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Chapter 83 The High Elf Princess (6k)

Erin Fladsika, the sister of the current High Elf King Borzak, tragically perished in a shipwreck decades ago.

The siblings had a very deep bond, so much so that the king was devastated when he heard the news of his sister's death and even fell seriously ill as a result.

Fernando also had a good relationship with his aunt, but he was more concerned with the value behind the matter: bringing the news that his aunt was not dead back to the royal family would surely win his father's great favor.

As for the slight differences in Ellina's facial features, as well as the coldness and aloofness she displays, corresponding explanations can also be found.

The former is because so much time has passed that it's normal for her appearance to have matured; the latter is probably because she married a human husband and was afraid we would feel awkward about it.

After all, the High Elves are notoriously conservative and xenophobic. If they knew that the royal princess had married a human, there would be an uproar of extreme doubts and criticisms in the court. Even the royal family might not be able to withstand the clamor of the nobles.

Fernando pondered to himself, increasingly convinced that such a guess was not impossible.

He carefully observed Ellina's words and actions, and the more he looked, the more suspicious he found her. Even setting aside the vague notion of "temperament," at least in many details unknown to outsiders, she perfectly matched the court etiquette of the High Elf royal family—as for the slight differences, it could be explained that she had forgotten due to the passage of time.

Since my aunt is unwilling to acknowledge her identity, we can only start with my uncle.

Fernando subtly approached Rennes and began trying to strike up a conversation:
"The main mode of transmission for the Mad God Plague is through speech. The ravings of these madmen have a strange contamination effect, and the chance of infection increases with the emotional fluctuations of the listener. Our two mages are skilled in calming spells, which can help stabilize the warriors' minds and prevent them from going mad on the spot upon hearing the ravings."

"But the seeds of the plague will remain deep within the heart and may still suddenly erupt at some point in the future. Therefore, it is best to undergo a check-up by a mage specializing in mental magic afterward to ensure that you are not carrying this extremely dangerous mental pollution."

“Oh,” Renn said.

Fernando paused for a moment, then said:
"Although it may be a bit presumptuous of me to say this, I must remind you. This disease is not actually very destructive, but its stealth is extremely terrifying. If your team inadvertently brings the disease back to the territory, it will be almost impossible to stop the outbreak without professional mages."

“Hmm,” Raine said.

Fernando was starting to lose his composure. Did this human not understand what he was saying?

He decided to be more explicit:
"My previous invitation to the Royal Palace of Light Diamond City was not merely out of courtesy and politeness, but also for your personal safety. The curse of a demon god is not to be taken lightly. We high elves have professional experience in dealing with this kind of situation, and we are definitely much better at it than you humans."

"Let's talk after we've finished fighting," Renn said.

Fernando was forced to retreat, thinking that communicating with stupid humans was too difficult, and that it would be better to try to persuade someone else.

“Ms. Bersalia,” he called out with a smile as he moved closer to her.

“Madam?” Bersalia raised an eyebrow. “I’m not married yet, thank you.”

"I apologize," Fernando immediately changed his tune, "Please be very careful about the Mad God Plague. When it comes to matters involving demons, you can never be too cautious."

“Sure,” Bersalia said with a smile. “I can stay as a guest. As for Eileen, since her husband doesn’t want to stay, let them both go back.”

Fernando was practically spitting blood. What I really want to keep is her! Can't you see that?

Undeterred, he approached Aurora and struggled to ask:

"Miss Aurora, could you help persuade your companions?"

“I can’t make that decision,” Aurora said calmly. “You go and talk to Renn.”

Fernando was utterly speechless and could only retreat back to the group in frustration.

When the group arrived at the abandoned warehouse, they found it dark and gloomy, with crates and large shelves piled up haphazardly everywhere, and a faint musty smell in the air.

Suddenly, a faint, indistinct murmur arose in the distance:
"...Little pointy ears, let Uncle turn you into round ears, hehehe..."

"Spell!" Prince Fernando commanded, and the accompanying elven mage stepped forward, shooting lightning bolts towards the source of the sound.

Compared to Ellina, who specializes in lightning magic, the spells of these two court mages were noticeably less powerful, but they were sufficient to illuminate the surrounding environment.

Using the bright light from the electric arc, the group saw a high elf squatting beside an elven corpse, repeatedly cutting at the corpse's ears with a knife, seemingly trying to trim them into the shape of human ears, while muttering incoherent and illogical ramblings.

Without the prince giving another order, the palace guards quickly raised their longbows and aimed, but Aurora was faster. She raised her hand and fired an arrow, which swiftly pierced the man's throat and pinned him to the crate behind him.

Fernando was taken aback, and the guards around him were also astonished.

