Chief of Staff

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[Chief of Staff]

Sorry, but no unauthorized entry is allowed here.

Welcome to Eclage.

I order them to lead you here.

[Shenime]

I'm in charge of the military supplies that are sent to the outpost of Splendide.

My name is Shenime.

Our supplies sent to Mora Village...

oww...I'm sorry. I've been having this headache recently...

Anyway, I've heard that there are people

who deliver our supplies to Splendide through Hazy Forest.

It's so good to see you in person.

People who are clever enough are already trying hard to build relationships with Eclage.

Yes, you're not...oww...

But it doesn't matter.

You humans are already doing so much for Splendide and us.

Oh, the reason I'm frowning is because of this headache.

Don't get me wrong.

Um..anyway, to go on with my story...

We are supposed to welcome you.

Should I get to the point now? I mean, the reason why I wanted to meet you.

As you know already, we're disconnected from Splendide due to the accident in Bifrost.

And for us Laphines, it's hard to go against the will of the forest and Bifrost.

I'm sure every fairy in Alpheim feels the same, too.

Anyway, I want to know what's going on in Splendide and Jotunheim nowadays.

I heard the battle against Manuk has recently calmed down to the point of a truce...

and it could have been that they didn't get supplies in time.

You've answered Shenime's serious questions and describe the situation as far as you could remember.

What is it?

What you've told me is going to be very helpful.

Is there anything else you would like to talk about?

[

I was told that Sapha made Yggdrasil Tree sick,

and your side started a war in order to protect the tree

but what I know is a little bit different from that.

Apparently, the cause of the war seems to be the damage given to Yggdrasil Tree caused by Sapha's excessive mining, but...

Wait, stop there.

This war is like a holy war for us.

It's a war that we carry on upon our honor and dignity.

So whatever the truth you know is,

if you're not going to hold responsibility for the backlash it might bring,

don't say anything at all.

This is a matter between Yggdrasil the world-ash and its protector.

Mayor Jun should be the one listening to your story, not me.

My work is done here.

What I'm saying is that I'm not the one to clear up your question.

I'll arrange a meeting with Mayor Jun for you.

In the middle of the conversation, Shenime stopped talking and frowned as if he was having a headache again.

After massaging his head for a while, he looked much better and continued to go on.

Promise me that you will not tell anyone

about the truth that you believe.

You put me on the spot.

I don't want you to be the cause of friction.

Can't you just keep it to yourself before discussing the matter with Mayor Jun?

I see that you've made up your mind.

Oh well...

It's your loss..

I'll arrange a meeting to let Mayor Jun get to know you.

You need to wait a little bit. Please bear with us.

I'll notify the guard that brought you here.

Go find the guard after some time.

He will guide you.

Until then, I hope you have a good time.

I'll send you to the plaza.

By the way, the guard who is going to lead you will be at the east gate. Don't forget the time.

Shenime is pressing his head with a hand and seems to be having a headache.

This headache has gotten worse recently.

....What brings you here?

Didn't Mayor call you?

You should go talk to him.

Shenime held his hand out with a suspicious smile.

This is one of the places you should watch carefully.

Shouldn't you, a foreigner, consider it as an honor and receive the offer?

You're hesitating too much.

When you held Shenime's hand, you felt a sharp pain in your hand.

You took your hand off quickly and examined it, but nothing was there.

What's wrong?

May I guide you?

Now, this is the place you should watch carefully.

[Stranger Laphine]

What is it you want?

If you're looking for Shenime, that's too bad. I'm newly appointed to his position since he disappeared out of the blue.

I have to work. So, if it's not anything important, I would like you to not bother me.

You need to wait a little longer to see Mayor Jun.

He is pretty busy, so please bear with us.

There's another guard who was supposed to be guiding you...

I can't go anywhere right now.

There's a guard at the east side of the plaza near the gate.

I notified him already, so just ask him to guide you.

Did you tell Mayor Jun about what you think?

