23 - CHAPTER XXIII "Decision of the King"

"Hand over the party of travelers with the High Elves?"

He parrots it back.

It had never occurred to them that Noblewood's demand was for their own safety.

He even went to the trouble of specifying "a traveler with a High Elf.

"Yes. <. He even made a pledge to "swear by the name of the tree of God."

"...... "What does "I swear by the name of the God tree" mean?"

"This is a phrase of oath handed down among the elves since ancient times. The divine tree is a sacred object for the elves - a divine dependent. To swear by its name is an absolute pledge for the Elves.

Idolatry, as is common among forest people and frontier tribes.

No, in this world of sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, there may actually be a tree in which a god resides.

"If you speak this oath and then violate it, you are an enemy to all the elves, for if you break it, you are no longer an elf. Above all, our pride as elves will not allow us to break our oath. It is such a "serious" word.

I see.

So the point is that we can surely save Lilliput and the others by handing over the group of travelers.

No wonder Wenli is so desperate. ......

Therefore as a representative of LATESTWOOD I have a request to make of you.

Say it.

"Will you please take back the people who were kidnapped this time - the Lilliputians - from the Noblewood?"

The words were pretty much as I expected them to be.

But..,

"Did you say recapture?　Not just shut up and hand me over?"

"Yes. It's a recapture. We have no intention of handing you over to Noblewood.

I glanced around, but there was no sign of any attempt to forcibly detain Helian and the others.

The people and soldiers who heard Leifer's explanation earlier must have understood the fact that Helian and his group are no match for them even if they fight.

"...... I would like to confirm three things."

We cannot jump to conclusions too quickly.

"First of all, can we take the <> as a contract agreed upon by both Noblewood and Rattestwood?　Or did Noblewood just make a unilateral pronouncement?　If it is the former, then it would seem that your country is obligated to hand over the ."

"No, the latter. It was a unilateral declaration. We did not say that we would give up the travelers, nor did we pledge to do so. Therefore, we would not be breaking the oath of the sacred tree if we did not offer up Lord Helian and the others.

I knew it. In this case, only Noblewood is at risk of incurring the penalty of a breach of oath. Perhaps the reason why they did not take the trouble to make an agreement is that the idea of half-elves, whom they consider as a lower species, not following them never occurred to them in the first place.

They seem to look down on the half-elves to no end.

"Secondly. Why does Noblewood want us in the first place?　And when they went to the trouble of specifying "travelers with high elves," I interpreted that to mean that Eltina was being targeted. ......Why high elves?"

"Unknown. My eyes can only tell you that he is not an ordinary man.

No, it's not.

Eltina is neither an elf nor a high elf.

She is an Ancient Elf, one of the highest of the Elven species.

But that would not be understood if I told you that here.

The problem is that the Noblewoods target the higher species of elves.

And they are considered a higher priority target than the half-elves of Rattestwood.

"...... are no ordinary elves, that's for sure. But the targeting of Eltina is puzzling. Was it the other day ...... Sarawin?　If it was because of the trouble with that thing, they would have named me, a human, and Levee, who tried to kill him."

It seems more natural to designate Helian, a human being who is an object of scorn for the elves, as the representative of the group of travelers. It was Herian who had been at the forefront of the conversation as a negotiator in yesterday's dispute.

"But from the wording of the request, it sounds like Ertina is the target, and me and Levee are just a bonus. Why would Noblewood target Eltina?"

"I really don't know either. In the first place, it seems that they consider the half-elves themselves to be the enemy, as they have said in the beginning of this war.

"As you can see from her ears, Eltina is not half-elf."

"Yes, sir. Perhaps they assumed that she was a high elf because of the fact that she had more magic power than they (elves) or had mastered higher magic. ...... I have no idea why they would go after Lady Eltina, who is not a half-elf."

I'm not lying.

It is not only Helian who is perplexed, but Leifa as well.

At least it seemed so to Helian.

"-Then there is a third thing. I want you to answer me with all your heart."

"Yes."

"You asked us to take back your prisoners.

But what do we have to gain by complying with your request?"

As soon as he asked the question, Wenli gave him a leering look.

But I could not be intimidated. Helian felt a strong pressure in the pit of his stomach.

--Helian is the king of Alkimaira.

He is the king of Alkimaila.

We must be ruthless.

We cannot let the will of Herian, the individual who feels sorry for her and wants to help her, get in the way of our country.

It is an unbecoming action for a king.

