Chapter 396: Daily Drama
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 396: Daily Drama
“I have a general idea of the situation. And if she is Lee Wanyong’s daughter, I find myself all the more suspicious. She is undoubtedly trying to use our Ratga to secure a hefty prize for herself.”
It wasn’t that I wasn’t suspicious myself, but I hoped she wouldn’t be so brutally blunt when they actually met.
“Well, the child did seem cute.”
“So… you’re thinking of this in a positive light.”
Her chilly gaze lingered on me for a moment. Naturally, I was a little flustered. I shook my head and spoke. I had promised to support them, but I had no desire to do so at the cost of making an enemy of Jang Ye Ri.
“Of course not.”
At my casual denial, Jang Ye Ri nodded as if satisfied. She seemed pleased that I agreed with her. Even so, she didn't look like her anger had subsided. The cold expression on her face was genuine, and I could see her struggling to cool the simmering rage within her.
As Choi Eunju and I looked at her, she spoke immediately.
“Let’s wrap up this reunion and go to where Ratga is.”
“How about cooling your head for a moment?”
Choi Eunju spoke up gently at Jang Ye Ri’s words. She had noticed that Jang Ye Ri was a little angry.
“Thank you, but I’m in no mood to cool my head.”
“Have some tea, at least.”
With Choi Eunju insisting, it seemed Jang Ye Ri couldn’t refuse entirely. She settled herself into a suitable spot in the drawing-room, looking as if she’d decided to catch her breath for a moment.
“How did it come to this? It’s absurd… The son must take after the father.”
“Ahem…”
“It’s a joyous thing that he inherited your blood so strongly, but I never imagined he would act like this so soon… Just a few months ago, he was the same son who told me he was going to marry his mother…”
I started to feel a pang of guilt. I shot a look at Choi Eunju, pleading for help, but she just gave a slight nod, seemingly agreeing with Jang Ye Ri. Considering my own past conduct, her reaction wasn't entirely unreasonable, but from my perspective, I couldn't say Ratga was completely at fault. Wanhee’s influence must have played a significant part.
A harmony created not by one person’s power, but by two people joining forces. It was a touching sentiment, but the situation was anything but.
“What really happened?”
I hadn’t heard the precise details of the incident myself. I glanced at Choi Eunju, and she slowly began to speak.
“To be honest, I’m not sure how it happened either… I just thought they had a good relationship. It was adorable seeing them run around holding hands. Maybe they grew attached from being together all the time… Wanhee…”
“Wanhee?”
“I saw her give Ratga a little peck, but I just thought it was a cute prank. Thinking back, that might have been the decisive moment.”
It was a cute, innocent act that children might do. However, Jang Ye Ri’s expression as she received the report was anything but pleased. Choi Eunju must have noticed it too, because she quickly shut her mouth.
“I see.”
“Ahem…”
She was probably thinking of Wanhee as some kind of vixen. A wicked vixen trying to steal her son. I figured that the way Jang Ye Ri thought of Ratga was probably similar to how I thought of Laveua and Lapura. Feeling the need to change the subject, I quickly spoke up.
“By the way, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”
“If you were trying to change the subject, that was an excellent attempt, my mate. But it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to speak of it here and now.”
“Mm…”
After a short sigh, Jang Ye Ri began to speak. The atmosphere was a bit heavy.
“The Western Continent has made contact.”
“……”
I knew she had something to say, but this was quite a shock. It wasn't just me; Choi Eunju’s mouth was slightly agape as well. That’s how shocking it was. We had already finished all our preparations to contact the Western Continent. Just as we were learning about them based on the information from Jeong Jina, they had made the first move.
“Ahem…”
“It’s not just our East. I heard they also reached out to Han So-Hye, who is currently preparing to establish herself on the Northern Continent. The content was the same as ours. We received the message on the same day, at the same time.”
“The urgent business Choi Seulgi mentioned was…”
“It must have been to hold a meeting. She’s a major pillar of the North, so she probably wanted to ask for opinions… Judging by your reaction… it seems the Green Skins haven’t been contacted.”
Instead of nodding, I looked at Choi Eunju. She was the one in charge of information. Her daily routine was to visit the major Green Skin settlements spread across the continent, check if anyone had made contact or if there were any other peculiarities, and then report back to us. If there had been contact, she would likely know. But from her expression, it seemed I wouldn't get a positive answer. She looked completely bewildered.
“I haven’t received any word from the Brother’s Land, the Land of Glory, or from Hayeon in the West. It’s the same for the other major settlements.”
“There you have it.”
“I expected as much.”
Ha…
I was a little dumbfounded. Their objective seemed so obvious. It was almost laughable—no, more than that, I felt a surge of irritation at being so completely ignored.
“I’d like to hear the details…”
“There isn’t much to tell. A human with blond hair and blue eyes made contact, and we had a brief conversation. That’s all. We never even met in person. They contacted me for a short time through a dream.”
“A dream?”
Jang Ye Ri nodded at my question and continued.
“Yes, a dream. It seems they used a similar method to contact Han So-Hye.”
“Were you and Han So-Hye the only ones who received the message?”
“At first…”
“At first?”
“Yes.”
If they had only contacted Han So-Hye and Jang Ye Ri at first, it meant they had some understanding of this continent. Contacting only the two humans leading the largest factions could not have been a coincidence. It was more likely that they had been observing us beforehand, even if not in detail, and made their move after various calculations.
