Chapter 294
Chapter 294
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Can One Who Has Seen the End of the World Plant an Apple Tree? (3)
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Fortunately.... though I'm not sure if that's the right word.
Quite a few people had noticed that 'pause,' but thanks to Duke Glen, I could explain what had happened. And with the solid backing of the Glen Ducal House, no less.
People had gathered in confusion at the sight of Duke Glen staggering like he'd been struck by lightning mid-roar, but Emperor Gainax calmed them down, and the commotion was smoothed over.
If there was a slight issue, it was the method used to quell the disturbance.
"Was that really necessary? When we should be keeping it under wraps, you call me forward like that...."
"Didn't you ruin my coronation just as much? The emperor's coronation, which should have been the most dignified, turned into a ruckus fit for some back-alley tavern. Consider it payment for that."
Right after Duke Glen stumbled away mumbling, as people buzzed with whispers like 'World Tree? The Saint? Received a request?', Gainax addressed the assembly once more in a voice brimming with majesty.
'When the first emperor petitioned to become the master of the Empire. Before he was called the Lion Sword, when he swore before Lionel! There were three witnesses present as observers to that oath! One was his friend, the troll grand sorcerer Agtak! Another was his companion, the renowned noblewoman Anastasia Agdan! And finally! The elder of the forest elves stood as witness to that oath, as the confirmer of the contract weaving fate and destiny! I, who shall escape the lion's fate and be reborn as the empire of the ancient tree at the center of this nation, hereby swear once more! I call upon the three witnesses, just as on that day!'
It was somewhat impromptu, but his words, spoken at the empire's heart and invoking the moment its history began, carried a power beyond mere persuasion.
Notum reacted first, leaping up like a possessed woman—no, truly possessed by an ancestor's spirit—her red eyes gleaming as she stepped forward to take the sorcerer's place.
Lucilla, unable to withstand the quiet cheers, glances, and subtle pressure from those in the know, gritted her teeth and cautiously advanced to fill the noblewoman's spot.
Finally, all eyes turned to me—the one publicly declared to have received the World Tree's summons, with its blue emblem now etched into my bleeding flank.
In other words, I was to take the seat held by the elf elder in the oath 500 years ago, stamped with the World Tree's seal in place of the absent elf.
"Fortunately, it went according to plan. Thank you. As the new imperial line, showing a fresh face is important, but proving legitimacy by inheriting such ancient traditions is equally vital. The empire's contract magic only activates through three qualified witnesses, all tied to the empire's ancient legends. Every law and custom bears traces of the old empire. Though that power is gone—nay, precisely because it is gone—we must cherish its lingering forms. That's my position now. Thank you for your help, Saint."
"Honestly, it wasn't so much stepping forward to help as.... if I hadn't, that guy over there was gripping his sword hilt so menacingly that I just fled ahead."
What could I do? Master of Masters, Sword Sage Dyck Schwartz was glaring at me without even blinking, fiddling with his sword hilt and muttering something like 'It's been ages since I felt this shaken at my age....' Swordsmen isolate themselves from the world to perfect their personal cosmos, so a me who had 'completely vanished' from the world, if only for an instant, must have been utterly fascinating. Tempting enough to skewer me with his blade right then.
And so,
Notum, possessed by the spirit of Grand Sorcerer Agtak, who had once stood as a witness in the past and now gladly took the role again.
Lucilla, face flushed red, sneaking glances at Gainax and whispering 'W-what are you doing all of a sudden!' under her breath.
And me, clutching my bleeding side and rushing forward like I was escaping.
Roughly recreating the witnesses from 500 years ago—sorcerer, noblewoman, elf representative—we three stepped forth. With that, Gainax's reenactment of that moment from half a millennium past brought the coronation to a triumphant close.
The crowd cheered without exception. The late-arriving knights of the sword family were moved by the revived legend of the empire's founding. Nearby lords who had seen the smoke rising over the capital visited one after another to survey the damage, meet the empire's new master, and pledge their loyalty.
Until laborers arrived to rebuild the capital, and the sounds of wooden mallets, carts, and hammering nails filled the air.
The capital, stained by witches and curses, had crawled by as if time itself had stopped. But these peaceful days melted away like spring snow.
Three days after the coronation. With me and the others fully recovered, and our business in the capital done, it was time to depart.
"Rations."
" Packed."
"Dried meat."
"Gainax hooked us up. Good stuff—enough that we'd devour it all just picking at it."
