Chapter 197: Beastmen and Elves
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: Beastmen and Elves
I headed to the Adventurer’s Guild after receiving an urgent message.
The guests I had been waiting for had finally entered the Labyrinth City.
“Welcome! The Guild Master is waiting for you.”
“I assume everyone else is there as well?”
“Yes. Two representatives have arrived. You can head straight up.”
“Understood.”
Upon arriving at the guild, Edwin guided me immediately to the second floor.
The people waiting for me in the Guild Master’s office were none other than the leaders of the Elves and the Beastmen.
“You’re finally here.”
“Is this the human? The one who conquered the 5th floor?”
As I entered the office, a fierce-looking Tiger Beastman and an elderly Elf woman, whose age was impossible to guess, were waiting for me.
They were likely the Great Chieftain of the Beastmen and the Elder of the Elves, respectively. They both looked incredibly formidable.
However, perhaps because they were both civilians who hadn't braved the Labyrinth, I felt like I could take them on my own without Moira having to step in.
When I say they looked strong, I mean they were strong by the standards of ordinary people; those who haven't ventured into the Labyrinth have very clear limits.
“Welcome, Sion.”
“Sorry I’m late.”
“It’s fine. Sit down and catch your breath.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
I sat down at the rectangular table, facing the Elf and the Beastman.
The Guild Master sat beside me. If they tried to pull any kind of power move, Moira would likely have her hand on her sword hilt in an instant.
Moira’s reputation preceded her even outside the city, so even a reckless Great Chieftain wouldn't act hastily. The Elven crone was likely the same.
“So, I heard you asked for our help. What is the problem? You humans have always managed well enough on your own. Why ask the Elves for reinforcements now? Especially when you have fellow human nations like Keislan or Catlan? What is your objective?”
The Elf Elder’s question was sharp.
Why would a city dominated by humans call upon Elves and Beastmen?
It could be interpreted as preparation for war, or perhaps a scheme to intentionally weaken the Elven and Beastman forces.
As leaders of their respective races, it was only natural for them to be suspicious.
“May I answer?”
“Go ahead. They came to see you, after all.”
“Thank you.”
Moira nodded, crossing her arms.
It seemed she intended to do nothing more than act as a mediator.
“First of all, the reason I asked you to come to the Labyrinth City is simple. What I am about to tell you is top secret. It is information that must not be leaked to the outside world. So, first, please sign this confidentiality agreement...”
“What is this? Why do we have to sign something like this? Just tell us your purpose and reason already.”
“Do we look like blabbermouths to you? You don't need to worry about us telling anyone.”
The Great Chieftain growled, urging me to answer. The Elf Elder also didn't hide her displeasure.
I’d been spending time with human-friendly Beastmen like Horaru, so seeing these raw, unfiltered Beastmen made me wonder if they were monsters or fellow Chosen Races.
As for the Elves, I was used to the easygoing nature of Helena and Lafnel, so seeing the Elder scowl made her look quite terrifying.
Then again, Beastmen and Elves aren't exactly known for being human-friendly, so it was only natural they looked grim.
Regardless, I made them both sign the contract to ensure they wouldn't go around leaking what they heard here.
There was another round of bickering during the process, but thanks to Moira’s mediation, I managed to get the signatures of both the Great Chieftain and the Elder without too much trouble.
Now, I could finally speak.
“There is a very high probability that the Labyrinth will erupt within a few months, or a year at most.”
“...Huh?”
“What kind of nonsense is this? The Labyrinth erupting? My Druid friend never mentioned this.”
“I haven't heard anything about this from Lady Lafnel either. Explain yourself. A Labyrinth Eruption?”
The faces of the Great Chieftain and the Elder hardened at the mention of the Labyrinth bursting.
The Elder’s expression grew increasingly grave as if she had heard something completely unexpected, while the Great Chieftain just sat there with his mouth slightly agape, looking stunned.
I shared a portion of the information I possessed with them.
“Let’s say your words are true. Are you asking us to stop the Labyrinth Eruption? By sacrificing countless numbers of our kin?”
“You’re forcing us into charity work!”
“No, no. Please listen to me until the end. This is clearly beneficial for everyone. And I’m not asking you and your people to shoulder the entire burden. The one who will be ground down the most on the front lines is me.”
It was true. If we didn't conquer it, everyone would die.
And above all, the one who would have to work like a dog was me.
“Everyone will die... The end of the world...”
“I can’t believe it. No, I should say I don't want to believe it.”
“I’m sorry that the reality is something you have to believe even if you don't want to.”
“.....”
“So that’s why you asked for our help. If the Labyrinth is going to erupt, those arrogant fools in Keislan and Catlan would surely think they could handle it themselves. They wouldn't help.”
