Ch.426Chapter 426 – Under the Flag (1)

“Well, this is something I never thought I’d live to see.”

Count Metis, seated on horseback, was surveying the surroundings. By protocol, he should have been riding in the carriage following behind, but he had boldly given up that privilege to his companions and chosen to travel on horseback himself.

Of course, part of it was consideration for them, but mostly he wanted to take in this scenery with his own eyes.

Looking around, he could see elves, beastkin, and what appeared to be adventurers traveling along roads made from massive tree trunks. A merchant was calling out to adventurers, trying to attract customers. The Count found himself unconsciously smiling as he observed the lively scene on the wooden pathways.

‘My daughter must have seen this scenery too.’

What might she have thought? After leaving home and successfully establishing her own merchant company, did she burn with a merchant’s passion, or did she spend private time with that man? The Count wondered.

Of course, knowing his daughter’s personality, she probably did both.

As he smiled slightly at these pleasant thoughts, an elven man who had been following slowly beside him approached.

“Is it fascinating to you?”

“I’ve only heard rumors about Albheim’s beautiful scenery. I’m embarrassed to admit that I rarely leave my domain, so I’ve only visited neighboring countries. Everything here is simply amazing to me.”

From the beginning, Albheim wasn’t a country adjacent to the Mikea Kingdom, so the Count thought there probably weren’t many Mikean nobles who visited this place.

Of course, nobles who deliberately traveled for pleasure might come, but generally, nobles had so much to learn and master that they rarely had time for foreign sightseeing.

“I dare say that just having come here will be something I can boast about for the rest of my life.”

“I see.”

The Ranger captain nodded with a smile. He had no reason to be displeased when his homeland was being praised.

“Then we should help you finish your business quickly so you can take your time touring this place. You must be tired, so you should rest as well.”

“I’m not that tired. The Rangers’ escort made the journey comfortable. By the way…”

“Please call me Zelkova.”

The elven Ranger who had once met Kei’s group smiled as he introduced himself. The Count slightly bowed his head in apology for his rudeness.

Then, the Count casually asked:

“I heard there was a major battle here once, Captain Zelkova.”

“Yes. We suffered tremendous damage.”

Zelkova quietly replied as he looked at the collapsed and burned remnants still visible in places.

“Many warriors died—enough that I was promoted two ranks.”

“I offer my condolences.”

The expression that typically referred to those who died honorably in battle came from Captain Zelkova’s lips. The Count suspected that Zelkova had been due for promotion based on merit, but was promoted an additional rank because there was no one left above him.

‘So, Albheim’s military forces have been greatly reduced.’

Of course, some time had passed, and they would have recruited at least some troops to maintain security. Still, it meant many experienced soldiers had died. They might be able to defend themselves, but likely lacked the military strength to invade anywhere.

‘Could this be material for persuasion?’

The Count fell into contemplation as he recalled his purpose for coming here.

Officially, he had come because of a certain group formed in the Mikea Kingdom.

A group that had raised the White Dragon’s banner to counter the Emiris Order, which was increasingly revealing its dark side and dangerous ambitions.

Formed at Princess Liriel’s suggestion, this group had sent manifestos to various nations visited by an adventurer, with the help of the Magic Tower.

The manifesto contained a simple message: gather under the White Dragon’s banner to drive out the fanatics who worship the evil god.

Albheim was the first to respond to this manifesto.

And the Count, officially coming to express gratitude for being the first to join the alliance, had left his domain in his son’s care and set out personally.

‘While the elves’ participation is truly appreciated, their help alone doesn’t guarantee victory.’

To face the Emiris Order—which was spreading its influence across the continent and horrifically enhancing its forces—they needed powerful allies.

The elves’ assistance was significant, but not enough to ensure victory. The Count believed they needed the help of another race to win.

‘The demon race.’

According to investigations and testimonies from the newly born saints, Kara and Diana, the demon race was currently divided into two factions.

Those who desired coexistence and those who wanted war.

