This was not what he had come here for. Moreover, such a momentous matter was far from something he could decide on his own.
He would have to report the situation to the other members of the Sages’ Association and possibly even convene a small meeting to discuss it.
"Ahem... Your Excellency, your train of thought is a bit... erratic." Oldes chose his words carefully, feeling he couldn’t quite keep up with the slime’s tempo. "The matter of an alliance is of great importance. I must consult with the other Wise Men of the Sages’ Association before I can give you an answer."
"Until a decision is reached... perhaps you would allow me to stay in your kingdom for a time."
Since he couldn’t win with eloquence and reason wasn’t getting through, Oldes decided to simply dig in his heels and refuse to leave.
He planned to use his actions and sincerity to win over this king. ’Perhaps, over time, it will come to understand the greatness and necessity of the Sages’ Association and change its mind.’
Chen Yu watched Oldes’s "I’m staying whether you like it or not" stance and found it inwardly amusing, but he didn’t object.
The old Wise Man was certainly persistent, and rather single-minded. However, his willingness to stay wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Kingdom.
Chen Yu’s perspective was different from Oldes’s.
’The Sages’ Association might come with a lot of baggage, the organization itself seems a bit stagnant, and its future is uncertain. But there’s no denying that anyone who can become a "Forest Sage" is at least at the Extraordinary Tier. Plus, they possess a wealth of information about nature, ancient lore, and even the continent’s deepest secrets.’
’If I can properly exploit... ahem, I mean, for our mutual benefit, leveraging the Sages’ Association’s power and knowledge would undoubtedly help alleviate the Slime Kingdom’s current difficulties. At the very least, it would give the Kingdom a powerful "backer" in this complex web of factions.’
As for joining the Sages’ Association, he wasn’t actually all that opposed to the idea.
His current proposal for an alliance was more of a negotiating tactic, designed to secure a more favorable position for the Kingdom and increase his own bargaining power in any future cooperation.
’If negotiations fall through, joining the Forest Sages’ Association later wouldn’t be a big loss.’
’Judging by how cautious these Wise Men are—terrified of being found by Demons—they’re highly unlikely to readily announce that the Slime Kingdom has joined their ranks.’
’That way, I can get the Sages’ Association’s support without exposing the Kingdom to the scrutiny of other powers too early.’
Chen Yu gave his Gel body a satisfied wobble, inwardly patting himself on the back for his brilliance.
’It’s a shame that fellow, Count Brand, ran off to the Snowfield to visit Arthur. He said he was worried about a lone Undead standing guard out there. What if Olivia got into a bad mood and dismantled him into a pile of bones? Brand claimed he’d have to be there to protect his dull-witted follower.’
’Without Count Brand’s sycophancy, the Mudu Royal Palace feels like it’s missing something.’
"Since you intend to stay in the Kingdom for a while, Master Oldes, there happens to be a small matter I was hoping I could trouble you with."
"Oh? Please, Your Majesty, do tell." Seeing Chen Yu’s attitude soften and that he was even making a request, Oldes was delighted. ’My "dig in and stay put" strategy is already paying off!’
"Not long ago, we took in a Half-Elf child, but she seems to be afflicted with a ’Wither Curse’ that originates from the elves."
"I recall Violet mentioning that the Forest Sages might have ways of dealing with these kinds of ancient curses related to life and nature."
’Anvil has been a new father for a while now, and he’s been fretting over his precious daughter’s withering affliction. Since Violet said the other Forest Sages might have a solution, and a Wise Man just happened to deliver himself to my doorstep... it would be a waste not to make use of him.’
Upon hearing this, Oldes’s brow furrowed slightly, his expression shifting to the focused look characteristic of a scholar faced with a difficult problem.
"An Elven curse? On a Half-Elf child?"
He stroked his white-streaked beard and mused, "That does indeed touch upon some of the Elf Race’s ancient secrets and..."