Chapter 475 Great Wish ④
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”…Are you saying someone like me is supposed to understand the weight of your so-called ‘Great Wish’¹? If so, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m just a magic toolmaker and a merchant. My world starts and ends with my own skin and the people I care about.”
”Indeed, I thought as much. That man was the same way. But he understood one thing: his own power would never be enough to protect what he loved.”
The Ancient Elf who had become the “Mother” of Wielope, Lady Carley, watched me with a look that silently asked, “Aren’t you exactly the same?” As she spoke of forging a kingdom that would endure for all eternity for the sake of the man she had once taken in, her eyes held a terrifying level of resolve.
”…Then all the more reason you’re talking to the wrong person. Political calls like that belong to Her Majesty the Queen or the Holy Eminence. I have a seat at the table as a noble and an advisor, but I don’t sign the decrees.”
I turned my gaze toward Queen Cecile Canaria and the Holy Figure, Loire-Rose. Even without me pointing it out, they were already deep in thought regarding the “Great Wish” Carley had described.
If everything the elf said was true, the Wielope Empire would stop at nothing to protect its borders. And as long as Carley remained the power behind the throne, no fool of an emperor would ever be allowed to lead the country to ruin. As an opponent sitting across the game board, she was as dangerous as they came.
I never imagined a nation actually steered by an elf existed, let alone that it would be such a headache. Even our country has my love-elf, Tania-san—and we’ve been blessed with her nearly cheat-level support—but her promise only went as far as looking out for her friend’s descendants. She never tried to actually run the state.
”One thing I must know,” Queen Cecile said, breaking the silence after a long deliberation. “Does the Wielope Empire intend to conquer the entire Northern Continent for the sake of this ‘Great Wish’ or not?”
The Queen was weighing the future: was Wielope a permanent enemy, or a neighbor we could live with? I didn’t know if Carley would be honest, but it was the only question that mattered.
”If it were possible and effective, we likely would,” Carley replied. “Or rather, we would if the Emperor of the era judged it to be the right course.”
”…? I’m not quite following,” the Queen said. “Is it not you, Excellency, who determines the empire’s path?”
”No. I have done so in the past, and I offer my counsel, but I have no head for politics. I’ve always been tone-deaf to the fleeting whims of mortals. I leave the messy details to the leader of the day. My paramount duty is simply to ensure the ‘children’ never let the ‘Great Wish’ fade. If you want my personal view, I don’t think we could take the whole continent right now, nor do I think we could hold it. Besides, I doubt someone like this man would ever be born under our shadow. Still, mortals have a habit of surprising me, so who can say what the future holds.”
”Hmph…” the Queen muttered.
If that was the case, maybe coexistence wasn’t a pipe dream. It would be impossible for the current empire to unify the North anyway. We’d already repelled them once, and resistance groups were catching fire even in the small nations they’d already annexed.
Even if they managed it, how would they keep an eye on every corner of the map? What then? A war with the Southern Continent? They didn’t have the resources for that; it would be a march straight into a never-ending hell.
And if I had landed in this world during an era like that… would I have ever become a merchant or made my inventions? The scale of the thought was too big to grasp, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t have built the Ddo-Buddy Cannon². I’d probably just keep my head down and choose running away over fighting a unified empire.
The Queen watched Carley warily. It was a dangerous moment; I could tell she was weighing whether it was safe to let this woman return to the empire at all—and whether we actually had the power to kill an Ancient Elf who remained this composed while her magic was sealed.
”Hey! I have a few things I’d like to say too, you know!” Rose interjected.
”I’d love to tell you I’m not listening, but I’ll hear you out, you slut,” Carley shot back.
”Ah, you said it again!” Rose snapped. “You act like we’re total failures, but we aren’t exactly happy with the status quo either!”
Loire-Rose was the next to step into the ring. Carley clearly didn’t have much respect for the Church, and she’d been holding nothing back during the discussion. Rose had her own pride to defend.
Personally, while the Church has given me plenty of grief, I think of them as a generally well-intentioned group. I’ve been helped out by Sister Amelia, the people at the convent, Archbishop Trantestar, and Rose herself.