The latter were literally enemies, but the former could potentially be brought in as allies. Moreover, the Count had learned that many powerful individuals were among the former group.

‘I’ve already heard about their impressive activities in Florence and the royal palace.’

Though they had concealed their identities at the time, he had already obtained information that three demons had joined Queen Gabriella’s side and fought alongside Kei’s group, ultimately defeating the Dragon Slayer and achieving victory.

Their contributions might have been somewhat overshadowed by Kei’s group’s activities, but these demons possessed the strength to help the severely undermanned Queen Gabriella achieve victory.

If such powerful individuals were gathered together, they definitely needed to be brought into the alliance.

But the problem was, of course, the elves.

‘According to the saint, the demons invaded this place to summon the Demon King for their survival.’

From their perspective, it was a desperate struggle to survive. Honestly, it seemed strange that those who claimed to desire coexistence had initially invaded, but…

At that time, the demon race hadn’t yet split into two factions, and the Count thought they might have needed to come here from the demon realm because they were being cornered there.

Perhaps summoning the Demon King in Albheim by any means necessary was intended to use the Demon King’s strength to prevent other nations from attacking them, securing their survival first and then gradually settling on this continent.

‘I’d have to ask those demons in question to know for certain.’

The Count couldn’t judge beyond this point since he didn’t know the exact circumstances.

But regardless of the demons’ perspective, from the elves’ viewpoint, demons had suddenly invaded and inflicted severe damage on their homeland.

‘They might absolutely refuse to stand under the same banner.’

Even those normally cool-headed and rational couldn’t be expected to remain calm when their homeland and loved ones had been attacked. No elf would simply overlook the fact they had been attacked.

And while the current situation might have changed, the last the Count had heard, the demons had split into moderate and radical factions.

Given that the demon forces were essentially split in half, even with their losses, the elves likely still outnumbered the demons.

‘A minority with many powerful individuals versus elves who, despite reduced numbers, still outnumber the demons.’

If forced to choose, after considering various factors, the latter would be the correct choice.

Demons, portrayed as evil in legends, versus elves, one of the races that fought to protect the continent. Naturally, the latter had a better public image.

Especially since they were facing the Emiris Order. Considering that the Order gained followers by winning people’s hearts through monster extermination and similar activities across the continent, public image was important in this fight.

If the elves were seen fighting against the Order, it would reduce the likelihood of neutral factions siding with the Order based solely on the Order’s claims.

‘But I can’t ignore raw power either.’

Elite troops who had survived in a harsh world of survival of the fittest, fighting in a barren environment with almost no resources.

That described the powerful individuals among the moderate demon faction. With uncertainty about what forces the Order might bring, there would certainly be situations where their help would be needed.

In the end, it was difficult to give up either side. To win, they needed to bring in both.

‘This is difficult.’

If the conflict had happened long ago, mediation might be possible, but even by human lifespan standards, the clash between the two sides wasn’t that old a story.

At the very least, asking the elves to forgive the demons was impossible. If they wanted to clear that uncomfortable relationship, the demons would need to pay a significant price to the elves for there to be any chance of reducing that animosity.

So he absolutely couldn’t just ask the elves to forgive the demons.

‘So what I need to do isn’t to completely resolve their animosity.’

It might sound irresponsible, but that animosity was something that would have to be resolved between the elves and demons over time. As a human, and moreover an outsider, it wasn’t his problem to solve.

What he needed to do was simply, from a third-party perspective, convince the elves to accept bringing in the demons and persuade them not to be hostile at least while fighting together.

That was barely possible.

‘And for that, I need to convince individuals with significant influence among the elves.’

There were two people he had “seen.” He needed to convince those two to achieve his goal.

The problem was that all he knew was their appearances and basic personal information. Everything else was unknown.

Whether he could convince them or not depended entirely on how he handled the situation.

‘It’s a shame I can only see such brief glimpses.’

The Count thought his daughter would have done better in this role than himself. From what he could predict, she seemed to see longer periods and obtain more information than he did.

