Chapter 30: Adelgarten (2)

“Hey! This is driving me crazy, seriously!”

Suhn, an ordinary soldier of the Borhem Kingdom, cursed as he stared at the Demon Realm.

Just moments ago, a corner of the Demon Realm had been bathed in a dazzling white light.

And ever since that light faded, the real chaos began.

Boom, boom, boom…

What on earth was happening?

The Demon Realm, which had been quiet for a while, suddenly started to tremble without end.

“That bastard, it’s got to be the bastard from Bartenberg! What did he do this time?”

Just a few days ago, the notorious troublemaker had suddenly appeared, barging into the Demon Realm without a care.

Given the timing, it was almost impossible to believe this upheaval wasn’t his doing.

‘Please, just let this pass without incident!’

Suhn clutched his head in frustration.

If the presence of an outsider in the Demon Realm was discovered, a mere soldier like him would have no way to escape punishment.

“And yet, I can’t even report it!”

Richard’s chilling warning before entering the Demon Realm echoed in his mind.

The threat was so fierce, it seemed like he might really tear someone limb from limb if things didn’t go his way.

Suhn had spent the past few days in nervous silence, unable to even file a report.

He had hoped Richard would come and go without anyone noticing.

But…

“Summons! Move, now!”

Suhn’s hopes were shattered in an instant.

As he hurried after the knight who was shouting orders, he made a firm decision.

‘I didn’t see anything that day. I truly know nothing!’

He resolved to feign total ignorance.

***

“Huff, huff…!”

I was gasping for breath, the Holy Grail clutched tightly to my chest, feeling heavier and more cumbersome than ever.

“Young master! What in the world is happening?!”

“Just keep running!”

Even Aaron, running beside me, sounded exhausted.

After days of relentless exploration of the Demon Realm, it was no wonder our stamina was running low.

Still, even I hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

I quickly glanced over my shoulder.

-Kieeeek!

-Igikigak!

I instantly regretted it.

All this chaos had begun after the World Tree’s sudden announcement.

At first, just a few Monsters had poked their heads into our hiding place, but before I knew it, we were being chased by dozens—no, hundreds—of Monsters.

I glanced down at the Holy Grail in my arms.

Green light was seeping out from the grooves carved between the Mana Stones.

One of the Holy Grail’s powers had activated: attracting nearby Monsters.

And, of course, it had triggered without my consent.

“Duck your head!”

Whoosh!

The moment I ducked at the sight of a monkey-like Monster lunging at me, Aaron’s spear sliced through the air above.

“I’ll draw their attention!”

“Just keep running, please!”

I shouted at Aaron, who looked ready to sacrifice himself.

His Spirit of Sacrifice was admirable, but I couldn’t let him waste his strength here.

Then, suddenly—

[The Guidance of Adelgarten leads your path.]

Ssshhhh—

The thick underbrush that had reached up to my calves flattened against the ground.

Massive tree trunks twisted their branches and bodies aside.

All at once, everything shifted in the same direction, as if the entire forest itself was opening a path for us.

‘As expected!’

I had anticipated that the Invitation of the World Tree would come in some form, but seeing the forest move on its own was truly astonishing.

Aaron and I dashed through the forest without pause.

As soon as we passed, the plants behind us straightened and returned to their places.

Thanks to that, the Monsters’ pursuit began to fall farther and farther behind.

“Huff, huff…!”

Who knew how long we ran.

Finally, I slowed my frantic steps and listened carefully.

I could no longer sense the presence of any Monsters chasing us.

Yet the Holy Grail still glowed with green light.

“Did we… enter the forest?”

I wasn’t talking about the Demon Realm, but the Elven Forest.

After all, no one could enter the home of the Elves without an invitation.

No matter how many Monsters rampaged through the Demon Realm, this place would be safe.

“So this is the Elven Forest…!”

Aaron scanned our surroundings with wary eyes, even more alert than when we were fleeing the Monsters.

I couldn’t blame him.

The relationship between humans and Elves was far from friendly.

“But…[“

I slowly looked around.

Something felt wrong.

“This place is too desolate to be the Elven Forest.”

There was no gentle sunlight that was said to shine year-round, no blossoms brimming with life.

The forest before Aaron and me was nothing like that.

All we saw were withered trees and drooping leaves.

If anything, it looked even worse than the Demon Realm.

Just then, I sensed someone approaching.

We stared at the silhouette moving through the tall grass.

Long silver hair down to the waist, slender limbs, and—most tellingly—pointed ears.

There was no doubt about it.

This was an Elf.

Even at a second glance, I was sure: an Elf.

