Ch.133King Maker #3

“So this is the center of the elves…”

The Oberon Village, the central hub among the thirty elven villages and home to Yusan, was truly vast. There were many wonders to behold—enormous trees with roots firmly planted in the ground, so massive that two arms couldn’t encircle them, and houses nestled sporadically within these trees.

The sight of each leaf hanging from trees everywhere glistening was astonishing, and I couldn’t help but widen my eyes when I first set foot in Yusan as a human. The ceiling made to look like a dark sky embedded with stars was particularly impressive.

“Wow…! From the materials of the magic circle to the engravings, I’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Ive, who had followed me, circled around the entrance to the trial with sparkling eyes before taking out paper and pen from her bosom and beginning to jot down various notes. Glancing sideways, I could see she was copying the mysterious characters engraved on the floor. I felt newly grateful to Eilen for allowing us to come this far.

“It seems like ancient elven script… I’ll need to search through references to know more. First, I need to compare the meaning of each character…”

“Yes. You seem to be having quite a good time after so long.”

After touring the sanctuary, Ive continued to speak excitedly with sparkling eyes as we headed toward our lodgings. She seemed thoroughly delighted to encounter new magic, especially related to spirit magic. So much so that she momentarily forgot we needed to go to the Beast-folk Nation.

“Oh right. I should tackle the urgent matters first before researching. I think I’ll need to stop by the elven village again on the way back from the Beast-folk Nation, if Your Grace would permit…”

“Good. Let’s do that. We should have some time after we get past this hurdle.”

“Thank you!”

Fortunately, she seemed to recall our main purpose as we arrived at the lodging Eilen had arranged for us—specifically, her home. While there were inns for outsiders in the elven village, they were few in number and not very spacious. This was why Eilen had offered her home for us to stay.

While I was glad to save money, it felt both strange and tense to be staying in the home of a woman with whom I hadn’t been on the best terms. I didn’t think she would betray me now, but past grievances don’t simply vanish overnight.

Anyway, as we entered the fairly spacious house, an empty living room greeted us first. Eilen seemed to have gone out on some business.

—I have stepped out briefly on an errand. I’ve prepared some modest but useful items in the study for you. Please feel free to use them without hesitation.

After reading the note placed prominently on the table in the middle of the living room, I immediately headed to the study. Despite the closed nature of their society, I was surprised by the abundance of materials available.

Perhaps it was because they were in the midst of negotiating whether to open up to the outside world? Either way, I was extremely grateful and began searching through the study with Ive.

We searched carefully and methodically, keeping things organized as we went through them. Making a mess would be both disrespectful and create confusion.

From simple books to reports on trends not only in the Kingdom of Sotern but also other kingdoms, empires, and the Beast-folk Nation—the collection was quite substantial. The problem was that there wasn’t much difference in content from what we had already investigated.

Except for the map that Ive excitedly showed me.

“Your Grace, look at this. Judging by the terrain, country names, and the lines dividing them, this seems to be a map of the Beast-folk Nation.”

“My goodness. I’m truly speechless.”

Maps are precious items in this continent. Though not razor-sharp in scale, they are fairly accurate, meticulously created by scouts in their spare time.

Perhaps that’s why maps are possessions that only those who have achieved a certain status can own. Because of this, most people typically remember the locations of countries or regions through word of mouth or personal experience.

“Since the elves have been carefully examining the surrounding political situation for about two years now, debating whether to open up or not, perhaps they created this map for that purpose? Or obtained it from somewhere.”

That’s possible. I nodded at Ive’s plausible deduction, then took the map and some writing implements to the living room. There were many other half-finished maps, but I didn’t pay attention to them. There was no time for that.

Thud. As soon as I sat down in a chair near the desk, I spread out the map and pointed to the boundary of the Beast-folk Nation closest to the outlying village. This was the territory of the Dog-folk who were currently surviving and heating up in the selection ceremony. While the territorial boundaries were only roughly marked, making it impossible to know the detailed composition, I was grateful for even this much information.

