Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Hardworking Wastrel-3
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After the Fronteia Merchant Group came and went.
I decided to postpone the Elixir sales schedule and sent an official letter to our partner merchants.
The stated reason was final verification of the potion's side effects, but the real reason went beyond just business.
The moment Fronteia learned the Elixir's official price, they'd realize they'd been duped.
They couldn't come at the Count House directly because of the recording, but they'd retaliate against our partner merchants instead.
The Elixir was my exclusive product, so any retaliation there wouldn't ruin the business. But silk was a different story.
The silk market was currently dominated by Fronteia.
If they spread even one malicious rumor to our major clients, it'd be a headache.
Even if our silk was superior in quality, it would take a long time to get the business back on track.
'I need to push forward with the silk business and shatter their monopoly before they pull any tricks.'
For that reason, I decided to keep the truth about the Elixir hidden a bit longer.
And for the now-vacant schedule from the delay, I filled it with scouting land for planting the World Tree alongside Lena.
Like house hunting, we toured undeveloped areas in the territory, selecting land ideal for elves to live on.
Lena was delighted but inwardly worried about it.
"That said, Young Master, shouldn't you be focusing on the silk business right now?"
"That's exactly why we're out here. Among the places we're scouting, there's a key to silk living in one of them."
"My thinking was too narrow. Of course you'd handle both tasks at once."
"It's a coincidence. I decided on the silk business by chance, and a good opportunity came up."
Lena's first condition for the land was a forest.
Since most elves had never lived outside forests, anything else wouldn't do.
Some lived in mountains, but there wasn't enough space for the World Tree to grow.
There was no space for elves and the World Tree to live comfortably other than a forest.
"By the way, are you ever going to tell me what the core of silk is?"
"Ever heard of Arachne?"
"Arachne? You don't mean the half-human, half-spider beastkin?!"
"You know them well."
The Aslon Chronicles featured countless other races.
Not just famous ones like elves, dwarves, and dragons, but every obscure race imaginable.
Goblins and kobolds hostile to humans were classified as monsters and targeted for extermination.
Arachne—human upper body, spider lower—were also designated monsters rather than beastkin by the Empire.
Was it because of rumors they webbed up and ate humans?
But despite their ill repute, Arachne weren't inherently hostile to humans.
They never struck first unless they felt their lives were threatened.
That meant rational conversation was possible. In fact, I'd communicated with them in the game.
"Did you know there were Arachne living in the territory?"
"Yeah. I heard a group that came down from the mountains settled in this forest a while back."
Of course, this was info I'd gotten directly from the Arachne in the game.
"But why didn't you subjugate them? The Empire considers Arachne monsters."
"There hasn't been a single casualty in the territory. No real harm done, so why bother labeling them monsters?"
I couldn't say I'd learned they were harmless from the game, so I gave a plausible excuse.
I worried she'd suspect something, but instead, Lena's eyes sparkled as she grabbed my hand.
She poured out praise in an excited tone that was almost overwhelming.
"Young Master, you're truly wise!"
"Wh-what's this about?"
"I'm just so in awe of you! You don't judge rashly—you make careful choices based on experience!"
"Doesn't everyone?"
"No way! Most humans hear 'monster' and immediately start planning an extermination!"
I wondered if sparing the Arachne was really that impressive.
Reading my puzzled expression, Lena explained why she was so admiring.
"Elves and Arachne have been in symbiosis since ancient times."
"Really? I didn't know that."
"In the past, when humans shunned us harshly, elves gave Arachne places to live, and Arachne bound the feet of humans invading the forests with their webs."
Elves and Arachne were comrades who cohabited and protected the forests together.
Lena gazed into the distance with wistful eyes, reminiscing about that era.
She was recalling the days spent with the Arachne.
"After the Empire rose, persecution of other races eased, and elves became safer. But sadly, the Arachne's situation was different."
"Their old friends, whom they'd lived with, got labeled monsters by the Empire. Must've been tough."
"Yes. Elves desperately tried to persuade the Empire, but they never relented. In the end, the Arachne left the forests so they wouldn't harm us."
Lena gave a bitter smile and let out a deep sigh.
From her reaction, it seemed elves had tried to protect the Arachne to the end.
But when they left voluntarily, the elves were left with guilt for failing to protect them.
"We couldn't do anything back then, but now it's different! With someone like you who sees Arachne as people, elves and Arachne can live together again like before!"
I could see Lena's loyalty surging in real time.
I'd just come to trade with the Arachne, but this was an unexpected windfall.
Lena trusted me more now, and putting her forward with the Arachne would win goodwill.
A stroke of luck turning into massive gain. Was this Heinz's luck too?
"We'll make their forest the settlement?"
"Probably. A place good for Arachne is good for us elves too!"
"Then let's head straight to the Arachne forest. We need to hear their thoughts."
"Yes!"
Lena and I set aside all other candidates and headed right for the Arachne forest.
From the forest entrance, Lena clenched her fists tight.
She couldn't help but be excited to relive what could be called past glory.
And so, we stepped into the forest.
We followed the forest path, sunlight filtering warmly through the leaves.
Each breath of crisp air cleared my mind deep into my lungs.
Phytoncides, right?
After being cooped up in the mansion buried in work, this phytoncide feast washed away all stray thoughts.
My mood lifted gradually, but Lena's expression beside me grew sterner by the minute.
As if something was bothering her.
"Something wrong?"
"No webs anywhere."
"You're right. In Arachne territory, webs should be everywhere from the entrance."
"We might've been fooled, or they already left."
There was also the chance they hadn't settled yet.
The point in the game when I met them was mid-story in the Aslon Chronicles.
If they'd only made this forest their home much later, we'd be on a fool's errand.
This was a problem. I'd told Lena they lived here like it was fact.
"...Hold on, I hear something."
"Where?"
"Over there!"
Lena's pointed ears perked up, and she dashed toward the sound.
I hurried after her.
My ears heard only silence, but keeping pace with Lena, voices gradually came into range.
"What do we do now? No more thread's coming out...!"
"You've been wandering too long—your body's exhausted. Rest up, and it'll be fine soon!"
"What if I can never spin thread again?"
"Don't say such ominous things! It'll be okay for sure!"
I couldn't grasp the full situation, but something serious was wrong.
If I met them face-to-face and solved their problem, wouldn't they gladly give thread as thanks?
With that hope, Lena ahead stopped abruptly.
I tried to brake too, but unluckily, a thick tree root caught my toe.
"Ugh!"
My balance crumbled, body pitching forward.
My flailing hands grabbed nothing, and I tumbled straight to the ground.
In that instant, a strange sensation hit: my right arm sliding deep into something warm and moist.
"Kyaa?!"
A woman's sharp scream shattered the forest quiet.
At the same time, thick white sticky fluid gushed out like a waterfall, drenching me head to toe.
Ignoring the grossness, I slowly raised my head and saw spider legs.
Shifting my gaze to my right arm revealed a massive spider abdomen—with my arm plunged into a hole there.
"Whoa, spider web fountain show."
I decided to call off the investigation.