I shook my head at Raffa’s words that offered to give up the Fire Foxes and spoke.
「That’s no good. Even if we were to offer them up there is absolutely no guarantee of them letting us live in peace.」
「I said as long as we give them up we’ll be fine! Believe me!」
「On what basis are you saying this?」
「That’s…..anyways if we offer up the Fire Foxes we’ll be saved.」
Raffa argued desperately. However, I already knew he was a traitor actually…
「Even if provisionally, the Fire Foxes are the citizens of our country Erucy. I will not be selling out our citizens.」
「Fire Foxes are our comrades!? What are you saying!? This is an Elf Village!」
Raffa’s loud and hateful voice made Kuu’s shoulders slightly shudder.
I impulsively wanted to grasp her shoulder to help her calm down. However, doing so at this moment would only show a weak point.
「I can’t believe in this foolish and baseless argument. I even explained before that we cannot win with just Elves. From now on I intend to bring in other races, not just Fire Foxes, depending on the situation. That is the purpose of naming ourselves as Erucy. Raffa, just shut up from now on.」
「I won’t! What do you guys think!? The enemies will be 3,000…no more! Even if we fight we can’t win. We have no choice but to surrender. Can’t you understand that what I say is right? Not only that…if we…if we just give the Fire Foxes then!」
Raffa desperately turned and looked at everyone trying to find an ally. Yet no one nodded in agreement.
At this moment Roleau opened his mouth.
「Raffa, we’ve been in plenty of hopeless situations. Yet in each of them the Chief has led us past them. I will believe in him and apply myself to become one of the elites.」
「Roleau have you gone mad?」
「Plus…do you think I can trust the words of a traitor? Chief…it’s fine already right?」
「Yes…go ahead.」
At that moment Roleau signaled and some of the vigilante corps appeared and captured Raffa. Raffa looked up with a demonic expression as he glared hatefully at me.
「Raffa I’m sorry to have been forced to trick you in such a way. But…we know that you met secretly with Imperial Soldiers and leaked intelligence about Erucy. We have witnesses who saw first-hand so there is no use in making excuses. We only let you go so you could leak unimportant or beneficial info and to root out any other traitors.」
The reason I had let Raffa attend this meeting was to see if there were any other people who would work with him. After observing Raffa for the past few days and his current actions in the meeting, there was no need to question our conclusion.
「Saying that ‘if you give up the Fire Foxes you’ll be saved’ was something the Empire told you isn’t it?」
「Yeah, that’s right. But, what I said is the truth. So if we offer them up we’ll be saved. That’s what the Empire told me.」
「You can stop saying it. I won’t be selling out our comrades.」
「Damn it why!? It’s obvious that it’s better for us! Why can’t you understand!?」
Raffa’s desperation and anger echoed in the room.
「Raffa…why did you betray us? If you had leaked vital information Erucy could have been directly destroyed. Be they Elves or Fire Foxes, all of us would be dead or slaves.」
In the first place we hadn’t allowed Raffa to come in contact with vital information even once.
The greatest worries had been about the crossbows and the Fire Fox magic stones that Kuu had donated to Erucy. There was a risk of either of them being stolen, but the crossbows had serial numbers engraved in them. Furthermore those who had them were under strict supervision and had been told that they would be heavily punished if a single one were to be lost. In the case of the ones in the warehouse, they were being monitored 24/7 by elves that we trusted.
For Raffa both things were unobtainable.
For that reason, no matter what he leaked it would only be at the level of how many fighters we had, the performance of the crossbows, and individual combat ability.
Such things would’ve long been discovered by Imperial forces. The only true info they might have obtained was that I had been bluffing when I said there were stronger people than me in the village. These sorts of things had been bait for Raffa to observe his movements so there was no issue.
「…..I talked to him….the Empire’s Lurvish guy…he informed me that that was our only path of survival. What I’ve done can be considered betrayal…but this was done to save us.」
I see, so that was his reasoning. He decided to dishonor himself in an attempt to stop what he saw as a reckless and hopeless battle.
Those thoughts led him to not feel much guilt.
「They even said that…if us Elves surrendered they’d return them…My wife and my…that Lurvish bastard said they were still alive. See Cyril? If it was your Lucy who’d been taken and you were told the same thing…what would you DO!? Abandon her!? Can you even do that???」
We’ve gotten off topic for a while now. After he claimed his betrayal was all for the sake of Elves he suddenly cried about how it couldn’t be helped because they had his wife hostage.
