Chapter 28: Village Merger

EP.28 Village Merger

"Greetings. I am Muwan."

Oh, they've finally met!

A few days after the scouts from Muwan's village returned with a warm reception, Muwan and Unaskula finally met.

Muwan led a group of armed elves up to the highlands, arriving at Unaskula's village.

From my perspective, their armament was rudimentary—crude wooden shields, primitive bows with limited range, and spears made from sharpened stones.

But from the viewpoint of Unaskula's highland village, these were advanced weapons they didn't possess.

It was like bringing machine guns and mortars to an old army that had just developed gunpowder.

Imagine the excitement of those who had just discovered gunpowder seeing such advanced weaponry.

If they didn't know what it was, it wouldn't be scary, but they had developed enough to understand how terrifying it was.

As a result, Unaskula and the villagers were quite overwhelmed.

This was exactly what Muwan intended.

He wanted to show who held the higher ground and apply psychological pressure to naturally make the highland village a vassal state.

His greeting was also part of this strategy.

Even though his scouts had learned the highland village's language, he confidently greeted them in his own language, implying that Unaskula should also use his language.

Wow… This is pure dominance.

If Muwan continues to develop rapidly and starts absorbing other elf groups around the highland village, he could become the king of the southern hemisphere.

"Ah, um… Greetings…"

Unaskula also sensed Muwan's intentions.

It would be foolish not to notice such an overt attempt to seize control.

However, he felt overwhelmed.

The advanced weapons made from sharpened stone and wood, which they did not possess, and the warriors of Muwan's village, hardened by constant battles with external threats, were intimidating.

Instinctively, Unaskula knew that elves attacking elves was unthinkable.

But a deeper, primal instinct as a living being warned him of the danger.

If they resisted, it would be perilous.

An elf who openly displayed such weapons to assert dominance could easily subdue them by force if displeased.

If I were in the same position, I would have felt the same.

We are weak, so we have no choice but to submit.

At least, we have value in our agricultural skills and labor, so they wouldn't kill or persecute us, he hoped.

Thus, for the sake of his village and his own life, Unaskula decided to relinquish control.

He responded in Muwan's language.

Muwan, pleased, smiled and said to Unaskula, "Shall we discuss the future of our villages?"

"…Let's do that."

The future of the village.

Unaskula could only hope that they wouldn't be treated too poorly.

After all, they were fellow elves; surely, they wouldn't be treated as slaves.

Not that they even knew what slavery was.

Did they even have a concept of social status?

Muwan might be seen as a leader, with others as subordinates, but perhaps this could be the birth of the first social hierarchy.

Even so, it would likely be a simple distinction between the elves of Muwan's village and those of the highland village, akin to higher and lower commoners.

Because of the strong bond between the races, they wouldn't be treated as slaves.

"This place is quite small, and there aren't many people."

"Well… it's the highlands, and food has been scarce… but that will soon be resolved."

During their conversation, Unaskula mentioned agriculture.

Muwan, who had already heard about it from Yeonhu and Jigang, nodded knowingly.

"Planting seeds, is it? But that won't be easy in the mountains."

"Ha ha… We're considering various methods. We can at least feed those within this village."

Then Muwan drove the point home.

"Our land is blessed by the river and very fertile, unlike these mountains."

"..."

A declaration that even in agriculture, they could surpass the highland village.

Wow… he's coming on really strong.

In terms of military strength, population, and even agriculture, the highland village couldn't compete.

"Moving the village to the downstream area, like ours, could be a good solution."

But of course, Unaskula couldn't respond to that.

Naturally.

The downstream area was filled with dangerous beasts.

While the highlands had some intrusions, it wasn't as bad as the fertile plains downstream.

With their current armament and numbers, they couldn't establish and defend a village there from the start.

Muwan knew this as well.

They were better off staying here, at least until they could somehow replicate the weapons Muwan had shown them to improve their defenses.

Primitive as the weapons were, they could be replicated.

But that wasn't what Muwan wanted.

Muwan was essentially telling them to abandon their village and join his.

He planned to rapidly increase his population and expand his village's territory.

Since agriculture made food plentiful, there was enough to go around.

Muwan was coming on very strong.

His boldness exuded the scent of a powerful ruler.

It seemed the southern hemisphere was about to become quite intense.

"…We don't have the strength for that."

"Ha ha, shall we help you? Or perhaps some of you could come to our village! Planting seeds requires more land and labor than you might think. If you join us and help, we could expand our village land and make planting and growing easier. You have the experience, after all."

Wow, he was being very direct.

He was telling them to come under his rule.

He planned to leave some people in the highland village, sending a few soldiers under the guise of protection to keep watch.

Later, he would expand his territory using their labor, naturally absorbing their land into his own.

Unaskula understood Muwan's intentions, but once their village was visible to Muwan, they had no options.

Muwan was an elf who would crush anyone he deemed necessary, regardless of elven kinship.

"…We will help with the planting."

"Ha ha ha, we would be grateful for that."

In the end, Unaskula submitted, and Muwan smiled with satisfaction.

Thus, the first 'merger' among the elves took place.

#

Meanwhile, something seemed to be brewing on Yujin's side as well.

Having won the tournament, Yujin had become the most famous figure in the Meias planetary army.

It was partly due to his outstanding magical skills, but even more so because of the rumor that he was not of the Meias race, but of the Terra race.

"How can a Terra race member be so skilled in magic?"

"They say he's Elder Jupiter's second disciple. Maybe he was given some incredible power?"

"Come on… there's such a thing as innate mana."

Despite being the center of controversy, Yujin sought out the elders who hadn't taught him magic and learned from them.

Winning the Mage Tournament granted him the opportunity to learn from the elders or top-tier mages equivalent to them, so they had no reason to refuse him now.

Hmm… Did I make him too strong?

I never imagined he'd win the magic tournament after only three years of learning magic.

He's stronger than most elder disciples with just three years of training.

He's absorbing advanced magic at an alarming rate; in a few more years, he might reach the level of the elders.

I thought I shouldn't make him too overpowered, but he's already become excessively so.

Moreover, considering the timeline ten years from now, he could overpower a Lubaran elder armed with top-tier serum and nano equipment.

A Lubaran elder is nearly the strongest among intelligent beings, barring some giant monsters and a few powerful creatures…

No wonder Ubbo-Sathla is interested.

Meanwhile, something interesting is happening to Yujin, who is diligently training.

"You arrogant Terra brat."

"We don't know what trick you used, but it won't work this time."

A group of disciples of the Meias elders surrounded Yujin.

Of course, Lowie Hendrick wasn't among them.

Knowing Yujin's true identity as a fragment of an external god, he treated him with utmost respect.

Among the group were many who had been thoroughly defeated by Yujin during the magic tournament.

These fools, having been bested by magic, were now claiming he used tricks.

They couldn't accept that a lowly Terra could defeat them with magic, so they concocted a ridiculous theory about trickery.

"The elders are only teaching you because of the tournament rules. They don't care about a lowly Terra like you."

"Yeah, they'll probably teach you some basic magic and then kill you when the time comes."

Hmm… I can't really deny this part.

There are indeed elders who look down on Yujin because he's from the Terra race.

About three of them.

…Three out of five is a majority.

If you exclude Elder Jupiter, it's not just some; it's most of them.

Anyway, these elders intended to teach Yujin some basic magic and then discard him.

Some even thought about killing him to prevent the great magic of the Meias race from leaking.

But who is Yujin?

He's my fragment.

Of course, he's aware of all this.

He seemed to have already prepared countermeasures.