70. The Art of Diplomacy
70. The Art of Diplomacy
A touch-and-go situation—that's exactly what this was.
The sight looking down from the hill was slightly different from what I had expected.
With the center of the clearing as the boundary, Elves were deployed on both sides.
On one side were Elves with fair skin and green hair.
On the opposite side were Elves with ebony skin and silver-white hair.
A confrontation of white and black. A contrast of light and shadow. A layout like chess or Othello.
Arrows were stuck as densely into the trees as a porcupine's back, and patches of the grassland were scorched or frozen from the clashes of spirit magic.
Wounded soldiers were scattered on both sides, and even at this very moment, they were pulling their bowstrings taut toward each other.
Wait. Just a second.
Wasn't the Elven Forest supposed to be a peaceful place in the original story?
A utopia ruled by the Elf Queen.
A race at one with nature.
The land of wise sages.
The Elven Forest was the most peaceful place on the continent.
Reciting poetry while drinking tea under the World Tree, spending the four seasons singing with spirits—it was truly the fantasy within a fantasy.
But no matter how I looked at it, this was a civil war. A tragedy of fratricide.
The healing part. The forest romance. The tea party under the World Tree.
It all evaporated before it could even begin.
However, I couldn't stop here.
To meet the Elf Queen, the cooperation of the Elves is essential. If that fight continues, it will be impossible for us to even pass through the forest.
To do that, I must first stop that fight.
"Knight-nim, it's dangerous to jump in recklessly. Let's assess the situation more..."
Lucia grabbed the end of my cloak.
"Do not worry. I shall resolve this through diplomacy."
"Di, diplomacy...?"
Anxiety was thick in Lucia's voice.
Why is she making that face? I am a civilized man.
I am a humanitarian Black Knight who prefers peaceful solutions through dialogue.
I believe in the maxim that the word is mightier than the sword.
Of course, my stats are an issue, but Elves are a rational and wise race, aren't they?
Humans suspect others and distort sincerity, but sincerity will surely reach the Elves.
"Knight-nim—! Knight-nim!?"
Lucia's voice echoed from behind, but I was already striding toward the middle of the clearing.
The gazes of both sides pierced into me simultaneously.
The White Elves.
The Black Elves.
And one knight in black armor walking leisurely right through the middle of them.
Good. I've succeeded in drawing their attention.
Now, through a grand speech that smoothly shifts the atmosphere of this tense battlefield, I just need to make both sides lay down their weapons.
'Wise and noble Elves! Put away your weapons and let us resolve this through dialogue! How tragic is it for compatriots living in the same forest to fight one another! Peace begins with laying down the weapons in your hands! Now, let us sit together in a circle, share a cup of tea, and talk!'
It's a perfect speech. Sentences possessing grace and dignity.
The messenger of peace. The Black Knight.
This will be a diplomatic moment that will go down in history.
[Persuasion Roll Failed]
"Since your ears are so long, they'll be fun to collect. Shall I gather a pair of white ones and a pair of black ones?"
......
What?
I tried to speak of peace, so why have I become a terrifying ear collector!
Kkigig—!
The bowstrings that had been aimed at each other all changed direction at once.
Every single one toward me.
"Wh-what did that guy just say?"
"He's going to cut off our... ears...?"
"He called us pointy-ears!"
Oh.
Do you see it?
The arrows from both sides that were aimed at each other until just now are all pointed at me.
"Kill him! He is an enemy of the forest!"
"He is an unholy intruder!"
"He's a crazy barbarian who came to violate the Elves!"
Elves becoming one in the face of a common enemy.
Diplomatic skill that unites divided sides with a single sentence.
...The problem is that I am that common enemy.
Hwiiiiik—!
Dozens, hundreds of arrows flew toward me.
Flames and ice of spirit magic poured down like rain.
I let out a deep sigh.
Right. In diplomacy, the logic of power always acts simultaneously.
