Chapter 120: Chapter 113 – The Meeting of Two Settlements, Before That!

Elli joined me on the way out of the audience chamber.

Though I was a bit concerned about the broken door, it wasn't my fault that had happened, so I did my best to ignore it.

"That turned out even better than I could've hoped."

Once we were outside, my eyes turned upwards. The stars were shining brightly in the sky, though the last remnants of the sun was still clawing at the sky.

"It pleasures me for you to say so."

I figured at best, it would be put at a vote or I'd have to prove myself in some contrived way. The worst I got was a single punch as well as having to defend my claim and proposal. While the real work was coming up with the next meeting, I wouldn't be solely responsible for that.

"I'm amazed though, you managed to set up that meeting so fast."

"You were quite engrossed with Njordr's work. I requested Frey to prepare the meeting after she sent the young ones away."

"I see. Thanks for that."

"It is of little consequence. For that matter, it was of great benefit to us both."

That was certainly true. Peace was obviously good for me from anyone's perspective, and I didn't have to think much to understand how it could help Elli. Peace and cooperation between this settlement and the fairies would bring everything from security to economic stimulation to both. Presuming they really did learn to work together, but as long as they didn't have any animosity and had a minimal amount of contact, that was a victory for me.

Elli probably still had no idea that I was talking about fairies regarding the other settlement. How she would react, how all of the elders and chieftains would react I had no idea. I could see how the fairies could react, but whether that was in a positive way or a negative way was mostly predicated on how the people on this side would react.

I could only hope that it wouldn't turn violent. Or if it did, that I would be able to stop it from spreading or becoming malignant.

Or maybe things will actually go great and everything between Magni and the fairies was just an issue of personal differences and wasn't indicative of how the larger societies would react to each other. Or at least not how the rest of the dark races would react to the fairies.

"Umm, I gotta ask. If there's a disagreement between the leaders and you can't resolve it by talking, how do you deal with it?"

"The agreed upon procedure is to debate, then vote on the subject."

"I see."

"Unfortunately a vote has not been held yet with the current leaders."

"Wait, what?"

No votes? At all?

"Originally we were not a single group, but many disparate groups. The idea to agree to something by a vote was actually something proposed by Lord Scarlet, and it seemed the leaders of the time used it numerous times."

"Votes aren't done much in the dark lands?"

"We are used to entrusting the final word to our local leaders. Having many different people come together without one dominating over the others is...unusual for us."

"And without the equal representation, there was no way to come to a decision when the whole group's interests were involved?"

"That is correct. For us, originally we looked to Lord Scarlet to decide, but after many deliberations, her offer was to discuss the subject and bring it to a vote."

"Because she got tired of you bugging her over everything?"

"While I cannot say for definite, I also...cannot deny that supposition."

Elli was a bit sheepish with her answer, but it looked like I hit the bull's eye.

"Well, maybe rather than finding your old leader's constant reliance for major decisions wasn't something that annoyed her, but rather she came up with that idea to help them grow?"

The old dokkalfar's eyes widened before narrowing nearly to slits as her cheeks rose up a bit.

"Perhaps. Perhaps that is so."

"Before I go, I've got one more question."

"Yes?"

"I noticed that some of you have different titles, but could you explain those?"

"Oh, yes. I suppose it is not obvious to an outsider."

Elli nodded to herself as she gathered her thoughts.

"Quite simply, the title refers to how the leader attained their position."

"Okay...?"

"An elder is called thus because they are one of the oldest and wisest of their fellowship."

"So you are known as an elder because your people look up to you for your wisdom?"

"Oh? You think not it is due to my age?"

(It's a trap!)

"Are you trying to say that you're actually pretty old or something?"

My cheeks twitched as I returned a question to her.

"Do you not think so when one has more lines on their face than an old quilt?"

"I've heard such lines called wisdom lines though."

"My! How flattering!"

Elli covered her mouth with a hand as she quietly chuckled to herself.

