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“…Bugs?”

Frey asked back to Sven, as they continued talking in the audience hall.

Sven had been telling them about the issue affecting Floria. There were bugs plaguing the forest, and the elves were requesting help with getting rid of them, and in exchange, they would provide information about the Fairy Village.

“Yes, black and insidious bugs that suddenly came from the mountains a decade or so ago, and have been thrashing Weisswald.”
“…Hm?”

Crim noticed that as far as she knew, the Fairy Village was located amongst the mountains too, in the same direction that the elves claimed the bugs came from.

“Are those bugs coming from the direction…”
“Yes, it’s just as you’ve likely noticed. The bugs are coming from the same direction as the Fairy Village.”

Sven had been explaining the situation, but the queen broke her silence to confirm Crim’s thoughts.

“We’ve been concerned for the safety of the Fairy Village, but we have no way of finding out what’s happening there. We don’t have enough men to break through the swarms of bugs and go there.”
“But you have managed to break through Lake Galardia and all the undead haunting it. That’s why we trust you’ll also be able to help us here…or at least the reconciliation movement thinks so.”

Then Sven took off where the queen left off. He was the leader of the soldiers of Floria, though they were more of a vigilante group considering their numbers. He lowered his head, pleading for Crim to help them.

But Crim was more than willing to form an alliance, or rather, it was something she was really hoping to accomplish.

“As it happens to be, we also have some matters to tend to in the Fairy Village, so our goals align. We, the United Kingdoms, shall lend our assistance to the full extent of our abilities.”
“Then…!”
“Yes, we agree to this alliance.”

Crim nodded firmly, as queen Florite and Sven’s faces lit up with joy.

“Then, as a symbol of our friendship, please take these.”

Saying that, the queen held out a few brooches, which looked like a cherry blossom carved out of wood, and the number matched the number of Lua Cheia members present.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed the Harunia flowers of Weisswald. These brooches should soften their effect on you, and they’ll also signify to other elves that I’ve given you permission to stay here.”
“I really appreciate that.”

Being able to get rid of that pesky debuff was already something Crim really wanted, and she could not have asked more when she heard that she would also be able to move around the village at ease, so she happily accepted them.

“Just please keep in mind that it’s only us that want your help. You might still meet others who aren’t as welcoming, or even antagonize you… But I promise that they aren’t doing that out of malice, they’re simply desperate to keep their fellow elves safe.”

The queen lowered her head as she mentioned that, and Crim tried to smile as reassuringly as she could.

“Aye, I understand. I shall remember all thy words and convey them unto the United Kingdoms under my lead.”

That marked the end of their conversation, which had gone rather positively, and Crim’s group left the audience hall.

◇◇◇

“Hmhmm, it seems the queen has a lot on her plate too.”
“Yes…it sounds like a rather complicated situation, so I just hope we can be of some help…”

There was a tea house in a corner of Floria. Crim and Setsuna were convening there, drinking tea and stuffing their mouths with skewered dango, though their conversation was something far more serious.

…Out of all the members of Lua Cheia, they were the two with the most marked demon features.

So despite having obtained the queen’s approval, it was very likely the other elves would be intimidated by them…hence why they chose to split apart while the rest of the group checked the local stores and stocked up on supplies. Instead they stayed in a small tea house without bothering anyone.

At the same time, that gave them the opportunity to share everything they had learned thus far.

“So, Setsuna, how did ye fare on thy recon mission?”
“Heheh, do you even have to ask? It obviously went swimmingly!”

Setsuna replied with a smug smile, and then began talking about the things she had learned.

“*Ahem…* So it seems that there’s two factions at play here, one led by the queen that wants to rebuild the connections to outsiders, as they desperately need the help, and the other faction that is trying to take away the queen’s authority, reducing her to a figurehead, so that they can keep their culture as it always was.”

Setsuna reported the things she had seen and heard to Crim. So far, those were things Crim had heard herself, and shared with Setsuna. But Setsuna had gained a bit more insight into the matter on her search.

