Chapter 151 Green Your Rivers and Mountains, Green Again 1
Shia, Menelapie, Yujin, and Olgania had gathered in a reception room in the National Assembly.
Though the meeting was unofficial, unlike the formal exchanges of diplomatic letters and terms, the atmosphere among close friends was better than expected.
Menelapie, for one, naturally prioritized Shia above all else, though she did not dislike people in general. And Yujin was surrounded by people she liked, except for Shia.
As for Shia, as long as Menelapie was by her side, she was always in a good mood.
Ah, though I should say she was more filled with confusion than joy at the moment.
“N-No way... seriously...?”
The reason for Shia’s confusion was the newly made government policy, “[Elves under protective custody will primarily be overseen by Korea’s returnee, Lee Shia].”
Soon, a few members of the National Assembly and the Hunter Association would approve it through a letter, and once it reached the President’s office, Shia would officially be in charge of handling the elves who had come from the Great Forest to Earth.
But why...?
Me? Why me??
Of course, from Shia’s perspective, it was so sudden that she still had a dazed expression on her face.
“I might’ve dozed off during the meeting, but how did it come to this, with me being in charge of the elves?!”
“Should I start explaining from there?”
“Do not worry. Am I not here with you?”
“Ah...!”
Of course, it’s Menelapie.
Even if I wasn’t paying attention during the meeting, I had no doubt that Menelapie would neatly summarize everything and explain it to me in an easy-to-understand way!
Back in our previous world, when founding the Order of the Rose or handling complex political matters, Menelapie and Teresa always simplified things for me, telling me, "Shia, just do this."
Even here on Earth, I could only rely on Menelapie...
“Shia, the reason you’ve been entrusted with the elves’ custody and security isn’t that complicated.”
“Then...?”
“Obviously, it’s because our holy Saintess is so sacred and talented that it was bound to happen naturally, don’t you think?”
“..........”
You’ve got to be kidding me...
No, what kind of nonsense is that..!?
However, instead of a summary, Menelapie’s blind worship of Shia made both Yujin and Shia’s faces twist.
“Hehe, but Menelapie unnie isn’t wrong.”
At that moment, Olgania, who had been sitting quietly, spoke, and Shia’s golden eyes turned toward her.
At first, I thought it was just simple, affectionate praise, but to say it wasn’t wrong... Could it be that Olgania was teasing me, just like Unnie Yeonseo and Menelapie?
“Not wrong, you say?”
“Well, first of all, you did help us elves, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s true...”
I did handle the chaos ants and the doppelgängers, and I even resurrected the once-thought-dead elder Olgania.
Not to mention, I also cured their diseases. While I was at it, I ground up the fragments of the Demon King that had been corroding the decayed roots of the World Tree. It’s only natural that the elves have a deep affection for the Saintess of the Dead.
“Thanks to you, the elves of the Great Forest trust no one but you, Shia unnie. Although it wasn’t intentional, right now, the elves can’t trust any humans except for you. With the diplomatic friction with China and their blatant ambition to devour the Great Forest, many elves have developed an aversion to humans.”
I had already heard about that.
However, the elves’ current position had become extremely ambiguous for the various nations of Earth, and severing ties with the entire world would be akin to declaring an enemy relationship, so we had to be careful in many ways.
Even though the elves had an extraordinary military force, they couldn’t turn their backs on every country on Earth. They weren’t fools and knew not all humans were simply greedy.
“But... even so, why am I in charge of the elves’ custody...?”
“It’s simple. At this point, the elves can’t trust any country on Earth. The only human they can place their trust in is the Saintess of the Dead, Shia unnie.”
“And the countries of Earth need assurance that the elves are reasonable, that they’re capable of communication, and that they aren’t a race that seeks war and destruction.”
“Moreover, Shia unnie’s country happens to be South Korea, one of the world’s top hunter nations, right? Although you’re in charge of the elves’ custody, from the outside, it can be presented as the elves having a relatively good relationship with South Korea. Given enough time, the international distrust and wariness toward the elves will gradually diminish.”
Hearing that, Shia realized something.
‘They’re trying to dump a whole nation and race on me, aren’t they!’
But Shia is a saintess.
If the chance to stabilize not only the elves, who were in a precarious situation, but also Earth’s international society, which had been destabilized by their appearance, came into her hands, Shia could never refuse.
Naturally, she couldn’t refuse.
“Shia, I’ve also thought this through and accepted it, so don’t worry too much.”
As Shia sighed, Menelapie whispered softly into her ear to offer words of encouragement.
“This will be of benefit to you, Shia. It’s safe to say that there’s almost nothing that could harm you in this.”
