Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Reunion with Childhood Friend Was the Worst
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In the dungeon, around the time Arethia was fleeing.
Outside, a new wind was blowing.
"Your Majesty! Are you sure about this?"
"I know full well that this choice means forgoing a massive profit for the Empire. But considering that man's temperament, this is the most sensible option."
From the Empire's perspective, they absolutely could not afford to irk Balak, a being more valuable than a golden goose.
Moreover, all the Empire's movements were being watched by Animus, an extraordinarily powerful entity.
So they had to tread very carefully regarding the dungeon.
Thus, after the Empress spent the night with her husband discussing Balak,
she realized that excessive greed would only invite disaster, and decided to partially open the path to the dungeon.
Balak himself had said he wouldn't mind as long as they took it in moderation—what was there to fear?
This would strengthen alliances with other races, no less.
And if new beings kept entering, it might even produce fresh byproducts from the dungeon.
In this way, the Empire paved roads to make it easier for various races to access the dungeon,
while taking measures to bar criminals from entering—and so a strange symbiotic relationship was born between the Empire and Balak, who generated vast quantities of byproducts.
But the beaming dwarves and elves were appalled by the Empire's demands.
"You're saying to raise our previous negotiated terms, and then take a 30% tax on any profits from the dungeon?!"
"All technologies discovered in the dungeon go to the Empire first...?"
"Toll fees? What is this, highway robbery?!"
These were truly head-spinning demands, so they protested immediately...
"Your Majesty, why not just raise the tax to 50%—"
"The previous terms were quite reasonable, weren't they?"
"Hahaha! We're already indebted to the Empire, so it can't be helped!"
In the end, faced with the Empire's "take it or leave it" tyranny, they had no choice but to stamp the contract.
Thus, elves and dwarves were officially allowed to move personnel within the Empire.
The news spread across the world, drawing all sorts of races to negotiate with the Empire.
And finally, powerhouses from various regions began to stir stealthily!
Among them was the elves' current queen.
Elfriede.
**************
The elven kingdom.
The Kingdom of Erios was in absolute chaos right now.
They could grow the lost World Tree themselves?
And meet spirits that had vanished from the middle realm inside the dungeon?!
Not to mention all sorts of elixirs, tools, and high-tech knowledge!
Everything the elves desperately needed was gathered in the Abyss Pit.
But the Empire had rejected all their negotiations thus far, forcing the elves to send only a tiny reconnaissance team of middling skill.
Of course, they had tried sneaking in secret agents a few times.
But did they think the Empire was stupid?
Instead, the Empire had launched counterintelligence ops and sent multiple warnings, leaving the elves no choice but to act indirectly.
So as the elves grew more frustrated day by day,
the Empire's opening came as blessed relief, allowing them to finally move personnel officially—and they rejoiced.
Moreover, as beings who lived over a thousand years,
they foresaw a "tighten your belts for 300-500 years" racial revival campaign.
But that alone wasn't enough.
That level of enthusiasm wouldn't cut it!
If dungeon deaths led to rumors of mental breakdowns, it could deal a huge blow to the revival effort.
So the kingdom's upper echelons pondered deeply how to fan these flames into a blaze.
But truth is always simple.
"So I'll go first."
"""Q-Queen?!"""
The elven queen, Elfriede, declared she would enter the dungeon herself.
Of course, this extreme measure risked a power vacuum in the kingdom, immediately sparking clashes between opposition and support factions.
But the queen wasn't foolish; she hadn't made this choice lightly.
"The Queen Elfriede is stepping up herself!"
"The Queen is this serious about it."
"Yeah, let's follow her lead and set an example."
"For the greater good, must we sacrifice in the end...?"
Just the rumor that the highest authority was acting for the greater good was enough to sway the gullible masses.
Even the intellectuals who grasped the queen's intentions dared not voice the truth.
[For the sake of the race.]
It was truly a cursed phrase.
*************
Soon after, Queen Elfriede succeeded in convincing the opposition.
But upon hearing the news, the Empire sent a warning.
"Heh heh heh, looks like the Empire isn't thrilled about this."
"A head of state directly meddling in another realm—bound to ruffle feathers."
"Same old thorough profit calculations, as ever, Eileen..."
Frankly, the warning was just a demand for tolls plus compensation.
And since the queen knew her old comrade the Empress would express displeasure,
she sent some gifts to the Empire and gained permission to proceed.
Thus, boarding a carriage bound for the city of Laiter, Elfriede gazed at the passing scenery, lost in thought.
Beyond the racial revival, she had another purpose.
Finding news of her top-tier wind spirit childhood friend.
'Sylvia... how have you been?'
She longed for the companion whose path had diverged due to her foolish choice to share sibling bonds and power, reminiscing on old memories.