"Not Gainax—the His Imperial Majesty! I know His Majesty treats you casually, Hero, but with his reign just beginning, it's not good for others to hear you calling the emperor so informally."
"And you were all 'Gainax~ Dear Gainax~' trailing after him."
"Th-that was....!"
"I know, I know. None other than His Majesty's lover, the 'woman from Teldrat' who guided his fate, and the noblewoman among the three who proved his ascension—Lady Lucilla Aedran."
Lucilla blushed at the Professor's sly remark, but she neither denied it nor gestured for him to stop. Over the past three days, she'd been busier at Gainax's side than with our group. In that time, a letter arrived from the Aedran family. It was loaded with flowery phrases, but boiled down to: 'We've received incalculable favor and have been tallying it up ever since we heard.' You could tell the old man was thrilled. Of course—his runaway daughter had become the empire's empress. Not through some fluke, but ascending to a position as solid as bedrock, unmatched in legitimacy or achievements. They'd probably slaughter an ox and hang a placard on the estate gate.
[Hahaha. 'Congrats! Runaway Daughter Captures Empire's Sovereign!' or something like that?]
'No joke. Even if they don't go full village festival, the Aedrans are no doubt blasting letters across high society under the guise of announcing the marriage.... Spamming everyone from Teldrat's elite nobles to reclusive branch families in the woods. Our girl made the new emperor her son-in-law while we weren't watching? We're the imperial in-laws now—jealous much? Your daughters are just idling at home, huh? Stuff like that.'
Yeah. Definitely stopping by Teldrat on the way to Lordric. When a blind date works out this well, etiquette demands a feast fit for breaking the table. The reply from a house dubbed an endless fountain of gold? Something to look forward to.
"Hey, don't block the road—move it, move—Gah! S-Saint! My apologies! The materials blocked the view, I didn't realize it was you...."
A laborer's shout, pushing a cart laden with timber, snapped me from my thoughts. Winter had fled, and the sky was now flawlessly clear, as if that apocalyptic gloom had never been.
Like the people who had lost homes and families rising once more, the sounds of new beginnings filled the air.
"....Everyone's returning to their places."
"So it seems."
"Guess it's time we head back to ours too."
At my words, Lucilla paused while checking the packing list for the cart, then nodded.
The capital's shaken but surviving nobles returned to the tent palace on the imperial grounds, to decide the empire's future with the emperor.
The people of Servant City to their masters' sides, or to tasks in the rebuilding capital.
The emperor's consort.... undisputed top favorite, Lady Lucilla, to the emperor's side.
Clunk!
"Aldrich. You sure that's all you need? At least take some food or water."
"Nah. How much rations does this old body need to carry? The effort to haul it outweighs the strength it'd give."
Aldrich, freed from his evil spirits and black magic path, embracing a new life as a true soul sorcerer, headed to where another soul awaited.
"Well.... luggage is loaded. Time to really go."
And the Saint's party, with much left to do for a world still under threat of ruin, toward another danger. Another evil.
Lucilla alternated glances between the Professor's piled-high cart and Aldrich's modest bundle, then spoke while clinging to their packing lists.
"But really, no special requests from His Majesty before you go? Your purpose here was to cozy up to the empire's elite and secure support for the Lordric front...."
"We got more than enough for that, so we're leaving quietly. Just watch later. You'll be fuming at the imperial ledgers, chewing my name."
"If you put it that way.... I'll brace myself. Then the elves? Leaving that spirit balloon here—does that mean no trip to the elf forest?"
"Ah, that. Yeah. Don't need it anymore. Souvenir for you. A bit worn, but it's Storm Hill wizard work—won't tarnish a prospective empress's dignity."
He hadn't chatted much with the emperor, but got what was needed.
'The empire has awakened from its long slumber and will now bustle vigorously. Though the capital lies in ruins, the other territories took no damage.'
'Lords spotting Mutation Blood traces in their lands will bolster defenses and stockpile supplies. I'll officially declare the empire under attack by the third faction.'
The new emperor's proclamation. The empire was under assault, target specified.
'I can send plenty of troops, but true knightly power is harder. The imperial guard is effectively gone, and most knights from nobles who came to protect their families in the capital are dead or wounded. With imperial authority unstable, I can't spare knights to fortify the center.'
'....Tricky, then. Knights will respect me after our private audience and shared drinks, but noble private forces prioritize their paying lords' orders. If nobles hold back troops, the front lines might suffer....'