The reason is that his subordinates might think that he is not the right person to act on his own personal will.

That is why we cannot pick up chestnuts from the fire without getting something in return. Even if we wanted to help them, we can't.

--But if there is a quid pro quo, it is a different story.

If we as a nation have a good reason to help them, then Hellian can move.

I mean it when I say I want you to answer me with all your heart.

I could not say what I really meant if Lieve and the others were watching me, but I meant what I said with all my heart.

I don't know if there is anything we can offer to the Latestwood, which is on the verge of defeat and has no supplies. In fact, judging from the earlier exchange between Leifa and Wenli, there is a strong possibility that they have nothing to offer in return.

Furthermore, we do not have a clear picture of Noblewood's strength.

From the conversation just now, I could guess that Alkimaira would be superior in terms of individual combat ability, but the total strength of the enemy forces is still unknown. We do not know if we will be able to grasp the enemy's strength by the evening, nor do we know if we will be able to raise a force that exceeds the enemy's strength.

It would not be a wise choice to lend a hand when there is no guarantee of victory.

But even so, if they can come up with something that we don't have, something that we can offer, and if they can use that as a reason to act as a national "Alkimaira," then Helian would like to help them.

This was the kind of question that held out a gleam of hope.

Because Helian has not forgotten the finger-cutting we exchanged that day.

The promise he made to the girl who was trying her best to save the people with all her might and with all her heart.

I remember those slender little fingers.

She said, "Please...

As if praying to God, Helian waited for Leifa's words.

"----"

Leifa turned her head slightly.

After a moment too short to be called hesitation.

She looked up and looked Helian straight in the eyes.

Then Leifa spun an answer.

I will give myself to you as payment.

What came back was the worst thing I ever heard.

From the beginning, he had a look of determination on his face.

"Half-elves were born as a result of the war between the Noblewoods and the human race. And among them are the children of the Queen of the Noblewoods who were captured by humans. That was the first half-elf three generations ago, ...... my great-grandmother."

--In other words, I am a descendant of the .

Leifa spoke.

"In Noblewood, the only direct descendant of his (or her) queen is the present king. Therefore, the Queen's blood is rare and precious. And since I am a virgin, the added value is even greater. If I were to sell it to a slaver, I am sure it would fetch a considerable amount of money."

As an example, a half-elf traded in the land of humans last year was worth 520 gold coins," he said.

Leifa speaks plainly of the facts and spells out the terms of the contract.

"Even though it is a small country, if I am royalty and have the blood of the Queen of Noblewood, I should be worth at least ten times that amount. Depending on the negotiations, I may be able to get even double that amount.

Also, anything I can do for you until the sale is completed, please let me know. If you accept my offer, I will give you my full authority from that moment on. I will respond to any request you may have. That is the price I will pay.

In a matter-of-fact tone of voice, the Queen of RATESTWOOD finished explaining the material of the transaction.

She converted the value of the commodity, Leifa-Rim-Lattestwood, into money.

She even offered a blank card.

...... makes me want to vomit.

"...... is ridiculous. If this deal goes through, what happens to RATESTWOOD afterwards?　You are the supreme leader of this country. What do you think of the country after you lose it?"

"Rilifa will rule."

The answer was immediate.

He would let the recaptured Rilifa take the leadership of Lattestwood and ...... the throne of Queen.

"Rilifa, like me, has the blood of her father and mother in her veins. Then, if the need arises, she will fulfill her role as royalty well. She may act young now, but she does so on purpose because of me, her ...... sister. Then when I am gone, she will be a great queen and lead the country. I believe so."

Her eyes were straight.

It seemed as if she really believed it.

Even Hellian could easily imagine that the recovery of the kidnapped people would not be a lifesaving measure for the country.

Even so, Leifa Lim-Lattwood said that she believed in her sister.

He told her so without a lie.

"So please ...... save the people of Rattestwood."

Say it.

Leifua kneeled down on the spot and poked her hands and head to the ground.

"-This is all I can do.

In the center of the village.

In the middle of the crowd.

Leifa Lim-Rattestwood, Queen of Rattestwood, crawled to Helian, a traveler, and pleaded with him.

I have no other choice. There is nothing more we can do. I have no other choice but to rely on you.

They were words of repentance.

Her voice sounded like she was confessing her sins.

The words he spun were filled with a contrition that he could not hide, and I understood without any choice that he was telling the truth without any falsehood.

......Yes, I knew.

I knew that I had already known such a thing.