“Hmm… So would this mean that one can differentiate between the factions by the age of their members?”
“Yup yup. The reconciliation movement that stands with the queen is composed mainly by relatively younger elves, and especially the soldiers with their families and friends.”
“Oh?”

“You’d think the veteran soldiers who usually stand at the front lines would be older too, but it turns out most of them were too badly injured to go and fight the bugs. Maybe there’s a shortage of medicine around here too…”
“I think I understand… Their population isn’t large by any means, so all those spots have been filled up by younger elves, who have realized the danger they’re in and decided that changing their ways is needed to avoid it.”
“Yup, I think that’s it. Only those who are actively fighting know they’re nearing the limits of what’s possible for them.”

Crim nodded sagely as she listened to everything Setsuna had learned.

*Wait, I don’t think I realized she was this good at her job.*

It did not feel like they had been that long in the audience with the queen, but that was enough time for Setsuna to gather all of this information.

And…she was not done yet.

“On the other hand… Those who are stubbornly trying to cling onto tradition are those who haven’t seen the actual fight. That’s all the elderly, and many others who are at least a hundred years old. At first, I thought it was because they were ignorant of the situation…but it wasn’t so simple.”
“If I had to guess… they were also alive back when the invaders landed on the southwestern shores, and witnessed the battles at the Garland Citadel while the empire still stood, correct?”
“That’s pretty much it. They’re all paranoid of people from outside the forest.”

That would make sense if they still remembered how those invaders attempted to enslave the elves.

Back then, it was not uncommon for people from another continent to the south, most of them slave traders, to land on the nearby shores, and the trauma of living through that was still fresh in many elves’ memories.

Alberich had also told them before that, in the past, the citadel offered refuge to those fleeing from villages of other races that had been attacked and burned down by foreign invaders.

Those attacked tended to have traits considered beautiful by the invaders, and since elves specifically would retain a young appearance for a long time, it was easy to see why they were often the main target.

Elves who had lived through those times had gained the preconception that the world outside the forest was inhabited by ruthless and cruel fiends, so they would never trust an outsider. It was not just history for them, but events they had lived through.

“Hmm… In our eyes, a hundred years feels like a long time, but elves live for centuries, so for them, it’s only a century out of many… Their life experience is vastly different from ours, so merely thinking of them as old fashioned would be ignorant on our part.”
“I knowww… Like if I got bullied a bunch at school, I wouldn’t just forget about that when I grew up.”

Setsuna muttered in a low voice, and Crim nodded, feeling the same way.

“It really is a complicated situation… Neither side is in the wrong, and they’re both trying to do what they believe is best for their people.”
“Yeahh… Maybe that’s why they aren’t at each other’s throats, but there’s still a really tense atmosphere filling the village.”

One side wanted to find a way to fend off an impending danger, even if that meant allying themselves with outsiders. The other side wanted to protect the peace of their village so they would not be hurt by outsiders again.

Both sides likely understood that neither side was in the wrong, but they also did not want to concede, leading to the current state of the village.

…So far everything they discussed was reasonable enough.

“…And there’s also a bit more sinister I’ve discovered.”
“…Hm? What is it?”

Setsuna lowered her voice to a whisper, which Crim found odd.

“Those following tradition are convinced they can deal with the bug plague on their own…thanks to some new experimental remedy they’ve received.”
“…I hate how familiar that sounds. And to something we’ve heard recently…”

Crim began massaging her temples, like she had been hit by a sudden headache hearing the strange news Setsuna had discovered.

“I understand. We shall go inspect the bugs later, and thou, Setsuna, stay here to keep watch over things. I trust thy discretion, but do not charge ahead without aid, alright?”
“Okayy, I’ll just do what I can!”

After a quick salute, Setsuna vanished.

Crim stayed there, pondering in silence for a moment, feeling like she was once again getting involved in an annoying quest…