ALL NOVEL Chapter 31
In the depths of the forest, hidden behind a veil that even humans who cannot wield magic find hard to approach, lies the Kingdom of Eramenia.
The buildings of this kingdom blend with the forest, yet they are far from primitive, and the soldiers of this land do not easily rush into battle, but their weapons are undoubtedly sharp.
At the center of this Kingdom of Eramenia stands the Elven King’s Palace, where the Great King Richard and his queen, Angelica, reside.
Constructed with almost no timber and nearly pure stone masonry, the palace of Eramenia resembled a perfectly baked cake drizzled with golden fondue.
This palace is a true embodiment of wealth and luxury, created by pouring hundreds of kilograms of molten gold onto a thickly hewn dome made of white marble. However, Eramenia is not a kingdom that groans under poverty, nor is it a land where such extravagance is considered sinful.
The only ones capable of instilling fear are the absolute evil destroyers—the kind of destroyers that Margaret has been chopping down maniacally as of late.
Having successfully led the extermination of a Lich lord and returned to her homeland for the first time in ages, instead of relishing in the comfort of her estate, Margaret directly sought an audience with the Great King.
King Richard granted her audience. As the king of a nation, he had no reason to refuse his only daughter’s request.
However, the audience chamber, gleaming with all sorts of gold and treasures, was shrouded in a chill reminiscent of an ice palace. It was clear that Margaret’s proposal had touched a nerve with King Richard.
No, in fact, Margaret was intentionally provoking her father.
“So, my daughter, Margaret. You are saying that you must lend at least eight thousand troops to the human empire, correct?”
With his short golden hair symbolizing his royal authority, and clad in green silk robes, Richard, who had long surpassed his thousandth year, didn’t look much different from Margaret.
Richard gripped the armrest of his platinum throne with a displeased expression, while Margaret’s mother, Angelica, anxiously rolled her eyes between her husband and daughter. Although kneeled before the king’s authority, Margaret held her head high, exuding confidence.
“It must be at least eight thousand, Your Majesty. If you can provide more, I would be even more grateful.”
“That corresponds to three legions! I have already dispatched two legions on your request to Emperor Audrich. They have yet to return, and I have no idea what they are doing, yet you demand three more legions for them?”
“The First Army is stationed in Freitaon, flying the flag of Eramenia. The Second Army is a direct unit of Walter Hellhound, stationed in the capital on standby as reserves.”
“Do you truly think I am unaware of my own troops’ conditions? We have already spilled enough blood for the Human Alliance. I don’t know what that so-called hero has used as leverage to make such a request of you, but if you’ve taken blood from an immortal entity, you should be content with that!”
“Out of the five thousand elves sent, fifty have died. Although it is unfortunate blood, it is not much compared to the blood the humans are spilling now.”
“Being on the battlefield, have you come to regard the blood of your kin as lesser than the blood of humans?”
“Not at all. That would be impossible.”
With a serious expression, Margaret rose from her seat. Despite looking up at Richard, who was considerably older, she stood tall, making him feel as if she towered over him like a giant.
“I simply felt the blood of humans to be denser and heavier than before. And Your Majesty, regarding what you just said, I must formally request a pardon.”
“For what words?”
“Walter Hellhound is an outstanding hero, but I am no less so, Your Majesty. As your daughter and the heir, to suggest that I came to request support at his behest is not only an insult to me but also a slander against you. Apologize to me and to yourself, Father.”
Richard was momentarily speechless, his mouth agape. Yet, seeing no tremor in Margaret’s unwavering gaze, he eventually nodded, a look of defeat on his face.
“I understand your resolve on that matter. I will apologize. However, I cannot accept your request.”
“Is it because you believe that even if Audrich falls, we will still be safe?”
“You are being overly dramatic. Human empires have risen and fallen countless times over the past centuries. I have witnessed all of it with my own eyes. Even if another empire falls now, the flag of Eramenia will not be broken.”
“You have lived a long life, Your Majesty. With those years, you have surely acquired wisdom.”
Margaret took a deep breath.
“However, that very experience has solidified your mind. Father! In crises, there can be entirely different types of crises; not every crisis resembles the ones before it. Today, at this very moment, it is foolish to doubt that humans and elves share the same destinies, rising and falling together as Audrich and Eramenia stand tall or fall.”
“That’s what you’ve often said to advocate for the alliance between our two nations. I have heard that here as well.”
“I am glad to hear that you take interest in my work, Your Majesty.”
Margaret said, and Richard frowned with a sigh.
“Do you truly think I have no interest? How could I be indifferent to your endeavors and every single battle you fight?”
“Your Majesty, you do not come out to fight. You also refuse the request to send more troops to protect the already dispatched valuable soldiers. How could you think that I view you and myself in the same light? It’s fortunate that you don’t consider me a coward who hides in fear of fighting!”
“Margaret, that’s enough.”
Seeing the situation unfold, Queen Angelica quickly interjected. Richard was leaning to one side, clutching his forehead, as if trying to calm his red and flustered face.
Margaret maintained her composure. She bowed her head slightly towards her mother, expressing her intent to yield, but it was clear she had no thoughts of correcting or apologizing to her father for what she had just said.
