Chapter 247: Meeting the Queen of the North
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 247: Meeting the Queen of the North
For those who had sworn personal loyalty to Jang Ye Ri, this was an incredibly serious matter. The child was not only the heir to the Blood Dagger Clan but, before that, the heir to the great eastern metropolis of Garia. They would surely be born with horns, but it seemed no one had thought that far ahead yet.
The moment I finished speaking, Garia’s executives began trying to dissuade Jang Ye Ri.
“You must not go to the front lines, Your Majesty. Please…”
“You must listen to the Chieftain of Brother’s Land, Blood Dagger… no, to your husband.”
Just like that, my position was naturally elevated to ‘husband.’
Park Han Cheol’s eyes conveyed that she needed absolute rest. The members of the Greenbelt Clan had a similar reaction. Choi Seulgi was watching the scene with a somewhat envious look. Seeing Jang Ye Ri, who I thought would never bend, soften a little, it seemed my persuasion and that of her retainers was working.
If I hadn’t stopped by her chambers yesterday and learned of her plans, Jang Ye Ri would have charged straight onto the battlefield.
“My body and the child’s body are important. However, it is the East, my retainers, and my people who are fighting. If their queen, who should be leading from the front, merely watches from the rear while you all fight, it will be a great dishonor not only to me but to the child who is to be born. I cannot be remembered as an incompetent and cowardly mother.”
“But…”
I felt like I was beginning to understand why they followed her. She was a magnificent queen. But that didn't mean I was going to let her run wild on a battlefield.
She would go to the front, but she would not stand on the battlefield.
It was a hard-won compromise, but I was still deeply anxious, not knowing what might happen. The moment of relief was brief.
“And what are your plans?”
Jang Ye Ri spoke, looking at me, and everyone’s gaze fell upon me. I was the one who belonged to neither the eastern city nor the northern one. Although Brother’s Land was in the East, I wasn’t human, so I began to wonder how I should proceed.
“Well… it wouldn’t be bad if I could fight from underground like I did in Hadum, but… I don’t think that will be possible.”
Watching me, Jang Ye Ri spoke again.
“In that case, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to reveal yourself.”
“………?”
“We will officially announce the alliance between Brother’s Land and our great city of Garia to the continent.”
“That will only give our enemies justification for their cause. They will surely continue their useless propaganda.”
The nameless man was right. There was no greater justification for them than ‘siding with monsters.’ Especially if the monster in question was me, someone who had already built up quite a notorious reputation. Upon hearing this news, the West and the South would likely go mad, finding the perfect excuse to mobilize their forces.
“I do not care what others say. No matter what they claim, they intend to fight. If we are to play the part of the villain anyway, it would feel better to be a bit more proactive about it, would it not? We just have to become the villains they want us to be. Their words are nothing but bullshit. Wars are not won by the righteous. The victor is the one who speaks the truth. Furthermore… I will have to explain about the child’s father, so this is the best way.”
In other words, she meant to reveal my existence to human society head-on. The fact that she intended to proudly declare that the father of her child was a demon was also a bit of a shock. I tapped my head with my finger and continued her line of thought.
“That’s something I’ll have to think about. I’ll need to discuss it with my brothers as well.”
Goff and Black Spear’s opinions were also important.
Unlike the East, which hadn’t had many recent clashes with Green Skins, the North was constantly fighting bloody battles with the belligerent Werewolves and the northern Orcs. Even if the East accepted us, the North might not.
Since we would be getting involved in a major conflict, Goff and Black Spear would likely follow my lead, but I couldn’t help but worry about the North’s reaction.
I glanced at Choi Seulgi, who was also looking at me with a troubled expression.
“I can arrange a meeting with the Queen of the North. So-hye probably won’t think much of it, but I can’t imagine her retainers won’t have any objections at all.”
“The East is already prepared,” Jang Ye Ri stated.
Park Han Cheol and the Greenbelt Clan members nodded.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Since the North was on irreparably bad terms with the West, there was a chance they would cooperate with us, at least for the duration of the fight.
Whatever hidden cards our enemies held, the power of the Green Skins in Brother’s Land would be a great asset to them. Of course, the thought of all those warriors who would be roaring for honor in a great war made my legs begin to tremble slightly.
Personally, I wanted to step onto the main stage.
With Alisha around, translation wouldn’t be an issue, and meeting the Queen of the North again didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“I’ll go to the North with Choi Eunju. I think we need to bring our Queen here to have a proper discussion. It might give the retainers in the North some breathing room… and it will probably be easier for them to make moves without So-hye there.”
“I, too, will return to Brother’s Land and ask my brothers their will. If they choose not to participate, I will join alone, so there should be no change in the schedule.”
The East, the North, and Brother’s Land would meet. I thought it was the best-case scenario, but I also worried it might create unnecessary conflict. Still, this was the surest way to get the Sword Saint. It was a gamble, but one where the potential reward far outweighed the risk.
