Chapter 60

The 800,000 talers I spent on oil to release the elven prisoners was a significant investment.

That amount exceeded the ten-year salary of an average ranking officer.

Truthfully, I could’ve released them without spending a single coin.

Victoria, who sent me here, is the imperial princess and a power player within the military. A single word from her, and releasing those two prisoners would’ve been no issue at all. If I had personally requested it, it likely would’ve been granted as well.

However, instead of leaning on Victoria’s authority, I resolved the matter appropriately with what amounted to a bribe.

‘Not many people know exactly what I’m doing.’

Fewer than five people, including myself, were aware of what was truly unfolding in the Great Forest. It wasn’t an environment where the idea of bringing down a quasi-state through narcotics would naturally arise.

Everyone was merely going along with what the imperial court was ordering.

In the middle of this, simply demanding the release of the prisoners would likely have sparked resentment among the front-line units.

To avoid this, I decided to create a small reason for their release.

Giving a bit of money to the soldiers who had been injured by the captured elves as compensation, providing condolence funds to the families of the fallen soldiers, and finally, offering some cash to the commanding officer—these were expenditures willingly made to facilitate the process.

The result?

“Human, explain this situation!”

Two released prisoners sat glaring before me.

These two would soon be freed and sent home.

I could’ve let them go without further ado, but considering the funds I had spent (granted, money derived from the elves themselves), shouldn’t I at least recoup my costs?

I intended to utilize even these prisoners effectively.

Maybe let them try some heroin before sending them back?

‘That’s not exactly impossible, but it offers no practical benefit.’

While returning prisoners addicted to drugs might further enrage Marcela, fueling her anger while she’s already trapped in this predicament won’t offer much gain. In fact, it might provoke unforeseen outbursts.

Therefore, I decided to send them back in a clean and proper manner.

Still, before their release, I’d ensure to have a quick word with them.

“Do not glare at me. I’m not willingly releasing you out of any great joy. All the while asking around, I’ve begun to question my own actions here.”

“You’re the one who released us…?”

“The elders of Medelin pleaded endlessly for your release, even setting aside their pride. Some elder named Esenia came with cash payment, bowing deeply. Saying they cannot bear to witness young warriors, not yet 150 years old, perish in a foreign land.”

“…”

“I tried to refuse, but then the Head Elder contacted me personally with yet another appeal. To us, someone akin to royalty had spoken. …By that point, I no longer had the heart to deny. Thus, I exerted personal efforts to secure your release.”

“Why are you telling us this?”

“Because I’m genuinely impressed by the sincerity of these elders. We realized perhaps we underestimated the elves. I believe you should know this as well.”

At this, the prisoners stared directly at me.

Though the solemn atmosphere persisted subtly, I could sense their pride in my words. It couldn’t be helped. To put this in imperial terms, it was as if the Emperor himself had intervened to rescue a mere junior officer or non-commissioned officer.

Of course, the entire tale was fabricated by me, but that didn’t matter here.

“You and your fellow elves ought to express your gratitude to the elders. Whether or not that falls under my jurisdiction is another matter.”

“You’re right, human. This is none of your concern.”

Despite their chilly demeanor, I noticed a slight gleam of satisfaction on their faces.

I ensured their proper treatment—feeding them well, dressing them appropriately, and safely escorting them to the entrance point of the Great Forest.

Given the historically strained relations between the Empire and the Great Forest, this was unusually favorable treatment.

However, I needed it.

‘This will elevate the council’s authority.’

The drug-addicted elders.

The council elders, most or all of whom were suspected of falling under the influence of heroin.

I wasn’t boosting their standing on a whim; there was a reason. The elders were soon to represent the Great Forest and the elven race for negotiations with the Britannia Empire.

‘From now on, I need to prepare for that.’

Submerging the elves in heroin and then leaving wouldn’t suffice. My goal wasn’t merely to distribute drugs.

I aimed to subdue the Great Forest without bloodshed and eliminate the possibility of war in the future.

“Contact Her Highness Victoria. There is something we need to discuss.”

Just three weeks after bringing the heroin to the border city, developments were faster than even I anticipated. The time of harvest was approaching.

**

Might war actually have been preferable?

This was the first thought that crossed Marcela’s mind when she realized she was ensnared in a trap.

It wasn’t a new idea.

She had toyed with this notion before—during her conflicts with the elders who opposed total war, or during debates with those elves who asked why humanity and elves couldn’t coexist peacefully. But never had it felt so urgent as now.

