759  Negotiating VIII

The agreement was signed swiftly, as all protections and potential exploitations had already been settled before the main demands were presented. The swearing of the mana oath and the signing of the mana contract were completed within an hour of reaching the agreement. This quick resolution led them directly to the next phase: determining the format of the fight and defining what constituted a majority win.

“How are these fights conducted in the Conclave?” Aron inquired of Liasas.

“It typically involves two individuals battling to the death or until one side concedes defeat. While there are usually some restrictions on the weapons each side can use, there are no limitations on an individual’s abilities. These fights are generally held on land, and I doubt you’ll allow us to enter the star system for these confrontations?” she explained, noting that this format was primarily practiced by the Vlathorins and the Xor’Vak, though others occasionally engaged in similar fights, as permitted by Conclave rules, provided certain conditions were met.

“No, no one will be entering the star system until this situation is resolved,” he replied matter-of-factly before asking, “But is it truly necessary for these fights to occur on a planet?”

“What do you mean? The fights need to be face-to-face and are usually conducted on a planet. They could be held on a moon or a large space station with an atmosphere, but our sensors haven’t detected any such locations in the area,” Liasas responded, still trying to discern if he was hinting at something she wasn’t grasping. “Are there hidden locations here?”

“We could repurpose a hundred-kilometer-wide asteroid, cover it with a shield, install a gravity generator, and fill it with mana to create an atmosphere. That should suffice as a battleground where no one has an unfair advantage, right?” he proposed earnestly.

Liasas almost felt her eyes pop out upon hearing Aron’s proposal. While the technical aspects of repurposing an asteroid were manageable—many members of the Conclave could achieve it at varying speeds—the idea of filling such a large space with mana was staggering. Doing so without any specific purpose was the equivalent of setting an enormous fortune on fire. It would require about a quarter of the mana needed to activate wormhole technology, meaning the endeavor could cripple an economy of a lower Conclave member.

“You do realize how prohibitively expensive it is to fill an area that size with enough mana for combat, right? Are you suggesting that you will be the ones providing the mana?” she asked, her tone edged with disbelief. She knew mana was abundant in this star system but seeing them act as if it was something normal was something she was yet to get used to.

“Yes, we will provide the mana,” the negotiator responded smoothly, “but in return, the gravity on the battlefield must be set to 1g. All other preparations will be done collaboratively to prevent tampering.”

“We can agree to that,” Liasas said immediately, eager to avoid delays that might shift the burden of providing mana onto their side. S~eaʀᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Now that we’ve settled the fighting ground, let’s move on to the fighters. Will each civilization send only one representative, or are multiple fighters allowed?” Aron asked, his tone steady.

“The more fighters each civilization sends, the more complicated the situation becomes,” Liasas explained. “It would also force your side to field additional participants, which would be unfair given the numerical advantage we have. Therefore, we suggest that each civilization sends only their strongest individual. However, your side will be allowed to bring more than one fighter up to the total number of ours to even the odds.”

“What exactly does ‘up to the total number of your contenders’ mean?” Aron asked, seeking clarification.

Liasas replied smoothly, “It means if you have a strong enough individual, they can fight in multiple matches, provided they are capable of continuing. Since our side will send only the strongest from each civilization, it’s only fair that your strongest fighter can compete more than once if needed. However, there will be no extended breaks between fights, so you’ll have to factor that in.” Her tone remained polite, but the subtle implication was clear: they doubted the empire had enough strong fighters, and this clause was more a dismissal than a favor.

Aron’s smile widened, reading between the lines. He knew this wasn’t a concession but a reflection of the Conclave’s arrogance—they believed the empire lacked sufficient strength to pose a threat. “We accept and thank you for your consideration,” he replied smoothly, his tone gracious but inwardly pleased. Their assumptions only made his task easier.

“Then the majority will be determined by whichever side wins eight fights,” Liasas declared confidently.

“We agree to that,” Aron responded calmly, noting her satisfied smile as if victory was already secured.

“Now, let’s move on to what will be allowed and what will be banned,” Liasas continued, producing a detailed list of prohibited items. The negotiator took the document to review, knowing that anything permitted for one side would also be available to the other.

They began negotiating, clarifying specific items, and discussing whether certain weapons or tactics should remain on the list. However, it quickly became apparent that this process could take far too long. To expedite matters, both sides agreed to let their respective AIs handle the finer details, ensuring the rules were balanced and the fights would emphasize individual strength—regardless of how that strength was attained.

It took a few days to finalize the document outlining the banned and allowed items. Both sides also reached an agreement on who would act as the referee which was a critical role in the fight, and they were going to entrust that responsibility to an AI. The AI would monitor the arena, ensuring strict adherence to the rules and detecting any attempts to breach them. Its joint development would take place over the one month allocated for constructing the arena.

Once the terms were settled, both sides signed the agreement, marking the beginning of the final phase of the conflict.

The countdown to the decisive showdown had officially begun.

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