The traveling party stayed a few more days at Netchagni Fortress.
During their stay, the party recovered their strength and replenished what they had lost.
Armor, supplies, used scrolls, and such.
In the process, Aslan pondered the next objective.
There were two possible destinations.
Vida Kingdom.
Or the Northern Empire.
After the battle at Netchagni, the allied forces had significantly diminished.
Moreover, the existence of the alliance had become widely known among the evil deities, so if they were to prepare for future events, they would need a larger army and a stronger alliance.
Both the Vida Kingdom and the Northern Empire were nations that must be brought into the fold for that purpose.
In particular, bringing the Vida Kingdom into the alliance was essential to secure stable support from Maria.
This time, there was support from Maria’s troops, but they had only handled the rear throughout the battle and immediately returned after it ended.
To truly secure full support from the Vida Kingdom, the alliance needed to be complete.
However, there were two issues.
One was that the king of the Vida Kingdom quietly adhered to the inevitability of the universe almost like a creed, and the other was that even though Maria’s influence was strong, it wasn’t powerful enough to swallow up the entire kingdom.
The Northern Empire also had its own set of problems.
The Northern Empire itself was hostile to the entirety of the northern continent, and since it could only be reached by sea, complications were bound to arise from the very process of approaching it.
Thus, Aslan had no choice but to deliberate.
Especially since this decision carried the weight of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives.
What alleviated his burden was a single letter.
Inside a room where sunlight slanted in, where the traveling party had gathered, Aslan held the letter in his hand and looked at Tiamat.
“Are you really asking me to use this?”
The stern-looking dragon-person, who stood 2.5 meters tall and was characterized by a vivid expression, was holding something entirely unsuitable for him—a heavy mace.
Due to his massive stature, the medium-sized mace he held appeared as if it were a small hand mace in his grip.
Aslan sighed with relief that there were no brains attached to the mace when Tiamat pointed it sternly at him, and he awkwardly laughed.
“There’s nothing I can do about it. We can’t make the bow you need here. Not only are the materials an issue… even if we forced it, it wouldn’t be the bow you want. It would either not last long or cause problems.”
“Even so… this thing…”
Tiamat looked down at the mace in his hands with a sorrowful expression.
It was an expression akin to that of a child who received a Christmas gift, ran around happily with it, fell, and shattered it into pieces.
Aslan silently observed Tiamat for a moment, then sighed and pulled out something else from behind his back.
“I thought this might happen, so I brought another one.”
“…It’s not a matter of quantity…”
An even sadder expression. Though Tiamat ultimately accepted it, albeit reluctantly, he remained despondent.
Aslan understood Tiamat’s disappointment but, seeing that there was little he could do about it, quickly shifted his attention elsewhere.
He slightly raised the hand holding the letter, drawing everyone’s gaze toward it.
“Anyway… our next destination has been decided.”
“The Elder’s bow is a major issue. This isn’t something we can overlook easily…”
“Can we move on without resting more?”
Tiamat, whose words had been lightly dismissed, wagged his tail gloomily but soon turned his gaze toward the letter, accepting that there was nothing he could do.
“I thought everyone had rested enough… Is there still discomfort? If so, we can stay longer…”
“Not you, but Master Aslan. I’m more concerned about your condition.”
Richard gestured toward Aslan with a nod of his chin. Upon seeing Richard’s serious expression, Aslan fell silent for a moment.
Then, he chuckled softly and deflected the concern.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I wasn’t hurt that badly.”
The reaction was predictably skeptical.
Ereta even approached and placed her hand on Aslan’s cheek, channeling some life energy just to check.
As Aslan turned his head away from the flowing life energy, Ereta gazed at him affectionately.
It was completely unexpected intimacy. The purpose wasn’t clear—whether she touched him to infuse life energy or infused life energy to touch him.
Regardless of which came first, it didn’t matter much.
Pointing at Ereta’s hand dramatically, Aslan said,
“…With Ereta around, we’ll be fine.”
“Hmm, if that’s the case, then we should be good… So, what’s in that letter?”
Another gesture with his chin, this time toward the letter. In response, Aslan waved the letter slightly and spoke.
“It’s a letter from the Vida Kingdom.”
“…Did Maria send it?”
Richard’s immediate reaction. He seemed oddly subdued. Aslan smiled brightly at the sight.
“No, so don’t worry.”
Only then did Richard sigh, a mix of relief and regret. Turning away from the young man’s expression, Aslan addressed the rest of the group, who were looking curious as to who had sent the letter.
“This is from the current king of the Vida Kingdom, Gerald Mul Meland.”
And while saying this, Aslan subtly glanced at Ereta’s expression.
Sure enough, as expected, there was a reaction.
As far as Aslan knew, Gerald was someone who worshiped the spider deity of fire within the universe’s inevitability.
Ereta must have met him at some point.
Though the intention behind sending the letter was obvious, Aslan disregarded it and briefly summarized its contents for the group.
Excluding the archaic handwriting, flowery language, and roundabout explanation of the purpose, the content was simple.
They had heard of the mythic achievements accomplished by their side’s alliance and were intrigued.
Thus, the king also wished to invite them to Tebery.
They believed they could provide what the alliance needed.
In short,
“It’s a proposal for an alliance. A conditional one.”
“That’s correct.”
Richard stated this, and Aslan confirmed it.
