The Crown Prince In Hiding

Day Three: The Closed-Door Negotiations Between Diablo and Snowhaven, Allianz Port

What you must do tomorrow is sit quietly and listen. It will be the most important lesson of your life as a ruler.

Nora kept turning those words over in her mind—until now.

The entire Snowhaven delegation was already present, and as the clock’s second hand struck the appointed time, everyone in the chamber felt it—

the presence of another species arriving.

They all rose to their feet, Nora included.

Prince Everton appeared with Galatasaray and his demon retinue.

Fury had kept his word and didn’t come, easing some of the pressure in the room, though Freya, the jellyfish demon, was still there.

“Good Wednesday morning to you all.”

Everton greeted them with polite formality before taking a seat opposite their table.

“I trust you slept well last night?”

His eyes swept briefly over Nora before moving on.

“Then let’s begin.”

Nora noticed the mane-like crest at the back of Prince Everton’s head shift upward on its own, wrapping over like a hood.

It was like watching Iron Man’s helmet close—except this was a living organ.

This was his mechanism: when Everton focused his mind, he activated this “mode” to concentrate all power into his brain. No one would see his face now—only the two glowing blue eyes in the dark.

The Diablo did things differently from humans. Snowhaven had an entire team to gather and process information, but here, Everton alone carried all knowledge and made all decisions himself.

As the party seeking assistance, Snowhaven presented their proposal and offered compensation first.

Snowhaven’s Proposal:

Permit the Diablo to enter Snowhaven territory within agreed boundaries, but prohibit entry within a 200-kilometer radius of the capital.

All Diablo operations must remain under Snowhaven’s control for a maximum of three months, including any use of force, which must comply with Snowhaven law.

The Diablo must share their Shadow-related scientific knowledge with Snowhaven.

In return:

Snowhaven would grant the Diablo use of Snowhaven lands, including:

The right to build housing or import any technology without restriction, with the condition that any weapon meant to kill Shadows must be declared.

The right to hunt any animal on Snowhaven soil for food or sport, except for certain listed species.

Snowhaven would exempt Diablo ships from maritime taxes while in Snowhaven waters.

The document was handed over. Prince Everton read it in silence while Empress Ophilis XIV sat with her hands clasped, serene, watching for their response.

Both leaders had interpreters at their sides. Even though both parties could speak Snowhaven’s language, using interpreters was a deliberate tactic—

During the translation pause, decision-makers could think.

(The following dialogue occurs through interpreters.)

“Oh?” Everton returned the document.

“You ask for too much.”

“Especially the third point, Your Majesty—we have no intention of sharing such knowledge with you… unless you have something truly compelling to offer.”

Nora’s eyes flicked to him.

Unless they have something compelling enough?

She scanned the proposal and spotted the hidden plays tucked in between the lines.

Granting the Diablo open use of Snowhaven lands and the freedom to hunt sounded generous, but it was actually a strategic ploy—similar to the Iskaryx problem. Dangerous “beasts” roamed widely; letting the Diablo hunt them was essentially tricking them into doing Snowhaven’s work for free.

The listed protected species—

Ice Mammoth

Diamond-Fanged Garuda

Red Giant Whale

Snow-Scaled Salmon

All had parts that could be turned into high-value trade goods—jewelry, perfumes—fetching sky-high export prices.

The off-limits zones weren’t just the capital but also the sites of mana crystal mines, and even recently cleared Iskaryx territories were fenced off.

“You want our knowledge but close us off completely. That doesn’t seem fair to us, Empress.”

And of course, the Diablo side knew this already—it was part of the game.

Snowhaven’s job was to push the offer as low as possible, so the other side would have to drag it up—but never to where the Diablo actually wanted it. The Diablo, in turn, asked for the impossible, so they could “compromise” down to what they really wanted.

“Most of what we could give you wouldn’t be of much use to you, Prince.”

“Not true. You have more to offer than you think.”

Diablo’s Counteroffer:

The Diablo would remain on Snowhaven soil without a time limit, while complying with Snowhaven’s laws.

The Diablo would share Shadow-related knowledge if Snowhaven revealed its mana crystal extraction technology.

The intensity of the talks spiked instantly.

Snowhaven knew exactly what the Diablo wanted.

“That is more than we can give.”

Nora agreed.

Modern mana crystal extraction was Snowhaven’s most valuable asset. Each year, they poured hundreds of millions of credits into refining the process to its peak.

Letting a direct trade rival steal this secret was utterly unacceptable.

“And unlimited stay is also unacceptable. Your presence would alarm the international community.”

The Empress said, “We can extend it to six months, maximum.”

Everton studied her from behind his living hood. He knew Snowhaven would never allow them a full year—it would be enough time to gather data.

Paul leaned in to whisper to the Empress, who then turned back to Everton.

“But if you want our mana crystal technology, we’re not closing the door completely.”

Snowhaven’s new offer:

“We’ll sell you our knowledge—old technology, from our first-generation extraction methods—500 million credits. And you’ll sell us your mana crystals at forty percent below market price, exclusively to us.”

Why not? Who said mana crystal producers couldn’t trade among themselves?

Snowhaven could buy from Diablo, process the C+ grade crystals with their superior methods, turn them into SSS+ grade, and sell them abroad for a fortune.

Empress Ophilis XIV was no ordinary ruler—no wonder she’d held power so long.

“We are not desperate. Even without you, we’ve always solved our problems, as our ancestors did. This is Snowhaven.”

Her firm declaration made Nora uneasy. A naïve princess among wolves could only glance between them.

On the Diablo side, Everton leaned back in his chair.

(If they offer you their outdated Shadow tech, Everton… it’ll just be child’s play—pointless.)

She could sense his thinking matched her own.

(Mother has set clear boundaries… Even seeking help, Snowhaven isn’t cornered.)

A lump sum—get, pay, done—was the worst possible approach. Diablo didn’t want outdated tech, and they didn’t want a one-off payout.

Everton wanted something like a leech—attached long-term, bringing steady income.

(But still… Snowhaven doesn’t know them like they know us.)

She had no idea where this deal would land.

Just then, a Snowhaven aide walked past her to whisper to the Empress, while a floating, one-eyed demon drifted over to murmur to Everton.

“They’re here, then.”

Who?

“Well… at least we can say we tried.”

Everton spoke to Galatasaray. Both delegations turned toward the entrance, where another group was arriving.

Nora now saw why there had been an empty space left at the table—reserved for another party joining the talks.

“They actually came,” the Empress murmured to her advisor, the corner of her lips curling.

“Slippery as they are clever… infuriating.”

Who was she talking about?

“Greetings, everyone.”

Nora’s eyes widened.

The Mathema delegation.

President Fofana Steelers.