"I suppose that is enough teasing a youngster for now."

I sighed in relief internally at those words.

"The other title, chieftain, is for one who had proven themself strongest of their own."

"So they fight for their position like with a demon lord?"

"Often times, yes. However, that is not the only way."

"Really?"

"Yes. A trial by arms is the most common way, but otherwise, trials through other means are popular in other places. For example, some people prefer a race, while others a series of tests of strength. There are those who would compete at the hunt, and others more who would search for the greatest prize for their people. And, for the most fortunate, a test to clear a dungeon."

"You mean the person who clears a dungeon can become a chieftain?"

"That is correct. For those people who are fortunate to live near a dungeon, they may use the dungeon as a way to chose their next chieftain."

"That's pretty neat."

"Oh? Do you dare to try to challenge one of our chieftains for their title?"

I vehemently shook my head while holding my hands up.

"No way! Not like that!"

Only when Elli chuckled that I realized that she was just teasing me. Again.

"Of course. Once these talks complete, you will be named one of us. Whether an elder, or a chieftain, you may stand proud at our side."

"I get to chose?"

"Of course. As the sole vampire of our village, you are the oldest and wisest. At the same time, there is none to challenge your strength as well. You will become like myself."

Oldest and wisest? I wasn't even four years old in this life. To be called an elder at this age, even tarantulas wouldn't be middle aged that quickly. But there was something which Elli said which caught my ear.

"Like you?"

"Both an elder and a chieftain, able to chose which title to go by, but be known as both."

"Wait, you're a chieftain too?!"

That was a surprise. While I did shy away from actually calling her old, the wrinkles all over her body practically screamed that she was elderly. Someone who should have long since retired and spent the last of her days on some tropical beach or being cared for by her kids or something.

"There is no need to be surprised so. Even at my age, if your level is high enough, your body will keep up with the young ones. I am not nearly as frail as my appearance suggests."

And with a flicker, a dagger appeared in her hand. It happened so quickly and unexpectedly that I didn't even catch where the weapon came from. And as quickly as it had appeared, it once again disappeared. No trace as to where it had even gone. All I could tell was that it seemed to have gone inside of the folds of her shawl, but where I couldn't for the life of me tell just by looking.

"Well, I may technically be a chieftain, but traditionally one was not afforded by my tribe."

"Huh? But you would've had to have cleared some sort of traditional trial or competition to become a chieftain, right?"

"That is right. A little over sixty years before, the elder of the time had declared a competition. Hunt as many dart sparrows in a single day one can."

"Dart sparrow?"

"They are small bird monsters. Very fast, very timid. Even experienced hunters have difficulty hunting a single one in a day."

I nodded. It sounded exactly the sort of thing which would be perfect for that sort of competition.

"Our very best hunters tried their hand, but even they only managed two or three dart sparrows. At the time I prided myself as the best of the hunters, and despite my age, not ready to allow myself to be bested by the young ones."

"Then..."

I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"I managed to hunt eleven. And crowned the winner of the competition, my reward, straight from the elder himself, was to be crowned as the tribe's first chieftain."

"I knew it."

"Then he promptly retired his position as elder."

"Seriously?"

Elli nodded, with a weary smile on her lips.

"It seemed even sixty years ago, I had not the wisdom to go with my age."

While she said that, sixty years was hard for me to wrap my head around. It was almost twice as how long I had lived between both of my lives.

"Perhaps not all will agree, but I myself prefer to believe that I have gained at least a modicum of wisdom in the previous six decades leading my people."

The elder standing in front of me gave a wry chuckle before adding a few wrinkles to the edge of her eyes.

"Umm...anyways...I think it's best for me to get going."

Not knowing how to respond to that, I tried to just move the subject along entirely.

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"Oh yes. We have stood here for far too long. It is growing dark already."

The last vestiges of light was quickly fading away behind the mountain.

"I'll take you back then go home then."

"Who are you treating like a feeble old woman!"

"Fuha?!"

