Volume 5, Chapter 24 – Countermeasures and Marriage

After the roar, the deathly silent room was left with only the heavy breathing of Woz the Priest. Radric opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a single word.

If they really leave like this, this incident will surely become a lifelong regret for Tilulu. Fia, watching silently from the side, sighed inwardly. Although Tilulu had plenty of regrets—countless people had died to protect her, and she had seen much of it—from the joy she showed when telling Fia about Zahr in the carriage, it was clear he held a special meaning to her. This would become one of the most difficult knots in her heart to untie.

But then again, to maintain such innocence, as if she had grown up in a normal environment, amidst all the pursuit and revenge, was truly strange. The normal reaction should have been like Nola’s, single-mindedly striving for revenge. Even if her personality was crude, she shouldn’t have been so quick to trust others. The heavy pressures of life could make a person adapt to their environment quickly. Tilulu’s innocence didn’t match her circumstances.

It was probably Radric’s presence that had hindered her growth. He had given her too much protection, causing her to rely on him excessively. So, although Tilulu knew right from wrong, she lacked the courage to change the people around her.

That being said, she should still observe her more.

As for now, it was up to her, an outsider, to remind the enraged Snake-folk priest. Although it was unclear how much of what he said was credible—there was a possibility that he had killed his brother to seize power—one thing was certain: if they just left, the Snake-folk would be exposed to the danger of being annihilated by the Royalist faction. Once the tribe was truly destroyed, it would be extremely difficult for Tilulu to gain the support of other tribes.

There was another important matter. By staying here, Chazo’s army would come to them. Although she didn’t know if the “army” Woz mentioned was all of his soldiers or just a part of them drawn from the front lines, defeating them would only be beneficial to Silvar. As a princess, she should occasionally do some proper work.

Fia took a step forward, placing her hand on Tilulu’s shoulder, then looked at the trembling Woz.

“Do you know how many men Chazo has sent?”

Woz clearly saw Fia as Tilulu’s accomplice. His tone and gaze were extremely impolite.

“What does that have to do with you?”

“It indeed has nothing to do with me. I just can’t stand by and watch as an outsider. To entrust the fate of your clan to the enemy, praying that they will spare you all because of your brother’s death, don’t you find that ridiculous? If Chazo doesn’t spare you, what will you do? Will you continue what your brother did and beg for his forgiveness again?”

“Are you saying my brother’s death was meaningless? My brother made this choice for the fate of our entire clan. You are slandering his sacrifice!”

“Then are you certain Zahr’s sacrifice will make Chazo’s army retreat and your Snake-folk tribe will survive this calamity? If that were the case, why did you say earlier that if his death couldn’t earn Chazo’s forgiveness, your tribe would be destroyed? You understand the situation you’re facing. You should know that venting your emotions is only suitable when there are no external enemies. Howling like a mad dog is useless for solving problems.”

“Shut up! I don’t need a little brat like you to lecture me!”

Fia’s words hit Woz where it hurt. His red neck swelled, and his enraged face turned sharply towards her. Just as he had attacked Tilulu before, a fist carrying a strong wind came straight for Fia’s head.

But Fia didn’t indulge him. She grabbed his wrist, then used an arm formed by [Telekinesis] to grab his tail. In less than a second, Woz’s entire body was pulled straight, and amidst a dizzying spin and the sound of tearing clothes, he was slammed onto the ground, face-down, with none of the dignity of a clan priest.

“I can take a verbal conflict as a consequence of my meddling, but don’t think I’ll tolerate you getting physical. I’m just an outsider, so don’t be so presumptuous. Also, the lifespan of us elves is not something you beastfolk can compare to. In front of me, you are the junior.”

At this, Fia extended her hand to Woz, indicating that he could take it to get up. But not only did Woz not appreciate the gesture, but he also slammed his tail on the ground, his entire body springing towards Fia like a compressed spring, clearly intending to continue teaching this “junior” a lesson.

He doesn’t know what’s good for him.

Fia frowned.

This time, I’ll make him behave.

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[Light Binding]

A golden beam of light shot down from the ceiling, enveloping Woz. The next moment, as if pulled by something, he was immediately yanked towards the ground. However, Fia wasn’t done. The blue-purple lightning of a [Thunder Spear] converged in her hand, and a spear as thick as her arm and two meters long suddenly appeared.

