Chapter 98 : Chapter 98

Chapter 98 : Under the Branch of the World Tree (11)

The journey to the elf territory was peaceful.

I didn’t have to strain my senses for the scent of blood carried on the wind or the clash of weapons.

The forest of Kipaso brimmed with immense vitality.

Even after being engulfed in flames, it sprouted new buds.

Young plants growing among the ashen trees would make this forest even lusher.

As we approached the elf territory, I could feel the grandeur of the World Tree.

Its trunk was so massive that a dozen humans stretching out their arms couldn’t encircle it and its height seemed to pierce the heavens.

From afar, its leaves shimmered as one, but up close, each leaf looked like a vivid gem.

Even Derix, who always wore a faint smile, gaped in awe at the World Tree’s size.

The upper part of the trunk was still shrouded in a misty haze, impossible to discern.

Yet the World Tree wasn’t just a massive tree. Its beauty deserved praise.

‘No wonder the fairies and elves revere the World Tree like a religion.’

No matter how familiar the sight, its beauty would surely move anyone.

Believing in an invisible god might be harder for humans than worshipping the tangible World Tree for elves and fairies.

Of course, their hearts were far from peaceful now, but if I stopped this war, they’d soon find calm.

First, I’d heal the wounded hearts of the elves and fairies and when the time for the final battle came, I’d ask for their help.

Our group, which had been gazing at the sky, arrived at the elf territory.

The fairy and elf territories were similar yet different.

The fairy territory was undeniably quaint, matching their small stature.

Most fairy cabins were carved out of tree trunks.

They planted moss, mushrooms, and flowers in front, living in harmony with nature.

Moreover, the naturally lively fairies’ territory was always filled with laughter.

‘It’s too quiet here.’

That’s why my first impression of the elf territory was its silence.

The elves’ homes hung from massive trees.

They were built by attaching planks to long branches extending from the trunks, preserving the forest’s natural form.

The village, modeled after the forest, was mystical and beautiful, but also so quiet that the sound of a nearby stream echoed.

It wasn’t that the elves in the territory were absent.

The graceful elves walked without making a sound.

Watching the silent elves, I suddenly felt unease.

“No one’s looking at us.”

I deliberately spoke aloud.

Bea looked at me in surprise, but it didn’t matter.

It had an effect.

Those who treated us like invisible ghosts glanced our way.

In the overly quiet village, even my soft voice must have carried clearly.

But the attention I drew soon faded. The elves resumed treating us like ghosts.

They knew we were here but desperately pretended not to see us.

It was their way of rejecting outsiders and an exiled kin.

The elves truly needed mental reformation.

In cases like this, it’s best to think simply.

When a group is collectively flawed, it’s usually wise to suspect the top.

The answer was likely there.

“The Elf King lives in the World Tree’s trunk, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

And I strode toward the World Tree.

I had to meet the Elf King anyway to deliver the flowerpot entrusted by the Fairy King.

- What the fairies want is simple. A sincere apology from someone representing the elves and a pledge to live together in Kipaso without hating each other as before.

The Fairy King Frude’s voice echoed in my ears.

An apology alone couldn’t change anything. It might hold no value on its own.

But the Fairy King intended to coexist with the elves in Kipaso going forward.

Rather than demanding excessive reparations, he wanted negotiations for a better future.

- If the elves sincerely apologize, we too must apologize for waging war. I promise that. I’ll do it myself.

I hoped things would resolve smoothly.

But it nagged at me that the demon’s trace, found through Nofen’s tune, led to the World Tree’s trunk.

If the elves deliberately hid a demon, what should I do?

If they hid it in the World Tree they revered as a god… the fairies would never stand for it.

But now wasn’t the time for hasty assumptions or disappointment.

Nothing could be certain until I confirmed it myself.

The path to the Elf King was easy.

The elves either ignored us or didn’t look at us at all.

Since no one stopped us, I just had to step toward the World Tree’s branches, one step at a time.

Finally, I arrived at the World Tree’s branches.

As I prepared to ascend to the Elf King’s residence, two large elves appeared and blocked my path.

“They’re the gatekeepers, Kolun and Kolin, siblings.”

Bea added an explanation.

At her words, the gatekeeper’s eyes turned to Bea’s severed ears.

He frowned, glaring at her face.

But Bea didn’t shrink back as before.

Unlike then, she now had a firm resolve within her.

I ignored the gatekeepers and tried to ascend the World Tree.

The gatekeepers moved to block my path.

“…….”

“…….”

But they didn’t say anything like we weren’t allowed to go up.

“I have business up there, so step aside.”

I pushed the gatekeeper’s shoulder, but perhaps due to their size, they didn’t budge.

Pushing without mana seemed difficult.

But there was a reaction.

The elves’ gazes mixed with displeasure.

It seemed I had to go this far to get their attention.

I pushed the elf’s shoulder again, with more force this time.

“Hup!”

The elves swallowed a grunt and held their ground.

But I didn’t stop. I pushed their shoulders again and again.

