Tyranny of Steel

Word immediately reached both Lukas' and Ghazis' ears, who were both surprised to see that each other's forces were present in the Mali Empire, which they had both set their eyes upon. Blood had been spilled already, and this incident could easily turn into something significant.

Perhaps this was the first test that the von Kufstein bloodline would have, with so many of its men being world rulers in their own right. However, both sides maintained level heads, and ordered their troops to stand down until a proper negotiation could take place between the two monarchs.

Thus, for the time being, what remained of the Mali Empire after getting attacked on two fronts was able to gain some respite, but it would clearly not be enough to save their fledgling civilization.

Instead, Lukas and Ghazi immediately met in neutral ground to discuss this meeting. Where was this neutral ground? Kufstein, the city where the two of them had grown up. However, it was not Berengar who would act as the mediator between his son's disputes.

No, the Kaiser had actually considered this a major test for his sons, and thus he placed Hans, the current Chancellor of the Reich, to mediate the dispute between his two half brothers.

And while both the British Army and the Iberian Army had begun to dig trenches at the front lines, the monarchs of the two empires had begun to travel to their destination for these peace accords.

Lukas stared down at his older half brother with a rather confident look in his blue eyes. These two boys had grown up together in this palace, and though they were currently competing with one another over land in Africa, they did not let it get in the way of their brotherhood.

Thus Lukas approached Ghazi and hugged the young man, as if he was the same brother he had always known before discussing his lament that blood had been spilled over such a petty issue.

"Brother, I have sorry that things have unfortunately led to this. And while I do not know who fired the first shot, I can assure you that you can expect me to pay for the damages that have been caused to your forces. I don't want there to be any bad blood between us simply because of a small political dispute like this."

Ghazi was initially quite hostile when he saw Lukas, believing the man had come to fight him to the bitter end in negotiations to extract the most benefits. But, when he saw how friendly his younger half-brother was being, even with the current conflict between them, he could not maintain his anger over the situation, and thus he was forced to smile as he accepted his brother's embrace before returning the man's generosity.

"If you are willing to pay for the damages I received, then I am more than willing to do the same. Come, let us sit down and come up with a compromise that appeases us both..."

Hans could only smile as he saw his two half brothers immediately bury any sense of hostility they had for one another. He was beginning to suspect that his father was an absolute genius for uniting the world through bonds of blood and brotherhood.

Thus, once both Lukas and Ghazi were seated, Hans took his own seat before beginning the negotiations.

"As requested by the two of you, I, Prince Hans von Kufstein, Chancellor of Germany, will be overseeing these negotiations, and moderating them to see that things don't get any worse. Now, I know the both of you have vested interests in the lands of the Mali Empire, and have already begun to draw battle lines in case things get worse.

So, I will be frank, I believe that the best solution to come to a proper compromise is to split the Mali Empire in two. If we give the southwestern portion of Mali to the British Empire, and the Northeastern portion of Mali to the Iberian Empire, then you both can get a decent amount of land, and the vast deposits of gold that come with it.

However, judging by the number of losses sustained so far in this conflict, it would appear the Iberian Army has deal more casualties, and in my humble opinion after examining the military strength of both armies, I believe if this did come to a military engagement, then the Iberians would emerge victorious.

Thus, after taking the strength of your two Empires into account, I am advocating for 10% of the lands which the British Empire currently claims to be handed over to the Iberians. You two may now both discuss your opinions on this matter."

While Lukas maintained a pleasant smile, his eyes had narrowed into a sharp gauge as he immediately found disagreement in his eldest brother's words.

"Absolutely not. If we're talking about military strength as the reason behind me having to give up 10% of my conquered territory, then I think this is a huge mistake. My army has more than enough power to contend with the Iberians, and it is entirely likely that if war were to break out, that we would emerge victorious. I am not demanding 10% of the lands which the Iberian Army currently occupies, I am merely requesting that all the territory that I have conquered is officially recognized as British soil!"

Hans looked over at his other brother Ghazi, who had a stern look in his amber eyes. He had suspected that Lukas would resist such a demand, even if he was not the one to make it, and was quick to counter with a threat that Lukas found to be difficult to counter.

"Lukas, you might have constructed yourself a mighty Navy, but it still takes time to ferry your troops from Britain to Africa. Meanwhile, I have a vast swath of North Africa already under my control, if I decide to move my troops who are currently garrisoned in Morocco and Algeria into Mali, your men will be encircled and defeated before you have a chance to mobilize your reinforcements.

In fact, I have the exact opposite demands that either of you has voiced thus far. I want the western half of Mali. It would be good to incorporate the coastlines of both Morocco and Mali into my domain. I am already aware that Lukas has been expanding from his current colonies into the surrounding regions, and I believe that the eastern half of Mali where my men currently occupy would be more beneficial to his Empire. But if I must settle for the east, then I will only do so if I get 25% of Britain's current occupied territory, not 10%"

Hans could only sigh as he sat back in his chair and waited for his two brothers to debate amongst themselves. Like he expected, Lukas had become frustrated over this remark and immediately voiced his outrage.

"twenty-five percent? You must be joking! I have my own plans for the western half of Mali, which is why I invaded that particular region first. I will not settle for only the east. If you think I am scared of your ability to mobilize your troops quicker than I can, then perhaps I should remind you that my navy is more than capable of blowing your out of the water!

If you dare to encircle my forces, then I will blockade your navy, and your merchant fleet from ever escaping from the Mediterranean. I will cut you from having any and all access to the New World. Let us see how your Empire prospers without those critical resources!

Upon seeing that both of his brothers were becoming increasingly closer to an outright military conflict, Hans sighed heavily before whispering something in Lukas' ear that only the two of them could hear.

Lukas immediately looked perplexed when he heard his brother's words before asking if the information was truly verified.

"You are certain?"

Hans simply responded with a silent nod of his head, to which Lukas immediately shifted his stance on the entire discussion and agreed to Ghazi's immediate demands.

"Very well, with this new information, I believe it is tolerable if I accept the eastern half of Mali, while conceding the western half to Iberia. However, in exchange for this, I want one million marks transferred to my Empire's treasury!"

Ghazi immediately narrowed his eyes upon hearing Lukas' sudden shift in behavior, and looked towards Hans for guidance, who once more silently nodded his head, as if informing the Iberian Sultan that this was the best outcome.

Immediately after seeing this, Ghazi sighed heavily and contemplated the offer for some time before finally reaching out his hand and accepting it.

"Very well, Lukas. I find these terms to be agreeable. We will transfer ownership of the lands we currently occupy immediately after signing this agreement."

After saying this, both Lukas and Ghazi signed a treaty recognizing the ownership of the lands they both agreed to. Thus, sealing the fate of the Mali Empire once and for all.

I wanted to thank you all for supporting Tyranny of Steel up to this point. From here on out, until the very end of the novel, updates are going to be less frequent with one chapter a day. Instead, I would like to invite all of you to read my new novel Interstellar Age, at https://www.webnovel.com/book/interstellar-age_ 26235247006730205

Which will be receiving my primary attention from here on out. Thank you all for the support you have shown me, and I look forward to writing novels for you all for years to come!