“...Haa, but I’ve never done anything like this before. And now I’m supposed to take on the responsibility for an entire race? How in the world am I...”
“Fufu, Shia. Let me tell you the biggest benefit you’ll gain from this... Elf produce is said to be quite delicious, you know?”
“...Huh?”
That’s true.
The reason I managed to survive in the Great Forest without eating meat even once was because the crops touched by the elves were absurdly delicious.
If it weren’t for that, I might have run away from the Great Forest before I even resurrected Olgania.
“Having the elves under your charge means, in other words, that their resources... and their labor and craftsmanship are also in your hands...”
“.............Gulp...”
Honestly, I can’t resist the fried leaves of the Great Forest.
There are crops everywhere that could rival Unnie Yeonseo’s dungeon cabbages.
“And I hear the elves have recently decided to serve meat to outsiders...”
“...!”
Elf-cultivated crops mixed with meat?!
That elder elf from the Zelkova House had incredible cooking skills... Drool...
Honestly, isn’t food the most important thing?
In the end, we work and earn money to eat and live, right?
In that case... there’s no reason to refuse.
If things go well, I might be able to enjoy top-tier food and ingredients touched by the elves every day, so...
“Okay, I’ll do it!”
Leaving aside everything else, Menelapie said she’d thought it through, right?
Menelapie’s advice is usually correct and never harms me.
There’s no reason not to accept this offer.
“By the way, what on Earth did you do to cause that Spirit Bomb to go off?”
“Ah...”
At those words, both Olganias averted their gazes from Shia. Meanwhile, Yujin sighed deeply.
○○○○
It happened about a week ago when negotiations between China and the Great Forest began to fall apart.
Spirit Bomb.
In the elven language, it’s called “Seredgania,” but on Earth, it was given the simpler name of “Spirit Bomb” or “Fairy Nuclear.”
Although elves are known for their rejection of other races, their closed-off nature, and their arrogance, they are fundamentally a peaceful race that loves nature.
So why did they bring such an unheard-of, potentially Earth-transforming weapon, capable of extreme terraforming if used correctly?
[There's no point in listening any further. The Great Forest cannot welcome you. Leave quietly while I'm speaking.]
[What! As the representative of a nation, you seriously lack political sense..!]
[Political sense? You brat, how dare you speak so insolently?]
[What?! I'm 58 years old this year! How dare you lecture me about age...]
[58? I'm 2,892 years old!]
Elder Olgania, for one, was old.
She had ruled over the elves since thousands of years before Little Olgania was born as the World Tree’s child. After the Demon King’s appearance, she fought on the front lines and had not only extensive battle experience but also a sharp political mind.
That’s why, even in a diplomatic showdown disguised as negotiations with the People’s Republic of China, Olgania wasn’t at all outmatched.
In her previous world, Olgania had seen countless generations of humans be born and die. Dozens of kingdoms had risen and fallen in her eyes.
Though this new world was Earth, human nature and the greed of sentient beings were the same wherever you went. From Olgania’s perspective, with her vast political experience spanning ages, China’s flattery and threats were no different from a child throwing a tantrum.
“So, is the elf race seriously prepared to go to war with us, China!?”
“Why would we bother negotiating with you when we lack for nothing? As far as I know, diplomacy is an exchange of information between equals in pursuit of national interest.
Why are you acting like the elves and the Great Forest have been your vassals all this time?”
In the end, that day, negotiations between China and the Great Forest completely broke down, and they confirmed only their differences.
However, at that point, Olgania had no intention of actually going to war with China.
Regardless of the elves’ military strength, war would inevitably lead to the deaths of some of their kin.
Preventing such an extreme situation was Olgania’s duty as the leader of the elves, and though she had taken a firm stance, she initially sought a diplomatic solution.
“Haa, what should we do...”
“Why don’t you ask Shia unnie or Yujin? It might help to consider a human’s perspective.”
“Shia and Yujin?”
It was Little Olgania who offered the suggestion to the brooding Olgania.
I thought she was just peacefully rewatching Hunter shows on the internet, but it seemed Little Olgania had been thinking, too.
Indeed, since Yujin and Shia were living in human society, they might be able to offer an objective solution.
So, Elder Olgania secretly and unofficially sought out Yujin in the middle of the night.
But China wasn’t one to miss such an opportunity.
Since the Great Forest’s vigilance hadn’t yet heightened, China quickly noticed that Olgania had disappeared somewhere.
‘Oh... that young girl is the proxy, right? If it’s just the proxy, maybe we can coax and threaten her into compliance.’
The Chinese diplomatic delegation then requested a meeting with Little Olgania, who had been watching Shia’s reruns.
[It’s been a while, Yujin!]
[............]