He should be the one to decide.

It seems like you haven't even met him yet. Ask the guard to guide you.

I've heard about you.

You've decided to work for Eclage?

At the starting point of Bifrost, there should be a messenger stamping his feet.

It's a messenger that we sent in an effort to contact Splendide regularly,

but I think it's still difficult to do so.

If you could help us with that, wouldn't other Laphines think better of you?

Welcome.

You are a foreigner yet you gained Mayor's recognition, which is rare.

Oh, yes. Mayor has bestowed a wing on you.

Here it is.

It's nothing huge, but it's not common, either.

Just shake it gently and you'll find yourself in Eclage anytime.

It's an item that fits you perfectly. I mean you, who work for the king. Hehe.

Ah, you've come at just the right time.

I heard you've been going to Bifrost Tower recently?

I wanted to ask you a favor since you're going there anyway...

Actually, I'm sponsoring a scholar of magics.

He needs some materials for experiments, and I was told you can find the materials in Bifrost Tower.

If it's okay, can you do me a favor?

Of course I'll give you a big reward.

I was worried since it's something unexpected for you. I'm so glad.

Collect the following items for me, please.

I need Dustballs and bookmarks made of fallen leaves.

You can find them inside the tower.

Bring me 10 of each for now, please.

Ah, that's too bad.

I'll ask someone else then.

I need 10 dustaballs and 10 bookmarks made of fallen leaves.

You found them!

Thank you.

This should last for a while.

I'm just sponsoring him personally.

Scholars and alchemists who belong to the door of truth fall short in many areas aside from research.

Some of them can't make a living and things like that...

The one I'm sponsoring is one of them.

That's not going to be possible.

He is in the middle of a very important experiment, and since he's so sensitive, he doesn't like meeting strangers.

It's difficult for me to tell you about him and besides, I'm not obligated to tell you about his personal information.

Don't bother to ask about him anymore.

Avant?

I don't know him.

A scholar of magics? There's no one with that name among the scholars I know.

I don't know.

Avant that you just asked isn't he a genius who disappeared decades ago after doing some inappropriate experiments?

I don't know where you heard about him but you should give up. You won't be able to find him.

Are you still interested in the scholar that I was sponsoring?

Unfortunately, he disappeared all of a sudden.

Since he was interested in humans like you, I was going to arrange a meeting for you two,

but I don't know where he is...

Mayor ordered us to heighten security around the Orb.

I don't know why, but you should pay attention, too.

Since you're still working for the king and all...right?

Anyway, are you still interested in the scholar of magics that I was sponsoring?

That's what you wanted to ask in the first place, right?

I don't.

He told me he would do me a favor if I sponsored him.

There's nothing more to say.

I resent his sudden disappearance.

Ah...I'm starting to have a headache.

Mayor is ordering me to reinforce the guards for the Orb without even telling me why...

and the scholar that I was sponsoring is gone...

Oh my...is this cheat-and-run?!

Am I upset?

Ha...I think I might have been cheated.

He promised to do a research on the topic that I'm interested in, only if I sponsored him for a certain period of time.

What he asked for was pretty simple.

I provided a place for living and researching and the cost of materials used when doing a research upon my request.

I thought he was doing a research on the topic that I was interested in.

Didn't you give me the materials the other day?

The ones related to the monsters inside the tower.

He just ran away when I had fed him, housed him, and provided him with the materials for experiments!!

I'm very shocked.

...I thought about it and I didn't have anyone else to talk to.

I wasn't sponsoring him in secret, but still...

When I asked about his whereabouts to the scholars in the gate of the truth, they didn't know either...

...and I was going to ask him to do a research on Hazy Forest.

I have to look for another scholar now.

I didn't want to provide him with food and a place to live for free,

so I asked him to do a research on Bifrost Tower.

That's all I did, and I don't know anything other than that.

When he finishes the research, I was going to ask him to do another research on Hazy Forest.

