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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Inevitable.
The clash between beastmen and humans was said to be inevitable.
Throughout history, whenever a human nation achieved unification, it inevitably turned its attention to the Great Forest, its newfound power seeking an outlet in war.
There were periods of peace, brief interludes of cooperation, but they always ended in conflict. As if bound by fate, the harmony between humans and beastmen never lasted.
And now, that time had come again.
The decades-long peace was about to shatter.
The Great Forest would become the dumping ground for the Empire’s surplus military might, the leftover forces from the war with the Kingdom of Trud.
Even a single Imperial legion would force the Great Forest to fight for its survival. But they didn’t care. They were accustomed to meager resources and desperate defensive wars.
Rather than waiting for the Empire to attack, they decided to make the first move.
The rebellion in the Southern Colonies, bordering the Great Forest, presented a perfect opportunity.
Supporting the rebels and securing their independence would create a valuable buffer state. And even if they failed, it would weaken the Empire, giving them an advantage in the inevitable war to come.
“Don’t bother denying it. The Southern Republic will collapse within a month. Not from the suppression force’s attacks, but from 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, with its strength intact, will march on the World Tree.”
But Schlus Hainkel had refuted their assumptions.
He had called their efforts futile.
He claimed the Southern Republic would fall to the suppression force long before the Imperial Army arrived, leaving the Great Forest to face a fresh, fully powered legion.
They hated to admit it, but he was likely right.
The fool Lorraine had suffered a series of devastating defeats in just a few days, his forces dwindling. And the suppression force’s generous policies in the occupied territories meant the Southern Republic wouldn’t last long.
But war is inevitable!
They couldn’t bow to a mere university student just to postpone the inevitable.
Their people were clamoring for war. They believed the suppression force was slaughtering beastmen and enslaving the survivors.
It was too late to convince them otherwise.
Public opinion had solidified, they would fight to the death.
We need a reason! A justification!
They needed an escape route. A way to appease their people and justify a change of course.
As the Elders racked their brains, desperately searching for a solution—
“That’s a shame. If you had accepted, I would have offered you the Elixir.”
“The… Elixir…?”
“Let me be clear. If you accept my demands right now, I will give you the Elixir, right here, right now.”
“….”
The Elders’ jaws dropped. Schlus Hainkel had handed them the perfect justification.
The Elixir.
The panacea that could cure the Oracle.
If they could save the Oracle, the divine representative of their people, they could sway public opinion. Ceasing their support for the rebels in exchange for the Elixir wouldn’t be seen as a humiliating defeat.
Even if he had promised to deliver the Elixir within a month, they would have believed him.
The Elixir was a priceless artifact, deserving of a heavily armed escort.
But a lone knight, arriving on horseback, claiming to have the Elixir on hand, ready to deliver it immediately?
It sounded too good to be true.
“If you have the Elixir, show us! If you can’t, we’ll consider this a lie!”
“….”
As expected.
Even as the enraged Elder shouted, Schlus Hainkel remained silent.
He was toying with them, exploiting his knowledge of the Elder’s relationship with the Oracle.
He was offering false hope.
The despicable human.
Just as the Elders glared at him, their teeth gritted—
“I was going to show it to you after the negotiations concluded. Tsk… It seems you’re the impatient ones.”
“What?!”
“Here.”
“…?”
Schlus Hainkel sighed and held out his hand.
The Elder leaned closer, his eyes wide, and then his face fell.
His hand was empty.
“Are you mocking us—? Huh?”
Just as he was about to explode, a light flickered in Schlus’s outstretched hand. The light coalesced, taking shape.
A small vial materialized in his palm.
It wasn’t an illusion. It was real.
The Elders stared at it, dumbfounded.
Magic could create something from nothing, but conjuring a complex object like this, not just simple elements like water or fire… they had never seen anything like it.
If it wasn’t magic, then what was it?
Their expressions turned to awe.
“I said I would give you the Elixir if you accepted my demands. If you haven’t reached a decision by the time I leave, the offer is rescinded.”
“Quickly, summon the other Elders! We need to convene an emergency council meeting!”
“Gather the healers! We need to verify the authenticity of the Elixir!”
“What are you standing around for?! Fill Schlus Hainkel’s cup!”
The Elders scrambled to their feet, their earlier hostility forgotten.
This wasn’t a costly concession.
This was an opportunity to avoid war and receive a priceless reward.
He had said he would give them the Elixir if they accepted his demands right now.
They watched him nervously, every cough and fidget interpreted as a sign that he was about to leave.
As the other Elders rushed into the room, their voices raised in heated debate, Schlus smiled.
Everything was going according to plan.
Even a cornered rat will bite. Pushing them too hard would only strengthen their resolve.
So he had offered them a way out.
A way to save face and appease their people.
And it had worked.
“The analysis is complete… It’s the Elixir!”
“Then let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of accepting the Empire’s demands, raise your hands.”
“….”
All nine Elders, assembled in record time, raised their hands.
It was probably the shortest council meeting in the history of the Great Forest.
“The decision is unanimous. We accept your demands, Schlus Hainkel.”
“Very well.”
“W-wait! Please remain seated!”
“Uh… okay.”
I had stood up to shake their hands, but they seemed terrified.
They had taken my words literally, assuming the offer would be rescinded if I “left” my seat.
I had meant leaving the meeting, but they were clearly on edge, afraid I would change my mind.
“On behalf of the Elder Council, we accept the Empire’s demands. The Great Forest will withdraw its two thousand cavalry and ten thousand infantry from the Southern Republic. We will also cease all contact with the Southern Republic and join the trade blockade.”
