Chapter 297: A Changed World
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 297: A Changed World
I let out a sigh. The atmosphere at the table was far from pleasant. Mev, who had been praised, was beaming, but Jang Ye Ri, whose private meal had been interrupted, and Jung Hayeon, whose gaze was fixed on Jang Ye Ri's swollen belly, wore grim expressions.
It wasn't as if I had nothing to say for myself. There was a specific reason I had postponed my plans with Jang Ye Ri to hastily arrange this dinner.
‘Lee Sung of the Golden Eagle Clan.’
He was a man who had survived the fall of the South and gone on to shake the continent's commercial world. It was often joked that if you went through a friend of a friend of a friend of Lee Sung's, there wasn't a single person on the continent you couldn't reach—that's how meticulously he cultivated his connections.
Until now, being a Green Skin, I hadn't had the luxury of worrying about future talent, but an era had arrived where we needed to get along with humans.
Green Skins had no need for things like commerce, but times had changed. Unsure of what might happen on other continents, recruiting talented individuals was essential. The fact that Mev, now happily stuffing meat into her mouth beside me, had actually been playing a card game was something I'd noticed the moment I walked in. My decision to feign ignorance was a nod to this fellow Lee Sung's resourcefulness.
How he had gotten his hands on Green Skin cards, why he was with Mev—I could easily deduce the answers the moment I heard his name.
This time, he had chosen our side.
Creating a debt with the other party before entering negotiations was a fundamental tactic on this continent. It wasn't a huge favor, but he had put Mev in his debt, and she had accepted his help. In cruder terms, you could say he had "scored points."
If Lee Wanyong was the type to maximize his own abilities, Lee Sung was the type to focus on the relationships around him. He had calculated that there was no harm in getting to know us for the future. Watching him offer compliments while cautiously eyeing Jang Ye Ri, having noticed her foul mood, I thought he certainly resembled someone.
“You are incredibly beautiful. I had heard you were with child, but I never imagined it was true. I never would have dreamed. You will surely have a brilliant son who resembles you both.”
“Flattery, but I thank you.”
“Hahaha.”
Of course, Jung Hayeon's expression was not pleased as she listened to him. He had likely calculated that siding with the Queen of the East would be more profitable than siding with Jung Hayeon. I looked at him and spoke playfully.
“Anyway, you’re a new face. Where are you from?”
“Ah… I’m from the South, actually. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I fought alongside the King of the South in the continental war. I was merely caught up in it all, but the damage to my clan was greater than I expected… I heard that if one achieves results here, their origins don't matter, so I moved my clan house immediately. One must adapt to the new era.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. Th-that’s right.”
Not a bad response. I liked his honesty, and I liked that he was trying to seize an opportunity and not let it go. Jang Ye Ri nodded and spoke.
“I like him. The war is over. It’s right not to care about where someone comes from anymore. Better than those who call themselves the resistance or the revolutionary army.”
“Yes. Your words are wise.”
“Since you said you’re from the South, I’ll ask. Do you happen to know anything about them?”
“N-nothing comes to mind right now, but if you could tell me where I might be able to contact you, I will look into it personally.”
“Come find me in the East, and you will be rewarded.”
“Th-thank you.”
I figured the chances were high that he would bring something back. It was then that Jung Hayeon slowly opened her mouth.
“I wonder if you might have a direct connection to them yourself.”
For a comment made while sipping tea, it did a fine job of chilling the air.
“You could have approached us with some ulterior motive… I have my doubts about whether you can be trusted.”
“No. This human doesn’t seem so bad.”
Of course, Mev defended him. Having received his help earlier, such a reaction was only natural.
Jung Hayeon had been extremely on edge lately. This remark was likely a result of that. Of course, she was endlessly submissive in front of me, but she was usually quite harsh and would sometimes react irritably to others even in my presence. The fact that she still hadn't been able to conceive was the cause.
Mev already had Laveua, and Jang Ye Ri was about to give birth. It would be strange if she weren't anxious. She had originally planned to try for a child after the war ended. The problem, however, was that Mistilteinn, which granted dominion over plants, was currently embedded in the Holy Sword. The power of the great sin the Holy Sword possessed had faded, but it was still continuously recovering under the sword's influence.
Until Ha Yuri relinquished control of the Holy Sword, we couldn't destroy her magic circuits, nor could we carelessly pull out Mistilteinn. As a result, with the pregnancy she desired growing more distant, she had turned her anger toward the South and the West.
Seeing her deal with the remnants of the revolutionary army in the East or on this continent was sometimes enough to make my own knees tremble, so no further description is needed.
What disappointed me a little was that Lee Sung was overly frightened.
I slowly looked at Jung Hayeon, and she lowered her head, as if realizing her mistake.
“I… I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I hope you won’t be so anxious. There will be good news soon.”