“I thought I’d experienced all sorts of people with strange abilities, but this is the first time I’ve encountered someone who makes contact through dreams.”
“I was taken aback as well. However, it didn’t seem like an ability to be overly cautious about. It was just for delivering a message. It seemed incapable of any other action. It couldn’t delve into one’s mind like the elf Alisha here, nor could it peer into one’s inner self.”
If Jang Ye Ri was right, it was a silver lining, but such an ability could still be quite powerful depending on how it was used. They could deceive others by pretending it was a divine revelation, and as they were doing now, they could contact others where my eyes couldn’t reach. I nodded and continued speaking.
“After they sent you the message, you’re saying there was a next step?”
“Of course. I can’t be certain about the North’s case, but I know that the one who contacted me later reached out to my vassals and the representatives of smaller cities.”
“The message was…”
“‘We have things to discuss among humans. We have things to discuss about the state of the continent. We would like to form an alliance.’ That was all…”
“................”
“I don’t know why they only contacted us, but it’s not impossible to guess. I heard that the humans of our continent went through the Tutorial with the dwarves. In your case, it was probably Westerners. Am I right?”
“Of course.”
“They said they are currently in an alliance with the dwarves. The situation is a bit different from the humans who were all devoured by the undead or the Japanese who dominated the elves. They are like us. They ride the same boat as the dwarves and live on a single continent. It seems they are operating under the assumption that Green Skins are the enemy. This is as much as I can surmise. Han So-Hye’s conclusion is likely no different.”
“And the East’s answer?”
“We agreed that we, too, are in the same boat as the Green Skins, and if they wish to talk, it must be with them present. The Westerner who contacted us simply nodded and disappeared.”
“Hah… The fact that you’re associated with me…”
“I couldn’t confirm whether they knew or not. Jeong Jina in the West never had direct contact with them either, so it’s probably safe to assume they don’t know. But they must have a general idea. That we are currently in an alliance. That there are rulers governing the West, South, and North, and that they are influencing the Northern and Eastern continents. It’s information one could find without digging too deep, so there’s no reason to hide it, but…”
“Are they trying to isolate the Green Skins?”
“Their objective is unclear. But it’s probably right to think as you do. Especially since they specifically wanted to talk while leaving out the Green Skins.”
‘...............’
I felt a wave of annoyance coming on. I didn't know if they were playing politics, manipulating public opinion, or what, but one thing was certain: they were completely ignoring us. I didn't know whether to be grateful or not, but it didn't feel good.
“There’s no reason to look so sour. The alliance between Green Skins and humans is solid. Are we not bound together? The North’s case might be slightly different, but since Choi Seulgi is your woman, they won’t be thinking differently either.”
Hearing Jang Ye Ri’s words, I understood why she hadn’t reacted more seriously. The alliance between Green Skins and humans was firm, no matter what.
Even setting aside the fact that Jang Ye Ri, Choi Seulgi, and I were bound together, a strong bond had been forged between humans and Green Skins. We had fought together and won together. We saw each other not as enemies to be killed, but as beings coexisting on the same continent.
It wasn't that there were no dissenters, but there was no chance that the humans of this continent would turn their backs on us just because new humans had made contact. This was especially true for the East.
“I see.”
“Well, that’s how it is. We haven’t even confirmed if they’re really trying to sow discord on our continent or if they’re simply being cautious. If we wait patiently, there will surely be results. So, let’s discuss the details later and get up for now.”
Jang Ye Ri rose from her seat with a slightly lighter air. It certainly felt like some of her anger had subsided. Choi Eunju, perhaps thinking this state was acceptable, gave a small nod and began to stand as well.
“................”
It seemed that to Jang Ye Ri, Ratga’s future was more important than contact from the Western Continent. She was in full battle mode. I decided the most appropriate position for me was to watch from a step behind her, so I discreetly made way for her.
She probably already knew where Ratga was. As expected, after confirming his location, Jang Ye Ri spoke to me.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“Let’s eat while we talk.”
“Alright.”
As I pushed magic into my eyes, Ratga’s current state came into view. Perhaps thinking this was an occasion to introduce his future wife to his parents, both of them were dressed in rather fine clothes, waiting on chairs at a large table.
It seemed they had already requested a meal from the kitchen. He was holding Wanhee’s hand, his body trembling slightly from nervousness.
“Will… will the two of you be talking alone?”
“No, you have the right to be here as well. He is my child, but he is also yours…”
She was probably expressing her gratitude to Choi Eunju, who had always looked after Ratga, but from the looks of it, Choi Eunju wanted no part in this chaotic scene.
“Th-thank you.”
Choi Eunju had missed her chance to escape. As Jang Ye Ri’s footsteps grew louder, approaching the dining hall, Ratga and Wanhee’s grip on each other’s hands tightened, their anxiety growing. Having clairvoyance was quite convenient, but for some reason, I couldn’t bear to watch them, so I withdrew the magic from my eyes.
The door opened in an instant. Jang Ye Ri came face-to-face with Ratga and Wanhee in an instant.
“Ratga…”
“M-Mother! H-have you been well?”
“Oh! Mother! It’s… it’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am I… Wan…”
Seeing Jang Ye Ri, Wanhee quickly bowed her head and began to introduce herself. Her manners were impeccable; she showed no shortcomings. But her opponent was far colder than I had anticipated.
“Who gave you permission to call me ‘Mother’?”
A heavy silence filled the room.
For some reason, I felt like I could hear a familiar coffee commercial and its jingle playing in the background.