Grand Foreigner (Chapters 1- 200)

Chapter 56

A meeting of three irreconcilable opponents. Between barbarians, people who want to see Rome in ruins - at least that's what two other camps said about them. A Divine Ancestor who appeared out of thin air to protect Rome itself. And the legitimate emperor - or maybe the empress, Ainz was still not particularly sure how Nero should have been addressed - in exile, along with a small group of people still loyal to her.

Most likely, it could be easily assumed that all three camps - or their three leaders - would never meet on the same battlefield before then deciding to sit at the negotiating table, of course one could dream. But as soon as Ainz and his own side were added, one that could unbalance any scales and give the strength necessary for any of the three camp to gain complete superiority, the three proud leaders agreed to a meeting.

Unfortunately, what is supposed to be a peaceful meeting was somewhat hampered by the fact that the leaders of the three camps were not particularly ready to trust each other and therefore arrived at the meeting fully armed and in the presence of their own bodyguards - Ainz charitably probably could call them attorneys - but the very fact that they even participated in the negotiation at all could already be considered as some sort of success. At least this moved things from the point of "the three camps stand their ground and are not going anywhere." Of course, Ainz didn't want the meeting to transform into bloodshed - especially because Ainz himself suspected that Altera had a good chance of winning even a "four against one" situation, but... This would also get the ball rolling, which was good - even though Ainz did not particularly liked the way this ball would roll.

Romulus' offer to organize the meeting in Rome, of course, was rejected - the likely counter proposals to organize the meeting in any of the camps strongholds were also rejected. So the meeting was actually organized in an open field. Also, Ainz, in addition to the role of negotiator, had to play the role of the "fourth disinterested party", limiting himself only with the presence of Cainabel. However, in an emergency where there would be violence, this was quite enough.

In addition, at the insistence of Ainz himself, the small detail about the fact that Ainz had formally "joined" Altera was decided not to be disclosed. In an extreme case, he did not swear by the name of Ainz Ooal Gown, the noble name of his guild and friends, about supporting Altera's side, which means that his "support" could turn out to be... very short-lived.

Yes, in a sense, it was dishonorable. But Ainz knew how to accept his flaws as they were. And as one would come to understand understand, he was not the most... Honest man. It seems that Tabula Smaragdina once uttered a good phrase on this subject... A la guerre comme à la guerre, in war as in war.

These thoughts flashed through Ainz's head at the moment when he watched the incoming Servants took their seats on the sides of the square table created by Ainz's magic.

On the side of Altera's camp, with whom he had entered into an "alliance" in exchange for agreeing to attend the negotiations with two other camps, was attended by Altera herself and her alleged "confidant" - Boudica.

On the side of Romulus - the Servant because of which Ainz had to significantly increase the size of the table itself so that the Divine Ancestor could be seated behind it - was Leonidas, who is currently considering Altera and Boudica more likely from a military point of view.

Only from the side of Nero did Ainz see the Servant whom he expected to see at such negotiations - someone smart and level-headed, Caesar.

The fourth side, naturally, was occupied by Ainz himself, along with Cainabel.

The four parties to the conflict, taking their places, silently stared at each other, evaluating each other's fighting capability at the more likely possibility of a subsequent battle rather than trying to determine the chances of a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Ainz expected something similar of course, but that did not mean that he was not hoping for a different result.