Elli pinched my cheek with her bony fingers and tugged at it, exposing the fangs on one side.

"Hmph! And I just told you I am the strongest of the dokkalfar!"

And with that pouty expression, the elder let go of me and crossed her arms in annoyance.

I, on the other hand, rubbed my cheek. It didn't hurt or anything physically, but the unexpectedness of it all left me a bit pained on the inside.

"I will return, however, I expect good news from you soon, Scarlet. It would be interesting to welcome more people into the fold."

And with those words, Elli made her way on her own.

It was actually the same direction I needed to go, but considering what had just happened, I opted to simply wait at the side until she was out of sight before heading back.

 

Over the next few days, I went around, gathering silk for Anathousai, working on my new skills, and of course, talking to Aurae about the dark people settlement. It wasn't difficult to convince her that coming up with some sort of agreement was in their interest, and she had made sure that the other fairies knew that there were others in the dungeon and to avoid getting into any fights with them.

A little bit of back and forth and a date was set for the meeting.

The location would be in front of the dungeon entrance on the dark lands' side. The fairies would only bring their leaders and a handful of guards, while the dark people would block anyone from their side beyond the leaders and a few assistants each from entering the open area in front of the dungeon.

Also, after a bit of experimentation, it seemed like I was right when it came to how the dungeon entrance worked. When you enter the dungeon, the fountain room you go to first was determined by the entrance you used, but after that, everyone ended up on the same first floor and continued through a combined dungeon. When returning, you were automatically entered the fountain room you went through when entering the dungeon.

The only exception to that was when a mixed group travelled together, in which case the first of the group would determine which fountain room you ended up at.

Fortunately, there was a simple way around all of this. If you specified which version of the first floor fountain room you wanted to teleport to from the fountain, you could easily switch between them as long as you've been there before.

Anyways, once the meeting was set up, my role was determined to be in charge of catering.

The fairies were adamant that I take this role, and refused to join in on talks if I didn't agree.

To be honest, it wasn't really a big deal, but it was a bit funny that the crux of the matter happened to revolve around food when we were talking about a meeting which would determine the future of two entire settlements.

And if my cooking could help bring the two sides together, then it was a small price to pay. Or rather, if I could get that Harja to admit defeat with my cooking, then it would be quite the victory.

For that sake, I gathered around a wide variety of ingredients and tried all sorts of things. From fried rice to fried chicken. I even tried baking some bread. Both Hokkaido milk bread and Chinese style stuffed buns. And of course, I made a bunch of desserts to finish things off. Several cakes and candied fruit.

If I neglected on the desserts, the fairies would riot. Probably completely and utterly.

So in the end, the quantity of desserts ended up equalling everything else I had made. No, it had surpassed the normal foods. By quite a margin at that. Sweet pies, cakes, tarts, flans, ice cream, popsicles, parfaits, crepes, candied fruit, hard candies, gummy candies, and even variety of each. It continued until I ran out of milk, then until I ran out of honey and other sweeteners.

I even made sure to stockpile my ingredients beforehand, but at some point, I got lost in making the treats, imagining the reactions of the fairies trying each one.

(Would Aurae like this raspberry shortcake? Ah, but maybe she'd prefer a dark forest cake? She really enjoyed the lightness of sponge cake layer last time. Maybe she'd like an angel food cake the best? And Orphne. She really liked the sweetness and bounciness of the filling. Would she like a fruit tart with plenty of gelatin? Or maybe a parfait with a thick layer of whipped cream? Ah, Anathousai really liked the shape and colours of the desserts too. Maybe some Neapolitan ice cream would go well with her? Or some candied fruit arranged like a picture?)

It was quite fortunate that I had a bag which stopped time, or else I would be hard pressed to deal with the sheer amount of food I had made. Even if they couldn't get close to finishing everything on the day of the meeting, I could just save what hadn't been touched and serve it again on another day.

(Would the fairies really not touch everything though?)

