57 – 57. Chief Elder
“You’ve suffered a loss in the year 658.”
It was the first thought that came to Ariel, the white-haired elf’s mind as she took a step forward.
It had only been a day since she had first encountered heroin.
The incident had been sparked by the elves who followed the warrior Marcela, rushing in to expose their leader’s flaw.
“Marcela intends to monopolize the heroin given to us as a token of friendship. Have the courage to stand up against Marcela and offer it to the elders,” they had said.
At first, Ariel didn’t think much of it.
It was just a gift from a mere human. What did it matter who possessed it?
If they had wanted to have the human’s possession, they would have taken it long ago.
It had been the same when the Empire first pushed into the Great Forest. The humans had brought money, jewels, alcohol, and crafts, saying they would only create two logging camps in the outskirts where the elves didn’t live.
But Ariel and the other elders had rejected them with a smirk. As a result, a conflict with the Empire had ensued.
She thought heroin would be the same.
The young ones were so fond of it, pretending they couldn’t resist the temptation and taking a sip from their mouths a few times.
From Noble mtl dot com
That smoke had bestowed favor upon Ariel, the high elder.
Of course, the World Tree, the mother of all worlds, bestowed her grace every day. But since the World Tree was something she encountered in her everyday life, she honestly felt indifferent most of the time. It was a forbidden thing to say, but after hundreds of years of only looking at the World Tree, she couldn’t help it.
“Heroin is different. It’s similar in warmth.”
It was unjust that she had lived all this time without knowing this distant pleasure. It was because there wasn’t much time left to enjoy it.
At most, a hundred years? A hundred and twenty years? She may look young, but she was already an elf in her twilight years.
Why did humans only create this wonderful thing now?
If they had made it beforehand, about 600 years ago, and spread it, there wouldn’t be any reason to feel unjust like this. The passing years were now especially bitter and frustrating.
But is there anything that can be done?
“From now on, I have to work hard.”
As Ariel muttered to herself, the elders nodded their heads in agreement. The elder, who had surpassed the age of 700, had an especially earnest expression.
However, there was an elf who disrupted this pleasant atmosphere.
“No heroin, no heroin, absolutely no heroin.”
The green-haired elf stood still in front of the entrance, muttering to himself.
It was Marcela, the greatest warrior of the Great Forest.
Until now, she had been given unconventional treatment beyond her young age, considering her contributions… but now, she simply didn’t want to see her anymore.
How dare the elf try to monopolize heroin.
If Marcela’s subordinates hadn’t shown courage?
“She probably would have taken heroin by herself by now. I wonder what she thinks she has achieved.”
Ariella decided to ignore Marcela, as she wasn’t even worth being chased away. She believed that if Ariella had any sense of shame, she would just disappear.
However, Marcela still seemed unable to let go of her attachment.
“Elder…!”
Marcela approached with wide-open eyes. If she wanted to make a scene, there was no choice but to deal with her. She could only respond.
“What is it, heroin?”
“What did you say?”
“Oh… not heroin, Marcela. Yes, Marcela.”
“I saw what you wanted to convey through your actions, Elder. …I didn’t know at first, but that heroin… sigh, what should I say. It has its shadows. When you smoke it, the ability to control oneself disappears.”
“You have quite a way with words.”
Just because I mispronounced her name, what? The ability to control oneself disappears?
Ariella made an impression, but Marcela, instead of being intimidated, raised her voice in frustration.
“You shouldn’t use heroin…! It’s poison!”
“Right. You must have informed your subordinates to say that. I already know what your true intentions are, so stop lying.”
“It’s not a lie…!”
Marcela, feeling frustrated, criticized the elders who were peacefully enjoying heroin, the elders who had contributed to protecting the world tree for many years.
“Great Elder, if you have eyes, look at that sight.”
“What a sight.”
“They don’t even realize how embarrassing and recklessly they are spreading themselves out, indulging only in heroin… It might feel good now, but soon it will become poison.”
Upon hearing this, Ariella let out a hollow laugh.
So that’s it. She tried to take everything for herself while making up a convenient excuse, but it seems to have backfired.
Marcela was an elf who was easily swept away by emotions and had many desires, like a human. Of course, heroin was alluring enough to justify it.
“Marcela, considering your previous contributions, I forgive you.”
“Forgiveness, you say.”
“We’ll consider this incident nonexistent, so just step back… Rest. Or you can take a hit right here. We have no intention of monopolizing heroin like you do. Your subordinate, Lurde, is very good at measuring… Very good.”
“Ha…!”
Despite being lenient because of her previous efforts, Marcela didn’t seem grateful at all. Instead, she looked at me as if I were pitiful.
