The feast had gone on for a long time. The people’s mood was high, but two trolls were looking on in anticipation.

  The trolls were staring at the spread, their stomachs audibly growling. Crushir leaned in close to Atlas, his voice low and hopeful.

  “We eat, too?” Crushir’s simple question was met with an amused chuckle from Atlas.

  “Yeah, Crushir. Eat all you want.”

  Crushir grinned wide, his large teeth gleaming, and turned to his sister, nodding enthusiastically. “Atlas say we eat! We eat!”

  The trolls left their bodyguard positions and descended on the table like a force of nature, their large hands grabbing everything within reach—roasted meats, entire loaves of bread, bowls of rice. They ate with no shame, tearing through the feast like a pack of wild animals. The courtesans nearby stifled gasps, and the imperial ministers exchanged shocked looks.

  “How much can they eat?” one minister whispered, his eyes wide as he watched Crushir stuff an entire pig’s leg into his mouth.

  “More than you’d think,” another replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

  Though it was no secret that Atlas’ bodyguards were trolls, seeing them in action was another thing entirely. The ministers exchanged worried glances. Soldiers nearby, discreet but ready, fingered their flame arrows and kept an eye on the trolls, just in case things got out of hand.

  But the night stayed festive. As the wine flowed and the laughter grew louder, it was clear the feast was a success. Atlas and the Emperor had found common ground—at least for tonight. And as the courtesans led both Alexander and Atlas off to their chambers, the trolls continued their destruction of the feast, much to the horror and fascination of the imperial court.

  Olivia watched it all with a smile. ‘Well, we made it through dinner without anyone dying. That’s a win in my book.‘

  ‘‘‘‘

  The next morning, Olivia and her diplomats, along with Atlas, met once more with the Celestial Emperor and his ministers. Despite the problems from the previous day, Olivia stood tall, confident that the draft they had put together was solid. She handed over the scroll to the Emperor, who, in turn, passed it to his ministers. They began poring over it, whispering among themselves.

  Olivia’s heart thumped in her chest, though her face betrayed none of her nerves. She glanced over at Atlas, who looked equally tense but was doing a good job pretending he wasn’t. She knew what was riding on this agreement—it wasn’t just about power, it was about keeping the peace and uniting the wasteland.

  After some time, the Emperor turned to her and smiled faintly, “This is well thought out, Olivia. Allow us some private time to discuss it.”

  Olivia gave a polite nod, “Of course, Your Majesty. We’ll wait outside.”

  She signaled her team, and they all filed out of the room. Once they were gone, the Emperor turned to his ministers.

  "So, what do you think?" the Celestial Emperor asked, his voice low but commanding.

  Minister Wei, an older man with sharp eyes, spoke up first. “This is a good deal for us. It's also a good deal for the Fort Bone Empire. There’s balance here, no obvious traps.” He paused, then raised a brow. “But do you want balance, Your Majesty?”

  The Emperor leaned back, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his throne. “No... I'd rather dominate. Is there any way for us to completely take over?”

  Minister Wei smiled slightly. “Of course. The Celestial Empire can always take over. But it would cost us dearly. We don’t have the manpower right now to take them head-on, especially not with those trolls and... Atlas.” He said Atlas’ name with a hint of reluctance.

  The Emperor sighed. “Atlas. That man is a problem.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Wei nodded. “Yes, but not one we can afford to engage in direct conflict with—yet. Diplomacy, for now, is our best weapon. I recommend we play the long game. Gain their trust, secure our position, and then... we make our move.”

  The Celestial Emperor considered this, his gaze narrowing. "Diplomacy. For now. I suppose that’s the wisest course of action." He looked to the other ministers, who all nodded in agreement.

  "All right," the Emperor said, standing up. "Summon them back in. Let’s finish this."

  ‘‘‘

  Olivia and her team re-entered the room, flanked by Atlas and the trolls. Crushir and Portilla were trying—and failing—to stand still, fidgeting as they always did. Olivia shot them a quick look, and they both straightened up.

  The Emperor greeted them warmly, though the slight edge in his voice hadn’t completely vanished. “We’ve reviewed your proposal, and we’re ready to proceed.”

  Olivia smiled, trying to read the room. “I’m glad to hear that, Your Majesty.”

