novel bin Chapter 56 Magic Contract Terms
Chapter 56 Magic Contract Terms
After speaking, the Pope stood up from his throne and, without giving any room for discussion, turned and left.
Only a cold sentence remained.
"The specific details will be discussed between Archbishop Kyle and you."
With the Pope's departure, the sacred atmosphere in the hall dissipated somewhat, replaced by a cold sense of confrontation, like that of a negotiating table.
Archbishop Kell stood on the high platform, looking down at the crowd.
The magic crystal at the top of the scepter in his hand was emitting pure light.
"Since His Holiness the Pope has granted permission, then I will explain the framework of the agreement."
Kyle's voice echoed in the cathedral.
First, regarding the number of people.
He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over Lin Mo, scrutinizing him as he said:
"Considering the enormous risks of 'Astral Teleportation' and the unknown nature of your world."
"For our initial collaboration, we will allow a maximum of 10,000 soldiers into Terra."
Kyle's lips curled up in a smile.
"This is already an immense act of tolerance from our holy human race."
"puff."
Lin Mo couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The soft laugh was particularly jarring in the church, shattering the solemnity Kyle had deliberately created.
All the clergy members turned their gazes toward Lin Mo, their expressions filled with displeasure.
Fendona nervously tugged at Lin Mo's sleeve, her emerald eyes pleading, signaling him not to add fuel to the fire.
Kyle's face fell.
"Stranger, do you find this funny?"
No, it's not funny.
Lin Mo's smile faded, he shook his head, his expression icy.
"I just think it's ridiculous."
He took a step forward and looked directly at Kyle on the platform.
"Your Excellency, if I may be so bold, do you seem to have some misunderstanding about the size of the demon army?"
"Ten thousand people?"
Lin Mo held up one finger and shook it.
"Do you know what that means in the eyes of demons?"
"If you throw 10,000 men into the battlefield, they won't even make a ripple."
"You're not inviting reinforcements, you're inviting ten thousand people to be appetizers for the demons."
"presumptuous!"
A priest standing beside Kyle shouted sternly.
"You've come to provide support, not to invade! How many more people do you intend to send?"
"But we're not here to die! Besides, you know we're here to provide support, right?"
Lin Mo's voice turned cold.
"If the Holy Humans understand 'support' as simply sending our Great Xia soldiers to their deaths, then this cooperation is pointless."
He turned to look at Elder Muyu and shrugged.
"Elder, you've seen it yourself. It's not that we don't want to help, it's that your allies are treating us like fools!"
This matter concerns the lives and deaths of our fellow soldiers on Earth, and he cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.
"Don't!"
Elder Muyu grew anxious, his aged face filled with worry, and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Archbishop Kyle!"
"Lord Lin Mo is absolutely right! Ten thousand men are indeed far too few. Against a demon army that easily numbers in the hundreds of thousands, they are utterly ineffective!"
Kyle snorted and tapped his scepter lightly on the ground, making a crisp sound.
"Numbers are not the only factor in determining the outcome of a war. Ten thousand soldiers equipped with your strange weapons are already a force to be reckoned with."
"Moreover, this is only our first collaboration, and we need time to assess your true intentions and capabilities."
"Evaluate?"
Lin Mo smiled.
"Are we assessing whether our soldiers are dying fast enough?"
He refused to budge an inch.
"Fifty thousand people, that's our requirement!"
"Only by establishing a solid forward base with 50,000 fully armed advance troops can we truly have an impact on the war situation."
"Absolutely impossible!"
Kyle flatly refused, leaving no room for negotiation.
"This is a trampling of Terra's security!"
"We will never allow such a large alien army to set foot on our land!"
The atmosphere in the hall froze once again.
Elder Muyu was sweating profusely with anxiety, and Fendona's face turned deathly pale.
The gap between the two sides' bottom lines is too large, making negotiations impossible.
Lin Mo stared at Kyle for a few seconds, then suddenly sighed.
"Okay, I respect your concerns."
Just as Kyle's expression was about to soften, he heard Lin Mo continue speaking.
"In that case, let's each take a step back. I'm too lazy to argue anymore. It's 25,000 people."
"If even this number is unacceptable, then we'll leave now, without disturbing your peaceful battle in the Holy Light... to the last man."
"you!"
Kyle's face turned red with embarrassment at Lin Mo's last words.
Twenty-five thousand people.
This number still exceeded his expectations, but compared to the staggering 50,000, it didn't seem so unacceptable.
He could sense that this was the other party's bottom line.
Considering the frail physique and lack of magical abilities of the otherworldly beings, even if they defect, as long as the portal is closed, these people won't be able to cause any trouble on Terra.
Kyle glanced at Elder Muyu, whose face was full of worry, and then noticed the despair and hope in the eyes of the elven delegation members. He thought about the current tense situation.
Finally, he managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth.
"Yes, but this is the limit."
Elder Muyu and Fendona both breathed a sigh of relief, and a hint of joy finally appeared on their faces.
"Very good, it seems we have reached our first consensus."
Lin Mo nodded in agreement, as if the tense standoff had never happened.
"Then, the second point is the scope of activities."
Kyle's tone was forceful, attempting to regain some ground.
"Since you have come in response to the Elven request for assistance, your army's area of operation must be strictly limited to Elven territory, confined to one city, to defend against the Demons!"
"We will not allow them to set foot on any other territory!"
"That's natural."
Elder Muyu quickly expressed his opinion.
"We can limit the scope of our activities to the area from the Elf Kingdom of Avinor to the City of Verdant Leaves."
"We need to retake the City of Verdant Leaves."
Lin Mo was able to accept this result.
It's normal for the other party to be on guard; putting yourself in their shoes, you can understand.
Kyle, standing on the steps, pondered for a moment, then nodded.
This range is acceptable, allowing the support troops to be effective while keeping them sandwiched between the demons and elves.
"The last point, and the most important one."
Kyle stared intently at Lin Mo and the new weapons on the elven guards behind him.
"Regarding weapons, you must provide a detailed list of weapons. All types and quantities of weapons entering Terra must be reviewed and approved by us."
He emphasized his words.
"Any creation that we deem to pose an uncontrollable risk will be strictly prohibited from being brought into Terra."
Upon hearing this, even Elder Mu Yu's expression changed.
The greatest strength of Daxia's aid lies in their unheard-of "technological weapons".
If we get stuck on this issue, all the previous negotiations will be meaningless.
"Well..." Lin Mo frowned slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Your Excellency, it's not that I don't want to give it to you, it's just that our weapon systems... are a bit complicated."