As the sun reached its zenith, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, Fang and Isgram sat atop their massive bear, the creature's thick fur glistening in the light. The forest was alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and chirping birds, a vibrant backdrop for their adventure toward the elven village.
The first to break the silence was Fang:
"Should I have brought something with me? I know I am coming for diplomatic reasons yet it still is my first encounter with him."
"Fang, we gave him enough firewood that can provide warmth to a family for a good while. Combined with the medicine you made, I think it is more than enough. All we're here for is to present you as our leader and build basic introductory relations. The sooner you get familiar with the chief, the faster you can delegate such tasks to Gaia."
Looking confused, Fang asked:
"Why Gaia?"
"You should have seen her. Her ability to negotiate and stay poker-faced is truly exceptional. I will never know how she manages to sit still while taking care of delicate matters such as discussing the threat of the elven kingdom and the possibility of war looming..."
"Damn. She is the laziest yet most intelligent person I have met in my two lifetimes."
"Which reminds me, how old were you when you died Fang? I don't remember if we talked about it."
A surge of negative emotions erupted at once, and Fang's death mana leaked into the air a bit. The bear growled and stopped in his tracks.
Isgram felt the pressure although it was light for him he knew it wasn't that light as Fang crossed into the realm of Silver rank lately.
"Fang, if you don't want to talk about it let's leave it alright?"
Saying nothing, Fang meekly nodded as he gritted his teeth thinking that it still is a difficult subject for him.
With a gentle nudge, Fang urged the bear forward. Its powerful legs moved with ease, navigating the winding paths of the forest.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, creating dappled patterns on the ground as they sped along.
As they approached the outskirts of the elven village, the scent of blooming flowers wafted through the air.
The peaceful ambiance of the afternoon was punctuated by laughter and music emanating from the village.
"Look at that!" Isgram exclaimed, pointing ahead. "They're having some kind of festival."
As the bear slowed his pace, Fang could now get a closer look at the scene unfolding.
The entire village seemed to be circular, in the center a tall tower with a wide platform above it offered a view of the entire village from above.
Elven homes, adorned with intricate carvings and vibrant greenery, stretched out before them.
The elven homes were a breathtaking blend of nature and craftsmanship, Constructed from light, polished timber.
Each home featured steeply pitched roofs that mimicked the shapes of ancient mountains, adorned with intricately carved animals and plants deeply into the wood.
Every home had a designated area for archery practice, reflecting the elven dedication to the art.
Sustainable gardens surrounded each home, bursting with vibrant herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
The elves cultivated their crops with care, using organic practices that respected the earth. Paths made of smooth stones wound through these gardens, inviting villagers to gather for meals or storytelling beneath the shade of large, leafy trees.
'I need to learn from them in the future. While the cave is a good hideout and a good outpost, it is no home. I will have to provide Isgram and Gaia with something more in the future. And we should really buy beds from them, the stone bed is killing my back lately.'
Stepping out of the woods into the clearing before the village entrance, Fang noticed the several archers who lined up to greet them.
The villagers stood frozen for a moment, eyes wide as the bear they saw was not only larger than most bears but also exuded a significant amount of death mana.
Seeing the commotion, Fang raised his hand, open palm, and signaled for the bear to stop in his tracks.
"I am Fang of the chosen ones, I am here to extend my greetings to the village chief. We come in peace, I would like to talk to him If anyone can notify him please."
The teen sounded a tad nervous yet he managed to piece the sentence he practiced perfectly.
As the guards murmured between them, Isgram added:
"Tell the chief it is Isgram, we met this morning."
As a couple of minutes passed, A beautiful female elf with blue eyes stood confidently at the entrance of her village. She has a graceful, realistic appearance, with soft lighting enhancing her striking blue eyes and pointed ears. The village entrance features a wooden archway adorned with flowers, and the girl under it was smiling as she beckoned them to approach. (AI picture in the comments)
Seeing the gesture, Fang put his hand on the bear's head which in turn turned into purple smoke, slowly dissipating.
"Hello, my name is Fang. I lead the group that you probably know as the chosen ones."
