Chapter 149: New Wine… No, New Cabbage in a New Sack 3
This is how the incident unfolded.
When the elves of the Great Forest officially made contact with Earth and entered into full-fledged diplomatic relations, many countries sent diplomats to establish official ties with them.
Everything proceeded smoothly up to that point.
Communication was possible, and considering the elves’ vast resources, building a good relationship with them could only benefit humanity on Earth. There was no downside.
Perhaps after the upcoming World Hunter Association meeting, there would be discussions about registering the elves’ Great Forest as a recognized country on Earth. A new nation of elves would then be born.
However, the issue arose with China.
In 2088, China was objectively considered a superpower.
Although Korea had the highest ratio of hunters per population, followed by the United States, China, with a population approaching 2 billion, was the largest nation in terms of both population and the number of awakened individuals and hunters.
China had so many awakened individuals that the government couldn’t even track all the unregistered ones, making it the world’s largest holder of such people.
In the current hunter age, national power was undoubtedly determined by the number of hunters. In addition, China still possessed a considerable amount of conventional weaponry, meaning that despite its internal issues, it was objectively a strong nation.
Given that, it wasn’t strange for a strong country like China to act arrogantly toward the elves of the Great Forest, estimated to number only around 30,000.
For a long time, China had acted without regard for humanity’s basic codes of conduct when dealing with weaker entities, whether they were individuals or nations. It was a natural part of their diplomatic strategy.
And although it’s a tale worth repeating, Shia didn’t have a particularly bad impression of the elves when she visited the Great Forest, as they had been kind to her, thanks to the Saintess of the Dead.
However, elves are elves for a reason.
They weren’t called ‘troublesome ear-folk’ by the dwarves for nothing. In their previous world, elves were practically a ruling class above humans.
Due to their long lifespan, it was natural for them to look down on other races, excluding fellow elves.
They were an extremely proud race, boasting immense pride in being the descendants of the World Tree. Although they expressed it mildly, they were essentially an aristocratic race that avoided outsiders and never bowed their heads.
Could the elves and China have seen each other in a favorable light?
What exactly happened between the elves and the Chinese diplomats was unknown.
Shia could have asked Olgania or her close friend Yujin later, but imagining what transpired wasn’t too difficult.
After the Chinese ambassador’s visit, the elves locked the gates of the Great Forest.
China, for its part, publicly declared that the elves were “vulgar and unrefined, unacceptable as fellow humans.”
As a result, several countries that relied on or were economically dependent on China were forced, whether they liked it or not, to declare a break in relations with the Great Forest. Before the elves could even be recognized as a formal state, they had to declare a break in relations with humanity.
China then prepared for war.
Not in the literal sense.
It was more of a symbolic military show of force, with some legions, including those from Inner Mongolia, and some awakened individuals from the Communist Party preparing to intimidate the elves.
“The People’s Republic of China will not respond in any way to the vulgar, alien intelligences coming from outside this Earth. We will take resolute action using every means at our disposal.”
However, the gate to the Great Forest, which could be used to enter the forest, was perfectly hidden by wind spirits released by the elves. Outsiders couldn’t pinpoint its exact location, and wind spirits led any trespassers back out if they approached the airspace near the Great Forest.
Due to the terrain, launching an invasion was out of the question, and China’s military show of force was merely an attempt to demonstrate their power gap and force the elves to surrender.
China likely believed that by simply demonstrating the power gap, the elves would submit on their own since declaring war on a state not yet recognized was meaningless.
But a week ago, a gate to the Great Forest appeared in China’s Gobi Desert.
It didn’t just appear.
It showed up openly as if saying, “Here I am.” A gate to the Great Forest appeared as a dungeon erosion site in the middle of the Gobi Desert, but the problem was that the aftermath caused nearly 30% of the desert to become a lush forest, spreading like an infection.
It wasn’t just that a few trees grew.
The Gobi Desert, which had been nothing but sand, transformed into a jungle even denser and deeper than the Amazon Rainforest, filled with enormous trees. It became a playground for spirits, and new life forms began to grow in rapid succession.
It was as if a bomb had exploded.
The meaning was clear.
Humans used nuclear and atomic bombs to cause widespread destruction, reducing everything to ashes with fire and flames.
But what about the elves’ bomb?
“What do you think would have happened if we had detonated this in your city?”
The moment Olgania sent a video to the People’s Republic of China, showing her toying with a sphere imbued with the life force of hundreds of thousands of spirits, the Chinese, who had previously looked down on the elves, realized that the situation had been turned upside down.
