In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 343

Chapter 343: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Village Chief

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Leaving the confused peasants to Bishop Fiorenza, we decided to negotiate directly with the village chief. We had a room prepared by the priest, the administrator of the church, and finally managed to catch our breath. By the way, the priest looked just as busy as the village chief. The whole village was in a state of complete frenzy, honestly…

“……And that is how we came to accept the elves and the ant-men into the Liseben territory.”

In a small reception room in a corner of the church, I explained the course of events to the village chief. Of course, it wasn’t a completely accurate explanation. If I told the facts exactly as they were, there would be parts that would be hard to accept. It was a reinterpretation of the facts to suit our convenience, based on Lady Dalaiya’s “good elf/bad elf” theory.

“Well, that sounds like a real hardship.”

After taking a sip of herbal tea, the village chief groaned with a troubled expression. Well, I suppose so. To them until now, elves were like vicious pests. Even if they were suddenly told “there are good elves too,” there was no way they could be convinced. It was even more so if those people were to move into the territory.

“No matter how you put it, in short, it means we have to feed those people the wheat we grew, doesn’t it? It’s quite unreasonable to have bandits like them settle in and then demand a meal on top of it.”

The village chief glared at Lady Dalaiya. Since it was a private room, the old hag had taken off her hood, revealing her pointed ears. This fake little girl was far better at this kind of negotiation than I was, so I had entrusted her with the role of persuader as the representative of the elves.

“I understand what you wish to say.”

Shrugging her shoulders, the old hag let out a sigh. It was a fact that the elven tribes had committed outrages against the settlers of Liseben. Now that they were asking for help, it was only natural that it would be hard to accept.

However, originally, Liseben was the land of Elfenia. From their perspective, the Liseben villagers could be seen as invaders who had snatched away their land. The image was close to the relationship between white settlers and Native Americans. Naturally, the elves would have things they’d want to say in return.

But if the elves were to act like victims here, there was no way the Liseben villagers’ attitudes would soften. The veteran Dalaiya seemed to understand that perfectly. She didn’t let out a single word suggesting that the people of Liseben were also in the wrong.

“However, looking at the future, this is a matter that also benefits you. If our Elfenia is annexed into Liseben, you will be able to bind the elves by your laws. Furthermore, if the settlements are also brought under management… The damage from elven bandits will likely decrease significantly.”

“You aren’t saying that banditry by elves will be eradicated, then.”

“Do bandits not exist among Dragonewts or Beastmen? That is likely not the case. Scoundrels exist regardless of race, after all…”

What a nuisance, really. While saying that, Lady Dalaiya finished her herbal tea. She then held out her empty cup to the apprentice deacon serving us and requested a refill.

“……It’s quite vicious of you to say such things while lining up a massive number of soldiers outside. Even if ten thousand is a joke, there are over a thousand of them, right? If we refuse your proposal, won’t they attack us?”

With a distrustful expression, the village chief groaned while sending a gaze my way. Her face seemed to say: “Haven’t you actually been defeated by the elves and become their puppet?”.

……Well, it was not far from the truth. If the elves chose to unite and fight us, we would have absolutely no chance of winning. It was precisely because of that difference in military power that we couldn’t take overly harsh measures against them. The reason I was able to hold the initiative was solely thanks to the goodwill of the elves.

“Do not misunderstand. Most of those people are farmers. ……Well, that is only natural. A society cannot function with only warriors.”

“I heard they are armed.”

“Do you Liseben farmers not arm yourselves as well? The ‘self-defense force,’ was it? ……Armed peasant soldiers are of little use in actual war. You likely understand that best yourselves, do you not?”

Wow, this old hag has started using some incredible sophistry. Her chest is thin, but her skin is as thick as the front armor of a main battle tank. 

It was true that elven warriors were semi-soldier, semi-farmer types who held a hoe in peacetime and a bow and sword in emergencies. True, they could be classified as farmers, but…

“How many of your self-defense force members would it take to defeat a single knight? Thinking on that, I believe a thousand or two elven farmers are nothing to be feared.”

Unfortunately, the training level of the Elfenian peasant soldiers was at a level comparable to our Galean knights. Galean knights would have the advantage on flat ground, but in forest combat, they would likely be overwhelmed. Since there were over a thousand of them, if we had to fight them head-on, it’d turn into a hopeless battle for us. 

Even though Lady Dalaiya must understand that, she still spoke this way. It was likely a strategy to lower the perceived threat level and clear the village chief’s suspicions. Her methods were completely those of a swindler.

