Chapter 204: An Offer of Alliance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 204: An Offer of Alliance
I began to watch Gark with considerable interest. It was the first time he had ever asserted his opinion so forcefully outside of combat. Jung Hayeon was also looking at him, her expression one of genuine surprise.
It was only natural that the elf swallowed hard once more. Gark’s mouth slowly opened again.
“The castle is large, but not spacious. It only soars high, restricting our movements. This tent was made from the bones and hide of a magical beast from the East. It is far tougher and more durable than you think. The dirt floor and the facilities used by the young Green Skins may injure their feet, but they make us stronger. We, too, possess the resources you speak of. This land is where our blood and sweat have been shed. It was not built so easily that you can speak of it in such a manner.”
“…”
For a moment, the elf was left speechless, and I was inwardly giving Gark a standing ovation.
Though it was a little lacking, Gark had essentially said everything I wanted to say. I’d heard a similar story back on Earth. Nomadic peoples don’t wander because they are incapable of settling down; it is simply their way of life.
That was why my greatest consideration when creating this Brother’s Land was whether they could adapt to it. Green Skins have their own way of life. My top priority was to ensure they could naturally assimilate while respecting their traditions and without disrupting their lifestyle. If Lee Wanyong, who’d worked his ass off back then, had heard this woman’s words, I imagine he would have been quite furious.
“Th-That is…”
It seemed she had finally realized what a mistake she’d made.
This elven princess, who had grown up sheltered within her castle walls, had dismissed our culture as backward from the start, believing elven culture to be superior. It’s a bit strange to even look for such things on this continent, but while there may be unethical cultures, there is no such thing as a superior one.
Elves have their way of life, humans have theirs, and we have ours.
The woman had tried to get what she wanted and only ended up hurting her own cause. In truth, it might look backward. The children run barefoot on the dirt ground. There are plenty of stones they could trip over. But this, too, is the way of the Green Skins, who live and breathe battle.
She had probably heard many things from her queen and older sisters. Things like:
‘Our Eveluse Kingdom is great.’
‘It is an ancient kingdom under the protection of our Mother.’
‘We must plant the roots of the Eveluse Kingdom on this new continent.’
‘You must always be proud.’
I couldn’t be certain, but I imagined it was something along those lines. As the third princess, not the first or second, it was natural for her to have little diplomatic experience. Brimming with pride for her kingdom, her recent remarks weren’t entirely incomprehensible. In a manner of speaking, this elf’s head was still back in her kingdom.
‘Stupid bitch.’
I didn’t know what her abilities were, but her way of thinking was that of a truly foolish woman.
“I… I… I’m sorry. I… I made a grave mistake…”
If nothing else, the violent trembling of her ears told me just how flustered she was. It was a blunder born from her pride in the Eveluse Kingdom. The only slight room for leniency was that she had been ignorant, but the train had already left the station. I was quite curious to see how the situation would unfold.
“Your statement is an insult to us all, and it tarnishes the lost honor of the great Blood Dagger.”
“I… I apologize…”
Gark had already made up his mind. In fact, if Jung Hayeon and I hadn’t been here—no, if this hadn’t been an official meeting in the first place—Gark would have torn that elf to shreds long ago.
“The price for disrespecting another’s honor is a duel to the death. Had Blood Dagger not been merciful, you would have already lost your head. And you would not have died peacefully, elf.”
The elf’s ears trembled violently once more. I smiled. Gark’s pressure was far harsher than I’d expected. He was impressively skilled at seizing upon his opponent’s mistake and refusing to let go. Seeing that Jung Hayeon said nothing, it was clear Gark was steering this conversation in a good direction.
“…”
Gark continued to stare at the elf with slightly reddened eyes. For a warrior who had already reached a state where he could suppress his instincts to react like that, he must have been truly enraged. And how could he not be? As he said, this Brother’s Land was our blood and sweat. It was a land forged through the struggles of countless Green Skins—Ragia, Najin, Kurajin, Gaoun.
“I… I’m sorry. I… I… made such a mistake.”
The elven princess squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her hands together. Her entire body was trembling, a clear sign of her anxiety, but I felt no sympathy.
It was Jung Hayeon who shifted the atmosphere slightly, but the aftershock of what had just happened would surely remain with the woman, and it would undoubtedly hold her back.
“So… I will ask again. In exchange for an alliance and our help, what can Eveluse offer our Brother’s Land?”
