383 A One-man Show
Selma Payne’s POV:
“We all know that even if you confirm the rumors, there will not be any bad consequences. At most, we will be driven back, and the elves and werewolves will have a diplomatic storm. Your troubles won’t be alleviated in any way; instead, you will lose your friendship with your powerful neighbor. If there are any internal problems, do you think my pack will be so tolerant that they won’t even think about taking revenge?”
As I spoke, I suddenly calmed down. The Council of Elders would not be unaware of such apparent gains and losses. So, what was their purpose in doing this?
As expected, the Great Elder didn’t intend to fall out with us. He only let out a deep sigh, and his exhausted back became even more hunched. There were a few signs of unease as if the person sitting on the vine chair wasn’t a wise man who shouldered the elven race but an old man who had no way out and had used all his clumsy tricks.
“I’ll say this without thinking twice. You’re an intelligent girl. It’s rare for a young person of your age to have such thoughts. Sigh…”
He didn’t elaborate, but his words had an implied meaning.
“I have to admit that we did consider using you as an excuse to hold a tribal meeting, but this option was rejected in the end. Just like you said, it’s only harmful and not beneficial. In that case, it’s better not to plant more bombs for the elven race. We, old people, have already exhausted all our abilities.
“Most of what you said is right, but you still don’t know much about the elven race. ‘Righteousness’ doesn’t need any external force or lies. Whether people are convinced of the interim government or not, no matter what power they have secretly accumulated or excuses they find, they have to obey our ‘righteousness’.
“His Majesty is still alive. He used himself to protect the elven race, and even in his deep sleep, he is still contributing everything to maintain the peace of his people. As long as His Majesty was still alive, no one would dare to do anything outrageous. The heavens are watching, and those who go against nature will not be forgiven or acknowledged by the Goddess of Nature. He will use himself as a sacrifice to drag the entire elven race into the wrath of god.
“And ironically, we only just saw this fact. I may have to thank you and your companions for this. The patience of the western city-state mayors made us finally understand what we’ve overlooked. If we had discovered this earlier, we wouldn’t have ended up like this.
“But what’s the point of saying all this now?”
At this point, the already tired old man became even more hunchbacked.
“I’m old. We’re all old. Sensitivity and wisdom are gradually stripping away from our aging bodies. Perhaps we’ll eventually fail to live up to His Majesty’s trust.”
I quietly listened to the old man’s muttering. He was right about one thing – he was indeed old. Only an old man would unconsciously let down his guard and dig into his fragile inner self to a stranger.
The Great Elder mumbled something and used the elf language. I gradually couldn’t understand what he was saying. After a while, he seemed to have suddenly woken up and said to me apologetically, “I’m sorry you had to listen to this old man’s long-winded talk, Your Highness. In short, I swear that I won’t drag you, your companions, or your country into the water. This is the catastrophe of the elven race, and we must face it ourselves, or we can only inch toward death.”
As he spoke, he started to mumble to himself again. I got the promise I wanted, so I didn’t stay any longer and left quietly.
Dorothy and Master Hayley, who had accompanied me here, did not speak the entire time, just like the other elders. It was only after they left the conference room that Dorothy asked, “Do you think they’re trustworthy?”
“You can’t believe everything they say, but I don’t think they’ll do anything stupid again,” I replied noncommittally.
Master Hayley was confused, and her eyes were still a little red. “Why? The Great Elder spoke from the bottom of his heart. The elven race has indeed fallen into a disaster, and I think he no longer has the energy to think about anything else.”
“Maybe, but one must always be on guard, right?” I shook my head. “Especially when facing a politician who has lived for more than 400 years. Acting is engraved in his bones. Have you noticed it? Other than the Great Elder, the other elders didn’t say anything the whole time. It can’t be that the Great Elder is the only one who can make decisions in the Council of Elders, and the others are just decorations.”
“What happened to them?”
“Silence means that they are watching from the side. What are they watching? A profound one-man show is always more moving than a quarreling farce.”
“So, these people still have evil intentions?”
“Not really. It’s just a normal way of doing things. We can’t trust the elven race completely, and the elven race can’t trust us completely, either. Tonight’s conversation is about exchanging promises. It doesn’t matter if we’re sincere or not. It’s enough as long as we’re sure we won’t cause trouble for each other.”
Dorothy nodded in a daze and said softly, “Alright, alright. Politics is really a profound knowledge.”
