Chapter 299. Journey Toward Deep Prairie Merchant Province. [AotSC] (Patreon)

When Liu Shu went to Level Up, Flor’s group was crossing the plains separating the White Flower and Deep Prairie Merchant Provinces. The journey was much calmer than Flor expected. In Flor’s mind, everything outside of Liu Shu’s roots range was hostile. Having been attacked by so many factions and creatures could make a person’s distrust inflate beyond rationale. 

Seeing how tense Flor was amused Verena quite a lot. They were inside the same carriage. The mature woman leaned her elbow on her crossed knee and rested her chin on her hand. “Flor, what is your opinion on the World?”

The Flower Fairy paused and looked up at the green-haired woman. “That question is too… broad. I wouldn’t know how to answer.”

Verena smiled encouragingly. “Give it a shot. Just answer as your heart tells you.” 

The Flower Fairy straightened and shifted a bit on her seat. The seat was human-sized, so her legs were actually straight, and she was unable to dangle them down. Her straight posture made her look like a beautiful doll. “Um… I think that the World is a place with many unknown dangers. It is a world where weak creatures are not allowed to survive.” She started with that statement, and then, she continued, her eyes thoughtful. “Although I believe that everything in the world and beyond might follow the same rules, it is still something that I always need to keep in mind when making a decision.”

Verena nodded, her eyes showing a hint of surprise and appreciation for this small but strong creature. “That’s a good way to put it. What more?”

Flor hummed and crossed her arms, making her cuteness double. Even though Flor’s face and body could be described as elegant and poised, her stature made everything look much cuter. “Well… Beyond that, I feel that the way creatures target Liu Shu is slightly abnormal.” 

“Oh? How so?”

Flor looked at Verena and cleared her throat. “This will sound rude, but… They feel brainless.” 

Verena's stifled laughter spilled slightly, and Flor rushed to explain. “I mean, why are so many groups targeting a World Tree? Aren’t World Trees sacred? Aren’t they creatures to protect and nurture? These groups attacking us often target World Trees as if that were a common practice! It goes against what I believe is the core values of the entire world.” 

Verena leaned back, chuckling slightly. “Well, you are not wrong. World Trees are protected entities. Which is why Liu Shu hasn’t really received attacks from high-level people.” Flor tilted her head, confused, and Verena explained. “Because no high-level people attacked you, that doesn’t mean that your existence has gone unnoticed. On the contrary, Liu Shu has been the main talking point during my recent missions and meetings.”

“Huh? Really?”

Verena nodded at Flor’s surprise. “Level 40s and above are beings that rarely get involved in these matters. After all, provinces are slightly too small for us. However, Liu Shu seemingly appeared out of nowhere and made the entire place quake with her presence. Each of her feats feels like the tales of a fantastical story.” 

Flor’s lips arched wrily. “A fantastical story… That’s far from what is going on. All achievements have been done over the corpses of many friends and loyal citizens.” Flor sighed and looked up. “We stand on a mountain of corpses, our steps unstable as the bodies below feel like they will drag the living down with them at any moment.”

Verena’s eyes widened slightly for two reasons. First, she was surprised that Flor was sharp enough to notice that. In her opinion, while clever, the Flower Fairy still had a long way to go in achieving human-like intelligence. The second point that surprised her, related to the first, was Flor’s ability to come up with something so profound. 

‘Flor’s intelligence… It has already reached human-like levels. Incredible. How many years have passed since I first met this small Rose Fairy?’

Flor sighed and continued. “Even with them being protected as you say, I still feel that she is being targetted to unfair levels.”

“Unfair…” Verena smiled. “That’s a word that doesn’t have much meaning, Flor.”

“Hm? How so?”

Verena asked with a small smile. “Isn’t it unfair for Fortuna that Liu Shu has taken her position as the ruling World Tree? Isn’t it unfair that only your Rose Fairy race gained enough influence and intelligence to live among intelligent races and stop being hunted? Isn’t it unfair that Liu Shu was born just above a place that seems to be surging with resources? Isn’t it unfair for those groups that tried their best to survive to perish in Liu Shu’s hands?”

Flor frowned. “How can that be unfairness?”

“Perspective.” Verena chuckled. “It all depends on perspective. Imagine that you are the first group that attacked you. How many years had they been accumulating strength? How many of those lives were lost due to Liu Shu being too strong?”

“They asked for it! We’ve never attacked another faction unprovoked.” 

Flor's rebuttal was the truth. Until now, they’ve been protecting themselves. However, Verena answered softly, making the clever Flower Fairy flinch slightly. “I bet that Fortuna would beg to differ with that statement, Flor.”

Flor’s mouth opened and then closed. Even if no one attacked them, eventually, Liu Shu would expand far enough to start a conflict with Fortuna. Liu Shu was not someone who would stop herself from growing and spreading her roots. 

Even then, Flor still had a hard time nodding to Verena’s words. Verena commented. “You are right.”

Flor blinked and looked at the mature Sylvan. “What do you mean?”

“You are right in saying that my words are somewhat unfair. I’ve stretched the perspective too far, twisting the scenarios. However, that’s objectively speaking. Do you think those affected think objectively?”

