Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 299

299―――――

Lies told with sincerity, drama bordering on absurdity.

Let’s rewind time a bit, to the day before this all unfolded.

Sion, upon hearing from Clausen’s messenger that Griffin was approaching the main force, carrying Helen and a guest after their trip to the royal castle, tilted his head in confusion.

While returning to Clausen to rest would have been the most logical choice, it struck him as odd that Griffin was crossing the border to reach the Hispaña main force, especially with a guest in tow.

‘It couldn’t be Helen herself.’

Who could this guest possibly be?

‘Perhaps representatives from the beastmen tribes?’

But they were notoriously stubborn and resistant to diplomacy.

‘Who else could it be?’

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t imagine who might be considered a guest worthy of such an escort.

Just as he was lost in thought, another message arrived from Clausen.

More precisely, it was a message relayed by Helen.

‘An elf?’

The news was completely unexpected.

Why would an elf suddenly seek out the Hispaña army, and why him specifically?

Sion frowned and continued reading Helen’s letter.

—It seems there’s some unrest among the elves.

Without providing many details, they simply requested a meeting with a high-ranking human representative of Hispaña. I suggested you, Young Master.

It’s not just my personal opinion; from the kingdom’s perspective, you have the strongest ties to the royal palace.

—

It wasn’t mere flattery.

Indeed, few in Hispaña currently possessed as much recognition or held as much influence as Sion.

Of course, there were figures like Marquis Volko Redenen and Marquis Joaquin, but they lacked any direct connection to Helen.

Therefore, from Helen’s point of view, Sion was the most logical choice.

—They’re being evasive, but considering the circumstances, it seems they wish to convey something important to Hispaña.

I trust that Young Master Sion can interpret their message effectively and relay it to the kingdom.

What’s certain is that this will be beneficial to you, Young Master.

—

It seemed Helen hadn’t managed to extract much information from the elf either.

But she must have had a compelling reason to be so confident.

And a few hours later…

Sion was there to greet the elf, who had journeyed from the elven forest to the royal castle, then from the royal castle to Clausen, and finally, aboard a Griffin, to the Hispaña main force, without rest.

‘…Huh?’

Sion couldn’t suppress his surprise when he heard the elf woman’s name.

As the story diverged further from the novel’s original plot, some characters appeared earlier or later than expected, but this woman’s appearance was particularly delayed.

“Hello, Sion Clausen.

I am Sirien, representing the authority of the tribal elders.”

“Ah, yes.

Sirien… is it.”

So, this was when she appeared.

Despite being an elf, she didn’t harbor any particular animosity towards humans, which allowed her to act as a liaison between the two races.

She eventually met Kim Yu-hyun and developed a close rapport, but she was tragically killed by radical elves for being too friendly with humans.

‘Of course, Kim Yu-hyun only saw her as a colleague from a different race.’

Sirien greeted Sion without any airs or attempts to impress.

However, she subtly glanced around, indicating her desire for a private conversation later.

“Rishi? Could you excuse us for a moment?”

“Yes, understood, Master!”

Rishiki bowed and exited the tent, closing the entrance flap behind her.

Sion turned his attention back to the elf woman.

“I heard from Helen that you came from the elves’ forest.”

“Yes. I’ve come to deliver the elders’ will, with their full authority.”

“The will of the elf elders?”

“It may not represent the views of all tribes, but it certainly reflects the sentiments of those who are friendly to Hispaña.”

The elves’ deliberate use of the word ‘friendly’ towards humans strongly suggested that the news she carried was favorable.

Sion offered her a seat and brewed some tea, a hobby he occasionally indulged in, before offering her a cup.

“Thank you.”

Sirien smiled warmly in gratitude, then delicately lifted the teacup with graceful movements and took a sip.

“You seem surprised by my unexpected arrival.”

After savoring the tea, Sirien cautiously broached the main topic.

Sion nodded, choosing to listen attentively to fully grasp her intentions.

“Indeed. It’s quite surprising to learn that the elves harbor friendly intentions towards Hispaña.”

“…Recently, the beastmen leaders paid a visit to our elven settlements.”

From this, Sion gathered that the situation in the north had been resolved successfully.

The beastmen had identified the elves responsible for luring monsters towards Hispaña’s northern border. While dealing with the monsters, they had also subdued the rogue elves and sought answers from the elven elders.

