Otherwise, you can find another savior.

In the midst of such conversation and laughter, I fell asleep in the warm autumn sun.

Chapter 23: Prisoner's Dilemma

As the rear base of the Fang Clan, located south of the northern plains, in the basin in the central west of the British Isles, there is a town called Manchester, which was founded by a few lower-level goblins.

After the Fang Clan provoked a war against the northern clans, in addition to them, the armies of the Wind Clan, Wing Clan, and Earth Clan, who were forced to become allies, also entered this town one after another.

Having said that, as the rear base of this coalition army, Manchester lacks the atmosphere of a military stronghold.

Any human or fairy can enter and exit freely. Because of this war, the city has even attracted an unprecedented density of fairies, showing strange signs of prosperity.

"Is there really a war going on here?"

Holding onto Ash's hand, Xijian looked around the street, muttering softly as he avoided the passing fairies.

"Maybe." Ash glanced at the street indifferently, not seeming particularly interested. She tightened her grip on Shiomi's hand slightly and urged softly, "Let's hurry up and go."

Although their attire was not conspicuous, the combination of humans and fairies still attracted the attention of some fairies. However, the fairies did not approach because of the danger suggested by their intuition.

"You are the one who doesn't look well. Do you want to find a place to rest?" Xijian said with a frown.

"No, I'm just not in a good mood." Jian shook his head. "Let's finish our important business as soon as possible and leave here."

"Yeah." Shiomi agreed softly, "Just looking at the situation in Manchester and the battlefield in the northern plains. If the Fang Clan knew that while they were fighting, other elves were having fun here as if it had nothing to do with them—"

Jian looked at him in surprise. "Are you planning to use this angle to persuade the clans to break up their alliance?"

"Honestly, I don't think the other three clans really want to fight." Xi Jian pondered. "Of course, it's not that they love peace, otherwise they wouldn't be so obedient to being coerced."

From the outset, the alliance was vulnerable to collapse.

The war with the northern goblins has been going on for more than a month. The Fang Clan obviously does not feel that this is a tough battle, but the northern goblins happen to be a tough nut to crack.

For those warlike goblins, ending the war abruptly would be meaningless.

"What is Tianxi going to do?"

Compared to the fairies in Manchester, Ash is more interested in what Shiomi is thinking.

"First of all, since no one wants to fight, why don't you stand up against the Ya Clan and withdraw from this war?" asked Shiomi.

"Lack of trust in each other." After a moment's thought, Jian gave his answer.

"That's right. I wasn't sure if the other two clans would take advantage of me if I rebelled." As Xijian spoke of this, his smile was wide, yet a dangerous aura lingered. "It's like the prisoner's dilemma in reverse."

"Prisoner's Dilemma?" Jian blinked. "Could you explain it in more detail?"

"It's very simple. Originally, it said that two suspects of conspiracy to commit a crime were put in prison. If they could not communicate with each other and neither of them reported the other, both would go to jail. But if one of them reported the other, the one who reported would be released for meritorious service, while the one who did not report would be severely punished for non-cooperation," said Shiomi.

Jian nodded thoughtfully: "What if we expose each other at the same time?"

"Both sides will receive relatively light punishment." Shiomi looked at the Wind Clan camp, which was gradually closing in on them. "It fits our current alliance, which is only superficially united, isn't it?"

"You intend to use this to your advantage and make them realize that by uniting to oppose, they can withdraw from this useless war." Jian guessed.

"No, we just want them to believe that it's better for them not to help," Shiomi said, "and that even if they fight on their own, they won't be attacked by the other two clans."

"Is that why we came here?" Ash gradually understood. "Why did you choose the Wind Clan as your first stop?"

"Of the three clans, the Wind Clan is easier to communicate with and less passive," Shiomi said. "But this is just a comparison. The details will depend on their actual performance."

Although her expression wasn't as intense as Ash's and she didn't show her emotions on her face, Xijian didn't have the slightest trust in these fairies.

In other words, the trust that had been built with great difficulty had completely disappeared with the rain that night following the demise of the Rain Clan.

"What if that doesn't make sense? What if the Wind Clan sees us as dangerous and plans to take the opportunity to annihilate us?" Ash asked tentatively.

Nearly four hundred years have passed since then, and she has become familiar with Xiomi's style of doing things, which is to plan before taking action.

"Then we have no choice but to fight our way out." Xi Jian raised a finger. "Remember that celestial magic I discussed with you last time? If these clans don't behave, we'll have to treat them to a meteorite."

“It’s really merciless.”

