Chapter 216: Cooperation with the Sea Clan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: Cooperation with the Sea Clan
"I’m in a foul mood right now. If I ask you something and you can't answer, I wouldn't mind seeing how sashimi is prepared before you draw your last breath."
I ground the fishman’s head against the reef, my voice dropping to a glacial chill.
Of course, when it comes to threats, anything goes. However, among the storage bags I had confiscated, there really were knives intended for use as weapons. I pulled one out at random and slammed it into the rock. Though the blade ended up chipped and curled, the message was clear.
"Witch... Big Sister! Sister! Ask! Just ask! How am I supposed to answer if you haven't asked anything yet?!" the fishman shrieked, pouring his last ounce of strength into his grievance.
He had simply felt the unusually large waves in the area and had been sent to investigate. He just happened to be the closest one. A Witch had recently sabotaged a ritual the Sea Clan was preparing, and that Lord from the Royal Sea Clan Academy was currently in a towering rage. He’d had no choice but to obey.
The leaders in the Sea Clan Academy were all short-tempered sorts; how could he possibly refuse?
"Where are the people from the Royal Sea Clan Academy? I’m asking for the location of the students from the academy capable of performing the Sea's Wonder Crown Ceremony."
"Royal Sea Clan Academy? Students? They’re in that direction... I... I’m one of them..."
"That direction, huh... Does your Sea Clan have plans to prepare another ritual at this stage?"
"How... how should I know? I’m not privy to those kinds of decisions!"
"As expected of a small fry. You don't know anything."
I let go, decisively sending the fishman on his way. Even if he was a useless fellow, he still had value as a kill for points.
Afterward, I flew in the direction he had pointed. Now that I had a general heading, the rest would be easy to find. At worst, I’d just repeat my previous performance once I got there—maybe I could even test the limits of my resonance stacking.
It wasn't until I saw fishmen heads bobbing above the water that I realized I had arrived.
"Witch! What are you doing here again?!"
"Oh?" Seeing a familiar face made me quite excited. Although she was the one whose Sea's Wonder Crown Ceremony I had sabotaged earlier, she was still a member of the Royal Sea Clan Academy.
"Just out for some fresh air. Why... is that not allowed?"
"Heh. Fresh air? You Witches are in the middle of your Witch Tea Party, and you’ve run out for 'fresh air'? Do you really think I’d believe that? What, did you come back to watch us fail again? Witches really are the most wretched creatures."
"Oh, no, no, no. I think you’ve misunderstood. Previously, it was a matter of our respective academies' interests. I delayed your ritual through my own means, but I’m grateful you can still speak to me so calmly."
"Calmly! Which of your Witch eyes sees me as calm?! Are you blind?!"
"Just a joke to lighten the mood. Our Witch Academy's ritual is nearing completion. I might as well share some intel with you: after an academy completes a ritual, they must wait for one ritual cycle before they can hold another. Therefore, theoretically, there is no conflict between us right now."
Faced with my sudden change in attitude, the Sea Clan girl was unsure how to react. Although she desperately wanted to launch a counterattack with her group, they had already tried that, and it hadn't left a scratch on this detestable Witch.
It wasn't just the advantage of flight; it was a total crushing of strength. She was finally beginning to understand what her teacher meant when they warned her to be careful of the Witch Academy before the exchange competition began.
The information about the ritual interval was indeed valuable, but only marginally so. After all, they hadn't even managed to complete a single successful ritual yet. What use was knowing that?
Even if they succeeded, the next ritual would be a distant dream. They had to admit they lacked the strength to hold rituals back-to-back. If this Witch kept visiting them, they might struggle to even succeed once.
"What exactly are you trying to say!"
"Actually, if I said I wanted to help you complete your ritual, would you believe me?"
"Do you really expect me to fall for that trick?"
"Haha, true. To be honest, I wouldn't believe it myself. But that shouldn't stop us from talking, right? Communication is the shortcut to resolving misunderstandings. I believe I’m qualified enough to represent the Witch Academy in a dialogue with you."
"What do you want to say?"
"Let's talk about... the hidden rules triggered after a ritual is completed." I watched her expression with a smile. When I mentioned the completion of the ritual, a flicker of unease crossed her face.
"Triggered hidden rules?"
"Don't act like you don't know anything. Your Sea Clan isn't being very honest, are you? We only learned this through practical experience, but looking at you... it seems you knew beforehand?" I sat sideways on my flying broom, legs crossed. I had only intended to test her, but I hadn't expected her to actually know.
While I couldn't be certain yet, a little bluffing often yielded surprises. And now, we finally had something to negotiate.
"Don't talk nonsense! The rules of the exchange competition were jointly established by all the major academies! How could there be a leak? Also, thank you for telling me that completing a ritual triggers hidden rules! I don't believe there's any need for us to continue this conversation!"
"There is every need! Because if we can't talk, it means we can only fight."
"Are you threatening me?"
