Negotiation and Peace 1
At the border between the middle and deep layers of the north forest is a large pond.
When Christo stepped out onto the edge of the pond, he found an elf man in a white robe waiting for him.
In the morning sunlight, the elf man turns around, his long blond hair blowing in the wind.
Eltharion, the [Mighty Star].
He is a demon god of the same rank as Christo.
He had lost both arms, but there was no sign of agitation or fatigue in the way he stood.
The wound on his shoulder peeking through his robe is full of the ashes of the holy tree, which emits a blue light.
The wound must have been tormenting him ever since he was cut by the pseudo-holy sword.
And yet, he still maintains a certain amount of vitality.
Christo raised a hand to the elf man, who was paler than before and his hair was less golden.
Eltharion, on the other hand, walks quietly toward him without making a gesture of greeting.
"I would like to negotiate with you."
The young elf said so.
Eltharion continues.
"In addition to the [Primordial Elixir], I want you to chase away the army that has come to the forest. I am ready to give you a sufficient reward."
"Chase away the army? Are you in your right mind?"
"Yeah, I'm sane, I'm serious. Christopher. You who unleash the magic of the great spear in the swamp will destroy the savages and the apes that hang out in the castle. Wouldn't it be easy?"
"I suppose I can do it, but what should I do after that? Do I just keep on fighting off the wielders of the [Pseudo-Holy Sword that slays Devils] who are forever coming to this land? You yourself know the power of the pseudo-holy sword, right? If the wielders of the holy sword come to this land with the blue ashes spread and my power restricted, I will sooner or later end up the same way as you."
"I would like to ask you to do something about that. As a fellow demon, I need you to help me."
Of course, you will help me, right? He sent Christo a stare that seemed to say something like that.
It seems that he doesn't know how to ask for things because he's been in the forest for a long time.
More than that, he wondered if he had an accurate understanding of what was going on in the outside world.
(Unaware of the terror of the pseudo-holy sword, he only tried to have a leisurely conversation with Siegfried, Tiger, and the others.)
Christo sat down on a nearby rock and looked up at Eltharion.
"Is this time okay?"
"If you will protect the beasts of this forest for me, I will take as much time as possible. But, Christopher, even the middle layers of this forest are not safe. Last night, a warrior who seems to have adopted the blood of a demon entered the deeper layers. It is best to refrain as much as possible from engaging in idle chatter."
"I'll be brief."
When Christo said so, he gave Eltharion a simplified version of the situation in the world.
The human race controls most of the continent.
The humans have formed an alliance with the [Night Empire].
The other day, a truce agreement was signed with the dragon race.
It would be too foolish to challenge humans with the divine protection of the Holy Tree.
When Christo told him these things, Eltharion's expression remained the same: [So what?]. He knows what a pseudo-holy sword is, and he also knows that spirits are being exterminated in the outside world.
However, he seemed unable to comprehend that humans, weaker than themselves, were overwhelming them.
"I can't fight because I've been wounded like this. If I don't find someone in the outside world who has the power to remove the ashes of this holy tree, I can't protect this forest. But you're still in perfect condition. Killing those apes should be easy."
"It is easy to kill an individual human being, but it is difficult to kill the entire human race. What kind of hell would it be for me to have to fight alone in this remote area for eternity after listening to your request? And if I am not careful, I might be mortally wounded by a pseudo-holy sword. If you were me, would you accept such a request?"
"I would. So you take it too, Christopher."
"This is not going to work......"
"Wait. Why don't you help me? I let you off the hook for destroying the swamp, didn't I? Just do what you did to the swamp a couple of times, to the monkeys' stronghold."
"So what's going to happen to me after that?"
"Nothing. You can protect the forest. No, only you can do it. Please be the guardian of the beasts living here instead of me."
"Of course I don't want to ...... My life will be in mortal danger and I will lose every freedom I am allowed. No matter what is offered as a reward, I will not accept it. I want to live quietly in human society."
At least until several decades after the pseudo-holy sword maidens die, he added in his mind.
By then, he will have wealth and fame, and his position in the human world will be solid.
Only after that will he be free to do as he pleases.
To do as you please now would be a fool's errand.
"This is the place your father loved. Don't you want to protect it?"
"What you're asking for isn't to protect this land, is it? It's for me to be hostile to the human race. Isn't that right?"
"I'm not saying to be hostile to them. Just throw two or three of those spears at the humans' dwellings, and that's fine."
It was a roundabout way of saying that.
