The negotiations between the two became heated as Noslin attempted to preserve the terms she wanted everyone to be under. But Midas picked apart everything that she tried. Forcing her to agree to more beneficial terms for Ragnarok than the others had received. However, with things like how the loot would be distributed during joint exploration and raids, the other pantheons got to benefit from Midas' agreements as well.
They went through terms like information networking, who would explore in specific directions, and many other issues. By the time Midas was done, Noslin's eyebrow was visibly twitching as she tried to maintain her cool and trustworthy expression.
"There's just one last thing we haven't discussed..." Midas grinned as Noslin shot him a cold look. "I'm assuming that everyone here voted for you to be the lead commander of the alliance due to your rank or level? Correct?"
Noslin nodded slowly as a frown appeared on her face. She could already tell that she was losing the confidence of the other leaders with everything Midas had brought up.
"Well... That's not really going to work now, is it? After all, Exile himself is a Tier 1 as well." Midas grinned as he prepared to go for the throat.
"You want to take my position as well? Who do you think you are!" Noslin growled as her hands trembled.
"Of course not! I'm just saying there's a better method for organising the alliance now since we have two powerhouses." Midas quickly gauged the reactions of the other leaders and nodded. "How about we split the alliance in half? Each part is under a different Tier 1. The same would go for joint operations. It's basically just like having two generals in the same army. We're still working together under all these terms. But it saves you from shouldering the burden alone."
Noslin was taken aback, but she could already hear the other leaders discussing it. 'Damn it! This was what he was after from the get-go!' Midas had systematically gone after everything she had set up so far. Finding ways to fairly disperse her accumulated power in the alliance. 'If I get the chance after this war is over, I have to kill this man!'
"Noslin, this is a good idea. We'll get more done if we split the command in two. You'll be able to participate in the fighting more if you don't have to worry about everyone." Beartooth advised from the side, which was backed up by the other leaders.
Noslin ground her teeth as she glanced around. She knew that she had been defeated in this battle of minds with Midas. "Fine... But you'll decide among yourselves who goes with Exile and who stays with me. Remember to limit it to half of our forces on each team..."
Midas nodded as Noslin let out a long sigh. 'Finally! I practically used all my DP to see through her tricks!'
With a weary expression, Midas turned to look at Exile, who wore a smug smile on his face. "You've heard the terms. Do you agree with everything?"
"Sure, you've done a fine job, Midas." Exile clapped him on the shoulder as he moved forward. "Now that our terms are in place, tell me about this plan."
Noslin glared at him but quickly regained her cool. "We've already agreed on the first part of the plan. When I'm done explaining that you might understand the whole picture."
"Some time ago, we discovered a device that seems to be used for transportation. We know that it's linked to many places, but we need to go to each one to link them to the network somehow. This will be our key for getting our Pantheons outside of Valheim without being targeted by the red players or mobs waiting outside the city."
'The Autosphere?' Exile frowned as he listened to that. 'So it was Noslin's team that activated the one in the city... But they don't know we've taken care of the first station underground.'
"After asking around, we discovered that Jarxos here had a Quest for us to retrieve something belonging to an old goddess called Allevia. Naturally, we think the two are linked. It's likely we'll receive a powerful legacy item while also increasing our mobility if we can complete these tasks."
"Our goal is to get the necessary infrastructure in place to win this war before we engage in any major battles. We have to be faster than our enemies, we have to be better prepared."
Exile nodded as he understood. 'The Autosphere network would be the key to us winning. We'll be able to get reinforcements out to other places faster than our enemies. But... They have no idea that these stations aren't in safe locations.' Exile frowned, as he had a clearer understanding of the situation than those present. 'Then there's the legacy item. I'm certain it's another piece of the First Flame, so I have to obtain it.'
'By the sounds of it, they're after other items like my Raider's Horn...' Clay thought as he absentmindedly checked to make sure it was still on his belt. 'It has amazing effects, but if there are other items, then it would certainly go a long way to helping us close the gap in overall power...'
"Ok... it seems like Ragnarok can already contribute to this part of the plan..." Exile grinned as a look of shock appeared on the faces of the other leaders. "However, we need something from the alliance in return."
Noslin frowned as she wondered how Ragnarok could contribute already despite just finding out about these issues. "What do you need?"
"You see, we're rather short on gold... and my people need better equipment for what we'll face. I'm assuming that you guys have likely found other stores." Exile grinned savagely as he noticed two or three of the leaders shift around nervously. "There have to be dedicated blacksmith stores or something in this city. I highly doubt Jarxos owns the only place that sells these things..."
Clay and Midas frowned as they listened to Exile. They had no clue where he was going with this. At first, he seemed to want gold, but then he mentioned stores? What was up with that?
"I see... You want the location of these stores and the means to buy equipment for your Pantheon. That's a big ask already. Is what you have really worth it?" Noslin narrowed her eyes as she studied him. But Exile smirked in response.
"How about everyone takes a vote whether to give us the funds and information after you hear this. I know the exact location of the two things you're looking for. Of course, we came across these before joining the alliance. So you'll have to pay for this information. Plus, helping us to arm ourselves will help in obtaining them. Because... we'll need everyone, we have to succeed..."
The tone that Exile used sent shivers down the other leaders' spines. They could tell that he was warning them that what they were after was going to come at a cost. Noslin frowned at Exile's claims. She could not argue about this matter because as Exile had said, they had gained this knowledge outwith the alliance.
"Let us take a vote, then. This information will save us a lot of time and probably reduce the casualties that we would have suffered in finding it ourselves." Noslin stated solemnly in a way that made sure the other leaders understood how important this was.
Naturally, the vote was a resounding success for Exile, who nodded happily as he received the location of a smithy and general store. Surprisingly, the other leaders thought the information he held was also worth a total of 500 gold. 'The result was better than expected. They've already been pooling their resources.'
"Now, hold up your end of the deal..." Noslin frowned as she handed over the gold.
"What you're looking for is in ruins underground in the blizzard region outside of Valheim. Deep underground. An army of mobs guards the ruins, but we discovered it before the council meeting..." Exile paused as the other leaders gasped. They already understood what he was meaning to say. The location was likely far more dangerous than even he knew now.
"Hm... This is troubling news." Noslin stroked her chin as she glanced around. "It will be difficult to mobilise everyone to go out there without drawing attention."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that..." Exile grinned savagely as he prepared to reveal his con. "We've already connected the Autosphere station to Valheim. We can use it to directly reach the ruins..."
The other leaders revealed looks of shock on their faces when they heard this. In other words, they had just paid 500 gold to learn about something they could already use!
"Think of this as the alliance rewarding us for completing a dangerous task without you guys having to risk anything." Exile smirked before any complaints could be made. "But it will take all of us to safely explore those ruins..."