Chapter 12: Federation Meeting

Taka PoV

“Please stand up and welcome Sir Asakawa Karasuma, the leader of the Eastern Knight Order and the Karasuma tribes.” The announcer says.

All persons inside the meeting hall are standing up and giving a salute with a gesture of punching their left side. I was told to wait before gaining entry.

“After 15 years of not showing up to Federation meetings. Please welcome the last person on the Magro Tribe, Taka Engals Magro.” The announcer says. She whispered to me, “Please sit next to Lord Karasuma.”

I nodded my head and nervously entered the room. I sat next to Uncle Asakawa. On my table, there was my name plaque, a water bottle, a bunch of papers, a pen, and stamps. I take a look around the meeting hall. It looked like a parliament hall with a semicircle of seats for people’s representatives, with 12 tables at the front facing them.

Only one seat is remaining empty. They were the Kanghastan tribe leaders seat. The announcer closed the door from the outside. People representatives from various classes start pouring in from the main door. There are three ways to enter this rectangular room. Right is where I entered, which seems reserved for the tribe leaders. And the center back is where the people’s representatives are going in. The left one is for foreign country ambassadors.

The announcers switched sides and opened the left. She announced. “The ambassadors from the Holy Eturuks Empire, the Hayida Caliphate, and the Misthar Empire are entering the room!”

The big bald guy in a military-looking uniform is going in. He is from Eturuks; their military hat, featuring a large feather on top, is their distinctive uniform. Someone who looks like a priest with all of their face covered with a transparent veil steps in; this one is from the Hayida Caliphate.

An Afro-haired, big Black woman with a muscular build and in her military uniform, is the last. That one was from the Misthar Empire. They both sit in their seats. The room fell silent before the leader from the Minerva tribe, Silas Minerva, opened the meeting. Silas, standing up, takes a look around the room. “From our tribe leaders, we are only missing the leader of Kanghastan’s tribe.”

One woman in the people's representative is standing up. “From people representatives, we all participate in today’s meeting.”

An older guy in the minister’s seat stood up. “From all branches of the ministry, we all participate in today’s meeting.”

“Since the people’s representatives are here and all of the ministers are here. The meeting today begins! Let’s talk about our foreign policy first. Ambassador from Eturuks, you may take your time.” He said and sat down again.

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Ambassadors from Eturuk stood up and bowed to all of us. “Greetings, Elves, man, and human in the Nekalma Federation. Some of you might still hate us for suddenly breaking our neutrality pact. But allow us to make amends for it.”

“We offer an alliance on behalf of Empress Jalawidga, and all people from our empire want to be friends again with the Nekalma Federations. We’ll also pay for the repair of our old travel portals between our capitals. And we want to increase our trade volume. Also, a military alliance.”

The entire room is in shock. I don’t know why, since it’s my first time attending this meeting. I just go with the flow and quietly listen. The Hayida Caliphate and Mishtar Empire demand the same. Why is it so sudden that they want to make a military alliance with us?

“This is weird, Uncle,” I whisper to Uncle Asakawa.

“Yeah. We all think the same.” Uncle replied.

Three ambassadors were told to leave the room while we discussed their demand with the ministry and the people's representatives. It’s too heavy for me to join the discussions. I just sit back and listen to how the other tribe leader does.

The people's representatives agree with their demand if they also want to pay war reparations from the Eturuks Empire; for the Hayida Caliphate, they demanded the return of all elves who had been enslaved; for the Mishtar Empire, they demanded an increase in incense and no tariff on trade.

I don't know how to react. I just go along with it and agree. The ambassadors are back in their seats, and we announce our demand. They requested a few days to communicate and discuss with their emperor, the Caliph.

We gave them 3 weeks; if not, we will only offer a neutrality pact. Three ambassadors finally leave our meeting hall. And it’s noon already, and we call for a break for one hour.

Tailing Uncle Asakawa, I arrived at the tribe leader's break room. Lord Silas told me to sit on his lap, and I obediently sat there. “So the last elf from the Magro tribe. Do you want to settle down already? It’s bad if your tribe goes extinct.”

“Hey, Silas, he already has a girlfriend. Respect it,” Uncle Asakawa said. “It’s a bit fishy that they suddenly want a military alliance with us.”

“Don’t overthink about it, Grandmaster Asakawa. It’s beneficial for both sides. We could use tourism as a side income for the states, too, if the portals were repaired.” Lord Sid, head of the Leon tribe in the north, replied.

“Don’t you forget the incident 80 years ago?” Uncle Asakawa replied. “I still remember it when suddenly Holy Eturuks Soldiers came out from the portals and caught us off guard.”

“I lost my uncle and father that day.” He continued.

“I don’t know why we haven’t retaliated against them yet,” I asked.

“It’s simply because we don’t have the manpower to do so.” Lord Sid replied. “As far as I know, only the Mishtar Empire is still trustworthy. Hayida Caliphate is not because they enslaved elves in their region.”

“If they emancipated their elf slaves and returned them there. It will create a new housing crisis for us.” Lord Silas's critique. “Rather than returning them there, I just want them to build an elf settlement in their empire.”

As far as their conversations go. I feel sleepy since Lord Silas has been headpatting me nonstop. When my mouth opened and yawned. Lord Silas instructed me to just take a nap. “Don’t worry, you’re a young elf; you still need more affection to grow stronger.”

I spin my eyes to look for Uncle Asakawa. He noticed my gesture. “It’s okay to take a nap. We can continue the meeting without you. Since our next meeting is about which tribe should take care of you.”

“O-okay,” I replied and fell asleep.