Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 94

94

If you want peace, prepare for war.

“…Ha.”

After hearing the whole story from Sion, Count Lichten’s reaction was, unsurprisingly, a sigh filled with disbelief and incredulity.

He was already well aware that the Elves looked down on humans, refusing to mingle and always considering them beneath themselves.

But to not only attack the Royal Castle but also drive monsters into Clausen Territory, the forefront of Hispania, with the aim of isolating it, and furthermore, to move Nudia to try and bring it down!

“I simply cannot believe these stories.”

“If you doubt it, you can go to the interrogation room and see the Elf yourself.”

“That’s not it.

It’s not that I doubt your words, it’s just that it doesn’t quite sink in.

Ha…

What on earth is going on?”

Sion nodded as if he fully understood Count Lichten’s words.

In fact, he had expected this reaction from the start.

‘Demons’ evoke all sorts of negative images, ‘Beastmen’ evoke wildness.

‘Dwarves’ evoke images of artisans—these are the humans of the continent.

It’s not wrong.

All those things are kinds of stereotypes that inevitably take hold because they have been heard and learned since childhood.

‘In that regard, Elves have a pretty good image among humans compared to other races.

Not to mention the Celestials.’

Although they are annoying, excessively arrogant, and live with a sense of their own superiority.

Also, a forest race that exudes noble, breathtakingly enchanting, beautiful, and elegant grace.

That was what humans thought of Elves.

Who would have imagined that they were such an evil race as to devise such a terrifying plan to wipe them all out, even if they considered humans lowly?

‘That perception has been completely overturned today, so it’s no wonder they’re surprised.

In fact, Lucia showed a bit of embarrassment too.’

Sion sighed inwardly and stared at Count Lichten.

The matter of the Elves was a problem, but an even bigger problem was about to unfold before their eyes.

“I heard you sent a letter to Count Basura.”

“That’s right.”

“What was his reply?”

“He says he knows nothing about it, that he has never sent any news to the Royal Castle, and that he was even considering supporting our territory after hearing about the frequent monster attacks.”

“…Do you believe that to be true?”

At that question, Sion paused for a moment and pondered.

Although a truce had been signed, Nudia and Hispania still had an uneasy relationship.

Count Basura of Nudia was trying to help Clausen Territory, which was suffering from monster invasions.

If such a statement had been made at any other time, Sion would have immediately suspected him.

‘But.’

However, Count Basura was clearly in a position where he had been caught with all sorts of weaknesses, no different from a fish out of water.

Unless he performed some incredible feat, no, even if he did, his political enemies would immediately push him out because of those tremendous weaknesses.

‘Of course, he could risk exposing those weaknesses to strike Clausen.

Well, it’s a story that might come out in a book or movie, but it’s not entirely impossible.

Still…’

If Count Basura had been a nobleman loyal to Nudia, Sion would have been wary.

But he was like himself, someone who cherished ‘himself’ more.

From the start, his character in the novel was an extremely personal, even selfish man.

A nobleman who only cared about his territory, his authority, and his wealth, rather than the country.

Since this side held the very weaknesses that could end his noble life in an instant, there was no way he would be uncooperative.

“I can’t rest assured until I receive some rough intelligence on Nudia’s movements.”

Count Lichten pressed his temples as if his head was aching.

In less than a few months, there had been war, negotiations, an attack on the Royal Castle, an assassination attempt on Sion, a slave market, monster attacks on the territory, and the revelation that Elves were behind it all.

It was a wonder he hadn’t collapsed from shock.

However, his expression was not so dark, because Sion had neatly dealt with the monster attacks, which had been his biggest concern until now.

“Come to think of it, Sion.

I heard you captured Griffons.”

“That’s right, Father.

Five of them, not a large number, but they are useful enough.”

“Useful?

Are you perhaps trying to tame them?”

“For now, let me say yes.”

If he had expected some grand reaction, sadly, nothing of the sort happened.

Count Lichten simply nodded and agreed with Sion’s words, showing no other reaction.

