There was a bountiful spread of meat on the table, alongside bread made from the wheat grown by my devoted minions. The meat looked expertly cooked, and the smell alone was enough to stimulate my appetite. I eagerly started to eat, as did Raymond, who sat across from me in silence. He tried to initiate conversation, but when he saw that I was not interested in engaging, he fell silent.

The food was quite nice, especially since I'd been pretty hungry.

Once we had finished our meal, I summoned the minion manager and his assistants to clear the table. As I wiped my hands with a cloth, I turned to Raymond and asked, "Why have you come to see me now? Tell me what it is you want so that I can decide whether or not to assist you."

"My king, Gandalf, wishes to form an alliance," Raymond began. "He has a formidable army, but he desires the support of more humans. He wants to create a powerful alliance and defeat all the other human kingdoms in the world."

I raised an eyebrow sceptically. "And what if I decline this offer? Will you attack me with all your might?"

"No, sire. We would never attack you, especially not you. You are one of the strongest humans in the world. We have no desire to bring your wrath upon us.""How many kings are currently in this alliance?" I inquired.

"There are no other kings in the alliance yet," Raymond replied. "You are the first kingdom I have visited to propose the alliance." He seemed uneasy, no doubt concerned for his own safety after my harsh treatment of him. For a moment, I considered agreeing to the alliance. It would provide a useful ally in times of conflict. However, the thought of sitting beside another king and being forced to fight battles alongside him did not sit well with me. I am the only king who should be seated at the top.

Well, in the end, the concept of being a king was still somewhat odd to me. Whatever the case, this proposal seemed odd. There was an uncanny feeling surrounding it. As the cold, gentle breeze found its way inside, I was slightly calmed down. I guess I didn't need to be so worried about everything at the moment.

However, I was never going to accept a proposal like this.

I scrutinized Raymond from head to toe. He was impeccably dressed, with his sword prominently displayed in its scabbard. I was curious to know more about his kingdom and its strength. I needed a better understanding of some of the other human civilisations in this place in order to gauge the general strength of them.

"What kind of power does your king possess?" I asked. "I want to know about the number of soldiers he has at his disposal."

"I am sorry, sire, but I am not permitted to disclose the exact number of his highness's resources," Raymond responded. "However, I can assure you that he has sufficient power to match your own."

"Does he have any other humans serving him, aside from yourself?"

"Yes, there is a lady in his court who is set to become his wife. Like the lady who is with you." Raymond gestured towards Chloe.

The thought of marrying Chloe was strange to me, and I responded with a touch of anger. "She is not my wife. She is a companion, and we are together on this mission."

"I apologize, my lord. I did not mean to offend you," Raymond quickly apologized.

The fear on his face was palpable. It seemed that his own king was a cruel and harsh ruler, prone to punishing even the slightest infractions. Chloe, on the other hand, had always spoken to me with a friendly demeanour, unafraid of me. Raymond, on the other hand, treated me with the utmost deference, as if I were a tyrannical king myself. No doubt, he was accustomed to being punished for even the most minor offences.

I wanted to learn more about the terms of this alliance, so I asked, "What would be my benefit from joining this alliance?"

"You will be provided with assistance whenever you need it," the representative, Raymond, replied. "However, in exchange, you will have to provide 100 of your strongest minions to the main army of the alliance."

I was not pleased with this offer. "So, you expect me to provide my soldiers to Gandalf, your king, in order to receive help whenever I want?" I said, my voice dripping with disdain. "I don't like this offer. You can consider whatever you want, but my soldiers are not joining your army, and I am not joining any alliance. Go tell your king that he is not getting anything from me," I declared, standing up from my bed with determination. My voice was louder than ever before, and my actions were quite threatening.

Raymond, the representative, was clearly intimidated by my reaction. He stood up from his chair, his eyes wide with fear, and quickly left the room. Chloe, on the other hand, remained seated on her chair, her expression calm and unruffled. Raymond gave her a strange look as he left, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Eventually, he got out of his seat, timidly making his way out of the room. With not much left to say, he walked to the door.

As Raymond left, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at standing up for myself. I knew that joining this alliance would not be in my best interests, and I was not willing to compromise my own values and beliefs for the sake of convenience. I would rather stand alone than be a pawn in someone else's game. So, I made the decision to turn down this offer and chart my own path, no matter how difficult it may be.

However, I knew that this choice would have consequences, and I'd need to deal with them.