Jian immediately understood and smiled helplessly. She was naturally kind and wanted to sympathize with the fairies, but rationally she just couldn't bring herself to do so.

"These are all necessary measures. Your safety always comes first." Xijian said softly.

When he first embarked on his journey, he was quite concerned about time and would count one year, two years, ten years and twenty years, but when the number expanded to a hundred years, he gave up caring about it.

Now that he has actually lived for three hundred years, Shiomi has basically become accustomed to no longer caring about the passage of time.

In the past, his master Scathach once told him quite seriously what it meant to live too long.

"When life is too long, memories begin to wear out uncontrollably, even becoming boring. Every day is the same, a life that seems endless, and a life that seems clear."

This was indeed the case for the first three hundred years that Shiomi and Ash spent in the distant past of this strange land.

Xijian also began to gradually understand the profound meaning of his master's words.

He would constantly travel around, suppress disasters and quell disputes. When he got tired of it, he would hide in the forest and live in seclusion for fifty years.

Even so, when he came into contact with the outside world again, Shiomi still couldn't feel any refreshing changes.

The final result was that the only one he truly cared about was Jian.

——The same goes for Ash.

Britain and the fairies are nothing but a fleeting cloud that keeps repeating itself.

"——While we were talking, here we are."

They arrived at the gate of the Wind Clan's camp and revealed their identities to the guards at the gate. One of the guards immediately ran in to report.

Chapter 24: Estrangement

"The 'Witch' and 'Sage', both renowned throughout Britain, are here to lobby me again for the northern elves?"

The leader of the Wind Clan is a female fairy named Minerva, who has a beautiful and gentle appearance but also exudes a shrewd aura.

At this moment, Minerva met with Ash and Shiomi and asked them questions.

In the central military tent, which served as the main camp, there were extravagant and luxurious items that should not appear in a military camp, hinting at the temperament of this fairy from the Wind Clan.

Even if he goes to the front line in person, he will not give up the so-called style and taste.

"No, we are only here to put an end to this meaningless war." Ash looked at Minerva and answered quietly.

"Pointless?" Minerva leaned back on a fur-covered recliner, watching them lazily. "The northern goblins are growing stronger and stronger, and sooner or later their territory will expand southward. Rather than waiting until then to deal with the conflict, it's better for Chen to solve the problem now."

Shiomi sneered in his heart.

The Wind Fairy is like this. On the surface, she can say things that seem logical, but in fact, she doesn't mean that.

The motive might even be as little as "being annoyed by the northern goblins."

"If we want to talk about future sins, I have something to say. Please listen carefully, Chief of the Wind Clan." Xi Jian stepped forward and signaled with his eyes that he would take over the next step.

He is better at this kind of verbal debate.

"Go ahead."

Minerva responded absentmindedly, her eyes still studying Shiomi.

After all, it is rare to find a human being who looks as unique as him. If he were to be raised as a captive, it would be full of fun and enough to kill time.

But that would require dealing with the "Witch"...

Minerva found this matter quite troublesome.

"The northern goblins are merely a gathering under Queen Mab's command. Judging by their current situation, it would take hundreds, if not thousands of years, for them to grow strong enough to threaten the southern clans." Shiomi glanced at the map of Britain on the side of the tent. "If that's not absolutely possible, and we're still rushing to eliminate them... then what about the Fang Clan?"

"The Fang Clan?" Minerva mused. "Did they do anything?"

"Nothing has been done yet, but anything is possible. Lady Minerva should understand this more easily than I do." Shiomi smiled calmly. "This campaign against the northern fairies is led by the Fang Clan, and it is they who are currently locked in a stalemate with the northern fairies on the front lines."

"The northern goblins are unexpectedly tenacious. Their leader, Mab, has some skills that even the Fang Clan can't defeat him." Minerva knew the situation on the front line.

"But we've come all the way here from the north and witnessed the battlefield situation along the way," Shiomi said. "The two armies are currently deadlocked, but that's just the beginning. Even if the three clans, including the Wind Clan, don't come to their aid, the Fang Clan has a good chance of victory. The war will likely be over in another month."

This was basically the same as the various news Minerva received from the front lines. The Fang Clan frequently reported good news and then urged for supplies and reinforcements.

"There's still a month left." Minerva smiled. "It seems like it's almost too late. Sage, are you guys coming too late?"

"No, we're still in time." Xijian stopped looking at Minerva and stared at the map. "If the Fang Clan wins this battle, facing this victorious momentum, if the Fang Clan begins to question your supplies and reinforcements, I wonder how the leader of the Wind Clan will respond?"

pat.

