—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Top floor of the Great Forest World Tree.
Sunlit Room.
An elderly beastman stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing down at a bed. On the bed lay his small, frail daughter, her eyes closed.
“Has she regained consciousness?”
“No, Elder. We administer a high-grade healing potion every morning, but there’s been no change…”
“Sigh…”
The Elder sighed at the nurse’s reply.
It had been a month since his daughter had fallen ill and slipped into unconsciousness.
Hundreds of healers had been brought in from across the Great Forest, all offering the same grim diagnosis.
A heart ailment, progressively worsening, ultimately fatal.
They had all balked at his pleas for a cure. It was an incurable disease. Healing potions could slow its progression, but they couldn’t reverse it.
“Elder, it’s fortunate that the Saintess has arrived.”
“….”
The Elder turned away from the nurse, who spoke with a hopeful expression.
Even the Saintess couldn’t save his daughter.
He knew her miracles were simply potent healing magic, not the work of an omnipotent being.
Still, her power might be enough to rouse his daughter, even if only for a short while. But that would be all.
“Lock the door.”
“Sir?”
Any improvement would be an illusion. The moment the Saintess’s magic faded, the disease would return with a vengeance.
That was likely the reason the Empire had sent the Saintess with the messenger. They would use her healing magic as leverage in the negotiations.
He knew the people, and the other Elders, were sensitive to matters concerning the Oracle’s health. But he couldn’t sacrifice the interests of the Great Forest for a temporary reprieve.
“No one is to enter this room until I give the order.”
“E-Elder?”
“Did you understand?”
“Yes, Elder…”
He had to prevent the Saintess from meeting his daughter.
That way, there would be no false hope.
His daughter would die as foreseen, peacefully in her sleep, free from further suffering.
Yes, this was the right decision.
They had already spent a fortune on healing potions…
“If only we had the Elixir…”
A tear rolled down the Elder’s cheek. He had been desperately searching for the Elixir for years.
The thought made him resent the Empire even more.
Everyone knew the Imperial Palace vaults overflowed with Elixirs.
Hoarded for the Imperial family, emergency reserves they had been stockpiling for decades.
If only they had sold just one, just one Elixir to the Great Forest…
“It’s no use dwelling on it.”
It was in the past.
The Elder wiped away his tears and left the room. It was time to work.
He had to make their stance clear to the impudent messenger who had dared to set foot in the Great Forest.
The Great Forest would stand against the Empire. They wouldn’t be held hostage by the Oracle’s failing health.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Hours passed.
One by one, elderly beastmen entered the meeting room. The procession stopped after the fourth Elder arrived.
“Greetings. I am Schlus Hainkel, knight of the Freya Empire.”
“A pleasure. We are the Elder Council of the Great Forest.”
The Elder Council.
The most respected members of the Great Forest, the ones who drafted and enacted all policies.
The rulers of the Great Forest.
But there were supposed to be nine Elders. Only four had come to greet me. They knew why I was here, and they were deliberately stalling.
It was infuriating.
“We were informed that you declined refreshments and a tour.”
“Haha. Such humility.”
“….”
They were subtly insulting me, implying I was impatient and ill-mannered. It was annoying, but I maintained my composure.
These were just the yapping of beasts soon to be subdued.
“Could you please assemble the entire Elder Council? I wish to begin negotiations.”
“Negotiations? There’s nothing to negotiate, as far as we’re concerned.”
“I misspoke. It’s not a negotiation. It’s a demand. Cease all support for the Southern Republic and join the blockade.”
“….”
I cut through the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
Referring to them as the Southern Republic, instead of rebels, was my only concession.
There would be no more.
“Haha. Support for the Southern Republic? We know nothing about that.”
“Indeed. We’ve provided some aid to the beastmen fighting for their freedom, but we’ve never assisted Duke Lorraine.”
They were playing dumb. I needed to take a stronger approach.
“It’s a shame that the Empire and the Great Forest, once allies who fought side by side in the Holy War, have become estranged.”
“Estranged? We don’t see it that way.”
“It’s rather disrespectful that the Emperor’s messenger wasn’t even greeted upon entering your city.”
“It seems there’s been a lapse in protocol. Haha. We apologize for that.”
“So you’re saying the Great Forest doesn’t harbor any animosity towards the Empire?”
“Of course not. Why would we be hostile towards the Empire?”
“That’s surprising. The Empire considers the Great Forest a potential enemy.”
“W-what…?”
I wasn’t good at political games, the kind where you hid your true intentions behind veiled words.
I decided to be blunt, to force them to drop the pretense and expedite the negotiations.
“Are you declaring war on us?”
“A potential enemy. We’re simply acknowledging the possibility of conflict.”
“That’s practically the same as declaring us an enemy!”
“Indeed. How could we not consider a nation that supports a rebellion against us an enemy? Providing the rebels with well-trained troops and undermining our sovereignty…”
“What…?”
“It seems you saw this as an opportunity. A rebellion on our border… The perfect chance to establish the Southern Republic as a buffer state.”
A stable buffer state in the form of the Southern Republic.
That was the Great Forest’s true objective.
They had maintained a cordial relationship with the Empire until recently, but throughout history, humans had repeatedly invaded the Great Forest. They had always viewed humans as a potential threat.
