There was no way that the Forest Elves could accept their fate, but reality was often cruel and merciless.
Now that the six Adventurer teams died in the Untamed Jungle, while they’d been pursuing the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team, the Forest Elves would never be able to explain the situation properly.
They were not even aware of the existence of the Twin Lions and could only guess that the Senator had sent his subordinates to give them a silent death. Luckily, they didn’t die due to Michael’s timely intervention.
Unfortunately, the Senator’s followers would now think that the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team killed their underlings.
“What should we do?” One of the Forest Elves asked with a trace of desperation in her voice.
She looked at Lilica, whose expression was bitter and overflowing with frustration.
Lilica didn’t know how Michael had procured the documents, but they were authentic. She was certain of that.
“I…” Lilica started, only to stop when Michael lifted his hand.
He had just finished his second helping and decided that it was time to speak now.
“If you’re willing to listen, I have an offer to make. Of course, you can choose to decline at any time,” Michael said, which made Lilica curious.
Even before handing over the documents, he had extracted, an idea had formed in his mind. Michael couldn’t tell whether Lilica and her team would agree, but it was worth a try.
He had the upper hand right now.
Under normal circumstances, the Forest Elves wouldn’t have to worry about anything. Killing a few Adventurers in the Untamed Jungle wasn’t much of an issue.
However, the core problem was that the Adventurers attacked them in the name of the Senator’s subordinates. If the underlings used the Senator’s authority, or Senator Keltos put them on the wanted dead-or-alive list, their life would be over. They couldn’t stay in Xiltra or the Zentika Empire without living in constant fear of being caught.
This was something Michael realized quickly.
Lilica and the others didn’t have much of a choice if they wanted to stay in the Origin Expanse and make a living. They still wanted to get stronger by using the dormant energy of the Origin Expanse – and all other benefits the Origin Expanse had to offer.
“I can accept you in my territory, under the condition that you become my subordinates–” Michael began to speak.
However, before he could finish his offer, the youngest member of the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team jumped up from his seat.
His face flushed in anger, and his eyes glaring daggers, the young Forest Elf was jabbing his finger in the air, pointing accusingly at Michael.
“Do you want to insult us, HUMAN? What kind of offer is that? Do you feel almighty just because we’re in a sticky situation? We will never accept to be enslaved by a lesser race!!” He bellowed, speaking out what all Forest Elves thought at this moment.
Even if they didn’t have a safe place to stay, they could still work it out…somehow.
Michael raised an eyebrow at that as he watched the young man trembling in anger.
“Shut up, and let me finish,” Michael retorted sharply, his ice-cold eyes causing the youngest Forest Elf to feel the chills running down his spine.
The others had a lot to say as well, but nobody uttered a word. They kept their mouths sealed shut. The situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed.
Entering the Origin Expanse by manifesting the Runic Gate in an unprotected area was suicidal. If they emerged in the Origin Expanse when a hungry monster walked by, they would be torn to shreds.
It was common knowledge to seek well-protected places to anchor your Runic Gate. Too many powerhouses, who had been too confident in their capabilities ended up dying because they underestimated the hidden dangers of manifesting the Runic Gate in the wilderness.
If the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team wanted to stay in the Origin Expanse while retaining the opportunity to safely return home and come back whenever they wanted, they required a secure place to stay. Unfortunately, the Zentika Empire was not an option anymore, and the Untamed Jungle was overpopulated. The chances to encounter a fierce monster while returning from home were extremely high as well.
“As I said, I can accept you in my territory, under the condition that you become my subordinates. You will have to form a Link of Loyalty with me. However, the Link of Loyalty will have a special clause that allows you to break the Link as long as certain conditions are met. That way, you can leave whenever you want to, or break the Link of Loyalty if I mistreat you,” Michael explained, his eyes still glaring coldly at the youngest Forest Elf who had butted in without letting him complete.
“Of course, the conditions will be known by all parties involved, and they will include the clause that you can only break the Link of Loyalty after informing me about it. That way, you can leave whenever you wish while I can ensure the safety of my subjects since I will personally send you out of my territory once the Link of Loyalty has been terminated. I won’t accept potential threats in my territory, and I cannot trust you enough after the link is severed. After all, my goodwill has already been abused once.”
Michael intentionally mentioned the last two sentences. He recalled the Gogi Lord corpse, which he had handed over to the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team upon their request, and the fact that the youngest Forest Elf had ended up exposing information about his territory, thereby breaking the promise Lilica made to him as a representative of the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team.
The youngest Forest Elf’s complexion paled upon hearing the reason why Michael couldn’t trust them. Meanwhile, Lilica and the others fell deep in thought.