“….”
What? Two thousand cavalry and ten thousand infantry?
My head spun as we shook hands.
With a single handshake, I had effectively halved Lorraine’s forces.
The Empire had achieved a major victory without any significant losses.
Well, there was one loss.
“….”
Four coins.
That was all I had left after purchasing the Elixir. Seeing my hard-earned coins vanish in an instant felt… anticlimactic.
But it was worth it.
I had saved the Oracle, improved relations with the Great Forest, and cornered Lorraine.
It was a worthwhile investment.
And it wasn’t really a negotiation. It was a surrender.
To outsiders, it would appear as if the Great Forest had accepted a token payment of the Elixir to save face.
“Would you like to stay for dinner? We’ll prepare a feast fit for a king!”
“No, thank you.”
“Perhaps you’d like to visit the Sunlit Room at the top of the World Tree? It’s the highest point on the continent!”
“No, thank you. I’ve concluded my business here. I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Oh…”
There was a higher point on the continent. I resisted the urge to correct them and turned to leave.
I didn’t have time for sightseeing.
If my calculations were correct, Lorraine would be making his move soon. I had to get back to the South.
“Did the negotiations go well?”
“Ah, Iris.”
Iris, escorted by beastmen soldiers, appeared beside me.
She seemed displeased.
“Yes, they went well. Did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes. I found the Oracle, just as you said. She was in a coma, suffering from a serious illness… I couldn’t cure her completely.”
“You did well.”
Iris had played a crucial role.
I had sent her ahead to awaken the Oracle, Sibylla.
Even if she couldn’t cure her, Iris’s magic could rouse her from her coma.
Sibylla had awakened just as I was about to reveal the Elixir, triggering the quest completion.
I had immediately purchased the Elixir from the shop.
“I feel like I was used…”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You saved the Great Forest. Without you, the Oracle wouldn’t have been able to take the Elixir.”
“Hmm… I saw this future, but I still don’t understand how it all happened.”
“It happened exactly as you saw it. There’s nothing to understand.”
“Where did you get the Elixir?”
“I bought it from a general store a while back.”
“….”
Iris narrowed her eyes, staring at me suspiciously.
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
The coin shop sold a variety of items. It could be considered a general store.
“I’m disappointed. You said you trusted me, but you’re not telling me anything.”
“Of course I can’t tell you. How could I explain my plan to exploit your kindness?”
“So you did use me! How?! Tell me!”
“Haha. Figure it out yourself.”
Iris puffed out her cheeks, her face flushed with indignation.
It was a rare sight.
I suppressed a chuckle and left the building.
The light emanating from Yggdrasil had dimmed. As night fell, the World Tree’s radiance faded.
I retrieved my horse from the beastmen soldiers.
It trotted towards me excitedly, then abruptly turned its head away, as if displeased by my presence.
This horse was so strange…
I mounted the horse and reached out to help Iris up, when—
“We should hurry. We don’t know what’s happening in the South—”
“Wait!!!”
A frail voice, laced with desperation, echoed from behind us.
The beastmen soldiers turned around in surprise. They all dropped to their knees as they saw the figure running towards us from the building.
“Please wait! Don’t go!”
“….”
A small, frail beastman girl, dressed in white, stumbled towards us, her fox ears twitching.
Soldiers moved to assist her, but she waved them away, stopping before us, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
“I am Sibylla, Oracle of the Great Forest.”
Sibylla, the Oracle.
She stood before Iris, her voice slightly hoarse but firm, her posture straight. The exertion of running had clearly taken its toll.
“Thank you, Saintess. I thought I would never awaken. But thanks to your miracle…”
“It wasn’t a miracle.”
“It was a miracle to me. I wanted to thank you for the Elixir.”
“I didn’t bring the Elixir.”
“What? I was told you created it with your miracle…”
“Hee hee. I didn’t perform that miracle. He did.”
“….”
Damn it, Iris.
Why couldn’t she just accept the credit?
Iris, ever the honest Saintess, burst out laughing, pointing at me.
Sibylla turned to look at me, sitting on the horse, and slowly approached.
“Are you… Schlus Hainkel?”
“….”
“Did you give me the Elixir?”
“….”
“As expected…”
“….”
I hadn’t even made eye contact with her, and yet she had somehow reached that conclusion.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
I hadn’t anticipated Sibylla rushing out to thank us the moment she regained consciousness.
And I certainly hadn’t planned on being exposed as the source of the Elixir.
It would have been so much easier if it had all been attributed to Iris’s miracle.
Now I would have to explain myself when I returned to the Empire.
I felt a headache coming on.
“Thank you. Truly. We will never forget your kindness. The Great Forest will remember this debt.”
“Iris, let’s go.”
“Oh, right.”
I pulled Iris onto the horse, avoiding Sibylla’s gaze. As we turned to leave, Sibylla knelt and bowed her head.
I sighed and spoke.
Since I had been exposed, I might as well make the most of it.
“There may come a time when I ask for the Great Forest’s help.”
“Sir?”
“I won’t ask for unconditional support. But when that time comes, I ask that you listen to my request, no matter how absurd it may seem. Just consider it.”
“Just listen? That’s all you ask?”
“That’s all I need.”
“Very well… I promise. When you ask for our help, Schlus Hainkel, we will listen, no matter how outlandish your request.”
Sibylla placed her hand on her chest, making a solemn vow.
The words of the Oracle carried far more weight than the slippery pronouncements of the Elders.
I turned and patted the horse’s neck. It started walking.
Sibylla’s figure receded into the distance. She kept her hand on her chest, as if reaffirming her promise, until she disappeared from view.
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