“No, having that many starving farmers is normally a threat…”

I complained while looking at her with half-closed eyes. However, it would also be a problem for me if the elven threat were exaggerated too much. If the “elven threat theory” became too strong among the villagers, a fight with the elves would eventually become unavoidable. They weren’t so weak that they could be easily annihilated, but they didn’t have the power to plot a reversal of the master-servant relationship. 

A threat level where the masses understand that balance is the most ideal.

“That said, I don’t want to start a useless war either. If they are willing to submit to me, there is no need to provoke them.”

“If it comes to war, the farmland will inevitably become the battlefield. It is certainly the time for wheat-treading, but you would all wish to avoid doing that with military boots, wouldn’t you?”

Gilberto gave me covering fire at my words. Hearing the words “wheat-treading,” the village chief grimaced significantly. Even if her true feelings were something like “kill all the elves,” it would be extremely troublesome to have that carried out around her own village. If things went poorly, the winter wheat fields where seeds had just been sown could be wiped out.

“I have no intention of feeding a bunch of gluttonous, troublesome daughters forever either. In the future, I intend to have them split into several groups to create pioneer villages and become self-sufficient… but at least for the time being, if we don’t look after them, we ourselves will be in trouble.”

After tapping the surface of the cheap table a few times with my finger, I looked at the village chief.

“This is a golden opportunity to transform the elves from barbarians into civilized people. If it goes well, we won’t have to worry about barbarian countermeasures anymore. I’m sorry, but I need you all to lend a hand.”

“But, even if you say that… We don’t exactly have much leeway in our own lives.”

The village chief groaned with a difficult expression. In fact, the Liseben villagers were also suffering from food shortages. Even if they weren’t as starving as the elves, they had no leeway at all. I could understand the village chief’s feeling of not wanting to share food with barbarians.

“Because of the fire tactics of the scoundrels, our village was completely burned down. If we try to live by our own strength alone, we would have no choice but to resort to looting. However, we elven tribes are a peace-loving race. We do not wish to do such things…!”

Directed at the troubled village chief, Lady Dalaiya piled up a pack of lies. She then stood up from her chair and prostrated herself on the floor.

“Village chief of the Dragonewts, could you not grant us mercy and a chance to start over…! I beg of you…!”

It was a compelling performance. The one who burned down Runga City was probably Fezaria, who was technically on our side! 

She’s distorting the facts to her advantage…

“Mu, muu…”

However, the village chief, knowing nothing of this, only groaned with a troubled face. Within her, conscience and suspicion were likely fighting each other. Certainly, the current Lady Dalaiya looked like nothing more than a pitiful young girl burned out of her village by the fires of war. Anyone with a conscience would feel like reaching out to help.

This damn old hag is truly vicious. 

Although a split in the “New” was unavoidable eventually due to it being an organization of reluctant allies, the fact that they split at that timing was definitely due to your schemes.

“However, I have a duty to protect this village…! To be blunt, you elves cannot be trusted. I cannot reach out to someone who might harm the villagers.”

The village chief said that with a difficult expression. 

Well, that makes sense. 

If it were a harmless neighbor, she could have lent a hand with a good heart, but unfortunately, elves were known harmful neighbors to the extreme. Even if asked for help, she couldn’t nod so easily.

“Village chief.”

There, Lenael, who had been waiting behind, spoke up. While glaring at Lady Dalaiya with a gaze as if looking at something incredibly suspicious, she continued her words.

“Certainly, the elves are a bunch of good-for-nothings. They’re barbaric, and violent…”

It was a sudden insult, but Lady Dalaiya nodded repeatedly as if to say, “Yes, yes, I understand”. 

You’re one of those elves too!

“However… They are not just outlaws. I shared the battlefield with them. There, they were proud warriors who did not hesitate to throw away their own lives to protect the weak.”

“……”

“At the very least, it seems they are not wolves with no conscience at all. That is why, um… I thought it might be alright to lend them a bit of a hand.”

“Muu.”

At the unexpected remark from the hunter fox, the village chief pressed her lips together.

“……You, who almost lost your younger brother at the hands of the elves, say such a thing?”

“The facts are the facts. On the battlefield, I was saved many times by the elves. It feels unpleasant if I don’t at least return that much of a debt… so.”

“……I see.”

With a difficult face, the village chief thought for a while. Her gaze wandered back and forth between Lenael, Lady Dalaiya, and me. After being silent for a full five minutes, she finally spoke.

“……Well, I suppose I can at least listen to what you have to say. Now, what kind of assistance do you require?”

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