Raffa truly wasn’t in a proper state of mind.
「As for me…I would not follow the Empire’s orders.」
「You can say anything! Are you that cold of a man to abandon the woman you love??」
「Nope. Even if I obeyed them there’s absolutely no way she would be returned to me. Think about it. Once they got their hands on the Fire Foxes, why would they purposefully repay a puppet who has lost their usefulness? Especially when they were an important source of magic stones and a woman capable of birthing more elves.」
Up until now, the only reason they had not kidnapped every single Elven woman was because it was far easier for Elves to conceive children with each other. The efficiency of having an Elf Village was much higher and they could even collect taxes while they were at it.
If they were unable to satisfy their need for elves by having us sacrifice them, they would instead breed their own using our women even if the efficiency was lower.
At this point, I sincerely doubted that Raffa’s wife was still alive and even if she was there was no way they would let go of one of the few female elves that they had.
Especially when they rarely ever chose women as sacrifices. Those they had chosen were Raffa’s wife who had been weakened by disease, Lucy’s weak bodied younger sister, and old elven women. Each and every one of them could not be expected to do manual labor or bear more children. There was no way they would survive or be let free.
「A hostage huh….Raffa if that was the situation then why didn’t you say anything?」
「If I did would you have helped!?」
「Of course. Remember we had some Nobles held hostage. If I had known then I could have exchanged hostages with them in the negotiation. Those were Noble lives. If things went well we could have exchanged them for at least one or two elves.」
That is of course, predicated on the fact that they were still alive.
「N-no…b-but you said…w-we needed money. You wanted to exchange hostages to get money right?」
「Honestly, if it’s money then I have plenty of ways to obtain it. I would absolutely prioritize our family and friends. Raffa…why couldn’t you believe in me? If you’d just told me then…I could have helped….but now we don’t have any cards to negotiate with the Empire…」
「That’s why we should just offer up the Fire Foxes!! That’s right! It’s not too late. As the Chief you can officially trade the Fire Foxes for the Elves and…」
「Raffa. As the Chief of Erucy…it is my duty to treat both Elves and Fire Foxes equally. I will not offer lives in exchange for lives. You have made a horrible mistake. It would have been far better if you had simply talked to us before you attempted betrayal. Of course, if the captured Elves are truly still alive and in captivity I will try to save them. If we obtain some prisoners of war I will attempt an exchange.」
Upon hearing my words Raffa’s eyes opened wide as he cried out.
「Why…why is it like this!? Why…are the people who should be in our village not here!? Why are the Fire Foxes who shouldn’t be in our village living here!? Isn’t it weird!? Traitor! If you’re an elf than you should prioritize elves!!!」
He stared at Kuu as he repeatedly mutter “why” seemingly broken.
「What’s more Cyril! You asked 『Why didn’t you tell me sooner?』 right? Then let me ask YOU! Why didn’t you rise up sooner!?? You’re strong! You can do anything! Then…why…why didn’t you stand up two years…no even one year ago!? If you had I wouldn’t have lost my wife. Why? Why didn’t you do it if you could!? Is it that if Lucy isn’t in danger you couldn’t care less what happens to they others!?! What do you say Cyril?」
He screamed with a ghastly expression. Certainly, there were elves who thought similarly.
Why hadn’t I done something sooner? Those words burned in their chests.
「Because at that time I had neither courage nor power.」
As I said that Raffa suddenly shook off the people holding him down and swung at me. Roleau caught his fist and captured him once more before speaking.
「Resenting the Chief is barking up the wrong tree Raffa. Why didn’t you fight at that moment? Why didn’t you act instead of leaving it to others?」
「I’m not a superman like Cyril! I’m a normal Elf!」
「Just by saying that so easily…you have no right to throw blame on the Chief.」
Roleau stated simply as Raffa seemed to collapse.
「Raffa I have only one job for you.」
In this situation there was only one good option.
Raffa of course didn’t respond.
「Double Agent. When the Empire comes to contact you, you will leak the information I give you. Your recompense will be that I will prioritize retrieving your wife first during hostage exchanges.」
At those words Raffa raised his face.
「In the first place why do you believe that your wife is still alive after being taken by the Empire?」
「She’s alive….they said she was.」
「So in short…they could be deceiving you.」
At my words Raffa’s opened mouth froze making him look like a simpleton. By all rights the first thing he should have done was suspect their words…..Elves naturally had a more trusting nature that did not wish to suspect others. However, they must have taken advantage of Raffa’s weak heart and deceived him.
