68 – Jealousy

“What do you mean by that… Princess of the Elves…?”

“Exactly what I said. This time, we want to choose

which humans from your Empire will come to the Great Forest.”

The Elves send people to inspect the Empire, and

the Empire dispatches people to observe the Great Forest.

It’s said to be a policy created long ago,

to foster amity between the Great Forest and the Empire.

However, the power brokers of the past

would never leave such a policy untouched.

The Elves would deliberately find fault with the humans,

parading about their arrogant nature with impunity, and

the humans, not to be outdone, would even kidnap Elves

and try to enslave them.

Therefore, a single condition was recently added to this policy.

If either side’s representative is caught causing trouble,

the nation is responsible for compensation and settlement.

In other words, if the dispatched representative creates a problem,

at worst, the terms of trade could be revised, or

at best, the entire damage compensation could be paid by the nation.

Sylvia, who could hardly be unaware of such conditions,

made a shocking statement that caused all the Imperials

at the meeting to rise up in protest.

“Are you speaking reasonably, Princess Sylvia!”

“..Can that be considered the Great Forest’s opinion?”

“How are we supposed to know if that person was contacted by the Elves…?”

They knew the Imperials’ resistance would be fierce.

It was, in essence, an unreasonable demand.

If a human representing the Empire

were to make a mistake upon arriving in the Great Forest?

The Empire’s position would inevitably become difficult, and

as such, the representative’s role was of utmost importance.

“How are we supposed to know if that person was bought by the Elves…”

“Insolence, human!!”

The terribly thin Elven man behind Sylvia

shouted furiously, but the humans’ suspicions did not abate.

Even Sylvia, who had brought this up, understood

that their suspicion of her was unavoidable.

So, she produced her trump card.

A move impossible to ignore.

From within Silvia’s embrace,

a crystal sphere, impossibly blue, emerged.

A color deeper and more profound than the sea,

capturing every eye.

Then, from that ocean-hued sphere, a voice echoed.

[…Can you hear me?]

“…!”

Those present,

individuals holding considerable rank within the Empire,

were instantly mesmerized.

Not in a figurative sense, but truly,

their minds ensnared in that instant.

All by a single voice emanating from

what appeared to be a mere communication artifact,

a crystal sphere.

Someone intimately close enough to

Princess Silvia to contact her personally,

and possessing a voice capable of

stealing the very souls of the Empire’s vassals.

Someone, seemingly already surmising the voice’s identity,

cautiously dared to speak.

“P-Perhaps… Are you the Elven Queen?”

[…I don’t particularly care for the title,

but…that is what others call me.]

Her affirmation, delivered with such ease,

stunned them all anew.

For the Elven Queen had never, in any circumstance,

even allowed her voice to be heard.

“H-Heavens…!”

“The…the real Elven Queen?!”

“P-Princess, what is the meaning of this?!”

“Why would the Queen deign to appear in such a…!”

The confusion wasn’t limited to the Imperials.

The Elves were equally bewildered.

They, too, had received no word of

the Queen’s participation in the assembly,

leaving them understandably disconcerted.

In that moment of apparent panic,

Silvia tapped the table, twice, firmly.

And as if by magic, the uproar within the hall subsided.

[Thank you, daughter… Now, I can finally speak.]

“Of course not, Mother.”

Barely had Sylvia’s conversation concluded,

when the Queen’s voice, throat cleared, resonated once more.

[…The child Sylvia speaks of,

I would desire that child to come as a representative.]

“Hah… But that is an altogether different matter…!”

[What troubles you?]

The Queen’s tone, as if truly unaware, prompted the old man to continue, exasperated.

“We know not who this human may be…

We cannot simply thrust him forward as a representative…!”

[….]

“Are you not well aware that the representative’s actions and bearing

are directly equated with the Empire’s image…?”

[…Indeed.]

“To bring someone of unknown stock

and send him to the Great Forest as the Empire’s face…

the Empire’s standing will suffer.”

Unquestionably a valid point.

And yet, the Queen’s voice remained unwavering.

She had anticipated their objections.

[…Then, might you indulge me in this?]

“…Speak, Your Majesty.”

[Include that child within the Imperial representative’s party.]

“Uh… Th-that is…”

In truth, a common negotiation tactic at play.

Initially demanding something unreasonable as compensation,

then, when refused, appearing magnanimous by requesting the desired boon.

A strategy that would fail if the other party simply refused outright,

but with the Elf Queen herself involved, such a refusal was now impossible.

The Elf Queen, whose very existence was only rumored,

had suddenly appeared to make a request.

The value of the Queen’s favor could not be assessed

by merely those gathered here,

“..That much seems agreeable, does it not?”

