Chapter 133. You Believed It?
Esylian stared at the two oranges on the table for a long time.
One had been peeled off. The white orange shreds were rough and scattered, and the flesh was fragile.
The other was almost intact, but she knew there were several terrible cracks hidden on its bright outer skin. What was more terrifying was that it was not an orange at all.
After a long time, she finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"Tell me your bid."
Char immediately said, "Two of the governors have been dismissed. One of the remaining three is Your Majesty's man. So, as long as one of the two changes sides or is dismissed, the governor system can be abolished according to the regulations. And I happen to know some secrets of the Rime Family."
"If you're referring to the smuggling of weapons, this isn't enough to defeat them. Instead, it will stagnate the supply of weapons to Elfheim."
"Of course not!" Char wagged his finger. "The fire in the Court of the Holy Tree fifty-two years ago was not a natural disaster but man-made. The arsonist blew up four mausoleums in one breath to steal the swords of His Late Majesty, Sword Saint Mipero, and his swordsmen. Isn't that a big crime?"
"What did you just say?"
Esylian stood up immediately.
"Say that again!?"
Sword Saint Mipero was her great-great-great-grandfather and one of the few level 100 swordsmen. At this level, he was indeed worthy of the Sword Saint title.
During his reign, he not only encouraged the elves to practice swordsmanship to strengthen their bodies but also vigorously promoted the development of the iron smelting industry. The elves' technology tree was also strange. Their swordsmithing skills had peaked, but after Mipero's death, they began to fall back. During this period, they exiled the Dark Elves and killed a group of Dark Elf craftsmen. After the inheritance chain was broken, their overall level dropped to the back of the starting line. It was no wonder the Rime Family would risk their lives to steal the sword.
The elven tradition was that sealed tombs could not be opened. They believed elves were raised by the Holy Tree, so they had to be buried underground after death to feed the Holy Tree's growth. Thus, digging up a grave was equivalent to digging out the Holy Tree's roots, shaking its foundation, and was a great sin.
"Don't be so anxious. Let me finish." Char said, "Now do you know why the Rime Family's sword-forging skills have improved so much in the past few years? They can even make the 'Rime Longsword,' comparable to the dwarves' and humans' craftsmanship. This was the reason. With your sword-forging skills that have regressed to the audience seats, how would you fight if you don't take advantage of your past assets?
"In my opinion, although their methods were a little extreme, their intentions were good. You shouldn't be so angry. Let's be lenient and deal with them lightly, okay?"
Esylian's anger did not decrease but instead increased. She sneered, "So what do you want me to do? Not only did you tell me this secret, but you're also defending them?"
"Do you only have two choices for their punishment, kill or let them go? Is there no compromise?"
"They dared to destroy the foundation of Elfheim, which is a crime without mercy! How could I compromise? If I want to judge them, they must be judged for this crime. If I give them a light sentence, isn't that the same as trampling on the elven tradition?"
"There's no room for discussion?" Char scratched his head.
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"No!"
Char opened his mouth and felt that the current Esylian was more like a woman.
And she was very traditional.
-Why didn't I notice this before?
He muttered and suddenly reached out to poke her waist.
"Does it still hurt?"
"You..."
Like a startled rabbit, Esylian jumped back ten meters. A luxurious sceptre appeared in her hand, and the light on it was about to gather.
"Hey, wake up!" Char quickly said. This is the Heart of the Forest!"
Only then did Esylian come back to her senses. She put away her sceptre with a cold face and sat back in her seat.
However, her expression was not as tense as before. Instead, she looked a little uneasy.
The spot Char had poked earlier was a tattoo on her.
It was a real tattoo. Unlike the other elves who used non-fading paint to draw the tattoo, she had made it with a hot red needle.
Because the Holy Tree's blessing was too powerful, the Queen's recovery speed was fast, leaving almost no wounds. She had to apply poison on the needle tip to make a permanent tattoo.
That was why it hurt.
It hurt even when she didn't touch it and hurt more when she did.
As for why she did this?
It was probably to relieve stress.
The pressure of being the Queen was too great, especially for a loner like her. This pressure was really killing her. The stinging pain of the poison could bring a burning sensation, making her strongly feel her "existence."
With Char's antics, the tense atmosphere eased.
"How did you know?"
Esylian stared into his eyes.
She was the only one who knew about this. Even the person who sold her the poison had been silenced.
"Well, ahem..."
Char cleared his throat and suddenly changed the topic. "Regarding the Rime Family, I hope you can deal with their higher-ups, but don't take your anger out on them. Don't shake the industrial system of the Rime Chamber of Commerce.
"Don't change the subject. Answer me!"
"Promise me first, or I won't tell you."
Esylian took a deep breath and suppressed her anger.
"Alright," she said.
"Come closer, I'll tell you..." Char hooked his finger and lured her to come closer.
Esylian furrowed her brows and approached.
Char lowered his voice and said mysteriously, " "Actually, I was transformed by that needle."
The Queen was stunned and looked at him in disbelief.
Char only tensed up for a second before he could not help but laugh loudly.
"You believed it?" He snorted.
"You..."
"Alright, I won't laugh anymore."
Char's expression immediately returned to normal.
"Let's continue the topic from above. Now, there are only two governors left... You actually believed me, hahaha! Ahem... I won't laugh. Take back your scepter!"
With a cold face, Esylian put away her scepter.
Char's eyes gleamed with mischief.
He continued, "At least three people are required to vote for the governor. But there are only two left right now. It is meaningless. We might as well disband the Council of Elders. In the future, there will only be the Queen and the Senate. The latter will serve you, while the administrative, judicial, and legislative powers will all be in your hands. I think that this way, Your Majesty will be more confident and sweep away the cancer of Elfheim in one go."
"That's all I'm willing to offer. I wonder if Your Majesty is satisfied with this?"
Esylian was silent. She was moved.
Char knew that no one could resist such a temptation.
A few seconds later, the Queen spoke, her voice a little hoarse.
"State your conditions."
Char did not hesitate when he finally heard this.
"To be honest, I want to climb the tree."
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