Reactions varied accordingly.
“Perfect timing. We did need more people, after all.”
“For Phey, it doesn’t really matter. If Aslan wants it, anything is fine.”
Those like Angie and Phey, who didn’t seem particularly interested, showed little thought.
“I feel a bit uneasy about this. It’s definitely not because I lack a bow.”
“…I’m not sure either, but something about how they’re so eager to join makes me feel…”
Those like Tiamat and Lumel, who had experience or caution, subtly guarded against it.
“…Hmm.”
Those like Richard and Ereta, who knew about King Gerald, openly wore uncomfortable expressions.
Aslan silently observed the various reactions of the group and then glanced at Ereta, who responded with a nod of agreement and began to speak.
“In fact, I have an idea what Gerald might be after.”
Everyone’s attention turned to Ereta as she continued, absently touching the pendant symbolizing her faith hanging around her neck.
“Gerald… he worshipped the Mother, the spider deity of fire. He was obsessed with longevity. Due to a chronic illness, he couldn’t live long, but he managed to suppress it through the Mother’s power.”
“And now that he’s lost that, he’s probably searching for another means,” Ereta added, glancing briefly at Phey.
The fairy girl, who had been casually swinging her legs, suddenly noticed the gaze directed at her and made an “eh?” sound, drawing everyone’s attention to her.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Ignoring Phey’s question, Ereta continued.
“Gerald will likely ask us to find the remains of the deity of nature and creation.”
The white-haired woman then affectionately gazed at Aslan and warned him.
“I know we’re in a rush for this alliance, but you shouldn’t go. It will lead to difficult situations. He’s a human with strong attachments…”
“What happens if we don’t go?”
Before Ereta could answer, Richard responded to Aslan’s question.
“He might try to indirectly hinder our alliance. Maybe pressuring the Helsing Duchy, blocking maritime trade routes, or worse, attacking the city of wizards.”
Endless methods. Numerous options available just by choosing. Aslan nodded in agreement with Richard’s statement and considered it.
Unlike the Calus Empire, which expanded its territory under the authority of the Supreme Divinity and engaged in prolonged wars, leading to a weak royal authority, the Vida Kingdom maintained its national power under the peaceful faith of the universe’s inevitability while strengthening its monarchy.
Maria’s expansion into the underworld was also due to these reasons. If they refused, as Richard predicted, problems would surely arise. Accepting it, however, was clearly unpleasant.
Seeing this, Angie and Tiamat among the group began to catch on.
This was going to be a troublesome issue.
While everyone struggled to come up with a solution, Phey alone remained cheerful.
“Since it’s troublesome, why don’t we just kill him?”
A typical response from Phey.
The emotionless warrior who was both a fairy and a master of the sword caused Richard to frown.
“If we do that, it’ll only create more chaos… It’s better not to. The Vida Kingdom has vast territories and many vassals…”
“So why don’t we just kill them all?”
“It would create even more chaos.”
“Why not let that girl who bothers Rick every night take over?”
The nickname “Rick” and the mention of a girl who troubled him nightly referred to Maria, causing Richard’s expression to grow even more troubled.
“No, it’s not that simple… If the king dies, Maria won’t take over the throne. The kingdom will likely split, turning into chaos…”
“Is that so? What a pity.”
Phey’s disappointed tone. Watching the fairy swing her legs, Richard’s eyes felt dizzy. Clearing his throat, he concluded.
“Anyway, if that happens, forming alliances or even passing through the Vida Kingdom will be difficult for a while.”
“Troublesome.”
Angie clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, leaning on her hefty chest. Indeed, it was no small trouble.
Had Aslan not been there, there wouldn’t have been many options.
Aslan spoke lightly.
“Actually, I’ve already made a decision.”
The group immediately turned their attention to Aslan.
“I plan to accept.”
“But accepting will make things troublesome…”
“Why do you think King Gerald wants to find nature and creation?”
Aslan asked Richard, who had immediately expressed doubt, causing him to close his mouth and utter a surprised “uh.”
“Well, I’m not sure, but maybe to extend his lifespan?”
“That’s right. He wants to extend his lifespan. So, which side seems more important in this situation?”
Aslan’s counter-question made Richard scratch his chin, his eyebrows marked with magical tattoos twitching.
“Extending lifespan… is that possible?”
Aslan nodded. In reality, all King Gerald wanted was to extend his life. The method didn’t matter.
“Any method that extends life would work. Fortunately, there’s a way that meets that condition.”
The group looked puzzled. Aslan took note of their expressions and added lightly.
“A way that won’t cause us any problems, won’t be troublesome, and will resolve things in a positive manner.”
Realizing there was such a good method seemed to surprise the group.
“…Ah.”
Except for Phey, who giggled knowingly.
“What an interesting method!”
Phey grinned mischievously, covering her mouth with her hand in a small, girlish laugh.
Her playful smile, filled with genuine joy, caught Aslan’s attention as he thought.
Among the unique sub-quests available in the land of the fairies, where the deity of nature and creation resided, there were many peculiar quests with equally unusual rewards.
Among them, there was even a reward that could transform one’s race into a fairy.
Although this reward was practically a trap, and taking it would cause various complications during the process…
“For the purpose of giving it to King Gerald, it probably doesn’t matter much.”
This method was perfectly suited to the situation.
[!– Slider main container –]