The truth is that even Helian has known this for some time.

They should have realized long ago that RATESTWOOD was already "finished (・・・・・・・・・・) as a country.

It is no longer a nation.

Even Wenli, who is considered to be his close associate, has been driven to the point of acting on his emotions. As Leifua said, Wenli was not in his right mind at that time. They seem to have recovered somewhat now, but their spirits are so worn out that they could have committed such a heinous act with a single trigger.

In the first place, even though she possesses rare magic, and even though there is a royal family to rescue her, the country is already almost finished when the queen herself is forced to go to the rescue of her fellow prisoners. Desperate is not even the right word.

It was probably positioned as a last resort.

Having lost most of its military forces in a surprise attack without a declaration of war, and exhausted by three weeks of raids, it was all that was left for RATESTWOOD to do.

They took a last ditch gamble and ...... as expected, it failed.

As a result, Raefa-Rim-Rattestwood, Queen of Rattestwood, was forced to flee through the forest alone, unaccompanied, and nearly captured by the Noblewood elves.

Normally, the country would have ended at that point.

Since that was the last resort, everything should have ended there.

--But then a third force appeared that no one had expected.

A force that is not affiliated with Noblewood or any other force, possesses a fighting power superior to the chief hunter of Noblewood, and has no prejudice against half-elves, the Helians appeared.

I wonder what Leifa's feelings were at that time.

I wonder how she must have felt when she found someone who might be able to stop the destruction of her country in the midst of failed rescue attempts, inability to save her parents, and her own fate about to run out.

Helian cannot imagine.

No, it is not something that a know-it-all would be allowed to imagine.

But he understood why she had been so friendly to him.

I also understood why she was suspicious of the identity of Helian and his group, but did not pursue it at all.

No problem.

Who the Hellians were had nothing to do with her.

It just didn't (・・・・・・・・) matter.

At the time when Leifa met the Hellians, the only way to save the Ratestwood was to ask for help from some mysterious traveling party.

That was all there was to it.

But...

"What ...... are you doing!　Raise your head, Mister Leifer!　You're the one who shouldn't have done that!"

"I can't. Not until you give me a good answer.

The queen (Leifa) remained prostrate and motionless.

She bows her head and clings to a traveler, exposing her pathetic appearance to the public.

This was something a king should never do.

A man who stands at the top of his people should never, under any circumstances, be seen to bow down to others and flatter them.

A king is not all-powerful.

Without the will of the people, there is no way to run a country.

That is why it is necessary.

Power is a trivial thing.

Authority is a shamanistic thing.

It is essential for a man to be a leader.

The history of the earth proves it, and it is a simple fact that is written in Japanese textbooks in disgusting detail.

But Leifua has dared to show his face in front of the people.

He explained the current situation in the middle of the village in a voice as if he was telling it to everyone, and then rubbed his head against the ground against the strangers, so that all the people could see him.

Needless to say, at this point, Leifa-Rim-Rattestwood's centripetal force as a queen has probably fallen to the ground.

It is only natural that she declared her defeat because she could not do anything by herself.

But she is not a queen who does not understand that.

And yet she dared to commit such an outrage for one reason only.

--To save her people.

To let the Helians save the people of her country.

To put in their heads that there is really no other way left.

And the fact is, the Helians got it right.

He now understands the meaning of this action of Leifa.

It is a plea that ,

And it is an explanation of the fact that ,

And then there is the threat that all the people here will die if they are abandoned,

All of which proves the undeniable truth.

Even if it is in the name of others.

Even if it takes advantage of a third party's good intentions.

Even if it uses the people as a source of blackmail.

But we will save our country and our people.

To save the people, they will stop at nothing.

That was the way of Leifa-Rim-Lattwood.

Bowing down to a mere traveler was her last task as Queen of the Lattestwoods.

"............My guest......No, my dear Helian. I apologize for my past rudeness. Please forgive me."

Wenli, who had remained silent, kneeled down on the spot and opened his mouth, which had been tightly closed.

"I offer myself on behalf of Leifa-sama. Please accept the deal with me..."

"No, Wenli."

Leifer, who kept his head on the ground, interrupted him.

"You must be Lillipha's guardian. She cannot lead Lattestwood alone. I need you."

"Therefore, if you will stay in this country instead of me, Miss Leifa, ......!"

"The standard unit price for a half-elf adult female is around 500 gold coins. Are you asking the Herrians to risk their lives for such a small amount of gold?　Do you think it is possible to convince them of that?"