‘Humans on the continent have already made countless efforts to tame flying monsters.

Of course, most gave up because it wasn’t cost-effective.’

Flying is simply a man’s romance, no, everyone’s romance, wasn’t it?

Humans, who live on the ground, were a race that strangely enjoyed conquering places they couldn’t reach.

The author projected that human desire into the novel, and even before Sion’s current idea, many people had shown great interest in aerial movement using flying monsters.

Especially since being in the sky meant having an absolute advantage in war, there was even more interest and various forms of support followed.

However, the results were disappointing, even dismal.

‘Catching and taming flying monsters, or bringing back eggs or chicks to raise, was almost impossible.

In the first place, flying monsters live on cliffs in deep mountains to avoid predators.’

When they calculated the manpower required to break through the monster-filled mountains and catch a single flying monster, a staggering exchange ratio of 1:100 popped up!

Even this ridiculous exchange ratio was a calculation for ‘catching’ the monster, and the cost of safely bringing it back, raising it to listen to people, and training it was completely excluded.

Capturing an adult was almost impossible, and even if they did, the probability that their wariness of humans would be at its peak was very high, so adults were naturally out.

In that case, they had to bring back a chick or an egg to raise, but the cost of that was also beyond imagination.

‘Is that all?

No matter how well you raise them, the risk of them being shot down by archers or mages as soon as they come near the ground was too high.’

From getting the monster to feeding, raising, and training it, the part they could play on the battlefield was too insignificant.

In addition, unless they were really large, flying monsters naturally had to be light, so there wasn’t much space for people to ride on.

Even if they narrowed it down, the limit was two seats, which was not enough to be considered a meaningful force.

‘So, in the end, all that’s left is transportation or reconnaissance, but both were too costly compared to the cost of catching and managing flying monsters.’

The case where the belly button is bigger than the belly [an idiom meaning the solution is more trouble than the problem] was exactly the problem with flying monsters.

It was something that looked quite impressive, and it would be nice to have, and it could also intimidate the enemy.

But when they opened the lid with anticipation, it was the worst thing that made them exclaim, “What the hell is this?”

“So, I’m telling you this.

Can I make the decisions regarding the management and treatment of the Griffons?”

“It is your merit to kill and capture the monsters.

You are stating the obvious.

If you want, I can also pick out soldiers or knights to ride on them.”

“I have something else in mind for that.”

Until now, most people had thought of having soldiers or knights ride flying monsters to use them like a kind of cavalry.

To have a flying knight order that appears here and there in a flash, putting everything else aside, the style is definitely guaranteed.

‘Bullshit.

Does style feed you?

Practicality is more important.’

Sion had no intention of using those precious five Griffons so foolishly.

Although the number was small, the number of people who could ride was limited to two, and it cost a lot of money to raise and train them, Sion was still thinking of trying it for the future.

‘I still have a lot of money left from what I squeezed out of Count Basura.’

The biggest obstacle, the money problem, was passed thanks to the grateful 4 million Dir guy, Count Basura.

Then, he had to find the people to ride on the backs of those prickly monsters.

“Father.

Can you announce a proclamation with this content in the name of the Count in the territory?”

“In my name?

What kind of proclamation is it?”

“To recruit those full of romance who want to freely fly in the sky.”

―

After finishing a series of reports to Count Lichten, Sion headed to his office.

Now that he had received formal approval from the Royal Castle, he was officially taking on duties as the heir to Clausen Territory.

‘I think I’ve fastened the first button well [an idiom meaning to have started well].

Damn it, if I had been a little late, things would have been a complete mess.

Those damn Elves, those Celestial pigeon bastards.’

As he covered his forehead and sat in his chair, sighing, Lilith, the mainstay of the so-called ‘Sion Division,’ who had been quietly watching him, cautiously opened her mouth.

“What are you going to do now, Sion?”

“I wonder…”

“Master.

Wouldn’t it be right to tell the Royal Castle all the facts?”

“Liche, if that leads to a war with the entire Elven race, that would be the picture those who attacked the Royal Castle and Clausen Territory want.

