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“Brother, what are you going to do now?”

We stood in a settlement of Beastmen who harbored deep hatred for the elves. Yet, half of those who had once thrived on the idea of exterminating the elves now seemed disheartened. This was because their leader—my father—had been assassinated. Many of the Beastmen had united under him, believing that victory against the elves was possible. His leadership had given them hope.

But with his death, that hope was shattered. Some grew even more determined, seeking vengeance, while others, lost without a guiding figure, considered abandoning the settlement altogether.

The conflict with the elves had been instigated by the Beastmen—by my father—who resented the elves for monopolizing the blessings of the spirit. It was undeniable that life had once been more prosperous; our records confirmed as much. This led Father to believe that the elves were hoarding the blessings for themselves.

But he had acted too hastily. He should have learned more about the elves’ situation before taking action. Had he done so, he would have realized that the land where the elves lived was also in decline. Because Father initiated the attack, the elves retaliated — naturally.

The resulting devastation was catastrophic for both the Beastmen and the elves. The two races became deeply divided. Those who lost loved ones to the elves grew to hate them, while the elves, in turn, harbored an equally intense resentment toward the Beastmen.

Few knew the truth—that it was our leader who had orchestrated the conflict. Most only vaguely believed that the elves were at fault, convinced that they were selfishly hoarding a treasure. Even so, that belief was enough to fuel the hatred and drive them to fight. And I, too, once believed we could win under Father’s leadership.

But now, Father was gone. I, Farana, was the only one who knew the truth about his death. Most assumed an elf had killed him. That assumption was not entirely wrong—but the real issue was that the elves possessed the skill to assassinate someone as powerful as my father.

The hateful woman¹ who appeared before me, claiming to be an enemy of the elves. She was the one who killed my father, and while I despised her for it, I had no doubt she was telling the truth. She had also revealed the decline of the spirit’s blessings.

I hated her. I despised her so much that I wanted nothing more than to kill her, even if it meant sacrificing my own life. But when I looked at the children in the settlement… my resolve wavered.

That woman was powerful. Even if I attempted to strike her down, she would likely retaliate with ease, and I would be powerless to stop her. Perhaps I would feel a brief sense of satisfaction if I turned the tables on her, allowing me to convince myself that I had done something—anything. But if I died, Brother would undoubtedly continue Father’s fight against the elves. And when that happened, even the children would be caught in the crossfire.

Father was no longer here to lead us.

Besides, I believed something that neither Father nor Brother had ever accepted—a painful truth. The seasons of this world would only change twenty more times. If that was indeed the case, this was no time to wage war against the elves. This entire conflict was born from Father’s misguided actions. Without him, there was no reason to continue.

“I will slay the elves who caused Father’s death. Isn’t that obvious?”
“But, Brother…”

I was about to continue, hoping to persuade him somehow, when my brother’s ears twitched. Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps reached my ears.

“What’s wrong?”

My brother turned to the approaching messenger, who was out of breath and wore a scowl. He paused, took a moment to steady his breathing, and then spoke in a clear, composed tone.

“The Tree of Spirits has collapsed.”
“The Tree of Spirits… collapsed? What happened to the elves?”
“It seems many of them managed to evacuate.”
“I see. You’re dismissed.”

My brother gave a curt order, sending the messenger away. As the messenger departed, my brother stood there, deep in thought, before letting out a low chuckle.

“This is our chance. Even if many of them escaped, they will be in disarray now that they have lost their stronghold. Farana, prepare to attack soon.”
“Please wait, Brother. If the Tree of Spirits has collapsed… what do you think happened to the spirit?”

To be honest, I already knew the answer. That woman must have freed the spirit. That was the only explanation for the Tree of Spirits collapsing. In other words, if we attacked the elves now, we would gain nothing. Without the spirit, there was no reason to fight.

But despite this, my brother turned to me with an annoyed expression.

“I don’t know.”
“If the spirit is gone… then what is the point of attacking?” I pressed.
“Father was killed. Our people were killed. Is that not reason enough? The people demand vengeance².”

When he said that, I could only remain silent. I knew he was right. Even if I and others had lost the will to fight, there were still those who burned with the desire for revenge. Telling them to stand down now would only breed dissatisfaction. Even if there was no longer a reason to attack, they would still find one.

It was the same feeling I had toward that woman. Even if she stood before me and begged me not to act, I was not sure I could trust myself to hold back.

But once the fighting began, even those who wished for peace could be dragged into the chaos. I was the daughter of the leader of the Beastmen tribe—I had a duty to protect as many of my people as possible. Yet my brother was rallying those who still sought vengeance against the elves, fueling their desire for war.

At this point, even if I wanted to stop it, I knew I could not do it alone. And if that was the case… then…

“I understand. But first, let me do some reconnaissance. Without the right information, we’ll only be sending our people to their deaths.”
“It’ll be dangerous.”
“I’m fully aware. If I don’t return in a few days, you’re free to do as you see fit, Brother.”

I spoke calmly, concealing my true intentions, and left the room without hesitation. Once outside, I gave quiet instructions to one of my trusted men to proceed with the plan.

Calling it a “plan” was a stretch—it was nothing so formal. It was merely a way to help those who no longer wished to fight, especially after my father’s death, leave the settlement unnoticed.

After that… I would personally meet with the leader of the elves. I had to save as many of my people as possible, even if it meant betraying my brother. Even if it meant betraying the Beastmen³.

1. Robinxen: Wow she was mostly polite to you and now you consider her hateful? She laid out her terms and choices were made.
2. Robinxen: What a stupendous waste of lives and resources!
3. Robinxen: I hope it works out for you!

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