Chapter 735

Episode 735

You Have to Trust Me. (2)

Ereneth was the great elf destined to become the Great Chieftain in the future.

As a companion of the Hero, she had led the war against the Demonic Abyss to victory. A thousand years later, she had once again fought against the Salvation Church, playing a vital role for the United Human Army.

She was truly an elf who demonstrated a heroic path that transcended her race. Such a person wouldn’t have lived just anywhere.

I had suspected she might be here, in this most important place among all the elven forests.

And sure enough, just as I had guessed, a young Ereneth was staying here.

Half delighted, half tense, I kept my eyes on her. Then I suddenly sensed something strange.

‘What is this?’

Ereneth was constantly looking around as if searching for something. She tilted her head while staring into odd directions and examined each tree intently.

‘No way...’

I knew that Ereneth would become incredibly powerful in the future. But not yet.

It should have been impossible for her to pinpoint my exact location, considering I had already reached the level of wielding the Power of Will.

And yet...

Her gaze finally locked onto a single spot. She furrowed her brows and stared fixedly.

The sight shocked me.

‘How?’

We were looking each other in the eyes. It wasn’t a coincidence—she hadn’t just happened to glance my way.

No matter how great my stealth skills were, they only worked if no one knew where I was. If someone was certain of my location, anyone with enough skill could find me.

Sure enough, Ereneth gave a cold smile and slowly raised both hands.

Fwoooosh!

A massive flame arced toward me in an instant.

“Hm?”

I pulled my body back. But by then, fire spirits had already approached and transformed into pillars of fire.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Flames shot high into the sky. Astonishingly, the fire didn’t spread to the surroundings.

I lowered my body, dodging the surging fire pillars. My mind was racing faster than ever.

‘It’s a signal to the nearby elves.’

Multiple fire pillars had risen. Elven warriors would soon swarm in.

I could escape now if I simply retreated. But I felt reluctant.

If I missed this chance, who knew when I’d meet Ereneth again? She was one of the Hero’s most important companions.

And if we could talk now...

I might be able to turn the situation around.

‘Let’s try it.’

Resolute, I drew up my mana. My body became enveloped in a soft azure light.

Fwoosh!

Instead of retreating, I suddenly dashed toward Ereneth.

As flames burst from her, she scoffed and casually waved her hand.

“Hmph.”

Kwooooosh!

Wind spirits erupted at her feet. They became sharp whirlwinds that surged toward me.

I slipped narrowly through the tempest. The blades of wind tore my mask and clothes in several places, but I paid them no mind as I closed the distance to Ereneth.

And then I saw it—her eyes were brimming with curiosity.

‘As I thought.’

KWAANG!

Still, her attacks didn’t cease. From the cracks that ran along the earth, stone pillars erupted.

I dodged them, climbed up a tree, and sprinted through the branches.

In just that short moment, countless attacks rained down. Ereneth’s onslaught was impressive—even I had to admire her skill.

She truly had the talent worthy of becoming the future Great Chieftain of the Elves.

And yet, I was still at a higher level. Seeing me closing in through all her attacks, Ereneth bit her lip.

Fwoooosh!

Suddenly, blazing fire spirits appeared in midair. They surrounded me on all sides and charged at me like they were about to self-destruct.

“Hmph!”

In an instant, a blue aura burst out from my body and spread like a shield, blocking the fire spirits.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!

Explosions rang out, but Ereneth didn’t stop. She clearly didn’t expect that this would be enough to take me down.

She narrowed her eyes, and the energy of stronger spirits began swirling around her.

Just as she was about to continue her attack—

“Ereneth! Stop!”

“Eh?”

Surprised, Ereneth halted her spell, her expression flustered. I curled one side of my mouth into a smirk.

‘As I thought—still inexperienced.’

The Ereneth of the future would’ve pressed on without even blinking. Subdue the enemy first, ask questions later.

But the current Ereneth hadn’t developed such cold composure yet. Hearing a stranger call her by name had clearly thrown her off.

Swoosh!

I moved in close, right in front of her face. Startled, Ereneth froze.

This was a reaction the Ereneth of the future would never show. I chuckled inwardly and spoke.

“Ereneth, I need your help.”

“Wh-what? Who... who are you?”

“I’ll explain later. I’m not your enemy. I’m your friend—from the future. I came here to help you and the Elves.”

“My… friend? You came to help me?”

“That’s right. The Elves are chasing me without knowing the truth. But I really am here to help.”

I paused and turned my head. I could sense the spirits and elves rapidly closing in.

Fwoooosh!