“Even if you guys want to stay only temporarily in my territory, you will have to accept my condition. Furthermore, you’ll be part of my territory the moment the Link of Loyalty has been established. That means I won’t mistreat anyone. You won’t make any losses because you can always terminate the Link of Loyalty if you don’t like my attitude,” Michael revealed in all honesty.
He didn’t hide anything since it would make things worse, and added, “But I think it’s quite obvious that I won’t give you everything for free. If you want to eat and sleep, you’ll have to work just like everyone else!”
Michael knew that he was not offering a lot. However, the little things such as safety and a place to stay were of immense value right now.
He didn’t put any restrictions on the Forest Elves and gave them a secure place to anchor their Runic Gate. They would be able to travel back home and come back to the Origin Expanse at any time, without the need to worry about their safety.
The Untamed Jungle might not be the best place for them to stay, but it was – by far – not the worst.
They were Forest Elves and could survive in any kind of forest. As they were born, raised, and trained in a forest, the Forest Elves wouldn’t die easily in a forest.
That was also how they earned their money in Xiltra. They used their expertise and accepted the mission that led to the Untamed Jungle. Others didn’t want to enter this place, but the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team didn’t have a problem with that.
However, staying in the Untamed Jungle by themselves wasn’t helpful either. They had lost access to Xiltra, and the Zentika Empire as trading hub for resources. Being one of the only Forest Elves – if not the only Forest Elves – in the Zentika Empire, their appearance would expose them immediately.
Lilica and the others were enraged at Michael’s offer at first. But the more Michael revealed the more they understood their situation.
They might survive in the Untamed Jungle without any help, but what then? The loot they procured from the Untamed Jungle was worth close to nothing at home. At the same time, the goods produced at home couldn’t be sold in Xiltra anymore. After all, they couldn’t return without fearing being captured and prosecuted.
That was just one of the many things revolving in Lilica’s mind, and it was already frustrating enough to feel like punching the air for a few hours.
Michael didn’t push the Forest Elves closer to the idea of becoming his subjects. He knew that it was not something he could force.
Instead, Michael remained silent after he said what he had to say. He just waited, and let them think it through.
“Hypothetically…” Lilica murmured quietly, which Michael took as a positive sign.
“What would happen if we accept your condition, become your subordinates by forming a Link of Loyalty with you, and bring some goods from outside the Origin Expanse? Would you claim them as your territory’s property, or would they still belong to us?”
Lilica was being very careful and calculative. She didn’t want to make a mistake by blindly trusting Michael. Her gut feeling told her that Michael was sincere and that he wouldn’t take advantage of them, but she also knew that her gut feeling was not always right.
“Goods from the Forest Elves’ home? That would be amazing!” Michael blurted out his thoughts in excitement, “If the Forest Elves bring their goods into my territory, I have another market to trade my goods with!”
Michael then realized that he had said everything aloud and cleared his throat.
“To be honest, I have a few deals with a big corporation in mankind’s territory, and it would be a lot easier to trade with you guys than traveling to Xiltra and purchasing goods from their shops. If we start trading with each other, we could save money both ways while still making a profit. Of course, your goods still belong to you. I am not taking anything from my subjects!”
Lilica and the others looked at him in surprise. They felt that Michael was a weird Lord, a Lord, who could be kind, gentle, and sincere at one time, and like a brutal, merciless tyrant the moment he stepped on the battlefield. However, the most important fact was that Michael – despite his young age – seemed to be good at thinking about and planning for the long term.
If Michael could create a business relationship with the Forest Elves, the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team might have to stay longer in his territory. In fact, if their business relationship were to progress further, the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team might receive orders from their Elders to permanently stay with Michael – though it was very unlikely.
Considering the growth of Michael’s territory in such a short time, including the massive increase in combat prowess he attained, Michael was a good candidate as a business partner. This was especially true now that Michael was the only one left with access to Xiltra and the Zentika Empire.
‘Did he consider all of these factors?’ Lilica wondered.
‘Even if he didn’t consider all of them, one or two are already enough to consider him a decent strategist and businessman.’
Lilica knew that she had already put aside her pride by sharing the information she had wanted to make use of before to reclaim her title as a Lord. She was also aware of their current situation.
Thus, the EmeraldLeaf Adventurer team had to make a decision; try to fight on their own and see how far they could go, or become Michael’s subordinates – even if it was just temporary.
“Can you tell me more about your plans, or do you want us to make a decision now?” Lilica asked, still debating in her mind.
“I can tell you about my plans. But I would rather prefer to show you some of my plans,” Michael responded mysteriously,
“Follow me!”