I don't want to be an elf!

Chtholly and the golden fairies are what William wants to protect.

That's why they can never reach an agreement.

To protect the floating islands, the only option is to sacrifice the Golden Fairies, but if the Golden Fairies are to be protected, the safety of the floating islands will be affected.

This is a dead end where you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Neither of them did anything wrong; they were simply trying their best to protect what they believed was worth protecting.

As for Yatogami Tohka, since her main mission is to become the princess of the Gold Fairies and lead them to overcome their fate, it is destined that she must stand with the Gold Fairies and with William.

But this does not mean that she and Swan are enemies.

The truth is quite the opposite; Swan is a potential ally she needs to win over.

"After all, Swan's support is essential if we want to complete side quest two."

The second side quest requires her to go to the surface and reclaim the lands occupied by the Seventeen Beasts.

Even if Yatogami Tohka brings all the Gold Fairies with her, she will only be able to reclaim very little land.

Because an individual's strength is always limited.

If no one can help them consolidate the land they have reclaimed, they will only lose as much as they have regained.

In other words, she must persuade all the inhabitants of the floating islands to move from the floating islands to the ground.

Only in this way can the land reclaimed from the Seventeen Beasts truly be considered reclaimed.

To achieve this, Swan's support is essential.

Only he, the great sage who created the floating islands, could persuade the United Government to allow the orcs to relocate to the surface.

Therefore, she needed a reason to convince Swan.

A reason that would not only allow him to voluntarily release the Golden Fairy, but also make him his ally and launch a counterattack on the ground.

"That being said, the similarities between spiritual power and magical power are actually quite high."

The girl touched her stomach, feeling the source of power within her body—the pure spirit crystal—and murmured to herself.

"As a great sage, Shi Wang should possess the knowledge to study spirit crystals, right?"

Chapter Forty-One: An Ideal That Has Lasted for Five Hundred Years

Time soon came to the next day.

On this day, Yatogami Tohka waited for Shion's summons.

However, Swan did not meet with her until that evening.

After asking the orc maid who worked at the Sage's Bureau, she learned that William and Swann had gone to the second floating island shortly after meeting last night and probably wouldn't be back today.

So she spent the day idly in the Hermitage.

Although she wasted a day and Swan did not arrive as promised, she had no complaints.

After all, the Sage's Abode's dining hall is quite high-class, offering many things that can't be found in the Fourth Fairy Warehouse, and the scenery is also quite nice.

Consider it a vacation after the battle is over.

"Miss Yatogami, the Great Sage is already waiting for you in the reception room."

On the third day at noon, just as Yatogami Tohka was taking a walk in the garden, a beastman maid came over.

The time has finally come.

Upon receiving this news, her relaxed mind tensed up again. After mentally preparing herself, she followed the orc maid.

Do you know where William is?

On the way to the reception room, Yatogami Tohka asked, "He went to the second floating island with the Great Sage. Now that the Great Sage has returned, shouldn't he have returned as well?"

“Hmm… When the Great Sage summoned me, I did not see Mr. William with the Great Sage,” the orc maid replied. “I am not entirely clear on the specifics either. You can ask the Great Sage yourself after you meet him.”

"I understand."

Tohka Yatogami did not press the matter further.

Since William and Swann weren't together and hadn't come looking for her, that can only mean one thing.

Just like in the original story, the two former comrades-in-arms did not reach an agreement.

This is also to be expected.

After all, their goals were completely opposite, so it would be strange if they could reach an agreement.

William, having parted on bad terms with Swan, is probably already on the airship returning to the Fourth Fairy Warehouse, and is likely already thinking about what attitude and plan to take towards the floating continent islands after Yatogami Tohka returns.

Soon, she arrived at the guest room of the Sage's Abode.

Pushing open the door, she saw an elderly man with long hair and beard, dressed in a white robe, sitting on an elegant red silk sofa.

This man was none other than Swann Kandel, the great sage of the floating continent archipelago.

However, the old man looked somewhat tired at the moment, as if he had come to see her immediately after returning from the second floating island.

The orc maidservant withdrew, closed the door, and left the two of them alone.

Tohka Yatogami took a deep breath and focused her attention to 100%.

William failed.

Now it's time for her to show her skills.

"Tohka Yatogami, I remember that's your name, right?"

Upon seeing the guest's arrival, Swan narrowed his eyes slightly and revealed a kind smile: "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I should have met you yesterday, but I was delayed by other matters."