Gaia taught him to introduce himself and then wait for the other side to return the gesture, thus prying more knowledge on their side while being polite.
As if sensing the anticipation in Fang's gaze, the girl blushed in embarrassment knowing that her only job was to escort them while ensuring no incidents occurred on their way.
A fleeting moment of insecurity long left her, and then she introduced herself:
"I am Alona, Daughter of the chief and the herbalist of this village. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir Fang."
Not used to such honorary titles, especially from such cute girls, Fang blushed knowing he was caught up in her charm.
Trying to recompose himself, He coughed and said:
"Pleased to meet you too long, may I ask for your help in arranging a meeting with your father?"
Her face stiffened a bit, yet she didn't sense any evil in the teen's words.
Gesturing with a nod, she said follow me and started walking to the center of the village.
While Fang thought it was only natural, Isgram made sure to clarify the situation to him.
Reaching Fang he pulled the boy down to his height and whispered in his ear:
"I know it seems like a good progression, but be ready for battle no matter what. As diplomats, we must broker a deal but in reality, we're both just mercenaries in their eyes only more powerful than what they're used to. If needed, be ready to summon your two warriors and Toto."
Alona caught the meaning of their whispering, and her guards did as well.
She only saw Fang nod slightly and give Isgram a wide smile surprising her with how gentle he can be compared to the formal facade he put on a minute ago.
'That is no killer, I am sure of that.' She thought, forming an opinion on the boy.
If she only knew how many adventurers he slaughtered and how cunning the pair behind her were, filling half of the western side of the forest with traps.
Truth be told, ever since the bear hunters retreated to the capital no one has dared to venture into the forest, as it was nicknamed the forest of death by now.
The news of a new generation of chosen ones has spread throughout the capital, forming rumors and panic in the higher echelons.
Some royal advisors have advocated for a full-out war on the trio, knowing the depth of power chosen ones can reach as they fought the humans 10 years ago.
After the war ended, the name "chosen ones" was replaced by another:
"My king, how do you propose we deal with those magistos?"
Magistos. It is the nickname every child of god will hear once they encounter a human or an elf.
Throughout history, many names have stuck with them but the most recent and terrifying was magistos.
Isgram has not told Fang of the tales of the magistos, fearing he will stop seeking peace if he knew the horrors this world has inflicted on people of his kind.
The number of enslaved magistos nowadays has never been this high, knowing full well the danger of enslaving such dangerous people.
The only empire in Edenia that never risked themselves by enslaving them was the elves.
The elves knew how dangerous it could be, as seen in the last war when the two human magistos broke free of their mental shackles and scorched the entire human camp.
Around 10,000 soldiers lost their lives in a single night, blasted by a joint gold spell cast by their slaves.
"I don't see a reason to antagonize them, Terrance."
His nostrils flared, knowing both of their children were still injured after their encounter with Fang and Isgram.
"My king, They dared attack your daughter and my son! You will let them go unpunished so easily?!"
Throughout the war with the humans, Hoshimura and Terrance were the leaders of the two armies who fought in the north. Hoshimura has always spared and kept human civilians as safe as possible, cherishing life and not death.
But Terrance was not as merciful as his brother in arms.
Throughout the war, Terrance was the one to lead the first charge into the human magistos, losing more than 3000 soldiers in one battle.
Had he not been a skilled water mage, he would have surely perished with the rest of his army.
"My friend, they are not close to what you have encountered. They are rational, and they seek peace. From what your son reported, they are not even human or controlled by anyone. Why do you presume that they are dangerous to us?"
"Have you lost your mind? PEACE?!"
The air was suddenly denser than before, bringing several ministers and advisors to their knees.
But at the flaring of mana from Terrance, another mana surged from the king himself.
The kneeling witnesses were now fully unconscious, even bringing Terrance to sweat profusely.
"Lower your mana and remember who you are talking to, advisor." The king said with a frown, his words dripping with sarcastic poison.
"Forgive me, my king. I have gone overboard." Said Terrance taking a deep breath and exhaling it. The mana pressure dropped down again, and the arched windows once more let the light into the throne room.