The High Elf royal guards are required to be proficient in sword and shield, spear, and bow to handle various tactical needs. But Aurora's "heroic archery"—capable of firing without hesitation and accurately piercing vitals—is undoubtedly a level that the guards cannot match.

The two court mages silently retreated, for such highly accurate snipers posed the greatest threat to them on the battlefield. If Aurora were also infected with the Mad God's Plague, the court guards would have shields for protection, but the court mages would be doomed.

Fernando, however, didn't seem to care and instead laughed:
"What amazing archery skills! Everyone says that wood elves are good at archery, and I've seen it for myself today."

“I’m still far behind Eileen and Bertha,” Aurora shook her head.

She excels at long-range archery, but that's all she's good at; if an enemy gets close, she's doomed. Compared to Ellina and Bersalia's impeccable fighting style of "ranged magical bombardment and close-quarters weapon combat," Aurora admits her specialization is too extreme and can't bear the prince's praise.

Fernando's eyes lit up as he obtained an important piece of information from Aurora: Ellina's combat strength was extremely formidable.

It's important to know that Irene Fladsika was born into a noble royal family, and her court education did not include anything related to combat. However, she had admired Princess Elrina of the ancestral elven empire since childhood, and even taught herself spear fighting and lightning magic because of this.

As for her strength, it's not convenient to comment. After all, the High Elf Kingdom has been closed off from the world for many years, and its only long-term war is the navy fighting pirates, so there's simply no opportunity for her to have any real combat experience. She eventually secretly boarded a ship to the mainland, but disappeared completely due to a shipwreck, probably because she was too tired of the stable and unchanging court life.

Aunt, now that we've been apart for so many years, have you finally achieved the life you wanted?

Fernando suddenly hesitated. He knew that since his aunt was unwilling to admit her true identity, it meant she had no intention of returning to the High Elf Kingdom. Was it really a good idea for him to go to such lengths to bring her back to Light Diamond City?
Such self-doubt only lasted for a moment before he forcibly suppressed it.

Although his father has not yet chosen an heir, the court ministers generally favor the eldest prince, while the naval faction supports the second prince. He only has the covert support of the spellcasters' guild and the court mages, but compared to his two older brothers, he is still the least competitive one.

In court intrigues like this, those with the advantage should proceed cautiously and avoid making mistakes that could give their opponents an opening; those with the disadvantage should employ unconventional tactics to create variables and avoid simply waiting for their opponents to win.

Aunt Irene's return is undoubtedly the "variable" Fernando needs. Because of her extremely deep relationship with her father, he will certainly take her opinion seriously when deciding on the heir.

I'm sorry, Auntie, but since I am destined to make the High Elves great again, please come back to the royal family with me!

Fernando quickly made up his mind, setting aside all his reluctance, and ordered the guards and mages to begin searching the abandoned warehouse.

The warehouse was originally a natural cave, extremely large in area, and with the cover of various shelves and crates, there were many shadowy corners, and many places were teeming with high elves infected with madness.

Although their sneak attacks and assassinations were almost ineffective against the fully armed palace guards, it still took a considerable amount of time for everyone to find and kill all the pointy-eared old men in order to prevent any from escaping and continuing to spread the disease.

Dia followed the group silently. She didn't need to transform into a dragon to fight, so she observed and learned as usual. Occasionally, when she encountered something she didn't understand, she would ask Ellina and Bersalia for help.

"Must we kill all these people?" she asked with a pained expression. "These high elves... they are not evil people, they are just cursed by demons, they are victims too."

“Little Dia, you heard it too,” Bersalia instructed her. “Those infected with the Mad God Plague are not without a cure, but it requires a senior mage who is proficient in mind-based spells. Do you know how much it costs to hire such a mage for a day? The victims may not be able to earn that much even if they live their whole lives.”

“But human life is priceless,” Dia said sadly.

“Wrong, human life has a price,” Berthalia sighed. “If someone promotes the idea that ‘human life is priceless,’ then its hidden price is actually paid by instilling this idea in most people.”

Dia listened with a vague understanding, but she quickly realized that "even if human life really has a price, I can pay for the weak."

As long as I have the ability to pay the price...

In little Dia's heart, a subtle ambition gradually began to grow.

Renn watched leisurely as the elven guards searched the warehouse, showing no intention of interfering.

To date, no trace of the human sailors has been found. This is certainly good news for the Faher family, as they may still be alive; but for Renn, it's a waste of time.

He yawned lazily and saw the elven guards dragging the shelves under Diamond's command, revealing the hidden entrance behind them.

Fernando also noticed this High Elf.

This guy is very familiar with this environment; he's most likely a member of the rat's nest.

His Highness the Third Prince would certainly not associate with rats. But since the other party is from his aunt's side, could it be that they also know information related to his aunt?
A lowly rat, it should be easy to win it over with a few simple gifts.

