I was had.
I thought I had succeeded in persuading Duke Daimon.
But in truth, I got blindsided from an angle I never expected.
'No, but why me of all people?'
With Duke Daimon's wealth and power, surely he could have lined up people skilled in rhetoric.
But the situation was such a perfect fit that I couldn't just flatly refuse.
My relationship with Friezia, and the lies I spat out about the Divine Archer's information.
Since I had boasted of my ties with elves, all of it had now come back to bite me like a boomerang.
My vision went dark.
I could see no way out of this crisis.
"I'll pay you well. Go bring back a positive answer about the alliance from the elves."
"…Ah, yes."
'But I can't go back on it now…'
In the end.
He may have asked me with hopes for a favorable outcome.
But for me, it was like swallowing a bitter pill—there was no choice but to accept the Duke's "request."
– You've fallen for your own trick.
– …I'm aware of that, so please be quiet.
And this is the result.
"…You're saying you'll go see my mother?! Are you out of your mind?"
"It just turned out that way."
How could a pure soul who knows nothing of politics possibly understand if I explained the Duke's irresistible "request"?
I had no choice but to gloss over it.
Friezia, shocked, suddenly slammed the table and shot up to stare at me.
"Y-you're not saying you'll break your promise with me, are you? You said you'd show me the world!"
Eyes like an abandoned puppy.
She seemed afraid I would abandon her in the elf village.
'That won't do.'
"Don't worry. I don't forget favors. You fought with me against the beastmen's base and the slave hunters' hideout—of course I'll repay you for that."
"R-right? Whew. I thought…."
Relax.
You're far too useful.
If I had meant to discard you, I would've handed you over back when we confronted the Divine Archer.
There's no way I'd let such a useful talent slip away carelessly.
And since I have to go anyway, it would look better to sort things out properly.
"I'm going to get official permission, that's all."
"Official permission?"
"The way we parted from the Divine Archer… honestly speaking, it wasn't exactly graceful, was it?"
"W-well, that's true."
Indeed, it had looked like an abduction.
A filthy thug who lured away her precious daughter.
The kind of existence one could hardly kill enough.
"Going to the Divine Archer now is simply to prove once again that this is her own will."
"…Yes! No matter what Mother says, I want to see the outside world."
That much resolve was enough for Friezia.
But the real problem lay on this side.
I rubbed the back of my neck at a sudden chill.
'She wouldn't stick an arrow in my throat the moment we meet, not with her precious daughter at my side… right?'
"By the way, will Frost Mane be all right? Last time, Mother bore quite a grudge against her…."
"Ahaha… so this is how livestock feel on the way to the slaughterhouse, huh."
And so the southern delegation of just the two of us headed for the elf village.
Our steps were unbearably heavy.
"…What face do you have to show, coming back here?"
As expected.
The moment we entered the elf village with Friezia's help, countless elves surrounded us.
Led by the Divine Archer, all with bows trained on us.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down."
What else could I do?
Naturally, I had to raise both hands high to show surrender.
"Mother! Everyone calm down, put down your weapons! Frost Mane has no intention of attacking us!"
Some elves faltered at Friezia's desperate mediation.
But unfortunately, there was someone with more authority than her here.
"Friezia, welcome back to the village. Let's talk later. For now, step aside. I need to deal with that detestable human first."
An arrow filled with aura and murderous intent.
A mother whose daughter had been stolen—the Divine Archer was dead serious.
'Well, it's not like I didn't expect this.'
At this point, I had no choice but to change the flow.
"Will you be all right? Killing me here is as easy as wringing a rabbit's neck. But preventing the burning of the World Tree will be far more difficult."
Twitch—
Maybe it was the shared genes with Friezia.
Her face showed not a flicker, but the Divine Archer's ears trembled slightly.
She was the guardian of the World Tree.
With the duty to defend it from danger, she couldn't help but react to my words.
"I don't want to hear it!"
But someone cut in between her shout.
"…Elder Hallis."
"Divine Archer, do not hesitate! He's nothing but a vile heretic trying to deceive Friezia with his honeyed tongue!"
The elder I was bound to by ill fate.
He was the first to loose his bowstring.
"W-wait! At least hear Friezia out…!"
"Loose!"
Hallis, as a fairly high-ranking elder, gave the command.
The elves followed and loosed their bowstrings.
A rain of arrows.
Each tipped with aura and imbued with different powers, like a shower of shooting stars.
"…Frost Mane! Quick, dodge!"
"Ah, it's fine."
I grabbed her arm as she tried to leap back.
"We came here to negotiate. What good would it do to run from the table now?"
More than that, I had someone beside me who could reduce such a rain of arrows to nothing.
"Lady Batory."
"I understand your will."
—Kugugugung.
Suddenly, a massive ice wall rose from the shadows in front of us.
Naturally, the rain of arrows was blocked, unable to pierce us.
At my side stood a figure glowing with radiant golden light.
"What is this…?"
"Even I need some life insurance. I'm supposed to face the Divine Archer, after all."
Like her, a being who fought calamities.
A person who could face armies alone.
"Elves' blood… I've never tasted it. But from the aura and mana I sense, it must be of considerable worth."
A beauty like a sculpted masterpiece.
Yet the atmosphere she exuded was ominous beyond compare.
Her tongue licked between her fangs.
The predator's presence made the elves recoil.
"…Hoo."
The only one who did not step back—instead stepping forward—was the Divine Archer.
"You are strong."
"Oh-ho, so you are the leader here?"
For a moment, their gazes locked.
The tension was so sharp it seemed flames might spark.
A clash between beings beyond mortal ken.
At the sign of it, everyone froze.
"Come now, calm down."
I slipped into the middle.
"…Frost Mane."
