The flames smolder as the dead Dark Elf is extinguished. Penelope looks over at me with a flabbergasted expression and is speechless. The chieftain slowly turns to me and blinks hard. The crowd around us is stunned in silence.

  Think. How do I turn this around? We could just say the code word and have the professor get us out of here, but then the negotiations would break down. To be fair, I think they have broken down, but I can still salvage this. My eyes settle on the burnt body, and a realization crosses my mind.

  The path to victory is within sight. Picking myself up off the ground, I watch as the nearby Dark Elves grip their weapons. They’re waiting for me to make one wrong move. So, let's make a ton of them.

  “Penelope, if you want us to get through these negotiations, you’re going to have to translate exactly what I say next. Don’t deviate, don’t sugarcoat, and don’t correct. Word for word, got it?” I ask Penelope as I dust the dirt off my coat.

  Penelope gives a slow nod as her hand rests on the hilt of her greatsword.

  Turning to the chieftain, I look her straight in the eyes and say, “You’re welcome.”

  The chieftain looks towards Penelope and then back at me. “Excuse me?” she asks with a mixture of confusion and anger.

  “I said, you’re welcome, Chieftain Mylver,” I repeat with a smug smile.

  The crowd looks around, confused at what exactly I mean. My eyes dart from face to face, looking for any oddities.

  “You killed one of my kin, and you expect me to thank you?” she says, placing her drink down.

  With a chuckle, I respond, “Apologies, I should explain. I did not slay one of your kin, but I, in fact, saved your life.”

  The crowd murmurs to life as some whisper to each other while others grip their weapons.

  A hint of curiosity peaks through the chieftain's hardened face. “And how exactly did you manage that?”

  Walking towards her, I watch as the guards nearby draw their swords, and I hear the sound of bowstrings going taut. The chieftain raises her hand, and the weapons lower. Now close to her, I pick up her cup and walk back to where I was standing.

  “He poisoned you,” I say, guessing.

  The crowd gasps in surprise. The once quiet room begins to bubble with excitement and anger. Some have been angered by my accusation, while others find what I’m saying entertaining.

  “And I’ll prove it,” I say, taking a swig of the cup.

  After a second, I look around. Nothing is happening. Maybe I was wrong. Well-

  A [System Message] appears, followed by the burning sensation of pain in my stomach. Doubling over, I cough up blood and then feel this sudden relief of pain.

  I still feel like shit, but thank the Gods for that [Poison Res.]. I should really [Level] that up higher if I’m going to be drinking poison like this on the regular. Fight through the pain. I need to get back to these negotiations.

  Pulling myself off the ground, I wipe the blood off my face. “Poisoned, as I said. I’ll take that, thank you, now,” I say with a cocky attitude.

  The chieftain just stares at me with a stunned look. “We could’ve tested the cup another safer way, you do know that?”

  “Of course I knew that,” I [Lie]. “Which brings me to how I knew you were going to be poisoned.”

  “Please, go on.”

  “You see, that is not a Dark Elf,” I say, pointing at the charred corpse.

  The entire room turns to look at the corpse, save for a few exceptions. They then all turn back to me with a confused look.

  “Trust me, I know. It looks like a Dark Elf, but it isn’t a Dark Elf. It’s a shapeshifter!” I accuse as I point at the corpse.

  The room yet again turns to look at the charred corpse and then back at me with a confused look as if I’ve lost my marbles.

  “A shapeshifter, here? They rarely leave the blight. Why would one be here trying to kill me?” the chieftain asks.

  “That’s simple, really. You’re the reason why the Dark Elves are no longer working with forces of evil. Isn’t that right?” I ask, guessing.

  With a bemused smile and cocked head, the chieftain asks, “And how would you know that?”

  With a smug smile, I wink. “I am The Chosen One,” I [Lie].

  “It seems that you are,” she says with an impressed tone.

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  “Since that is true. It would also hold true that the Dark Elves would return to the Blight if you were no longer in the picture. The only ones who would benefit from that are the forces of evil,” I explain.

  “That seems logical, but why did they only strike now? We left the Blight a hundred years ago,” she questions.

  “You know why,” I say, gesturing to myself. “The Chosen One has been chosen, and soon The Great Evil will also rise. The forces of evil would love to have the Dark Elves back on their side, especially at the cost of your life.”

  The chieftain nods as Penelope translates. “Your logic is sound, but that still doesn’t prove that the Dark Elf you killed is a shapeshifter,” she says, waiting eagerly for my response.

  With a devilish grin that I barely hide, I say, “Who said he’s dead?”

  As the crowd turns to the charred corpse, I [Throw] the cup in my hand straight at it. The cup slams hard against the corpse's head, and a loud, audible yelp is let out. The corpse shifts into that of a smooth, grey-skinned, and white eyed creature. The shapeshifter jumps up off the ground and tries to run away. The moment it does, Penelope appears next to it with a crackling greatsword. In one fell swoop, she cuts right through it, killing it.

