Chapter 60

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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The evaluation of the braised chicken was much better than expected.

It was praised as a new taste that wasn’t bad.

Especially Yuren and Bayard ate it with the most gusto.

However, not everyone enjoyed it.

Clara didn’t like it.

She said it was too salty or something.

So she only picked out a few vegetables to eat.

Well, each race would have different tastes.

If you were experienced like Cluna, you wouldn’t be picky about any food.Alll latest novels on novelbin/(.)com

But Clara wasn’t that old by elf standards.

Next time, it would be nice to cook separately considering their tastes.

I nodded and said,

“Then next time, we’ll serve it with a milder taste.”

“I’d be grateful if you do that!”

“Just eat what you’re given.”

“Why is Helia being so cold only to me?”

“It’s only natural! You’re just a lump of ore!”

Recently, Helia often hung out with Clara and Ruby.

As a result, they naturally became close enough to speak casually to each other.

I smiled at the sight.

It was a good phenomenon.

In the original work, Helia was popular, but on the contrary, she also had many antis.

Because she was excessively obsessed with power, causing trouble for those around her.

In the worst case, she even betrayed them.

So people who really hated Helia called her ‘Hellworm’ as a derogatory term.

I wasn’t that extreme, but honestly, my first impression wasn’t very good.

The reason Helia was so obsessed with power was to overcome her past.

Her village burned down, and the girl who survived alone became an avenger obsessed with power for the sake of revenge.

It was understandable why the original Helia turned out that way, but was there any need to keep maintaining the bad parts?

Shouldn’t it be right to fix most of it if possible?

“Helia has become much brighter.”

“Indeed.”

“Thank you, Cluna.”

“But I didn’t do anything?”

“I know you put in a lot of effort for her.”

The first one to notice Helia’s unstable mental state was none other than Cluna.

Was it because she was the only parent with a child among the Royal Knights?

Or was she just quick-witted?

Anyway, I consulted with her and poured in countless efforts to guide Helia on the right path.

And the result was starting to bear fruit little by little like this.

Thanks to that, I survived.

If it were just me, I wouldn’t have been able to raise her like that.

I expressed my gratitude to Cluna once again and turned my gaze to look at Bayard.

She had a blank expression on her face.

“Bayard, is something the matter?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

“I see. If there’s anything, tell me right away.”

“I-I’m sorry. F-For causing you concern...”

“You always lack confidence! At times like this, training is the answer!”

Oh dear.

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As a guardian of the forest, Cluna had done countless tasks.

As a guardian protecting the forest, she didn’t leave the forest that often, but there were definitely times when she left the forest.

Notably, it was for exchange and trade with other races, but there were also times when she left because of war.

Especially in the distant past, there were quite a few times when they almost started a war with each other.

If the Dwarf Republic was a wild boar that charged recklessly, the 12 tribes, especially the Rat Clan, were like a secretive snake.

They slowly spread poison to weaken their prey and swallowed it whole.

If Cluna hadn’t noticed it first and intervened, they would have lost more than half of the elves’ territory without even realizing it.

That was how meticulous the Rat Clan’s schemes were.

“It’s a pity. I’m too busy with work to go.”

And it seemed the commander was aware of that too.

Cluna understood in an instant.

Make an appropriate excuse and refuse.

As expected, the commander was wise.

It was better not to get involved unless it was necessary.

Especially now when our foundation was unstable.

We were not in a situation where we’d starve to death right away without support.

In that sense, the commander’s choice was right.

To be bound by as few strings as possible.

“Politely decline. I’m counting on you, Cluna.”

Otherwise, we could end up as a bird trapped in a cage.

At this point, she had a rough idea of the commander’s past.

But for now, she would keep quiet about it.

It was not a matter to be discussed lightly.

Cluna perfectly carried out the commander’s order.

She wrote a letter politely refusing their proposal, just as the commander said, and sent it by carrier pigeon.

That letter reached her hands.

However, unfortunately, we don’t have the time to spare.

If you really want to have an exchange, please visit the fortress directly.

“This is...”

“I never dreamed they would refuse so blatantly.”

Looking at the letter placed on the wooden desk, the gray-haired girl smiled.

Her gray hair was tied in a tassel shape using a hairpin.

She was wearing a thin dress made of dark blue cloth.

Outwardly, she was a beauty.

Anyone would surely think so until they met her hollow eyes.

“What? Why is this a refusal? Didn’t we invite them?”

“She is the leader of the 12 tribes. How could the chief of the confederation go there directly?”

“Then why did those guys send the letter like that?”

“They know we can’t go, so they sent it like that, even if it’s just for formality. To put it simply...”

“They’re blatantly mocking us.”

The girl, who was the leader of the 12 tribes and the chief, going directly to the dangerous outside?

Of course, it was something that couldn’t happen under normal circumstances, but not now.

The girl spoke with a smile,

“I was trying to see a friend’s face after a long time, but if I received an invitation like this, it would be proper to go in person.”

“It’s dangerous! You can’t go!”

“We’re not ones to think. We just follow.”

The round animal ears on top of the girl’s head twitched.

Originally, she had no interest at all, but after receiving this letter, she became interested.

The elegant handwriting, the message that absolutely wouldn’t back down.

As expected of the commander of the Royal Knights, even if rotten.

It was not for nothing that he sat in that position.

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