A/N: What's that? You wanna know what's going on with Kashi? Well too bad! You gotta wait like the residents of Destia a little longer. For now, let us follow the adventures of one of my other favorite characters for three days of political intrigue! 

... or, well, my layman's imagination of political intrigue... Please don't hate me!!! >.<"

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The country, Serisis was a peculiar land, even for a continent filled with dragons and magic. There were some who claimed the country was cursed; others said a god was slain on the land, and its blood destroyed the earth. Others said its current state was as a result of a punishment from the gods for a sin long forgotten. Whatever the reason, despite the country's poverty, no one had bothered trying to conquer it, as opposed to Merriheim which was heavily contested over in the past.

The reason for this peculiarity lay in the soil.

The lands of Serisis could not bear fruit. That's right, not even the most tenacious of weeds could grow on the land. As if to reciprocate for this, the mana density in the region was much thicker than other countries, even slightly higher than the concentration in Jatakem, which was rumored to be blessed by the gods themselves.

Perhaps as a direct consequence to this, the beasts in the land evolved such that they lived off of the abundant mana, only choosing to kill and feed when they felt peckish or their territories were threatened. These beasts which freely roamed the land gained the ability to use magic and were henceforth known as mana beasts.

Over time, some of these beasts migrated to other countries, which led to the spread of mana beasts all over the continent, but everyone knew the birthplace and best location to hunt mana beasts remained the lands of Serisis, which were later nicknamed 'Badlands' by adventurers since there was not a foliage in sight to be found for miles.

The land of Serisis was also famous for one other thing. It was the hypothetical birthplace of Beastmen. There were some who theorized that the mana beasts, after reaching a certain level gained the ability to switch to human form, a theory strongly supported by the Elder Dragons' ability to achieve a human form.

This theory was further strengthened by the density of beast men in this country which easily surpassed that of other countries by over ten times. Furthermore, the number of races that truly possessed intelligence present in this land dwarfed the other countries by at least five times. However, there were very few pure-blooded races of the Chetah and feline classes left. Most of the races belonged to the canine class and a few other races which had beaten the evolution race like the capricious hares, raccoons, and tenacious mouse. Of course, these races preferred to be called Harus (hari), Rakus (raki), and Midus (midi) respectively.

These smaller races were far fewer in number compared to the canine races so they tended to not leave the borders of the country. Oh... yeah, there was also the Lomu (mole) race which lived underground. But you could go two lifetimes without ever encountering one, so they do not really matter.

Without plants, this country of Beastmen and humans were forced to learn how to hunt mana beasts to fill their stomachs. Luckily the density of the mana strengthened those born in the country and hunting low-level mana beasts did not prove too difficult.

However, in order to regulate the number of beasts slain daily to ensure the country of meat eaters did not starve, a system was formed. Commoner families hunted low-level beasts while soldiers and nobles hunted higher level beasts. The lesser numbers of the higher level beasts were offset by their usually larger sizes and more filling portions. This system prevented nobles and soldiers from killing off the lower leveled beasts which the commoners depended on for survival. All in all, it was a sustainable system, one that held even when adventurers from other countries visited to expand their horizons or hunt specific beasts for a quest or reward.

Or at least it should have been....

Nearly a year back now, the Summoned returned to Dreiza, and with them came destruction, especially to Serisis. The Summoned, who followed no code of conduct nor obeyed any rules laid out by countries, obliterated the low-leveled mana beast population to near extinct levels as they rewarded bonus EXP and better materials compared to the normal beasts found in other beginner areas.

The Summoned who at the time, did not stop to think of the consequences of their actions, stopped only when the number of low-level beasts was far too low for them to be farmed profitably. Only then did they return to their various countries to hunt normal beasts.

This swift disaster left only the higher leveled mana beasts which the nobles and soldiers hunted for themselves. The commoners, who couldn't even rely on grain if they wished, demanded the nobles shared the mana beasts hunted with them, while the nobles argued truthfully that even with their superior strength, it took anywhere from ten to hundred people to hunt a single high-leveled mana beast. A feat which could not be repeated on a daily level, hence the meat was barely enough for their families, let alone having enough to feed the populace.

However, starvation clouds judgment and the common people could not agree with the judgment of the nobles and crown. They felt that since the nobles were so strong, they should have enough power to take care of them too. After all, it was the nobles' ineptitude that allowed the Summoned to decimate their only source of survival.

The Crown, in desperation, reached out to the neighboring countries for aid, but there was little the other countries who were in the middle of dealing with the disease called the Summoned could offer in way of assistance. Grains could not be planted, normal animals could survive without plants to feed on, and any food items sent spoiled long before it reached its destination.

The commoners, who had no path of retreat could only rely on these spoilt foodstuffs so that they did not starve to death. But even so, they began to fall ill to the toxins present in the food. As a result, the dichotomy between the commoners and the nobles only grew larger. At a point, small factions began to raid the nobles' storehouses to steal food and there were small signs of rebellion growing in certain areas.