Flor shook her head and muttered. “Strangely enough, humans and other intelligent races are controlled by their instincts and emotional impulses more easily than I previously though.”

Verena nodded and looked out of the carriage window. “Emotions. Such a powerful concept that controls almost our entire lives. If someone were to be completely rational without emotions, what would be the difference between a Rune Artifact with one purpose and him? A human without wants and emotions is just someone who wants to grow in strength, mate, reproduce, and then control things as much as he can before dying. Everything they do is just a way to make this as best as possible.”

Flor snorted. “Again, you are going to extremes. There is no one without a single shred of emotions.”

“That’s true. But the point still stands.” Verena raised her eyebrow. “Emotion might seem like a baggage. However, once you drop it, you lose much more than it.” Leaning forward, Verena touched Flor’s chest and smiled. “Your mind and soul must be cold and calculating. However, this heart of yours should always burn fiercely and guide you. Sometimes, while it is not the most optimal choice, some actions must be done.” 

Flor blinked twice and touched her chest. “Hm… I see. I understand a bit.”

“That’s good~, hahaha.” Verena laughed and commented. “Once we arrive at the location, never separate from me. I know that you want to try to avoid conflict by prohibiting your entire race from coming. However, that makes you prime hunting material. I can’t even begin to imagine how much money you’d currently sell at.”

Flor’s face gained a strange look. “Am I… valuable?”

“Oh, you little thing. You are so clueless.” Verena shook her head, her gaze full of pity. “There are even some families in the other continents that have sent a group of hunters to kidnap you.”

Flor’s eyebrows started twitching. “That… I didn’t know.”

“Well, this is about it. You are a monster fairy that suddenly gained enough power and intelligence to rule over a city with intelligent races. Moreover, those living in the city are far from being repressed. Instead, everyone has nothing but praise for you. You are basically a unique specimen!”

Monsters that gained intelligence were not a rare situation around the world. However, the intelligence they gained was different from the one Flor grasped. When one said a monster was intelligent, they referred to cunning and the ability to adapt. Those monsters would be able to talk and even carry out trade, but essentially, they were unable to maintain or meld in a society. 

Flor’s growth in intelligence naturally had those qualities, but over that, she had developed compassionate and emphatic intelligence. This kind of development was most suited to living with different creatures.

“Stop!”

Flor and Verena paused their conversation and walked outside of the carriage. Verena saw a group of armed people in front of their carriages and asked aloud, her tone cold and fierce. “What’s wrong? We are on a tight schedule and have no time to be stopped! State your business quickly before we lose our patience!”

The armed people mourning on the back of strong and furry beasts frowned. The leader of that group looked around and eventually spotted Flor, his eyes lingering on her a few seconds longer than the rest. He spoke aloud. “We are people you don’t want to offend, as we come from a Count’s house. We’ve come here to retrieve the rare and unique specimen that has appeared. We’ve heard that they would be coming through this path.”

Verena and Eila both raised their eyebrows. ‘We are being tracked?’

Verena, leading the group, spoke curtly. Her tone was clearly not welcoming. “I don’t know what you are talking about. Even if I did, I am not someone intimidated by a Count’s house! Now, scram before I bury all of you alive.”

“You dare!?”

The leader raised his voice, his tone gaining a touch of anger. “How dare you look down on the Confederation’s Count!? State your name if you are as courageous as you say.”

“Verena Liferoot.”

The group on the mounts thought that the woman wouldn’t dare speak aloud. However, he didn’t only get a name, he was slapped with the surname as well. The leader paused and frowned. ‘... Liferoot. That name is familiar.’

“Leader, what do we do?”

The leader’s frowning eyebrows suddenly raised as a touch of surprise flashed in his eyes. “Verena… Ah.” His face changed from one of recognition to one of horror very quickly. He apologized and bowed. “Lady Verena, we are the rude ones. I hope you can forgive us.”

Verena also didn’t want to lose time here, so she signaled them with her chin. “Move aside. As I said, we are on a tight schedule.”

After mounting back on their carriage, their group departed, leaving those who stopped them behind. One of them couldn’t help but ask. “Is that woman named Verena as influential as a Count?”

“No.” The Leader shook his head. “A Count has at least one <Third Energy Cycle> person between their ranks. They are people who can rule over large regions due to that. From what I know, Lady Verena has not reached those heights yet.”

“Then… Why are you so respectful?”

The leader’s lips twitched. “... She is crazy.”

The rest looked at their leader, flabbergasted. The leader sighed. “She once wiped out an entire family because they tried kidnaping her daughter, Verdantia Liferoot. That faction was at a Viscount Level and from the Celestial Lotus Empire.”

The others coughed. “She is indeed crazy. Seeing that she is still here, I can guess that the Empire didn’t retaliate?”

The leader shook his head. “That’s not why people call her crazy… She was Level 27 at that time.”

Everyone’s faces spasmed. ‘Viscounts have at least 5 Level 40s between their ranks!’

The leader added another thing that almost made them slip off their mounts. “The Empire tried to recruit her instead of punishing her. She declined. However, they now have some dealings going on.”

‘Crazy woman!’