This outcome was inevitable, as Sion had previously leaked information to the beastmen, suggesting that ‘the elves are trying to frame the beastmen and incite conflict with humans.’

“The beastmen?”

Of course, Sion feigned ignorance.

‘I know that the beastmen and elves traditionally have a strained relationship, right?’

That was the key.

“Yes. They claimed to be on a hunting expedition in the north when they encountered a very unpleasant incident.”

“An unpleasant incident? Was it unpleasant for the elves, or…”

“For elves, humans, and even beastmen. It was an unpleasant incident for everyone involved.”

“I believe a more detailed explanation is necessary.”

“I’m already aware of the situation, thanks to the beastmen.

There was a monster attack on a place called Clausen in Hispaña, orchestrated by our elves, who then attempted to shift the blame onto the beastmen, correct?”

Upon hearing these words, Sion immediately began to act.

A touch of embarrassment, a hint of surprise, and an undercurrent of anger and displeasure.

Observing Sion’s seemingly poor attempt at concealing his emotions, Sirien sighed and appeared deeply troubled.

“If you’re concerned about the relationship between Hispaña and the elves, I sincerely apologize.

The elders have also expressed their regret. Our tribes are so fragmented and independent that it’s become difficult to discern right from wrong.”

“Does that mean…?”

“It appears that some elves harbor impure motives.

They may present themselves as noble and virtuous, but their hearts are tainted.”

“…”

“This news from the north was effectively suppressed by the beastmen, preventing it from reaching the human side. However, if those elves had succeeded in luring the monsters near the border, the northern regions of Hispaña would have been severely destabilized.

If that had happened…”

If that had happened, another rumor about ‘demon followers causing trouble’ would have spread, further complicating matters for the royal family and the nobility.

Sion nodded, as if he could foresee the consequences, and Sirien’s expression grew mournful.

“There’s a tribe among the elves that’s excessively fixated on the will of light.

Initially, I believed they were acting solely for the greater good, but it seems their misguided beliefs have led them astray.

As a result, Hispaña suffered, the beastmen were almost unjustly accused, and the elves risked facing a large-scale attack from Hispaña, who would have learned the truth without understanding the full context.”

“As they intended, it nearly came to pass.”

“Yes. Fortunately, Sion Clausen stands before me.

I heard that you intervened, uncovered the truth, and somehow forged a bond with King Geus of the Myoeun tribe.”

Sirien smiled as Sion nodded.

If he hadn’t met Helen first, Sion might have sighed in relief while gazing at a smile that would have made him exclaim ‘Wow’ without realizing it.

Otherwise, with Lilith’s mood being particularly volatile these days, any sign of wavering towards an elf would have resulted in him being overworked to death eighteen times over.

“So, the elders have decided that the time has come to make a decision.”

“A decision?”

“As you know, elves are a race that reveres the light.

We despise evil and abhor injustice.

While others may perceive us as excessively self-absorbed, and it’s true that we tend to overlook other races, we’ve never harbored the intention of conquering them by force or eradicating them from this world altogether.

Elves cherish peace and harmony.”

“I understand.”

“But some within our tribe have abandoned the elven ideals and are pursuing something else, even though it will undoubtedly create difficulties for the tribe and ultimately lead to hardship.”

“…”

“So, they’ve made a decision and granted me the authority to deliver it.”

Clatter.

Setting down the teacup, Sirien continued in a resolute voice.

“Whether those who have strayed from the path and believe that their wrongdoings are justified should still be considered part of our tribe, even if their existence is deeply significant to the elves.”

―

“Long time no see, Pintz Moahen, Elf who carries on the will of the forest.”

“You are…”

“I am Sirien of the Black Ancient Tree tribe.

Representing the will of the elders, I left the forest on a long journey and now stand before Pintz.”

“What nonsense is this? The will of the elders, you say.”

“I have heard everything. I, the elders, and many within our tribe are aware that we elves are constantly causing disgraceful incidents under the guise of elven ideals.”

“You’re mistaken. We are the ones preventing disgraceful incidents. Even now!”

At Pintz’s words, Sirien shook her head.

As if her mind was already made up, she stared at the other party with slightly narrowed eyes.

