Chapter 224: The Loli Hag Elf and the Tragedy at the Elder Council

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I, Lind Dalaiya, was in despair.

“Y-You mean that’s true? When you attacked the ‘Legitimate’ settlement, the Liseben forces were there… And not only that, Blondin-dono himself was present, and you even turned your blades on them as well?”

“It is the truth.”

At the nod from the crow messenger soldier, I nearly clutched my head in agony. What kind of madness was this?! They were trying to cut the very lifeline we had finally managed to grasp!? I almost shouted in rage, but I somehow restrained myself, taking deep breaths again and again.

I must not lose my temper. Stay calm. Calm, no matter what…

For now, I looked around to gauge the reactions of the others. This was our settlement’s meeting hall, officially referred to as the Elder Council. In truth, it looked no different from any other house. We simply did not have the luxury, in our current state, to erect grand buildings just for appearances…

Yet crude as the building was, those gathered within were all key figures of Elfenia, elders and clan chiefs alike. In effect, Elfenia was governed by consensus through this Elder Council.

“This has turned into quite a troublesome matter.”

“When an elf warrior runs into a man on the battlefield, it’s only natural she’d attack without thinking twice. Blondin-dono shouldn’t have been in such a place to begin with.”

“But then why were the Liseben forces there at all? Don’t tell me they were planning to support those rebels?”

The elders and clan chiefs voiced their opinions freely, each speaking as they pleased. Some were flustered, others furious. Amid them all, one elf alone remained composed. It was Vanka Orisis, one of the elders.

“So, was Blondin-dono unharmed? That is what matters most.”

Vanka’s speech carried no trace of the typical elf accent. Nor did it sound archaic like my own. It was entirely modern, modeled after the speech of the Kingdom of Galea. That was not the only thing unusual about her. Elves normally ceased growing or aging by their early twenties at the latest… Yet her apparent age looked to be around thirty by human standards.

That was because she had borne children. Vanka was one of Elfenia’s oldest elders, the same generation as myself. About ten years ago, she had taken in a man abducted from Liseben territory and married him. Their relationship had been affectionate, to the point that even her manner of speech had gradually shifted to Galean style.

“He didn’t have so much as a scratch. Blondin-dono fought like a demon god and drove our warriors back, or so it seems.”

“Hmph…”

Vanka crossed her arms and let out a displeased breath.

“To be defeated by a man… What a pathetic lot. …But that hardly matters. What became of the rebels? Were they properly dealt with?”

“No… The offensive failed. With assistance from Blondin-dono and the Liseben forces, we suffered heavy losses. Most of the dispatched unit was killed, and only about ten managed to return.”

“What an outrage! Punish those who returned severely! Worthless wretches who can’t even fight properly…!”

Vanka spat the words out with open contempt. I felt sick to my stomach. She had not been this kind of woman in the past. But five years earlier, after losing both her husband and daughter to an attack by the ‘Legitimate,’ she had changed.

By elven tradition, those who married normally retired from all public offices. Yet Vanka, driven mad by grief and revenge after losing her husband, broke that custom and returned to the council as an elder, brandishing increasingly radical opinions. Now, she had effectively become a leader among those with dangerous ideologies.

“Wait, wait just a moment! I never heard anything about attacking an ‘Legitimate’ settlement! Who gave that order!?”

“I did.”

One of the clan chiefs raised his hand. Though called a clan chief, she was extremely young, though that was hard to tell at a glance with elves. That was only natural. She had been born after the eruption of Mount Rana. In earlier times, she would have been dismissed as a mere greenhorn, hardly more than half-grown. Modern Elfenia was composed almost entirely of people like her, the very young and the very old. Those of prime age had perished in civil war and famine.

No wonder we’re on the brink of national collapse…

It might not be right for an old woman like me to throw her weight around, but the youngsters were no better. They had grown up watching Elfenia fall apart. As a result, an extremely dangerous mindset had taken root in them, something akin to “the way of the elf is to seek death itself”…

“If the Liseben forces and the rebels formed an alliance, that’d be bad. I figured it was better to smash them before any talks were finalized. Weeds ought to be pulled while they’re still buds.”

“That would only make things worse! The enemy of our enemy becomes our ally, this could drive the rebels straight into an alliance with them!!”

Clutching my stomach, I shouted. It felt like my gut was about to tear itself open.

Is everyone in this country an idiot…!?

“So how many warriors did you send?”

“About fifty, counting the crows.”

Fifty!? You sent fifty and only ten came back!? Did this fool even understand Elfenia’s current population!? At this rate, we’d be completely extinct in no time!!

“Your zeal to annihilate the rebels is commendable.”

Vanka said this in a calm voice.

No it isn’t commendable at all!!

Yes, the ‘Legitimate’ were troublesome, but they weren’t fighting because they wanted to. If they were supplied with sufficient food, the frequency of conflict would naturally decline. There was no need for reckless assaults or forced annihilation.

More than anything, it was unthinkable that this foolish young clan chief could mobilize troops without the knowledge of me, the empress—at least in name. In truth, wasn’t Vanka the one pulling the strings…? Within the ranks of the New Elfenia Empire, she was the only one capable of maneuvering behind my back…

“But the fact remains that the operation failed and we lost many precious warriors. Take responsibility and cut open your belly.”

“……”

At Vanka’s words, the young clan chief’s face went pale. Before she could protest, another clan chief stood and spoke up.

“We also need an excuse for the Liseben forces. If negotiations are broken off, we’ll be in serious trouble. If we offer up the responsible party’s head, they’ll likely accept it. Then we can call it settled, can’t we?”

“Yes, exactly!”

“Seppuku!”

Others joined in, shouting their agreement. My stomach screamed in protest.

Why are these people so eager to kill and be killed!? This is exactly why we’re on the brink of extinction! Don’t they understand that!?

“Fine! If that’s what you want, I’ll do it!”

The young clan chief’s face flushed red as she drew a mountain blade from her waist. She sat cross-legged and drove the blade into her own abdomen. Bright red blood burst from the wound, splattering the council tables and the floor.

“I shall perform the beheading!”

Another young clan chief leapt forward and struck off the woman’s head with a wooden sword. Even so, she was still an elven warrior. The cut was clean, severing the neck in a single blow. As the head rolled across the floor, applause erupted around the room.

“A magnificent end!”

“May she rest in peace.”

I can’t take this anymore… These barbaric people… I want to defect to Liseben… No, no, I can’t…

I had seized the imperial throne at the cost of much bloodshed. I couldn’t abandon that responsibility now. I had known it was a losing gamble when I staged the coup, but knowing that didn’t make it any less painful.

Ah… My stomach felt like it was melting away…

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