It was hard to deny, but I could only hope that they concentrate on the things that they find interesting first. There shouldn't be too many of them showing up during the meeting in the first place. Just the elders and a few guards. And if I served the leftovers at the settlement afterwards, the ones to receive them probably wouldn't mind. Or rather, they'd probably complain it wasn't enough, but serving enough for the entire settlement by myself was impossible.

If they couldn't accept that much, then there really wasn't anything I could do about it.

Along with plates and cutlery, I stuffed my magic bag, ready for catering at the meeting that would determine the future of the two settlements.

A little bit more work, and I'd be free to do whatever I wanted. To spend my time between Alicia and delving deeper into the dungeon.

 

"First floor fountain room, west version."

With a flicker of the usual ambient light, we had arrived. The procession of fairies let go of me once we had changed fountain rooms.

I lead the way from the fountain to the entrance, and soon the winding cave opened up to the clearing on the western side of the mountain.

There, once my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the morning sun's assault, we were greeted with the sight of the dark settlement's leaders and their chosen aids forming a semicircle a slight distance away. Further beyond that, the sight of all sorts of curious onlookers were visible, but there was a clearly marked line in the ground and none of them encroached it.

I entered the middle of the group while the fairies maintained their distance, mostly completing the circle around me.

"It looks like everyone's here."

"Everyone you say? Is the other settlement comprised solely of fairies?!"

"Stupid fairies?! Stupid stupid fairies?!"

Almost cutting off Frigg, Geirskogul immediately started to insult the other party. The two imps behind him pointed their weapons in response, levelling their pole arms in ready position. They appeared to be some sort of pole axe, perhaps bardiches.

"Ugly imps! Always mean and ugly, ugly imps!"

Orphne returned the insults, and the rest of her guards, the same ones that had originally greeted me with their weapons pointed their spears at the imps, practically ignoring everyone else.

"Wait wait! Stop! We're here to talk, not fight!"

Things had started even worse than I could imagine. I didn't expect that the rivalry between the races would be this bad.

"Here! How about we start with a meal? I already prepared the food, so how about you everyone eats a bit first before the talks start?"

And with that, I formed several large tables around me and started to pull out the still fresh food from my bag.

Very quickly, the tables were covered in all sorts of food, from piping hot stir fry to mistingly cold ice cream. Small plates and cutlery completed the tables.

"You made all of this?"

"I did. Have some!"

I scooped a heaping portion of the fried rice onto a suitably large plate and together with an oversized spoon, I presented the food to Alvaldi, the titan elder. It was a simple recipe made from various diced vegetables, salted white fish, shrimp, and a good helping of crushed black peppers to spice things up a bit. Since I lacked soy sauce, I had to make do more simplified seasoning, but the strong salty flavour should go well with the seafood theme.

The huge titan reached down to the plate I held above my head and took it. He eyed it suspiciously, but I could see his Adam's apple bob as he gulped.

"Don't worry. I guarantee the flavour. Look."

The other side of the circle had already broken, and the fairies were devouring the desserts without any hint of hesitation. It looked like they had completely forgotten whey they were here.

"If you don't hurry and eat, they might consume it all and leave nothing left."

Putting on my best smile, I gave the old man the push he needed. Alvaldi spooned some of the fried rice into his gaping maw, but the moment he closed it, he froze.

Moments passed by and it felt like my back was quickly being covered in cold sweat.

(Did I screw up? It should be good. Maybe his tastes are just that different from what I expected?)

A few more moments passed, then he finally opened his mouth again.

"What is this?! This looks like it's only rice with something else in it, but this taste!"

He tilted the serving plate, which looked more like a dessert plate in his huge hand, and shovelled the rest of the fried rice into his mouth.

"Delicious! To think rice could taste so good! I must have more!"

And with those words, he rushed to the table and grabbed the entire serving plate of fried rice, hogging the thing for himself. His aide quickly followed, but only managed to get a spoonful from his elder's plate before being glared at and forced to abandon being able to eat any more than that of the prepared fried rice. Instead, she followed her nose and after trying some, served herself a large plate of stir fried noodles.