The anti-human factions which did not want a human to rule over a country that was seventy percent beast-men used this opportunity to stoke the flames of rebellion and denounce the king.

King Chu Tianjo, pained by the torn state of his country happily accepted the messenger from Rosendun when he initially arrived as he would have grasped any olive branch handed his way at that moment. However, upon hearing what the messenger had to say, King Tianjo and his ministers were forced to swallow a bellyful of rage in order not to cut down that messenger where he stood.

Still, though, King Chu Tianjo agreed to meet with this daring Rosen King who had the appetite of a dinosaur to dare lay his eyes on his country. He intended to steal the march on the negotiations to find out the Rosen King's intentions, then squeeze as much as he could out of this inexperienced King without actually giving up too much on his end.

Who could have guessed this great and wizened King would come across a formidable foe in the form of Leila Lightwood? Before he had a chance to steer the negotiations, she had kicked him off the wheel and directed the ship to her port.

Gazing at the contents of the chest, he realized this was checkmate!

He had thoroughly and utterly lost before the battle had begun.

From now on, the Serian Court could only play catch-up. No... not even that. They were relegated to damage control. Sweet Mera, where did this child come from? How could she be so wicked, not even giving them a chance to retreat?

The porters in charge of the crates took King Chu's laughter as good a confirmation as any. They pried open the locks in unison, opened the lids, then stepped back to allow the curious public to check the contents for themselves.

A caramel-furred, middle-aged female lycan was the first to bravely step forward to the crates. She curiously peeked into the crate, her eyes immediately widening as she feverishly snatched out a fruit from the crate. She sniffed the fruit, then tentatively licked it, shocked to find it still fresh! It should be known that in this country, even fruits that were on the verge of spoiling would be ridiculously expensive, but here she was faced with entire crates of completely fresh fruits.

Commoners have commoner habits. Without regard for propriety or face, she grabbed one fruit after another and wolfed it down in front of the stunned crowd. A part of her mind wondered why the fruits and crate were slightly chilly, but the other ninety percent was occupied with the rare taste she would probably never have a chance of trying again. She was determined to eat as much as possible before the rest caught on.

It was at this point that a loud scream rang out next to her. She reluctantly raised her head, only for her eyes to nearly bulge out of their sockets when she saw that annoying Chesch whose son entered the army and wouldn't stop bragging about it holding a giant thigh meat in her hand.

Even though there was a slight layer of icy frost on it, the Lycan could smell the aroma coming from that meat. It was still fresh! That was fresh meat!

The Chesch as If realizing her error, swiftly hugged the thigh to her chest, glaring at the other commoners with clear bloodlust. The other commoners, far from intimidated, responded with snarls and bloodshot eyes. Even the humans did not lose out in ferocity to the beast-men. Just when it seemed a riot would erupt a southwest breeze blew from the ocean onto the port, carrying the scents from the other open crates into the commoner's noses.

Disbelief, shock, then unbridled joy warped through their faces, as they charged at the remaining crates, releasing hoots, yelps, howls, and screams of pleasure. The crates did well to sustain the onslaught as all manner of fruits, vegetables and manner of meat were pulled out from the cold crates.

An old midus (mouse-man) who had retired from active service grumbled about the disappointing behavior of youths in this generation as he walked towards the edge of the pier where a smallish crate was located. Curiosity made him open this crate which had been abandoned in favor of the larger crates.

To his surprise, only a few bottles were located in this cold crate. Curious, he lifted one of these bottles and pulled the stopper. In Serisis, it wasn't odd for a commoner to live his/her whole life drinking nothing but water. As he served in the army, he had tasted a few wines, but they were usually one or two cups in like five years. So he was really intrigued by this bottle which contained a drink whose smell he did not recognize.

Although he could not understand why the bottle was cold, he resolutely decided to test this sweet smelling drink. Worst case scenario, he would die. Who cared, he had lived long enough. He steeled his heart, then raised the bottle to his lips. He grimaced as the cool liquid flowed down his throat, but then his eyes went wide with shock.

This taste! This sensation! What was this heavenly feeling!? Sweet Mera, give me more!

The old man bent his neck back and gulped down the entire bottle, eyes shining with unabashed delight. His eyes greedily traveled to the remaining bottles as he smacked his lips. Good stuff! You youngsters fight over the food. This old man here will just... hehe!

"Oi, old man, looks like you found something good!"

Tch!

King Chu Tianjo shook his head as he watched the pier descend into chaos. By revealing these goods here, Leila had already forced the court into a corner! It would not be long before some commoners put two and two together and realize that the real treasure was not the food or drinks but the crates which could somehow preserve these foodstuffs in fresh conditions over a long journey.

Once they did, the commoners would demand more of these crates, no matter what it takes! After all, with these, if a group of low leveled commoners hunted one high leveled beast, they would not have to fear the majority of the meat going to waste. Even more importantly, they could finally trade for fruits and vegetables from neighboring countries without fear of the goods perishing midway.

