Under the restrictions of the top leaders from both sides, the troops withdrew from the border in an orderly manner.
As for what exactly transpired within the Vine Hut, naturally, no one knew.
Aililan also performed a brief review of the meeting, concluding, ‘Currently, everything is under control.’
As for her overbearing attitude—even reaching out to tilt the Elf Queen’s chin—it was not out of some sudden infatuation, but rather a negotiation tactic.
At the beginning, both sides had been relatively civil.
It was only after she pointed out the frailty of the Elves that she gradually turned aggressive, constantly testing the Queen’s limits.
It was not until that final gesture that she confirmed it completely—the entirety of the Elves, from top to bottom, was nothing more than a hollow shell.
Gareyas rode his horse forward and could not help but ask, “Saintess, what exactly did you and the Elf Queen talk about?”
“Don’t ask,” Aililan said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not something you should concern yourself with.”
Gareyas scratched his head in frustration and could only shut his mouth sheepishly.
Aililan glanced at him and suddenly asked, “By the way, how are those newly arrived Military Friars doing?”
Gareyas immediately pulled a long face. “How else could they be? Every single one of them is full of complaints. Especially the ones from the Holy Land—they’re incredibly arrogant.”
Aililan fell into thought for a moment before saying, “Go tell them that if they feel mistreated, they can leave. I can even provide them with a sum of travel money.”
Gareyas was stunned. “Huh?”
Aililan let out a cold snort. “What’s with the ‘huh’? Many of them were forced upon us by the Holy Land at the request of the Seven Regents. Do you think I actually wanted them?”
“Under the new system, I need to give all parties a chance to participate. But if they choose to give it up themselves, then it has nothing to do with me.”
“So you should understand what to do—don’t ostracize them. Instead, make them want to leave on their own.”
Gareyas was instantly excited. “Understood! Don’t worry, Saintess!”
“How about you give me a list?”
“Get lost.”
“Right away, I’m going.”
“Wait a moment.”
Aililan called him back, her tone turning serious. “Time is pressing. Hold a meeting immediately once we return.”
“Increase the number of soldiers going to the Demon Lands for rotation from 2,000 to 4,000.”
“Additionally, contact the various slaughterhouses in the City. Have the soldiers who are not participating in the rotation personally slaughter livestock to train their courage.”
She paused, then added, “As for the Ministry of Finance… never mind, I will handle that part myself.”
“And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs… forget it, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”
Then came a series of arrangements: building granaries, stockpiling food, coordinating with Emile Cathedral to pacify the public, and preparing public opinion in advance…
Gareyas felt his head spinning as he listened.
However, his respect for her deepened—this was what the Saintess faced every day.
The moment she opened her eyes, she was met with endless administrative affairs.
***
Meanwhile, within the Elven ranks.
Terili was ashamed, annoyed, anxious, and angry, yet she was utterly helpless.
During the journey, she summoned the Elders and recounted Aililan’s words—omitting, of course, the details of her own suppression.
The Elders fell into silence after listening.
Because every single word was the truth.
“Queen, what is your opinion?”
“I… I don’t know,” Terili whispered. “I cannot make up my mind.”
One Elder spoke up, “The words of the human Saintess are not necessarily all wrong.”
Terili looked at them. “Then what you mean is, among the three paths—which one do you lean toward?”
The group remained silent.
She continued to press them, “The first path, self-revolution. Surrendering power and wealth to the Gestation Elves, what do you think?”
An Elder’s expression changed immediately. “Queen, absolutely not! There are many Gestation Elves. If we do not limit them, will the Elves even still belong to us?”
Terili’s heart sank.
It was exactly as Aililan had said—it was easy to revolutionize others, but too difficult to revolutionize oneself.
The idea was rejected outright before a discussion could even begin.
In the ensuing debate, it was obvious that the Elders leaned toward the latter two paths.
[Deployment is not an issue; we have a large number of Gestation Elves who can be mobilized. We can even divide the spoils of war then; it kills multiple birds with one stone.]
—The ones dying would be the Gestation Elves, not the Pureblood Elves.
[Trade is even better; it can alleviate conflicts.]
—And ultimately, trade would still be controlled by the Pureblood Elves.
So-called cheap goods? As long as they controlled the trade routes, would it be difficult to sell something for two gold coins when it was worth one?
Terili opened her mouth, but she found herself unable to say anything.
She felt a wave of powerlessness wash over her.
‘Indeed… she was right.’
‘The high-ranking officials don’t care about the lives of those at the bottom. Even a newly baked cake will eventually be carved up completely.’
After returning to the palace, Terili became restless.
Closing her eyes, she saw the gradually withering Mother Tree.
Opening them, she saw the increasingly severe internal conflicts within the tribe.
An elegant Elven woman walked over and said softly, “Your Majesty, you seem troubled. Is there anything I can do to share your burden?”
It was her favorite consort.
However, at this moment, Terili was in no mood for her.
She even involuntarily recalled the dominance and pressure she felt from Aililan.
“Leave.”
“Queen, did I do something wrong?”
“I told you to leave.”
“Get out!”
The consort’s eyes reddened, and she hurried away in a panic.
Just then, Princess Eleanorice walked in.
She was in high spirits. “Mother, have you heard? The matters the Elders are discussing are great things that benefit the country and the people. The entire tribe is very excited!”
Terili only felt more exhausted.
She naturally knew what those things were.
Looking at her daughter’s face full of expectation, she remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.
“Eleanorice, do you know that this matter… is not as simple as you think?”
“Huh? Mother, what do you mean?”
“The Elders didn’t tell you, did they?” Terili said in a low voice. “Whether it is an alliance or trade, the initiative for this matter has never been in our hands.”
“It is in the hands of that human Saintess.”
“Whether or not to cooperate—it depends on her whim.”
Eleanorice was stunned. “Is that so…”
Terili continued, “Try to have as little contact with the Elders as possible. Otherwise, you might be sold off and still be helping them count the money.”
“Mother, I cannot agree!”
Eleanorice said seriously, “This is something beneficial to the Elves. I must participate.”
Terili fell silent.
She suddenly felt—very tired.