Chapter 201
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201
Once everyone had departed, silence reclaimed the space, broken only by the occasional birdsong and the buzzing of insects. The room where the Empress stayed was strange; its pillared structure was open on both sides, making it feel more like a temple.
Though she had many questions, Scobina spoke first. There was something she needed to say.
“You had better be careful.”
“Careful of what?”
“I’m sure you know I was on my way to the Primordial Core. I wouldn’t go so far as to say our Leprechaun Merchant Guild enjoys Lord Swallow’s favor, but our interests are aligned, so it’s true that he keeps an eye on us.”
“……”
“I believe Rium is a beautiful nation. I also believe Your Majesty possesses a beauty befitting this country. I only hope this beauty does not vanish because of a momentary mistake.”
“We just have to avoid getting caught, don’t we?”
Scobina flinched, startled by the blatant response.
“There are many ways. Dame Rocheisa surely left no traces on her way here… Ah! We could also disguise the situation. The Empire is in chaos lately, so why don’t we take advantage of that?”
What is this woman spouting this crazy nonsense for?
“While on your way to the Primordial Core, you, Miss Scobina, were attacked by humans who had fled their territory. We could write you off as dead… but it would also make a fine story if our delegation, which happened to be heading to the Empire, rescued you. You could rest here to recover, and we would become your saviors.”
“If you think I will play along with such a story, you are gravely mistaken…”
“But you have so many things to protect, don’t you?”
“…Pardon?”
“The northeastern part of the merchant guild district, wasn’t it? In a small village, you have a beloved younger brother, don’t you? And parents you support. A friend preparing for the guild’s entrance exam, too. They must all be such kind, precious people.”
Pestilencia watched Scobina, a smile gracing her lips. Even while delivering a threat, she wore a perfectly benevolent expression.
Scobina, who had been on the verge of anger, composed herself and took a deep breath. She could feel her face stiffening as she asked in a flat, dry voice, “May I ask the source of that information?”
“The heavens revealed it to me.”
What a useless answer. As Scobina stared in disbelief, Pestilencia rested her cheek on her hand and asked, “Is there something on my face?”
A long silence followed.
Pestilencia’s smile slowly faded. In its place, her true expression surfaced.
“…I was bluffing a little.”
Her face was now open and serious. “I have absolutely no intention of doing that. I only resorted to such coercive measures because there is something I must know.”
Her voice was low and devoid of its earlier pretense.
Pestilencia finally spoke her true mind.
“Miss Scobina, you referred to yourself as the Deputy. I also know you are the merchant guild member in charge of the Primordial Core. Since the Leprechaun Merchant Guild has been investigating Rium, I trust you already know a great deal without me having to explain everything.”
Pestilencia walked over and sat in a chair that, for something made of tree vines, looked surprisingly plush.
“Riaze was completely destroyed by Swallow.”
“……”
“Rium and the Empire do not get along. We have maintained a cold war for over a hundred and fifty years. In that context, Swallow utterly destroyed Riaze not long after having already half-ruined it. It all happened in less than six months.”
“……”
“And even after destroying Riaze, Swallow has shown no reaction, offered no explanation.”
Pestilencia continued.
“A few days before the first attack on Riaze, the Empire’s Hero, Bern Hishultz, challenged the Primordial Core, did he not? I wondered if that was the trigger, but it seems that wasn’t the case.”
Scobina remained silent.
Even the Leprechaun Merchant Guild didn’t know why Swallow had suddenly become so active. They couldn’t ask him directly, and it wasn’t as if he would answer if they did.
“We have been receiving oracles for a long time.”
“An oracle, you say?”
“Yes. An oracle warning that a Black Cloud will destroy the world.”
“……”
“At first, we suspected a plague.”
A black fog usually referred to a plague. Historically, countless species had gone extinct due to epidemics.
“Of course, some believed from the beginning that the Black Cloud referred to Swallow. If it were a plague, the oracle would have said ‘encroach’ or ‘shroud.’ Several of our vassals argued that the word ‘destroy’ would not have been used.”
“The oracle was handed down long before Swallow attacked Riaze. However, now that Riaze has been destroyed, we are certain.”
“If Lord Swallow is indeed the Black Cloud from the oracle, are you saying you are preparing for war?”
At Scobina’s question, the Empress hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
“…”
To Scobina, the entire situation seemed foolish.
First of all, Leprechauns did not believe in the existence of gods. The word ‘oracle’ made her want to snort. If a god truly existed, shouldn’t it come down and fight Swallow itself? Any being that had to pass down an oracle because it was too weak to act was utterly incompetent. The incompetent did not deserve to be called gods. Whatever they worshiped, it was a fool, not a deity.
Secondly, the Empress did not look strong at all. That meant she was relying entirely on the Holy Flowers like Rocheisa, but their strength was irrelevant.
Anyone whose power could be measured by a word as simple as ‘strong’ was no match for Swallow.
“You aren’t saying the most important part,” Scobina said.
What she wanted to hear wasn’t Rium’s circumstances. It was the reason they had kidnapped her and brought her all the way here.
…Though she already had a good idea what that reason was.
“We need information.”
It was exactly the answer she had expected.
“What we pursue is peace. We do not blindly brandish our blades. We only wish to know what they are thinking, what plans they are devising, and how we should act in response. We simply want a guide.”
“I can tell you with absolute certainty, staking my position as the merchant guild member in charge of the Primordial Core: as long as your side does not move first, Lord Swallow will not touch Rium.”
“……”
“Does that answer your question?”
“I did not want such a simplistic answer. We need all the information the Leprechaun Merchant Guild possesses.”