The jewel Minerva was playing with fell to the carpet.

This was exactly what she was worried about, but neither the Wing Clan nor the Earth Clan took the initiative to express their intention to withdraw, so the Wind Clan could only continue to waste time in Manchester.

"Since the chances of winning are so high, even if the Wind Clan withdraws, there are still two other clans to support them, so won't the change be significant?" Minerva asked.

"As long as the Wind Clan shows a willingness to retreat, I can help the leader persuade the other two clans." Shiomi walked over, picked up the fallen gem, and handed it to Minerva. "The Fang Clan intended to send a small team to launch a surprise attack from behind, but they ran into a surprise attack by the northern elves and were lured into a trap and annihilated. As we discuss this, the northern elves have already begun to attack the Fang Clan from both sides."

Having said this, Shiomi was sure that the patriarch of the Wind Clan could understand.

Of course, they can continue to provide support and help the Fang Clan win this battle, and then wait for the other party to win, and maybe they will turn around and seize the problems in the war to bite back.

Or they could just stop providing support and wait for the Fang Clan to suffer a major defeat. The clan's overall strength would be weakened, and it would no longer be able to show off its power and coerce other clans into fighting like it was doing now.

Now, the Sage presented two options to the Wind Clan.

"Alas... The Fang Clan relies on its strength to bully other clans. We really can't continue like this. Otherwise, we will be finished before the northern goblins are eliminated." Minerva said with a righteous worry.

To put it bluntly, I don't trust the Fang Clan and don't think they will go back honestly after winning the battle.

"As expected of the patriarch of the Wind Clan, you are very insightful." Xi Jian smiled faintly and clapped his hands in praise.

"But what if the Fang Clan loses the battle and plans to take their anger out on us?" Minerva suddenly asked.

Shiomi understood the hint from the Wind Fairy.

"Rest assured, the Fang Clan will no longer be a threat. Furthermore, the northern goblins have already successfully cut off the supply and reinforcement routes, haven't they?"

His seemingly rhetorical answer reassured Minerva and she accepted their mediation.

When coming out of the Wind Clan, Jian couldn't help but be speechless for a while, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a word of thought.

"It's really... I'm speechless."

"Anyway, as long as we tell them which side is more troublesome, no matter how small the probability is, they'll take it as a 100% certainty." Xi Jian glanced at the town outside the military camp. "After all, they don't particularly like each other to begin with, and that's enough. Profits and losses only help them rationalize their behavior."

"No wonder we have to do so much before coming here." Ash seemed to have come to some realization. "It's just that the Fang Clan's surprise attack force—"

"That's fine. The northern fairies won't let us take the credit for this achievement," Shiomi said. "Besides, the fairies from the Earth Clan and the Wing Clan have already spotted us."

"I hope we can finish this thing here before dark. I don't want to spend the night in this town." There was a hint of coquettishness in Jian's disdainful tone.

Xijian was overjoyed as if he had seen a lost treasure that was found again.

After all, she hadn't shown such emotion in a long time.

"Well, I'll do it as soon as possible."

He happily agreed.

Chapter 25: Wilderness

chap——

Shiomi pulled out the red spear with force, and the Fang Fairy, who had died the moment his heart was pierced, fell to the ground.

"It's really hard work. I even have to deal with the goblin who delivered the message myself." Jian carefully avoided the blood-stained mud and slowly approached the battle area.

"It will take some time for the three clans to evacuate their troops from Manchester." Shiomi put away his red spear. "If these Fang Fairies responsible for summoning reinforcements return to Manchester, it will disrupt my plans."

All around him were the scattered corpses of the Fang Goblins, with blood flowing everywhere. On the uneven dirt road, pools of blood of varying sizes had accumulated.

Fairies are different from humans. They are fairies that coexist with nature. They are the spirits of the planets, or they are terminals with independent consciousness.

Therefore, the body structure is actually closer to that of a Servant, a magical entity with a spirit base as its core. Therefore, fairies do not rot after death, but turn into something like soil.

Now, the bodies of these fairies killed by Shiomi will disappear soon and merge into the road here.

"But you've gone to great lengths to persuade the three clans to cut their losses in three different ways... They probably won't change their minds easily."

"That's hard to say. Better safe than sorry." Xijian extended his hand to greet him. "Be careful not to get blood on your clothes."

"Just clean it off with magic."

Although he said he didn't care, Jian held the hand that Xijian extended, took a big step forward, and jumped over a wider pool of blood.