  The Emperor gestured toward the document. “We agree to the terms as outlined. The joint leadership structure, shared goals, and mutual protection are acceptable. We also appreciate the conflict resolution protocols. However—” he paused, locking eyes with Atlas—"I’d like to ensure that both sides maintain respect for each other's autonomy."

  Atlas, who had been silent until now, crossed his arms and smirked. “Respect, huh? As long as you remember that Fort Bone doesn’t bow to anyone, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”

  The room went tense for a split second, but Olivia quickly jumped in to smooth things over. “What Atlas means, Your Majesty, is that we value this partnership deeply and look forward to achieving great things together.”

  The Emperor chuckled, breaking the tension. “Of course, of course. I think we’ll find our way forward.” He glanced at Atlas, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “And perhaps even enjoy a drink together tonight, yes?”

  Atlas grinned. “I’m always down for that your majesticness.”

  With that, the room relaxed again. The diplomats nodded and murmured their agreements, and Olivia felt a wave of relief wash over her. They had done it. They had a deal.

  As they all chatted and finalized the last details, Olivia couldn’t help but feel proud. ‘This might just work,‘ she thought. ‘We might actually pull this off.‘

  ‘‘‘‘

  Atlas and the Celestial Emperor signed the system contract. Now, it was on to his favorite part. They headed to the system kiosk in the Celestial Empire, where both of them used their thumbprints. The formal treaty was clear: neither of them would be the overlord. What the treaty allowed was communication between them on a limited basis and restricted teleportation rights.

  "Are you ready for this?" Atlas asked, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

  The Celestial Emperor simply nodded, "Yes."

  "This will be the creation of a brand-new force in the Wasteland," Atlas grinned, his fingers itching to proceed.

  He navigated through the settlement screen until he found the option: Declare War

  "Would you like to do the honours?" Atlas offered with a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

  "Upon the traditions of my people, and the way of the Celestial Empire, I do declare war." The Emperor spoke solemnly, tapping the button with a sense of reverence.

  Atlas thought, ‘Wow, that was dramatic. I was just going to hit the button.‘

  With a quick flash, war was officially declared on America United, by the combined might of the Celestial Empire and the Fort Bone Empire. Jed Lawson received the notice, as did countless others across the Wasteland. The news was spreading like wildfire through three different continents.

  When war was declared, any citizen not registered to a settlement would be immediately ejected from the borders. In the case of America United, it meant the settlement itself. In the Celestial Empire, the same rules applied. But in Fort Bone, where Atlas's empire spanned an entire continent, people were kicked out far beyond the walls in random directions. This included anyone who wasn’t part of Fort Bone or the Celestial Empire—adventurers, bandits, spies... even tourists and merchants were tossed out.

  War had begun. Whether those ejected would return was up to the two emperors—the two leaders. For now, though, everyone got a fresh start.

  ‘‘‘

  Atlas turned to the Emperor, “Well, now we have to commit to our military obligations.”

  The Celestial Emperor replied, “You know I can’t teleport my army directly into America United. Only you have a connected territory, even with the teleportation points.”

  Atlas grinned. “Ah, but if Jed keeps his town point active, we can teleport right in. Let’s check if he has.”

  They quickly scanned through the kiosk.

  “Damn,” Atlas muttered. “The war option negated that. Tourists can still teleport directly into America United, but any citizens affiliated with other empires? Blocked.”

  “Well, that complicates things,” he added, adjusting his plan.

  The Celestial Emperor raised an eyebrow. “Now what?”

  Atlas laid it out, “Well, we both committed 400-soldier armies for the first month. We’ll go first since we’re connected. We can literally teleport to our wall and then just walk right in.”

  The Emperor nodded. “Why don’t we teleport to your wall too? Doesn’t your teleportation point only block enemies?”

  “Yes. It’s perfect for allies,” Atlas smirked. “And this is an official war.”

  “Excellent. Then let us proceed.”

  With that, they coordinated their armies. The army from the Celestial Empire had to move in smaller teleportation friendly groups, but eventually, they coordinated and joined up with the Fort Bone Empire’s troops. Moments later, both armies entered through from the gates, surging into America United.

  “800 strong. We’ll rampage through America United now,” Atlas said, excitement building in his voice.