( Author's Note : Hello guys I hope all of you are doing well and before continuing any further I would like to clarify some things .
For the story I have decided to take and use some of the filler arcs including information from the land of bird arc also known as the Cursed Warrior Extermination mission arc .
Since it was a filler arc and a lot of information has not been provided I have decided that for this story purpose in this third great shinobi war timeline the leader of the land of birds will be lord Ōwashi in his younger ruling days.
And future characters like Toki and Sagi have not yet taken birth and Mōsō the future chief advisor and the traitor had yet to arrive and make his influence in the region .
So I hope all of you can understand my point of view .
And if you have anything to say do tell me in the comments section .
But on this matter, while I am open to constructive criticism, please refrain from using too much harsh words which are detrimental for us as a whole community .
And that's all I had to say today .
So without any further ado let's start with our magical journey
Thank you for reading . )
Chapter : 17 : Consider This A Meeting Gift Your Highness :
Location : Land Of Bird : Outside The Royal Palace :
At this moment outside the Royal Palace of the land of birds a group of people were standing .
Among them were important ministers, generals and even the royal family of the land .
But there was a difference in their posture .
Because today it seems like they were not waiting to be greeted with honour, instead they were waiting there under the hot burning sun to greet someone else with gifts in their hands .
" Is everything prepared in a perfect manner? I don't want any mishaps happening today . "
The one who asked the question was none other than Lord Ōwashi, the current ruler of the land of birds .
Yes, if one were remembers then this person is the same Lord Ōwashi from the fillar arc called the Land Of Birds Arc.
He was the ruler of the land of birds who was eventually betrayed and ended by his own chief advisor Mōsō .
But for now none of those things have happened .
Right now Ōwashi was much younger than his futureself and future Toki and Sagi had not yet taken birth.
And even more importantly the future chief advisor Mōsō who would betray the man and his family has yet to come in the land of birds and make his influence .
So for now there was no fear of him getting betrayed at least by someone like Mōsō .
However that does not mean that right now there are no problems going on in the land of birds .
In fact right now this beautiful land is going through a severe crisis .
Since the start of the third great shinobi war the entire area had fallen into great chaos .
Fortunately their small land was fortunate enough not to become a middle ground of the conflict like their unfortunate neighbour land of Rain .
But still this fact also brought them a different kind of problems .
The very fact that they were not involved directly in the conflict makes them a relatively safe space for people escaping the conflict zones .
And because of this, for the last few months, an huge amount of people especially from land of rain and grass have been coming to their lands creating a huge problem .
Lord Ōwashi and many of his ministers were kind people and could not bring themselves to force these people out of their land .
However at the same time they also lack the facility and ability to support such a massive flow of people .
Especially when they cannot even properly support their own .
In this time of conflict the prices of various things including and most importantly foods have gone up drastically .
And right now they themselves are struggling to keep their Kingdom from starving .
So there was simply no extra to spare for anyone else .
Moreover this sudden influx of people brought more than just food scarcity to their doors .
Many rogue Shinobis and other bandits also started to run away from the big battle zones and they are often at the risk of becoming the most lucrative target for these hungry wolves .
And this is a much bigger problem for them because they are not quite strong enough to do that .
Unlike the great villages or other small but powerful villages the land of birds does not have a structured shinobi system .
And what they had at best were regular soldiers and some little experienced samurais .
But they were nothing one compared to a group of real shinobis .
So for that reason the simply did not have the capability to fully protect themselves in case of a major attack are to even manage this huge number of people .
So with all options lost and the situation getting worse day by day the leadership of the land of birds decided that the only option they have left is to look for help from wherever they can .
Unfortunately this task proved to be much harder than they expected it to be .
Because at this point all the big villages are fighting against each other .
So simply they don't have time or the luxury to help them at all .
And the rest of the small Kingdom could also not help because at the end of the day they are also facing the same kind of difficulties .
So both of the primary options for support were not available .
But despite all of that they did not give up and continued to look for ways .
Fortunately however after trying so hard they finally found some light in this darkness .
And brought them the much needed hope .
" Yes your majesty, we have already prepared all the gifts and everyone else perfectly for the merchant Caravan to arrive . "
At this moment an old but wise looking minister who was standing by the side spoke up assuring the young lord.