"......Leifa-sama ......!"

"I am glad you feel that way. But this is my job. It is the last thing I can do. Please don't interfere."

At these words, Wenli finally lost her patience, her beautiful face contorted into a crumpled mess and tears streamed down her face.

Wenli also put her hands on the ground and bowed her head.

In fact, the people who had been watching the event also began to bow their heads one by one.

They all pleaded with Helian, the man with the hated elf, with their faces down.

--Sell her, they said.

Sell her to the slavers.

Sell her and get enough money to put your life on the line.

The people are all bowing down to the queen and asking her to spare the kidnapped. They are kneeling to the ground and telling her so, throwing away their pride and everything else.

How many conflicts must have existed there?

I wonder what it must have been like for them to offer up the Lord they were supposed to protect to human beings.

What does it feel like to plead with others to save a people whom one cannot protect by one's own hands?

Helian does not know.

Nor does he want to know.

The only thing he does know is this.

If we abandon them now, their fate will end here.

"----"

What the hell is this?

What the hell is this?

It's disgusting.

I feel nauseous.

My brain refuses to comprehend.

It was a reckless thing to ask me to accept this situation.

I don't want to accept this ridiculous situation in which the fate of all the people in this place is entrusted to me, a person who has not lived for twenty years.

"--------,"

Helian is the king of Alkimaira.

He is in a position to give orders to the people of Alkymyra and he is responsible for all the consequences of his orders.

He cannot make rash decisions.

It is foolish to lend a hand to a force that is on the verge of extinction.

The value of what you offer is out of proportion to the value of what you are offered.

And to get involved in the troubles of other nations when you are not even sure of your own position is the height of folly.

You are not qualified to offer a helping hand in the first place.

Do you think you are so noble that you can save others?

You cannot even answer your own question.

You don't have the courage to answer.

I'm not a strong man.

Too weak in body and soul.

Not a man of honor.

On the contrary, I'm small.

No self-confidence.

A small coward.

Not fit for a king.

--But still...

But still, I will not fall into the outcasts.

I will not live that way.

If I abandon them now I'll regret that choice for the rest of my life.

Because my finger remembers the promise of that day...

--That's why.

Liewe, Ertina, Camilla.

"Ha."

"I, Helian Edda Elsinorek, ask you..."

The Lord's words sounded as if he was under pressure.

All three fell to their knees.

"Queen Latestwood, Reifa-Rim-Latestwood has sent a request for help to our country. His (her) country is a multiethnic nation where many races coexist, and from the history of its foundation, it has a founding principle of mutual support, a noble spirit of helping the weak, and an unyielding national character that will not give up until the very last moment. These are things that have much in common with the ideology of our country.

I have personally confirmed that the representatives of his country have promised to compensate us for our relief efforts, and that they have shown sufficient civility.

Then, even if the value of the forces that we provide is not commensurate with the price that his country is willing to pay, I believe that we need to have good relations with his country when we look to the future from a medium- to long-term strategic point of view. Answer me if you disagree with this consideration.

To the words of the great King, the three servants shall answer in silence.

"-- Very well. Then I command you.

Reeve will return with me and prepare to receive the RATESTWOOD delegation.

Ertina will be in charge of guiding and escorting the delegation to our country.

Camilla, you are to gather as much information as possible and analyze the capabilities of the hypothetical enemy (Noblewood).

There is not a minute or a second to waste. All of you must move quickly.

""""Ha--!"""

With the answer coming back in chorus, Helian-Edda Elsinorek took a step toward Leifa-Lim-Lattestwood, who was still hanging her head.

"Lift up your face. RATESTWOOD IS QUEEN, REIFA LIMU RATESTWOOD.

The queen looked up calmly, her voice filled with a strong will.

Her forehead was stained with dirt, and her face showed confusion, as if she could not understand the meaning of what Hellian had said to her men.

Without a care in the world, Helian told them.

The deal is done. You must understand that we have lied about our identities. Our country has been in a bit of trouble and we had to be cautious. Forgive me."

And I will tell you my name.

"Once again I tell thee my name.

I am Helian Edda Elsinorek, King of Alkimaira, the Land of All Evil.

The Queen of Rattlestwood looked on in astonishment, her confusion replaced by bewilderment.

"I welcome you with open arms. From this moment on, the people of your country (RATESTWOOD) are my countrymen.

--Welcome to the otherworldly nation of Alkimaira.