Before Vance, the leader of the Slayers took the word, Jack quickly summarised what he had heard.
Of what they had currently explored of the mainland, it was roughly shaped like this;
Jack's peninsula to the south extended into the main continent they decided on.
A vast area, multiple times longer than the peninsula, stretched towards the east where a barrier of marsh-lands had stopped further exploration.
Many Slayer lords recided in the territories up to the marshes.
South of these territories and likewise south from Jack's empire, not much where know about the territories even tho a vast area of continued hills and grasslands could be seen with the naked eye.
Maybe no human lords were located there at all to spread some light on this...
The marshes continued more than a thousand kilometres north, towards the dense jungle territories that began there.
The trade alliance lords territories were many close to the jungles and towards the ocean in the west, where they were also located at the beaches and inland from there.
Many 'free cities', lords and their towns who wouldn't join either alliance, lived in these lands between the two sides. However there were also free cities surrounded by either side.
Off the one thousand kilometres long coast, from Jack's peninsula to the beginning of the jungles, the islands came a few hundred kilometres out in the ocean.
There was a race war going on there between the Jeezi's and human lords.
The Trade Alliance, Ramises, Brutus, Angelica and Jack as the primary leaders, consisted of about 1500 lords.
The Slayers Alliance, Vance, Alexia, Filippa, Rango and Do-yun as primary leaders, had a combined number of more than 2000 lords.
The Free Cities, Helga, Moses and Dive as representatives, counted more than 3000 lords but had no common relations other than the fact that they wanted to be free from any internal struggles. They just wanted to live quietly here on prime, with many different reasons to do so.
The Island Coalition, Nubi, Chane and Alizo as primary leaders, consisted of about 200 lords, decreasing as the Jeezy's expanded.
Jack was confident that he could recall most of them by now.
"The situation is simple. The Trade alliance is too arrogant and claiming too much territory close to our alliance. You should stick near the coast where you belong! The mainland territory is for the slayer alliance to claim! Especially the jungle areas as the marshes can't be traveled! And in your arrogance you've already recruited a major part of the lord near the jungle! We won't stand for it!"
This was Vance's stance and high outburst as they had finally reached the true reason for this meeting.
Ramises head became red as his temper rose from the way Vance was speaking.
"The wild territories don't belong to anyone Vance! They are free to be claimed by whoever is strong enough to take them! And the northern lords are free to join any alliance they want!"
Remises rebuked instantly.
"Oh really! Then why don't you dismiss all the lords who only joined because of your lies about Jack! You force them to join! They fear Jack and the rumours of his strength, and you use it to your advantage!"
Even Brutus and Angelica became steaming as Vance kept talking in such condescending manners.
The smirk and annoying confidence of Vance, as he spoke, only added fuel to the fire.
"Enough Vance! Those lords joined us because we can secure a good source of trade so they can grow their towns and territories. They would have eventually joined, even without Jack!"
Brutus was the one to reply, trying to make Vance see sense.
But Vance just looked at him with disgust.
"You're both pathetic! One claims that without your lies about Jack, the lords would still join you. That's a blatant lie! The other claims that the wild territories are free to be taken by those with enough power! Well then why don't we simply fight it out and see who the territories truly belong to! Let the strongest win, that's your own words!"
Vance looked at Ramises and Brutus with a condescending self-important smile and crossed his arms.
Ramises and Brutus were on the verge of bursting.
Besides these words face to face, they had been trying to reason with Vance over the lord's chat and their patience were growing thin.
Jack chose to intervene before it escalated.
"The trade alliance truly only wants to create stable trade and relations between humans, and to explore the world of Prime. This is why I joined them. But tell me Vance. What is it that you truly want?"
Jack kept seated as he spoke and everyone turned towards his calm and steady voice.
Vance turned towards Jack with a serious face, but then a wide grin appeared before he spoke.
"I hear so much about you that not even half can be true. There's something you people hide from the rest of us, or it's all lies. Tell me, if you're so powerful. How did you become so? It's impossible to have such territory, cities and armies that the rumours claim!"
Jack just matched his stare and saw Vance slight shiver.
'He's right. The infinite gold resource is the foundation of my power. If not for his hostillity and childish behaviour, I might tell him about it. But is it truly wise to speak openly about it? It could make me a big fat target for every single lord who found out about it, especially other race lords...'
While Jack was thinking, Vance's smile became broader.
"So what's it going to be? Is it too hard to explain your lies?" He said confidently while all the other lords nervously shifted in their seats, looking from the posing Vance to the calm Jack.