But—

“She looks just like a dried-up Dandelion.”

Her sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, and the way her whole body seemed shriveled—I couldn’t deny Aaron’s words.

This shouldn’t be possible.

She didn’t look like someone who’d just spent a few rough years.

Something was seriously wrong here.

“Follow me.”

The Elf spoke in a cold, sharp voice.

She didn’t even bother to hide her distaste for speaking with humans, turning around and walking away at once.

To think, after all we’d been through to finally meet an Elf, she was in such a miserable state.

I could only hope it was just her.

***

We followed the Elf for a while before finally reaching their settlement.

And the moment I saw it, my hopes were dashed.

Damn it, isn’t this just a slum?

I slowly looked around at the Elves surrounding us.

One, two, three… Dandelions everywhere.

They must have been dazzlingly beautiful once, but now their appearance was utterly wretched.

“Withered” wasn’t enough to describe them—they looked utterly wilted.

Who would believe these were Elves, the so-called race of beauty?

Amid the tense atmosphere, I raised my gaze.

Towering above us were massive trees, reaching so high I couldn’t see their tops.

“As I feared… even the World Tree is in this state.”

It was still gigantic, but just as withered as everything else.

“Humans, welcome to the heart of the forest.”

A man stepped forward from among the Elves.

Judging by his middle-aged appearance, he must have been at least three hundred years old.

“I am Tasar, leader of the North Elves.”

Despite his shabby attire, his eyes still shone with a fierce light.

“Richard von Bartenberg.”

For a moment, silence fell.

During the Great War, the name Bartenberg had been the most hated among the Elves—I knew that well.

“The vile and depraved Bartenberg bloodline!”

“Why would Mother ever allow such a wicked man…!”

As expected, their eyes flashed with hostility.

“Young master, step back.”

Sensing the surge of killing intent, Aaron moved to shield me.

I complied, watching the Elves.

The proud, vibrant Elves I remembered from the game were nowhere to be seen.

Their reaction to the Bartenberg name was more like cornered rats than noble Elves.

“There are only a few dozen at most.”

Even for the wild North, this was far too few to be the Elves gathered under the World Tree’s protection.

How many South Elves had that mage allied with? I couldn’t remember exactly, but it had definitely been around a thousand.

My mind cooled as the Crown of Ice activated in response to the killing intent.

Amid the suffocating standoff, I curled my lips into a smile.

“Is this how Elves treat their guests?”

I had hoped for a peaceful negotiation, but that was out of the question now.

Everything here was withered—there was no reason for me to act humble.

“It was the World Tree, Adelgarten, that led us here. If you have complaints, take it up with them.”

With those words, I revealed the Holy Grail I had been carrying.

Even if it was a mere imitation, a low-grade version, the Holy Grail was still the Holy Grail.

All the Elves’ eyes were drawn to the sacred aura emanating from it.

“Don’t you need this?”

I shook the Holy Grail.

The hostility vanished instantly.

Now, their gazes held only desperation and longing.

They might not know exactly what the Holy Grail was, but they seemed to instinctively understand they needed it.

“…We have made a grave mistake. It’s just that, given the circumstances, everyone has been on edge. Please, don’t take offense.”

Tasar bowed his head.

“Mother is waiting for you. Will you come with us?”

‘Let’s go.’

We began to walk.

The World Tree, which I’d thought was close, was actually farther away than I expected.

What I needed was the Fruit of the World Tree and the Spring of Life.

But the World Tree in the distance looked so bare, there wasn’t a single fruit to be seen.

No doubt the Spring of Life was in just as sorry a state.

“This is insane. How did it end up like this?”

All our hardships might have been for nothing.

Frustrated, I muttered to myself, but Tasar just walked on in silence.

Soon, we arrived before the World Tree.

Tasar and the other Elves stepped back, then dropped to their knees and bowed their heads.

Ssshhh—

A breeze blew.

The World Tree’s barren branches trembled faintly.

[Adelgarten longs for you.]

I gazed quietly at the World Tree.

For some reason, I felt a deep, aching longing.

‘These aren’t my emotions.’

The World Tree’s feelings were being transmitted to me.

[Adelgarten rejoices to see you.]

My heart pounded.

Ssshhhh—

‘What is it trying to do?’

The withered branches twisted toward me, as if trying to embrace me.

I simply watched in silence.

I couldn’t understand these emotions, this situation.

Just as one trembling branch brushed against me—

—Ah…

A faint voice echoed at the edge of my hearing.

“What…?”

Was it really speaking to me?

I strained to listen.

—Ah, ah…

A voice, cracked and on the verge of breaking.

—Dad.