Chapter 474 Great Wish ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”At that time, the Northern Continent was barely more than a frontier, with only the land surrounding the Holy City¹ claimed as human territory. However, thanks to the sheer growth of the population, the era of expansion had begun. Little by little, the common folk were pushing back the wilds.”
The Ancient Elf known as “Mother,” or Carley, began to speak. Her tale started in an age so distant it could be called ancient history. It felt as though the story had finally reached the point where one could call it the “Age of Man.”
Still, if this was a story from before the birth of the Kingdom of Wielope, there was still a gap of several hundred years before the founding of the Kingdom of Canaria… making this a story from nearly a thousand years ago.
”By this time, I had come to understand you mortals quite well,” Carley said. “The strength of your kind lies in your numbers. Because you do not live long like we do, you overcome hardship through the power of the masses. Of course, that has its fair and foul sides. The expansion of the human domain-the crowning achievement of the Church-was won through numerical strength. Yet, the reason the Church has rotted away into a mere shadow of its former self is also because of those very numbers. When unified correctly, they shine with radiant splendor; when harmony collapses, they become nothing more than a mountain of refuse.”
Her words seemed to hold a fundamental truth. In particular, Her Majesty Queen Cecile and Loire-Rose, the Holy Figure of the Church, both looked down at their feet as if checking whether the ground they stood upon was a pile of trash or not.
Furthermore, Gustav, the leader of the Shadows of Wielope, gave a small, quiet nod. It was clear that he, who looked up to Carley as his mother, had inherited this philosophy. And presumably, the successive Kings and Emperors of Wielope had governed based on this very premise.
”…By the way, how long have the beastmen been on this continent?” I asked. “I heard that back then, they were being persecuted just like magic users.”
”Umu, let me think…” Carley replied. “Even I am not entirely certain. They were simply there before I realized it. Or perhaps they were here even before the common folk. The beastmen possessed the means to survive without relying on Elves, and they certainly had no need to depend on humans.”
I see. That must be why the unique culture and ethics of the beastmen have survived to this day. Even during the Church’s golden age, the beastmen were able to live independently.
Or perhaps the time they have been closest to humans is exactly this current era-an age where the common folk have expanded across the entirety of the Northern Continent, creating a framework that even the beastmen cannot escape.
In our country, the success of the beastman units as the Queen’s shield is remarkable. Many beastmen are also active in the Adventurers Guild. Furthermore, there was the incident where our shop’s adult magic circuits² proved vital in helping them manage their heat, which ultimately forced the Church’s hand during the heresy trials.
Each of these facts seemed to support my theory. Well, it wasn’t like knowing it really changed much for me right now… but if the numbers of humans continue to grow, those relationships will develop further, and perhaps new frictions will be born. Dealing with those problems would be a task for my children.
”As I thought, it is good…” Carley said quietly.
”Hm?” I muttered.
I had accidentally let my mind wander, but Carley’s words snapped me back as she narrowed her eyes. Her gaze was still fixed on something far away, but now it seemed to hold a mixture of nostalgia, joy, and longing.
”Occasionally, someone like you appears,” she said. “Someone who, despite their short life, looks further ahead than we do. Because your time is short, you view the next generation as a pressing matter. That man was the same…”
”In my case, it’s not nearly that grand,” I said. “I’m just wondering what my kids will do. That’s just natural for a parent, right? You want your children to live in a better world, and have a better life, than the one you had.”
”Umu. Perhaps it is as simple as that. Regardless, to me, it is a dazzling way to be.”
We had derailed a bit, but to Carley, it seemed to be part of the same story. Satisfied with her own conclusion, she began to recount her memories of “that man”-the First King of the Kingdom of Wielope.
”I met that man in the heart of a deep forest. As I said, magic users like myself were already being hunted by the Church, so I lived in seclusion. Well, it was the same way Elves had always lived, I suppose. As for that man, he too lived a life apart from the Church. In today’s terms, he was something of an adventurer-not part of the Holy Labor Corps, the Church’s official dispatch units, but someone who gathered his own comrades to seek out new lands.
That makes it sound noble, but the truth was simpler: they couldn’t make a living around the Holy City and were essentially pushed out by the overflowing population, forced to set out on a journey. Because they were such outcasts, they lacked sufficient defenses against monsters. I saved them on a whim when they were being attacked. Quite by accident, it felt like a repeat of the ancient days when humans first began to arrive on this continent.”
In any era, in any world, the ones who blaze new trails aren’t those walking the main road, but the misfits forced into the narrow, dangerous paths. Feeling a strange sense of kinship with that man, I waited for her to continue.
”Feeling a sense of nostalgia, I taught them many things and looked after them,” Carley continued. “Magic, which I once thought would take centuries to teach, I learned to adjust so it could be used immediately, matching the human lifespan. I taught them about monsters, which plants and nuts were edible, and how to craft useful tools-everything those outcasts needed to survive.”
I knew exactly how precious that kind of help was, having lived my own life as a bottom-tier adventurer. To those people, she must have seemed far more like a Goddess than the Church ever did.