" Good ! because this time we need to make sure that this meeting goes without any problems . "
" Don't worry your highness I am sure everything will go fine . "
" Sigh ! I just hope you are right minister . "
From the words and conversation between them The Identity of the other party who was coming to visit became more clear .
They were not waiting for a fellow ruler from another small kingdom or diplomats from one of the great villages .
Instead they were waiting for a trade caravan .
This was highly unusual even for them .
Because merchant groups and trade caravans were one of the most important aspects of any Kingdom .
But still no matter what, it was very rare to see such an important gathering to welcome them .
Moreover the fact that even the royal family of the kingdom was waiting there goes to show just how much importance they put on this trade caravan .
Just as they were talking to each other a soldier riding on a horse came forward from a distance .
" My lord, the trade caravan is coming . "
Listening to the report the young Lord quickly looked in front where he saw a group coming towards them .
With excitement and apprehension in his eyes , he finally looked towards everyone behind him and said .
" Alright everyone be prepared . "
Time Skip : 4 Minutes Later :
After a few minutes of waiting the Caravan finally stopped in front of the royal line .
The Caravan consisted of 44 wagons and multiple horses carrying various kinds of things and people .
The Caravan was protected by a guard of around 400 normal guards and 100 elite samurais .
And there was even a group of around 20 shinobis among them .
Looking at this , Lord Ōwashi, who was standing at the front , looked a little shocked .
" My lord, this level of protection for a trade caravan is really unprecedented . "
At this point one of the experienced royal guards came forward and said quietly .
" Those shinobies are certainly not weak. "
" There are 18 genins and 2 chinin level shinobis among them . "
This level of security was quite unheard of for any local merchant nearby , no matter how big they are .
At best they would raise some local guards or thugs with a few hired shinobies .
And even then it would be considered a big force .
But this one was on a totally different level .
" To be able to hire such a huge force .... the amount of resources taken must be quite extraordinary . " - Lord Ōwashi muttered to himself .
At this moment finally the gates of the main carriage of the group opened .
From there a handsome young man wearing a luxurious dress and a beautiful smile on his face came out followed by a group of maids and a few elite guards .
If you all thought that it was David the main character of the story then you are....
Absolutely correct .
Seeing this the lord at the rest of the people who were standing there finally came back to their senses and moved forward to greet him .
" Haha haha ! Welcome to our land sir David , I just hope that you won't mind the meager arrangement we set up for you . "
The first one to come forward and meet was Lord Ōwashi , as he cheerfully greeted David .
" You are too kind, Lord Ōwashi and do not trouble yourself with such small things I find your arrangements quite satisfactory . " - David also replied back respectfully showing the proper courtesy .
After exchanging some greetings and gifts both of them started to talk to each other in earnest .
" Sir David I am truly grateful for your help to us in this time of need . "
" No need to thank me, your highness . "
With that David called the maid beside him and give her some orders .
In response the maid nodded and then left to carry out the instructions .
Then one after another, workers started to unload some of the carriages bringing out bags of rice , fish , vegetables , medicines , salt , clothes , etc .
All of it then was put in front of the royal group in a orderly and respectful manner .
" Consider this as a meeting gift your highness . " - David said with a smile.
Looking at all the things that were being brought out of the carriages, people of the land of birds couldn't help but show a satisfied smile .
Right now the kingdom was facing storages of food , medicine and almost every other essential things .
And these things that David brought were exactly the resources they required at this moment .
So bringing them as a gift instead of luxurious trophies was the most practical and eye-catching move .
Because this was in a way of the other side was saying to them that they understood what they needed and they could deliver that .
" Haha ! How considerate of you Sir David . You are truly a man of great insight . "
" To be able to build such a big business at such a young age , I must say it's the work of a true genius . "
Hearing all the praises coming from the nobles of the land of bird David gave a polite smile and continued the conversation .
Some might call it flattering .
And in a way it was true .
However when used tactfully it is a part and a tool used for diplomacy .
And more simply who wouldn't like to hear some good praises coming towards you especially if you have earned those .
After sometime of talking finally Lord Ōwashi invited David to the castle .
" Sir David please don't stand here anymore let's go inside the palace where we can properly host you . "
" Of course, please lead the way, your highness . "
With that David and his group led by the royal family and ministers of the kingdom entered the Royal Palace .
With that everyone understood the time for light introduction was over and the real talks about to start .
To Be Continued .