“So long as he is not entirely without breeding…”

“A bit of self-awareness training should suffice, I believe…”

Indeed, the sentiments of the Imperial dignitaries gathered here

had already begun to sway in one direction.

“I suppose this much is within acceptable limits?” I mused.

In the end, this condition was accepted in the subsequent trade with the Empire, but only after they’d conceded a slight advantage to the Imperials.

And in that place, simultaneous with the severing of the crystal ball communication, all that could be seen were elves storming out, and Imperial citizens, jaws agape, after learning the true identity of the human the elves had been referencing.

*

“…And that’s how it happened.”

“….”

Her tale, delivered with the casual air of someone returning from a village picnic and reporting back on the day’s events, made my head throb. The matter had ballooned far beyond proportion, leaving me feeling utterly dizzy.

Sylvia, oblivious or indifferent to my distress, presented me with something, her expression still as frigid as a winter wind.

“A communication stone. Use it to contact me when your preparations are complete.”

“…Will the princess be accompanying us as well?”

“Are you asking the obvious?”

“…You haven’t been at the Academy for very long.”

Sylvia tilted her head, taking my question and throwing it back at me.

“Well, I am stationed here too, but I can hardly abandon the Empire’s representative, can I?”

“Surely there’s someone who could guide them in the Great Forest–”

“Unfortunately, our people still harbor an innate xenophobia, and such individuals are often encountered.”

“….”

“Think of it as a kind of gesture. It’ll be easier that way”

“A… what?”

“That the Great Forest’s princess personally welcomed the Imperials, implying they should be treated with the same respect as guests of the Great Forest.”

“….”

“Well, you could say such sentiments are mixed in there. Besides, there are other elves stationed here besides me.”

“Understood… I will contact you when word comes that preparations are complete.”

In the end, it was all working out for me, wasn’t it?

A path to obtaining a spirit stone had revealed itself.

Though, things had certainly escalated.

With that forced self-justification,

Jennison turned to find Sylvia’s gaze fixed upon him.

She had been observing him since earlier, wondering

what this man possessed that even the “Sacred Tree”

would take interest in him.

Furthermore, with the Queen exposed to the world at the “Sacred Tree’s” request, all that remained was hope.

Hope that this man was worth that much.

And that he would pass the “Trial.”

*

A space comprised entirely of black.

At its center, a round table and seven chairs.

Light appeared from somewhere,

then vanished as quickly as it came.

And one of the empty chairs was filled.

Again, light appeared,

this process continuing until only one vacant chair remained.

Then, a long silence descended, until

finally, “Gluttony,” the largest of the shadows, spoke.

“..Greed is dead.”

“Huh..? Did I mishear?”

“..A lie.”

“Is that the truth?!”

To the deep, curt voice of the great shadow,

a voice dripping with sensuality,

a voice heavy with weariness,

a voice so frivolous one could only scoff at, cried out.

“It is certain, though the cause of death is unknown,

no life force is felt.”

“Wow~ that b*stard was real hard to kill, y’know.”

“..Indeed, imagining that one dying is difficult.”

After the frivolous voice trailed off,

a somewhat discordant voice arose, and

“Gluttony,” the owner of the first voice,

tapped the table thrice to draw attention.

“The important thing is not that,

but that we need to replenish our energy due to the loss.”

“Hmm, suppose so. Should I drain some vitality for her then?”

“What is it you intend to offer my mother,

you vulgar wench.”

“..What?!”

A voice dripping with “Lust” and

the alien air of “Pride” turned fierce in an instant,

and a voice cut in, as if to stop the squabble.

“Ah, I have a grand idea!”

“..Speak.”

“How about a branch from Yggdrasil?!

I heard it’s teeming with energy!”

“..A branch from Yggdrasil… the World Tree, eh…”

“..Hold on.”

A voice of “Sloth,” as if wanting to

object to the pensive atmosphere.

“..That belongs to the Elves.”

“And I’m aware?”

“..One of us will have to go.”

“..Indeed, the “Guardian” and the “Priestess”

are likely to interfere severely… at least one of us must go.”

“Ah, then I shall go!”

The other Shadows looked at him with surprise,

as he was not one to usually step forward.

“You? Is there something amusing about this for you?”

“..Promise to approach this with sincerity.”

“I am always sincere, I tell you!”

As the Shadow was notoriously stubborn,

the other Shadows decided to entrust him with the task.

If he approached it seriously,

he was not much inferior to the others.

“Hooray! I’ve always wanted to visit the Great Forest!”

Craving admiration, love, and affection,

his name overflowing with curiosity was none other than “Jealousy.”

One of the Shadows departed for the Great Forest.