”Eventually, once they had mastered a few techniques, they built a settlement in the forest where I lived. To be honest, it was a nuisance, but those rascals knew that if they prostrated themselves and begged, I wouldn’t have the heart to refuse. Frustrating, really. At any rate, they became able to sustain themselves, and that man began to speak of the future bit by bit. He said he wanted to turn the settlement into a great nation. Like the countries said to exist on the Southern Continent that don’t rely on the Church. A place that wouldn’t budge even if a powerful monster appeared, that wouldn’t be overrun by the corruption of the Church, and that-no matter what hardships arose-would be ‘a country that loses to nothing, and can never be destroyed.’
He told me his original home had been wiped out by a single monster-one that, to me and even the Church of that time, was nothing significant. He made his wish so that such a tragedy would never happen again.”
”…Is that what you call the ‘Great Wish’³?” I asked.
”Umu. ‘A country that loses to nothing, and can never be destroyed.’ That is our Great Wish. However, it is far easier said than done.”
Carley let out a heavy sigh, as if exhaling centuries of hardship. To keep acting as a guardian for hundreds of years just because of a chance encounter… she really was a soft-hearted Elf. Though, from her perspective, it might just be like being unable to abandon a stray puppy she’d picked up.
”I knew the Church couldn’t be relied upon. Seeing its current state only proves I was right. They are so obsessed with God and tradition that they fail to see the children right at their feet.”
I had my own thoughts on that, and Loire-Rose looked like she wanted to argue, but she held her tongue for now. To Carley and the people she protected, that was the undeniable truth.
”A population that has grown too large cannot simply let powerful monsters pass by, as we Elves do. They must oppose them with force to protect their nation. To that end, our country first aimed for prosperity. By siphoning wealth from the Holy City, we raised this nation to be the center of the human domain. We absorbed the surrounding settlements to build our strength. The recent Imperial expansion is merely an extension of that. To avoid destruction, we had to become a hegemon. Our systems, our lands, our people-everything was forged for the sake of the Great Wish.
And the reins of that power must be held by someone who understands the Wish. The short-lived leaders of man quickly forget their mission. Therefore, I have personally raised each successive ruler, ensuring only those who show the necessary qualities take the throne.”
It was a staggering revelation. To think that the very foundation of the first nation on this continent was built on such a calculation. Was the attempt on the Holy Figure’s life, the swallowing of small nations, and the war against our own country all truly for the sake of that Great Wish? It must be. In fact, it was probably because they moved solely for that purpose that things ended up this way.
”And for that same reason, I believe I should join hands with you,” Carley said, looking me in the eye. “…Tell me, what do you think? O man who bears such a resemblance to him. You who stopped the Stampede, who challenged the Church to change, who loves his wife and child… and who sells those peculiar magic circuits.”
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Summary:
Carley reveals the origins of the Kingdom of Wielope, founded by an outcast adventurer she mentored a thousand years ago. The kingdom’s expansion and “Imperial” ambitions are actually defensive measures rooted in a “Great Wish” to never be destroyed again. Seeing the same forward-thinking quality in the protagonist, Carley proposes an alliance.
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Trivia:
- The protagonist’s ‘adult goods’ are a major plot point that influenced a Heresy Trial.
- Beastmen were historically independent and didn’t rely on Elves or humans.
- The First King’s hometown was destroyed by a single monster, sparking his obsession with strength.
- Carley has personally raised every ruler of Wielope to ensure they don’t forget the ‘Great Wish’.
- The ‘Holy Labor Corps’ were official Church units that the First King avoided
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Character Insight:
Carley shows a rare emotional side, feeling nostalgic and ‘dazzled’ by the protagonist’s simple parental love, which mirrors the First King’s determination. The protagonist’s empathy for his future children bridges the gap between his modern values and the ancient Elven perspective.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses this chapter to pivot the story from shop management to grand geopolitical drama, grounding the high-stakes ‘Great Wish’ in relatable human trauma.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Carley – Ancient Elf ‘Mother’ leading Wielope Empire assassins—young human looks with ancient aura, long green hair, carefree villain vibe calling Emperor ‘Dee-bou.’ Never birthed but matriarch figure, grants Forest Blessing, stays chill even tentacle/slime-trapped.
• Loire-Rose – Current Saintess and top of the Great Cathedral food chain. White hair, pale skin, blue eyes—the full divine aesthetic. Can literally manifest light and blessings, but don’t let the holy glow fool you. She’s pragmatic, money‑minded, and way too playful for church politics. Runs a workshop (yeah, even sells adult goods on the side) and keeps her “holy” mask on… most of the time. Originally born to a Salvation Faction family, later adopted by the previous Holy Figure. Total mix of divinity and chaos, and somehow it works.
• Cecile – A queen in the capital who possesses the authority to regulate business and commerce, particularly concerning moral or public order issues. She is currently investigating Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest.’ Have long golden hair, elegant, and wearing expensive white dress with gold accesories.
• Gustav – Leader of the Wielope Empire’s elite ‘Shadow’ assassin crew—captured in royal dungeon & victory parade hit, now snagged by shop defenses. Die-hard Emperor loyalist, shakes at the thought of Carley getting hurt from political fallout.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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