I heard earlier that not all Elves are thinking that way and doing things, right?”

“Nyaong.

Pointy-ears [a derogatory term for Elves] mostly live in the forest.

Wasn’t it because the sacrifices would be too great if humans left the Elves alone and went into the forest?”

Yes, that was exactly what they were aiming for.

From the radicals’ point of view, they wanted humans to suspect each other, suspect other races, and eventually draw swords and start a war.

‘If those swords are pointed at their own kind?

Then, ah, it turns out that those who were seduced by the Demons did such a thing!

Demons are bad guys!

Demons, Demons, Demons!

They’ll babble and offer a hand of reconciliation and match the mood, and everyone will fall for it.

The frame that the Celestials have been putting on Demons as bad guys since a long time ago is still perfectly maintained.’

This was why Sion couldn’t open his mouth carelessly.

Some of the Elves are acting up?

From the humans’ point of view, they can accept it.

But their ugly deeds are for the sake of the Celestials?

This is a separate issue.

The difference between ‘It turns out the Elves were bad guys’ and ‘It turns out the Celestials were bad guys’ was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

‘Damn it.

This is harder than I thought?

The fantasy about the Celestials is too deeply ingrained.

If I try to break this, my head might be broken instead.

Damn it.’

His goal was not the pointy-ears who were fighting over whether to spread jam or not [a metaphor for trivial disputes].

It was the black-hearted pigeon bastards who were hiding behind them, packaging themselves with benevolent smiles, and secretly plotting behind their backs.

And the best Sion could do now was to gain enough favor so that even if the words ‘Celestial bastards!’ came out of his mouth, at least the people around him wouldn’t dismiss his words as nonsense but would think, ‘Really?’

“···.”

Kim Yu-hyun was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching this way.

The most powerful card Sion currently possessed, but it was uncertain whether he would move as he pleased, the real protagonist in the novel.

Looking at him, Sion suddenly recalled the contents of the novel and tilted his head.

‘Wait a minute.

Do I need to take the risk?’

In the novel, Kim Yu-hyun was the first to realize that the Celestials were the mastermind.

He tried to let people know this fact, but it was too late due to the aftermath of the Great War, and even though his reputation was quite high at the time, he created enemies from all sides with just that one word.

‘This time, I’ll build Kim Yu-hyun’s reputation faster and higher than in the original novel, and make him realize the true nature of the Celestials faster, and then have him open his mouth instead of me…’

Not bad?

He could disguise himself as the most powerful ally supporting him.

‘Anyway, that guy is a protagonist who is born to suffer.

Anyway, it’s not me but that guy who will save the continent.

There’s no problem if he suffers a little in advance, right?

Rather, it might be better to do it sooner.

There’s no reason for me to take the risk at all?’

If Kim Yu-hyun heard this, he would scream, ‘What the hell are you talking about!’, but Sion didn’t care about his opinion.

From the start, even the protagonist was nothing more than a device for Sion to maintain his life, so it was a natural result.

‘Okay, Yu-hyun.

Since you’re going to suffer anyway, let’s start suffering in advance from now on.

But you’re lucky, right?

Because I have a reliable supporter like a brother, so it won’t be like the novel where you have to overcome difficulties on your own without anyone helping you.

This brother will support you, so let’s suffer a little more, our Yu-hyun!’

Sion was more vicious than a sergeant who gets a staff sergeant drunk and gets him to apply for warrant officer [a metaphor for manipulation].

Whether he knew the devilish man’s inner thoughts or not, Kim Yu-hyun was looking at Sion, wondering what kind of insight he would have and what he would plan.

…Poor guy.

―――――――Author’s Notes―――――――

I see comments that I am showing a little more growth compared to my previous work.

I’m glad!

Even I think there were too many flaws in my previous work…

I tried hard to show you a better version of myself, even if it’s just a little bit ㅠ

I will try to become a writer who develops even more in the future!

Thank you if you would recommend me to give this writer strength!