“Descendants of light, great beings. Yes. I agree that the Celestials are amazing. I will also admit that the elves have benefited greatly from them. But, but this isn’t right. To sacrifice our tribe for them? Are you even willing to start a war with another race?”

“Don’t be foolish. This is a false accusation. We are…”

“If you can’t even provide a proper explanation to the human side, to Sion Clausen, I have no choice but to become even more suspicious.”

Sirien’s appearance was a complete shock to Pintz and the radical elves.

In the conflict between humans and elves, they had planned to portray the humans of Hispaña as the villains and themselves, claiming to be the seeds of the descendants of light, as the heroes. But suddenly, another elf appeared and put pressure on them, and the narrative shifted in an unexpected direction.

Humans who were falsely accused and misunderstood, seeking to clear their name.

Elves who manipulated humans and framed them to conceal their own ugliness.

And other elves who seemed weary of the ugliness of those tribes and displayed caution.

‘Damn it! Why are those who were stuck in the forest suddenly emerging!’

A race that lived for their own excellence, the elves had no intention of leaving the forest.

The radical elves had decided that they could no longer rely on other tribes and had separated themselves.

Naturally, they became isolated from news from the forest, and especially after the intense confrontation during the elf village attack incident, the relationship deteriorated further.

Sion exploited that gap, hammering and chiseling away, until the crack inevitably widened!

“Presumptuous! Sirien, don’t you recognize this person?

Pintz Moahen, the one who carries on the will of the forest.”

“So?”

“Are you questioning this person’s will? The one who carries on the will of the forest, a hero to the elves?”

“Do you call someone who endangers the tribe a hero? I don’t think so.”

Sirien retorted coldly.

As a result, not only Pintz but also the radical elves were momentarily taken aback.

The one who carries on the will of the forest, among the elves, is a figure who evokes the feeling of being a descendant of a legendary hero.

An existence that guides the tribes towards a more righteous and prosperous path.

Therefore, many of the radical elves followed Pintz, the one who carried on the will of the forest, and proclaimed that they should realize the will of light.

But Sirien directly challenged Pintz.

With an expression that seemed to say, ‘What’s so special about being the one who carries on the will of the forest?’ she continued.

“It’s not just my opinion. What exactly is the one who carries on the will of the forest? Isn’t it someone who fights for our tribe, the elves? But Pintz is fighting for something other than the elves, even at the expense of the tribe.”

“Foolish! There are unavoidable sacrifices for the sake of the greater good!”

“That greater good, feel free to pursue it. But to me, the words ‘finding the greater good’ from someone who disregards small things sound like a pathetic joke.”

Pintz, the one who carries on the will of the forest, was being thoroughly dismissed.

One of Pintz’s subordinates, unable to bear it any longer, shouted with an angry face, perhaps because she never imagined being treated this way, even by her own tribe.

“Foolish! You’ve been stuck in the forest for so long that your mind has become as rigid as a tree! Daring to speak to her like that without knowing anything! Foolishly deceived by that demon follower’s lies, those stinky beastmen, and now even the tribe…”

“How did you know that?”

Suddenly, Sion stepped forward and spoke.

With piercing eyes and a subtle smile playing on his lips, he repeated the question to the elf who had uttered the words ‘deceived by lies’.

“How did you know that, elf?”

“What nonsense are you spouting? What are you trying to imply…”

“That the beastmen and elves all rose up because they were deceived by lies. That testimony given by the elf here, the one you claim is a demon follower, that it’s a lie. How do you know that!”

When agitated, one speaks, and when one speaks, one makes mistakes.

And in a situation where every word carried such weight, that mistake was a shortcut to the worst possible outcome.

Sion approached Novashi and gently pressed his head.

Then, Novashi trembled and began to confess the story as Sion intended.

“T, that was the lie I originally told… T, the truth is, in fact, the intention was to make humans unable to cooperate with each other, and to make all races suspicious and fight each other… to drive them to self-destruction or until then. That’s what I discussed with my comrades…”

“…Ah.”

“T, th, that…”

Be stubborn, ignore, whatever.

Just don’t get agitated.

The moment you become agitated and angry, you’ve already lost, regardless of the situation.

Recalling the wisdom of his great sage father, who had sat him down and imparted the lessons of life on the day he lost a verbal sparring match with a female classmate and returned home fuming, Sion once again offered his gratitude.