"It seems it would be best to join in before all the food has been consumed."

And with those words, Elli calmly walked towards the tables. But the look in her eyes suggested that it was nothing but a guise, and she was quite intrigued by what was in front of her. The tension in her two aids clearly stated that they were only barely able to contain their curiosity as well. That curiosity which ended up exploding as they took some tempura to their mouths. It was a simple recipe, where I pressed the vegetables and seafood in flour, then coated them in a batter of nothing but flour, eggs, and water, but all indications suggested it went well. If only I had some sauce to go with it, but as expected, it was received well even without it.

"Is it really good? Really? Really good?"

Geirskogul, beaten by his own curiosity fluttered over to the plates before trying a piece of black forest cake. In an instant, once his tongue touched the fluffy white creme, he started to devour the thing. The recipe for the cake wasn't anything special. Simply flour, eggs, honey, eggs, milk, and of course, cocoa for the cake base, along with a ton of fresh cherries boiled with sugar into a thick jam in a pot of water, and finally cream separated from a large jar of milk, whipped up with plenty of honey. The cake was decorated with some hastily made chocolate reduced into shavings and some more cherries.

His own two aids had completely abandoned their posts and started to dig in to the candied fruit, as if they were possessed by some mad fever. They were nothing more than pieces of fruit boiled in honey diluted with some water before being removed to dry once they became translucent.

On the other side, Frigg did her best to maintain her dignity and slowly walked to the plates with her two aids keeping formation behind her. Her hands reached for a Chinese meat bun, and very soon the trio devolved into discussion the flavour of the various different buns. The bread itself was quite simple, just flour, honey, salt, and lots of butter. Inside of the buns I had included char siu with extra sauce, minced hornbull meat with curry spice mix, and ones with red bean jam. I also made some with a cookie dough crust on top .

The only one who had refused to budge was Harja, who made no attempt at hiding her frustration.

At a time like this, staying the outsider would only ferment discord. I needed to step in.

"You guys sure you're fine not eating? I'm confident in the flavour."

I brought over three plates fried chicken, seasoned in various ways.

"I think the discussions won't start for a while, so you might as well fill yourselves up so you're ready by the time everyone else finishes."

I held the plate of the strongest smelling fried chicken, spiced Louisiana style.

Harja stubbornly glared at me, but eventually, which a gulp, she relented.

"You won't offer any utensils?"

"It's a bit hot, but this one is best eaten by hand."

I tore down the last vestige of resistance. The chieftain carefully lifted up a piece. She sniffed it for a moment, before her teeth crunched on the twice coated meat. That crispy, deep fried batter made from eggs used as a wet coat, flour, starch extracted from potatoes, and a large amount of herbs and spices of all sorts for the dry coat. The chicken, or rather, cockatrice meat, was dipped in both twice to make an extra thick and crunchy coat, extra deep as well in flavour.

In almost no time, the fried chicken, or rather, fried cockatrice, in Harja's hands turned into nothing but bones.

"They say a soldier marches on their stomach. No need to hold back and eat, as it is the warrior's way, is it not?"

In an attempt to appeal to her more militaristic mindset, I stepped aside and motioned towards the table, where more food like the one she had just sampled lay.

Though the chieftain glared at me for a moment, she ended up marching towards the table, filling her plate full of more fried cockatrice. Her aids as well, despite their best attempts at trying to stay professional, ended up eating with frightening furor once they got a taste.

Taking a step back, I made a tall wine glass from the surrounding dirt and poured myself some blood from one of my many jars from my bag. Maybe this particular glass wasn't quite suitable when the people in front of me were practically tearing at the food in front of them, but this was something I had wanted to try out.

A wine glass was simply classier than an ordinary cup.

But even still...

(Am I going to have anything left to bring back to the fairy settlement?)

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