Eltharion kept repeating the same words over and over again.
It's a way of persuading others.
They say the same things over and over again and never answer anything that is inconvenient.
Just push your own demands and keep waiting for the other person to give up.
This would have been fine if he were negotiating with the chief of the pioneer village, but it would have been foolish to do the same thing to Christo.
"I won't do it. I told you to run away before you started fighting. But you chose to fight without thinking about the consequences. Why should I have to clean up your mess?"
"As members of the same demon race, we need to help each other. If you help me here, I will surely help you in due course. The beasts of the forest will be grateful to you."
"Eltharion. You are dragging me, your fellow demon, and the monsters into the depths of hell."
"I didn't say that. The spear you threw into the swamp to the monkeys――"
"I'm done talking about it. If you talk about it any longer, I will kill Ulrika."
"――What?"
"I said I would kill Ulrika. I will not give you the [Primordial Elixir]. Don't underestimate me too much. If you think I'll do anything you ask me to do, you're mistaken."
"――――――. Christopher, you are a demon, right? If you are a demon."
"If you say anything to the effect that we should help each other, I will kill Ulrika."
"......"
"Is there anything else you need?"
"...You're the worst."
Eltharion looked at him as if he was about to shoot him dead.
He had an expression of not being able to truly understand Christo.
Even though they are demons.
Even though his fellow demon is in trouble.
He easily dismissed it.
Is it cold blood that runs under his skin?
Does the fact that he attacked the swamp but not the humans mean that he is siding with them?
Eltharion's clear green eyes were flooded with a stream of accusations against Christo.
(It seems that this man seriously cannot understand my thoughts.)
Christo's thinking, or should he say his tactics in general, taking into consideration the other party's gain or loss?
Also, there is only black and white in the way he perceives things.
He can't imagine anything in between.
The majority of every community, whether human or vampire, is gray.
There is rarely anything that is black and white.
Eltharion has lived in the swamp and the forest all his life.
He has come into contact with beasts of the forest who do not play games with him.
Therefore, he is unable to put himself in the position of the devil Christo, who is more complex and greedy than the forest beasts, and he is unable to understand the in-between situation of [being fellow demons but unable to help each other].
The standard of value is him.
Help him because he is an ally.
Eliminate them because they are enemies.
Eltharion's thoughts are pure and simple.
It can be said that the thoughts of Christo and the intelligent beings outside the forest are a little too complicated, but...
"Then, are you my enemy?"
"Well, at least you're not an ally. I've never declared to you that I'm an ally."
"Don't say it in a roundabout way. That means you're my enemy. You're on the side of humans, Christopher. You're a bloodless bastard."
"I don't deny that I'm scum. ――So what are you going to do with the [Primordial Elixir] that I'm a scum? Do you want to stop trading with me?"
"There is no sin in the [Primordial Elixir]. Even if you are scum, the Elixir is an Elixir."
Eltharion said, and whistled.
Then the murky water in the pond in front of him rose and a small boat appeared.
Atop the boat was a black horse with two horns and a seal's tail.
"It is now a forgotten memento of the god of the sea who became a moron after being poisoned by the holy sword. The ship is called the [Wave-Sweeper] and the horse is called [Enbarr]. All you have to do is tell the [Wave-Sweeper] where you want to go, and it will wade through the waves on its own and take you to your destination. [Enbarr] is an amphibious horse. It is as swift as a swallow."
Eltharion whistles once more.
Then, this time, a [Wood Woman] appeared from the shadow of the tree.
She carried two spears and a sword in her arms.
One of the spears was a golden and luxurious spear.
Even the tip of the spear was gold.
The blade was shaped like a stiletto.
The blade was 60 centimeters long. The width of the blade was nine centimeters.
The tip of the spear resembles the tip of a spear commonly known as a partisan.
Because the tip is shaped like a stiletto, it is a versatile spear that can be used for both piercing and slashing.
The other spear was a mossy wooden spear.
The spearhead was also made of wood. The entire spearhead was covered with damp soil, which appeared to be mud from the swamp.
The material was probably yew wood.
It did not appear to be capable of killing, but it had a strange atmosphere that is hard to describe.
It looks more like a mage's staff than a spear.
As for the sword, it is a cross-shaped straight sword.
It is decorated with a luxurious and elegant jeweled ornament.
The sword has a beautiful and dazzling impression. The handle of the sword is inlaid with a large cat's-eye stone, which has a black, vertically split pupil that does not seem to be merely inorganic.