“Y-Yes. Magical knowledge… or… other things…”
“If you could be more specific…”
There was nothing she could give. The Eveluse Kingdom could no longer be called a kingdom. It was no different from a city completely devoured by the Japanese. In truth, driving out the Japanese wouldn’t be that difficult. It wouldn’t be entirely bloodless, but considering their combat strength, I was certain of a one hundred percent chance of victory. Even more so if Jang Ye Ri of the East were to join us.
This woman held no cards.
It was the outcome I had anticipated, but it was quite satisfying nonetheless. As the meeting progressed, Jung Hayeon’s questions grew sharper, cutting to the core of the issue, and each time, Alisha fell silent and lowered her head. She herself had nothing left to say. Even I, who was ignorant in these matters, could tell that Jung Hayeon was handling this remarkably well.
“Do you have anything else to say…?”
“I!”
As if an idea had struck her, Alisha spoke up loudly in response to Jung Hayeon’s words. Her voice sounded as if she had made a great resolution. It was trembling terribly. Listening to her, I let out a faint smile.
“I… I am the sole descendant of the kingdom who was entrusted with full authority and succeeded in escaping. It is shameful to say this in my name, but my… my body… is a body of value. I… I am certain you will be pleased with it. I will serve you for the rest of my life… so please, if you would just lend us a small hand…”
So it was heading in this direction after all, I thought. Alisha wasn’t looking at Jung Hayeon, but directly at me. Offering her own body as a term of trade—it made me think her earlier remarks weren’t made for nothing. She was beautiful, but not beautiful enough to move an army. That was true even with the other Green Skins growing restless for battle.
Jung Hayeon glanced at me, trying to gauge my reaction. She was trying to determine whether I was interested in the woman or not. If I were to nod, she would accept this absurd condition, but I gave no response. The outcome was already decided, but I had entrusted this entire affair to her from the start. The choice was Jung Hayeon’s to make. Her face was slightly flushed… it seemed she was not in a good mood.
To anyone, Alisha was beautiful. Gark might see her as a pumpkin, but at least to my eyes, she was. It seemed Hayeon was worried I would fall for the elf and neglect her. For Jung Hayeon, whose waiting time had already grown longer due to the increased time I’d recently spent with Mev, the appearance of a new person was the last thing she would welcome. Jung Hayeon shook her head.
“Cheap…”
It was a very quiet voice.
For a moment, I thought I had misheard, and the elf also stared at Jung Hayeon with a startled expression. But Jung Hayeon, with a perfectly composed face, spoke again. I couldn’t tell if she didn’t remember what she had just said or if she was pretending not to know.
“Your body has no value.”
It was a rather cold statement.
“You must prove your own worth, not your value as a princess of a kingdom. And even if you were to prove that worth, it would still be insufficient.”
“B-But.”
“We are not fools. We have already learned from the human prisoners we’ve captured what situation your kingdom is in and what kind of help you require. It seems the great and ancient Eveluse Kingdom is, for all intents and purposes, gone. To be precise, it is only natural that we take custody of you. Even if you could offer something else, how could we possibly trust you? We cannot trust you.”
In other words, it was a question of whether they could even keep their promises. Alisha’s face turned pale once more, perhaps because we already knew everything, or perhaps because she had just heard the naked truth. Jung Hayeon spoke in a calm yet aggressive tone.
“The entire kingdom.”
“…?”
“The entire Eveluse Kingdom. There will be no place for you there. After the matter is settled, all elves, excluding you and 1,000 others, will be required to leave for another location. The remaining 1,000 elves will live for the Blood Dagger Clan. The timing of the reclamation of the Eveluse Kingdom will be decided by us. Your person will also be detained by us. There are no other conditions.”
“…”
That was incredibly harsh.
From our perspective, it didn’t matter whether we accepted this alliance or not. Because, in time, regardless of her decision, we would move beyond the eastern end of the continent and advance into other lands.
In a way, the Eveluse Kingdom was a bridge. Of course, there were things to be done before launching a full-scale expedition, but we would eventually forge a path to other places. In fact, it might be easier for us if the princess refused this offer. It seemed Jung Hayeon was hoping for just that. That was why she was making such an unreasonable proposal.
It seemed she thought it would be better to just wipe the slate clean and start anew. There were pros and cons to that, but I personally hoped the elf would accept the offer. However, given how outrageous the terms were, I thought it might be difficult.
Alisha kept her eyes squeezed shut, her ears trembling nonstop. From her perspective, this was no different from being told to sell out her kingdom. But it seemed she thought it was a far better fate than living as brainwashed puppets of the humans.
In the end, her ears drooped listlessly as she opened her mouth.
“I… I accept.”
She had accepted the tiger. I didn’t know how she would be judged in the elven history books, but I imagined she would be remembered as either the elf who saved her kingdom or the one who sold it away.