Fia pointed the tip of the spear at the still-unyielding Woz. Seeing that his head was about to be impaled, the charging Woz instantly stopped. The smell of ozone in the air and the crackling of electric arcs all indicated the energy contained within the spear. Especially with the oppressive feeling of Fia holding it right in front of his eyes, if her hand were to tremble even slightly, his head would be roasted by the dazzling lightning. In fact, his skin was already feeding him a sensation of scorching heat.

“Your strength is far inferior to mine. Or do you have to have a showdown with me before you can listen properly?”

The fear of death was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. Woz gritted his teeth and asked defiantly.

“What do you really want?”

Fia slowly lowered the [Thunder Spear]. She didn’t want to harm this stranger; she was just trying to make him calm down.

“You understand the situation you’re in. I just want to ask you one thing. If Chazo’s soldiers don’t plan to spare your Snake-folk tribe, are you prepared to deal with them?”

“…My brother has only just passed away. How can I immediately take over his authority?”

Though he made an excuse, Woz lowered his head.

Fia relaxed slightly. She continued in a cold tone.

“Judging by your reaction, you’re not prepared.”

“Tsk, what preparations could there be? Our entire tribe only numbers a hundred thousand, which is less than the number of soldiers Chazo has. Not to mention he has high-tier warriors. As long as he has the mind to wipe out a tribe, no tribe in the Cold Night can escape the reckoning!”

“In other words, because you know you’re no match for Chazo even if you did prepare, you’ve decided to do nothing and just wait to be forgiven.”

To observe his reaction, Fia paused. Having been bested by her twice, although Woz was angry, he no longer had the heart to teach her a lesson. He just clenched his fists, as if resentful of his lack of power.

This was the best-case scenario.

Suddenly, Fia felt a bit like a demon from a story, using power as a temptation to exchange for something from the supplicant. Of course, there wouldn’t be a demon as kind as her in the world.

Fia took a step back, dispelling the [Light Binding] and the crackling [Thunder Spear].

“In that case, let’s make a deal. I will give you the power to repel Chazo, and in return, you will lead your people to recognize Tilulu as the queen of the Cold Night from this day on. How about it?”

“Recognize Tilulu as queen? What kind of joke is that? Putting aside the fact that you can’t deliver on your boast, even if you had that ability, I would rather believe in a powerful person like you than this incompetent and weak old royal.”

“Hoh? I’m just an elf. I don’t have the Ancestral Spirit you beastfolk speak of.”

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“That’s why I never believed you in the first place.”

Tsk.

She had thought things were turning around, but it turned out this guy had never believed her at all.

Just as Fia was about to teach this priest who had tricked her a lesson, Radric stepped forward. Although Zahr’s death was unexpected, he knew what was more important.

“Woz, watch your tone. El… Miss Fia is a magic caster whose power is comparable to a Witch of Miracles. As long as she wishes, repelling Chazo’s soldiers is a simple matter of raising her hand. And Miss Fia has already promised us to help Tilulu restore her kingdom. The chance to save the Snake-folk is right in front of you. Don’t be blinded by hatred and miss this opportunity.”

Almost instantly, Woz’s eyes widened.

“Power comparable to a Witch of Miracles? Ninth Tier? Impossible! I’ve never heard of such a person among the elves! The Eldest Princess should only be at the Seventh Tier!”

Ying really did tell Woz that I’m the elf princess, Fia couldn’t help but click her tongue inwardly. To deal with such an unyielding person, she had to personally display her power to make him obey.

As for displaying her own power instead of Tilulu’s, at this point, she couldn’t be so demanding. She would start here, and in the future, she would have Tilulu cooperate with her to defeat the tribal chieftains one by one. It wouldn’t hinder the overall plan.

After all, just the news that “Tilulu has a supporter strong enough to be an army of one” would be enough to shake their hearts. The beastfolk valued strength, but they wouldn’t sacrifice the lives of their clansmen for it. Tilulu could grow slowly.

Radric sneered.

“Ninth Tier or not, haven’t you already tested it? You couldn’t even touch Miss Fia, yet you dare to question her strength? To tell you the truth, Miss Fia is Tilulu’s mentor. Her words are Tilulu’s words.”