"It's nothing, you have something to talk to William about, right?"

"Thank you for your understanding."

Swan gestured to the sofa opposite him and said in a friendly tone, "Don't be so nervous, sit down. If you keep standing, I'll feel uncomfortable too."

This guy doesn't seem as aggressive as he imagined.

Yatogami Tohka thought to herself without showing any emotion, and sat down on the sofa opposite him.

In front of outsiders, she once again put on that haughty and aloof expression, just like a queen.

He remained unmoved by the kind smile on Swan's face.

But deep down, I couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.

There was only one reason why Swan invited her to the first floating island.

Her performance in the battle to protect the fifteenth floating island was so outstanding that it far exceeded what a Golden Fairy could achieve.

As the creator of the Golden Fairy, he would naturally want to further study the mutant Yatogami Tohka.

Therefore, before she arrived, she had already prepared herself for the possibility of fighting him.

After all, she wasn't really sure about the old man's personality.

On one hand, he guarded the floating continent islands like a saint for five hundred years without fail; on the other hand, he showed no pity for the golden fairies, treating them as disposable weapons with a heart of stone.

Since Yatogami Tohka's current identity is still that of a Golden Fairy, she is naturally a weapon in his eyes, and it is not impossible for him to control and capture her for research.

Unexpectedly, the old man did not show any eager curiosity; on the contrary, his attitude was unusually kind.

This left Yatogami Tohka somewhat puzzled about what this guy was really thinking.

However, since Swann did not show any intention, she could only remain inactive.

Following the casual conversation, Tohka Yatogami asked, "What did you and William talk about?"

“Some old stories between old friends, and things about the future.” Swan sighed. “However, his vision couldn’t keep up with the times. I originally wanted to invite him to join me in realizing our great ideals, but unfortunately… he refused.”

"A grand goal?"

“That’s right.” Swann nodded. “By the way, do you know William’s true identity?”

"A human hero from five hundred years ago."

“Hmm…it seems your relationship with him is deeper than I thought, and he trusts you quite a bit.” Swan looked at her with slight surprise. “Then I won’t hide it anymore. In fact, I am just like him, a hero from five hundred years ago.”

As he spoke, he pulled open his coat, revealing part of his chest.

And so, the wound, so thick and black as to appear as if it were materialized from an abyss, came into Tohka Yatogami's eyes.

"Five hundred years ago, I fought against the Green Nail Marquis and defeated him at the cost of my comrades' sacrifice and my own life." Shi Wang slowly recounted his past. "Not to boast, but in the past, I was arguably the most skilled in magic among humankind. Therefore, before I was about to die, I had a flash of inspiration and planted a curse on myself, changing my life form, which is why I have survived to this day."

"Hmph..." Tohka Yatogami's expression was somewhat strange. "Why are you telling me these things?"

"Hehe, it's probably because I want to have a sincere conversation with you," Swan said calmly. "I understand that you are wary right now, but that's not a problem, because I will not hide anything from you."

"Really?" Yatogami Tohka asked, half believing and half doubting. "Then just tell me, why do you want to see me?"

"The answer to this question is related to my ideals."

"ideal?"

"That's right, an ideal that has lasted for five hundred years."

When this topic came up, the elderly man raised his arms, and his aged eyes revealed a childlike longing without a trace of impurity.

"I wish to spread the seeds of civilization across the land once more, to let the orcs of the floating islands return to their homeland, and to allow me, a human who should have died, to set foot on my native soil again and return to my roots," Swan said wistfully. "This is the ideal I have been striving for for five hundred years."

Upon hearing this, Tohka Yatogami's eyes lit up slightly.

It seems that Swan is still a proponent of war who advocates sending troops to the ground.

This coincides with her second side quest.

Perhaps this negotiation will be easier than she imagined.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Tohka Yatogami scratched her head. “William should support you if he knew, so why would he refuse to cooperate with you?”

"Because to turn an ideal into reality, you always have to sacrifice something."

Swan sighed slightly, stroking his long beard, and said with some regret, "If we want to launch a counterattack on the ground, the casualty rate of the Golden Goblins will rise sharply, but William is unwilling to sacrifice the Golden Goblins, so he refused to cooperate with me."

Golden fairies are creations of necromancy.

In other words, they are a race that can be mass-produced at any time.