The group searched and fought their way through, emptying at least five warehouses and killing over a hundred crazed elves. The scene of armored soldiers against unarmored civilians could only be described as a one-sided massacre.

The two court mages were the busiest, as they needed to regularly cast calming spells on everyone and observe whether anyone in the group was mentally unstable.

It wasn't until Renn began to show signs of impatience that the group finally found the surviving Fahre family sailors in a collapsed rock tunnel deep inside.

These people had reached a dead end; they had run out of food and could only eat the moss and lichen in the cave and drink the groundwater seeping in from the top of the cave.

Old Bodak, who was in charge of leading the smuggling fleet, was among them, currently running a high fever and spouting incomprehensible nonsense. If it weren't for his remaining prestige among the sailors, he would probably have been dragged out and killed as a madman long ago.

Upon seeing Ryan Fahl's appearance, the human sailors all showed expressions of immense joy. One of the first mates, supporting himself against the rock wall, stood up, his lips trembling as he was about to speak, when he saw Fernando rush forward first, calling out anxiously:
"Everyone! Are you alright?"

The humans were completely baffled: Who is this High Elf?
Fernando, possessing remarkable composure, disregarded the awkward atmosphere and loudly commanded:
"These poor human sailors are innocent victims of the mad plague that has plagued our Drill Island. I, Fernando, on behalf of the High Elf royal family, declare myself responsible for the harm you have suffered. Please come with us to Drill City to receive the necessary aid and treatment!"

At his command, the palace guards immediately stepped forward, helped the sailors, who were covered in the smell of fish and excrement, to their feet, and carried them outside.

Fernando looked at Rennes again, his expression now a warm and welcoming smile:

"Given their current condition, it's not suitable for them to immediately cross the sea and return to the mainland. How about you all stay in Diamond City for a few days?"

Raine remained silent, but Berthalia, observing his expression, immediately spoke up:
"Everyone says the High Elves are closed off and traditionally xenophobic, but I think they're quite hospitable! Since you've extended such a warm invitation, then Renne... we won't be in such a hurry to leave, will we?"

“Hmm,” Raine said.

Fernando was overjoyed and immediately summoned a palace guard, whispering to him to rush back to the palace and deliver the message.

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High Elves are known for their traditional xenophobia and long lifespans, so the court is basically ruled by gerontocracy. Reforms and innovations are nonexistent and unnecessary; ancestral laws are the ultimate authority.

The current King Bolzak is widely regarded by court ministers and nobles in the capital as "wise and receptive to advice," a model king.

Because he never made dictatorial decisions on any matter, but instead called all his ministers together for a meeting, and the final decision was based on the results of the discussion and vote. In short, he lacked his own opinions and decisiveness, which is quite rare for a king.

At this moment, King Bolzac was sitting on his throne, listening intently to the messenger sent back by Fernando recounting the events of the day.

The difficulty with madness and plague lies in preventing it before it occurs, but once it is exposed, it is easy to deal with: simply declare a citywide curfew, send all citizens home, and then send soldiers to kill the entire family of the person suffering from madness. This will quickly and completely cut off the transmission route.

Compared to the expected event of "eliminating all the remaining high elves," the news of "discovering a high elf suspected to be Irene Fladsika" truly shocked the entire court.

Fernando used very careful words, only saying that "the other party has white hair and golden eyes, and looks extremely similar to my aunt," "her words and actions are in accordance with royal etiquette," "but she does not admit that she is Irene Vladsica," and "she has married a human nobleman from the continent"... Each piece of information would cause a rustling, unsettling whisper at the court meeting.

Looking at the king on the throne, although he still maintained a calm expression, his fingers, which gripped the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white, revealed that his inner self was not as calm as he appeared.

After the messenger finished repeating the details a second time, the noble ministers had fully digested the information and reached a consensus:
The royal princess did not die in the shipwreck that year, but instead drifted directly to the mainland and married a human nobleman.

As for the vast ocean distance, with no islands in between, how did the princess manage to drift across it alive? This is a point of confusion for everyone, but the facts are clearly as described.

Because the High Elves are extremely xenophobic from top to bottom, no one is willing to acknowledge the fact that "the eldest princess married a human." Therefore, the eldest princess can only deny her identity to avoid tarnishing the dignity of the royal family.

Logically, it makes sense; it just depends on how everyone responds to this situation.

First of all, of course, we cannot admit that the other party is the princess. Because marriage is an irreversible thing; even if she divorces, she will be a widow, which does not change the tragic fact that she has been married to a human.

