Chapter 131
“Thank you for coming such a long way. From here on, this is the Frontera Estate.”
“……”
The voice of the human Lloyd Frontera reached her ears.
Muirah, the elf chieftain of the Forget-Me-Not tribe, lifted her head.
Her view widened as they exited the forest.
A landscape unfamiliar to her unfolded ahead.
‘So this is the land where humans live.’
She carefully surveyed the Frontera Estate.
The first thing that caught her eye was the Magena River, flowing up from the south and curving clockwise into a great semicircle. The Frontera Estate lay nestled inside that semicircle, as the river bent westward and continued north.
‘The eastern side borders the foothills of the mountains, while the other three sides are surrounded by the river.’
It was a beautiful sight.
But soon, she realized one unpleasant truth.
‘Within that beautiful landscape, too many plants have been sacrificed.’
Scattered villages dotted the estate.
Fields and paddies lay between them.
To the south stretched vast reclaimed lands.
All of it was designed by humans to cultivate and harvest plants in great numbers for their needs.
Homes and buildings were the same.
‘There’s no place where wood hasn’t been used.’
Log houses, barns, warehouses—all were built primarily from wood.
That painful truth pierced Muirah’s heart.
‘Those trees were pitifully deprived of funerary rites.’
Humans had no regard for plants to that extent.
Naturally, they offered no respect to dead trees.
That was why, when she saw such scenes, she couldn’t help but…
“Is this troubling for you?”
“……”
Was he reading her heart?
At some point Lloyd had moved beside her.
At his question, Muirah gave a small nod.
A bitter smile crossed Lloyd’s lips.
“It can’t be helped. Everyone has their own way of living.”
“What do you mean by another way?”
“For example, monks.”
Monks?
A word she had never heard before.
Lloyd’s bitter smile deepened slightly.
“They are ascetics who live in faraway regions, a kind of priest.”
“Priests. But why mention them?”
“Because they live with a diet completely opposite to yours. They eat only plants.”
“What nonsense….”
Muirah recoiled.
People who deliberately ate only plants? Unthinkable. Horrifying.
Yet as Lloyd continued, her thoughts began to shift.
“They follow the precept of not killing. It’s their way of respecting life. Of course, some don’t adhere to it, but most try. It’s similar to how you elves cherish and protect plants.”
“……”
“What I mean is, since ways of life differ, I’d ask for a little understanding.”
“Understanding. Like the negotiation you proposed a few days ago?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd gave a small nod.
Seeing that, Muirah recalled the incident from days past.
The intruder who suddenly entered the forest.
Who shamelessly tried to take the sap of the Elensia root.
Who even resorted to a hostage situation when caught.
Yet instead of panicking, he grilled meat with a grin.
And then used meat and coal as bargaining chips to propose negotiations.
Even now, she could not forget the words Lloyd had spoken then.
♣
“Negotiation is the process of narrowing the gap between conflicting interests.”
She had been baffled.
What did that mean?
Lloyd elaborated.
“Well, there’s no need to force it. Even a failed negotiation has meaning. The attempt itself is half a success. Like right now, when those who once swore negotiations were impossible are sitting face to face with me.”
He gave a small smile.
“So, let me summarize my proposal again. Every month, I’ll provide your tribe with the meat you need. And coal—the burning stones for cooking that meat.”
“In return, you demand rights to harvest Elensia sap and one hundred workers?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“……”
“If you dislike it, you can reject it. Or, if you want better terms, name them.”
“And would you agree?”
“That depends on what they are.”
“……”
So this was what humans called negotiation.
They exchanged terms.
Weighed the benefits between what each side gave and received.
It was a wholly unfamiliar experience.
She had spent her life roaming the forest, hunting peacefully.
Now, before this new experience called negotiation, she hesitated.
She pondered.
‘If only Mother were here, what would she have done?’
Her mother, Roshuah, once had dealings with humans in a place called the Gappel Territory.
But when her friends gradually passed away, she returned to the forest and bore her. Before returning to the spirit of plants at the end of her long life, she left behind a will.
‘Friendship with humans is fleeting, she said. Unlike us, they die too quickly and vanish. So rely only on human friends, but never place trust in their race as a whole.’
Then what of this man Lloyd before her?
‘He’s not a friend. But….’
He didn’t feel like an enemy either.
As proof, he was proposing negotiation.
Moreover…
“Why are you taking off your armor?”
“Oh, to make a contract.”
“A contract?”
“Yes. A written record of the agreement. Proof of our negotiations, to prevent future misunderstandings and disputes.”
“Will this contract prevent arguments altogether?”
“Yes, most of the time.”
“Most of the time?”
“Nothing in this world is perfect. Anyway, hrrmph, now—flip this, cut here….”
Puk!
Lloyd took off his leather armor. He removed the shoulder guard, flipped it over, stabbed it with a dagger, cut it square, and spread it open.
He gave her a grin.
“I’ll use this for the contract. Normally contracts are made on paper, but I thought your people wouldn’t like that. Paper is made from plants after all, isn’t it?”
“……”
“So, have you sorted out your thoughts now?”
“Yes.”
Meat and coal.
It was a generous offer.