Negotiations hadn't even begun yet, and the Serian Court had been pushed into a situation where they desperately needed Rosendun. King Chu knew he had to find a way to remedy this situation and fast, hence he bowed. "The Land of Serisis will never forget this!"

This tactic was crude, even more so when you consider Ms. Lightwood just employed a similar tactic of using 'gratitude' to write off debts. But when it came from King Chu, it was a level deeper. He was implying that the crates were already a given, so as to pressure the Rosen Court not to use it too much as a bargaining chip later. This way, if the Rosen Court decided not to give the crates later, rather than blame the Serian court, the people would look harshly on the Rosen Court.

But Ms. Lightwood was already prepared for such an outcome.

The Vice-Guild Master similarly curtsied. "I do not dare accept the gratitude of one as great as thee. These crates are merely a recent development from my Guild's Research Department. I am ashamed to say these are only prototypes which His Majesty insisted should be used for the Serian people. Unfortunately, if we wish to further the research, we would require more funding which His Majesty has promised will be granted after talks with the Serian court. Unfortunately, until then these crates will have to be kept out of the populace as they are still unstable."

King Chu nearly threw up blood as he listened to this little wolf speak, each word a furious gale that shattered any thoughts he might have of salvaging the situation. First, she made sure the 'debts' remained by politely denying his 'gratitude', then she distanced the crates from the Rosendun court, thereby turning it into a private venture. What's worse, she then tied the condition of the populace receiving these crates to the negotiations.

Of course, she never explicitly stated that it depended on the negotiations, only saying that the Rosen King would grant her the funds she required 'after' the peace talks. Like this, she had solidified the stance of the Rosen court of wanting to help the Serian people in the public's hearts. Now if they were to no longer receive these crates after the negotiations, all the blame would fall on the 'greedy' nobles and King who wanted so much that even someone like the Rosen King who wanted to help the common people from the bottom of his heart, was forced to pull away as he did not have enough money to fund the research.

King Chu knew he had thoroughly lost this skirmish. Every time he launched an attack, he was retaliated against thousand times worse. He decided there and then to just give up this initial battle. If anymore was said before the public, he might be forced to sell the entire country for one Syros. With a short burst of laughter that did not reach his eyes, he said, "We thank you for your generosity. I assure you We will to the best of our ability, makes this negotiation a successful one." Without giving Leila a chance to reply, he added, "King Vermillion, We recall your health is not too good. Come let us retire to the palace so you can rest well. My daughter can show you the sights as we advance."

King Chu by this point knew better than to give the little wolf even the slimmest opportunity to use her venomous tongue. With a short clap, he led the way, with King Vermillion and Princess Chu Ming a step behind, then followed by Ms. Lightwood and her Nespian Tiger three steps behind. Bringing up the rear were the ministers and court officials of both nations.

Two open carriages clattered to a halt at the port's entrance. The Serian King waved to his people as he clambered onto the first. King Vermillion gracefully offered Princess Chu Ming his hand as he assisted her up the small stairs onto the carriage, himself following shortly after.

Ms. Lightwood, who could clearly see through the Serian King's intentions climbed the third carriage with Hogosha. Incidentally, this carriage was covered, such that unless she personally drew the window's curtains back, the people would not be able to see her. Leila released a small smile as a Chamberlain removed the small staircase and shut the door. She knew the King did not want her to have too much exposure so she did not steal the limelight from his daughter. After all, officially, this was a visit to propose to the Serian Princess.

Leila, in fact, welcomed this lack of exposure. The less the public knew her, the smaller the demands they would inquire of her. It was imperative she remained a 'concerned stranger' to the Serian people.

Allowing herself a little shut-eye she harkened back to the years of political grooming and scenario planning her father had subjected her to. He had thrown several plots and schemes at her and asked her to unravel the truth. Sometimes, he would engage in political debates with her, forcing her to master the ins and outs of business and political roundabout conversations. He would sometimes adopt different personalities and she had to infer from his actions and speech which type of strategy would work best: Direct or Indirect. Aggressive, Passive, or Reactionary.

Leila released a wry laugh as she realized in all eighteen years of her life, those were the closest she and her father had come to family bonding. Still, she could not hate the man nor harbor ill-will towards him. For all his faults, he had always been a constant in her life. When she was troubled or scared, he would offer advice, however cold it might have seemed to others. Even though he had a vision for her life, he respected her choices, as was evident in his prompt approval of the Virtual Drive's purchase.

And in moments like these, she realized how important the few lessons he imparted onto her were.

Truly, her relationship with her father was a constant source of headache and heart warmth.

"Ah... but this time I suppose I owe you thanks, Father."

Dx

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A/N: My picture folder currently looks like I'm a closet furry...... Just so we're clear, if the contents of my laptop are ever made public, I wish to emphasize that these are all for research purposes... Research! 

*cough8 *cough*

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to browse through my picture folder..

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For potential Characters! What were you thinking! You need to wash your mind with soap!

Oh, no not you, you're fine... I mean YOU!!!