And then they saw the Empire struggling, weakened by the war with the Kingdom of Trud.
They must have thought, Hey, these guys aren’t as tough as we thought.
Then the rebellion in the Southern Colonies began. Seeing the rebels initially overwhelm the suppression force, they must have concluded that with a little support, they could achieve independence.
The Southern Republic would become their puppet state, a shield against the Empire.
“Hahaha. A buffer state? We have no idea what you’re talking about. We’re simply helping our beastmen brethren in the South.”
“That’s even more puzzling. The Southern Republic is conscripting beastmen, sending them into battle ill-equipped and unprepared. Wouldn’t it be more logical to support the Empire, which guarantees the freedom and safety of beastmen?”
“Well, we believe that true freedom isn’t achieved without struggle.”
“….”
I knew the Emancipation Proclamation wouldn’t be enough to sway them. Supporting the liberation of beastmen slaves was just a convenient excuse.
To convince them, I had to demonstrate that supporting the rebellion was against their own interests.
“Are you aware of the current situation in the South?”
“Yes, we are. We know the suppression force is struggling.”
“Then you must also know that hundreds of beastmen are dying every day.”
“….”
“Duke Lorraine seems to be under a delusion. He seems to think he’s fighting the Imperial Army. In reality, he’s been repeatedly defeated by the suppression force, losing a thousand of his elite cavalry. How many of those were from the Great Forest?”
The atmosphere in the room grew tense.
They weren’t ignorant of the situation.
They would have received intelligence about the rebel defeats.
“It’s a small price to pay. They will eventually achieve independence. Haha.”
“Don’t bother denying it. The Southern Republic will collapse within a month. Not because of the suppression force, but because of internal strife. Surely you can see that coming?”
“We have no idea what you’re talking about…”
“And then it’s your turn. The Imperial Army, its strength intact, will march on the World Tree.”
“Are you threatening us?”
“You could see it that way.”
The Elders, who had been yawning and fidgeting, now focused their attention on me.
Their gazes were sharp, predatory. They looked ready to pounce.
Finally, the atmosphere had shifted.
I hated the polite posturing, the veiled threats.
This felt more like a real negotiation.
“So you’re finally showing your true colors. Come and get us. The Great Forest has never been conquered by humans.”
“That was before the advent of modern magical engineering. Even the World Tree can burn.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Fire doesn’t last long in the Great Forest. The high humidity and dense mana will extinguish any flames before they can spread.”
“Have you heard of the Eternal Flame?”
“The Eternal Flame…?”
“A new technique developed in secret at the Imperial University. It generates and sustains its own oxygen and fuel, creating a fire that never goes out.”
“Such magic is impossible…”
“You can test it yourself. The Great Forest will be the first to witness its power in a real-world application.”
“….”
It was a bluff, of course.
The concept of the Eternal Flame had been proposed decades ago, but no significant progress had been made.
All of the research teams had given up. It was a theoretical concept, nothing more.
The Great Forest had no way of knowing that.
They could easily dismiss my words as bluster. But what if they believed me?
They would have to imagine Yggdrasil engulfed in flames, raining fire upon their city.
“I’ll reiterate my demand. Cease all support for the Southern Republic and join the blockade. In return, the Empire will reinstate the Great Forest as an ally, without any further demands.”
“….”
The atmosphere was thick with tension.
The Elders’ gazes had softened, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.
They knew.
They knew they couldn’t win.
The recent battles had made it clear that the Southern Republic was on the verge of collapse. And if the Empire mobilized even a single legion, the Great Forest would have to devote all its resources to defense.
And if we added the “Eternal Flame” to the equation… the Great Forest would be doomed.
At least, that’s what they would believe.
“We… cannot… accept…”
“We agree.”
“We concur.”
“….”
Despite knowing it was against their interests, they refused my demands.
There was only one reason, Public opinion.
In a democratic system, the Elder Council couldn’t make such a drastic decision without a compelling reason.
Even if it meant the destruction of the Great Forest, they had to follow the will of the people.
This was their own doing.
They had rallied their people by claiming that supporting the Southern Republic was the only way to protect the beastmen of the South.
“You may sound resolute, but I can see the doubt in your eyes.”
“There is no doubt. The Great Forest will not hesitate to go to war. We reject your demands.”
“That’s a shame. If you had accepted, I would have offered you the Elixir.”
“The… Elixir…?”
The Elders’ eyes widened.
They looked as if they couldn’t believe their ears.
I was offering them a reason.
A reason to sway public opinion.
“Let me be clear. If you accept my demands right now, I will give you the Elixir, right here, right now.”
“If you have the Elixir, show us! Prove it!”
“Yes! Don’t try to bluff us!”
“….”
The Elders were agitated.
I had brought up a sensitive topic.
The Elixir, the only thing that could cure the Oracle, the one they revered as a divine representative.
The problem was, I didn’t have the Elixir.
Not yet.
The quest had to be completed soon.
Iris… where are you…?
“Show us the Elixir! If you can’t, we’ll consider this a lie!”
“….”
One of the Elders, particularly enraged, slammed his fist on the table.
I remained silent, pretending to be calm.
Iris, hurry up… Please…
I had never been so relieved to see that translucent window.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
