she seemed to relax. She let out a light breath that wasn't missed by these Hidden Powers, which assured them that they would agree.
Draco, who had been worried all this while, suddenly relaxed and smiled gently. After all, he realized that all his fears had been for nothing!
There was no such thing as a perfect person. Only someone like him, who would look into the minds of others, could maneuver a social battle with ease.
No matter how good Philomena was, she wasn't perfect. She would definitely make a blunder somewhere, and she just did right now. She had been doing so well that Draco was planning to jump to the endgame, but now, everything was set.
Philomena, and all the Hidden Powers, mistook Draco's smile for acquiescence. As such, Philomena bowed and asked: "Would His Majesty like to sign the contract?"
Draco laughed, an action that seemed strange at this time.
"No!"
Draco's laughter stopped as his smile became thin. "There will be no signing of a contract."
Philomena and the Hidden Powers froze. They had expected him to resist, but that should be limited to the exact terms of the contract, not for him to outright reject the whole thing from the get-go.
"What does Lord Draco mean exactly?" Philomena questioned with a frown. She, like all her colleagues, was starting to lose their patience with this cheeky Rank 1 fellow.
Vitae suddenly exerted extreme pressure on the Hidden Powers as he shouted: "Mind your manners! It's His Majesty, NOT Lord Draco!"
Draco smiled and replied. "Think about it. The agreement you proposed offers no tangible benefits to me and only seems to benefit you. Tell me, if you were in my shoes, would you sign such an agreement yourself?"
Draco chose to attack through the same vein as Philomena, which meant refuting her logic. As such, he didn't wait for her to speak, but started his explanation.
"I have no reason to sell my land in the first place when I can instead rent it. This way you will still get to use it, but it becomes more profitable for me. Not only that, in the situation where I am no longer interested in our partnership, I can choose to terminate your residency."
"Secondly, it doesn't matter whether you send 100 or 1,000,000 juniors, the issue is that even a blind man can see that the population will rise through the boons of Vita Capital City. Given enough time, your juniors will grow to outnumber us Immortal Adventurers who cannot reproduce. Do you think the balance will still be kept then?"
"Thirdly, nobility is not something that is given but earned. I earned mine through my feats of greatness. What have your juniors done to deserve such a treatment from me or my people?"
"Fourthly, I do not need protection during the Great War and neither does the Capital City. With the strength of Immortal Adventurers and - as you put it - our undying nature, the Great War to you, means an entirely different thing than to me."
Draco's eyes became sharp as he reached here. "You all run the risk of death should things go wrong, but the worst case for me and my kind amount to nothing but a great inconvenience. As such, the fear of the Great War is non-existent to us."
Draco leaned back into his throne with a smirk. "In fact, we relish it, as it's a chance to grow our power... without the risk of the repercussion you all face."
"Finally, and most importantly, your compensation has no real value to me. If I want money, I have the very first and only Rank 7 Shop in existence able to provide me with endless funds."
"If I want items, well… You should know my circ.u.mstances by now. If I'm able to create so many Epic things at Rank 1, when I reach the higher Ranks, I should be easily able to make Legendary stuff."
Draco shrugged arrogantly. "Who knows, maybe I might even be able to make Divine items in the future."
"However…"
"That forms a problem for you all, as you have nothing to offer me that I want or need in order to trade for something you want and need. Does that sound like a good and fair exchange to you?"
Draco didn't relent and drove the point home. "Even if you had something I want, it's something you cannot give easily and, in enough quantity, to make it worth my while."
"Aether Crystals. The only thing I'll take are Aether Crystals, which can be used to fuel Vita Capital City's development, which - ironically - would benefit your juniors as well."
"So even then, everything remains still in your favor. You definitely do not have enough of this precious resource to trade, so that is why I said there will be no permanent contract."
Draco opened his arms in an 'I can't help it' gesture. "Still, I would love to reach an agreement with you all, but you do not have the necessary compensation to pay me with for this kind of trade."
"If you do have enough Aether Crystals and are willing to change the terms to benefit me as equally as they benefit you, I am willing to trade in a heartbeat. After all, the benefits it could bring you all in the long term are so great that there is no need to elaborate."
Draco then smiled heroically as his pulsing red eyes gazed upon the stunned and unhappy Hidden Powers.
"The ball is now in your court, my noble seniors."