The Spirit Nuclear Bomb, containing the life force of hundreds of thousands of spirits, leaves from the World Tree, and the elves’ wishes and anger, produced the exact opposite effect of human-made bombs.
Wherever it exploded, lush vegetation, plants, and nature spread, creating life in barren places.
Arid climates became humid, calling forth rainclouds. Forests larger than human megacities grew, and spirits settled there, while insects and small animals arrived to find food.
And what about places where life already existed?
The explosion wiped out all existing life and spread new life in a burst.
Humans became fertilizer, and from the concrete, trees rose, turning massive buildings into towering wooden structures.
Flowers spread pollen, feeding on the flesh and blood of animals. Plants and animals that had never existed on Earth were born, grew, and flourished in a matter of hours, driving home the awe-inspiring power of life and nature.
It only happened once.
The elves’ Spirit Nuclear Bomb wasn’t intended to kill, and it exploded in the middle of the desert, where there were no casualties, but for China, it was like being struck by a bolt from the blue.
Of course, China didn’t simply surrender.
Outwardly, they called for peace and sought a diplomatic solution. However, during that time, Communist Party hunters, under direct orders, were secretly dispatched to the elves’ gate in the Gobi Desert.
Five thousand hunters, ranging from B to A-rank, were sent, but the next day, none returned.
What China had overlooked was that all 30,000 elves were on average A-rank, and that in the forest, the elves were invincible.
Whether the hunters were dead or alive, only the elves and China knew.
In the end, within less than a week, China had no choice but to surrender to the Great Forest.
Of course, being unable to declare war properly and losing to an unrecognized state didn’t sit well with them. They halted their military show of force and stopped mentioning the elves in any diplomatic channels, censoring all elf-related news on the Chinese internet.
The very word “elf” had left a deep scratch on the pride of the People’s Republic of China.
○○○○
Meanwhile, Shia and Menelapie were inside the National Assembly building, thanks to Yeonseo’s ability, to review related documents.
Since the information was still classified and hadn’t been reported by the news, it wasn’t something that could be shown just anywhere.
“Oh my…”
“This is… quite something.”
As they read through the report Yeonseo had given them, both Shia and Menelapie seemed intrigued by the interesting results.
To be honest, Shia didn’t fully understand the report.
She could only gather that Olgania’s Great Forest seemed to have won a confrontation against China.
“The world of Earth is quite amusing. Only 30,000 elves, and they’ve managed to defeat a country with a population in the billions in such a short time.”
“Well… a lot of factors must have come together. Plus, the largest guild in China, San Guild, has been busy clashing with me, so they didn’t have the energy to focus on the elves. Even though China commands its hunters, they likely didn’t have the proper justification to force them into a state-level war.”
“In the end, China had to rely on conventional forces and state-affiliated awakened individuals to face the elves.”
“Oh? Continue.”
“Well, it’s not that profound. I understand that hunters and awakened individuals aren’t necessarily obligated to obey their governments. So, China’s hunters must have thought that fighting the elves would result in more losses than gains. That’s why they wouldn’t risk their lives to face the Great Forest.”
Every war and national crisis required justification.
In the first place, China had attempted a military show of force against an elf organization that wasn’t even recognized as a nation. After being hit by a Spirit Nuclear Bomb and forced to back down, China’s sense of justification had been shattered, and all they had left was a crumbling sense of pride.
“No matter how different the power levels, China seemed to have many complacent officials who thought things would just work out fine without properly understanding the situation. I expect there will be a major political purge once this is resolved. If I were in charge, I’d crush the entire system that selected such incompetent officials and start fresh.”
“It seems you didn’t become Empress for nothing, Menelapie
. You’ve gleaned a lot from a single report.”
At Shia’s words, Menelapie shrugged as if it was no big deal.
‘Ah, I see. I completely understand!’
Shia had a face that showed she didn’t understand at all, but it didn’t matter.
Well… Yeonseo or Menelapie would figure things out anyway.
“So, what do you think, Shia?”
“Uh…”
“It’s fine. You met the elves in the Great Forest before, didn’t you?”
“…Even if you ask what I think. Political matters or big decisions like this aren’t really my thing…”
“Actually, we’ve also sent a diplomat to the elves.”
“Uh… but didn’t the elves seem pretty fed up with humans because of China? If that’s the case, won’t they just cut off all relations and live in isolation like before?”
Yes.