But I didn't know he would be irresponsible like this.

I've been fooled!

I'm going to have to find another scholar who is more eligible for the job.

Anyway, this is what happened to me.

By the way, you who work for the king do you know what is on Mayor's mind nowadays?

Mayor has to be a representative of Laphines as a whole.

If he's planning something on his own, it's unacceptable.

It's about the Orb.

He ordered to reinforce the guard around the Orb.

Do you know why?

To what extent should you tell him?

What?

So, you're saying that the scholar I was sponsoring is 'the Avant?'

No...no way...!

It's just that he went by a different name.

Anyway, if what you're saying is true, then it is a big problem.

But from my observation, I've never seen him talking to other people.

Considering his personality, he might have done it out of interest, not with a specific purpose.

Actually I'm hoping that he did it out of interest.

The incident in Splendide alone gives me a headache...but things are getting even worse.

Although you're a foreigner, you're under obligation to protect the Orb since you know everything.

I hope not, but if something bad happens I would like you to help me.

Now I should focus more on deploying the guards.

.. ..

You don't know, either?

Mayor Jun didn't feel safe for some reason and because of that, he ordered us to tighten guard?

Well, I understand.

I should do it if he says so.

I should believe that Mayor gave us the order after considering it normally and logically.

It's unexpected.

I thought you were the one who Mayor Jun trusts the most in Eclage.

Whatever the reason is, I should believe that Mayor gave us the order after considering it normally and logically.

Of course I do!

I'm just worried that the corrupt blood might have clouded Mayor's judgement.

Fine. Let's put it this way.

You seem to trust and follow Mayor Jun not caring about the sense of uneasiness among us.

We pray that the modern Mayor will be like the wind that just passes by.

Once is enough of that kind of a strong wind.

I don't know why Mayor is so obsessed with the Orb but since he made that decision after talking to you, I'm sure you had great influence on him as well.

Let's wait and see

what happens to the Orb, the pride and origin of us Laphines.

Of course you should be there, too.

I hope you intervene actively in this matter.

Although we can't let any other races to be in charge of the Orb since it is very meaningful to us Laphines,

shouldn't you wait and see whether Mayor, the one you trust so much, has made the right decision or not?

If he's not right, it's a problem for me as well!

I'm just keeping my eyes on him since you never know when he will reveal his personal ambitions just like Seneth did.

Who can be sure about his integrity? This could be a manipulative trick that looks fine only on the surface.

However, the presence of Mayor itself is perfect and worthy of reverence.

Therefore, we have to stay vigilant while hoping that he would make the right decisions.

So this is only for caution's sake.

There is only one thing I want.

I want you to be a witness and judge whether a series of actions taken around the Orb were truly for the sake of the Orb and Laphines or not.

How much do you know about the Orb?

A crystal filled with concentrated magical powers, pride of all Laphines?

I'm talking about something structural, noot those abstract concepts.

Have you ever looked up to see the ceiling of the plaza, which is decorated with the Orb?

Maybe not.

Even if you have, you would have been blinded by the bright light.

Didn't Mayor tell you?

In the ceiling, there are light fixtures installed to bring out the brightness of the Orb even more.

The Orb is always exposed in the plaza and since all Laphines have their eyes on it the guards who protect the Orb look down from the ceiling where the light fixtures are installed.

In other words, it is easy to harm the Orb once the ceiling is attacked and disabled.

Do you want to go and take a look?

It should be fine if it's you.

Moreover, you are under obligation to judge whether the king has made the right decision or not.

Let me guide you.

Hold my hand.

What should I do?

I don't understand why you're telling me this important information.

Give me some time to think about it.

You need some time to think about it?

I'm not usually this hospitable to a foreigner, but I see.

Come back later then.

The place where the lighting for the Orb is installed in other words, the place where the guards stay is the ceiling.

It's a place that you pass by before going up to the palace.

I heard you are helping out here and there nowadays.

You must be busy.