Chapter 61

It has been three days since the expulsion of Great Warrior Marcela.

Head Elder Ariel lazily picked up her heroin pipe with great composure.

This pipe, one befitting her dignified presence, was a gift offered by the Empire during their plea for peace with the elves.

‘Oddly, the very act of secretly smoking this for so long feels strange.’

Marcela. Just some 190-year-old youngling pressuring elders who have long guarded the World Tree?

And she got expelled for using heroin for mood adjustment?

While Marcela may indeed be quite, no, probably the most skilled warrior among the elves, strength naturally accumulates after centuries of guarding the forest.

The Head Elder herself had been secluded in Medelin for the last 200 years but if she so desired… Of course, she wouldn’t stand a chance against Marcela, but it still felt odd to brag about being good at fighting.

“Thinking about it, it’s strange that we favored her till now.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

“Fill it neatly.”

“Yes…!”

Once Marcela’s closest aide but now the Head Elder’s adjutant, Lurde slowly began filling the pipe with heroin.

With a small scoop in hand, Lurde meticulously measured the exact amount by carefully shaking it side to side before filling the pipe without any loss—a technique bordering on miraculous. …Though in fact, it was nothing special, it felt miraculous only because of their great love for heroin.

The Head Elder had but one complaint in this situation.

“Must it be exactly 10 milligrams? Isn’t that just a fixed notion?”

“Eh?”

“Won’t double the amount bring double the happiness? Because… it’s double the amount.”

Head Elder Ariel’s question was met with a shake of Lurde’s head.

“It… says so in the leaflet that too much reduces enjoyment. They compare it to drinking too much alcohol—instead of becoming merry, you end up with indigestion and headaches. Humans do tend to drink potent liquor, don’t they? …Such vulgarity.”

“Is that so?”

The Head Elder nodded reluctantly with a somewhat discontented expression.

Of course, even 10 milligrams brought happiness.

But with her days of enjoying heroin dwindling, it was only natural for greed to arise.

‘At most, I can only smoke this maybe 150,000 more times before I die? It’s somewhat distressing.’

This irritation faded as she inhaled the first draw.

The blissful anticipation that she could indulge in heroin heartily dominated her entire being.

Unfortunately, just before she could completely lose herself, an interruption appeared.

“Head Elder. I have something to say to you.”

The speaker was a Weak Elf of Hoenn.

Unable to become an elder due to one parent’s poor lineage, he was, however, perceptive enough to work in the bureaucracy in his youth.

After nearly fifty years of absence, why had he now shown up? Could it be for the heroin?

“Sorry, but heroin’s for the five great clans only.”

“Head Elder, not for that. It’s about Marcela, she’s disappeared.”

“…?”

“The Marcela the council exiled to the Hoenn region, I’m talking about her. She went missing on the very day of her exile. It seems she may have escaped beyond Medelin. I thought it best you know.”

“Why are you saying this now…?”

“I informed the enforcers and other elders on the day Marcela fled, but they were too busy smoking heroin and ignored me. I came to the Head Elder in case… Looks like you didn’t know either.”

“….”

Marcela fled? And without permission?

Head Elder Ariel pondered deeply while swirling the heroin smoke in her mouth.

Defying the council’s agreed punishment—indeed a bold move, but strangely, no anger arose.

Thinking rationally, it didn’t seem like a bad thing. Though they had seized the opportunity to exile her, Marcela still held considerable influence.

If she left voluntarily, it was almost a relief.

“Perhaps it’s for the best?”

“What did you say?”

“No. Please leave.”

The elderly elf who had reported stood still for a moment before disappearing.

Head Elder Ariel smiled and nodded.

With the taste of heroin, the bothersome elf who constantly caused trouble was gone, and the elves who sided with him now cautiously watched their surroundings.

Thoughts of Marcela gradually became blurred by the heroin smoke.

—

The same day the sole troublemaker’s flight was late-detected—

Elves smoking heroin finally appeared in the plaza.

“In front of the World Tree Mother, isn’t smoking okay too?”

Primarily young elves under 200 years old.

Unlike the dignified elders, they didn’t use pipes. This was partly due to the insufficient number of pipes, but also due to their preference for communal enjoyment. They would heat small amounts of heroin on a tiny brazier and take turns inhaling, then grin at each other.

Sip, hoo

Sip, hoo

Sip- Cough, cough!!

“Coughing! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s a pleasant cough…”

“…Haha.”

With their expressions dazed, the young elves gazed at the World Tree, so grand that even raising their eyes to look at it was tiring.