「I will add one more thing. I will confirm whether or not your wife is indeed alive. If you’re so desperate for the Empire’s answer you may use this.」
I took out a single Fire Magic Stone and placed it in Raffa’s hand.
「When you leak the information to them give them this magic stone and say you stole it from Erucy’s storehouse. Bring up the idea of trading for a chance to see your wife. If they immediately refuse, insist until you can ask them while staring straight into their eyes. If when you look at them they hesitate before answering…she’s probably dead. If they agree to it then at the meeting I will sweep in and immediately recover her.」
I had obtained Kuu’s permission for this beforehand. This was one of their mementos. Kuu had said we could use it to save some of our Elven comrades.
「I—I….」
Raffa struggled for a while before…
「I’ll…be your double agent.」
He said.
This was the only path to saving his wife now. There was no way he could refuse.
「I see. Then the next time you meet with the Empire you will tell them this…Erucy offered their iron-working technology and their crossbow blueprints to the Choline Kingdom and received food, money, and the support of their armed forces.」
「Oi Chief if we do that then…」
Roleau cried out in a panic.
「They’ll desperately come to attack us. To the extent that they’ll push themselves too hard to increase their forces and arrive here as soon as possible.」
After all, the Empire had an advantage in trade and military might because they were the only ones with an advanced iron-working technique. They would be unable to bear the losses that would come from a large country like the Choline Kingdom having even more advanced techniques than they did.
Furthermore, just this kind of compensation would be enough for the Choline Kingdom to send soldiers without hesitation. There would be a few thousand at least.
In truth this had been one of my previous plans. This method would guarantee our victory. However, it would be at the expense of creating a new and even more powerful enemy at our backs. It was a dangerous proposition.
If I was one of the leaders in charge of the Choline Kingdom I would definitely want to erase the source of the information to prevent any leaks after the fact.
「Chief…if you say this knowing that…you must be stirring something up.」
「It’d be best if they’re hobbled as much as possible right? The plan this time is……」
Then and there I began outlining our plan for this coming battle.
The viciousness and mercilessness would guide us to victory. Those in the room who felt it all gasped. Hobbling them just the right amount and making them understand why having them attack as soon as possible was the proper choice.
That’s why we would use Raffa to stir up the Empire’s sense of danger to force them to increase the number of forces they sent. It was for that reason I let Raffa live.
「Chief is that why you wanted the 20 elites and the two Fire Foxes? This would be impossible for normal Elves. They’d have to be carefully trained. If you’re teaching them Chief…you say they’ll be able to accomplish all this?」
「Of course. You know of my skill with a bow right? That is improved by a magic called 『Perception Expansion』. I have already taught it to Lucy and she can use it. If the twenty people train assiduously then by the time the snow melts they should be able to use it on a practical level.」
The minimum requirement for the elites would be to learn 『Perception Expansion』 and 『Body Enhancement』. They would have to be able to use them with some proficiency.
Though I said that I could get them to succeed because I was teaching them, normal methods would not work. Both of them were subtle magics. Even if they diligently trained, they were magic that would take a few years to learn skillfully.
Lucy’s ability to learn 『Perception Expansion』 so quickly was not normal. She was just abnormally talented.
That’s why within my 『Samsara Recursion』 I had chosen a normal human with some proficiency in these matters. If it was like that then I would be able to barely make it in time.
『Perception Expansion』 was an essential skill for a sniper. The ability to detect things even without seeing them, find hidden soldiers, be able to aim while still being aware of any enemies approaching, and the ability to prevent sneak attacks. Furthermore they would be able to move at night with no issues.
With 『Body Enhancement』 they would be able to use their arms to reload their crossbows without needing to use their legs or back. This would increase their firing rate. Furthermore, if they detected an encirclement by the enemy with 『Perception Expansion』 they could run away with absolute certainty using 『Body Enhancement』.
No matter what the situation they would be snipers who could not be caught. They were close to being foul play.
「Wow. So you’re saying I can be a monster like Chief?」
「Yep. In the first place most Elves have the ability to achieve this. It’s just that none of you knew how to train properly.」
Everyone couldn’t help but gulp.
At this moment we were just training twenty elite soldiers, but they were surely thinking of the future where all Elves learned these skills.
「Raffa, the information right now is true insider information that should not be leaked.」
Indeed, the plan itself along with the Elven snipers.
「I let you stay here because I think we can believe in you. Now that you understand our situation, I understand why you chose to surrender, and we have a path to save your wife.」
I said with a smile.