The gatekeepers no longer held back.

They drew up mana to resist my hands.

Ugh.

The sounds of straining and pushing echoed in the quiet elf territory.

I unleashed my mana fully.

Even the elves who hadn’t spared us a glance stopped walking.

But the noble elves didn’t gather around.

They watched the commotion at the World Tree with sidelong glances.

“Oh…”

As the struggle continued, a soft exclamation rose from the crowd.

Feeling something odd, I looked up.

A white butterfly fluttered down from the World Tree.

As it descended, its form became clearer.

I thought it was just a white butterfly, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t.

It shimmered with a gentle, mystical light.

A small, delicate figure, covered in sprouting leaves from head to toe, a being of light.

The World Tree’s spirit, said to have vanished after the war, had appeared.

The spirit fluttered down through the air, coming closer to me.

I reached out toward it, but it passed my hand and landed on the Branch of the World Tree at my waist.

“Huh…”

The elves, unable to hide their reactions, gasped.

For elves, it was an intense response.

I held my breath, watching the World Tree’s spirit.

The materialized spirit sat on my sword’s hilt, panting softly.

The elves watching from afar and the gatekeeper elves could no longer ignore me.

Drawn to the spirit, they surrounded me as if entranced.

And the Elf King, Aetelt, descended from the World Tree.

* * *

At the same time, the Imperial Council.

For just three days a year, the empire’s nobles gathered to discuss major imperial matters.

The grand meeting hall was filled with ornate gold statues and lavish decorations.

Portraits of past emperors and heroes of the empire adorned the circular hall’s walls, painted in a splendid style, including Adjak’s face.

Rodos often found his gaze stolen by Adjak’s portrait during the meeting.

‘Two days straight, and all they talk about is war.’

The empire had no shortage of issues to discuss in a year.

But all were set aside as the topic of war dominated.

“Chancellor, the Archduke couldn’t attend, but the northern forces are ready to move. We need council support to prevent severe damage in the north during the troop absence.”

“War inevitably consumes resources. Remember, now is the time to unite and show loyalty to the empire.”

The tense meeting continued, but in truth, it was a battle over personal interests.

Yet, except for the Western Noble Coalition, all factions had already agreed to the war.

For imperial nobles, who rarely acted at a loss, this was unusual.

Rodos and the Western Noble Coalition had loudly opposed the war on the first day, but their opinions were ignored.

Most of it was orchestrated by the Chancellor.

The emperor hadn’t attended the council for years, but the golden throne, though empty, always shone grandly.

To its left was the Chancellor’s seat, higher than the other nobles’, naturally drawing attention.

The Chancellor seemed to respect the nobles’ opinions but raised his hand to halt the meeting when unwanted opinions arose.

“All is for the empire’s safety. This war will lead to the empire’s glorious path.”

With the emperor absent, the Chancellor was the empire’s de facto ruler.

By his summation, it was effectively decided that war would break out in a year.

Exhausted from arguing with other nobles, Rodos, excluding the Western Noble Coalition, closed his eyes.

Then the Director of the Imperial Intelligence Agency quietly approached the Chancellor to report.

The Chancellor and Director exchanged hushed words.

Curious nobles turned their attention to them.

After the Director left the hall, the Chancellor spoke.

“The matter of the war between fairies and elves. Have you all reviewed it?”

The nobles nodded.

It was relatively unimportant compared to the empire’s war and hadn’t been mentioned once during the council.

“Good news for humanity.”

As one noble said, the empire welcomed the war between elves and fairies.

The empire’s goal was to unite humanity and, further, the world.

Like Adjak 300 years ago, the empire planned to form an expedition to conquer Myeolji.

Their method to unite the world was force.

Elves and fairies, who both disregarded humans, exhausting each other in conflict would aid conquest.

But the Chancellor brought up something else.

“A man named Polarin, a descendant of Adjak, is in Kipaso to stop that war.”

The Chancellor’s voice was low and dignified, devoid of emotion.

It was as if he was stating a fact, not judging whether Polarin stopping the war was good or bad.

“Is that possible? From the report, Kipaso is engulfed in a massive war.”

“He’s called Adjak’s heir, isn’t he? Just a kid, wasting his energy.”

“Not bad, though. The Adjak family are just hero descendants in name. Now they’re rebels we need to crush.”

“He’s one of the rising stars, isn’t he? The Intelligence Agency’s report on the five rising stars was intriguing.”

The nobles voiced their opinions.

Rodos glanced at Adjak’s portrait again.

And, for the first time in a while, he raised his hand.

Though the Western Noble Coalition was derided as revolutionaries, Rodos was undeniably its leader.

As a marquis, few nobles in the room outranked him, and the council fell silent for a moment.

Rodos scanned the nobles and spoke.

“Polarin Adjak. He’ll succeed.”

At Rodos’s brief statement, the nobles murmured.

The Chancellor looked at him with interest.

But Rodos, unfazed, continued.

“He’ll show the empire that he can unite without war.”

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