“Being able to defeat me doesn’t mean you can defeat tens of thousands of soldiers.”

With those words, Woz looked at Fia, his eyes filled with seriousness. He hadn’t become a priest solely through his strength. In fact, a priest was a position similar to a sage, responsible for advising the chieftain. Therefore, he understood that what Radric and Fia said was not without reason. If Chazo really wanted to attack the Snake-folk, they had no choice but to surrender or fight to the death. Either choice could lead to being at the mercy of others, or even the annihilation of their tribe.

Placing all their hopes on Chazo’s mercy was purely a last resort. If he had the strength to resist, he would never choose to open the city gates.

He took a deep breath and stared at Fia’s eyes, as if trying to find any trace of a lie.

“If you can show me enough power to convince me, I will be willing to believe you. But I must say this first: I believe in you, not this incompetent king who caused my brother’s death. I would rather my people follow a capable outsider than entrust their lives to a weak and cowardly person!”

That’s the sentence I was waiting for.

Fia smiled and extended her hand.

“Deal.”

◇

A rare heavy snow began to fall on the Snake-folk tribe.

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In this place lacking moisture, snow was extremely rare. Just like a southerner who had never seen snow before would roll in it upon their first visit to the north in winter, the Snake-folk here rarely saw snow in their entire lives. In addition, most of them lived in warm burrows. Even if the wooden houses above were drafty, the people inside the burrows wouldn’t freeze to death. So, when they saw the goose-feather-like snow falling, they all ran out into the streets to dance. Some of the smarter ones quickly grabbed buckets and basins and climbed onto their roofs to collect the snow, accumulating water for the next few days.

The one who had created this heavy snow was, of course, Fia.

To display her power, Fia chose [Rain of Serenity]. Although the ley lines of the Snake-folk tribe were not damaged like in Yureidon territory, the mana particles were very thin, resulting in barren land. [Rain of Serenity] could both change this and let Woz witness her strength firsthand, killing two birds with one stone.

The result was this long-awaited heavy snow and Woz’s dramatic change of heart. Not only did he acknowledge Fia’s strength, but he also treated her as an honored guest, ordering the tribe’s warriors to set up traps around the city and turn the land into a swamp with magic, a posture of going to war with Chazo.

If not for the chieftain’s funeral, Fia felt that Woz would have held a grand banquet to celebrate her arrival.

“My brother was just buried today, so I cannot welcome you with a grand ceremony. I am deeply ashamed. During the day, I was arrogant and did not know that you, Lady Fia, possessed such great power. I apologize to you here.”

Raising a cup filled with water, Woz, sitting at the host’s seat, stood up and cupped his hands to Fia, then drank the water in one gulp. After that, the Snake-folk nobles sitting below also raised their cups to Fia and thanked her with smiles.

It was worth noting that before entering, these people had all been downcast, worried about the future of their tribe. But when Woz publicly announced that the phenomenon that appeared over the town today was Fia’s doing, and that she would help them repel Chazo’s soldiers, they all beamed with joy. In addition, Fia was the only one here; Tilulu and Radric were not present, nor were Anastasia, Claire, and the others.

“It’s fine. It’s only natural to be suspicious. But with just this non-aggressive magic, does the priest truly believe I have the power to repel Chazo?”

“Not at all!” Woz emphasized with a frown. “To be able to inject vitality into such a vast expanse of ley lines is already enough to prove your power. As the priest of a clan, I am well aware of how barren this land is. You are indeed, as Radric said, a Child of Miracles. In your presence, Chazo is but an ant that can be crushed with a wave of your hand. I fear even the Holy Son would tremble at your feet!”

At the end, Woz discreetly glanced at Ying, who was pouring wine for him.

Then, as if he had thought of something, his eyes became unfocused, and he looked contemplative.

“Lady Fia, since you are an elf, you should have that wondrous gem called a Mana Surge, right?”

“Indeed. What about it?”

Confusion appeared in Fia’s eyes. She didn’t understand why he was asking this.

Woz’s old face turned red, and he rubbed his hands embarrassedly. He then nodded at Ying, signaling her to put down the wine cup, then pulled her hand onto the table, gently stroking the back of it like a mother.