「Raffa…you understand now that we can win? You must understand that it is far better to bet on me than to think that the Empire will actually keep its promise and return your wife. So I will be counting on you to only say what I asked you to.」
「Cyril….no…Chief, thank you. You thought this far even for a traitor like me…」
Raffa’s voice broke as he spoke out. Leaving aside the betrayal itself, if it had exposed Erucy to danger I would loathe him.
「Raffa…if your wife is already dead…what will you do?」
「I’ll never forgive them. No matter what I will get my revenge.」
「I see…at least you have the proper resolution.」
「……yeah.」
Raffa nodded quietly.
「Next will be, when Raffa meets the Empire I will hide in the shadows to protect him. If push comes to shove I’ll have to step in. I’ll need you to inform me of the meeting place beforehand.」
「Chief being there gives me some peace of mind.」
Behind my smile I was planning to monitor him in case he decided to have a clandestine meeting without my knowledge. Then if during the meeting he decided to let loose some inconvenient information I had decided to kill them.
He wouldn’t know how large the range of my 『Perception Expansion』 was.
There’s no way I could trust him now. I was carrying the lives of all 250 people living in Erucy.
I had not forgiven Raffa. His actions had placed Erucy in danger and if he hadn’t been useful I would have judged him mercilessly.
After that we spoke a bit about how to choose the Elites before ending the meeting.
It was already evening by that point. There were certain dangers out at night so I escorted Kuu back to her lodging.
「Kuu, I’m sorry that I didn’t cover for you back there.」
「Uh-uh. I was happy when you said that you had to treat all Elves and Fire Foxes equally. As expected of my Husband.」
「As expected of my precious wife.」
「No.2 though~」
「Even the No.2 is my wife nonetheless.」
Kuu and I laughed.
「Your plan…though it might be weird to say…makes me excited. The finishing blow needs our Fire Fox power and I’m happy that we’ll be able to take vengeance with our own hands.」
Kuu said as she touched the necklace hanging from her neck. It was adorned with a blood red magic stone. That was the essence left over from her brother….a Fire Fox Magic Stone.
She would use this to exact her revenge on the Empire’s forces.
The Elves and Fire Foxes who were loved by their elements could not use the magic stones as assistance for magic, but if they used them as one-use items they could cast enormous spells.
「Kuu, you are their leader. You should not be taking things into your own hands. The dangerous things should be handled by those more suited to it. If something happens to you, things may very well fall apart.」
「Well you’re going out and fighting even though you’re the Chief…」
「It’s because I’m the strongest.」
「Then I’m the same. I’m the only Gold Fire Fox in this group. I’m the one who can do it best. The other one we should choose is Yukino since she is a silver fox.」
Fire Foxes had various colored hair. Amongst them the Gold and Silver ones had the most power overall.
「Leaving you aside Kuu…Yukino is still a child.」
「Even so. Since young we have been treated specially. It is our duty to step out onto the field of battle. In the case where a small elite force must fight, we need the most powerful members to ensure victory….we’ll follow up with her and Yukino is a far stronger girl than you think. She has strong feelings for her family. Kemin may look like the leader, but Yukino is the one who supports them.」
「I see…so she’s not just cute huh? ….I’ll leave it to you Kuu.」
Certainly strength of feelings and power were not restricted by age. In fact I was still only 14 myself.
「Cyril-kun, could I ask something?」
Kuu said anxiously with a bit of expectation in her voice.
「You said that you wouldn’t differentiate between Elves and Fire Foxes. But…what would happen if you truly had to choose between Lucy and me?」
I couldn’t give an answer.
I wasn’t wavering. The answer was decided. I would have to choose Lucy. But…I couldn’t say that. I loved Kuu too.
「Thank you. I can understand just from the look on your face. I’m relieved that you couldn’t answer easily…」
「….Kuu, I will…never allow such a situation to exist. I will make the two of you happy.
「I don’t doubt that. But…as a girl…I do wish I could be your number one some day.」
Kuu said a bit sadly before laughing a bit.
「Well, I’ll do my best so you love me more and more.」
She said with a smile.
I smiled back and opened my mouth.
「Kuu, before you head back to the communal house would you come to my workshop?」
「Yes, happily. But I’d like to ask you to put some cloth over the window please.」
「Why?」
「Sometimes those three peek in. The saw something strange and Kurone asked me. That’s how I found out.」
「…..that’s not good for their early education huh…」
The both of us smiled wryly and I went to grab a small blanket that we had made.
