Chapter 332: Cyclic Life
Chapter 332: Cyclic Life
The path led to the upper layers of the World Tree, where Cyclic Life resided.
Perhaps it was because I had captured the assassin from Boiling Silence, but Milone and Nariel were acting significantly more favorable toward us.
…In fact, they might be a little too favorable.
"I’ve heard so much about you! Reaching the rank of Intermediate Magician at such a young age, and thwarting so many of those cultists' wicked plots!"
"I appreciate the kind words. However, your information seems a bit dated. To add to that, I am now a High Magician. I’ve also cleared quite a few dungeons, not just dealt with cultists."
"Wow…! Don't High Magicians usually reach that level at two hundred years old at the earliest? How old are you now?"
"I’m twenty…."
"Gasp! You’re a total baby! Are you alright? Don't you miss your parents? I can't believe the Empire would place such a heavy burden on such a young child…."
"……."
I hadn't expected this kind of reaction.
As Nariel showed her—for lack of a better word—innocence, Milone spoke up, forcibly suppressing the corners of her mouth that kept trying to twitch upward.
"Your Majesty. Humans are a fast-growing race. Their average lifespan is a little less than a hundred years. While twenty is certainly young, he is an adult."
"…Oh! Right, that’s how it was. My apologies, Duke Lindelheit. This is my first time meeting someone of a different race, so I must have made a mistake."
"It’s fine. It happens."
Elves already lived long lives, but High Elves were a race that lived even longer.
As one could see from Iris, the High Elven concept of time and age was a bit peculiar.
I suspected they were born that way to prevent their souls from wearing down over their long lives, unlike what happened to Rebecca.
Well, usually that gap in understanding is filled by experience… but Nariel was in a situation where she was severely lacking in that department.
There was the previous king, who remembered the days when the monarch was the true power in Alfheim, and then there was Milone, who was evaluated as the most outstanding Chancellor in history.
From the moment Milone was appointed Chancellor, the two clashed at every turn, and it was always the previous king who came out on the losing end.
Eventually, fed up with everything, the previous king retired the moment Cyclic Life designated Nariel as the next ruler.
Thus, Nariel ascended to the throne at an age when she had barely begun to speak.
She had spent almost her entire life growing up inside the World Tree, with almost no contact with others.
Everything she knew about the outside world came from books and the stories told by Milone, who had looked after her since she was a child.
So, it was inevitable that Nariel would occasionally say something nonsensical. Even if someone is over a hundred years old, if they’ve lived their whole life shut in a room, there are things they just won't know.
…Wait. Does that mean Milone has liked Nariel since she was a toddler?
Good Goddess of Light. This isn't just a normal Yuri romance; it’s a "raising her own bride" situation.
Perhaps she felt my gaze, which was now fixed on her as if she were a thief. Milone tilted her head and asked, "Is something the matter? Ah, if it’s about catching the assassin who was targeting Her Majesty, I promise you will be properly rewarded for that as well."
"That wasn't why I was looking at you… but would it be alright if I cleared one of the dungeons managed by Alfheim?"
"Hmm. Since the cultists' movements have been suspicious lately, we were planning to clean them up soon anyway, so that should be fine. Which dungeon do you have in mind?"
"The southernmost tip of the Great Forest. I want the nameless dungeon located there."
"That place is…."
Milone’s fatigue-laden eyes widened in surprise.
This dungeon, which they intentionally treated as insignificant by not even giving it a name—referring to it simply as the "South Dungeon"—was actually one of Alfheim’s top secrets.
Due to the nature of dungeons preserving environments of the past, they often contained resources that could no longer be found in the modern world.
In this particular dungeon, one could obtain Spirit Stones that were impossible to manufacture today.
The quantity wasn't massive, but the purity was so high that it significantly slowed the rate of Alfheim’s energy depletion.
However, for me, it was a place that absolutely had to be cleared. After all…
That was the battlefield sealed away along with the tomb of Paracelsus, the first Great Alchemist.
Since I’d come all this way, I might as well clear it before leaving.
Now, one might wonder: why would Spirit Stones be found in an alchemist’s tomb?
The reason was simple. After succeeding in creating the Philosopher’s Stone, Paracelsus set his next goal as the creation of a Homunculus.
And on the Eurelia Continent, where many races lived together, a Homunculus didn't necessarily have to be human.
He attempted to create Artificial Spirits—spirits that belonged to the Eurelia Continent rather than the Spirit Realm.
It was a truly grand plan. The problem was that he died of old age before his research could be completed.
The laboratory, having lost its master, became a tomb and remained frozen in time for ages… until the moment the War of the Gods began and the Evil God’s army passed nearby.
The automatic defense system was triggered, and golems and monsters, reactivated after eons, began to clash.
Once the Evil God’s side realized the master of the golems was the famous Paracelsus, they concentrated their monsters there to secure the workshop.