'Unnecessary worry.'
'Pardon?'
'You boldly joined the three who proved my throne.'
'That was just circumstances....'
'You haven't realized yet—that was my greatest favor and reward.'
'....Ah! No wonder even the faithless nobles looked at me differently!'
'No need to explain? As expected. If you weren't with the church, I'd keep you by my side.'
The emperor's greatest favor: a name among the three proving his emperorship.
A fame thrust upon me by chance. But the more I chewed on it, the better it tasted.
"Why?"
"See, the empire's new dynasty needs a fresh image, sure. But equally crucial is the symbol of inheriting past legitimacy. Nobles too, but knights especially. Some stubborn ones would break loyalty oaths over such details."
"Right...."
"And the empire doubles down. Its history permeates everything—the laws, customs, culture, even kids' street songs. Remember that contract we shredded in Haunum? The one with contract magic—needed three high imperial nobles or equivalents to void or alter it."
"Oh, that. Yeah. Wait—three? Contract?"
"Heh heh heh. Getting it? That magic originates from the first emperor's oath and three witnesses. The emperor can't stand in that spot post-coronation, so he refused outright, but the four gathered voted him up, and he grumbled through the oath before his sword."
The point: even if the empire's ruling power vanished, its history and legends are deeply rooted in the people. The new emperor publicly revived the first empire's traditions to claim succession.
"Legitimacy. Proven by me among them. Even decades from now, if the next crown prince inherits or a coup topples Gainax's line for a new emperor—they'll need to invite us three—you, me, Notum—or equivalents as witnesses for their oath to secure knights' loyalty."
The elf elder's witness role earned the elf forest recognition as their domain for 500 years, even the right to kill intruders freely(!). Why? One pop from the elder: 'As first emperor's witness, I declare this new emperor unfit!' and a hard-won throne war crumbles. Legitimacy-obsessed knights yelling 'He's no good! History's witness says so!'
Thus, future emperors must stay on good terms with me or my equivalents.
Me? Sole Saint of Luminary, Hero proclaimed Light's agent, empire-saver, and bearing the World Tree's 'good guy' stamp—a legend among legends, thought eternal since creation.
Even I marvel how all these titles crammed into one person. No equivalents ahead. After I die, my heirs—kids or approved successors—inherit witness rights.
Meaning the Park Professor line stays tight with emperors forever.
With that guy around, nobles tremble.
Nobles ordering 'Pamper him!' means imperial nobles' elite troops dispatched to Lordric on emperor's orders will obey my words to a T.
Lucilla gazed intently at us preparing to part ways, as she oversaw loading the cart and Aldrich's bundle before the new warehouse.
"Wow....!"
"See? Even you think we've got plenty, right?"
"Hmm.... How many support troops did Gainax promise?"
"Max via imperial decree. Fewer private troops strengthen imperial power. Better for the empire if Lordric's fights don't spark back here. All available forces except territorial garrisons to Lordric. Official pretext: 'Punishing the Mutants invading the empire.' Not supporting Lordric—empire's own offensive. Commander is...."
"No way...."
As Lucilla stared in horror, the Professor grinned.
"Regretfully, a border count expert in military ops. Couldn't snag that. Of course, with rumors of your smarts, everyone witnessing your prowess in the capital, and known closeness to the emperor as coronation witness—the Saint's opinion will get very positive review."
"Thief."
"Sorry, but no one out-thieves Gainax. Look in the mirror, Lucilla."
"His Imperial Majesty, how many times! Ugh.... Fine, got it. As expected of the Hero—no need for my worries. So, the elves? Their support was what set you off originally."
"That was handled cleaner than with His Majesty."
The Professor glanced at his waist bandage, still faintly seeping blood despite regeneration.
The World Tree's seal peeked from under the neat wrapping.
Per Sword Sage Schwartz, who observed the time-stop via his realm, a pureblood elf from the forest stabbed my side with a World Tree branch, then I vanished.
'Deep stab, murderous intent. Didn't see details, but she panicked post-strike, visibly shaken.'
Probably not meant to kill. I'd shown such toughness in the capital battle, so she assumed I was sturdy and went full force. My glass body in non-combat took the sharp branch like pudding.
'By the way, pureblood elves as admin limbs.... So where'd that elf, Tairea, go? Got things to discuss.'
'Hmm.... Breathing steady, stamina recovered. Win another spar, and I'll tell you.'
Clank.
