116. A Generous Gift

“Did they bring a lot of things?”
“Yes.” The berserker messenger caught his breath. “There are many sparkling items, and... well, I can’t quite describe them. They’re waiting over at the main camp now.”
“Hm, I see. You should head back and make sure to treat them well—no slacking off, or else people will talk.”
“Yes, Young Master.” The messenger turned and hurried back up.

“Elder, what do you think it means that they brought so many things to see me? Are they here for a trade? Or...”
“It’s hard to say without seeing them. But it’s more likely a formal gift, a sign of respect. After all, His Majesty’s forces are still here. I imagine they’re all watching closely. Since His Majesty hasn’t withdrawn the troops yet, they probably haven’t slept well at night. Maybe they came to inquire about the withdrawal.”
“If that’s the case, it seems unnecessary to bring so many gifts. Those sparkling things must be diamonds. On their continent, where they fight tooth and nail for survival, such treasures are precious. Bringing so many just to find out when I’ll withdraw seems too generous. Elder, I’ll bet they have some ulterior motive. Sure, they want to know why we haven’t retreated yet, but that’s not their main concern. Want to bet?” Mo Fei smiled.
“I won’t bet on this,” Elder Ofu laughed heartily. “His Majesty is right—bringing so many gifts just to ask about troop withdrawal is indeed generous. But when paying respects to a sovereign, it’s customary to be generous.”
“I’m telling you, they want our equipment. They’re definitely hinting at a trade. Don’t you believe me?” Mo Fei’s vision stretched far. Ever since the matter with the Bear Clan’s Udos—who reconciled with him in exchange for one hundred thousand sets of armor—he knew that compared to the Bear Clan, the equipment and weapons on this continent were inferior. Having witnessed the berserker army’s fine arms, it’s impossible for them not to covet such gear.
“That’s true. How could I forget that? Good thing I didn’t bet His Majesty; otherwise, I’d have lost big.”
“Alright, let’s go back and see them together. If they’re here to discuss equipment trade, Elder will need to decide.”
“Agreed. It’s been a while since I’ve rested at the docks.”

Eileen was playing with a sparkling diamond in her hand.
“Eileen, we’re going back now.”
“Brother, can I take this with me?” Eileen couldn’t bear to part with the beautiful sparkling gem.
“Take whatever you want, just let Elder know.” Mo Fei’s indulgence made Eileen feel utterly happy.
“Princess, take whatever you wish. They all treat you like their little sister and cherish you. If you don’t take it, they’d give it anyway.” Elder Ofu’s words drew hearty laughter from the dwarven miners in the mine. Indeed, the berserkers and dwarves of the Death Empire all doted on Eileen as if she were their own little sister.

Surrounded by so much love and affection, Eileen was naturally happy. It also demonstrated her sweet and kind nature, winning their recognition. Even the berserker and dwarven children in the royal city clung to her whenever she was around.

The group returned to the main camp, where the envoys had been waiting for a long time.
“Envoys, His Majesty has returned,” the berserker guards announced before Mo Fei entered the tent.

Mo Fei and Elder Ofu entered the tent together. The envoys and their retinue stood aside. Upon seeing Mo Fei, the envoys bowed deeply, saying, “Envoy of King Yan, sent by command to pay respects to His Majesty.”
“Oh, King Yan sent you here? No need for formality. Please, sit.” Mo Fei took his seat. “I wonder why King Yan sent you...”
“The situation is this, Your Majesty,” the envoy hurriedly explained. “After our last meeting before the armies, our king, having heard your envoy, only wished to establish trade and commerce with your continent—not for any other reason. Therefore, after withdrawing the main forces, King Yan ordered us to bring gifts to discuss trade and commerce with Your Majesty. Also, other generals wish to know about your great army...”
“My army will withdraw within a few days. Please inform the generals. I can assure you of this.”
“That’s excellent,” the envoy’s main purpose was fulfilled. Seeing the well-equipped army nearby, anyone would be uneasy. “Bring out the gifts.”