She even covered her nose and mouth with her hand, as if she refused to inhale the smoke.
However, Marcela didn’t just spout nonsense.
“That’s fine. Great Elder. Then what do you think should happen when the human-supplied heroin runs out?”
“What?”
“If you continue to indulge in this way, it won’t even take two weeks… no, it will only be a matter of ten days before trouble arises. And after that, they will start wondering what to do with us. By the way, the knight and diplomat who despise us are the ones who created heroin.”
“……!”
“Have you considered this point, Great Elder?”
Ariella’s relaxed expression quickly hardened.
Come to think of it, the heroin given to humans was only 30 grams.
More than thirty elders, duty-bound elves, and even young warriors without qualifications (like Marcela, who pushed her way in) had already consumed 28 grams.
Perhaps even 27 grams.
At this rate, it was obvious that they would run out in less than a week. If more people started seeking heroin, it would run out even faster.
“I didn’t consider that.”
“I’m glad you realize it now. It’s not too late.”
Marcela sighed and began to propose stopping the consumption immediately and disposing of the remaining supply. It would be extremely difficult to quit for a few days, but she assured them that it would gradually get better afterwards.
However, Great Elder Ariella had no intention of accepting this request.
“It’s true that the supply is running low.”
But if it’s running low, can’t they just acquire more?
If limiting heroin use by bloodline and age was a solution, then it was a solution.
They could monopolize it among the elders and have enough supply for almost a month. However, that seemed too short-sighted and would likely only cause discord.
Negotiating with humans to obtain more heroin and creating an environment where they could freely indulge without worrying about depletion.
That was the appropriate choice for the leader of the Great Forest. It was also a thought that never occurred to the combat-savvy Marcela.
“Don’t worry, Marcela. I will try to acquire more heroin soon.”
Ariella declared confidently.
Even in their drunken state, the elders who were subtly watching this way with tense expressions had a flush on their faces. There was even one elder humming heroin, humming with a sob. It was as certain as everyone liking it.
‘Is this politics?’
The Grand Elder, in a self-congratulatory manner, filled his pipe with heroin again.
This was already the fourth smoking session.
“Please, stop.”
Marcella reached out with a contorted face, but Ariella simply ignored her and magically lit the fire. The words of the young warrior who tried to deceive the elders were not worth listening to. Above all, heroin was too delicious.
Soon, everyone except Marcella started a happy time.
**
I knew the backlash would come soon.
But I didn’t expect it to be this fast. I gifted heroin, and it’s been only a week.
“President Allan. There is a communication request from Medelin. What would you like to do?”
The subordinate executive, directly under the Grand Elder, said that communication had been requested.
Is there a need for discussion to actively pursue the matters agreed upon in the peace negotiations?
Sounds plausible, but when Marcella came, there was no specific agreement. I just gave them a cup of lemon tea and some gifts and sent them away. Showing a brusque attitude to them was an added bonus on purpose.
‘In the end, they are looking for me because of heroin.’
It seemed that heroin had already infiltrated even the Elven leadership.
Did Marcella and her group willingly offer heroin to the elders as I instructed? Or did the elders who tasted heroin by chance just crave it?
Either way, it was a welcome development from my perspective.
But I couldn’t immediately engage in communication with them.
“Tell them I decline.”
“Refusal, you say?”
“It’s not just a simple refusal. I intend to leave soon to return to my jurisdiction. I’m not in a situation to discuss anything further. If another envoy is dispatched, you can try again then.”
“Understood.”
It was a trick to provoke the other side.
As an executive under the Grand Elder, I could be considered a high-ranking official. However, I had no intention of negotiating with an elf who simply followed someone else’s orders.
The response came immediately.
“Director Allen, this time an elder requests communication. He emphasized that he is from the Olivart clan and is over 600 years old.”
Somehow, the elder who boasted about his age came forward, but I refused this as well. It was becoming more and more urgent, but there was no reason to comply.
About an hour later…
Finally, the elder stepped forward. It was worth considering for at least an hour.
As soon as I connected with the elder, I politely informed him.
“I am envoy Allen Maydoff, dispatched under the command of the royal family. Before we proceed with the discussion, there is one thing I would like to request from the leader of the Great Forest… If you have any intention to mention heroin, I kindly ask you to exclude it from the agenda.”
From Noble mtl dot com
It was a remark thrown to test the waters.
There was a moment of silence, but it quickly shattered into a sense of futility.
“Human. I understand your concerns, but I also want to discuss heroin.”
They were already spoiled, these people.
I could sense that soon there would be fruitful results.