'....No. I said no. P-put the sword away! Sword Sage! Duke Schwartz! W-wait—'
Slash—!
"Ugh!"
....Bad memory surfaced. Old man's eyes sharp enough to watch my fights from afar, knew average wounds heal, so he really went wild.
Anyway, sparring the sword-mad grandpa to death's door explained the World Tree tattoo on my side.
That's why no need to visit the elf forest.
"I'm now World Tree-certified human. Elves must approve my actions. Deny it? Admits the World Tree's blind. Elves now rush at 'help~'"
Different from my imagined World Tree, but she's their origin, mother tree. Met the big boss pre-forest—no need for that far, tangled trek.
"Hmm. Skipped one goal: 'Reflect on Luminary Church's discrimination, reconcile with elves—most enslaved异族—to prove it.' Oh well. Fight back-to-back on battlefields, grudges fade, reconciliations happen. Half-elves boom, interspecies strife eases naturally."
All achieved. Empire support. Elf support. My growth.
No knights, elves grumpy and reluctant.
Still, goals done way ahead of schedule.
Work done, rested enough. Time to go.
"Can't you stay.... a bit longer? You pushed so hard. Ending early means some rest...."
"No way. Gotta bolt before Gregory notices. Stick around, he'll chant scriptures and hymns all the way to Lordric."
Lucilla started to protest, recalled Gregory's three-day antics, and conceded. Wounds oddly slow-healing, he called my blood 'holy blood,' collecting every drop's soil and stone slabs into blessed boxes. Ignoring Professor's irreligion, trailed everywhere—even climbed to the second-floor bedroom window reciting endless prayers.
With Professor deliberately leaving blood for him to collect, now gone—time to flee the capital.
"Then, Lucilla—make it work with Gainax. If high society pests buzz, call your family to squash 'em with cash."
"Hero...."
"Aldrich.... stay healthy. No dangerous spots. Next meeting, not at gravesides."
"Such ominous talk, so calmly. I'll outlive you, throwing yourself at limbs. Worry for those staying by you. No faith? I'll fetch 'em. Affection demands that much."
"Thanks, Aldrich. Death visit as comfort? Yeah, you're free now, huh?"
"Kekeke. Damn right! Free from fretting over that fool's mishaps!"
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.
.
Light banter. Casual farewells. A few lame jokes.
That was the party's last parting as paths diverged.
Hearts full to overflowing already. No more thanks left—pure sincerity poured into goodbyes.
The old soul sorcerer with his bundle turned toward forsaken souls.
The empire's lady at Servant City's gate, seeing them off, followed the imperial guards come for her back to her spouse.
"....Should've packed more."
"We've got excess for four, let alone us."
"Just.... feels light."
Unlike arrival, with three fewer, the cart headed outside the capital to the wind mage's airship waiting.
"Thanks for the ride, Astrad. And.... thunder gramps?"
"Ooom.... It's Galryud, brat."
"Same route back anyway. Home's other masters'll love seeing Professor."
"Hmm.... Hey, Astrad. Join rising party, 'Professor Hero Saint World Tree Approved Party'? Spots open. You're perfect—uwaaaah—!"
- Thud!
"G-Galryud! Don't actually push!"
"Ooom.... Tough kid'll chase on foot. Daring to.... our Astrad...."
Thus, at the end of the long empire journey, the party—stories wrapped—turned toward new tales.
....Of course.
"Ugh, my back. Old coot really shoved. Even if kinda benefactor...."
Ding-!
[Player ‘professor’ has left the observation range of the Historical Crossroads.]
[Normalizing limited systems. External connections permitted.]
[Warning: Violating info restrictions triggers memory erasure.]
[Acquire qualifications to prevent player rights infringement.]
"....Fucking annoying."
With chat and PMs reconnecting, endless text scrolling atop.
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- Heung An Mandu : Huh.
- Heung An Mandu : Huh, h-hey! He's back! Yo, he's here! Shit, this guy's here! M-messages! Spamming PMs, stay put!!
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[Player ‘Jokasss’ has entered the chatroom.]
- Jokasss : anjrkdjEjgrpehls
- Jokasss : Fuck! What the hell happened! Where's this! Yo Park Professor! What were you doing! No word from Dome, Dana's lips sealed! Thought you were done for! Heung An Mandu, you bum—stuck in mountains jobless, finally useful! Wait, grabbing Deer Drug and the kids....
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"....How to explain outside."
For the Professor too, a new story began.
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