Time flew by, and Elfriede arrived in Laiter with her escorts.
The city had already prepared everything upon hearing the elven queen was coming.
With her powerful guards in tow, she entered smoothly.
Now, what would a nation's supreme commander do next?
"You've all worked so hard until now..."
"Sob!! Your Majesty!"
"So much has happened up to nowwww!!!"
Visit the massive mental hospital inside the city to meet her kin, of course.
The masses were so dim-witted that this show alone sent them into ecstasy.
And it made for excellent PR, splashed across newspapers immediately.
[Elven Queen Comforts Hardship-Stricken Kin Instead of Rushing to Dungeon.]
"Kuh~ As expected of our queen!"
"Prioritizing kin over profits!"
"Queen Elfriede has a heart of gold, worlds apart from that vermin traitor!"
"The world hasn't abandoned us yet..."
Soon, elves across the land swelled with national pride thanks to their queen.
Of course, intellectuals saw through the obvious politics.
But the cursed phrase "for the sake of the race" meant opening their mouths would earn them labels as clueless fools.
With the intellectuals silenced, as the gullible masses' fervor peaked, what if the climax was the queen leading by example—dying repeatedly in the dungeon?
Checkmate!
The grand racial revival would ignite.
Plus, revival was possible anyway, so low risk, high reward for Elfriede.
Having somewhat captured the masses' hearts, Elfriede now pursued her personal goal.
"What?! Y-Your Majesty is going to Sky Island alone?!"
"Yes."
A horde of powerful elves swarming Sky Island would surely disgust the spirits.
So she left her escorts in the city.
She was the elves' strongest spirit archer and spirit swordsman.
Even if every inhabitant of Sky Island attacked, not a scratch on her.
Her escorts tried to dissuade her solo venture, but
ultimately, the decision was hers, and they couldn't stop her.
Equipped with her divine gear, Elfriede entered Sky Island.
****************
Whiiiiiish!!!
Trying skydiving for the first time, Elfriede savored the novel thrill while marveling at the surroundings—
but seeing colorful lesser spirits floating around the clouds made her heart ache.
'I took scenes like this for granted back when the World Tree stood...'
Still, reuniting with spirits was blessing enough, so she began exploring Sky Island.
But the lesser spirits recognized her instantly and freaked out.
"Kyaaah!! Great Spirit's escort!!"
"Deceiver!! Deceiver!!"
"Nooo!!!"
To spirits, time was meaningless, so decades ago felt like just yesterday.
'Yes... this is my sin.'
Shunned by the spirits, Elfriede swallowed tears inwardly.
She had been tricked by her brother—the instigator of the Great War—into losing her childhood friend Sylvia.
Her brother, upon ascending the throne, had used every trick to drive a wedge between the top wind spirit Sylvia and Elfriede.
Thus, young lesser spirits believed Elfriede had sold Sylvia out.
And after her brother sacrificed all forces to the demons, he even tried the mad act of absorbing Sylvia.
Higher spirits, deeming Elfriede the root of all evil, viewed her coldly and saw no need to correct the lesser ones' misunderstanding.
But she had no reason to just sit there!
Elfriede approached Sky Island's spirits with redoubled passion to clear the misunderstanding.
Her excessive zeal drew sharp glares from humans and dwarves playing with the spirits.
Then, suddenly, a comet-like tail of light appeared in the distance, visible to adventurers and her alike.
"Huh...? What's that?!"
"M-My god!! Why is that coming here?!"
"Peddlers must've set up market nearby?! Everyone, evade!!!"
Adventurers, knowing a light tail from the sky meant incoming storm arrows, fled to other Sky Islands.
Elfriede knew this too, but she couldn't move.
'T-This presence?!'
The rapidly approaching light tail bore the aura of her childhood friend Sylvia.
Soon, storm arrows shot from the light tail slicing through the sky targeted Elfriede.
But she was among the elves' elite.
Forgoing spirit power, she wielded mana to swat them all away.
The bombardment wrecked an entire Sky Island.
With the streaking light tail homing in on her alone, Elfriede was utterly confused.
Then, the light tail crashed before her as thousands of spirits formed a starry cluster, dancing.
From the massive bird at the cluster's heart, brilliant flames erupted like an explosion, and it gradually took human form.
Finally, a green-skinned being revealed itself.
Fwoooosh!
"You who sow confusion—begone from this place."
"An... orc?!"
Before Elfriede's eyes appeared an orc radiating ominous power.
And at the sight that followed, she caught her breath.
A bird with pale green feathers softly descended from the sky onto the orc's broad shoulder.
"Sylvi... a?"
Thus, Elfriede finally reunited with the companion she'd so desperately missed.
But another companion had long been by her childhood friend's side...
making their reunion the worst.