I shook my head at Raffa’s words that offered to give up the Fire Foxes and spoke.
「That’s no good. Even if we were to offer them up there is absolutely no guarantee of them letting us live in peace.」
「I said as long as we give them up we’ll be fine! Believe me!」
「On what basis are you saying this?」
「That’s…..anyways if we offer up the Fire Foxes we’ll be saved.」
Raffa argued desperately. However, I already knew he was a traitor actually…
「Even if provisionally, the Fire Foxes are the citizens of our country Erucy. I will not be selling out our citizens.」
「Fire Foxes are our comrades!? What are you saying!? This is an Elf Village!」
Raffa’s loud and hateful voice made Kuu’s shoulders slightly shudder.
I impulsively wanted to grasp her shoulder to help her calm down. However, doing so at this moment would only show a weak point.
「I can’t believe in this foolish and baseless argument. I even explained before that we cannot win with just Elves. From now on I intend to bring in other races, not just Fire Foxes, depending on the situation. That is the purpose of naming ourselves as Erucy. Raffa, just shut up from now on.」
「I won’t! What do you guys think!? The enemies will be 3,000…no more! Even if we fight we can’t win. We have no choice but to surrender. Can’t you understand that what I say is right? Not only that…if we…if we just give the Fire Foxes then!」
Raffa desperately turned and looked at everyone trying to find an ally. Yet no one nodded in agreement.
At this moment Roleau opened his mouth.
「Raffa, we’ve been in plenty of hopeless situations. Yet in each of them the Chief has led us past them. I will believe in him and apply myself to become one of the elites.」
「Roleau have you gone mad?」
「Plus…do you think I can trust the words of a traitor? Chief…it’s fine already right?」
「Yes…go ahead.」
At that moment Roleau signaled and some of the vigilante corps appeared and captured Raffa. Raffa looked up with a demonic expression as he glared hatefully at me.
「Raffa I’m sorry to have been forced to trick you in such a way. But…we know that you met secretly with Imperial Soldiers and leaked intelligence about Erucy. We have witnesses who saw first-hand so there is no use in making excuses. We only let you go so you could leak unimportant or beneficial info and to root out any other traitors.」
The reason I had let Raffa attend this meeting was to see if there were any other people who would work with him. After observing Raffa for the past few days and his current actions in the meeting, there was no need to question our conclusion.
「Saying that ‘if you give up the Fire Foxes you’ll be saved’ was something the Empire told you isn’t it?」
「Yeah, that’s right. But, what I said is the truth. So if we offer them up we’ll be saved. That’s what the Empire told me.」
「You can stop saying it. I won’t be selling out our comrades.」
「Damn it why!? It’s obvious that it’s better for us! Why can’t you understand!?」
Raffa’s desperation and anger echoed in the room.
「Raffa…why did you betray us? If you had leaked vital information Erucy could have been directly destroyed. Be they Elves or Fire Foxes, all of us would be dead or slaves.」
In the first place we hadn’t allowed Raffa to come in contact with vital information even once.
The greatest worries had been about the crossbows and the Fire Fox magic stones that Kuu had donated to Erucy. There was a risk of either of them being stolen, but the crossbows had serial numbers engraved in them. Furthermore those who had them were under strict supervision and had been told that they would be heavily punished if a single one were to be lost. In the case of the ones in the warehouse, they were being monitored 24/7 by elves that we trusted.
For Raffa both things were unobtainable.
For that reason, no matter what he leaked it would only be at the level of how many fighters we had, the performance of the crossbows, and individual combat ability.
Such things would’ve long been discovered by Imperial forces. The only true info they might have obtained was that I had been bluffing when I said there were stronger people than me in the village. These sorts of things had been bait for Raffa to observe his movements so there was no issue.
「…..I talked to him….the Empire’s Lurvish guy…he informed me that that was our only path of survival. What I’ve done can be considered betrayal…but this was done to save us.」
I see, so that was his reasoning. He decided to dishonor himself in an attempt to stop what he saw as a reckless and hopeless battle.
Those thoughts led him to not feel much guilt.
「They even said that…if us Elves surrendered they’d return them…My wife and my…that Lurvish bastard said they were still alive. See Cyril? If it was your Lucy who’d been taken and you were told the same thing…what would you DO!? Abandon her!? Can you even do that???」
We’ve gotten off topic for a while now. After he claimed his betrayal was all for the sake of Elves he suddenly cried about how it couldn’t be helped because they had his wife hostage.