“Humans are not our destiny-sharing kin! It sounds as if you are unaware of their greed. You must have seen the brutality of kin turning against kin!”
“Has there been no such thing in the history of elves? Have we never pointed our swords at our own kin, or set the forests ablaze to take down those we wished to kill better?”
“That is all history that has long since disappeared. We have already overcome a past filled only with strife!”
“Then why do you believe they cannot do the same? You’ve seen fairies who have aimed their swords at each other for a thousand years come together, yet why do you doubt that humans, who have fought in similar ways for a similar length of time, would learn something?”
“There are excellent humans. There are those deserving of being our friends and those who have come to understand true beauty and value. Yet they are a short-lived species. No matter how excellent a human is, they fade after a hundred years. How can I believe that they will continue to move toward a better path?”
It seemed Margaret had no words to counter that. She too felt a certain degree of sorrow regarding the short lifespan of humans.
“Your Majesty. I understand that you cannot break that belief. But please do not think that your daughter fights for nothing. If you and I are truly looking in the same direction, if our visions of justice align, I ask you to trust me. I need your permission. The world needs your help.”
“I see why you have made a name for yourself as a speaker. You are shouting at your opponent in an intimidating manner.”
“That was not my intention. I apologize.”
“However, I cannot send more troops of my army for the sake of humans.”
Margaret wore a desperate expression. Just as she was about to bow to the Great King with a shallow sigh, Richard stopped her.
“Aren’t you already an elven lord yourself, Margaret? I will give you two legions from my troops that are capable. Command them to protect your estate or build your palace—do as you wish. It is time you led an army of over ten thousand.”
The desperate look on Margaret’s face began to soften, soon giving way to a gentle smile. She bowed her head deeply to the Great King and saluted.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Be gone. I will send the legions to your estate as they prepare.”
Deep down, Richard, who had wished for his only daughter to stay in Eramenia a bit longer, thought to keep Margaret tethered to this land for several weeks following this. After all, preparing an army to deploy far into human territory would take some time.
Margaret also had no reason to hastily leave her homeland and accepted the king’s words.
As Margaret stepped out of Richard’s Golden Palace, her mother, Angelica, who had followed, grabbed her arm. Angelica, too, was an ageless elven beauty, with nearly a thousand years of life not showing on her face at all.
“Margaret. Today, you spoke a bit too harshly. Be sure to apologize to your father later.”
“I understand, Mother.”
Hearing Angelica’s words, Margaret smiled bitterly. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to maintain royal etiquette or wish for accusations of cowardice among her family.
It was that there were moments when she too could not control her emotions. This was true regardless of having lived for a thousand or four hundred years. Elves may have overcome the tragedy of kin-slaying, but that did not mean they had succeeded in controlling their intense emotions.
“However… Though I have not lived even half as long as my father, I have seen just as many corpses as he has. No, it might be that I have witnessed more dead bodies in these three years than he has across his entire life.”
“That frightens me, as it seems to change you. I take pride in your sharp skill at killing ma tribes. I am grateful that the laurel crown of Eramenia has come to symbolize hope because of you. However… Please understand that your father is not a narrow-minded man in comparison to the life experiences he has amassed. If he were truly an elf who only did as he pleased, I would not have remained silent.”
“I know, Mother. I understand. I know how much my father endures. I fully know how he doubts and evaluates everything after speaking a word.”
Margaret looked around at the forest, inhaling deeply. The fresh air that filled the lungs of the Elven Princess was a stark contrast to the metallic scent of blood on the battlefield.
“It seems that even in the most desperate moments of impending doom, we are a race that can fight with differing opinions, as long as there are at least two of us. Both ourselves and our kin, humans. Is it necessarily wrong? No, the most frightening circumstance is when no one conflicts with anyone else. The scariest situation is when no one can verify or confirm if their opinions are correct.”
“It appears that you have certainly changed.”
Angelica said. The Margaret she remembered was a bit more stubborn and a touch younger. As a mother, Angelica had speculated that not just some ‘thing’ called war but also a ‘someone’ with intense impressions had influenced her daughter.
“Was there an impressive human? Though it was only a brief time, have you met anyone good enough to influence the person you are now?”
“Of course, Mother.”
Margaret smiled. At that moment, a number of people flashed through her mind.
“There are those who struggle to reflect unattainable ideals against an inevitable future. There are girls who want to embrace everything while smiling brightly, even as they cast all potential futures into the unknown… and there are fools who insist on protecting something simply because they think it is right, even while constantly doubting a world they don’t even fully understand. Yes, there are such fools.”
“Could it be that that fool you emphasized twice is the protagonist?”
Margaret slightly flushed and turned her head to avoid answering her mother’s question. Of course, Angelica was aware that whenever her daughter was pricked, she couldn’t lie and would turn honest.
“In any case, even when fighting has ceased, all friends continue to fight in their own positions. In my case, it was a duel with my father. I am confident everyone is executing their duties properly, I am.”
At the same time as Margaret’s words, Walter Hellhound was entangled in yet another debate at the Imperial Assembly.
Unfortunately, in stark contrast to Margaret, he was in the midst of a fierce debate where he could not even lean on the warmth of kinship.