“Let’s organize this while looking at the map. This side is Dog-folk territory… and two tribes share borders nearby. The Cat-folk and the Sheep-folk.”

“That’s right. And where Your Grace wants to go is…”

With the Dog-folk territory as the center, the Cat-folk are to the upper right diagonal, and the Sheep-folk to the lower right. Naturally, the Cat-folk and Sheep-folk share a border, and there’s also a point where the borders of all three tribes converge.

And the place Ive pointed to was the territory of the Rat-folk beyond that. It was close to the capital but small in size.

“Here, the Rat-folk territory, right?”

“Yes. It’s remarkable how the Rat-folk, known to be weak, have survived until now. They’re in an even more precarious position with their dwindling numbers… but that’s good for us.”

The Rat-folk are rodent-type beast-folk who are small in stature and physically weak, but fast and somewhat intelligent. However, being fundamentally weak, they were the most disadvantaged among the surviving tribes.

“In my opinion… to reach the Rat-folk territory, it would be best to go through the area where the borders converge, then pass through the Sheep-folk side. The Cat-folk are cunning and sharp, which could lead to troublesome situations.”

Despite having devoted years to research for persuading Helena, Ive was still the commander of the Magic Battalion. I thought it was perfectly reasonable for her to make such judgments. I kept my pride in her to myself and spoke slowly.

“Good. Let’s do that. The Sheep-folk are used to people from Caliwood Duchy passing through, so outsiders aren’t that unusual to them. Moreover, being from the same kingdom should make our passage even smoother.”

I took out the forged certificate I had prepared for disguise and waved it lightly. Until now, we had managed to reach our destinations by sneaking around without checkpoints, but that wouldn’t be possible going forward. While many areas were open like ordinary rural villages, there were still fortresses to contend with.

“Oh, we should start packing our bags soon, right? We’ve already bought the supplies…”

“Indeed.”

Ive and I went into the room Eilen had lent us and worked on packing our bags. To move quickly, we prepared backpacks with minimal luggage instead of a wagon, trying to include only essential items.

A few dirks.

Medicines made from elven herbs in bottles, clothes.

Dried food and so on.

Ive packed her backpack in her own way, and since we both packed only the essentials, the bags weren’t too heavy. Water and fire could be easily managed with spirit magic, which was incredibly convenient.

“When do you plan to depart?”

After finishing packing, Ive tilted her head and asked. Only then did I realize that in my haste, I had completely forgotten that Eilen had sent a messenger.

“Um… since we need to wait for Eilen’s messenger to bring news… I think we’ll need to stay for a few days.”

“Then… did we pack too early?”

“Ahem. I was distracted. Having things packed in advance gives us flexibility, and we could leave immediately if necessary… but considering that, it was still too early.”

Embarrassed, I bowed my head in apology, and Ive, seeing this, frantically waved her hands in dismay.

“Y-Your Grace has done nothing wrong! And everything you said is absolutely correct!”

“…Right. Thank you for saying so.”

Though I felt strangely pathetic inside, I couldn’t show this emotion in front of Ive, who looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. I had the feeling she might beg me to kill her if I did.

.

“I’ve received word from each village that they’ve accepted my request. If you need anything, you can speak to the guards at the entrance.”

About three days later, as soon as we finished breakfast, Eilen delivered the news we had been waiting for. She had not only ensured that no one would block our way but had also arranged for us to receive necessary supplies if needed later.

Upon hearing this, I immediately thanked her and left Eilen’s house with Ive.

“I’d like to ask you to stay longer, but… given the circumstances, I can’t.”

“If it’s not a burden to you… I’ll visit again when my business is done.”

“Ah, yes…! I’ll be waiting.”

Eilen wiped away her gloomy expression at my promise to return and showed a remarkably serene smile. Thanks to this, I mounted my horse and headed toward our destination without much burden, though a lingering uneasiness remained in my mouth.

