Chapter 63

“Marcela has returned.”

When I received this notification, I was in the midst of negotiations with the Elf Elders.

Not all members of the Elder Council offered opinions; more than half were simply spacing out in their seats. Some of them were constantly smoking during the meeting.

The agenda on the table was, of course, the establishment of a distribution network.

“Allow us to send Imperial wizards to install a magic circle in Medelin. There is no way it will be used for any improper purpose. After all, teleportation of large numbers of troops is impossible, isn’t it?”

“It will solely be used for the transportation of heroin. Think about it. It’s troublesome for the leaders of Medelin to personally travel just to purchase some heroin.”

“We will also offer a corresponding reward if you agree.”

I talked busily, and at first, it seemed like they were willing to accept whatever I demanded, but it wasn’t that simple.

It’s true that all members of the Elder Council are heroin users, but that doesn’t mean they’ve all become fools.

Among the addicts, there are those who babble all day, but there are also those who manage to continue working. It wasn’t strange.

However, the fact that they let me negotiate here was itself a test of wills.

I had relaxed my guard by dispensing some drugs and lowering their defenses. It was at this moment that Marcela arrived.

‘That was faster than I expected.’

I decided, or rather, I had to greet Marcela along with the Elders.

More specifically, I had no choice but to greet her.

Considering she already knows I’m being treated as a guest in the heart of the Great Forest, Marcela must be furious.

She might even be imagining the sight of the Elders bowing down at my feet, begging for heroin.

Not long after, a commotion happened outside the meeting room.

“Move aside.”

“Marcela-sama… the joint council meeting is in session. You cannot enter armed.”

“So what. Here.”

“Huh?”

She complied with the disarming requirement gracefully.

She must have confused them with a decoy, so she acted more civilly than expected…

-BOOM!

Then the negotiation room door exploded and was shattered into pieces.

The protagonist was, of course, Marcela.

Her green hair was tied into a ponytail, and her clothes were somewhat ragged, likely from rolling around in the forest.

Once a young leader who spearheaded the militant faction in Elven society, Marcela is now a fallen Great Warrior after attempting a lower-uprising.

However, she didn’t immediately cause a commotion.

She simply watched me with an indescribable expression, then slowly spoke.

“…I originally intended to ask you for an explanation, Alan Medoff.”

“Regarding the pardon?”

“Yes. I planned to ask you for the reasons behind such a prank. But… during my journey here, I realized that it’s meaningless. I’ve understood that every action you take is strategically planned.”

“…”

“You are that kind of creature. …I’ve realized this only now. Too late, but still.”

She looked around at the Elders as she said this.

There were several members of Marcela’s clan among the Elder Council. To begin with, Elven society is a hierarchy controlled by the five major clans who call themselves High Elves.

Among the Elders, there was one who fidgeted shamelessly, a distant relative of Marcela.

Marcela’s expression revealed no trace of anger as she looked at the Elders.

“…Alan Medoff. You know that I am the person who led a military operation to drive out your empire.”

“I’m aware.”

“There have been instances where I used the terrain to create traps, specifically targeting the feet or ankles, and smeared animal dung and poison plant juice on them. We also frequently ambushed the forces trying to evacuate the soldiers trapped in those devices, often causing only severe wounds.”

“You obviously thought it was more effective to disable a person than to kill them.”

“Exactly. During the time I did these things to humans, I didn’t feel any guilt. I even took pride in the fear you felt of me… Alan Medoff, I believe you are no different.”

“So understand me, Alan Medoff. I did those things without guilt.”

As she said this, she clenched her lips shut.

Soon after, a radiant energy began swirling around her arm.

There was no need for me to guess what she was attempting.

Oriental Blade – they call it a solidified energy blade in the East. She wasn’t suddenly showing off her power, so it was certainly aimed at me.

Even so, I did not feel any direct threat.

“Stop, Marcela.”

The Elf barrier had already formed between her and me.

Alan must be killed.

But I couldn’t act.

The voices of my kin were berating, stopping, even pleading with me. As much as I wanted to ignore them, it was impossible.

The Elders were already standing directly in my way.

Heroin smoking will be restricted by age and bloodline, no need to worry about the merchandise leaking. Do we not already understand how devious human merchants can be? You should know how good heroin is, right?

The decisive statement came from the Head Elder, Ariella.

“You will be fine if you consume it with us.”

This one sentence caused Marcela’s resolve to waver. The bright energy surrounding her began to flicker erratically.

‘They want me to smoke with them? In this situation?’

