The Time-Stop Breeding Uncle Want’s to Retire

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Hans slept poorly.

His mind, filled with unease from the strange events of the previous night, prevented him from falling asleep easily. To make matters worse, the meeting was to begin in the morning.

The mere thought of dozing off during the meeting, and the ensuing repercussions, gave Hans a headache. The meeting was no different from a den of venomous snakes.

If he showed even the slightest weakness, he would undoubtedly be torn apart, leaving not even a bone behind. To prevent that, Hans had to overcome his fatigue.

In this situation, there was only one person Hans could rely on.

Cluna, who was well-versed in various medicines and magic.

Hans made his way to her.

“A way to chase away sleep immediately?” Cluna asked.

“Well, there is a tea I regularly enjoy…”

“Then I’ll take it.”

Hans could trust Cluna completely. Plus, he was short on time, so he had to use whatever he could get his hands on. The combination of trust and urgency led him to quickly acquire the tea.

He didn’t expect to be completely awakened by just one cup, but thinking of it as something similar to modern coffee, Hans felt a sense of relief as he attended the meeting.

“Let’s discuss the immediate problems first.”

The morning meeting progressed relatively smoothly. They set aside the contentious issues that would inevitably lead to arguments and quickly dealt with the most pressing matters.

There were some objections, but thanks to the three leaders who supported Hans, they managed to overcome them without much difficulty.

The morning meeting concluded successfully.

‘Thankfully, Cluna’s tea worked.’

There had been a few close calls, but he managed to endure. Left alone at the Table of Equality, Hans slapped himself hard on both cheeks to chase away the lingering fatigue.

‘Should I skip lunch? I get even sleepier when I’m full…’

“You filthy traitor to your own kind!!”

“…?”

Just as Hans was thinking about getting some more sleep during his lunch break, a loud shout from outside startled him.

He instinctively hid himself.

The Table of Equality was on the first floor of Lionheart Fortress, and the shout came from right outside the connected window. Hans hid nearby and peeked outside.

He saw Cluna and an unfamiliar elf. Cluna was listening silently, while the elf in front of her was shouting.

“Why did you betray your people?! You, who cherished and loved your brethren so much…!!”

“I merely removed the rotten flesh from my race.”

“How dare you spout such nonsense…!!”

It seemed Cluna was being resented by her own kind.

Hans frowned.

It was understandable, in a way.

Creating an external enemy was a way to solidify one’s position. That way, everyone’s resentment would be directed towards the enemy.

It was a perfect narrative. Focus hatred on the traitor, and then create a need for a hero to punish them.

“What’s all the commotion?”

But Hans wasn’t one to just stand by and watch. He understood, but he didn’t condone it.

With that thought, he stepped forward. The elf, startled, said,

“Y-You’re…?”

“I ordered the destruction of the World Tree. Therefore, the responsibility lies with me.”

“…”

“So, if you want to resent someone, resent me.”

Hans hadn’t realized it, but his face was contorted with drowsiness. However, the elf mistook it for anger.

He had been venting his frustration, thinking no one was around, but then the Commander of the Royal Knights suddenly appeared. The elf quickly left.

Hans, having resolved the situation, sighed in relief. He had been worried the elf might attack him, but thankfully, he wasn’t that crazy.

Hans asked Cluna,

“Who was that?”

“My cute junior.”

“Your junior?”

“Yes, the one who became the Guardian of the Forest in my stead.”

“I see… so that’s why…”

Was it because he was Cluna’s direct junior that he felt so betrayed?

Regardless of the circumstances, Hans couldn’t just ignore it.

He scratched his head.

“Do you need anything?”

“How clumsy of you. But that’s what makes it so endearing.”

“I’m the Commander.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Cluna bowed her head to Hans and quickly left.

Left alone again, Hans thought,

‘How am I supposed to sleep now? I’ll just organize some documents.’

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After lunch, the afternoon meeting commenced. There were still a mountain of issues, but now, opposing opinions began to emerge, and debates ensued.

The Vampire Lord, now using the name Lucy, smiled faintly as she pondered. She wanted to see how long this righteous human could maintain his act.

She hadn’t been interested initially, but…

Once her interest was piqued, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she tested him herself.

Unfortunately for Hans, Lucy was a rather troublesome personality.

“Isn’t it about time we addressed that issue?” she said.

“What issue are you referring to?”

“The neutralization of the Royal Knights.”

“…”

Lucy didn’t hesitate to throw a stone into the calm lake. The ripples spread, growing larger. Elder Makenis was the first to take the bait.

“We can’t keep ignoring it forever.”

“I thought that matter was already settled.”

“Nothing is settled. This is just the beginning.”

“What?”

“You smell like a beast. Shut up before I eat you.”

Yuyeong’s forehead throbbed as the Orc King suddenly interjected. The meeting quickly descended into chaos. The stage was set.

What would Hans do now?

Would he protect those who supported him? If he did, he would secure a solid foundation of support. But at that moment, the opportunity to unite the alliance would vanish.

Of course, Lucy didn’t care either way. If the situation worsened and the Royal Knights had to rely on the vampires, that was fine with her.

But then…

As Lucy’s gaze fixed on Hans, she tilted her head. He was sitting with his arms crossed, head bowed.

At first, she thought he was deep in thought.

But then she realized that wasn’t the case. He was openly dozing off. And in this important setting, with the leaders of all races gathered.

What in the… ?

Lucy was dumbfounded. But Hans didn’t react. Or rather, he couldn’t react. He had fallen fast asleep.

But Cluna hadn’t lied. She was indeed overworked. Hans had noticed and tried to lighten her workload, but even so, she still had more responsibilities than the other members.

So, she used a relaxing herbal tea to alleviate her fatigue.

At least, that’s how it worked for elves. Imagine lying on soft grass, basking in the warm sun. An elf would feel invigorated, their drowsiness dispelled.

But a human?

Lying on soft grass, feeling the warm sun and the gentle breeze… they would most likely fall asleep.

“Ugh…”

The only reason Hans woke up was because Yuyeong, the leader of the 12 Tribes sitting next to him, was furious.

He woke up discreetly and his eyes met Lucy’s.

As if struck by lightning, Hans quickly corrected his posture.

Lucy couldn’t hide her confusion.

There was no way the Commander of the Royal Knights could be sleeping in such an important meeting. But that’s exactly what it looked like.

“Could he be… doing this on purpose?”

That was the best Lucy could come up with.

There was no way the Commander of the Royal Knights would be sleeping in such an important meeting.

A man that foolish couldn’t possibly have rebuilt the Royal Knights. Ironically, that strong belief led Lucy to a massive misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, Hans ignored Lucy and looked around. Unfortunately, everyone’s eyes were on him.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened, so Hans immediately spoke.

“Is the petty squabbling over?”

Feigning ignorance.

Acting confident.

That was Hans’s special move.

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[Translator Notes]

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