The honor of the royal princess is beyond question!
Secondly, although they don't admit it openly, everyone knows that the other party's true identity is Eileen, so how should we deal with it?
“Your Majesty,” said the Minister of Law, Kvornshi, “please forgive my bluntness: the place where Princess Irene perished was extremely far from both the island and the mainland, making it virtually impossible for an ordinary person to survive. Therefore, this person must not be Princess Irene.”

"At the same time, although the kingdom's laws do not make provisions for interracial marriage, they do have clear provisions for transnational marriage, namely, 'marriages registered only abroad will not be recognized domestically.' In other words, the High Elf Kingdom will not recognize her marriage to a human nobleman."

"Duke Kvortmann is right."

"Since there are clear legal provisions, let's just follow the law."

The suggestions put forward by the Minister of Law were quickly approved by most of the nobles present, with voices of seconding them rising one after another.

Ultimately, everyone certainly doesn't want the princess to continue living with humans.

Even if I can't publicly acknowledge her royal status, she is still of noble royal blood, so it's perfectly acceptable for me to marry her! High Elves should marry High Elves!

King Bolzak watched coldly and remained silent, silencing the still-talking nobles.

“I disagree,” the king said.

Law Minister Kvortscher paused for a moment, then said cryptically:
"A high elf marrying a human—their marriage will not be recognized by the kingdom. If the royal family insists on acknowledging this marriage, it will only bring shame upon the royal family."

"If you're not a member of the royal family, why would you tarnish the royal family's reputation? And why do you need the approval of the entire kingdom?" King Bolzak raised an eyebrow and asked with a strange expression, "Minister of Law, please teach me, what's the logic behind this?"

Kvornshi was speechless. He couldn't possibly emphasize that the other person wasn't the princess while simultaneously treating her as one.

Although everyone understands what's going on, if the king insists on playing dumb, there's no way to explain it openly.

“Your Majesty,” Chancellor of the Exchequer Turst also spoke up, “If they are not members of the royal family, the royal family certainly has no need to interfere in the marriages of ordinary people. However, considering that the other party is marrying a human, it is certainly not appropriate for the royal family to summon them. Otherwise, it will inevitably cause unnecessary controversy among the people, and may be misunderstood as a signal that the royal family supports transnational marriages, or even a change in the current isolation strategy.”

The implication is: If you still want to bring your sister to the palace to see her again, you have to deal with the fact that she married a human.

“Very well.” King Bolzak interlaced his fingers, his eyes coldly pressing on the Chancellor of the Exchequer until beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. “The royal family will not summon a high elf woman who is married to a human alone.”

The nobles breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear the king say again:
“However, I wish to summon the human Renn Fahre, along with his wife and retinue!”

“Your Majesty,” Chancellor of the Exchequer Thurst hurriedly said, “the other party’s noble status is not yet clear, and it is not appropriate for the royal family to summon him at this time…”

“According to Fernando,” the King said slowly, “this human is looking for his family of sailors, those poor souls who were caught up in the Mad God Plague of the Drill Island. It is only right and proper that the Kingdom should give these victims a just explanation, instead of using isolationism as a pretext to pretend that nothing ever happened.”

“Your Majesty!” Turst blurted out, “Those people weren’t innocent victims caught in the crossfire; they were smugglers…”

“Smuggling?” The king abruptly stood up from his throne. “Did I hear that right? Lord Turster, are you implying that our glorious nation, which has pursued isolationism for so many years, is secretly engaging in illicit smuggling trade with the people of the continent? If so, you, as the finance minister, should thoroughly investigate who provided the goods and how the corresponding ill-gotten gains were laundered.”

Tourster was sweating profusely: How am I supposed to investigate this? All the money from smuggling is laundered through the black market and ends up in the pockets of the royal family and the nobles. How can I possibly investigate this seriously? What if I actually find something wrong?
Therefore, he had no choice but to change his story in a sorry state:
"Your Majesty, please forgive my slip of the tongue. The other party could not possibly be smugglers, although their intentions in entering the kingdom remain intriguing and suspicious..."

“Even if we find out their purpose for entering the country, we must first treat and care for the injured, and then talk about it after they have recovered!” King Bolzak vigorously flicked his sleeves. “We are not barbaric humans; we cannot commit the atrocity of mistreating the injured!”

Watching the king storm off in anger, the nobles exchanged bewildered glances, speechless.

Clearly, the king was determined to tacitly approve of his sister's marriage to a human, even to the point of confronting the nobles head-on.

Once the royal family refuses to object to the marriage, given the woman's true identity, no nobleman will risk offending the king by interfering.

In other words, this human nobleman who married Irene Fladsika is about to swagger up the steps of the royal palace in Diamond City.
This is outrageous! The High Elves cannot tolerate such humiliation!
We may not be able to attack Her Highness the Princess, but surely we can deal with you, a mere human?!
(End of this chapter)