Book 6: Chapter 25


    Lucia was right.


    <em>If human crops cant grow, we just need to nt elven crops. If we must grow elven crops, then that means elves will be needed to manage the crops. They are the only ones who can exchange it for humanitys food for a simr price. In this way, we can empower the farmers to earn the money they require</em>


    <em>But what crops do the elves have? To be honest, Ive never seen elven nts The only one I remember is elven berries which were like raisins and apples. There were also the odd hard-tangerines the merchants soldst time.</em>


    <em>Oh, there was also that sour berry I was given to help me sober up from the wine. But humans have seeds for that berry too except that they use it to add a sour vour. It feels like a substitute for lemons. Whatever the case, I dont think that this sort of crop alone is enough. I want to grow tobo and cotton.</em>


    Itd be best if we could grow tobo, cocoa, and coffee beans. Not that we have to have those crops, but definitely those types of crops.


    <em>Tea wont do. Humanity is growing tea leaves already, while the elven tea probably wont suit humans. Not to mention that Im still not willing to consider it tea. I prefer to call it tree-leaves water.</em>


    <em>As someone from the East, I will not allow that crude tree leaf stuff to be called tea!</em>


    Vyvyan gently ced her hand on my head. She held a tool made from goose-feathers in her slender fingers which she used to gently pick my ears. She smiled and said, nting? Truthfully, Mommy isnt too knowledgeable on the topic.


    The type that you can sell and is a necessity I think Ill target drinks or tobo Cotton could work, too.


    I was lying with my head rested on Moms thigh. I was staring at the flower embroidery on Moms clothing near her lower abdomen, in a daze.


    Elves are a level above when ites to weaving. Vyvyans clothing has always been a little more extravagant than Elizabeths. Of course, perhaps it was because the human empress didnt care about her clothing, and therefore always dressed inly.


    Cotton? Elves have always extracted a white flower that grows on a tree to make clothes. That type of tree needs to be grown for a very long time before it produces. If you want to sell these, you might have to wait for a very long time. If you want something else, we elves do produce satin.


    Satin?


    The material used for your pyjamas.


    <em>Ah, so they call it satin and not silk here.</em>


    Vyvyan continued fiddling with my ear as she continued with her exnation, However, that isnt extracted from nts, but an insect If you want to raise them, you need more than a field. You need a multi-functional textile distribution ce.


    Is there anything else, then?


    I still wasnt discouraged. I have faith that the elves have a trade-able crop that I can grow. Even if they dont, I trust that there are many other choices, even if its not a crop that would be a golden product. If nothing else, we can go with berries that are worth money, too.


    Hmm Mom looked around with her eyes.


    She smiled and replied, There are dyes, then. If it must be something to do with clothing, then the thing we elves are most proud of is our dye. Dyes from both humanity and elves are extracted from nts. However, our elven dyes arent colours, but could be better described as a type of mana. The mana in it will disappear in water, due to the difference in mana concentration. But since humanitys side doesnt have mana, the colour of clothing which was dyed using mana will never fade. Most importantly, this type of mana is more eye-catching than normal dyes, since a dead form of beauty cantpare to one that is alive.


    That will work!


    <em>Dyes will work! No wonder I felt that the colours of Vyvyans clothes were brighter than Elizabeths. Turns out it was because the dye for her clothes wasnt a dye, but mana. Vyvyan was right. If humans can maintain the colour longer due to ack of mana here, then that means richdies will definitely fight for this dye.</em>


    Vyvyan stroked my head and I calmed down.


    Mom stuck the goose-feather inside my ear and picked it as she borated, Of course, if you want to do that then you cant rely on just humans alone to purify this dye. Elves must be the ones to purify it to be able to bring out the mana. As such, if you want to do that, you must sell your raw materials over to us.


    Ah


    <em>Thats not such a good idea, is it?</em> Ive never learnt high-level economics, but I am aware of this. <em>By that, I mean that we cant make enough money to cover the cost if we rely on selling raw materials. We can only make money by processing materials and producing them. Only third-world countries, countries that are just getting off the ground andck finances would sell raw materials.</em>


    Id probably only be earning spare change selling these dyes. I would still have to ask Vyvyan to help us out as my mother. If nting in this field earned people money that they could purchase food with, and yet not reach a surplus, then this city wont ever be able to develop.


    Mom the farmers wont make money if we did that Cant you ask elves toe here? If elves were here too, we could sessfully nt the crop and process it here before selling it off.


    Im afraid thats not possible, Son.


    Mom shook her head with a helpless smile and exined, Elves are not a race that likes to migrate, Son. You should have noticed it by now, too. Elves only like to stay within their own forest, not to mention their opposition towards interacting with other races, due to the importance they ce on bloodlines. Only by doing so can they ensure the purity of bloodlines. Mommy cannot use Mommys own power to force the elves and humans to cohabitate, because Mommy knows that it is something elves definitely cannot ept.


    Is there really no way? I mean, Her Majesty and my father gave birth to me, didnt they?


    I gave birth to you! Vyvyan harshly cut me off, and I zipped my mouth.


    Vyvyan wasnt willing to ept this reality, no matter what. Vyvyan calmed herself down and then continued, There are very few elves who like humans. It was only Onii-sama who was strongly curious. If Onii-sama were still alive, then perhaps, humans and elves would be a little closer.


    However, as it stands at present, the corpses of the soldiers from the war ten years ago have yet to turn cold, and their vengeance is still left unfulfilled. The elves who can do business with humans are already showing the utmost level of tolerance.


    Asking elves toe here is definitely impossible. Furthermore, elves killed their fair share of humans, too. Do you think humans could treat elves kindly? Son, humans have never treated us equally.


    Look, theyre trafficking us elves. They kidnapped us elves. We are just goods to them. That is why elves wont forgive humans. Elves and humans are only maintaining the most basic form of peace because of your existence.


    Vyvyan sighed and then stroked my head in a tender way. She continued in a soft voice, Son, if humans cant treat elves with dignity, elves will never get along with humans. Son, you are also an elf. You must remember this. Do not test the ugliness and darkness of humans with the dignity of elves. If possible, do not let elves and humans be together. If the two races meet, violence could ur.


    I silently looked at the embroidery on Moms clothes.


    Mom didnt say any more. She just gently stroked my head while humming a soothing melody. She waited for me to fall asleep on her thigh like I was a child.


    My feelings were all tangled up. The biggestmunication obstacle between the two races is the resentment elves hold for humans, and the contempt humans have for elves. The bloody war from ten years ago further triggers their violent sentiments for each other.


    Honestly, as opposed to saying that the two races have a long history of hatred, it might be more urate to say that Im the biggest obstacle between them, preventing them frommunicating with one another.


    I almost managed to make the two races go all out in a life-and-death fight a decade ago, but I was now very sad. Im an elf and a human. The resentment between the two races was more like a knot in my heart. I had no means of helping either side or attacking either side. The one in agony from the fighting of the two races was I alone.


    A momentter, I grabbed Moms hand and said, Mom I want I want for elves and humans to get along harmoniously.


    Moms hand froze up. She revealed a bitter smile and said in a soft voice, Son what you just said what you said, just now, was the exact same thing as your father, my brother


    <strong>Glossary</strong>


    *His reference to the East about tea is basically Southeast Asia, or China in his case where tea is a big thing. Hence, tea ceremonies.


    **That was my best attempt at separating silk, from silk. In Chinese, you have multiple ways for referring to them, but in English, not so. I know there are some subtle differences, but we will just have to make do unless you have a better suggestion