Her expression seemed to brighten a little, but it was still dark. However, it was true that there would be good news. Isaac was analyzing Ha Yuri and the Holy Sword with Choi Seulgi. I looked back at the man and spoke.
“You can forget her last remark. You don’t seem like a foolish captain who would board a sinking ship.”
“Yes… th-that’s right.”
“Since you’ve come all this way and formed a connection with our clan, I’ll ask. What do you think of this Free Dungeon Agreement?”
He swallowed once before answering my question. It was common knowledge on the continent by now that Green Skins liked confident humans. Having shown such a frightened side to Jung Hayeon just moments ago, I could see he thought he needed to score some points here.
“Honestly, it’s astonishing. It’s been some time since the Green Skins and humans formed an alliance, but for such a system to be created so quickly, as if overnight… it’s truly amazing.”
“Hmm…”
“I thought something like this would be created eventually, but the speed is incredible, and both humans and Green Skins have adapted to the system with remarkable ease. The sudden rise of the West, which was a completely abandoned region, is likely thanks to this Adventurer’s Guild.”
“You could say that.”
I couldn't call it my own creation, but it was a product of the Brother's Land. In any case, it wasn't a bad feeling. Still, it wasn't the answer I was looking for.
“However, I believe that being too fast can also be a problem. This Adventurer’s Guild, where humans and Green Skins coexist, is currently a developing nation. Rapid development always comes with side effects, and those side effects will one day eat away at this place.”
“Interesting.”
“Wherever there are many people, incidents are bound to occur, and when they do, the group is bound to be shaken.”
He was right.
In fact, it wasn't as if there were no incidents at the Adventurer's Guild. Here at what you could call the main branch, it was less of an issue, but accidents were already occurring frequently at the various other branches. There were communication problems during dungeon explorations, and even with elves providing translation, issues arose from cultural differences. Typical examples included Green Skins charging the moment they saw an enemy, and humans sexually harassing or assaulting the elves who entered dungeons with them.
Naturally, the most common incidents involved the elves. They were elves, after all. In the eyes of a Green Skin, they were simply ugly, but to human eyes, they were beauties of unparalleled grace. Of course there would be men who tried to make a move, and the guards couldn't watch the elves all day long.
Some incidents were genuine mistakes, while others were caused by those intentionally trying to ruin a party. The remnants of the West and South muddying the waters of the Adventurer's Guild was one such case. Fighting within the guild was forbidden, as was fighting between humans and Green Skins.
There were those who showed hostility to humans, and humans who showed hostility to Green Skins. People were just keeping quiet, not knowing when a threat might emerge. Incidents and disputes exist everywhere.
There were laws and regulations, but they hadn't taken root yet. The problems were more numerous than I thought.
“How do you think it should be solved?”
When I casually tossed him the question, he fell completely silent. He probably couldn't grasp an answer. Seeing that, I couldn't help but be reminded of Lee Wanyong's competence. I had asked Lee Wanyong the exact same question back then.
‘Just leave it be.’
‘What?’
‘Ah… no, I’m not joking. I truly mean it’s fine to just leave it alone. The humans and Green Skins simply don’t understand each other yet. Instead of banning alcohol because of related crimes, you should open taverns, provide plenty of entertainment, and make the spaces as large as possible for them to enjoy themselves. Besides, isn’t the Battlefield of Time and Space about to be completed? That alone will likely bring about many changes.’
‘……………………’
‘Most of these incidents are just caused by cultural differences. It’s not my place to say as a former human, but unlike humans, Green Skins are a ferocious but honest race. They love to fight, and they love honor. The most surprising thing I discovered while visiting the settlements was that the crime rate in every Green Skin settlement was below 0.4%. I suppose that’s inevitable when they consider losing their honor more frightening than death…’
‘Hmm…’
‘Bullying the weak is not honorable. Harassing women is not honorable. Abandoning a comrade is not honorable. Harming an expedition is not honorable. They will gradually come to realize this. If anything, humans will follow the Green Skins; the Green Skins will not follow the ways of humans. It is human nature, after all, to lean toward the stronger side.’
His expression and demeanor were so damn annoying that I ended up punching him before I left, but I didn't think he was wrong.
In reality, humans who caused trouble once were completely ostracized from the Adventurer's Guild. Those who, in crude terms, were stained with dishonor couldn't even find a party. The same went for anyone who sabotaged an expedition.
To be honest, I was quite disappointed in Lee Sung. I wasn't looking for the right answer. I felt that if he had given any answer at all, it would have reflected better on him. I'd have to wait and see whether he was someone who had simply ridden the tides of the era well or just a man who enjoyed walking a tightrope, but for now, it was best to just observe.
The amicable meal continued after that. Finishing before the others, I immediately left and went to my room, where, interestingly enough, I was met by the sight of Jung Hayeon, her expression now incredibly pleasant, a stark contrast to before.