A translucent interface appeared.
[Regional Lord Influence Ranking]
[Region: Eastern Veil Sector]
[Registered Territories: 173]
Antony scanned the list from the bottoms up as he tried to find his name. His name appeared far higher than he expected.
[41. Antony Urelias - Urelias Territory - RED CORE]
He stared completely transfixed, this was a number that had simply never crossed his mind in the last ten years.
"Forty-one?"
Seris smiled.
"Congratulations."
Antony looked at her.
"Why am I forty-one?"
"Because your territory is growing."
"That does not answer the question."
Oren leaned back.
"Regional ranking isn’t based only on Core color."
"I know that."
"Do you?"
His narrowed his eyes.
Oren continued before Antony could respond.
"Core rank is important, but the system also calculates population, trade, resource production, military readiness, diplomatic reach, infrastructure, territory stability, external influence, and several hidden metrics."
Antony looked back at the ranking.
"Weren’t we at a hundred and...?"
"One hundred and thirty-seven."
The room became silent.
Antony slowly looked up.
"Right, one hundred and thirty-seven."
"Yes."
"And now forty-one."
"Yes."
"In three months."
"Correct."
Antony leaned back.
"That’s terrible," he said.
Several officials looked confused.
Alric laughed understanding what he meant.
"Most Lords would celebrate."
"Most Lords enjoy attracting problems," he countered.
Oren smiled.
"Unfortunately, influence attracts attention whether you celebrate or not."
Antony looked at the names above his. Most were Orange Core, several were strong Red Core territories and two were Yellow Core.
He tapped the list.
"What’s the highest-ranked Red territory?"
Oren answered immediately.
"Twenty-eight."
Antony immediately found it.
Lord Jane Lin.
She headed a large Beastkin population with heavy trade influence and protected by an Orange Lord.
That last part caught his attention.
"Protected?" He mumbled almost to himself.
Oren nodded.
"More accurately, subordinate."
Antony looked toward him.
"Explain."
Oren pulled another map forward.
Several Red territories around them were marked with small emblems matching stronger Orange territories.
"Regional politics aren’t neat. You already know that."
"I know Lords constantly fight."
"That’s only one layer." Oren pointed to three Red territories southwest. "These belong to independent Lords, but they pay annual tribute to Lord Garron Serial."
"Orange Core?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Protection."
Antony frowned.
"From what exactly?"
"Other Lords. Monster tides. Trade interference. Resource disputes."
Seris added, "And sometimes protection from Garron himself."
Antony gave her a dry look.
"Convenient."
"Very."
Oren moved to another cluster.
"These two territories aren’t technically vassals, but they signed exclusive trade agreements with an Orange Core territory. They can’t enter outside contracts without approval."
His expression hardened.
"That’s vassalage with paperwork."
"More or less."
"What about these?"
"Joint mining pact."
"Better?"
"Until the stronger Lord decided the mine belonged to him," Oren said.
Antony blankly stared at him.
Oren shrugged.
"Regional diplomacy."
Antony rubbed his temple.
"You know what, I preferred our usual monster attacks."
Alric laughed.
"At least monsters are honest."
That afternoon, Antony received his first official Lord envoy.
A real envoy carrying another Lord’s seal.
The visitor came from a Red Core territory east of Urelias and arrived with six guards, two wagons, and enough ceremonial fabric to make Antony briefly wonder whether the man had mistaken Urelias Territory for a royal palace.
He met him in the smaller reception hall.
He had Michael with him, not deliberately thought. The baby simply refused to settle before the meeting.
Roxanna had been resting after feeding him, and Antony had decided carrying his son through one diplomatic conversation couldn’t possibly cause problems.
Oren strongly disagreed. He had said nothing but his face had been loud.
The envoy entered.
He was a tall Human with carefully combed black hair and the expression of someone prepared for a very formal negotiation.
Then he saw Michael against Antony’s chest and stopped.
Antony looked at him.
"Is something wrong?"
The man came out of it and shook his head.
"No, my Lord."
"Good."
The envoy bowed.
"I am Cassel Dorn, representative of Lord Edras Pell of Harrowfen Territory."
Antony nodded.
"Sit."
Cassel sat while maintaining a respectful demeanour. His eyes drifted toward Michael once, then again.
Antony noticed.
"He’s not part of the negotiation."
Cassel immediately looked embarrassed.
"My apologies."
"It’s fine."
Michael moved slightly after his interest in the new face disappeared.
Cassel stared at him anyway.
Antony sighed and broke the silence.
"Yes, he’s the child."
The envoy’s face changed.
"The child?" He asked.
"Mine."
"Of course."
Cassel looked as though he wanted to ask a much larger question.
Antony did not help him.
The envoy cleared his throat.
"My Lord, Lord Edras sends his congratulations regarding the birth of your heir."
"Thank him."
"He also wishes to express interest in establishing a formal trade relationship."
"I see."
Cassel relaxed slightly and opened a leather folder.
"Harrowfen produces iron, copper, and beast leather in considerable quantities. We lack stable agricultural output due to poor soil and repeated monster incursions. Lord Edras proposes a seasonal exchange."