"The golden spear here is the [Gae Assail]. It can be used as a throwing spear, and by casting the spell [Ibar], which means yew tree, it will always hit the opponent and inflict a fatal wound. The spear can also be returned to the user's hand by chanting [Athibar]. With this, the spear can boast of being invincible against anything with only a fragile life force, such as humans. As you can see, it is a beautiful spear and can be carried as an ornament when negotiating."
"It’s an excellent weapon with no peculiarities. Can it stand up to the [God Sword]?"
"Skogsra, do it."
The [Wood Woman] invoked a holy art, and with the [God Sword], struck hard the pole of the golden spear that was thrust into the ground. The golden spear was blown out of the ground and rolled on the bank of the pond.
"As you can see, everything is fine. Are you satisfied?"
"Yeah. Thanks for the great demonstration."
"Next is the yew tree spear. Its name is [Ruin]."
Eltharion points to the mossy wooden spear.
"The old yew tree holds the power of death and rebirth, but this [Ruin] has the power of death. If you remove the mud from the tip of the spear, it becomes a flame that can burn cities to the ground, and will send your opponents into a screaming inferno. In addition to burning down the enemy with flames, the spear can also be used to skewer opponents, just like an ordinary spear. The tip of the spear contains a strong forest poison that causes sores on the skin of anyone who touches it, leading to death. It is a powerful spear, but because of its danger, it is very selective in its wielder. In the hands of the wrong person, the [Ruin] could destroy itself."
"Contrary to its peaceful appearance, it's a very ferocious spear..."
He has a feeling that this one should never be chosen.
He doesn't know if it will be Patricia's weapon or Melvina's weapon, but it's too dangerous to always have a dangerous weapon that can destroy itself.
Also, if they accidentally burned down the royal capital, it would cause a major disruption in Christo's life plan. At the very least, he would have to obtain a diploma from the Holy Sword Academy.
"The last, this crossed sword is called [Fragarach]. It is a weapon that the idiot god of the sea left in this swamp, and it can easily cut through any armament. If an enemy draws his sword, it will slip out of its sheath faster than that and slash at the enemy. The magic eye attached to the intersection of the cross is said to turn the beholder into a helpless being, like a patient dying of a disease or a woman in childbirth."
Eltharion took up the magnificent cross sword.
He continued.
"This [Fragarach] is a rare artifact that has the property of being an Oracle's sacred treasure."
"The sacred treasure of the Oracle……. If I remember correctly, the Oracle is something like a shrine maiden who receives the will of the god and makes it known to the people."
It's the knowledge that Laira taught him before.
"What you call the [Wood Woman] is an existence that corresponds to an Oracle, right?"
"Not exactly"
"Hoh."
"Oracle, in a broad sense, refers to a shrine maiden who conveys divine will. The god of the swamp communicated her intentions to the villagers by planting a part of herself in the village girls, and also monitored the state of the village through them. In a broad sense, they played a role that could be called an Oracle."
Eltharion continues, [But].
"The original meaning of Oracle is a shrine maiden who serves a demon god."
"A shrine maiden who serves a demon god"
"That's right. A long time ago, before the demon gods were swallowed by chaos and integrated, the demon gods found superior individuals among humans and made them their own shrine maidens. By lending them a portion of their power, they differentiated themselves from other human individuals and ruled over them as shrine maidens."
Eltharion looked down at the cross sword.
"The sacred artifact was proof that they were shrine maidens of the demon gods. Through the sacred artifact, the shrine maidens received a portion of the demon god's overwhelming power and ruled mankind, or at least competed with the other demon gods. The name of [shrine maidens serving the demon gods] varies according to the race of the demon god. For elves, it is [Oracle]. If it is a vampire, it is [Blood Maiden]. If it is a devil, it is..."
"A witch."
"That's right. It's called a [Witch]. This Fragarach is a sacred treasure that connects the demon god and the shrine maiden. If a human with the ability to be a shrine maiden holds it, it will draw its sword on its own and give her a portion of their power. Unqualified. The person cannot pull it out."
"If that is true, then it is a weapon I may need in the future."
"If you want a shrine maiden. If you do not rule, if you are buried in human society, or if you distance yourself from human society as a kind of natural disaster, then it will be useless."
Eltharion took a breath when he had finished explaining all the weapons.
He raises his handless left arm and slowly points to the offerings in turn.
Namely,
The ship, [Wave-Sweeper], that automatically takes one to one's destination.
The amphibious horse [Enbarr].