"How could you call it a threat?" I leaped off my broom, my foot tapping the air above the sea. What supported my weight was, naturally, a modified energy shield. I had used it as a stepping stone before, and it worked well here too—at the very least, it showed I was willing to communicate on "equal" footing.
My flying broom, losing the support of my mana, began to fall, but I caught it with one hand.
"I believe we need a formal meeting, much like the one you had with the Elves. Except back then you were forming an alliance, whereas now, we’re just making a trade."
I walked toward her step by step. This display truly shocked them—walking on the surface of the sea as if it were solid ground...
"A trade? What kind of trade?"
"I help you complete your ritual. In exchange, you let me use the hidden rules triggered afterward. Regardless of what they are or what they trigger, they must proceed in the manner I require."
"Heh. Why should we give you the ritual we worked so hard for? Who do you think you are? You want all the benefits for yourself?"
"How so? It’s merely mutually beneficial. You get the academy points, don't you? Think about it—the second academy to earn points! With such an advantage, if used well, you could suppress the Three Top Academies! Isn't that tempting? All you have to give up are some so-called unknown hidden rules. Perhaps it’s resources, or an opportunity that favors you, but those things are too far off for you anyway." I carefully analyzed the pros and cons for her, sounding so convincing I almost moved myself.
"Would you really be so kind?"
"It’s not about kindness; it’s about mutual benefit. Once this tea party ends, our academy's points will reach two. Even if we help you get one point, your academy would still need to chase down two more points to overtake the Witch Academy. We are confident we can prevent you from getting those two points."
"You!"
"Don't be angry. I’m stating facts, and I’m demonstrating the sincerity and confidence of the Witch Academy."
The Sea Clan mermaid looked like she was about to explode with rage. That condescending tone made her want to tear me apart! To slaughter me!
But she couldn't. Somehow, things had reached this point. It seemed that just because she had shown a moment of weakness at the start, everything had proceeded exactly as I intended.
"Very good. It seems you are calm. That is an excellent quality for an academy leader. What do you think of this trade? Shall we... enjoy a pleasant cooperation?"
I leaned in close to her and extended my hand. If everything went smoothly and there was no need for combat, then everyone would be happy.
Regardless, this was just a gamble based on luck. I wouldn't lose either way. It was just like my whim to burn the World Tree—if it didn't hurt me, it was worth doing.
"It won't be pleasant! Our academy's teachers said before we came that not a single word a Witch says can be trusted..."
"Well..."
I slapped my forehead with my extended hand. I felt like I had heard that line many times before. Was the Witch Academy's reputation really that bad? Bad enough that teachers from other academies felt the need to warn their students personally?
Was this some grudge from the level of the Transcendent Witches?
"However, the only thing a Witch can be trusted on is a Witch Contract. I won't believe a single word that isn't written on one!"
"Oh~ don't pause like that~ you scared me into almost taking action~ But about that Witch Contract... that... might be a bit difficult..."
"Your Witch Contracts require specially made parchment, and that parchment is a very common resource. I assume a busy person like you hasn't bothered to scavenge for supplies?"
"Is it? Hold on, let me look."
I gestured for her to wait. I was indeed busy; I spent all my time traveling on a broom and hadn't had the chance to find supplies in some corner. However, I had robbed plenty of storage equipment. There were plenty of people helping me collect things.
I pulled storage bag after storage bag out of another storage bag. The sheer number of storage items was enough to form a small pile. This display of banditry made the eyelids of every Sea Clan member present twitch.
"Aha~ found it. This stack should be enough, with plenty of room for trial and error."
After rummaging for a while, I finally found it. It took so long to find that it didn't seem like a "common" resource at all...
"Now, let's draft the contents together." I spread the parchment out and picked up the pen that came with it, beginning to write.
I first wrote down my demands and showed them to her. After all, this was a contract both parties had to follow, and neither wanted to be cheated.
After a series of "friendly" exchanges, the Witch Tea Party in the distance had already concluded. Using that as the catalyst, the final contract was finally drafted.
"Then, I look forward to our cooperation." I happily signed my name and handed over the contract, which had gone through countless revisions.
"Ah~ I forgot. My apologies. Even though we’ve had such an in-depth exchange, I still don't know your name. How rude of me."
"Remember it well, Witch! This lady's name is Enara."
"Enara, is it... A nice name." I watched the parchment spontaneously combust in her hand, proving the contract had taken effect.
"Heh. Then, without further ado, let's begin." I looked at Enara, then glanced at the rest of the merfolk and fishmen. According to the contract, I was not allowed to attack Sea Clan students until the ritual was complete, unless they attacked first, in which case I could only retaliate.
While these might seem like unequal terms, one had to look at the big picture. A contract requires both parties' consent; I had to make some concessions. If I wasn't willing to yield, how would it be any different from coercion?
However, Enara wasn't the only leader in the Sea Clan Academy, so I still had room to fight back without violating the contract if other merfolk caused a "misunderstanding." Of course, if a misunderstanding occurred, Enara was responsible for explaining and calming them down.
