Snake

[Trelis Pov]

'What should I do...'

So much had happened during this last week that I couldn't calm my mind down. That day when I had met both Frederick and James was still spinning through my head endlessly.

Although the principal's proposal was something I could never accept, I also knew that other rulers might not hold onto the same principles as me. So I could only hope that our alliance had gotten strong enough that there would be no risk of war.

However, the meeting with the so-called demon was something entirely different. The Elven Tear wasn't something that I should have let my personal emotions get in the way of. Knowing that our forests would eventually die if we didn't retrieve it was enough of a consequence that losing a branch wasn't out of the question.

The problem lay in the fact that I had no idea what that man would do with it. With the world tree being a gift from Theia herself, I didn't know what he could do with her divine power. Most people couldn't do anything at all with the branches, as they had to be aligned to Theia in order to manipulate the energy.

"Father, what's wrong?"

Sitting around the kitchen table, I was thrown out of my thoughts by my dear daughter worrying about me. It had to be said that even if this was one of the most stressful weeks of my life, I couldn't stop myself from smiling when thinking about the fact that my little Adri finally made a friend.

"I'm fine, Adri. I just have a lot to think about right now. Now, instead of that, please tell me about how your day has been. Did you go to the sparkling pond like you said you would?"

With Bellatrix sitting next to my daughter, both of their faces lit up as they spoke about the crystal swans that they got to see today. 'How funny... It's her country, and this was the first time she ever went out to see them...'

Adriana's life hadn't been a simple one, having been trained from a young age to act as a diplomat to converse with the humans in order to strengthen the alliance between our nation. This meant that things like making friends and having fun had never been something that she had time for.

So seeing her now, smiling while talking to her first friend, the guilt I had over how her life had played out lessened a bit.

Suddenly, a pulse of mana could be felt from my throne room, a mana signature that I had no recollection of ever feeling. Standing up, I knew I had a visitor that probably wanted me to hurry up and welcome him.

"I'm sorry, but I just remembered that I have something to do. Please do continue to enjoy the meal."

==========

Taking the portal to the throne room, I was met by a sight that ignited my being on all cylinders. Sitting lazily over my throne, the gray-suited visitor didn't seem to have a care in the world about respect anymore. Seeing me arriving, he at least sat himself up a bit, putting one leg over the other as he spoke.

"Oh, you are here. Thank Theia that it worked, I had no idea if you were close enough to feel the mana, after all."

Leaning his masked head on his hand, he truly appeared to not feel a single shred of nervousness. "So, I assume you understand why I am here again?"

Walking up to him, I quickly confirmed his words, "You still want that branch, and you think that after letting me think about it, I would now be desperate to make a deal with you."

Nodding his head, I felt like I could sense a smile behind the white mask, "That's right! And so, have you made up your mind? Because I can promise you that this will be the last chance you get."

A shiver went down my back as the black sockets suddenly started shining in a heavenly blue. as if he couldn't contain his excitement for whatever answer I was going to give him. However, I still had no good answer to give him yet.

"Still as impudent as before... But Mr. Jackson, please tell me. If I do agree to your proposal, what plans do you have for the branch? If you know about it, you should also know that only individuals attuned to Theia can use it. And I have a feeling that you are not exactly an avid worshipper of her."

"I guess that could be said to be true... However, can I interpret your interest in my plans as the condition for accepting the deal? Because if not, I don't see a reason to tell you."

'How disgusting... It didn't even take a second for him to understand the reason behind my question...'

Although it was just for a second, I almost managed to hope that his aloof way of presenting himself might also mean that his guard might be down, leading him to expose his plans without care.

However, this seemed to be far from the truth. The man in front of me was still incredibly aware during our conversation, appearing to not miss a single thing even though he seemed so uncaring. In the end, it felt like my best bet was to do a show of hands, as I could assume that it would be the only way for me to get some sort of clue about what he was up to.

"That's right. Depending on your answer, and if I decide to believe you, I am willing to make a trade for the Tear."

"Hmm... I guess that's fair, although I think it's pretty weird that the king of Aldon would suddenly decide to trust the one he should be implored to think of as a demon. No matter. The plan I have for the branch is simple. I want to gift it to someone who I know will fight for the allied side in the war."

'It makes no sense...'

Somehow, just the sheer insanity of what he was saying kind of led me to believe it to be true. After all, if it was a lie, why not come up with something more believable? "If what you say is true, then there is no reason for me not to accept it. With that being said, who could this individual be that is worthy of the branch?"

Suddenly, the man stood up, almost making me seem small although I knew I was a lot taller than him, his pristine white hair looked like an endless waterfall as it fell down his back. Then he spoke, his tone reeking of disregard for our statuses.

"That individual will be the one single hope for the allied races on Tella, and without the branch, he will most likely die a dog's death. In the end, this will result in the demons winning the war, and humans, beastmen, and elves alike will either all be purged or be used as slaves."

'He truly believes his words to be true...', Even if I couldn't see his face, I could hear the conviction in his voice. His words also raised an incredibly important question, how much did he know? Not only did he know about the branch and the Tear, but he also seemed to have knowledge about what would happen in the future as well.

So, with that in mind, I yielded, "If you bring me the Tear, you will get that damn branch. Honestly, I wanted to refuse you just because a child like you is acting so high and mighty. Now I understand why Adriana had a hard time dealing with you at the academy."

Just like my daughter had told me, the man was a snake. Not just in the fact that he moved like one, but the way he constructed his arguments was incredibly akin to how a snake would slowly constrict its prey and asphyxiate them.

Now there were two pieces of information that he held that could potentially change the fate of my nation, both the Tear and this mysterious hero he was talking about. So even if I could somehow convince myself that one of them wasn't true, how would I dare to double down?

*Flap!*

Two majestic black wings opened up from his back, showing that he had gotten what he came for. "Then it's a deal. Also, please don't misunderstand, no matter what your daughter has said about me, it's far from the truth."

Feeling my brows wrinkling, I had to inquire more about his statement. After all, wasn't he exactly like my daughter had described him? Never entering a losing position and carrying an almost intangible demeanor. Untouchable, one could even say.

"If there is one thing I am, then it is that I'm reliable. I won't go back on my words, and so I assume you won't do so either."