44 – A Smart Madman
“No matter how druid you are, that seems to be difficult.”
“I think so too. It will only repeat the tragedy of the past.”
I canceled the thought I had a moment ago.
As the formal conversation with the elders began, the first button of the plan was shattered in an instant.
Although they did not raise their voices, as befitting the dignified beastmen of the Blue Moon City who valued propriety, their quiet words conveyed a heavy rejection.
As expected, the elders wanted to preserve the tradition.
It was a bitter feeling, as it seemed to be a rather troublesome fight.
‘It won’t be easy.’
But I didn’t run into any difficulties.
I had anticipated that the elders of the Blue Moon City would oppose the abolition of the tradition, after seeing Kaia’s stubbornness.
The upper stream must be clear for the lower stream to be clear, right?
Kaia valued the tradition so much, there was no reason for the elders to be different.
If the other side confronted me with stubbornness, I just had to deal with them flexibly.
I sat on a soft cushion and listened carefully to the elders’ conversation.
“Blue Moon City is a city built on tradition, is it not? I’m worried that the foundation of the city might collapse.”
“There is also a possibility of a competitive structure between carnivores and herbivores. If that happens, we will have planted the seeds of discord with our own hands.”
“More than anything, we can’t handle the bloodlust of the carnivorous beastmen. It may be fine for now, but someday a bloodbath will occur.”
The elders’ opposition had reasonable grounds.
They had watched over the Blue Moon City for hundreds of years, and they were the generation that had experienced the bloodshed in the past, so their persuasiveness was high.
They probably feared that the relationship between people would be shaken by a hasty decision.
I understood their position well enough, so I just listened quietly.
“I’m not comfortable with it, but I think it’s better to ask for assistance from the Armet Kingdom.”
“Druid, can you understand our situation?”
That’s how my plan was completely denied without a word.
It was a situation that could have provoked resentment, but I was able to stay calm thanks to the elders’ courteous attitude.
But I wasn’t feeling very pleasant.
I didn’t like the plan that was suggested as a second-best option.
I lifted my head and opened my mouth with a polite attitude.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to borrow the hand of the human kingdom. It’s uncertain and it could cause unnecessary conflict.”
“Hmm. It seems less risky than deploying the herbivorous beastmen to the battle…”
“We can’t expect the help of humans every year. We have to find a way to survive the winter on our own.”
I wanted to respect and follow the elders’ opinions as well.
But Cheongcheongyeongwol didn’t have any room for that, and I didn’t want to accept the help of the Armet Kingdom either.
Why bring in the human power when there’s a possibility of solving it on our own?
So my plan didn’t change.
I mobilized the herbivorous beastmen to bring out the hidden power of Cheongcheongyeongwol.
I was thinking of using them as a reserve force, only in emergencies, so the rampage problem of the carnivorous beastmen wasn’t an obstacle either.
“Hmm…”
But if I ignored the elders’ words, the whole city would turn their backs on me.
I thought it would be better to step back and gradually approach them.
I pretended to be lost in thought for a moment and opened my mouth.
“Then I’ll only use the herbivorous beastmen for corpse disposal. It won’t be a problem if they don’t participate in the battle and only do the cleanup.”
“Harvesting work is also very helpful for the warriors’ training.”
“It’s a waste when there’s no time to educate them. The warriors had a hard time last night because of the harvesting work. I think it would be helpful if the herbivores stepped up. They could ease the burden of the warriors.”
“Hmm….”
I will only mobilize the herbivores for harvesting work, not for combat.
The elders started to exchange opinions on my proposal, which was a step back from me.
I thought they would ask for the opinion of the warrior chief, since it was related to combat, but the elders didn’t ask a single question to Kaar, who was in front of them.
They all seemed to be familiar with the battlefield, probably because they had been quite active in their youth.
“It doesn’t seem to violate the tradition for sure.”
“Do you think it would be a meaningful help?”
“Wouldn’t the warriors feel less pressure if they could focus on combat only?”
I smiled faintly as I listened to the elders’ conversation.
The grandmother who accepted it well, the grandfather who showed concern. The elders’ reactions were different, but no one doubted my intention.
