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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“What do you mean, Princess?”
“Exactly what I said. We want to choose the human representative who visits the Great Forest.”
Elves would visit the empire, and the empire would send a representative to the Great Forest. It was a policy established long ago to foster goodwill between the two nations.
However, those in power on both sides had abused it.
The elves would find fault with the human representatives, flaunting their arrogance, while the humans would sometimes kidnap elves and try to enslave them.
So, a new condition had been added recently: if either representative caused trouble, their respective nation would be held responsible. This meant potential adjustments to trade agreements or hefty fines.
Sylvia’s proposal, knowing this condition, caused an uproar among the imperial representatives present.
“That’s absurd, Princess Sylvia!”
“…Is this the official stance of the Great Forest?”
“How can we be certain the person you choose isn’t someone you’ve already influenced…?”
They’d anticipated resistance. It was an unreasonable demand.
If the empire’s chosen representative made a mistake in the Great Forest, it would reflect poorly on the empire. The representative’s role was crucial.
“How can we be sure you haven’t bribed this person…?”
“Insolent human!”
A thin, wiry elf standing behind Sylvia snapped, but the human representatives remained unconvinced. Even Sylvia knew her proposal sounded suspicious.
So, she played her trump card.
One they couldn’t refuse.
She pulled a shimmering blue orb from within her robes. Its color, deeper and richer than the ocean, captivated everyone.
A voice echoed from within the orb.
[…Can you hear me…? ]
“…!!!”
Every high-ranking imperial official present was momentarily stunned, their minds reeling from a single voice emanating from what appeared to be a simple communication device.
Someone, recognizing the voice, spoke cautiously.
“Y… Your Majesty, the Elven Queen?”
[…I don’t particularly enjoy that title… but that’s what they call me…]
Her casual confirmation stunned them again. The Elven Queen had never participated in these meetings, not even remotely.
“Gasp…!”
“The… Elven Queen…?”
“Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?!”
“Why would Her Majesty grace us with her presence…?”
The elves were just as surprised. They hadn’t been informed of the Queen’s participation either.
As panic spread, Sylvia rapped her knuckles on the table, and the room fell silent.
[…Thank you, daughter. Now we can talk…]
“You’re welcome, Mother.”
The Queen cleared her throat, and her voice echoed through the room again.
[…I’d like that boy… the one Sylvia mentioned… to be your representative…]
“B-But, Your Majesty, that’s a different matter…!”
[…What’s the problem…? ]
She sounded genuinely confused, and one of the human representatives, exasperated, spoke up.
“We don’t know who this person is, Your Majesty, but we can’t just blindly accept your choice…!”
[… ]
“The representative’s behavior reflects on the empire’s image, Your Majesty. Surely you understand…”
[…Indeed…]
“Sending someone of unknown origin as the empire’s representative would damage our reputation.”
He was right. But the Queen’s voice remained steady. She’d anticipated this.
[…Then, how about this…? ]
“…Please, speak your mind, Your Majesty.”
[…Include him in your representative’s entourage…]
“W… Well…”
It was a common negotiation tactic. Make an outrageous demand, then, when it’s refused, offer a seemingly reasonable compromise. It was usually easy to dismiss such tactics, but not when the Elven Queen herself was making the request.
The value of her request wasn’t something they could easily dismiss.
“…That seems… acceptable…”
“As long as he’s not completely unsuitable…”
“We can… educate him on proper etiquette…”
The imperial representatives seemed to agree. The compromise was within acceptable parameters.
The condition was accepted, with the added stipulation that the empire would receive slightly more favorable terms in their trade agreement.
The connection to the orb was severed, and the elves left abruptly, leaving the imperial representatives to ponder the identity of the human the Queen had insisted upon.
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“…That’s what happened.”
“…”
I rubbed my temples, my head throbbing. It felt like I’d just listened to a child’s rambling account of a school picnic.
This had blown up way out of proportion. I felt a wave of dizziness, and Sylvia, oblivious to my distress, handed me something.
“A communication stone. Contact me when your side is ready.”
“…Are you coming, too, Princess?”
“Is that even a question?”
“…You haven’t been at the academy for very long.”
She tilted her head, as if questioning my question.
“I am here as an envoy, but I can’t just abandon your representative, can I?”
“Surely the Great Forest has someone who can—”
“There are still some among our people who harbor prejudice against other races.”
“…”
“Think of it as a gesture of goodwill.”
“A gesture…?”
“The princess of the Great Forest personally welcomes the imperial representatives, ensuring they are treated with the same respect as any guest.”
“…”
“And besides, there are other elves here as part of the delegation.”
“I understand… I’ll contact you when we’re ready.”
This was actually beneficial for him. It was a chance to acquire a Spirit Stone.
Even if things had gotten a bit complicated.
As he turned to leave, justifying his actions, he felt her gaze on him.
Sylvia.
She’d been watching him intently. She was curious. Why was the Sacred Tree interested in this human?
The Sacred Tree’s request had even forced Her Majesty, the Queen, to reveal herself.
She hoped, desperately, that he was worthy.
That he would pass the trial.
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A dark room, a circular table, seven chairs.
Light flickered, then vanished, a figure materializing in one of the empty chairs.
The process repeated, until only one chair remained empty.
A long silence followed, then the largest of the shadows, Gluttony, spoke.
“…Greed is dead.”
“Huh…? Did I mishear?”
“…No way.”
“Seriously?!”
A chorus of voices responded—sultry, bored, and irritatingly flippant.
“It’s true. I don’t know how it happened, but his life force is gone.”
“Wow, he’s really hard to kill.”
“…Indeed. I can’t even imagine him dying.”
After the flippant remark, a slightly different voice spoke, and Gluttony, the first speaker, slammed his fist on the table three times, demanding attention.
“That’s not the point. We’re down a member, which means we need to replenish our energy.”
“Hmm, should we extract some life force?”
“What are you suggesting we offer to Mother, you vulgar creature?”
“…What?!”
Lust’s suggestive tone and Pride’s indignant outburst clashed, the tension escalating, when another voice intervened.
“I have a brilliant idea!”
“…Let’s hear it.”
“How about a branch from the World Tree?! I hear it’s incredibly potent!”
“…A branch from the World Tree… Yggdrasil…”
“…Um.”
Sloth, his voice hesitant, interrupted their contemplation.
“…That belongs to the elves.”
“I’m aware.”
“…One of us will have to go.”
“…Indeed. The Guardian and the Priestess will be difficult to bypass… so one of us has to go.”
“I’ll do it!”
The other shadows looked at him, surprised. He wasn’t usually so eager.
“You? Is there something interesting there?”
“…Take this seriously.”
“I’m always serious!”
His stubbornness was legendary among them, so they agreed. He was more than capable, as long as he remained focused.
“Woohoo! I’ve always wanted to visit the Great Forest!”
His name was Envy, his heart filled with longing, love, affection, and an insatiable curiosity.
One of the shadows set off towards the Great Forest.
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