“Well… I’ve long heard that elves can raise offspring with their Mana Surge and the Holy Tree, and there are no obstacles even between two females or two males. I am over forty this year and have only one daughter, Ying. Yet, she has been following that bastard Holy Son and has no thoughts of marriage or children. In our beastfolk culture, this is a great taboo that angers the ancestors. You have such great power at such a young age; your talent must be beyond our comprehension. So, I would like to offer my only daughter to you in marriage. If you do not want her, I would also boldly request that you use that gem to leave the seed of a strong one for Ying, to ensure the future of the Snake-folk tribe.”

“We will not accept your grace for nothing. As long as you can send Ying and my unborn grandchild back to us afterward, we will not question it even if you make her work like a beast of burden. Not only that, but our Snake-folk tribe is willing to offer you the treasures we have accumulated over the years… I am ashamed to ask you to be with my unworthy daughter, but I can guarantee that she will never resist you, and her intelligence will also be of use to you.”

At the end, Woz had already bowed deeply, just short of prostrating himself in apology.

Hmm… So what happened to Clark has now happened to me.

Fia was at a loss for words.

When she heard about it from Clark and Chiharu before, she had just listened to it as an interesting tradition. Now that it was happening to her, she didn’t find it interesting at all.

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Admittedly, Ying was very beautiful, and as a Snake-person, she had the unique charm of a monster girl, no less than Estelle’s, and her chest was even much larger. But putting aside the beastfolk’s tradition of rejecting same-sex marriage, she had barely spoken a few words with Ying. It was impossible to accept her. Furthermore, Ying was Nola’s friend. If she really agreed, not only would Claire be sad, but Nola would definitely want to tear her apart.

Fia couldn’t help but think of a reason to refuse. She glanced at the nobles in the hall. Not only did they not stand up to speak for Ying, but most of them looked expectant and happy. It was clearly a widely accepted tradition.

To marry off their daughters to the strong, they would even offer treasures. The beastfolk’s worship of strength is simply too crude.

Looking at the back of Woz’s head, Fia cleared her throat and said very seriously.

“I cannot—”

“Lady Fia!”

Before she could finish her refusal, Ying, who was sitting next to Woz, draped in a greenish-blue veil, immediately knelt down just as he had. She pleaded with Fia in an extremely sincere and urgent, loud voice.

“As long as you are willing to take me with you, Lady Fia, I am willing to be your beast of burden and a virtuous wife who has eyes only for you. I only ask that you do not despise me!”

“…Huh?”

A series of question marks appeared above Fia’s head.

If Woz was following the beastfolk tradition, then Ying’s reaction was incomprehensible. Although Fia hadn’t spoken much with her, her small actions and words all indicated that she was a clever girl, not the type to sacrifice herself for tradition.

Fia couldn’t help but take a closer look at Ying. She happened to glimpse her looking up with a pleading expression, winking desperately at her.

Even if Fia were an idiot, she could tell that Ying definitely did not sincerely want to marry her. She must have had other motives, such as getting away from her father.

In that case…

Abruptly, Fia stood up and walked to Ying’s side. She took her hand and, as if declaring her sovereignty, wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders in front of everyone. In that instant, the grassy fragrance from Ying’s body rushed into her nostrils. She nodded with a feigned look of satisfaction.

“Alright, I accept. I’m taking her with me now. Is that a problem?”

“No problem, of course no problem!” Fia’s agreement was clearly unexpected to Woz. He looked up with joy in his eyes and nodded repeatedly. “Thank you very much! Ying, serve Lady Fia well, don’t make her angry, and let me see a grandchild soon!”

“As you command, Father.”

Ying, held by Fia, blushed and squirmed, but not only did she not push her away, but she also moved her head closer to Fia, one hand obediently wrapping around her waist.

Subsequently, Fia led Ying back to her seat and returned to the original topic—throughout the process, Ying acted as if she had already accepted the reality of becoming Fia’s possession, becoming extremely docile. Without needing Fia’s instruction, she took the initiative to serve her food and drink, just short of feeding her by hand, as if she had truly become the elf princess’s beloved wife.

It wasn’t until an hour later that the banquet finally ended.