“Your Majesty, if you need information, I ask that you purchase it through the proper channels. Of course, if you do that, the news that ‘Rium purchased information on the Primordial Core’ might reach Lord Swallow’s ears.”
“Isn’t that precisely why we brought you here like this?”
“……”
“……”
“To sum it up… you are asking me to side with Rium instead of the Primordial Core.”
“This is strictly an action to prevent the destruction of the world. If it becomes clear that the Black Cloud is not Swallow, or if we find another method besides combat, we will pursue that. In that case, you would only need to keep all of this a secret.”
“……”
“Miss Scobina, you are a merchant, are you not? This is also a transaction. I will compensate you handsomely.”
Scobina bowed her head deeply.
A subtle tension, disguised as silence, flowed between them.
She was being asked to play spy, all so the Empress could resolve things as peacefully as possible.
A Black Cloud that will destroy the world, huh.
Admittedly, hearing something like that, anyone would naturally look toward Swallow.
“So you’re saying my role is of the utmost importance for the sake of peace.”
“I am glad you see it that way.”
Unfortunately for the Empress, Scobina had almost no information she could offer. She didn’t even know the reasons behind most of Swallow’s actions.
Try to find out, and you die. That was the ironclad rule that North, a former member of the guild, had repeatedly emphasized.
“Your Majesty.”
Scobina slowly raised her head.
“First, thank you for holding someone as humble as me, who lives only to chase money, in such high regard.”
“You are by no means humble, Miss Scobina. I hold you in high regard because you are a truly precious individual.”
“First of all.”
“……”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t need any compensation. I received an excessively large amount of gold coins just a few days ago. My bonus alone is enough to build a castle.”
“……”
“And no matter how much you deny it, it is true that I am quite humble. For one, I don’t know proper etiquette.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know etiquette…”
“Well, for starters, pardon my rudeness.”
Scobina stood up.
“This is something I learned after joining the merchant guild and dealing with Imperial nobles. It’s a human gesture, one that originated with the rough barbarians of the northeast before spreading throughout the entire Empire.”
Scobina raised her middle finger.
Her gaze was so cold that the Empress’s bright expression froze solid. Though she might not know the gesture’s exact meaning, she must have understood the atmosphere. She seemed to grasp instantly that it was a gesture of pure insult and contempt.
“This is my answer.”
Unfortunately for Rium, the Leprechaun Merchant Guild had already faced the brink of ruin once before. That crisis had been Gakundar’s attack, and the one who had extended a helping hand was none other than Swallow.
Of course, that salvation had not been free. They suffered countless acts of exploitation in the name of compensation. But it was also true that he had consistently provided enough requests and more than enough rewards to keep the guild running.
If she defied the Empress here, she would likely be killed.
…So be it. The Scobina of today could not sell out the Primordial Core just to save her own skin.
“Asking me to betray our guild’s best client…”
“……”
“Screw you.”
The Empress laughed—a forced smile to hide her twisted feelings.
*
From a distance, the sound of Rium’s soldiers running toward the Empress’s room could be heard.
The Holy Flower, Rocheisa, left the palace without a single glance back. Even without looking, she could guess how the situation was unfolding. There was only one person in the imperial palace at whom they would point their spears, and that person was currently with the Empress.
…Scobina.
She must have caused trouble after all.
Rocheisa closed her eyes gently. Had she expected this? Of course. The little peddler had seemed submissive, but she had never once cowered on their journey here. There was no way that grit would vanish just because she was standing before the Empress.
Of course, the Empress had also anticipated such an outcome, yet she had summoned Scobina anyway. It meant she had her own plans. Therefore, Rocheisa didn’t need to worry about the aftermath.
Only after leaving the palace and feeling the chilly wind on her face did Rocheisa pull down her hood. Her exposed, jade-colored hair was unkempt and messy.
When she opened her mouth to breathe, it revealed a tongue that was exceptionally long.
“……”
After standing blankly in the wind for a moment, Rocheisa cast her sharp gaze downward.
Beneath the Divine Tree, whose massive roots stretched out for hundreds of meters, flowers bloomed in every direction. It was beautiful, but that was all. It inspired nothing in her.
She walked over to where she had left her leather shoes and washed her feet in the clear water flowing between the roots. Honestly, she found it a bother, but this was the proper way to show respect to Yggdrasil in Rium. Since the tree had bestowed fertile land upon the beastkin devastated by the past war of liberation against the Empire, they naturally worshiped it.
It was a hundred times better than the humans’ god, who was merely an abstract concept with no real power.
What truly annoyed her, however, was that their worship had extended to the flowers blooming around Yggdrasil. The very title of ‘Holy Flower,’ which everyone revered, carried that exact meaning. She herself wasn’t particularly holy, nor did she have much to do with flowers.
“……”
As Rocheisa went to put on her shoes, she noticed a single petal resting on top of them. Staring at it, she raised her head.
It wasn’t just one. More petals were scattered along the path she had to take, serving as signposts to guide her way.
“Playing tricks again…”
Clicking her tongue softly, Rocheisa finished putting on her shoes and walked forward. This wasn’t the first or second time this had happened, so she knew what it meant.
It was a summons, a request to come over once her work was done.
Following the trail, she arrived at the training ground at the base of the southern root.
“Snake woman!”
The culprit who had scattered the petals shouted from across the field.
Rocheisa quietly furrowed her brow. The damn nickname ‘snake woman’ was undoubtedly meant for her.
Look who’s talking.
The one who had called out to her—a short girl—had the ears and tail of a mouse. And though it had nothing to do with her species, her prominent front teeth perfectly matched her appearance.