'I fully understand your anger. But please, lower your arrows. I am not your enemy. I have no intention of taking sides. I only wish to hear the circumstances of both sides fairly and find a clue to a solution together.'
[Intimidation Roll Success]
"Come at me if you've got a problem."
Woooong──
I unleashed my Abyssal Aura.
The air grew heavy.
The leaves stopped moving, and the wind died.
The spirits were the first to react.
Hwarureu──!
The summoned spirits simultaneously lost their forms and fled.
The fire spirits were extinguished, the water spirits evaporated, and the wind spirits bolted.
Spirits are beings that instinctively sense danger. They do not lie.
"Hi, hieeeek──!"
"That's not something we can handle!"
"It's the Demon King! The Demon King has appeared!"
As the spirits fled, the Elves' complexions turned deathly pale.
To an Elf, a spirit is both sword and shield.
It meant their sword and shield had all run away.
There was movement from the Black Elves' side first.
Shashashak──!
As if melting into the shadows, the black-skinned Elves vanished beyond the forest in an instant.
Fast. Good judgment.
What remained were the White Elves.
They made a different choice instead of fleeing.
Clang.
Bows fell to the ground.
One. Two. Three.
Weapons were lowered in a chain reaction. Knees buckled, and heads bowed.
'As expected, Elves are rational, so they're easy to talk to.'
I brought about a ceasefire without shedding a single drop of blood.
Is this not the greatest diplomatic achievement in history?
If this were Earth, it wouldn't be out of place to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
"K-Knight-nim!"
Lucia came running over in a hurry.
"You said it was diplomacy!!"
"Not a single drop of blood was shed."
"That may be true, but...!"
"...Is that diplomacy?"
Leona took her hand off her Holy Sword, looking dumbfounded.
Why is everyone dissatisfied?
It's a bloodless resolution. What diplomat could terminate a conflict more cleanly than this?
Just then, pink briars slithered through the Wood Elves who were crouched in fear.
"You guys are now Eris-nim's prisoners! Submit! Surrender! And shout 'Long live Eris-nim'!"
Eris popped out from somewhere and suddenly extended her vines.
Hwiiik! Gwag-!
The pink vines wound around the Elves' wrists and ankles.
"Uwaah! Let go of this──!"
"Don't move! It'll tighten less if you stay still!"
Her restraint skills are considerable. She was capturing all the Elves in tortoise-shell bindings.
Has her handiwork improved from being out in the field for so long?
"What are you doing right now!"
Leona glared at Eris.
"What! If you've suppressed the enemy, you have to tie them up! I learned this in Frostgard!"
"That's what you use on spies!"
"In front of Eris-nim's vines, humans and Elves are all equal! Eris-nim doesn't discriminate based on race!"
"You have no intention of doing diplomacy either, do you?"
"Eris-nim doesn't do diplomacy! Because Eris-nim is a great conqueror witch!"
Jjik-jjik!
The Snow Squirrels saluted Eris.
The conquest alliance of a witch and rodents. The scale is small, but the ambition is continent-class.
"Wait a moment! I-I am the chief of Riverwood village, Vivian!"
A woman's voice rang out from among the Elves wrapped tightly in vines.
Dark green hair reaching down to her waist. Calm eyes that didn't match her voluptuous build.
A village chief. The qualities of a leader are revealed in moments like this.
"We Wood Elves do not want to fight! The Dark Elves attacked first, so we only fought a defensive battle out of necessity! Please... please do not harm us...!"
The will to protect her people even in the face of a threat. That will is noble.
I should reassure her first.
'Do not worry, Chief-nim. We are not enemies. We are merely travelers passing through this forest. We have absolutely no intention of harming you, so please set your mind at ease.'
[Persuasion Roll Failed]
"Lead us to the village. If you guide us obediently, I'll let you keep your ears."
"Please... at least spare the villagers!"
"Wait a moment."
Lucia stepped forward then.
