Inside the embassy.
Silence hung in the air.
The two envoys looked at Tanaka's grave expression and cursed this old fox a hundred times in their hearts.
Too insidious.
He did not even bother to hide his intentions, simply laying the choice before them.
Either the three nations unite to restrain that mad dog from the Land of Lightning, and the three of them continue to prosper and count money until their hands cramp.
Or, they stand by and watch, then helplessly allow the Land of Lightning to join the table and take half the meat from their bowls.
How could they choose?
There was no choice at all.
The Land of Wind envoy's face turned extremely unpleasant. "Lord Tanaka... is there truly no room for maneuver?"
"Sirs, this is not about willingness," Tanaka spread his hands and stated plainly. "Production capacity is fixed."
"With an extra mouth to feed, the meat in everyone's bowls naturally decreases."
"Of course, we wish to maintain the status quo and share prosperity with our two allies."
"But if the Land of Lightning insists on causing trouble, then for the sake of peace, we can only make concessions."
Concessions, my foot.
The two envoys roared inwardly at the same time.
If you were truly willing to make concessions, you would not have beaten us down in the Third Great War.
But for the moment, circumstances were stronger than men.
From the moment they set foot in the Land of Fire and enjoyed the snowflake-like sugar and cloud-like silk, their interests had already become inextricably linked with the Land of Fire.
On the usually composed face of the Land of Earth envoy, emotion flickered. He asked in a deep voice, "What do you want us to do?"
The Land of Wind envoy also put away his smile, his expression stern.
Tanaka felt at ease, knowing the fish had taken the bait.
His compassionate expression grew even more pronounced. "We are all peace-loving people. Naturally, we cannot be as crude as the Land of Lightning, constantly threatening war."
"In my opinion, why don't our three nations jointly issue a diplomatic note to the Land of Lightning."
"Strongly condemn their hegemonic actions that undermine regional peace, and demand that they abide by the rules."
"Three against one. Even if the Land of Lightning is reckless, they will have to weigh the consequences of offending all three of us at once."
The two envoys exchanged a look.
The same grievance and helplessness were in both their eyes.
At this point, there was no other choice.
The Land of Wind envoy's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally nodded slowly. "Very well... I will report this to our Daimyo immediately."
The Land of Earth envoy also responded in a deep voice, "We will synchronize."
Having secured their commitment, Tanaka saw no need to stay longer. After a few courtesies, he took his leave.
Two days later.
The two envoys invited Tanaka again.
In the same reception room, the roles of host and guest seemed to have reversed.
A smile appeared on the Land of Earth envoy's face, though it was somewhat forced.
"Lord Tanaka, our Daimyo has replied."
Tanaka's eyebrows flicked. He lifted his teacup and waited.
The Land of Earth envoy said, "Our Daimyo believes that while the Land of Lightning's actions have always been overbearing, for now, they are only verbal threats."
"If we overreact, it will only give them an excuse."
The words sounded like smoothing things over.
Tanaka's brow rose slightly, his gaze turning a shade colder.
Seeing this unwelcome tone, the Land of Earth envoy immediately shifted. "However, our Land of Wind and Land of Earth have reached a consensus."
"The two of us will first jointly summon the Land of Lightning envoy to express our serious concerns about the current situation."
"To make him understand that this matter is not solely the Land of Fire's concern."
This was the first step, a verbal warning.
"Furthermore," the Land of Earth envoy's tone suddenly grew heavier, "our Daimyo has secretly ordered Tsuchikage Ōnoki to put the border troops on alert."
"If the Land of Lightning acts on its threats, with any military movements or provocations at the border."
"Then, our Land of Wind and Land of Earth will immediately, in the name of the Daimyo, issue the sternest diplomatic condemnation to the Land of Lightning."
"And dispatch a joint envoy mission directly to Kumogakure to demand an explanation from the Land of Lightning."
The Land of Wind envoy added, his voice ringing with force, "Our Daimyo has also notified Rasa, the Kazekage, that we will act in synchronization."
The phrasing was watertight.
They gave the Land of Fire a clear promise, while retaining diplomatic flexibility.
A conditional military assistance treaty was thus formed.
"Good, excellent."
A smile finally appeared on Tanaka's face. He stood and bowed to the two.
"With your strong support, peace is within reach. On behalf of Daimyo-sama and the Land of Fire, I thank you both."
This result exceeded his expectations.
He had thought it would be, at most, a joint letter of condemnation. He did not expect a quasi-military alliance.
After some polite exchanges, the atmosphere warmed.
Then Tanaka lowered his voice, speaking so only the three could hear, a hint of mystery in his tone. "To thank you sirs for your great contribution to maintaining peace..."
He paused, each word carefully placed.
"For next month's shipments to your nations, I will personally arrange an increase of one-tenth for your manors."
"This matter, heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know."
"Consider it a small token of my personal regard, a humble offering."
The two envoys' breathing hitched.
Their faces, previously darkened from being maneuvered, broke into visible smiles.
One-tenth.
And private goods delivered directly to their manors.
No one knew better than they what that meant.
Their earlier displeasure evaporated.
"Lord Tanaka, this... how can we..." The Land of Wind envoy spoke modestly, but the sparkle in his eyes could not be hidden.
"It is only right. Absolutely right." Tanaka took his hand warmly, then patted the Land of Earth envoy's shoulder.
"From now on, we are family."
"Hahahaha, yes, we are family."
The reception room filled again with cheerful air, more genuine than before.
After a pleasant time for hosts and guests, the two envoys, shedding their former arrogance, personally escorted Tanaka to the embassy gate, their smiles utterly sincere.
Only after watching Tanaka's carriage disappear at the end of the street did they exchange a look and return to digest the day's thrilling confrontation.
The carriage moved steadily.
Tanaka sat upright inside, eyes closed in thought, the gentle smile long gone, replaced by unruffled calm.
Back at his manor, he dismissed all servants and stood alone by the study window.
He gazed at the distant silhouette of the Daimyo's manor, gilded by the setting sun, lost in thought.
In his eyes burned indescribable awe and fervor.
With only an ethereal trade right, he had, without bloodshed, leveraged the military power of two great nations.
Making them willingly act as enforcers for the Land of Fire.
(To be continued.)