He’d have to ask her directly to know for sure…

-Flap flap

At the sudden sound of wings, the Count stopped his thoughts and looked up at the sky. Thinking it was about time, he saw a gentle-looking female elf descending on a griffon.

“Lady Pine!”

Zelkova immediately bowed his head respectfully. As his unit followed suit, the woman smiled and raised her hand.

Then, she landed right in front of Count Metis, dismounted from the griffon, and spoke:

“I heard an esteemed guest had come personally, so I came to meet you.”

Bowing slightly, the elf smiled quietly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count Metis. I am…”

“Pine, daughter of Abies, of the Blue Pine clan.”

Pine looked at Count Metis with slightly surprised eyes. The Count smiled and said:

“…I’ve heard a lot about you beforehand. From that friend, that is.”

“That friend?”

“A friend who is now my son-in-law. I hear he’s become quite famous here for fighting against the demons.”

“Son-in-law…?”

Pine twitched her ears slightly in confusion. But it didn’t take long for her to understand, as her eyes widened slightly and she said:

“Are you referring to Kei?”

“So you do know him.”

At the Count’s words, Pine smiled with slight happiness. Watching this, the Count quietly smiled and thought:

‘Half a lie, but still.’

He had never actually asked Kei about Pine nor heard anything about her. He had simply identified Pine and one other person through his own ability. Of course, since Kei was essentially his son-in-law, only the part about hearing from Kei was a lie.

‘I apologize for using his name without permission, but…’

He thought mentioning Kei’s name would make persuasion at least a little easier. Knowing that the elves here held him in high regard, there was no reason not to use it.

‘Perhaps I should send him some wine later as an apology.’

The Count casually thought something that would have made Kei grimace if he had heard it.

“But if Kei is your son-in-law… then here…”

While the Count was briefly lost in thought, Pine began muttering with frightening intensity. This made Zelkova somewhat uncomfortable, but finding it amusing, the Count quietly observed Pine.

Perhaps because of this delay, the door of the carriage behind them opened, and a woman jumped out and approached the Count.

“Count, why did we suddenly stop?”

“I was just admiring the scenery for a moment, Saint Kara.”

Formally addressed by the Count, Kara cleared her throat in slight embarrassment.

“…You can drop the ‘Saint’ part.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Besides, shouldn’t we be moving along? You said it was important business.”

At Kara’s urging, the Count nodded. He had been enjoying watching Pine’s amusing reaction, but as she said, they needed to move on.

If they delayed any longer, the person he needed to persuade might retreat to the depths beneath the World Tree.

With that thought, he was about to call out to Pine when fortunately she regained her composure and looked toward them. Then she looked at Kara with surprised eyes.

“…Christina?”

“That’s her. You can call her Kara.”

After saying this, Kara crossed her arms and proudly spoke:

“Humble as I am, I’m a saint who serves the goddess Christina.”

“Christina, a goddess? But Christina was a nun who served Evgenia?”

“Let me explain. Surprisingly…”

As Pine asked quite seriously what this meant, Kara began to explain with an amused smile. Thinking this would unnecessarily drag on, the Count quickly stepped forward and said:

“More importantly, time is precious, so let’s move on. There’s someone I urgently wish to meet, and I’d like to accommodate their schedule.”

“A meeting? If you’re referring to the elders, I’m sure their schedules can be adjusted?”

Of course they could. The Count had already researched that Pine’s position among the elves had become quite elevated after the previous war. If she suggested postponing a meeting, the elders would likely comply without much complaint.

Therefore, naturally, the elders were not who the Count wished to meet.

“Forgive me, but the person I wish to meet is not the elders, Lady Pine.”

“Then who are you referring to?”

Had she sensed something suspicious in the air? A hint of wariness appeared in Pine’s eyes.

‘This is the crucial part.’

Looking directly into those eyes, the Count spoke:

“Since time is precious, I’ll be direct. I wish to meet the hero party’s magician, the master of the Magic Tower, Lumen.”

Pine’s eyes sharpened. Count Metis did not avoid her gaze.