The golden spear that hits anything with the Ibar spell and returns it with the Athibar spell.
[Gae Assail].
[Ruin] is a spear of self-destruction that burns cities and kills enemies with its deadly poison.
And the cross sword [Fragarach], which has the power of enchantment, which can be said to be a witch's sacred treasure.
These five were the prices that had been shown in the inventory in advance.
Seeing it in the catalog and actually seeing it gives a completely different impression.
He doesn't want the spear of self-destruction [Ruin], but he wants all of the other four.
[Wave-Sweeper] is somewhat lacking in practicality, but it's convenient and nice to have.
[Enbarr] is a mass of versatility as a means of movement and transportation. However, it can be replaced by a flying carriage or a borrowed horse.
If he wants to give Patricia a gift, [Gae Assail] is a good choice. As a weapon, it has no particular characteristics and is never a bad choice.
If he thinks about his future shrine maiden, he should choose [Fragarach]. This is irreplaceable.
"Christopher. Please choose one thing you want in exchange for the [Primordial Elixir]."
Eltharion said so, but it was not something that could be decided on the spot.
He should bring it back and discuss it again.
After a few seconds of silence, Christo opened his mouth.
"...While you were explaining the offerings at length, I thought something. It's about what you said at the beginning about chasing the army away from the forest."
"What?"
Eltharion raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you were going to kill Ulrika if I brought it up."
"If you want me to turn against the human race, I won't do it. However, I can arrange a meeting for you and the person in charge on the human side to conclude a peace treaty."
"Go on."
"Right now, a great noble named Frontier Count Netzel, who rules the western part of the kingdom, is now in the former Soderholm territory. I can summon him to a square somewhere in the shallows of the forest. He will be accompanied by his escort. You will talk with the Frontier Count Netzel and negotiate for him to withdraw his troops."
Christo continued.
"On the other hand, I will also go talk to the god of the swamp. I will persuade him to stop this barbaric conflict and make peace with the humans."
"To the god of the swamp... are you going to see her?"
Eltharion made an upset expression for a moment.
Christo narrowed his eyes.
"I told you so. Can't I go see him―― her?"
"…………. No"
After Eltharion thought about something, then he slowly shook his head.
"If you want to go see her, go see me. If your thoughts are understood, peace will come true."
"You will talk with Frontier Count Netzel. On the other hand, I will talk with the god of the swamp."
At the meeting, he will receive the earth magic to enrich the land.
If both are successful, the army will leave and the people around the settlements will be freed from the god of the swamp's unreasonable rule.
"When I go to talk to her, will she let me safely through the swamp?"
"I don't know? The swamp fog will confuse intruders. It will take two days to get to the god, and you may get lost and turn back."
"It would be nice if you could guide me."
"I will leave this land as soon as I join up with Ulrika. As soon as I make peace with Netzel, I don't care if you have a meeting with the god of the swamp or not. Isn't it right? As long as I make peace with Netzel, the beasts of the forest will be saved."
"The pioneer village will not be saved. They might not be able to pick acorns anymore."
"It's none of my business."
Eltharion dismissed it as if he had no interest in it at all.
He probably thinks that the people in the pioneer village are nothing but talking monkeys.
If that is the case, it would be unreasonable to expect him to be interested in monkeys.
"I'll tell Netzel about the discussion. If we reach an agreement, I'll send a bird to the middle layer of the forest. Then you can talk about it on your own."
"You, too, go ahead and negotiate with the god or whatever you want. I don't care."
"The subject of the exchange for the [Primordial Elixir] will be communicated by bird, along with information about the peace."
"Very well. I will make my body a little better until the time of the peace. If the monkeys knew that I would not die from the pseudo holy sword, the monkeys would panic and withdraw their army."
Even if he is not dead, the effect is sure to be felt, so Netzel would only negotiate forcefully. If Eltharion behaved arrogantly, the talks would be pretended to have never taken place, and the swamp would be contaminated with [Blue Ashes] as it was.
He doesn't seem to realize that yet, but from here on it's up to him and the god of the swamp to choose. Their fate should be decided by themselves.
[Well then], Christo bowed to Eltharion and the [Wood Woman] and left the pond in the middle layer of the forest.
× × ×
When he returned to the pioneer village from the middle layer of the forest, it was already past ten o'clock.
Considering their exhaustion from the day's campaign, the adventurers had decided to begin their monster subjugation only at noon today.
The adventurers, however, seemed to be busy in the shallow layers of the forest, gathering rare medicinal herbs, aromatic plants, and poisonous creatures.
