Chapter 148 The Hasty Tail

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"We should assault the undead now. This is our chance!"

"We are too weak right now! Without Lord Lily, how can we even defend this fort?"

The captains were bickering among themselves. Ghander and Alistar were also heatedly debating implementing our Plan B and attacking the undead. This was undoubtedly the opportunity we had been waiting for. The humans wouldn't ambush us from our rear, as most of their army was already engaged with the undead.

"How many elven warriors can we spare, Rhegar?" Alistar turned towards Rhegar.

"If we count—"

"Not tomorrow. Now," Alistar interrupted, cutting her off mid-sentence. He needed the numbers immediately, as attacking tomorrow meant that Edelweiss needed to be well-rested.

"Fifty, plus the thirty reinforcements from Ghander, are battle-ready, Lord Alistar," Rhegar answered.

"Very well. Let us attack the undead tomorrow. Do we still have a beacon?"

"Lord Alistar, are you..." The captain's eyes widened, and a chill filled the air as they realized what Alistar meant.

"For the greater good," Alistar dryly responded to their implicit question. "Just in case of a worst-case scenario."

"We can certainly escape by attaching the beacon to the elven soldiers. But is there really no other way, Lord Alistar, Lord Ghander?" Rhegar asked. However, Ghander merely shook his head and frowned. He took a deep breath, exhaling as if releasing all the accumulated stress in the room.

"Edelweiss, no more healing. Sleep until tomorrow. That's an order. And you too, Lily. The core group will not take on any tasks or battles until tomorrow. Let's call the seventy soldiers and ask for volunteers for this suicide mission," Alistar said. High Magic prohibited elves from sacrificing others without their consent, which is why this briefing was important. However, everyone was escorted to their rooms to sleep.

"Shiro..." Lily said for the umpteenth time as she turned around in her bed.

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow, huh?"

"Yes."

"Shiro, are you afraid?"

"What are you talking about at this point? We've been to worse places that people call literal abyss, right?"

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"I just wanted to talk. We've been together for almost a year. You've never left me. You've always supported me, but I feel like we're not that close."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know you were a human before. You've told me a little about your world. About cars, about money, about racism. But you've never told me about yourself."

"I see. I was just a salaryman. Working like a slave on Earth."

"What is a salaryman?"

"Sort of like a cashier at a huge store."

"Oh! That's not so bad."

"Well, compared to the first time I met you, yeah. It's not so bad. But I got fired because I was lacking, and the company—I mean, the store—was experiencing losses."

"I see."

"I also have a debt in that company."

"Huh? I see. What happens if you have a debt? Will you become a slave?"

"There is no slavery in that world. However, if you have a debt and can't pay, the debtor could confiscate your home or belongings."

"I see. It's better than here. I think it's similar to how elves do things," Lily nodded as she continued to talk. "Tell me more. Are there any tailfolk or elves?"

"There are no tailfolk or elves, only humans. However, even in a world filled with humans, there is racism and discrimination."

"Why? There is no difference between them."

"People tend to search for differences, even in something as simple as skin color and habits."

"But why do they do that?"

"Perhaps because it benefits certain individuals. For example, if white people claim that black people are inferior, they can legally enslave them. The profits would then pay for the education of the white people while the black people toil the soil without access to healthcare or education. Eventually, the mere accusation becomes a reality, as the white people become more educated, healthier, and overall stronger than the others."

"I see. That's terrible. Is there any way we can eliminate such discrimination?"

"Hmm, when it comes to humans, they often focus on profits. If we want to eliminate discrimination, we can simply remove the benefits gained from discrimination itself."

"For instance, if the tailfolk races were given a choice to become vassals of elves, humans, or dwarves, the humans would try to appease them as much as possible. This has actually happened on Earth, where there is discrimination based on gender."

"I understand. So, we can navigate between them. If humans try to take advantage of us, we align ourselves with the dwarves and elves, and vice versa. I can see how our country could form now. However, I'm worried that when the elves declare our independence, the humans will try to attack us once again."

"Yes. To prevent that, we can simply lease a plot of land to the dwarves. If humans dared to attack, they would also be attacking the dwarves, and we would have allies."

"I see. Thank you! Oh, but we've veered off-topic again. Let's talk more about your world. Our conversations always end up with you teaching me about navigating politics. You mentioned that you were only a henchman for a trader or a store. How did you acquire such extensive knowledge?"

"Well, in the world I come from, knowledge is power. You need to read books, go to school, and so on. You need to establish connections and share knowledge to make an impact on society on Earth. Comparing the educational standards from Earth to here, where reading and writing aren't even mandatory, was quite shocking."

"Perhaps we should establish a school similar to the elves? But who will fund it? You know how expensive it was when I enrolled in the Sinctail Academy. Oh, sorry, I got off track again. Please tell me about your family." Lily asked. It finally struck me that I had never talked to her about my family. Until now, I hadn't felt truly present in this world. I had merely been observing Lily on her journey and offering comments.

"Sure," I began, sharing the story of my life.