Once again, I vanished into the shadows, retreating behind Ereneth. As I moved away, I emphasized again,

“Send the ones coming this way elsewhere. Then we’ll talk.”

“W-wait!”

“Ereneth, you have to trust me.”

She reached out, but I was already hidden. Still, Ereneth roughly knew the direction I had gone.

But she couldn’t pursue me. The other elves and spirits were too close now.

‘How did he know my name?’

She had never been outside the forest. No matter how many times she’d begged the Great Chieftain, she was never allowed.

And yet a stranger—a human she had never seen before—had called her by name. He said he was a friend from the future, that he had come to help her.

Ereneth couldn’t help but be confused.

As she stood there uncertain, the other elves quickly surrounded the area.

“Ereneth.”

An elf at the front called her name. She turned her head in surprise.

“Elder?”

Though he appeared to be a youthful and handsome elf, he was in fact an elder who had lived for centuries.

Her face paled. If even the Elder had stepped in, it meant the situation was more serious than she thought.

The Elf Elder examined her briefly, then let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been hurt.

It was clear from the traces left behind that a battle had taken place. Seeing that Ereneth was unharmed put him somewhat at ease.

He looked at her intently and asked,

“The intruder came here. Where did he go?”

He was deeply worried. The intruder had exceptional skills.

They needed to capture him quickly. Who knew when he might harm another elf? And somehow, he had perfectly evaded the forest’s watch.

They had only just caught onto his location—and he’d disappeared again.

Ereneth swallowed hard. She had to answer.

She knew roughly where the intruder was hiding. She couldn’t sense his presence, but with the general direction, she could find him.

She had to report it. The intruder was dangerous. Even the Elder had come—proof enough of that.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ereneth slowly raised her hand and pointed in a direction.

There was something Ghislain didn’t know—something he hadn’t seen in the slightly deranged elves of the future.

The mindset and principles of the elves of this era.

Elves do not lie to their kin.

Elves do not hide things from their kin.

Elves do not betray their kin for personal gain.

Elves regard the fate of their race as their own.

Elves imbue every decision with the will of the tribe.

And thus…

"He ran off that way."

Ereneth pointed in the exact opposite direction from where Ghislain was hiding.

A flushed face, a trembling voice, wavering eyes.

If she were human, anyone could have seen she was lying.

But none of the elves here doubted her words. Not a single one.

Because this was the race of elves—bound as one community within the embrace of the World Tree.

“Good. It’s fortunate your skills are so refined. Still, we must be cautious. It’s better if you stay with the others.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Let’s go. He couldn’t have gone far.”

The elder moved, and the other elves followed. The summoned spirits did the same.

Once everyone was gone, Ereneth clutched her chest.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Her heart pounded wildly. The first lie she’d ever told in her life brought both a sharp pain and a strange sense of guilt.

“Haa...”

Her face, red with agitation, didn’t cool down easily. Ragged breaths kept bursting from her lips.

That lie had delivered a massive psychological shock.

And in that moment, Ereneth felt as if something within her had cracked.

“So, this is… a human lie… these are… human emotions…”

Elves loved harmony and peace. They wished to breathe alongside all things within the breath of nature.

That was their ordained fate, a solemn vow they upheld for as long as life was granted to them.

And so, elves feared and avoided the intense emotions of humans.

The deeper they were caught in emotional turmoil, the farther they strayed from their essence—their primordial connection with nature.

Elves dispatched to cities were quarantined upon return. They minimized contact with other elves for a long time, until they were in harmony with nature once more.

That policy wasn’t for the dispatched elves—it was to protect the others.

Such were the strict and unyielding rules of the elves. And yet, Ereneth had broken them out of mere personal curiosity.

And the catalyst for it all—Ghislain—suddenly appeared before her.

“Ahaha, thanks. I caused you some trouble, huh?”

With a shameless grin, Ghislain earned a glare from Ereneth.

“You human…”

Honestly, she couldn’t even explain why she had lied. Her heart had simply moved on its own.

‘Well, it’s too late now.’

She comforted herself, reasoning that she had just been swept up in the moment.

What was done was done. Now it was time to ask this intruder the questions burning inside her.

“Who are you? How do you know my name? Why did you trespass into the forest?”

Ghislain cleared his throat needlessly. He was about to perform an act so dramatic, even Claude would be stunned.

He gathered his composure and then spoke with a serious expression.

“My name is Astion. I am a Seer, sent by the Goddess to save the elves.”

“…”

Ereneth frowned and crossed her arms.

The man standing before her reeked of the very thing she’d only ever heard about—human con artists.

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