While Raymond was drowning in his thoughts trying to guess what Robin might ask and how to respond to it, he felt someone stare at him.
When he looked next to him to find Robin looking at him, smiling as if he saw a piece of meat after spending a month in the desert...
This is the second time he has seen this sight, the first time when it was agreed to help them more than five years ago and he took from him everything that the Tawi family owned, which constitutes about 30% of his total territory!
At last, he gave a troubled chuckle and spoke, "Would you stop looking at me like that?! Say what you want straight away.."
"Haha, alright, alright, I was just messing with you," Robin laughed loudly, "the Tawi family lands that you agreed to give me... I will just take a third of it instead of the whole thing, is that a good start?"
"... hah?" Robin gave up two-thirds of the previous deal from the start, this was certainly not expected at all, after a few seconds, Raymond continued, "No no that's not Robin that I knew, Have you got a heat stroke? Or do you want to use the lands as a dowry for my younger sister? I don't mind by the way.."
"Hey! The boy already has my daughter, find a groom for your younger sister somewhere else!!" Galan jokingly threw an apple at Raymond
"Haha, You must be kidding, with all due respect, even if I were to marry your younger sister, I wouldn't offer such a huge dowry!" Robin laughed, "You know, I took a nice piece of land from the Duchy of Evren, but those lands are not connected directly to Jura, but there are two barons belonging to you between Jura and the border with the Duchy of Evren...
I want you to pass on to me the ownership of the two Baronies, when I have them then the Burton lands starting from the former Dolivar Kingdom passing by the former Evren Duchy, then all the way to Jura.. will truly be connected"
"Oh…." Raymond took a few seconds to think, " there is no big difference, the land you gave up is about the same size as the one you want, there is a few gold mines in the one you want though... but never mind, that's fine with me, you can have it. I will send voice messages to the two Barons letting them know that they will serve under your rule starting today.
Raymond then stood smiling and turned towards the door in high spirits, 'That was much better than expected!'
"Where do you think you are going?!" Robin raised an eyebrow, "You said yourself that the two pieces of land are almost identical, what did I get? the gold mines you talk about are nothing special, you took a few rare metal mines in those lands I gave up as well, Please sit down, We still have something to talk about..."
"HAHAHA, you thought you survived, huh? this is hilarious hahahahahaha" Galan laughed out loud and went back to eat from the giant fruit platter in front of him
"Tsk~ continue then.." Raymond sat down again with a gloom on his face
"What were we saying? ..oh, as you both know, I didn't plan to attack the duchy of Harris, I did it to protect you guys, but now I have a whole duchy that also became separate from the headquarters in Jura, and now that I have connected the south east with the north, I can't let the east left alone... I want all the noble families and their lands that are located between Jura City and the former Borders with the Duchy of Harris"
"you... what? You know that you are asking for almost 40% of the total area of the Old Duchy of Alton, after already taking 30% of it!?" Raymond leaned his body forward and asked Robin sarcastically
"Would there be such a thing as the Old lands of the Duchy of Alton, nor new ones, if I hadn't stopped the 360,000-strong armies?" Robin raised an eyebrow and asked with feigned innocence, "That's a bargain if you asked me!
but I hear you, I'm not an unreasonable man... I will only take two-thirds of those nobles, and I will give you a piece of the Duchy of Harris from the south to be merged into your own new lands... what do you think?"
"Still too much!" Raymond hit himself in the thigh and then continued, "You are the least among us who suffered losses, during your entire campaign on the Duchy of Harris, almost no one died from your family, and even in the last fight you used us!"
"Hey! Don't blame me for my genius in choosing timing and strategies to minimize casualties, I entered this war mainly to help you, not to race on whose soldiers would be killed most!"
Galan nodded vigorously and smiled as he ate a mango
Raymond did not answer directly but tapped on the sofa bench with his four fingers for about a minute, then finally spoke, ".. you know, those of the past were truly wise, My father once told me not to ask for payment after I've finished my work... the other party might refuse to give me what I want, in that case, I wouldn't be able to anything about it."
"Your father is a wise person…." Robin nodded slowly with a straight face and then continued, "But if you had an army that could destroy duchies with a mere gesture, you wouldn't have to worry about such nonsenses, in that case, those who have debt WILL pay, especially if their 70% of their army was destroyed in recent battles, don't you think?"
"...Hahahaha that sounds about right." After a few moments of silence, Raymond burst out laughing and spoke and then quickly stood up and started walking towards the door, " we have a deal. I will leave before that brat remembers anything else, bye!"
"Hehe." Robin shook his head as he saw Raymond running away, then said, "I too will take my leave to-…"
a loud snore stopped Robin in mid-sentence, when he looked toward Galan again he found him sleeping in his spot, with a half unfinished apple in his mouth,
Seeing this, he smiled and left silently...
-------------------------
A week later... in one of the main rooms of Duke Harris's palace...
"Hmmm.." Robin opened his eyes and began to sniff, then started looking for Mila who is usually next to him at these times, and indeed she was found in a meditating position next to the bed, and as usual also in her revealing underwear... "Good morning my beautiful Mila~ AAhhh What a good night's sleep, I feel like I slept for a week!"
Mila opened one of her eyes, "That's because you really slept a week."
"what?!" Robin rose from his bed, "Strange... why did I need so much sleep, I didn't fight myself.."
"You seem to have underestimated your mental fatigue since the war began." Mila stood up in a sexy pose and walked over to him, "Thinking of strategies and taking responsibility for the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and innocents, all this mentally exhausts any general even if he does not move from his place, and you were the best leader during this war, my handsome general."
"Is that so… sigh~ my genius as a general has been draining me mentally, no wonder.." Robin nodded a few times and then gave a chuckle as he started caressing Mila's breasts, " It is finally done now, there is nothing here for us anymore, start arranging your luggage... We will head back to Jora today."
Mila smiled a gentle smile and shook her head, " YOU.. are going back to Jura today."
"...haven't you forgotten that matter yet?" A sudden feeling of depression hit Robin when he remembered Mila's previous words that she would leave him after the war ended
"Have you made a serious decision about our future?" I asked Mila seriously
"...." Robin didn't know what to say, his future isn't even here!
"As expected..." Mila shrugged in response, stood up, and started getting dressed, "When you make up your mind, you know where to find me..."
"Mila…" Robin raised his hand to grab her closer to him, but stopped himself halfway and clenched tightly, then spoke, "… you may continue to create the talismans for your family, if you want, I think your father would benefit from some Oath Tablets in subduing his new lands.. but remember to make it with your own hands, do not give them the way to mass produce them."
"Oh.. the Bradleys will appreciate that... thank you…." Mila turned after getting dressed and thanked him with a smile that was hardly a smile, then approached and gave him a kiss on the cheek... "Be careful on your way to Jura, your excellency."