Fact was, even now, there were times when desire surged within her, at least once a day. It was especially true in the period after she lost her position as Great Warrior.

She had fought through those urges, vowing to kill the root of all her woes, Alan Medoff, and yet these same people were hindering her.

‘Why are they stopping me?’

Even though she knew the reasons, Marcela asked herself.

The Elders, in fact, not just the Elders but even the middle-aged Elves in key positions in Medelin, were on guard against her.

Some Elves were even ready to counterattack. It’s true, she had attempted to use force in front of the Elders; it was natural for them to be wary of her… But is it really natural? She wasn’t going to attack her own race, she was attempting to eliminate just one man, Alan Medoff. Why was she being stopped?

Why, why?

While Marcela hesitated, the Head Elder smiled kindly.

“Marcela, do you think we are being manipulated by Alan the envoy? …No, we aren’t. In fact, we have read that man’s intentions. He suggested something called ‘tubes’. Using the nose might be comfortable, but it’s hard to share with a bunch of us.”

“Head Elder…”

“I realized it. …Heh heh.”

In short, we have the upper hand in negotiations.

As the Head Elder spoke these words, Marcela simply stared blankly.

That lazy expression openly showed signs of intoxication. Though she didn’t know what a tube was, it seemed that he was pleased about saving some heroin.

Originally, becoming addicted to heroin was the problem, but she didn’t even know if money had actually been saved.

‘No. Still… I must kill him.’

Marcela tried to reaffirm her resolve, attempting to focus on Alan. But even that seemed difficult now.

By the time she hesitated, even more Elves surrounded her. One of them drew a sword, then hesitated and put it away again.

Is it because they’re worried about the possibility of renewed war with the Empire?

If so, it was somewhat understandable.

Marcela herself had always been for war, but the majority of Elves were not. Furthermore, in a current situation where the leadership was dysfunctional, engaging in a total war would be suicidal. If they stopped her for this reason, she could forgive them.

However, no matter how she thought about it, it was clear that they were stopping her to protect the “heroin supplier”.

Would they really jeopardize their entire race because of heroin addiction? Could they not care even if someone in their failed state pretended to go mad and attempted to attack their own kind?

…Of course, Marcela had no intention of doing such a thing.

Even now, her motivation was for the good of her people. She wanted to ensure that all Elves didn’t fall into heroin addiction.

But her own people stood in front of her, physically blocking her way.

‘Then, for whom am I doing this…?’

The serious resolve she raised before was now gone long ago.

The face of Alan Medoff, standing behind the Elf barrier, was as flawless as ever, not a single scratch on him.

She would have erupted in anger if only he had worn a smirk of mockery, but no—he just nodded, like he had known all along.

“Hah.”

Marcela simply smiled.

One of the Elders patted her shoulder, saying she had made the right decision.

After the commotion, the negotiations were inconclusively halted.

It is indeed a strange occurrence that the room could return to peace after an Elf barged in and used energy, but in the current state of Medelin, it was possible. The leaders of the Elves were effectively all chronic addicts.

Marcela stood blankly in the middle of the now quiet negotiation room.

I approached her, flanked by two Elven warriors.

There was no obvious enmity in Marcela’s gaze as she looked at me. In fact, she held a heroin pipe in her hand – something handed to her by a comfort-seeking Elder. Even though she hadn’t smoked yet, her fingers were constantly twitching.

“Would it make you feel better if you smoke…?”

The question Marcela asked, alternating her gaze between me and the pipe.

“I won’t dissuade you.”

“You wouldn’t, human. Someone like you.”

Her expression was already one of resignation, but my business wasn’t quite done yet.

“Our Head Elder plans to distribute heroin only to the five major clans, and even then, Elves under 150 years old will not receive it to control the never-ending increase in consumption.”

“…”

“I think it’s a relatively wise decision. I don’t see it as discrimination either. Your Elves bear heavier responsibilities the nobler their blood, don’t they? Especially in terms of military matters. The exclusive right to heroin can’t be considered greed.”

“What are you trying to say…?”

Marcela finally asked slowly.

I decided to answer her willingly.

Not to ridicule her, but to test her resolve because if she helps even a little, things would get easier.

“The Head Elder has good intentions, but eventually, all Elves will crave heroin. Consumption will escalate rapidly. While we have the ability to supply, I doubt we can get an appropriate price in return.”

“…”

“Marcela. Actually, I also wish to keep the heroin consumption among the Elves at an appropriate level.”

No need to immerse all Elves in addiction. Though it was a roundabout statement, the meaning appeared to come through.

By now, Marcela had discarded the pipe and was looking straight at me.

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