Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

Chapter 154. Wert and Flor’s Town Proposal.

Flor sighed and frowned. While she appreciated that he was willing to talk, being tested like that felt a bit strange. Still, Flor was intelligent and understood that emotions had no part right now. She needed to be cool-headed. 

So, after a few seconds of finding the words and points she wanted to talk about, Flor spoke. "I come here today to ask for a few things. They are all quite selfish in nature, so I have also prepared a list of items that you might be interested in."

Sirol City's Explorer Association Headmaster hummed. "Well, we can listen to what those items are later. I want to get a general idea of what your demands are and how I should intervene before I start thinking about the price, conditions, or anything similar."

Flor nodded and asked. "By the way, Sir. How do I call you?" 

The man blinked and then laughed. He spoke with a smile. "Speaking of which, I haven't presented myself! You can call me Wert."

Flor smiled. "A pleasure to know you, Sir Wert. My name is Flor; my race is Rose Fairy Queen." 

Wert's eyebrows raised. "Oho~? I didn't expect you to reveal that."

Flor laughed a bit. "Well, it is a show of trust. I gave you a bit of private information to show my goodwill."

Wert nodded twice. "Telling me your Race Evolution name is certainly a big concession." He smiled. "You are indeed clever for a monster who recently gained intelligence. Okay, go on without any more pleasantries."

Flor sat up straight, although with her stature, it looked more cute than imposing. Still, she spoke firmly and eloquently. "During the last years, our Rose Fairy race has encountered many opportunities and managed to gain enough intelligence to rival some of the intelligent races. I understand we might be too far away from Sylvan or Human intelligence. However, we are sapient enough not to be considered wild monsters. Therefore, we have used the most valuable resource of the Golden Sap Forest as a base to create a town."

Wert hummed. "So, the town is already formed."

Flor added. "Formed and functional. It can probably hold a population of up to 500 extra people if we use our resources without having to worry about random Explorers raiding our place. The strain that the constant exploration causes on us makes it a bit difficult to develop. Therefore, after allying with the three Sylvans behind me, who were kind enough to listen to my words, I came here and asked for legitimacy." 

Wert raised his eyebrow. "Legitimacy? What do you mean by that? We are not an organization that can do something like that."

Flor shook her head. "That's not true. Other creatures must not understand, but as a monster, I clearly understand that the Explorer Association's influence is massive on how things are perceived."

Wert smiled slightly and asked. "Then, tell me. How can the Explorer Association give you legitimacy?"

Flor said quite directly. "Build a base in our town."

Wert looked interested, and Flor explained. "The Explorer Association building an outpost in our town would mean that the Explorer Association doesn't consider us as something that should be hunted. Just building a small outpost, it doesn't need to be anything grand, would deter 99% of people from approaching with bad intentions. People would instead come with renewed interest in the new <Monster Town>. In fact, the Explorer Association can benefit from this exchange, showing that they are able to recognize and distinguish between mindless monsters, intelligent monsters, and civilized creatures." 

Wert leaned back and crossed his arms, looking pensive. "You don't call yourself civilized monsters instead?" 

Flor shook her head. "The reason is simple: monsters will always have a negative connotation. Changing from a 'monster' to a 'creature' will give us an edge in how people see us."

Wert looked at Flor deeply and attentively. The gaze had a lot of weight while the thoughts behind that gaze were a mystery. "You know, Flor. You are dangerous."

The Rose Fairy Queen was puzzled. She asked, confused. "What do you mean, Sir Wert? Have I said something I shouldn't?"

Wert shook his head. "No. That's the problem. Your speech is basically perfect. Your ability to articulate, explain your points, convince, and your charisma are all incredibly high for someone who has been an intelligent creature for just a few years."

Flor's face tensed, and Wert leaned forward, looking at Flor with a dangerous gaze. "Just one, two, three, or four years, and yet you've developed to this point. What about in 40 years?"

Flor spoke bluntly. "I'll be dead."

The three Sylvans paused and looked at Flor, the same with Wert. Flor said. "While my race and my stats have skyrocketed, my lifespan hasn't really increased that much. I feel somewhat younger, but I probably won't reach 60 years of age. Even if, by some miracle, I manage to complete the <Second Cycle>, my life span will just extend ten or so years. As I age, my stats will also become lower." 

Wert remembered that Rose Fairies' lifespan was from 30 to 40 years, so he didn't speak for a few seconds. "Okay, Flor. But during the following 30 years or so-"

Flor interrupted and asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think I can destabilize anything? Me? If someone with my strength could do that much, then the current Empires, sects, or whoever dominates these regions would've fallen long ago."