"I trust your head has cooled by now. Are you willing to talk?"
I put on a sly smile and looked at the Divine Archer.
Surely she and Batory would be evenly matched.
But this was the elf village.
Too many elves could get caught up in the fight, especially her own daughter.
"…What do you want?"
Her answer was already decided.
"As I said, there's something to discuss about the future where the World Tree burns."
Slowly.
Hiding the tension in my breath, showing only a shameless mask.
I stepped up to the Divine Archer.
Close enough that one step with aura would be enough to snap my neck.
Her murderous intent chewed at me, but with a smooth smile I wagged my tongue.
"Have you heard the news that human knights have fallen to the Calamity of the Pack?"
"..."
She stayed silent, but of course she knew.
She'd certainly gathered information on Fenrir.
"Humanity lost much of its strength. They no longer have the power to stop the Calamity of the Pack."
"What are you saying?"
"That in their heightened fear of beastmen, they are searching for new partners."
After a deep breath, I raised my right arm high.
So everyone could see.
"Believe it or not, I'm quite well known in the human world. The Duke of the South granted me the right to negotiate with elves, even giving me surprisingly generous terms."
"Terms?"
"Yes. A chance for elves to draw closer to the World Tree once more!"
These words were not for the Divine Archer alone.
Every elf revered the World Tree.
Look.
Just those words—'draw closer to the World Tree'—had every ear perked up.
For elves, the World Tree was their very origin and their god.
"Think carefully! Full recapture of the World Tree? Sounds fine. But have you considered the cost in blood?"
The cold rain of arrows.
The high, towering walls.
The dwarven smiths' weapons and armor.
The humans' persistence.
I listed each obstacle.
With their already dwindling numbers, how much blood would elves have to spill to take it back?
Could they even hold it after?
Doubt was inevitable.
Step—
Now I stood close enough to feel her body heat.
I brought my lips near her long ear and whispered softly.
So only she could hear.
"Wouldn't it be better to entrust it to humans instead? Even if not by your own hand, that path avoids war and ensures the World Tree's safety."
"How do you…!"
How else?
The Divine Archer, and Friezia too.
They appeared in the original story, and their circumstances were laid bare.
[Friezia, always remember.]
[For the Guardian of the World Tree, its safety comes first. Even if it's not by your own hand.]
[…]
A handwritten letter hidden in the Divine Archer's room.
Perhaps she never delivered it, fearing it would burden her daughter with the same duty or self-loathing.
I confirmed the Divine Archer's changed expression with satisfaction, then turned back to the elves and shouted:
"Violence is not the only way! Humans are greedy, yes, but that means if given something more valuable than the World Tree, they'll willingly grant rights to approach it. The Duke promised me as much!"
"…Stop. This is unrealistic."
I turned at the cold voice.
It was the Divine Archer herself who had cut me off.
'Tch. I thought she was convinced.'
"Humans and elves fought for the World Tree hundreds of years ago. The result was human victory. How could those who waged bloody war with us ever see us kindly?"
Her narrowed eyes were hard to read.
But her words said she had no intention of dialogue, the wound too deep.
Still.
"Click, you sound like an old fossil."
"Old… fossil? What does that mean?"
"Nothing. But Divine Archer, aren't you living too much in the past?"
I spread my arms with a smirk.
She may have lived through that war.
But those humans were long dead.
Especially since their essence was that of merchants.
They had no choice but to adapt to changing times and the flow of gold.
For the World Tree's sake, elves had to understand 'human greed.'
"Just look at Friezia. This very negotiation is her achievement, and she knows nothing of war. Do you know that?"
"Friezia…?"
"Yes. Even Duke Daimon changed his heart because of her. He saw elves not as enemies, but as partners in exchange."
Friezia, fidgeting nervously, forced a clumsy smile.
She hardly looked like someone who had achieved such a feat.
But that very awkwardness made it convincing.
She too was second generation, untouched by the war.
That's why she followed humans, and even—
'She even starred as the main guest at the humans' tea party.'
Of course, it was I who proposed elf integration to Duke Daimon.
But surely Friezia's innocent, non-hostile elf nature influenced his decision.
"M-mother!"
At that moment, Friezia rushed into her mother's arms.
A family reunion after so long.
I stepped back, giving them space.
"Friezia!"
"See? Hehe…."
'So she brought that along.'
What she pulled out was none other than a pouch of egg tarts.
She timidly opened it, took out a small tart, and offered it to the Divine Archer.
"How is it? Tasty, right?"
"…Yes. It's good."
"Not all humans are strange like Frost Mane! Some are kind enough to prepare snacks like this."
"…Was that a comparison to me?"
Unbelievable.
They only gave you that snack because you were a guest.
I, on the other hand, planned an entire travel course tailored to your desires.
Talk about unfair treatment.
But now was the time to wait.
After savoring the egg tart for a while, the Divine Archer finally swallowed.
Her eyes on Friezia were heavy and profound.
The weight of a leader who had borne her race for centuries crushed her.
With a smile-tinged voice, I made my offer once again.
"Primrose Evergreen. Times have changed. I believe your daughter, who seeks to step boldly into the world, has already brought positive change to the elves—more so than you, strong but trapped in the past and the forest."
"..."
"I am only a messenger. The choice lies with you, the supreme authority of this village. Will you take the humans' hand?"
Rustle.
Before I knew it, the contract in my hand had passed into the Divine Archer's.
And at the same time, a sweet reward rolled my way.
[Primrose Evergreen's title has changed.]
[Boss -> Recruitable Companion]
A reliable ally to fight the calamity—
[Title condition met: Savior of the South]
[1/3]
[Established friendly relations with elves]
[???]
[???]
Along with a very tempting title.
It was a double blessing.
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