Everyone looked happy, simultaneously partaking in the grace of the World Tree and the heroin.

Over time, the number of smokers increased.

No elf tried to stop them.

**

The day we learned—though they said they’d learned it a few days ago—about Marcela’s escape,

I reported in detail via telecommunication to the imperial princesses about the progress of the operation.

Naturally, the two princesses had different reactions.

– “Good work, Sir Alan. It’s somewhat disappointing that this elf, Marcela, didn’t spark a civil war by being a little more strategic, but the fact you managed what three entire imperial regiments couldn’t achieve is truly astonishing.”

First Princess Victoria, who valued my achievements.

– “It’s really regrettable I couldn’t see this with my own eyes.”

And Second Princess Siena, simply amused.

Siena’s reaction was as expected, so I shrugged it off.

Only, she wasn’t just laughing and enjoying herself. After hearing about Marcela’s movements, she made an estimate, saying, “By now, she probably wants to kill you, right?” She seemed to have a reason beyond expecting the situation to get more interesting.

– “Think about it, Alan. She managed to withstand the drug powerful enough to corrupt the entire leadership alone? That’s an opium-level dozens of times stronger. I may not know much about drugs but Marcela is undoubtedly crazy.”

– “Also, didn’t you trick her into falling into a trap, resulting in her downfall? Now that she has nothing to lose, isn’t it possible she’ll seek to take you along with her?”

– “Isn’t it time for you to return to the State? The decision is ultimately yours.”

A recommendation to return to the State before facing Master’s wrath.

“It’s not entirely unreasonable.”

As Siena said, there is a strong possibility that Marcela would come after me.

Discarded by the leadership, her warnings ignored, and even expelled.

Her sole remaining option was to eliminate the root cause—me.

Since both the manufacturer and distributor of the heroin is ultimately me.

It’s not unreasonable for her to believe that removing me alone could stop the spread of narcotics in the Great Forest.

Of course, killing me—a diplomat—would only lead to war, but she’s always been a proponent of conflict. She would likely see dying in battle as preferable to slowly wasting away.

“Perhaps I should return to the State as Siena suggests.”

Leaving one distributor behind wouldn’t be bad.

I no longer have to stay and endure the threat of Marcela’s assassination.

Infiltrating a city defended by regiment-level forces alone is madness. But Master could still attempt to cut off my head with a sword dance tonight.

“There’s no need to take such a risk if there’s no specific reason to do so.”

Anyway, the fall of the Great Forest is only a matter of time.

Even if I retreat to the State to manufacture heroin and return when signs of collapse appear, the objective will still be achieved.

Later, I can demand rights using the heroin as leverage or bring the army to stage a military demonstration to the now powerless elves, adjusting according to the situation. I doubt Marcela will chase me all the way to the State.

Stay or return.

As I deliberated between these two choices for the better part of the day, a visitor arrived.

“Mr. Alan, elves who wish to purchase heroin are here again.”

The buyer was the Eseenia elder who had come last week. It seemed they had been appointed as the buyer.

I approached them as before with pre-packaged heroin. Even if I decide to return, I still have to sell drugs.

However…

This time, the buyer made an unexpected complaint.

“Human, until when do you expect this charade to continue?”

The Eseenia elder burst out in complaint without even showing money. Surely, they hadn’t suddenly developed a problem with heroin.

“Why are you acting this way?”

“Why must we come all the way to your city to inquire about heroin? This has already happened twice, has it not? If you truly intend to sincerely engage in peace, you cannot keep humiliating us like this…!”

“….”

So, coming over the border to buy heroin is degrading. Though taken aback, it seemed the buyer was serious.

“If this continues, it won’t do, human.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Sell 10 kilograms or more.”

“Do you have the money for 10 kilograms?”

“…Well. Or, at least let us receive the goods within the Great Forest. Set up a teleportation magic circle at the location we designate, or establish a retail outlet at one of the forward bases you used to infiltrate the Great Forest.”

“…”

“Naturally, military entry is prohibited. If you refuse… you do know how valiant our warriors are, don’t you?”

You valiant warriors were the ones we cleansed. Regardless, the request was for an environment where they could purchase heroin conveniently at any time.

While I didn’t show it, it was a very tempting proposal.

And for some reason, Marcela’s face crossed my mind.

‘There might be a way to exploit this situation.’

The elves, insane for heroin, were opening their gates voluntarily,

And Marcela, who was likely brimming with ferocity and waiting for an opportunity by now.

If I use this situation well, it seemed I could soon enter Medelin and get a glimpse of the World Tree. When the shortcut appeared, there was no reason to refuse.

---