"Future rights? How can we determine the places of monsters and their appearances? What if we don't start a new invasion, and get satisfied with what we got?" James calmly replied back, as he was thinking about this strange offer.

The merchant was a sly old fox, who just looked at James, with a knowing look. Everyone here had already heard the news of the new expedition, and rumors even went to speak of attacking more than one kingdom.

"It's not a matter of certainty, of course, but we trust that your ambition isn't limited to here," the merchant replied with his sweet words, replying to James ' trap question.

"Hmm…" James nodded, as he had a moment of inspiration just now, "I can agree to that," he said, startling even Islinda who just grabbed his shoulder, trying to make him rethink again. "However, the price for these rights will be severe," he declared.

"No matter what, we agree," the merchant had a very old experience in his business, so his keen eyes noticed the stressed reaction of Islinda, so he hurried to speak, trying to cut the route on her to change James' mind.

"Are you sure? Don't you want to hear my price first?"James suddenly asked, with an evil smile over his face.

James wasn't that experienced like this merchant, but he had his enough experience in dealing with bad and sly people back in his camp. The life of an orphan there was really harsh; if he was soft he would be eaten alive by the hungry wolves there.

This look, and the feeling the merchant had from James made him ask:

"May I know the price, please?"

"Sure," James nodded, while the firm nervous hand grip of Islinda finally relaxed. She totally forgot how sly he was, and so she started to amusedly watching his next words, and their reaction over those sly merchants.

"As you know, each monster spawning place must be protected by forces, to be ready for any monster appearance at any time. Before we can approve, as a rising power, to your demands, you have to provide the forces needed to secure the number of these monsters in the number of one hundred planets.

You choose how many monsters you want, then amass their protecting squadrons, then we will have the right to take them with us at the next expedition towards these planets," James said, before adding with a wider smile, "and after that, the squadrons will be responsible for securing the monster spawning for eternity, and so it would be logic to make them also take part in defending the safety of the whole regimen I'm now building."

He finally expressed his true intentions. Islinda, and the others, felt weird when he proposed his first condition, but the next moment they understood his true intentions.

The growing numbers of the monsters started to form a problem, an obvious problem to Rigo and his forces. James knew in the future his forces might be entirely distributed everywhere just to keep the peace.

That would be a very desperate future he didn't want to see! He didn't want to spend most of his acquired wealth on amassing fleets to just lose them to secure the monster spawn places!

He wanted to form a local guarding force protecting his growing empire, without the need to pay anything, without the need to even organize or pay them. Islinda glanced at him, shortly, while trying to hold back her laughter.

This was the brilliant solution to all this mess! She knew how much work securing the internal safety of any kingdom was, and now he had freed all his fleet from this tedious commitment, without the need to pay or suffer any losses.

That was an amazing deal in her opinion, and the loser side would be this man sitting against them.

"Of course that's the price of the right to have these places, but the price of the places itself will be a different matter," he said, while turning to look at Islinda, "dear, sorry to trouble you but if they agreed on my terms, then discuss the monetary thing related to the prices of the monsters," he said, with a wide smile over his face.

"Sure thing, my love," Islinda suddenly replied, calling him her love, before she leaned on his face, and painted a soft kiss over his cheeks.

This wasn't a true kiss, but it was a precursor to it. the next moment James just glanced at her eyes, felt the warm breath of hers over his face to be aroused.

He was already aroused by Luna's play all the time, and this little push from someone he deeply admired for so long, made him lose control for a brief second; and this second was enough to make him squeeze her soft lips inside his and taste the sweetness of her kiss.

"Can you come to me after you finish?" he whispered, as this soft touch had aroused his attention. Islinda just smiled, while looking at her rival, directly in the eye. 'This is how you do it, bitc*' she thought, and her meaning was successfully delivered through her look.

James didn't want to leave, but he had already said his farewell order to Islinda. Any more moments here would seem awkward to him, so he moved back to his small cruiser, back to his large one.

During the way, Luna's mind didn't stop thinking about her next move. She had finally managed to penetrate James' defenses, and was about to tighten the net around him, making him taste her sweetness that he wouldn't be satisfied after with any girl except her.

But now, Islinda had made a single approach and crushed all hard work, threatening to take the man she wanted to seize.

Men for her were just mere tools, only useful when being controlled. She was never ever truly under any control of man before, even her first master.

So, she wouldn't be satisfied with being number two in James' life, but the issue was how to do that while the two of them were about to meet tonight? Should she go and kill her then?

Just as her mind was full of all these disturbed thoughts, a distress call suddenly came to his large cruiser, coming from the black market planets of his.

"Supreme leader, there is a distress message coming," one of the droids said, making James free himself from the hands of Luna, and go to receive this message.

It was sent from the main planet of the eleven under his control. When he read it, he frowned, thinking about the meaning of this.

The message content was simple, there was an ambassador of the black market, who asked for him. When he knew he was on an external expedition, he left, heading straight to this kingdom.

According to the message, the ambassador just left today morning, and that meant he would need two days to reach here at least, or maybe three.

The issue wasn't about that, he felt some hidden forces trying to press him by that move.

'It seemed I got noticed sooner than I expected,' he thought to himself, while glancing at Luan, 'my personal strength would determine everything, I need to start training.'

He thought of taking Luna now and started training with her, but he remembered his word with Islinda. He sighed, why couldn't he have them both at the same time then, and solve this unnecessary problem?

James knew his main forces were now away from him at the new expedition. Recalling them back wasn't wise, as they just sat on their journey, ready for the fight.

Besides, even if he had all his forces by his side, that wouldn't scare that ambassador, as he was representing far stronger and powerful forces, no doubt!

'I have to compromise this time,' he muttered, as it wasn't wise gaining more enemies, especially at this delicate stage of his young empire. bowing one's head for now wasn't foolishness, the fool was the one who would stand firm now, facing all this trouble while he was this weak.

He knew, his future was destined to be boundless, but he needed time. Terasos' race was a threat to him, and adding one or more powerful forces to his enemies' list wasn't smart.

But how would he deal with this incoming threat, to show up his strength in a non-offending way?

On his side, Luna was in her own world, thinking about how to deal with Islinda. She didn't like the idea of being defeated in the hands of one girl, especially if she thought herself to be way higher than her in everything.

The only weakness she got was her shallow relation with James, based on the small time she spent with him so far. If she wanted to be victorious here, she had to be far bolder than Islinda.

Just as she was about to make a move, James turned to look at her while saying:

"I will wait for you tomorrow."

She received the note, and knew she had moved too late already, as the man had made up his mind. He would start with her rival, then with her, which made her, no matter what, number two in his life.