“Marcela, how do you intend to take responsibility for this issue?”

The Head Elder’s inquiry.

He seemed inexplicably exhilarated, clearly viewing this as a chance to finally remove the obstacle she represented.

Even amidst this, the old head elder continued to fiddle with his pipe. The surrounding elders seemed to subtly mock Marcela too.

While the elder’s actions didn’t deeply wound her, it did serve to erase what little goodwill remained.

But the one truly wounding her was another.

“Marcela! Why would you act without fully investigating, leading to this chaos? You’ve now made my situation difficult too! I didn’t have any clear reason for following you, but now it seems I’ll be judged as an accomplice. Not just I, but other elves as well!”

Even elves who weren’t addicts were striking against Marcela.

Her attempt to mobilize hundreds of elves to pressure the elders came at a significant cost.

Enough to bring down the greatest warrior in the Great Forest.

‘How did it come to this?’

Marcela blinked as she reviewed her recent errors.

She found it hard to believe that her long-built achievements had vanished so suddenly.

But upon reflection, she began noticing quite a few questionable actions.

‘Could all of this have really been my fault?’

Marcela chuckled wryly and glanced around at the elders.

With a troubled expression, she said,

“I should have never drank that lemon tea.”

“What?”

“Ah, now that I think about it, I should have accepted the human Alan Medoff’s offer for a personal tasting aide. Medoff would have never fed heroin to a fellow man willingly… or maybe he would have done it anyway.”

“Marcela, what nonsense are you spouting now…!”

The elders frowned, but Marcela paid them no heed.

“Afterward, I wasn’t without opportunities either. If I had destroyed all the heroin I was carrying as soon as I felt discomfort, maybe Lurde wouldn’t have been able to steal it, and maybe none of you elders would have fallen under its spell.”

“Indeed.”

“I truly wonder why I made such decisions.”

Upon revisiting the choices, Marcela found them hard to understand.

She herself had struggled to resist the influence of her condition at the time.

But excuses were no longer valid. If she had mustered all her strength and resisted, wrongful decisions could have been avoided. She might have never ended up in such a dead end.

‘My weakness has brought about this calamity.’

There was no way to evade responsibility.

Still, there was something she had to say.

Considering the circumstances, she might never have another opportunity.

“However, there’s one point I wish you to acknowledge. I only discovered this recently, but we are clearly under invasion. …While other expressions might work, ‘invasion’ seems the most fitting.”

Invasion. No matter how she thought about it, no word fit better.

“Once you are captivated by heroin, you’ll only desire heroin. You might think you can stop anytime, but it’s impossible. Ultimately, you’ll unconditionally heed the demands of the one providing the heroin.”

Regardless of what those demands were.

Marcela initially intended to add, “Eventually, they might demand the World Tree Mother,” but decided against it.

While it seemed too extreme even to her, the real reason was that barely any elves seemed to be listening to her.

It felt like a sinner being given a formal chance to confess.

She didn’t feel wronged. After all, she had indeed committed a sin.

The sin of failing to stop the heroin.

The sin of being so driven by her desire to stop heroin that she failed to see the trap set by humanity.

Marcela, after ruminating on her own bitterness, announced to the head elder,

“Chief Elder, I will willingly accept any punishment for this matter. I have come to realize internal conflict is impossible… On one condition though.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t use heroin.”

Leaving behind these brief words, Marcela turned and walked away.

The elves around her scattered to the sides.

While some observed her with pity, none came to her defense.

Most elves avoided looking at her, fearing eye contact.

Marcela maintained her composure as best she could before walking away.

Of course, no elves followed her.

…

The verdict on Marcela came a few days later.

After the efforts of the elders resulted in the successful release of the prisoners, who appeared immaculate and free of the marks of torture. Upon their return, they tearfully thanked the elders.

This was a tremendous feat that elevated the elders’ authority. And as a natural consequence, they could not leave the elf who had defied these esteemed elders unpunished.

After a meeting, the elders announced their judgment.

“Marcela Urdina is stripped of her Great Warrior title. She is exiled indefinitely to the Hoenn Region.”

Dismissal and exile.

While the Hoenn Region wasn’t strictly an exile, it was where the aging elves spent their twilight years.

Elves who lacked descent appropriate for elders and had no intentions of leaving Medelin often spent their days gardening and resting there comfortably. It wasn’t a fit place for someone not yet 190.

Marcela did not protest.

Instead, she quietly slipped out of Medelin with just a single blade.

Because she couldn’t simply give up like this.

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