A few hours later, when Elder Olgania arrived at Yujin’s place...
[Did you do this?]
[What?]
[Our operatives in China reported that a massive forest sprouted in the Gobi Desert within 30 seconds...]
[Wha...?!]
Before she could even properly reunite with Yujin, she was informed that the Gobi Desert had been terraformed.
○○○○○
“So, it was Little Olgania, not Elder Olgania, who set off that bomb!?”
“Hehehehe... It’s embarrassing.”
“No...”
Shia glared at Yujin with eyes demanding an explanation.
“Don’t look at me like that. My head hurts too.”
“If she’s your lover, you should keep her in line!”
“She’s... she’s not my lover!!!”
“.......................”
Though Yujin’s words sounded like a denial, Elder Olgania’s expression momentarily turned icy, though it was so brief that no one noticed.
“Ahem, anyway... you get the gist, right? While I was away, China tried to do something with Little Olgania, and...”
“Ugh... A Chinese diplomat threw papers at me, yelling at me to sign them! That brat was so rude, much younger than me!! Anyone who messes with me is in for a bad time!”
“Haa, Olgania... Where did you even learn to talk like that...?”
“From Shia unnie’s broadcast!”
Hearing the chain of events that led to the Spirit Bomb going off, Shia let out a sigh.
Though she had been flustered and dumbfounded from the start, she never expected such a bizarre reason behind it all.
“...In the end, after Little Olgania made a mess, I had to rush to meet her instead of having coffee with Elder Olgania. But even that wasn’t the end of it... The Spirit Bomb Little Olgania set off was just a test version.”
“A test version...?”
“Actually, the Spirit Bomb wasn’t made by Little Olgania; it was Elder Olgania. There’s a real one.”
“Ehehehe...”
At Elder Olgania’s words, Shia stared in shock at “Leaf Fry Sales” (Little Olgania’s nickname).
How on Earth did she make something like that...?
“Ahem, I may look like this, but I am the child of the World Tree. That much is easy for me.”
“.....”
“Anyway, when I took Elder Olgania to Little Olgania, I thought she’d scold her for causing trouble. But do you know what she said instead?”
[If you were going to set it off, you should have used the real one!! Setting off something that small will make them think we’re weaklings!]
And then, Elder Olgania set off another Spirit Bomb. As a result, 30% of the Gobi Desert had turned into greenery.
...This is crazy. I thought they were a peaceful, nature-loving race, but now it seems they’re impulsive, violent, and radical environmentalists.
“Actually, the correct name isn’t even Spirit Bomb. It’s the Great Forest Special 'Green Your Rivers and Mountains, Green Again' Bomb!”
No way.
That’s really what it’s called?
“I understand ‘Great Forest Special’ and ‘bomb,’ but what does the rest of it mean?”
“Curious?”
“Yeah, I’m dying to know...”
Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.
How could I possibly hold back?
“I’m quite interested as well. As they say, extremes meet, and I feel a sense of connection between the extremes of death and life.”
Even Menelapie, who should’ve been stopping this, was showing interest.
Seeing everyone’s attention on her, Little Olgania, pleased, struck a pose like the main MC of a stage.
“Then behold! The pinnacle of elf naturalism! The fruit of non-violence!”
What Olgania produced was something oddly familiar... It looked like a sturdy fruit with evenly spaced yellow kernels.
“This is the Great Forest terraforming that will return humanity’s selfishness to its primal infancy!!”
What she held out was, simply put... corn.
It had grown fully with healthy silk, and its plump yellow kernels made it look quite delicious.
“...It looks like corn?”
“Yes! Exactly! You’re so sharp, Shia unnie!”
“....?”
So, this corn...
Is this that terrifying "Green Your Rivers and Mountains" bomb...?
“Be non-violent, right? It can’t look dangerous.”
Shia couldn’t help but suspect that the real danger lay in the mental state of the person who made this.
The storm of confusion was raging in Shia’s mind, who had up until now believed that “Leaf Fry Sales” (Olgania) was just a pure elf girl.
“So... the bomb Little Olgania set off... was the one that turned 30% of the Gobi Desert into a forest?”
“It looks harmless like corn, doesn’t it? What do you think would happen if someone tore off a kernel, buried it in the ground, or mistook it for regular corn and distributed it in a human city?”
“...What would happen?”
“Boom! Boom! KABOOM!! They’ll return to the world’s primal state!”
Little Olgania spread her arms wide, dramatically mimicking the blooming of trees.
Shia held her head in her hands.
This is insane.
Lord, please forgive them... they know not what they do...
...
Actually, it seems like they know exactly what they’re doing... but please forgive them anyway.
I wonder if I can truly take responsibility for these elves.