"It's all true. All the rumours you've heard. I have many large cities and posses the entire mountain peninsula. I'm no longer a simple lord as you, I'm an Emperor!"
Jack stood op as he said this and every lord could feel the pressure as Jack was many times stronger than them in stats. His aura could clearly be felt and it was chilling.
"You are right about one thing. I do have a secret, but only people who are friendly to my Empire could ever hope to learn the truth."
Jack starred directly into Vance's blue eyes which made him lump back into his chair.
"Now I've got the general idea that the Slayers, with you Vance in particular, just wants more territory and someday rule all the lord's here. But if you want to fight the trade alliance, you'll fight me too. And trust me, the giants outside is just a fraction of what I will bring upon you!"
The entire longhouse was eerily silent for a while after this, and Jack sat back down.
Of those present, noone dared to doubt that Jack wouldn't, and couldn't, make his threat real.
It was the most quite of them all that eventually broke the silence.
Do-yun, the frail looking small man, who simply didn't look like he belonged here spoke up.
"It's not that we want to 'rule humanity' in some sinister way. But if we don't unite together fast, we might be eradicated by foreign forces. And right now the fastest way to unite people is to simply force them to gather."
Jack looked at him. His voice was uncertain and frail as he spoke, but gathered a measure of steadiness in the end. He truly believed this was the way.
"Technicality, that is you isn't it? I thought you had a beef with Kingslayer aka Vance in the first months of our arrival? What happened?"
It was Angelica, the very fair looking Asian woman who spoke this.
Do-yun jolted by this.
"Yee..yeas. That's me.." He glanced towards Vance before he continued.
"Vance eventually found me... We were about to fight... But as you can see, I'm not much for fighting... My lands are rich and as such we cut a deal and eventually made the Slayers Alliance. That's all there is to it."
But Jack understood there had to be more, the boy kept glancing at Vance.
The fair lady Angelica just smiled to Do-yun, clearly not being fooled and just accepted it.
"Okay let us separate for now. Eat and enjoy the evening and celebrate the New year. Let's gather before midnight and conclude the meeting with some proper deals and solutions to avoid war. All should think hard on this before we meet again!"
Brutus spoke and left the longhouse.
Then Ramises and Vance stood and left.
Slowly the entire building became empty, only Jack and Angelica remained.
"You're not leaving?" She asked, looking directly at Jack.
And when Jack gazed into her eyes, something weird spread throughout his body.
A warm feeling and he became shy instantly.
'Those black eyes are like looking into the starry sky and deep night. Beautiful, alluring...'
Jack removed his eyes from her and looked at the table.
'What just happened to me? Why am I felling like this? I'm not a boy who never felt attraction before, I know what it is, but why am I feeling it now? Sure she's very beautiful, but I already have a family... What am I even thinking right now!"
Angelica looked at him curiously.
"Are you feeling alright Jack? You're all sweaty."
Jack shoke his head.
"I was just thinking. I hope we don't have to fight amongst our selves."
Angelica thought about this.
"I don't think all those lords will truly gather to fight eachother. And even if Vance convinced them to do it, it would take weeks or months to assemble and combine their forces."
Jack hadn't even thought about this.
The mainland was so vast! And they didn't have proper highways and roads like he did in the empire.
They would have to walk. Walk from all over the place to gather. Fighting wild beasts on the way and then march to wherever they wanted to hit.
It surely could take months just to travel.
"What do you think about the Isle lords? Is the situation really so dire?"
Angelica though about Jack's question and didn't have a good answer to this.
"If the situation allowed it, I think I would go there myself to evaluate the situation on behalf of the trade alliance. If the human lords loose all the islands to the Jeezi's, then that race could threaten our entire coastline and trade routes."
Angelica was looking straightforward while she was speaking seriously.
'Her head and face is so symmetrical... Her hair slightly bends around her ear and when she speaks it's like a soothing musical... Why do I feel so pleasantly calm around her all of a sudden?'
"If you go there, you shouldn't go alone. Allow me to protect you on the way."
Jack starred at her and spoke without realising what he was saying.
Angelica looked at him with surprise, the small hairs in her neck rose slightly and tickled her.
"Why would you want to protect me? I'm completely confident in myself and my ships!"
Jack was perplexed and quickly tried to correct himself.
"Protect? Did I say that? I meant accompany you! Well think about it. I also want to see these Jeezi's with my own eyes."
Jack rose so suddenly that the chair almost fell, and he left in a hurry.
Angelica just turned in her seat, watching him leave.
'Did he just flirt with me???'
She was very surprised, but a small smile still appeared on her pleasingly kind face.