As the envoy’s attendants unloaded more than ten opened chests filled with gifts, not only did Mo Fei’s eyes widen, but Elder Ofu was also dumbfounded.
Elder Ofu had never seen such exquisitely crafted necklaces and rings, neither on his continent nor on Demon Island.
Eileen gasped and ran over, picking up a crystal-clear necklace. “So beautiful.”
“King Yan is very generous,” Mo Fei recovered quickly from his initial shock, unlike Elder Ofu, who still stared, mouth agape. The tent soon filled with Eileen’s excited, girlish laughter.
“These are gifts from King Yan to Your Majesty. Please accept them graciously,” the envoy said, relieved to see the positive reaction.

“Thank you very much to King Yan and the envoy. I will prepare a gift for King Yan as well. Envoy, please carry it back for me.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Though uncertain of the gift, a sovereign’s present would surely not disappoint. After all, these were exquisite jewelry crafted by the continent’s finest artisans.

Mo Fei approached and picked up a platinum necklace, the pendant set with a polished diamond, delicate and refined yet noble and elegant. He placed it around Eileen’s neck, enhancing her regal beauty.
“Do you like it?”
“Mm, it’s a beautiful necklace.” A blush bloomed on Eileen’s fair skin.
“Bring some back for Mother. She will surely love it.”
“Mm!”

“Elder Ofu, please stay here with the envoy. I will instruct Kane to prepare the return gift.”
“Oh, ah...” Elder Ofu snapped back to attention. It was not that he wished to possess these items, but any dwarf who saw such craftsmanship would want to learn the techniques and surpass them—much like how the Doma Empire’s shipbuilding, once in dwarven hands, produced warships twice the size with vastly superior offense and defense. Now, Elder Ofu’s mind was occupied with how to replicate these exquisite pieces.

Mo Fei led Eileen out of the tent just as Kane approached. Kane’s eyes widened when he saw the diamond necklace on Eileen’s neck. Berserkers seemed to have some resistance to such things, so though Kane stared momentarily, he quickly recovered.
“Beautiful.”
“Thank you, Brother Kane.” Eileen smiled sweetly.

“I meant the necklace, not you,” Kane teased.
“You’re so annoying, Brother Kane.” Eileen’s cheeks flushed bright red.
“All right, Kane, come with me.”
“This is from that King Yan, right?” Kane had sent word to Mo Fei after receiving the envoy and naturally knew the necklace was a gift from King Yan. The dwarves had yet to craft anything so refined.
“Yes. King Yan is really generous. Now I’m worried about what to give in return.” Mo Fei immediately pondered the appropriate reciprocation.
“Why worry? Just give them some of our spare heavy armor and the guns and sabers prepared for the Bear Clan warriors. That’s what they’re lacking.”
“True, but do we have enough spare equipment in the warehouse? We can’t afford to be short. They’ve sent ten chests.”
“Don’t worry, Young Master. If they give us ten chests of gifts, we’ll send them twenty carts of equipment. That should suffice.” Kane said casually.
“Sounds good. But not too much, or future trades will be complicated. Let’s send ten carts of weapons and fifteen carts of heavy armor. That should be fair.” With the matter settled, Mo Fei chuckled.

When King Yan’s envoy left the tent, he saw twenty-five carts neatly lined up outside, loaded with weapons and armor. He was overjoyed. Although he hadn’t mentioned it earlier, this was exactly what they wanted. This sovereign was truly easy to deal with.
“Envoy, please convey our thanks to King Yan for his generous gifts. We traveled far and have little to offer, but please do not disdain these items. After our army withdraws, I will personally visit him.” Mo Fei watched the delighted envoy and felt relieved that all parties were satisfied. “This is a gift for you, Envoy. Please accept it.”

Mo Fei took a finely crafted dwarven long knife from Kane and handed it to the envoy.
“Your Majesty...” The envoy was surprised to receive a gift from a sovereign.
“Please, no formality. I will also send gifts for your attendants. This is a finely forged steel long knife made by our empire’s dwarven masters. Consider it a gift for you. Also, there is a cart of gifts for your king. Envoy, it’s late—please be on your way.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. We will surely convey your kindness to King Yan and the generals. Your Majesty, please stay. We are leaving now.”
“Safe travels,” Mo Fei replied. “Kane, dispatch troops to escort them.”
“Yes.” Kane gestured, and a squad of Death Cavalry slowly emerged from both sides, flanking the carts.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”