Especially given her tribe’s food shortage, it was like rain in a drought.
And it wasn’t just a verbal promise, but a contract of equals. She was moved by his gesture of cutting his own leather armor for it.
Thus, Muirah nodded.
“Very well. I’ll accept your offer.”
“Then the Elensia sap and workers?”
“Of course.”
And so she accepted.
They wrote two contracts and split them.
Additionally, they drafted a subcontract for the dispatched labor.
Naturally, the tribal elders scolded her harshly.
For carelessly giving away a sacred root.
For opening the forest to humans.
‘But it’s better than letting the children starve.’
It was a practical compromise, a chief’s decision.
If there was blame to bear, she would accept it.
But she would also ensure they gained from it.
With that resolve, Muirah returned from her thoughts.
She shifted her gaze from the Frontera Estate before her.
And looked at Lloyd beside her.
“You were right.”
“Yes?”
He gave her a puzzled look.
She smiled faintly.
“Everything depends on perspective. I understand now. The human way of life, different from ours. So then, where will we be working?”
“Oh, you want to start right away?”
“Yes. That was the negotiation and the promise.”
Coal and meat.
They would work hard for what they received.
At her words, Lloyd smiled with satisfaction.
“First, you’ll learn how to work. This way.”
He led Muirah and one hundred elf workers into the estate.
He introduced them to the Baron and his wife.
The Frontera household, and the estate’s people, were startled and amazed at the sight of elves. Some were fascinated, some shy, some even fell in love at first sight.
So when Lloyd revealed what their role would be, the Baron could not hide his shock.
“What? They’ll be rebar workers?”
“Yes.”
“Is… is that possible?”
“Of course.”
“……”
Lloyd nodded as if it were obvious.
The Baron was even more troubled.
“Hm, still… I worry it may be too much.”
“Is it because they look too delicate?”
“Well, I know it’s wrong to judge by appearances… but yes, I can’t help but worry.”
The Baron hesitated.
Indeed, to him, elves seemed like delicate deer.
Fairy-like beings untouched by hardship.
And now Lloyd meant to throw them into apartment construction?
Into the grueling task of rebar work?
“You know even the rough, boisterous orc warriors complain endlessly about that. They cry daily about the heights. It’s gotten worse while you were away.”
“I know. That’s why I brought them.”
“Those elves?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd grinned.
“Because they’re the least troubled by fear of heights. And besides, their strength is much greater than you think.”
“They’re strong?”
“Yes. They’ve lived ten times longer than us, running through forests, shooting bows.”
Archery.
In games, usually linked with agility.
But in reality, it was different.
Completely different.
Anyone who’s ever tried archery would know it requires brute strength, not just agility.
“They stay young far longer than us. Which means longer muscle development. And they spend centuries shooting bows. Naturally their strength is obvious.”
A youth longer than humans.
More years of muscle growth hormones.
Daily archery, and meat-heavy diets.
In truth, their bodies were pure muscle.
Beneath that delicate veneer, they could treat special forces like preschoolers.
That was the true nature of elves.
“So don’t worry. Leave their management to me.”
“Hm, hearing you, I suppose you have a point.”
Thus he persuaded the Baron as well.
The next day, Lloyd began teaching the elf workers.
They had no concept of construction.
He explained the basics and precautions of the site.
Especially safety.
‘Thankfully, they’re naturally cautious. Perfect.’
Elves were careful by nature.
They learned slowly but surely.
They especially absorbed safety rules.
After the basics, he moved to rebar work.
“Now, placing rebar is called rebar placement. Like this. Follow the design exactly. And when tying intersecting bars, use this tool, called a hooker.”
He taught several tying methods.
And various other skills.
How to brace cement formwork.
How to install supports called shoring to prevent collapse.
How to safely dismantle formwork after curing.
Over several days, he drilled them hard.
He scolded and pressured them relentlessly.
“Hey, tie the rebar like that and it’ll burst. Don’t want meat tonight?”
“Over there, lay it along the chalk line. If not, no meat for you today.”
“Hey, lady. If you set up the shoring like that, it’ll collapse. Accidents mean dinner’s just lettuce wraps with no meat!”
Nothing motivated like the threat of lettuce wraps.
At snack time, he showed them meat wrapped in greens.
With sliced chili and garlic.
But he didn’t let them eat.
Just seeing it was enough.
Most elves were horrified.
Some with tender hearts even cried.
Thus, through such harsh training, within days, the elves transformed into proper rebar workers.
Then they were sent to the site.
With Lloyd supervising.
“For now, I’ll oversee your work directly. Until when? Until you’re skilled enough. So if you want less nagging, adapt quickly.”
The elves flinched.
To work under his watch even on site…
The thought was dreadful.
Because of his Spartan scolding.
Especially the horror of lettuce wraps…
‘Never again! I don’t want to see that ever again!’
The elves resolved themselves.
Today they would give their utmost.
Win his approval.
Escape the torment of lettuce wraps.
With such determination, their natural aerial agility soared to 200%.
Thud! Swish! Clink, clink! Tap-tap!
At Building 102, where construction had halted due to orc warriors’ fear of heights, elf rebar workers now soared through the air.