Chapter 55
Chapter 55
“It’s true that if a retention basin is built, the surrounding ecosystem will be damaged.”
Since that was an undeniable fact, I acknowledged it plainly.
“However, if the retention basin construction is not carried out, the Raed River will overflow and countless people will suffer.”
I emphasized that point again.
“When that happens, people will cut down trees and dig up land to repair the damage, which will lead to even greater destruction of the forest. And this process will repeat every time the Raed River floods.”
“…Are you threatening us right now? Saying that if we don’t allow the retention basin construction, the forest will be destroyed?”
The elf sitting on the far left frowned as he spoke.
The elf on the right clearly looked displeased as well.
But the elf seated in the center remained expressionless.
“I’m not threatening you. I’m simply stating the facts. We need to understand the situation clearly in order to negotiate.”
“What kind of negotiation is this—”
The elf on the right tried to snap back angrily, but the elf in the center placed a hand on his shoulder.
The moment he did, the elf flinched and fell silent.
“Please continue.”
Oh.
Not only was he the most handsome among the three, but even his voice was pleasant.
Listening to it alone felt calming.
And he isn’t speaking informally either.
In many ways, he seemed likable.
“I would like to propose something.”
Since he seemed the most reasonable, I continued speaking while looking at the elf in the center.
“We will relocate the animals that lose their habitats because of the retention basin to nearby forests and upstream areas. Trees and other plants will also be transplanted to other regions as much as possible.”
At my words, Marquis Smith and the Nubiar administrators looked at me with obvious shock.
It was understandable.
I had suddenly brought up something that had never been discussed beforehand.
But we never had time to discuss it.
If we had met even a day or two earlier, we could have talked.
But we had gone straight to the negotiation table.
And on the way to the conference room, I had been wary of Calix Krauvel’s reaction.
“If we do this, the concerns you mentioned should be minimized. What do you think?”
“Well… From my perspective, this proposal seems to ensure that only humans avoid losses.”
“What a disappointing thing to say. Relocating the wildlife and vegetation will require considerable manpower and resources. We will also suffer significant losses. Isn’t that right, Your Excellency?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
Marquis Smith, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly nodded.
“It will indeed cause considerable losses in many ways, but for the sake of coexistence, we are willing to endure that much.”
Oh.
He really knew how to say the right things.
As expected from the lord who governed a major city.
“That’s right. Humans ultimately depend on nature as well. We must live together.”
“We also do not wish to solve problems by sacrificing nature.”
The Nubiar administrators added supportive remarks as well.
Honestly, I had been worried they might say something like That’s impossible. We can’t do that.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
Well, relocating the ecosystem and building the retention basin will benefit Nubiar more in the long run.
There were countless fools who only chased immediate profit and couldn’t think long-term.
It was fortunate that Marquis Smith was not one of those people.
Perhaps because the strategy worked, the expressions of the two elves who had been dissatisfied throughout the meeting softened slightly.
“….”
The elf sitting in the center, however, remained the same as before.
At this point, he was even more frightening.
It was impossible to read what he was thinking.
The elves exchanged words in a language I couldn’t understand again.
They’re probably discussing what to do.
While I waited anxiously, hoping things would go well, the side of my head began to sting.
Calix Krauvel was glaring at me.
Still, this is better than expected.
At least he wasn’t telling me to stop interfering and leave immediately.
“Very well. In exchange for accepting your proposal, we have two conditions.”
After a long discussion, the elf on the far left finally spoke.
“First, the retention basin construction must begin only after all relocation work is completed.”
That would make the construction schedule tight.
But with night work, it could still be managed.
“Second, until the relocation work is completed, we will take that human woman—the one responsible for this construction—with us.”
…What?
Me?
Caught off guard by the sudden demand, I could only blink.
Marquis Smith and the Nubiar administrators looked just as stunned.
Even Calix raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Humans are a race that lies far too often. We cannot trust you.”
The elf on the far right spoke with open distrust.
“So until you keep your promise, we will take that human as a hostage.”
Wow.
They really said hostage outright.
But more importantly, Calix Krauvel was here, as well as Marquis Smith and other administrators.
So why me?
Was it because they believed I was the person responsible for the construction?
“If you cannot trust us, how about drafting a written contract?”
Marquis Smith suggested.
The elf snorted.
“How can we trust a piece of paper that only holds meaning among humans?”
“If you refuse these two conditions, then this negotiation will be considered void.”
The elves spoke firmly, making it clear they would not back down.
Marquis Smith groaned and glanced nervously at Calix Krauvel.
I’m the one being taken hostage. Why are you looking at him instead of me?
It was absurd.
But it didn’t seem like the right moment to speak, so I waited.
“We also need time to discuss this among ourselves. May we answer after deliberating?”
After thinking briefly, Marquis Smith asked the elves.
“If that’s the case—”
“I refuse.”
Before the elf could even finish speaking, Calix Krauvel abruptly stood up.
“There’s a limit to how much nonsense one should tolerate. Listening to this any longer is just irritating.”
“Y-Your Grace.”
Marquis Smith called out to him with a shocked expression.
Calix Krauvel looked down at him in disbelief.
“You’re just as guilty of talking nonsense.”
“Excuse me?”
“The one responsible for this construction isn’t Aileen—it’s you. Not only did you push that responsibility onto her, but now you’re trying to hand her over as a hostage. Is that how you repay the person who helped solve Nubiar’s problem?”
Even here, he was delivering brutally direct truths.
It was refreshing to hear, yet also troublesome.
I had barely managed to persuade the elves, but his words had just reset everything.
“Hah. As expected, humans lie as easily as they breathe.”
…Actually, it had gone past reset.
Now we were in negative territory.
“The ones talking the most nonsense here are you.”
This time Calix Krauvel directed his words at the elves.
“The planned retention basin construction site isn’t within your territory. So why did you come all the way here to interfere?”
“It may not be our territory, but we cannot simply stand by and watch the forest be destroyed.”
“You’re lying just the same.”
Calix Krauvel snorted.
“Elves are a race that values territorial boundaries and never interferes in matters outside their domain. Did you think I wouldn’t know that?”
It seemed he had hit the mark.
The elves’ expressions visibly stiffened.
Even in that moment, the elf sitting in the center showed almost no reaction—only raising an eyebrow slightly.
“Well, there are exceptions. For instance, if someone very close to you asked you to step in on their behalf.”
Calix Krauvel’s gaze flashed coldly.
“I won’t ask who that person is. But know your limits. If you keep crossing the line, I won’t remain passive either.”
The temperature in the conference room seemed to drop below freezing in an instant.
The elves exchanged brief looks and communicated silently.
Then the elf sitting in the center looked at me.
“I would like to hear your thoughts.”
“My thoughts?”
Even though it had been revealed that I wasn’t actually responsible for the construction?
“Seeing how much His Grace the Grand Duke values you, you must be an important person. I would like to hear your opinion.”
Values me?
That was ridiculous.
More likely, he was annoyed because I didn’t move according to his wishes.
Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.
Instead, I quietly thought things through.
From the looks of it, this was probably the last chance to negotiate with the elves.
Then I guess there’s only one way to handle this.