Flor sighed. "I am not a threat. My race is not one either. You said it yourself. We are an innately peaceful race, and as long as you leave us alone, we won't try to do anything extreme. Conflicts are unavoidable between societies, but as long as I live, my race won't do anything to anyone unless they deserve it." 

Wert asked. "Who decides who deserves what?"

Flor asked back. "Who does?"

Wert paused, and Flor asked sharply. "Who has the right to judge others for their actions? People who study morals? Who were those morals written by? The only being objective enough to classify people is the <System>. And even it has bias! But, if you gain a title that penalizes you, then you probably deserve it."

Wert's view of the little fairy before him was flipped by almost each sentence she spoke. At first, he thought that she was an intelligent monster who had recently learned a few things but would be generally ignorant. 

Yet, time and time again, her sharp arguments, her flowing speech, and her aura left him speechless. He had been trying to gain superiority in the conversation for a while, but instead, the Rose Fairy Queen in front of him seemed to have decades of experience and refuted his words. 

A certain green-haired woman flashed in his mind, and he asked seriously. "Who did you learn all of this from?"

Flor looked behind her and said. "Them." With a smile, Flor said. "Speaking of which, if I ever die, the Town will belong to them. My role is to be a protector until I can't protect anymore. Then, I'll quietly retreat to the backlines. My potential was long fulfilled, and now I am living off the efforts of the younger generation."

Verdantia, Cinderielle, and Tempestria looked at Wert and finally started to speak. Cinderielle started. "Mister Wert, we've been living in Flor's town for months already. To be honest, we've even helped build it. We are 100% convinced that the Explorer Association won't make a loss by placing a building there."

Tempestria commented. "The resources of the Golden Sap Forest are evolving in real-time. We even discovered special trees with powerful berries that Explorers would kill for. Not to mention, Verdantia is working on expanding the Forest's biome."

Verdantia spoke. "Mister Wert, you won't regret this decision. There might be a few hard times in the future, but if you stick with your decision to the end, the rewards will be unimaginable." Verdantia commented. "I have carried Flor to Sirol City instead of Fortuna City or Mareful City to the north because I knew you were stationed here. Fortuna City's Explorer Association Headmaster is too arrogant, and Mareful City's Headmaster is too meek. Only someone like you has enough forward thinking and vision toward the future in the nearby area." 

Wert crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He was in a pinch. After all, if he supported this decision and then it turned out that he gave free way for wild monsters to vandalize the surroundings, his head would be detached. 

Agreeing with them meant gambling with his life in quite a literal way. Their arguments were solid, and their reasoning was appropriate. In Wert's opinion, there was truly no bad side to this deal. If he wasn't gambling with his neck, he would've accepted even before Flor needed to explain so much.

Wert opened his eyes and spoke. "I need a guarantee."

Flor asked. "What do you mean?"

Wert said bluntly. "Look, I like your ideas. I like how you think. I would've not hesitated…"

Flor raised her eyebrow. "But…?"

Wert smiled wryly. "You are a monster."

Cinderielle frowned, feeling offended. Even the usual calm Verdantia gained a faint scowl. 

When Cinderielle was about to snap, Flor raised her arm. "Wait, Cinderielle."

Cinderielle looked at Flor and opened and closed her mouth a few times. Then, she snorted and leaned back. "Fine."

Flor asked. "What does that mean?"

Wert sighed. "Literally. You are a monster, so if I really place an Explorer Association base in your town and then something goes wrong, I am responsible for everything. Regardless of who was the instigator or what was done, I will be the one the Explorer Association will punish because I enabled everything."

Wert explained further. "The Explorer Association is massive. It is big enough that as big as you are currently imagining it to be, it is probably thousands of times more extensive. The general secret is that the different Explorer Association posts are not linked deeply. Only a few rules tie us. Besides that, everything else is independent." 

Tempestria asked, surprised. "So, this building and Fortuna's building are not linked at all?"

Wert shook his head. "Not exactly… How do I explain it? We are like a giant tree. There is the 'main' Explorer Association that gives us the initial sustenance, but then, as branches, we spread independently by using our achievements. You start as a receptionist, and as you climb the ranks, you can eventually open your own Explorer Association building. It is a meritocracy, so to speak."

Verdantia realized. "So, you are able to open an Explorer Association Building in the town, but if something happens, you are also entirely responsible for it. The blame doesn't fall onto the Explorer Association as a whole but on you." 

Wert nodded. "Therefore, I need a guarantee that opening another branch there will not end up with me being executed for mismanagement. Our rules are stringent, which is how everything is kept under control. I also need to create certain profits, or it will be forcefully removed. So, I need something to save my head."