Thanks to that, a remote countryside that wasn't even a strategic location turned into a fierce battlefield. For quite a long time.
Of course, if the Evil God’s side had properly gathered their forces, the matter would have been settled quickly. However, that was toward the end of the War of the Gods.
With the Evil Gods being sealed one by one, they couldn't afford to divert high-level forces recklessly.
As a result, the two sides fought endlessly without either gaining the upper hand. Then, Rahim succeeded in sealing all the Evil Gods, bringing the War of the Gods to an end.
The area around Paracelsus’s workshop, with no victor ever decided, eventually turned into a dungeon and was cast into a corner of the Great Forest.
Since so many monsters had gathered there, the System must have judged it a candidate for dungeonification.
Anyway, because of its history, there were quite a few Spirit Stones that Paracelsus had collected for his research, and Alfheim had been digging them up and using them. It helped that it was a regen-type dungeon.
It was quite ironic. Back then, he had built his workshop in a remote corner of the continent to avoid the elves, who frowned upon the research of Artificial Spirits. Yet, in the end, his work had reached the Great Forest and was helping the elves.
After hearing my request, Milone seemed to deliberate for a moment before nodding with a bitter smile.
"No matter how important the Spirit Stones are, it would be foolish to keep a danger factor inside the Great Forest. Very well. Once this matter is concluded, I will make arrangements so you can clear it immediately."
"Thank you. And don't worry too much. The situation you’re concerned about, Chancellor, likely won't happen."
"…How can you be so certain?"
She had tried to maintain her composure, but her tone came out slightly sharp, failing to hide her irritation.
It was as if I could hear the unspoken words: Do you have any idea how hard Alfheim has worked to avoid the depletion of spirit power, and yet you say such things knowing that?
She was right. But I had something to rely on as well.
Perhaps sensing that the conversation had turned to Alfheim’s future, Elisha and Iris were peeking at me from the side. I grabbed them both by the shoulders, pulling them close as if showing them off.
"Because these two will provide the solution. Just because they were expelled from the Sylvan Magic Tower doesn't mean their goals or knowledge have vanished, does it?"
"Don't tell me… are you still researching the complete replacement of spirit magic through elemental magic? Even after being made slaves by our sentence?"
I gave the speechless Milone a smirk.
"This is Iris, who was the most brilliant elven mage for nearly five hundred years, and Elisha, whom Iris herself recognized as having the potential of an Archmage. They will surely find a way. …In my eyes, it seems they’ve already found a clue."
Because I knew the future through H&A, I could say this with conviction.
Elisha, after becoming an Archmage, would succeed in manifesting nature itself, thereby successfully replacing spirit magic with elemental magic.
And… Iris, who shared the same ideology even if her direction was slightly different, would surely be able to do the same.
Milone could only nod in admiration at my unwavering answer. However, she wasn't the only one surprised by this.
"You…."
"Master…."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Elisha and Iris looked as if they wanted to pounce on me right then and there. I gently patted their backs and asked, "Well? You can do it, right?"
"Oh my? Have I ever failed to live up to your expectations?"
"Ahem. I have received more than a few things from my Master. Though it may take some time, it is naturally possible."
Elisha and Iris puffed out their chests confidently. Seeing this, Milone let out a hollow laugh and nodded.
"If that day comes, I would be more than happy to hand over the position of Chancellor to either of you."
"Eh? That’s a bit…."
"I-I have no interest in the Chancellor's seat!"
"……."
When her half-joking remark was met with such sincere rejection, the light faded from Milone’s eyes as if she were wounded.
She began to mutter under her breath while staring at the floor. "It’s not like I wanted to work for days without sleep either." "I thought I could change this country if I became Chancellor." "But everyone except me is an idiot…."
Startled by her alarming state, Nariel grabbed Milone’s hand and began to comfort her.
The roles were reversed from just a moment ago.
They already seemed to have a good relationship. That was why I couldn't let Nariel be assassinated.
Beyond the simple chaos Alfheim would face, a truly serious problem would arise on Milone’s end.
If we were lucky, she would give up in despair and disappear, leaving Alfheim paralyzed. If we were unlucky, she would be consumed by a desire for revenge, order the entire army into a suicidal charge, and die fighting alongside them.
Naturally, there was no way the elves could win a head-on battle against the forces of Ugly Prosperity, so their destruction would be guaranteed.
Though it felt like I’d settled things a bit haphazardly, I was truly glad we could deal with the assassin quickly.
Suppressing the smile that kept trying to surface from my sense of accomplishment, we continued walking.
Before we knew it, we had passed through the lower and middle layers of the World Tree and reached the entrance to the upper layer, where Cyclic Life was said to reside.
A gift, huh… Should I introduce myself as the son of his friend (Fafnir), or the husband of his friend (Solari) to get something better?
With a racing heart, I looked up at the door before me.
For some reason, the door resembled a giant knot in the wood.