“Yes. Even if they are fellow humans, Keislan and Catlan are untrustworthy and wicked. I’d rather put my trust in you. I believe in the chivalry of the Beastmen and the nobility of the Elves.”
“You’re gathering allies who won't betray you?”
“Exactly.”
I was banking on the racial characteristics of the Beastmen and Elves.
Both races are known for not betraying those they have formed a friendly relationship with. Olivia’s game knowledge confirmed this, and everyone else had said that forming a friendly bond with them would be a huge help.
While rotten humans betray others as easily as they breathe, Beastmen and Elves are at least reliable.
“But you are a human.”
“Indeed. We cannot trust you, just as you cannot trust other humans.”
“Ah. Right. Well, damn.”
That was true.
Even if I trusted them, they had no reason to trust me.
What a blunder. Of all things, I had to be a human.
And a selfish, eccentric Easterner at that!
Ah. I hadn't thought of this.
Even if a human trusts Beastmen and Elves...
Beastmen and Elves do not trust humans.
How could I earn their trust?
“Well, I never intended to trust a human in the first place. I only came because of Lady Lafnel’s word. And the land you promised us is more important. Isn't that right?”
“That’s right. My Druid friend said so. He said if we help conquer the Labyrinth, you’d give us a place to live. I don't trust humans, but I trust my Druid friend.”
Fortunately, the reputations of Lafnel and the Druid Club President were good enough to smooth things over.
Now, the truly important part was what I could offer them.
“As you can see, this fellow and I are wanderers. To be precise, our two races have no proper settlement.”
“Is that because of the humans?”
“You could say that.”
The land where the Beastmen used to live had been swallowed by the Keislan Kingdom, and the Elves' homeland was within the territory of the Catlan Empire, leading to frequent conflicts.
That was likely why they both referred to themselves and their kin as wanderers. Their homelands and territories were no longer their own.
But if they went to war, they would surely lose. Humans are strong. They are numerous and possess superior technology.
In a physical conflict, no matter how strong the Beastmen were, they would crumble against the technological gap. No matter how skilled the Elves were, they would be slaughtered by sheer numbers.
That was why the Druid Club President and Lafnel had promised them land when they called for them. And now, they were questioning whether such a place could truly be provided.
The Labyrinth City simply didn't have enough territory to accommodate their entire tribes.
“The 7th Floor. I will give you the 7th Floor of the Labyrinth.”
I answered them. I would give them the 7th Floor.
The 7th Floor was another world entirely. My guess was that it was a vast, expansive world, much like the Hollow Earth Theory.
So, couldn't I just recognize a portion of the 7th Floor as their living space and let them live there?
“You’re giving us the entire 7th Floor?”
“No, if I gave you the whole thing, there’d be nothing left for us. I’ll give you about half. That should be more than enough to satisfy you.”
“Since we don't know how large the 7th Floor is, giving us half doesn't really mean much.”
“It’s likely absurdly large. We haven't measured it all accurately yet, but it really is massive. It might even be larger than the Catlan Empire’s territory.”
“And you’re giving us half of that?”
“I’m not giving it to you for free. If you want that half, you’ll have to do your absolute best to help us conquer the Labyrinth.”
“So you’re offering land in exchange for our lives. Not a bad deal.”
“Don't be so easily swayed. It could be that the humans will take all the prime real estate and only give us the useless land. Humans have always been like that.”
The Great Chieftain was ready to settle the deal with his simple logic, but the Elf Elder shook her head, insisting on clarity.
“You might think our distrust of humans is extreme, but if you consider what we’ve been through, you’ll realize we’re actually being quite moderate.”
“I know, I know.”
If they were radicals or hardliners, they wouldn't even be here. They would be the type to scream that all humans must die.
The fact that they came here to meet me meant they were at least open-minded.
“My ultimate goal is the complete conquest of the Labyrinth and reaching the deepest part. To be honest, conquering the 5th floor was less about personal gain and more about making it easier to go further down. The same goes for the 7th Floor. I don't really care about money or anything like that.”
“There’s no story more ridiculous than a human saying they don't need money.”
“What I mean is, it’s not that I don't need it at all, but that I have plenty of other ways to make money without relying on the 7th or 5th floors. In short, as long as you help me properly with the Labyrinth conquest, I don't really care how you live on the 7th Floor.”
“I assume that means you won't impose human laws or regulations on us.”
“Yes. However, that doesn't mean I’ll allow inhumane acts like cannibalism or kidnapping humans into slavery. You understand what I mean, right? I’m just saying we should stick to universal moral principles.”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
“Understood. Then what about taxes?”
“Humans always insist on collecting taxes. They claimed our ancestral lands were theirs and squeezed us for every penny.”
I didn't expect them to bring up taxes here.
Hearing them talk about taxes made me realize just how badly they had been burned by humans.