Raffa truly wasn’t in a proper state of mind.
「As for me…I would not follow the Empire’s orders.」
「You can say anything! Are you that cold of a man to abandon the woman you love??」
「Nope. Even if I obeyed them there’s absolutely no way she would be returned to me. Think about it. Once they got their hands on the Fire Foxes, why would they purposefully repay a puppet who has lost their usefulness? Especially when they were an important source of magic stones and a woman capable of birthing more elves.」
Up until now, the only reason they had not kidnapped every single Elven woman was because it was far easier for Elves to conceive children with each other. The efficiency of having an Elf Village was much higher and they could even collect taxes while they were at it.
If they were unable to satisfy their need for elves by having us sacrifice them, they would instead breed their own using our women even if the efficiency was lower.
At this point, I sincerely doubted that Raffa’s wife was still alive and even if she was there was no way they would let go of one of the few female elves that they had.
Especially when they rarely ever chose women as sacrifices. Those they had chosen were Raffa’s wife who had been weakened by disease, Lucy’s weak bodied younger sister, and old elven women. Each and every one of them could not be expected to do manual labor or bear more children. There was no way they would survive or be let free.
「A hostage huh….Raffa if that was the situation then why didn’t you say anything?」
「If I did would you have helped!?」
「Of course. Remember we had some Nobles held hostage. If I had known then I could have exchanged hostages with them in the negotiation. Those were Noble lives. If things went well we could have exchanged them for at least one or two elves.」
That is of course, predicated on the fact that they were still alive.
「N-no…b-but you said…w-we needed money. You wanted to exchange hostages to get money right?」
「Honestly, if it’s money then I have plenty of ways to obtain it. I would absolutely prioritize our family and friends. Raffa…why couldn’t you believe in me? If you’d just told me then…I could have helped….but now we don’t have any cards to negotiate with the Empire…」
「That’s why we should just offer up the Fire Foxes!! That’s right! It’s not too late. As the Chief you can officially trade the Fire Foxes for the Elves and…」
「Raffa. As the Chief of Erucy…it is my duty to treat both Elves and Fire Foxes equally. I will not offer lives in exchange for lives. You have made a horrible mistake. It would have been far better if you had simply talked to us before you attempted betrayal. Of course, if the captured Elves are truly still alive and in captivity I will try to save them. If we obtain some prisoners of war I will attempt an exchange.」
Upon hearing my words Raffa’s eyes opened wide as he cried out.
「Why…why is it like this!? Why…are the people who should be in our village not here!? Why are the Fire Foxes who shouldn’t be in our village living here!? Isn’t it weird!? Traitor! If you’re an elf than you should prioritize elves!!!」
He stared at Kuu as he repeatedly mutter “why” seemingly broken.
「What’s more Cyril! You asked 『Why didn’t you tell me sooner?』 right? Then let me ask YOU! Why didn’t you rise up sooner!?? You’re strong! You can do anything! Then…why…why didn’t you stand up two years…no even one year ago!? If you had I wouldn’t have lost my wife. Why? Why didn’t you do it if you could!? Is it that if Lucy isn’t in danger you couldn’t care less what happens to they others!?! What do you say Cyril?」
He screamed with a ghastly expression. Certainly, there were elves who thought similarly.
Why hadn’t I done something sooner? Those words burned in their chests.
「Because at that time I had neither courage nor power.」
As I said that Raffa suddenly shook off the people holding him down and swung at me. Roleau caught his fist and captured him once more before speaking.
「Resenting the Chief is barking up the wrong tree Raffa. Why didn’t you fight at that moment? Why didn’t you act instead of leaving it to others?」
「I’m not a superman like Cyril! I’m a normal Elf!」
「Just by saying that so easily…you have no right to throw blame on the Chief.」
Roleau stated simply as Raffa seemed to collapse.
「Raffa I have only one job for you.」
In this situation there was only one good option.
Raffa of course didn’t respond.
「Double Agent. When the Empire comes to contact you, you will leak the information I give you. Your recompense will be that I will prioritize retrieving your wife first during hostage exchanges.」
At those words Raffa raised his face.
「In the first place why do you believe that your wife is still alive after being taken by the Empire?」
「She’s alive….they said she was.」
「So in short…they could be deceiving you.」
At my words Raffa’s opened mouth froze making him look like a simpleton. By all rights the first thing he should have done was suspect their words…..Elves naturally had a more trusting nature that did not wish to suspect others. However, they must have taken advantage of Raffa’s weak heart and deceived him.