That would’ve been the expected outcome…
“But the problem is, the elves have specifically requested you… Korea… I mean, you.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Why else? I’ve received reports on what you did in the Great Forest. Isn’t that why?”
Let’s see… what did I do in the Great Forest?
I saved two of the World Tree’s last children.
Cured an unknown plague.
And took care of the Chaos Ant camouflaged creatures, including Entamia.
Of course, I did some weird stuff in between, like turning on a broadcast under the guise of a themed visit…
Anyway, looking at it objectively, it wouldn’t be strange for the elves to consider me a benefactor.
“The reason you were called here today is because of that. Even though it’s not in the news yet, the elves’ movements are something we should closely monitor.”
After all, if the elves were to relocate the gate and detonate another Spirit Nuclear Bomb, it wouldn’t just be China that would suffer catastrophic damage.
No one expected the elves to have such an out-of-the-ordinary strategic weapon, far beyond what anyone had imagined.
“Let’s move to another location. I heard the elves are coming here to meet you soon.”
“But since they’re coming outside the Great Forest, doesn’t that seem like a good sign?”
“We might think it’s fine, but other people, like the politicians, don’t know the full context, so they’ll be anxious. Since we have some time, would you like to grab a drink? There’s a pretty nice café upstairs in the National Assembly…”
At that moment, a group of people in suits, including Seoul Mayor Min Baekyung, approached Shia, Yeonseo, and Menelapie.
It was quite an unusual gathering. What could this be about?
“Oh, hello, Yeonseo.”
“You’re the mayor of Seoul, aren’t you? What’s your name again?”
In truth, Yeonseo knew his name was Min Baekyung, but she had no intention of being friendly with him.
Yeonseo generally avoided political involvement, and there was no reason for her to be close with someone who had been elected mayor with a platform favoring civilians over hunters.
“My name is Min Baekyung. We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Right. So what brings you to the National Assembly when you should be working? You weren’t summoned, were you?”
“Ah, it’s not that I have business with you, Yeonseo. Actually, I have some matters to discuss with the young lady behind you.”
What? With Menelapie?
Even Menelapie seemed puzzled, staring at Min Baekyung and the lawmakers with a curious expression.
“It won’t take long. Just a moment of your time.”
“…”
For a brief moment, Yeonseo and Menelapie exchanged glances. Then Menelapie and Shia’s eyes met.
Signaling that it was fine, Menelapie followed Min Baekyung and the lawmakers. Watching this unfold, Yeonseo discreetly activated a surveillance space aimed at Menelapie, just in case something happened.
○○○○
“Weren’t you the one who returned during the erosion dungeon incident in Mapo-gu?”
“That’s right.”
“We happened to obtain some footage from that time. Thanks to that, we saw how incredible your efforts were.”
“Haha, it was amazing! That golden light—bam! It split everything apart…”
As she listened to the lawmakers’ chatter, Menelapie realized one thing.
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to know that Lirisia was still alive.
If they did, they would’ve been asking about the whereabouts of the Witch of the Dark Star instead of offering empty praise.
Responding indifferently to the lawmakers’ comments, Menelapie eventually stopped walking at the words of the man who called himself Seoul Mayor.
“Come to think of it, the Saintess of the Dead from your world…”
Shia. He was talking about Shia.
That was the only reason Menelapie had stopped walking.
“It seems you’re quite close with her, aren’t you?”
“How touching it must have been for her to shed tears.”
“…Ah, just so you know, Shia has never used her powers for anything other than helping others.”
Yes, that’s exactly right.
I know what kind of child she is.
“But… isn’t it a bit selfish of her to use her powers only for herself? A saintess’ power could be used for far greater good, don’t you think?”
Shia, selfish? What kind of nonsense was this?
“What do you mean?”
“She possesses the ability to save countless lives, yet she uses it for something as trivial as a broadcast. Isn’t that a waste?”
“Exactly. Healing powers are rare enough as it is.”
“And perhaps Menelapie hasn’t heard, but the international situation is quite chaotic right now. It could escalate into a situation akin to war, depending on the elves’ actions, with countless lives at stake.”
“Our government wants both you and Shia to cooperate and voluntarily submit your powers to the state.”
“And Menelapie’s cooperation will be crucial in this process.”
Menelapie calmly observed the faces of the people speaking to her.
Ah, I see what this is.
“While we’re trying to keep this conversation civil, please be aware that if we can’t come to an understanding, we may resort to force to detain and investigate you.”