"I am the First Princess of the Astellia Empire, Lucia Von Astellia."
"If you are a Princess, then human royalty...?"
Lucia knelt down to match Vivian's eye level.
"We won't harm anyone. Not the villagers, nor the Chief-nim. I promise in the name of the Princess."
Vivian's eyes widened.
"This person... his words tend to come out a bit scary. But he isn't a bad person."
Lucia glanced up at me.
Her green eyes were filled with a desperate plea saying, 'Please just stay still.'
...What. I was only trying to reassure her.
"Really?"
"...Probably."
"......Thank you, Your Highness."
Vivian let out a small breath.
"I will guide you to the village."
Lucia stood up and looked back at Eris.
"Eris, release the vines."
"Eh? Why? They're prisoners!"
"Eris."
A sparkling eye attack.
"......Ugh, fine! I just have to release them, right!"
Seureureu.
The pink vines disappeared.
The Elves stood up, rubbing their wrists. Vivian helped the other Elves up and patted their backs.
I nodded as I watched the scene.
And so, the diplomacy was concluded.
...It feels like I didn't do much, though.
No, that's not it. It's my merit that I became a common enemy and stopped the battle between the two sides.
Lucia just handled the finishing touches.
The division of roles is perfect. it was a joint effort between husband and wife.
I took the bad role, and Lucia took the good role.
Carrot and stick. The Good Princess, Bad Black Knight strategy.
Following Vivian's guidance, we moved deeper into the forest.
Riverwood Village.
The village nestled deep in the forest was a place so beautiful that the traces of battle seemed irrelevant.
Houses woven from wood and vines were naturally nestled between ancient trees, and a waterway pierced through them, letting the sound of clear water flow.
What the wind carried was the fragrant scent of the forest.
If the air in Frostgard was 'your lungs freeze if you breathe,' here it was closer to 'your lungs are healed if you breathe.'
"Oh my, look at that."
Lucia pointed at the village as if it were marvelous.
Water spirits were managing the waterway by regulating the flow of the stream, and wind spirits were helping with the village's ventilation and temperature control by shaking the leaves.
Tree spirits were engrossed in maintenance, such as reinforcing the walls and roofs of the houses and pruning rotten branches.
"Hmph, it's not as good as the castle walls Eris-nim made."
Eris's eyes rolled around in all directions as she diligently observed the spirits' construction techniques.
"......It's certainly a good place. The air is different."
Even Leona had no choice but to admit the environment.
"Our village lives in symbiosis with the spirits. They help us with our lives, and we provide them with mana."
Vivian explained shyly.
A city where spirits handle the infrastructure.
'This is it. This is the image of an Elven village I expected.'
It seemed my healing romance fantasy was finally getting on track.
We were guided to Chief Vivian's house.
The largest hut in the village. It was decorated simply but neatly.
We sat around a round table in the living room, and Vivian brought out tea brewed from flower petals with trembling hands.
It bothered me slightly that it was service out of fear rather than gratitude and hospitality, but the tea tasted excellent.
"Chief Vivian-nim."
Lucia straightened her posture after taking a sip of tea.
"We have something we must tell the Queen-nim. Please help us meet the Queen-nim."
Vivian's expression changed complicatedly.
"The Elf Queen-nim is at the World Tree Sanctuary. It is a holy ground managed by the High Elves. It is not a place a Wood Elf like me can go to recklessly."
High Elves.
The third faction.
"Three races of Elves live in this forest."
Vivian explained as she poured the tea.
"We Wood Elves live in harmony with nature in villages throughout the forest. The Dark Elves reside in the mountainous regions deep within the forest."
Vivian's hand trembled slightly over the teacup.
"As you saw earlier, we've been clashing frequently lately. The Dark Elves are... very wicked, bad, they pillage the forest's resources, and they raid the village every night! They are criminal Elves!"
Vivian's expression became agitated.