  Taking a seat, I cross my legs and say, “Is that enough evidence for you?”

  Thank the Gods. I realized he wasn’t dead when I didn’t get a [System Message] announcing his defeat. Also, he burned far too quickly for your average person, but fast enough for a shapeshifter. After all, fire is their weakness. Guess listening during class does work out sometimes. Thanks, Professor Stargazer. The rest was deductive reasoning and a lot of guesswork. Which was a bit fun and tiring, but I’m not done yet.

  “I must thank you, The Chosen One. It would seem that you have saved my life. You even rooted out an imposter in our midst,” the chieftain says as she orders some of her guards to take the body away.

  “As I said, you’re welcome. Although, would you like to know about the other shapeshifters?” I ask nonchalantly.

  The crowd bursts forth with paranoia as they quickly begin to suspect each other at the mere mention of other shapeshifters. Although a few among them remain calm.

  “Others? How many?”

  “Two more, or more precisely those two,” I say, pointing at two ‘Dark Elves’ in the crowd.

  With a wave of a hand, the chieftain orders the guards to apprehend the two I pointed out. “And how did you know about these two?”

  “Once I realized there was a shapeshifter among us, I kept an eye out for more. Those two were the only ones who didn’t look at the charred corpse when I mentioned he wasn’t a Dark Elf. That, along with other oddities that I noticed when I was talking to you,” I explain.

  “You surprise me with every word you say. Guards, check them,” she orders.

  The guards hold the suspects down and then put a lit candle under their hands. Immediately, they burst into flames, revealing their shapeshifter form. Without any hesitation, the guards stab the shapeshifters, ending them.

  “It would seem that my debt grows with every word you say. Perhaps we should finish these negotiations before I find myself unable to repay you,” Chieftain Mlyver says as Penelope translates.

  “Yes, let us return to our negotiations. We are willing to respect your claim to the Whisperwood forest, but we would like some things in return. First, we would like an agreement of noninterference between the forces of evil and the Nova Empire. Second, we would like your permission to continue using designated areas of the Whisperwood forest for training purposes. Third, we would like you to patrol and protect the existing paths within the Whisperwood forest,” I lay out the terms that I memorized the day before.

  “I am unsure if I trust this ‘Nova Empire’, but you have shown great respect to my people and me. That is something I can not ignore. We will agree to all terms under the stipulation that we maintain full autonomous control of the Whisperwood forest outside of the conditions set forth,” the chieftain says.

  Looking over at Penelope, she nods. “Then let us get this in writing,” I say as Penelope produces two identical pieces of parchment.

  Chieftain Mlyver signs them, and then Penelope signs them. The chieftain raises an eyebrow at Penelope's signatures and says something in old Elvish. Penelope answers back, and the chieftain nods her head. I didn't understand a lick of that, but it looked cordial. Let's get this over with.

  “As a symbol of our new partnership, the Nova Empire would like to present you with a gift,” I say as Penelope pulls out a small wooden box.

  The chieftain opens it and pulls out an old white branch. She handles it with care and then places it back in the box. “We accept this gift and present you with one of our own,” she says, handing me a small box.

  Carefully, I open the box and look inside. Inside, there are two small bags filled with seeds. Thanks to [Gardening], I recognize them immediately. Blight seeds and Carnivorous Bramble seeds. These are definitely rare and dangerous. With a gentle touch, I pass the box to Penelope.

  “Thank you. Now, we will be off,” I say.

  “No, thank you. May we meet again, Chosen One,” Chieftain Mlyver says with a knowing smile as a blinding white light encapsulates us.

  As the light fades, we find ourselves back at the University. I never want to do that ever again. Gods are negotiations stressful. I don’t know how people do it. As I catch my breath, a number of [System Messages] appear.

  Well, at least I got something out of it. Oh, I’m tired. I should go back to bed before the sun rises.

  “Good work,” Penelope says reluctantly.

  “Thanks, it was some of my best work,” I say as Professor Stargazer walks to us.

  “How did it go?” the professor asks.

  “It went well. I’ll take the contract to the royal palace, and by tomorrow, we should be able to use the Whisperwood forest again,” Penelope explains as she hands me the box.

  “Uh, why are you giving me the box of dangerous seeds?” I ask, trying to avoid the box.

  “The gift is for you. That’s how the tradition works,” Penelope explains.

  “I don’t want the box of dangerous seeds. Can’t you at least take the Blight seeds?” I ask, pushing the box back towards her.

  With a sigh, she takes the Blight seeds. “Fine. I will consider it a donation to the Research Department. They’ll ‘love’ more Blight seeds,” she says sarcastically.

  I pocket the Carnivorous Bramble seeds. “That’s good enough for me. See you guys tomorrow,” I say as I start to walk away.

  “Chosen One, you have my class in thirty minutes,” Professor Stargazer reminds me.

  I stop in my tracks and let out a long sigh. Why? Why Gods, why?