As Christo left the northern forest, crossed the creek, and entered the pioneer village, he noticed a crowd of people at the east entrance of the pioneer village, which led to the main road.
While greeting the members of the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation] on the way, he ran toward the direction of the commotion.
At the east entrance of the village, a young woman in a robe was swinging by the neck.
Her face was covered with a cloth, and she was hanging from the branch of a large tree growing next to the gate at the east entrance. Judging from the condition of her body, she was quite young. She is not Ulrika.
"I will not tolerate heresy! This is what happens to witches who communicate with the god of the swamp!"
Below the woman who was being hanged was Siegfried, the leader of the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation], Tiger, the deputy leader, and a middle aged man, the new bishop, lined up with his men.
"The minions of the god of the swamp have tree roots embedded in their bellies, just like this woman!"
Tiger raises his voice.
"This deformity is the sign of a witch! Proof that she is an enemy of the holy tree!"
"There may be more witches out there."
Siegfried opened his eyes and looked around the village, who were looking up at their entangled companion.
"Those who protect witches are also witches! If your neighbors are acting suspiciously, please report them to us. On behalf of the bishop, the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation] will maintain order in the pioneer village!"
The gathered villagers looked at each other.
They are distant to strangers and cordial to their own people.
When Christo asked about the [Wood Woman], the village chief dismissed him, saying, [It has nothing to do with you], without mentioning the names of those who may have been parasitized.
This time, too, the villagers would not tip off the strangers, the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation], even if they knew who the minions of the god of the swamp were.
"Christo"
"Netzel-sama."
When Christo was looking up at the hanged corpse from behind the group, the fat Frontier Count was approaching from behind.
He had come out to the pioneer village to nominally lead the private army in its hunt for monsters, instead of waiting at the castle. Although Christo was actually in command, the soldiers' enthusiasm was different when he came out to the village and stayed in the castle all the time. The adventurers were also excited to have the Frontier Count remember their names and faces.
"Netzel-sama. Actually, I have a matter I would like to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"People might hear us here."
Netzel looked at Laranoa, who was behind him, and jerked his chin to the west side of the village, where there was no one around.
"Let's go to the meadow bank. I'll listen to you there."
After moving there, he told Netzel that Eltharion wanted to negotiate for him to pull his army. While Netzel and Eltharion are talking, Christo will go to the god of the swamp and tells it that they want to make peace and receive the earth magic.
"Fumu, isn't it fine? If we can talk about peace, there's no need to shed any more blood. If we are going to be thorough, we will have to go into the swamp and conduct a mop-up operation, but in that case, our losses will be immeasurable, won't they?"
"Yes. It's a dangerous place with a poisonous mist. If we fight, there will be considerable casualties."
"If that's the case, then we should discuss it. The [Mighty Star] is weakened by the holy sword, so there's no danger if I go, right?"
"I would not recommend going even if there is little danger, Your Excellency. I will go on your behalf."
Laranoa interjects from the side.
Netzel replied, [Is that so?].
"I understand about making peace with the [Mighty Star], but are you sure you will be the one to negotiate with the god of the swamp?"
Netzel turned his anxious eyes to Christo.
"Yes. I'll go. It's the surest and fastest way."
"No, but it's dangerous, isn't it? The [Mighty Star] seems to have a certain amount of intelligence, but we still haven't figured out what kind of existence the god of the swamp. It might be a savage god that will immediately kill humans when it sees them."
"That's why I, the [Hero of the North], am going there. I am the only government official here who can use magic to deal with the poisonous fog and how to get through the muddy lands."
"Take an escort. About five soldiers. They are my personal guard. What do you think?"
"No."
I don't need it―― he was about to say that, but there was no reason to refuse the escort.
Considering Christo's ability, even if he had an escort, it would only be a hindrance.
When the situation came to the point where Christo was safe but they were not, Christo would have to make a choice between abandoning them or helping them. Frankly, it was just a hindrance.
If it's possible, he'd like to rush in with Patricia, but objectively, there's no way a former noble and a young lady who can no longer use holy arts would be allowed to go see the god of the swamp god.
As Christo was worrying, a group of A-class party members dispatched by the Adventurers' Guild approached them from the west of the village.
"Your Excellency, what's wrong?"
The party leader asked, looking at Netzel's and Christo's faces.
In response, Netzel began to blabber about the situation, and Christo completely gave up on trying to solve the problem by himself.
No comments:
Post a Comment