Ssshhâ
The atmosphere cooled as soon as I spoke.
Especially the old man in front of meâMuk Yeonâhis reaction was anything but calm.
âConditions, you say?â
His eyes practically screamed his thoughts.
They were asking me, Are you serious?
I met that gaze and smiled faintly as I responded.
âYes.â
Thatâs right.
What you heard is exactly what I said.
Muk Yeonâs eyes narrowed further.
âStar King.â
âYes, Elder?â
âIs there something about the terms that displeased you?â
He was asking whether any of the Martial Allianceâs offersâgiven in exchange for me becoming their Great Leaderâhad failed to meet my expectations.
âNo. I didnât find anything unsatisfactory.â
How could I?
The conditions they offered were beyond generousâpractically groundbreaking.
I recalled the details of the letter Muk Yeon had handed me yesterday.
The Conditions
First Condition:
While officially affiliated with the Martial Alliance, I would not be bound by orders except those from the Leader.
It was an outrageous offer from the start.
Within the Martial Alliance were the Eight Sword Divisions, the pillars of their strength.
Even though they stood at the top, they still had to follow orders.
The Alliance had five elders who acted as executive leaders beneath the Leader, and the swordsmen ultimately answered to them.
But this?
âTheyâre giving me the power to ignore orders.â
Iâd have full autonomy, free to act as I pleased, regardless of what the elders said.
Second Condition:
During my tenure as Great Leader, the Gu family would be exempt from sponsorship fees and trade tariffs imposed by the Alliance.
Frankly, this didnât mean much to me personally.
The Alliance charged mandatory sponsorship fees based on a familyâs wealth and influence.
Since the Gu family was one of the prominent clans, their payments were substantial.
I would gain command authority over one additional Sword Divisionâexcluding the Azure Dragon Divisionâalong with jurisdiction over regional branches.
The Sword Master in her youth.
The Divine Doctor in his prime.
And the founder of the Baekhwa Trading Company.