“For the peace of our nation, we ask for your support.”
They spoke politely, but their intentions were clear.
Menelapie, with her golden eyes flashing, smiled a chilling smile as she turned to face them.
“Right… for the nation.”
“Exactly. Sometimes personal freedom must…”
“For the nation that built these grand buildings by extorting money from its citizens.”
“Excuse me? ‘Extorting’? That’s going too far.”
“Haha, Menelapie, you might not be aware, but everything here was funded by legitimate taxes…”
Ignoring their attempt to lecture her, Menelapie smiled like the sun.
“I was once an Empress. I ruled over and cared for lands many times the size of this small country.”
“In that case, you should understand even better why we…”
Boom!
“Guh!?”
“Kuh…!”
“Urgh…!”
At that moment, Menelapie’s golden eyes gleamed.
“And yet, you dare to invoke the people against me?”
The level of murderous intent and aura she released now was incomparable to when she had merely punished some miscreants during Shia’s broadcast.
Back then, it had been a joke—a mere lesson. But the aura she emitted now was capable of killing.
“And furthermore…”
“S-security! Someone stop this woman…!”
“Guh…!”
Even the hunters standing guard couldn’t resist.
They, too, collapsed to their knees, trembling like civilians, as if suffocating from the sheer weight of Menelapie’s presence.
“You know what’s truly ridiculous? Trying to intimidate me, I can understand that. You don’t know who I really am, so you assume I’m just an ordinary returnee. I can understand that much, pitiful though it may be.”
Menelapie grabbed one of the kneeling lawmakers by the collar and tilted her head slightly.
“But I never imagined you were this foolish… and this filthy.”
“F-filthy? This isn’t your previous world, Menelapie! You should mind your…”
“Shut your filthy mouth.”
Thud!
Again.
Her golden eyes.
Each time her golden pupils flashed, everyone in the room fell silent.
It wasn’t just the lawmakers.
Even the awakened bodyguards hired to protect them couldn’t move a muscle.
“How dare a dog like you speak while I am speaking?”
Power is barbaric and primal.
But you were the ones who tried to use power to suppress me.
So… I, too, will behave barbarically today.
“I may not be an empress here. I have nothing to gain, nothing to enjoy.”
“Kuh, ugh…!”
“But I do have something precious.”
I declare here.
Yes, just as you said, Shia is my weakness.
She is my precious one, my Achilles’ heel, my cherished finger.
“I live for the girl you belittle as the Saintess of the Dead. I will only do what makes her happy, and I will avoid anything that makes her sad.”
So do as you please.
“I will never stand by and let her be hurt.”
I will return every blow.
No, you won’t even touch her.
“I will continue to live selfishly, and if necessary, I’m more than willing to act barbarically for her.”
Menelapie smiled.
Benevolent, yet cruel.
Arrogant, yet unchallenged, Menelapie spoke, but no one dared to oppose her.
No, they couldn’t even meet her eyes.
Each time her golden eyes gleamed, the pain squeezing their hearts made them forget to breathe.
“I don’t care
if you insignificant creatures are devoured by a neighboring country, swallowed by some calamity, or corrupted beyond recognition.”
Yes. I don’t care.
You are not the people of the empire I swore to protect.
“In fact, I’m tempted to crush you myself. However…”
“H-hngh…!”
“Huff, huff…”
Menelapie closed her eyes, concealing her golden pupils beneath her elegant eyelashes. Only then did the lawmakers and hunters gasp for air.
“The only reason I haven’t drawn my sword here today is because of my precious friend, who loves this land, you, and humanity. The one who even wants to spare filth like you is Shia.”
“……….”
“So don’t provoke me any further. An empress doesn’t warn twice.”
“…Kuh…”
“Do you have anything else to say?”
There were some who still glared at Menelapie, full of frustration, but none dared speak when her golden eyes flashed again.
Feeling she had wasted enough time, Menelapie walked away without looking back, her heels clicking as she headed to the room where Shia was waiting.
○○○
Yeonseo, who had been prepared to crush those detestable fools if necessary, watched Menelapie with satisfaction, realizing she wouldn’t need to intervene after all.
She restored the shattered space and sat back in her chair.
“Shia.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve made a good friend.”
“Hehe, hehehe…”
Next to her, Shia had also been watching the entire scene. Hearing Yeonseo’s praise, Shia beamed with a dopey grin, as if she herself had been complimented.
“Hehehehehe, as expected, my hero.”