「I will add one more thing. I will confirm whether or not your wife is indeed alive. If you’re so desperate for the Empire’s answer you may use this.」
I took out a single Fire Magic Stone and placed it in Raffa’s hand.
「When you leak the information to them give them this magic stone and say you stole it from Erucy’s storehouse. Bring up the idea of trading for a chance to see your wife. If they immediately refuse, insist until you can ask them while staring straight into their eyes. If when you look at them they hesitate before answering…she’s probably dead. If they agree to it then at the meeting I will sweep in and immediately recover her.」
I had obtained Kuu’s permission for this beforehand. This was one of their mementos. Kuu had said we could use it to save some of our Elven comrades.
「I—I….」
Raffa struggled for a while before…
「I’ll…be your double agent.」
He said.
This was the only path to saving his wife now. There was no way he could refuse.
「I see. Then the next time you meet with the Empire you will tell them this…Erucy offered their iron-working technology and their crossbow blueprints to the Choline Kingdom and received food, money, and the support of their armed forces.」
「Oi Chief if we do that then…」
Roleau cried out in a panic.
「They’ll desperately come to attack us. To the extent that they’ll push themselves too hard to increase their forces and arrive here as soon as possible.」
After all, the Empire had an advantage in trade and military might because they were the only ones with an advanced iron-working technique. They would be unable to bear the losses that would come from a large country like the Choline Kingdom having even more advanced techniques than they did.
Furthermore, just this kind of compensation would be enough for the Choline Kingdom to send soldiers without hesitation. There would be a few thousand at least.
In truth this had been one of my previous plans. This method would guarantee our victory. However, it would be at the expense of creating a new and even more powerful enemy at our backs. It was a dangerous proposition.
If I was one of the leaders in charge of the Choline Kingdom I would definitely want to erase the source of the information to prevent any leaks after the fact.
「Chief…if you say this knowing that…you must be stirring something up.」
「It’d be best if they’re hobbled as much as possible right? The plan this time is……」
Then and there I began outlining our plan for this coming battle.
The viciousness and mercilessness would guide us to victory. Those in the room who felt it all gasped. Hobbling them just the right amount and making them understand why having them attack as soon as possible was the proper choice.
That’s why we would use Raffa to stir up the Empire’s sense of danger to force them to increase the number of forces they sent. It was for that reason I let Raffa live.
「Chief is that why you wanted the 20 elites and the two Fire Foxes? This would be impossible for normal Elves. They’d have to be carefully trained. If you’re teaching them Chief…you say they’ll be able to accomplish all this?」
「Of course. You know of my skill with a bow right? That is improved by a magic called 『Perception Expansion』. I have already taught it to Lucy and she can use it. If the twenty people train assiduously then by the time the snow melts they should be able to use it on a practical level.」
The minimum requirement for the elites would be to learn 『Perception Expansion』 and 『Body Enhancement』. They would have to be able to use them with some proficiency.
Though I said that I could get them to succeed because I was teaching them, normal methods would not work. Both of them were subtle magics. Even if they diligently trained, they were magic that would take a few years to learn skillfully.
Lucy’s ability to learn 『Perception Expansion』 so quickly was not normal. She was just abnormally talented.
That’s why within my 『Samsara Recursion』 I had chosen a normal human with some proficiency in these matters. If it was like that then I would be able to barely make it in time.
『Perception Expansion』 was an essential skill for a sniper. The ability to detect things even without seeing them, find hidden soldiers, be able to aim while still being aware of any enemies approaching, and the ability to prevent sneak attacks. Furthermore they would be able to move at night with no issues.
With 『Body Enhancement』 they would be able to use their arms to reload their crossbows without needing to use their legs or back. This would increase their firing rate. Furthermore, if they detected an encirclement by the enemy with 『Perception Expansion』 they could run away with absolute certainty using 『Body Enhancement』.
No matter what the situation they would be snipers who could not be caught. They were close to being foul play.
「Wow. So you’re saying I can be a monster like Chief?」
「Yep. In the first place most Elves have the ability to achieve this. It’s just that none of you knew how to train properly.」
Everyone couldn’t help but gulp.
At this moment we were just training twenty elite soldiers, but they were surely thinking of the future where all Elves learned these skills.
「Raffa, the information right now is true insider information that should not be leaked.」
Indeed, the plan itself along with the Elven snipers.
「I let you stay here because I think we can believe in you. Now that you understand our situation, I understand why you chose to surrender, and we have a path to save your wife.」
I said with a smile.