Antony listened as he continued pitching. The offer was decent. They only wanted food for ore,medicinal herbs for leather and discounted caravan tariffs for mutual border access,nothing obviously predatory.
Antony asked questions anyway.
"How long?"
"Two years initially."
"That’s too long."
Cassel blinked.
"My Lord?"
"Six months."
The envoy frowned.
"That is a very short agreement."
"Exactly."
"Lord Edras prefers stability."
"So do I." Antony shifted Michael slightly. "But neither of us knows whether this arrangement actually works yet."
Cassel thought about that.
Antony continued.
"Six months. Renewal if both sides are satisfied."
"What about exclusivity?"
"No."
Cassel hesitated.
"Lord Edras was hoping Urelias Territory might prioritize Harrowfen iron."
"Prioritize?"
"In exchange for guaranteed supply."
"That depends on price."
Cassel smiled faintly.
"You negotiate like a merchant."
Antony shrugged.
"I’ve been forced to learn."
Cassel looked at him more carefully.
"We were told you were unusually cooperative."
"I am."
"But not trusting."
"Those are different things."
The envoy laughed softly.
"Fair."
Antony leaned back.
"I have no problem trading with your Lord."
"Then..."
"I do have a problem with any contract that limits who else I can trade with."
Cassel paused.
Antony’s voice remained calm.
"Urelias Territory is small. We cannot afford to rely on one source for ore, one source for medicine, one road, or one partner."
Cassel nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
Antony looked at him.
The envoy smiled.
"Lord Edras has similar concerns."
That made Antony relax slightly.
"Good."
Michael chose that moment to make a small unhappy sound. Antony immediately looked down, worry taking over his features.
The envoy also looked down.
Michael’s face twisted.
Antony’s eyes widened.
"No."
Cassel blinked.
Antony stood.
"Give me a moment."
"My Lord?"
Michael started loudly crying.
He sighed.
"There it is."
Cassel sat awkwardly while Antony began walking slowly around the room.
"You’re fine."
Michael disagreed.
"There, there... daddy isn’t going anywhere."
The crying increased with that.
Cassel looked uncertain.
"Should I call someone?"
"No."
Antony adjusted the baby but Michael continued crying.
"Perhaps he’s hungry," Cassel suggested.
"He ate less than an hour ago."
Cassel nodded as though this was useful diplomatic information.
Antony bounced Michael gently until the baby slowly calmed.
Cassel stared.
Antony looked at him.
"What?"
The envoy smiled.
"Nothing."
"Say it."
"It’s simply unusual."
"What is?"
"Most Lords I’ve met would never bring their child into negotiations."
Antony glanced down at Michael.
"Most Lords probably sleep properly."
Cassel laughed.
"Fair enough."
The meeting continued.
By the end of it, they had a six-month provisional trade agreement. With no exclusivity, military obligations, tribute, or hidden territorial claims.
Oren read the final contract twice before allowing Antony to sign. That became the pattern over the next few weeks.
Another envoy came from a smaller Elven territory. Then one from a mixed Beastkin settlement. Then one from a Human Lord controlling a quarry network.
Some proposals were excellent while some were terrible.
One Lord attempted to demand permanent access through Urelias roads in exchange for what amounted to a minor discount on salt.
Antony rejected it within thirty seconds.
Another contract included language allowing the other Lord to "temporarily secure" Urelias storage sites during regional instability.
Antony looked at Oren who was standing by his side.
"What does this mean?" He loudly asked.
Oren read the clause again.
"He gets to occupy our warehouses."
Antony looked at the envoy like he was joking.
The envoy smiled nervously.
"For protection."
Antony handed the document back.
"No."
The envoy shifted.
"My Lord, perhaps you misunderstood..."
"I understood."
"The clause would only activate under exceptional conditions."
"Defined by whom?"
The envoy paused.
"Mutual assessment."
Antony pointed to the wording.
"It says your Lord determines regional instability."
Silence filled the room.
Antony smiled politely.
"Tell him I appreciate the offer."
The envoy swallowed.
"But?"
"No."
By the end of the month, Antony had learned more about Global Lord diplomacy than he had in the previous ten years.
It was not because he had been ignorant, he had simply never needed to care. Urelias Territory at that time had possessed almost nothing anyone wanted but that had changed.
Food mattered, safe roads mattered, stable trade mattered, skilled craftsmen mattered, population mattered, and, increasingly, reputation mattered.
A weak territory could survive through obscurity but a growing one needed relationships.
Antony discovered that alliances rarely looked like true alliances.
Most were layered obligations.
A Red Core Lord might receive military support from an Orange Lord but be forced to sell ore below market price.
Another might be completely independent but dependent on one neighboring territory for food.
A third might claim independence while quietly paying "road access fees" large enough to qualify as tribute.
Antony hated all of it which Oren found that amusing.
"You expected Lords to behave differently?" Oren jokingly said.
"I expected slightly less creative exploitation," he replied.
"Why?"
"I don’t know."
"Earth had governments."
"That’s different."
"Is it?"
Antony flatly stared at him.
Oren smiled.
"Exactly."