We soon arrived at the location I had designated. The Sea Clan's Sea's Wonder Crown Ceremony wasn't as picky about location as the Witch Tea Party. Since I didn't know if the hidden rule triggered after the ritual would be a special authority like the Witch Tea Party's or a direct combat ability, I needed to choose the location myself to ensure it lasted until the ceremony was finished.
If Enara were crowned with the Wonder Crown, she would be able to command the tides, rule the ocean, and trigger tsunamis for a certain period. At the very least, she wouldn't be too far away to fulfill my plan.
"By the way, do you really not know what the hidden rule after your ritual is?"
"Of course not. We Sea Clan follow the rules and don't seek to know what we shouldn't. Just like your Witch Academy's ritual—did you know beforehand?"
"Haha, fair point. However, I’ve done quite a bit of research on the rules of the exchange competition. While we have time, why don't we chat?"
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Nothing much. We all know the exchange competition can't last forever. The Phantoms of the Past in the Central Ancient Battlefield will grow stronger each time, eventually pulling the entire map into the ancient battlefield. At that point, no contestant will be spared. But that’s just what we see on the surface. The rules also mentioned Ocean Erosion. Enara, do you have any insights into Ocean Erosion?"
"What insights could I have? I don't know."
"Don't be so blunt. We’re in a friendly partnership now. Let's put it this way: will the erosion happen via rising sea levels or a tsunami surge?"
"How should I—"
"Hmm?"
"A tsunami, probably. Just a guess."
"I suspect so too."
I smiled as I looked toward a ritual lighting up in the distance. Instantly, I knew I had work to do.
"Well then, I’ll leave the ritual here to your hard work. I’m going to go stir up trouble with the other academies' rituals to buy you some time."
"Naturally. We signed a contract, and the penalty is disqualification. I have no desire to be eliminated because of that."
"True."
I nodded with a smile. I was quite confident in the contract. Although it only applied to Enara, it wouldn't be worth it for her to violate a contract just to get disqualified. Of course, there was plenty of room for maneuvering, as neither of us wanted to give the other leverage by being disqualified. If it came to a forced one-for-one trade, I would be the first to refuse.
Now that the Witch Academy's ritual was over, the Sea Clan was essentially the first to start preparing another. The other academies were currently in a state of panic. The Witch Academy was looming over everyone; they couldn't raise their academy rankings, and they couldn't compete in the individual rankings. Many smaller academies were already starting to give up.
The ritual lighting up now was over by the World Tree Elves. After checking the location, I was quite surprised.
I recalled that the Elves should be restless due to the fires. They were preparing a ritual already?
Or did they also realize there were hidden rules after the rituals and decided to take a gamble?
Regardless, I had to go and give them some "Witchly pressure." Perhaps I could even start another massive fire on the other side, putting them in a pincer movement.
By then, they should be breaking out in a cold sweat.
* * *
Currently, under the pressure of the encroaching forest fire, the Elves and the Beast Academy were gradually accepting that they lacked the ability to extinguish the flames. Even with the help of the Elemental Spirit Academy, it was a drop in the bucket. After all, fire spreads, but water does not.
Furthermore, the Ranger sent to negotiate with the Sea Clan had not responded, so they had to save themselves.
For instance, they could use the power of the World Tree to preserve their last hope. The status of the World Tree was as vital as a Wizard Tower is to a Wizard Academy—it replenished natural power, provided resources and blessings, and so on. Even the "Mother" in the "Mother God Hymn Ritual" referred to the World Tree. Once the World Tree was truly burned, Afuhemi Academy would effectively say goodbye to the academy rankings early.
Since they could do nothing else, they might as well perform the ritual!
Because Afuhemi Academy's ritual was bound to a fixed entity, the preparation was relatively simple. However, Afuhemi Academy had initially taken a conservative approach. After all, even though they were all Elves, it didn't mean they were all in the same boat.
For example, the Dark Fallen Elves and the Elemental Spirit Academy were not subordinates of Afuhemi Academy. They only tolerated them due to Afuhemi Academy's strength, but if pushed, they were more than capable of causing trouble. Not to mention, the Beast Academy was right next to the Elves, and that place was a chaotic mix of factions.
Once a ritual began, they would surely be besieged by the Beast Academy members—even the mere possibility was unacceptable. Thus, the Elves had to maintain good relations with the Beast Academy.
But by being conservative until now, they had been left in the dust by the Witch Academy. They had to act aggressively to have any chance of a comeback.
They even planned to link Afuhemi Academy's Mother God Hymn Ritual to the forest fire, "proving" that Afuhemi Academy could extinguish the wildfire by relying on the World Tree. This might trick some of the Beast Academy into supporting them.
Even if the Beast Academy eventually realized they had been cheated, at least Afuhemi Academy would have secured their academy points. Given the current situation, if the Witch Academy continued its current behavior, Afuhemi Academy could at least maintain a second-place ranking, which wasn't bad at all.