「Raffa…you understand now that we can win? You must understand that it is far better to bet on me than to think that the Empire will actually keep its promise and return your wife. So I will be counting on you to only say what I asked you to.」
「Cyril….no…Chief, thank you. You thought this far even for a traitor like me…」
Raffa’s voice broke as he spoke out. Leaving aside the betrayal itself, if it had exposed Erucy to danger I would loathe him.
「Raffa…if your wife is already dead…what will you do?」
「I’ll never forgive them. No matter what I will get my revenge.」
「I see…at least you have the proper resolution.」
「……yeah.」
Raffa nodded quietly.
「Next will be, when Raffa meets the Empire I will hide in the shadows to protect him. If push comes to shove I’ll have to step in. I’ll need you to inform me of the meeting place beforehand.」
「Chief being there gives me some peace of mind.」
Behind my smile I was planning to monitor him in case he decided to have a clandestine meeting without my knowledge. Then if during the meeting he decided to let loose some inconvenient information I had decided to kill them.
He wouldn’t know how large the range of my 『Perception Expansion』 was.
There’s no way I could trust him now. I was carrying the lives of all 250 people living in Erucy.
I had not forgiven Raffa. His actions had placed Erucy in danger and if he hadn’t been useful I would have judged him mercilessly.
After that we spoke a bit about how to choose the Elites before ending the meeting.
It was already evening by that point. There were certain dangers out at night so I escorted Kuu back to her lodging.
「Kuu, I’m sorry that I didn’t cover for you back there.」
「Uh-uh. I was happy when you said that you had to treat all Elves and Fire Foxes equally. As expected of my Husband.」
「As expected of my precious wife.」
「No.2 though~」
「Even the No.2 is my wife nonetheless.」
Kuu and I laughed.
「Your plan…though it might be weird to say…makes me excited. The finishing blow needs our Fire Fox power and I’m happy that we’ll be able to take vengeance with our own hands.」
Kuu said as she touched the necklace hanging from her neck. It was adorned with a blood red magic stone. That was the essence left over from her brother….a Fire Fox Magic Stone.
She would use this to exact her revenge on the Empire’s forces.
The Elves and Fire Foxes who were loved by their elements could not use the magic stones as assistance for magic, but if they used them as one-use items they could cast enormous spells.
「Kuu, you are their leader. You should not be taking things into your own hands. The dangerous things should be handled by those more suited to it. If something happens to you, things may very well fall apart.」
「Well you’re going out and fighting even though you’re the Chief…」
「It’s because I’m the strongest.」
「Then I’m the same. I’m the only Gold Fire Fox in this group. I’m the one who can do it best. The other one we should choose is Yukino since she is a silver fox.」
Fire Foxes had various colored hair. Amongst them the Gold and Silver ones had the most power overall.
「Leaving you aside Kuu…Yukino is still a child.」
「Even so. Since young we have been treated specially. It is our duty to step out onto the field of battle. In the case where a small elite force must fight, we need the most powerful members to ensure victory….we’ll follow up with her and Yukino is a far stronger girl than you think. She has strong feelings for her family. Kemin may look like the leader, but Yukino is the one who supports them.」
「I see…so she’s not just cute huh? ….I’ll leave it to you Kuu.」
Certainly strength of feelings and power were not restricted by age. In fact I was still only 14 myself.
「Cyril-kun, could I ask something?」
Kuu said anxiously with a bit of expectation in her voice.
「You said that you wouldn’t differentiate between Elves and Fire Foxes. But…what would happen if you truly had to choose between Lucy and me?」
I couldn’t give an answer.
I wasn’t wavering. The answer was decided. I would have to choose Lucy. But…I couldn’t say that. I loved Kuu too.
「Thank you. I can understand just from the look on your face. I’m relieved that you couldn’t answer easily…」
「….Kuu, I will…never allow such a situation to exist. I will make the two of you happy.
「I don’t doubt that. But…as a girl…I do wish I could be your number one some day.」
Kuu said a bit sadly before laughing a bit.
「Well, I’ll do my best so you love me more and more.」
She said with a smile.
I smiled back and opened my mouth.
「Kuu, before you head back to the communal house would you come to my workshop?」
「Yes, happily. But I’d like to ask you to put some cloth over the window please.」
「Why?」
「Sometimes those three peek in. The saw something strange and Kurone asked me. That’s how I found out.」
「…..that’s not good for their early education huh…」
The both of us smiled wryly and I went to grab a small blanket that we had made.