"On the other hand, we Wood Elves are a virtuous race that lives peacefully in accordance with the laws of nature. We have never once started a fight first!"
Hmm. A claim that her own race is the kindest and most pitiful.
A repertoire commonly heard in conflict zones. Let's just listen for now.
"Then what about the High Elves?"
"The High Elves... live around the World Tree. The Queen-nim is also a High Elf. They, well..."
Vivian stuttered for a moment.
"They don't really care about the other Elves. Should I say they have their own world?"
It means they ignore them. Should I call it aristocratic?
Anyway, three factions are each claiming their own territory over one forest. It's a layout I've seen many times before.
"I'll try to contact them for now. I can send a letter with a light spirit."
Vivian conjured a small bird-shaped light on her palm.
A light spirit.
After its glowing wings drew a circle in the air, it flew like an arrow toward the World Tree.
We waited.
Enough time passed to drink two more cups of tea.
The light spirit returned.
But as soon as Vivian read the spirit's message, her face contorted.
"......I'm sorry. The High Elves refused."
"Refused?"
"They said humans should handle human affairs themselves... that there's no reason to care about lower species..."
Vivian's pointed ears drooped.
"What do we do..."
Lucia furrowed her brow.
Then Eris raised her hand high.
"It's simple! We just take this big-chested Elf here as a hostage and send her to the High Elves! Tell them, 'If you want your chief to live, send the Queen'!"
"Wh-what!?"
Vivian reflexively hugged her chest and pushed her chair back. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Where did her rehabilitation in Frostgard go?
Kkang!
"Ouch!"
Leona's bonk landed accurately on Eris's forehead.
"Don't say such wicked things, Witch. We didn't come here to bully innocent Elves."
"You violent Hero! Have some class! You always resort to your fists because you can't use words!? And what's wicked is hitting Eris-nim!"
"What?"
Leona raised her fist again.
"N-no! Eris-nim didn't say anything! Eris-nim is an innocent beautiful girl who has never said a bad word in her life──"
Kkang-!
One more bonk went in.
Anyway, to summarize the current problem:
The Elf Queen is at the World Tree Sanctuary.
The High Elves have no intention of meeting us.
The Wood Elf's mediation was also rejected.
In that case, a different approach is needed.
'Chief Vivian, is there any other way? If there is anything we can do to help this forest, please tell us anything. If that can become an opportunity to open the High Elves' hearts, we will gladly lend our strength.'
As politely as possible.
[Intimidation Roll Success]
"If they ignore us, we just have to create a reason they can't ignore."
"There is one way!"
Vivian waved both hands urgently.
"A terrifying magic beast has appeared in the forest recently and is a nuisance. It's a monster far more dangerous and ferocious than the Dark Elves. It's threatening not only us Wood Elves but even the High Elves' sanctuary."
Vivian's eyes sparkled with desperation.
"If you just take care of that guy... the High Elves will surely treat you as benefactors. Maybe they'll even let you meet the Queen-nim!"
Magic beast subjugation?
That's my specialty.
Slicing Frost Bears in the North, catching Black Mammoths, flipping Krampus.
A single magic beast of the forest is nothing.
Subjugating magic beasts is a byproduct of travel anyway. In the North, catching two or three Frost Bears a day was basic while on patrol.
If the entrance fee to meet the Elf Queen is one magic beast hide, what could be cheaper than that?
Vivian's voice trailed off.
"But last time, ten of our elite rangers went out to subjugate it and came back running. Since then, they must have been traumatized because they won't even come out of their houses."
Vivian's voice grew smaller and smaller.
"Would it be possible...?"
"It is an easy task."
Do not worry.
The Princess. The Hero. The Witch. And the Black Knight.
There is no magic beast on this continent that this party cannot catch.
"I shall skin that beast and hang it on your front door."
Vivian turned pale.
"Thank you...! B-but the skin... could you hang it outside the village instead of the front door? The children might be startled."
And so, the slow-life fantasy in the forest began.