With this atmosphere, I could expect a good result.
It felt like I had finally buttoned up the first button that had been smashed.
“I see. Let’s do as the druid wishes.”
The final outcome was a satisfying permission.
I swallowed my cheer and thanked the elders.
“Thank you. I will do my best.”
“We should thank you. It seems like you’re having a hard time because of the worries of the old folks.”
“It’s something I have to do as a druid. You don’t have to feel burdened.”
“hehehe. You make me feel relieved when you say that.”
The elders still smiled gently with a refined attitude.
I bowed my head lightly and politely ended the interview.
“Then I’ll get up now. I have to move quickly for the plan.”
“That’s right. We’ll give you the position of the general manager, so do your best.”
“It’s an honor.”
I picked up Pii and got up from my seat.
Then Kaia, who was sitting next to me, greeted me and followed me.
One of the elders chuckled and said maliciously.
“Ho ho. The general manager’s husband’s seat is also vacant, so why don’t you try it?”
“Ah, elder!”
Pii and I laughed at Kaia’s reaction.
Then I went down from the pavilion and looked around the lake of veins.
There was a small island floating on the clear and vast lake.
I heard that there was a temple of the wild god, Mahesar, in the middle of that island.
The blue mana god who blessed the chainsaw.
When this is over, I’ll have to visit Mahesar’s temple.
I decided to do so and walked briskly toward the huge gate.
“Hmm! You, you don’t flinch even after hearing such a joke.”
As I walked, Kaia caught up with me and coughed and said.
I snickered at Kaia’s flushed face.
“It’s more surprising that you’re embarrassed by every little thing.”
“Ugh!”
Kaa turned his gaze away and hugged his tail tightly.
Judging by the way the tip of his tail twitched, it seemed like a measure to prevent his tail from wagging wildly.
It would be great to be able to touch his fluffy tail as much as I wanted.
I shot a jealous look at Kaa, who was sulking with me.
Then Kaa hid his tail from us and opened his mouth.
“Well, it’s a pity. The plan to mobilize the herbivorous beastmen for battle failed.”
“Yeah. It went a bit sideways.”
“I’ll apologize on their behalf. The elders’ stubbornness is all for the sake of Cheongcheongyeongwol. I hope you can understand them generously.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to apologize. I expected this to happen from the start.”
Kaa thought my plan had failed, but in reality it was not.
That was because the elders’ opposition was also included in the plan.
I smiled confidently and slowly laid out the plan I had set up.
“If you make an absurd request and get rejected, the other party tends to be more generous with the small favors that follow.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
“It would have been great if I got permission at once, but the first plan was meant to be rejected in the first place. It was a stepping stone to get approval for the next plan.”
This was a small speech skill I learned from socializing.
Of course, this was the first time I used it. I was usually the one who granted favors.
“Then did you achieve your goal?”
“Yeah. My real goal was ‘to make the herbivore beastmen move at my discretion’.”
I was entrusted with the task of dealing with the herbivore beastmen, and I even managed to obtain the position of warlord.
During the meeting with the elders, I had achieved most of what I wanted.
So I could say that the plan was a success.
But maybe it was because my explanation was a bit messy?
The bird that was sitting on my arm tilted its head and asked me.
From Noble mtl dot com
[What are you going to do with the herbivore beastmen by mobilizing them for the harvesting work? You couldn’t abolish the tradition, so they won’t be of any help in the battle.]
The bird’s question was very natural.
Instead of answering, I smiled and asked Kaa.
“Kaa. How likely is it to encounter monsters or beasts while doing the harvesting work?”
“Well, the smell of blood would have spread, so it would be quite high… Huh! Don’t tell me?!”
Kaa gasped as if he had figured out my plan in an instant.
I raised the corners of my mouth even higher and revealed the truth of my plan.
“Forgiveness is easier than permission.”
If they did the harvesting work, they would inevitably be exposed to combat, whether they liked it or not.
And to survive, they would have to fight in situations where they had no choice.
“So, I’m going to make the herbivore beastmen into warriors first.”
Act first, report later.
My plan was to do it first and see what happens.
[You’re a smart madman.]
Praise flowed from Pii’s mouth.