"Terrance, we should at least talk to them. I don't want to send young men to their deaths again, especially after our loss of men in the last war.
Our army now consists of bronze warriors, and very few silver experts. Taking into account the humans are also weakened, maybe we should take a break for now as this ceasefire won't extend for long.
The human birth rate is much higher than ours, we should take care of our soldiers. What will you do if we lose 1000 warriors in battle against them? Two silver mages and possibly a third in their ranks according to Hans.
The demon fort was the reason for the fire in the villages. What do you think happened? If they managed to band together, would even you be able to take them out on your own?"
Terrance gritted his teeth, knowing that even he as a gold water mage will not win a battle against 3 different natures at the same time. He can take care of the fire mage, but the earth mage demoness is a whole different case. She can manipulate the terrain as she had shown last time they tried to attack the fort.
If they combine their forces and trap him by changing the terrain it will be a much harder battle.
'I knew I shouldn't have come here today, I hate that he makes good points.'
"Alright. I get it, but don't you think that I will sit idle while you talk with them. If your peace talks fail, I am sending them back to their gods."
Chuckling, the king smiled at his bloodthirsty friend.
"You never change, brother,"
Terrance smiled right back at him, rubbing the back of his head a bit embarrassed.
"Hoshi, you sure know how to make me look stupid. But now let's assume the negotiations go well, what will they provide us? And the question that is concerning me even more is, what are you willing to give them?"
The king sighed as he knew the answer would summon more headaches from his friend.
"The forest is theirs no matter what I'll do if we exclude war from the equation. They won't leave it, nor dare venture into the mountains as it is just too dangerous.
As per the current reports of the very few adventurers who made it out alive, they encountered an abnormal amount of wildlife, including a herd of pigs and some cows too.
Judging by the amount of life in the forest, there is reason to worry about the nature of their leader whose nature hasn't been determined yet."
Grasping the meaning of the worried king, Terrance did the math in his head.
"He blasts the area with life spells which would explain the rapid recovery of the forest, isn't that right?"
The king's look didn't look so reassuring:
"That is an option but I think it is the opposite. I know it shouldn't be possible, at least not by someone who hasn't been more than a month or two in our territory but... I suspect he drained the death mana in the forest."
The silence was louder than the sound of war, which is never a good indication.
"Then necromancy."
"I suspect so, my dear friend..."
"You want to give him bodies, don't you?"
The silence lingered once more, their eyes talk while their lips won't.
A minute of silence has passed, and the king himself couldn't bear it anymore:
"Do you have a better idea?" said the king feeling his friend's mana rising once more.
"No matter what, this is the last idea. Have you forgotten the demon wars? I can't see soldiers come back to life just to fight their brothers. There are some red lines, even for me."
"Say... What about the valley?"
"Which valley are you talking about?"
"Bring me the map, Terrance."
The king stood up and walked behind the throne to a large wooden table, with intricate carvings of lions and elk.
Terrance pulled a scroll from one of the compartments in the table and unfolded it to their view. Several advisors suddenly regained consciousness and quickly vacated the room, leaving the top mages in their kingdom to discuss privately.
Truth is, they're just afraid to be caught in another mana showdown like today.
"See? The valley to the west, just behind the forest. It is several kilometers long, enough for them to build whatever they want. I am telling you, we should invest in them instead of fighting them."
Seeing his king rather excited, Terrance quickly understood his intention.
"You want to put them as a buffer zone between us and the dwarves. That is one hell of a statement."
"Victory favors the bold my friend, and considering one of their members is a dwarf they would be able to stall any dwarf invasion in the form of fake diplomacy. You do remember we're weak prey to them right now, do you?"
"I don't think our army is that weak, at least not to the point of losing a battle in the valley against the dwarves. They also have a clear dislike of magistos, so if any magistos try to negotiate a deal it won't end well."
"Do you have a better idea?"
"I suggest you let them make demands first, if their offer is less than ideal only then take this deal to the table."
"Then I have decided. Send a messenger to one of the villages nearby to invite them to negotiations."
The two felt tired of the plots and schemes so they retired to their chambers, hoping for a peaceful future.