RHFTY chapter 74

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Seeing the elven army approaching close enough to feel their presence, Chaeyi exchanged a quick glance with Delion, then lifted the Resonance Flute hanging around his neck and played a note.

Whoosh.

A clear sound drifted on the wind.

Since Silviet had mentioned he would be waiting as close as possible, it wouldn’t take long for him to hear the sound and fly over.

Soon, the elven forces halted on the sacred hill.

As an elf adorned with a laurel crown approached with his sword drawn, Chaeyi stepped forward to meet him.

A tense atmosphere stretched between the two sides.

While his companions stood behind him, watching with concern, the elves regarded Chaeyi with a strange aura.

Minutes passed in silence.

Finally, the leading elf gazed intently at Chaeyi and spoke.

“We are here to clear away any obstacles. It would be wise for you to step aside.”

The elf’s tone was surprisingly gentle, something they had not anticipated.

Chaeyi’s companions, who had been holding their breath, were visibly unsettled.

It was astonishing enough that the elves weren’t brandishing their weapons, but the truly surprising moment came shortly after.

“I have a proposal,” Chaeyi began.

“…And what might that be?”

The elves, unexpectedly, seemed open to hearing him out.

Even Clement, who watched the scene with his own eyes, could hardly believe it.

‘What could be different about him?’

To Clement, Chaeyi looked like an ordinary, unimpressive beta.

And the elves were not known as a species that sympathized with the weak.

Why, then, were they treating this beta so uniquely?

Even Chaeyi didn’t fully understand why, but perhaps the elves had seen something in him that others hadn’t.

“I want to resolve this peacefully, without fighting,” Chaeyi said, getting straight to the point.

The elven leader fell silent once more.

With all the elves masked, it was impossible to read their expressions.

Yet, Chaeyi sensed that they were open to discussion.

He was certain that he could broker a peaceful resolution if he handled it carefully.

Moments later…

“And if I refuse?”

The elf’s response, tinged with a hint of amusement, put Chaeyi’s companions on edge, ready to spring into action.

The tension was razor-sharp, as if the slightest movement from the elves would spark an all-out clash.

Flap.

Suddenly, a sound cut through the air, drawing the attention of both Chaeyi’s group and the elves to the sky.

Silviet descended, landing protectively around Chaeyi.

“Chaeyi!”

Silviet nudged Chaeyi’s face affectionately with his snout.

When Chaeyi scratched under his chin, Silviet purred, adorable like a kitten.

He only showed this side of himself to Chaeyi, though; his golden eyes, as they turned toward the elf leader, were as fierce as a snake spotting its prey.

“So, I can kill them all now, right?”

At first glance, it seemed that negotiations had broken down and that a fight was inevitable. But—

“Hold on.”

Chaeyi raised a hand to stop Silviet, who looked ready to pounce, and turned back to the elf.

His gaze was steady, showing no sign of wavering, while the elves still hadn’t shown any hostility toward him.

It was clear to anyone who looked closely: the elves did not seem intent on actually fighting.

“A dragon, is it? A fledgling, perhaps, but still, it’s unfortunate we won’t be able to test our skills against it,” muttered the elf as he sheathed his sword, motioning to his companions.

The other elves, observing the situation, followed suit, one by one, sheathing their weapons.

“Very well. We’ll agree to your proposal. However, if we cannot find a suitable compromise in our discussions, don’t expect us to hold back.”

With that, the notion of “peaceful negotiation” with the elves became a reality.

With the situation deescalated, Chaeyi’s companions lowered their weapons and relaxed.

Delion ordered his knights to bring the dwarves out of hiding.

Recognizing that things had settled down, Silviet rubbed his cheek against Chaeyi’s and asked:

“Chaeyi, did I do well?”

“Yes. Thank you for coming to help.”

“Mm!”

Silviet, purring like a kitten, allowed Chaeyi to pet him, all traces of his earlier ferocity gone.

He then shifted into his polymorphed form and hugged Chaeyi tightly, like a child clutching their favorite toy.

Leonard, clearly not fond of Silviet’s clinginess, quickly pushed him away.

After the dwarves returned, a formal three-way negotiation began with the elves.

While they conversed privately, Chaeyi took Silviet and Enoch for a stroll.

It was still morning, and the cool air made it perfect for a walk.

Despite the elven guards waiting outside, Chaeyi’s knights were also on standby, making an incident unlikely.

“I never imagined the elves would be so cooperative,” Enoch admitted. “I thought they’d be more reluctant, given the damage from previous attacks. How did you manage it?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure either,” Chaeyi replied, shaking his head.

While he had anticipated this outcome, he still didn’t fully understand why the elves were being so receptive.

Then, suddenly, among the waiting elves, Chaeyi spotted a familiar presence.

It was hard to tell with the masks, but something felt familiar—perhaps it was the scar on his waist, courtesy of Leonard.

It was the same elf who had once tried to kill him but held back at the last moment.

If curious, one might as well ask directly.

As Chaeyi approached, a few elves turned to look at him.

Enoch, flustered, began to fidget nervously.

The elf with the scar crossed his arms and turned to face Chaeyi.

“That scar,” Chaeyi pointed out, “you’re the one who almost killed me last time, aren’t you?”

“….”

“I want to know—why did you spare me then?”

The elf tilted his head at Chaeyi’s straightforward question, a hint of mockery seemingly visible behind his mask.

Without warning, he leaned in close, gripping Chaeyi’s chin lightly.

A low chuckle escaped from behind the mask.

“We don’t harm ‘children like you.’ You’re special to us. A creature with pure, life-giving energy like yours… is rare, like the World Tree.”

…Pure life energy?

What did that mean?

As Chaeyi pondered this new mystery, the other elves, who had been observing in silence, began to chime in, a certain ease in their voices as they spoke up.

“True. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a human with such a pure soul. Or perhaps… is this the first time?”

“Yes, the first among humans.”

“The last pure soul I saw wasn’t human either. It was a creature from a minority species about two hundred years ago.”

“Ah, right. Many species look similar to humans, so it’s easy to forget.”

---

Caught off guard by the strange conversation about “purity of soul” that felt like something out of a dubious cult, Chaeyi glanced around.

Just then, those involved in the tense negotiation began to file out, one by one.

All eyes converged on them, a clear sign that the discussion—whether it had gone well or poorly—had finally come to an end.

“How did it go?” Chaeyi asked, turning toward them.

Delion, walking alongside the elves adorned with laurel crowns, nodded and replied, “We reached an agreement: we won’t consume more than a set amount of the World Tree’s roots each year, and until new roots grow, they’ll remain undisturbed.”

It seemed that the matter had been resolved peacefully.

“In front of those who are no longer our enemies, wearing masks of hostility would be impolite. Let’s remove them,” someone said.

With that, the elves began to take off their masks, revealing the faces they had concealed.

Gold hair shimmered, and vivid emerald eyes emerged, drawing the attention of everyone present.

Their hidden beauty was unveiled for the first time.

“…I could die without regrets now…”

Clemant stared, captivated, while nearby, Selian cast him a disgusted look and stomped on his foot to snap him out of it.

Kukuf, who had been looking unusually down lately, broke into a broad smile and brought out a large wooden cask.

“Tonight, we celebrate reconciliation!”

Thus, the festival of reconciliation was declared.

Even the elves joined in, and the revelry lasted until dawn.

Cups were raised, and elves even bonded with dwarves, slinging arms around each other.

Most of the elves, however, flocked to Chaeyi, engaging him in conversation, clearly fascinated.

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