As I was lost in thought, Jang Ye Ri slowly opened her mouth. At the sound of her voice, Choi Seulgi and I immediately rose to our feet.
“The time will be three days from now. We have things to do here, so I will not see you off.”
“See you in three days,” I said.
“See you in three days,” Choi Seulgi added.
Stepping out of the conference room, I saw guards in armor, a different sight than usual. As expected, the East had already shifted to a war footing. It was only after we passed the guards that Choi Seulgi spoke quietly to me.
“See you in three days. We just met, and now we’re separating again.”
“And after three days? What then?”
“I’m in more of a hurry than you are, so just wait quietly, okay? When the time is right, don’t you think I’ll pounce on you?”
“Puhahaha!”
Her sly smile was cute. As we walked, I took Choi Seulgi’s hand, and she carefully took mine in return. It was definitely different from before. We could meet again anytime. It was only a brief separation, but the moment felt incredibly precious.
I immediately stepped through the portal Choi Eunju opened, along with Mev, Jung Hayeon, Baek Ahyeon, and Lee Wanyong, and the land of the elves came into view.
I glanced at Choi Eunju, and she bowed her head. A pitiful yet grateful woman. I patted her head in place of a greeting, and soon, with a flushed face, Choi Eunju tore through space once more and vanished.
As soon as she reached the eastern castle, she would head to the North with Choi Seulgi. Given how much the Queen of the North trusted her, it was a given that the Queen would attend the meeting. It seemed Choi Eunju, who had to travel all over, would be the busiest, and I felt a little sorry for her. Before I could even take a step, Mev spoke up.
“Chieftain, is it… a battle?”
“Not yet…”
“Hmm… I see.”
Not yet.
If the West and South pushed straight into the North, the North would have to relocate. The continent would be split in half, and a full-scale war would begin. I didn’t know what the Sword Saint and the King of the South were thinking, but my heart was starting to pound.
“For Blood Dagger!”
Hark, Hakajin, and the Goblin Three Sisters greeted our arrival, so I raised my hand in return. I could also see Kim Yoora, Nicole, and Giant Scream Apachi. I spoke to Hakajin, and an answer came back immediately.
“Where are Goff and Black Spear?”
“They are inside.”
Mev seemed delighted to see the Goblin Three Sisters and Kim Yoora after so long, holding their hands nonstop. Baek Ahyeon, on the other hand, had no sooner arrived than she disappeared into a conference room with her followers. Lee Wanyong was with her; it seemed they wanted to complete their grand temple even a day sooner.
Jung Hayeon chose to wait quietly outside the door as I went in, so I headed straight for where Black Spear and Goff were. I had expected them to be out, as it wouldn’t be long before the Forest of Fog was connected to Brother’s Land, but it seemed they had been waiting for me.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t shown them my new form yet. Even I wasn’t used to having a tail. I thought that if Goff and I were to fight now, I would probably have a slight advantage. I opened the door, only to find them looking completely different from before.
“……………………”
Goff’s appearance was still that of an Ogre. The only difference was that his skin had turned red. I didn’t know what species he had evolved into, but his muscles were even larger than before. His writhing muscles were such that they made me think this is what the strongest creature on earth would look like. The most impressive feature was his constantly glowing red eyes. I wondered for a moment if he had been consumed by his feral nature, but he looked perfectly serene.
He, too, had put his evolution on hold until after our fight. I saw him grin as he looked at my new form. Noticing my surprised expression, Goff spoke with a confident look, even before I could ask.
“I don’t know the details. The God of the Battlefield told me it was a forgotten race.”
“Magnificent. You look truly magnificent.”
“You look magnificent as well, Blood Dagger. Krrrrk, I never thought you’d grow a tail.”
Black Spear had also changed. His arms and legs were a little longer, but interestingly, a dark energy constantly swirled around his hands. It felt less like he had changed species and more like he had acquired a new class. The Troll physique was advantageous for throwing spears. Unless a special species like Goff’s appeared, it seemed Black Spear would stick to being a Troll and continue advancing his class path. Black Spear also looked at me and spoke.
“You seem to be in quite a hurry. Did something happen?”
As sharp as ever.
It seemed I could get straight to the point. I turned to them and spoke again.
“This is important. Goff, Black Spear, I want to hear your opinions.”
I spoke with a rather serious expression, but they tossed their words back as if it were nothing.
“Same as you.”
“Same as you, Blood Dagger.”
There was no need to say anything more. They nodded at my unspoken question, and I, as if possessed, nodded back.
When the summit between humans and Green Skins, between the North, the East, and Brother’s Land, was decided, the atmosphere here was surprisingly light.
And then,
Three days passed.
The time to face the Queen of the North drew near.