But that’s a modern perspective. If you go back to the Church’s golden age, when they were busy purging magic-users and beastmen, Carley might have a point. And maybe…
”Sure, the old records show some people doing absolutely insane things,” Rose continued. “But there were just as many people whose hearts bled for the victims, people who pushed for reforms! There are people in the field right now trying to protect the common folk! If you just ignore them, I won’t stand for it!”
”Indeed. You specifically seem to be doing a decent enough job,” Carley said.
”Huh…?”
”Even I am not blind to the role the Church plays among mortals. That is why, no matter how much we were slandered, I never thought to burn it all to the ground. It would be a pity to crush the ‘shining ones’ who occasionally appear. Especially that business the other day—that was impressive. The Holy Labor Corps³ that repelled the Lust Dragon⁴ and the ‘Stampede.’ Sending them out was your doing, was it not?”
Praised so suddenly, Rose could only blink in surprise. I figured as much. Carley was called “Mother” by royals and assassins alike for a reason. She knew how to keep her pawns—and her enemies—exactly where she wanted them.
In the early days of Wielope, the Church must have been their greatest threat. Carley couldn’t ignore them, but she didn’t destroy them either.
Rose must have realized it too. When Wielope first rose to power, the Church’s attacks were met with a brutal counter-offensive. It was a cycle that had been repeating for centuries.
But Carley wasn’t dismissing the Church’s power. If she were, the Church wouldn’t have survived this long. And why else would the Purity Faction⁵ be thriving right in the empire’s backyard?
”As long as you lot do not forget your founding purpose, the Church may serve to aid our ‘Great Wish,’ but it will never be a hindrance.”
”…So what, we’re just supposed to keep sucking up to you?”
”I did not say that, but I expect you to handle your own internal rot. Mortals do not have the luxury of time for petty squabbles if they wish to survive in this land. Do not think the Lust Dragon is the limit of what monsters can do. You all seem to think you have conquered this land for humanity… but no matter how many small fry you sweep away, that is not the end.”
Carley’s gaze sharpened. It was the first truly dangerous look she’d shown all day. The “Lust Dragon” she mentioned was likely the wicked dragon Zil Meina, the one the Ddo-Buddy Cannon had blown out of the sky. If there were monsters out there that made that look like a warm-up…
The world as she saw it was finally starting to make sense. From her attitude toward our kingdom to her treatment of the Church, she wasn’t looking to wipe us out.
Instead, it seemed she was trying to use every tool available to brace for “something” else. In the end, we couldn’t decide what to do with her that day. We chose to treat her as an honored guest for the time being while we waited for the empire to make the next move.
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Summary:
Carley, the Ancient Elf ‘Mother’ of the Wielope Empire, explains that their expansionism is driven by a ‘Great Wish’ rather than simple conquest. She surprisingly praises Rose for the Church’s recent actions against a dragon, revealing a complex strategy of utilizing all human factions against a greater, unnamed threat. The protagonist realizes Carley is playing a much deeper game than mere war.
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Trivia:
- Carley is not the official Emperor but the ideological guardian.
- The ‘Lust Dragon’ Zil Meina was defeated previously by the protagonist’s inventions.
- Wielope actually has a Church faction (Purity Faction) within its borders despite their hostility.
- Carley’s magic is currently sealed, yet she remains unfazed
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Character Insight:
Carley demonstrates that her ‘loyalty’ is not to a person, but to a concept (The Great Wish) and the survival of mortals. Rose shows growth by defending the Church’s modern reforms against Carley’s historical grievances.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Ddo-Buddy Cannon’ is a recurring high-absurdity invention that defines the protagonist’s unconventional approach to combat in this series.
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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.
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
• Trantestar – The middle-aged man Archbishop of Canarias and the initiator of the current trial. He is an alleged ally of Kento but remains suspiciously neutral.
• Amelia – A light blue-haired Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating and Kento’s shy harem member. A newly awakened “Saint” from Holy Sleep, modest and easily embarrassed with red ears and neck. Wears her habit and treasures Kento’s ring on a necklace.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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