However, I couldn’t carry this uneasiness with me forever and tried to shake it off. Right now, I needed to cross the border into the Beast-folk Nation as quickly as possible and reach the Rat-folk territory—before the Rat-folk collapsed in the selection ceremony.

We rode our horses hard, occasionally stopping to let them rest tied to nearby bushes when they became winded. We also took the opportunity to catch brief naps, as maintaining balance on horseback was quite draining. If our luggage had been heavier, the horses would have tired more quickly, but thanks to our minimal packing, we could cover greater distances in one go.

“Your Grace, the border.”

After stopping at elven villages along the way to buy simple provisions and camping out for several days of continuous riding, we finally passed through the elven forest, crossed a somewhat ambiguous neutral zone, and faced a vast open field. Ive’s voice announced our arrival.

“Phew—”

The border. My heart pounded as our destination finally came within reach. Not from anticipation or excitement, but from the realization that this was just the beginning, making my back stiffen.

Thanks to my mental fortitude, it stopped at that level; otherwise, I might have hyperventilated from excessive tension or fainted long ago. Interfering in another country’s succession struggle was that heavy a burden.

So I took a moment to regulate my breathing and calm my mind as we faced the border, trying to dispel both the pressure and the fatigue accumulated in my body. I repeated this several times until I felt ready.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

When I felt prepared, I turned my horse toward the border of the Beast-folk Nation. The border, marked by a long line with fortified walls and gates at various points, had a somewhat grim atmosphere but also seemed relaxed.

“Oh. Just humans. What brings you here?”

As we approached the border on horseback, one of the guards spoke with surprise. He was a man with dog ears where human ears should be. Though I had never seen one before, he was clearly a Dog-folk.

Before answering his question, I took out a certificate from my bosom and handed it to him. It was a fake identity certificate disguising me as a merchant.

“We’ve come from the Kingdom of Sotern. While Caliwood Duchy regularly imports goods made by the Sheep-folk, our trading company wishes to bring them in through an independent distribution network.”

“Ah, the fabrics made by the Sheep-folk. They are indeed good. They’re our country’s specialty too.”

“Indeed. I envy how the Beast-folk Nation has such distinct characteristics depending on the tribe. For example, the Dog-folk…”

People who don’t regularly interact with beast-folk often can’t distinguish between the different tribes. While each tribe has very clear characteristics, sometimes there aren’t major visible differences.

Knowing this, I casually praised various tribes, and the man before me took the bait, sharing information I hadn’t even asked for. In the process, he revealed that he was indeed Dog-folk. This confirmed that the Dog-folk, while loyal and sharp, were indeed a simple tribe as rumored.

“Ah! I’ve been chatting too much and wasting your time. The border is usually quiet, so I made a mistake. Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine. For a merchant, even such casual conversations can provide valuable information. I should be thanking you.”

“Thank you for saying so. You look decent, and you have a good heart too.”

The Dog-folk man laughed heartily and patted my shoulder, then returned the certificate I had handed him earlier and said:

“Well then. Good luck with your business. The selection ceremony is in full swing, but it shouldn’t concern ordinary people like you.”

“Ah! You mean the traditional Beast-folk ceremony for selecting a king…?”

“Oh. You know it well. Yes, that traditional selection ceremony is currently underway.”

The mention of the selection ceremony seemed to open him up again, and the Dog-folk man started chattering excitedly. It was like watching a hyperactive dog that couldn’t stay still for a moment. He was much more docile, but his energy level was comparable.

“Oh no! I’ve been holding you up and talking too much again. I’m sorry.”

“As I said before, it’s perfectly fine.”

“I really am sorry. Please go ahead.”

After briefly bowing my head in farewell, I urged my horse toward the wide-open gate the Dog-folk man was pointing to. Perhaps it was due to listening to the man’s chatter and playing along, but I felt much more tired than after days of riding without rest.