A Fortuitous Encounter

The Rune of Sacrifice carried a troublesome restriction: I was forbidden from mentioning the buffs I bestowed upon others. It seemed the rune demanded absolute, unilateral sacrifice, permitting no expectation of reward. Consequently, I couldn't utter a single word about healing the elf's body. Yet, my silence seemed to spark a strange misunderstanding.

"What kind of human are you... Why do you hide your own good deeds?"

"What?"

It appeared this elf possessed some mysterious ability to read minds, as she already knew I was the one who had restored her body.

"You healed my body just now with some strange technique. Who are you... No, first, what is your name?"

"Kim Youngho. And yours?"

"I am Bella Greenwood... Though this is the first time I have ever revealed my name to a human of my own free will."

Bella pressed for answers, her face wearing a look of profound shock.

"Tell me, Kim Youngho. How did you heal me? Just now, it felt as if... as if time itself were flowing backward. That was no ordinary recovery magic, was it? How did you make severed limbs regrow? Without lifting a single finger... how?"

"...I cannot say."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"...It's probably best to be honest."

Though the scope of what I could say was strictly limited.

"I'm under a curse. Even if there are things I want to say, I can't speak of them freely."

"A curse? What kind of curse?"

"A curse that prevents me from explaining it. Regrettably, that's just how it is. Think of your recovery as a stroke of pure luck. More importantly... where is the nearest nation from here?"

"Do you mean Lidorphia?"

"No. Any country other than Lidorphia. Preferably one hostile to them, if possible."

"There is no such nation," Bella declared flatly. "Lidorphia is the strongest superpower. No country can stand against them."

"Then tell me of a nation that at least wants to stand against them."

"If ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it's such a country... well... perhaps the Grimoire Kingdom."

"Grimoire?" The name sounded vaguely familiar.

"The very same Grimoire from the saying, 'Lidorphia of the West, Grimoire of the East.' It was once a great power that divided the continent with Lidorphia. Though it has now dwindled into a minor nation after being ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pushed back by Lidorphia, its pride remains as fierce as it was during its golden age. Grimoire is likely the only nation left that still considers itself an equal to Lidorphia."

"Then I want to go to Grimoire. Tell me the way."

"Who on earth are you?"

"I am... a man who lost everything and was betrayed." And... a man who still has things left to do.

"..." Bella stared at me for a long moment before finally speaking.

"I can show you the way, but first, tell me who you are. I want to know why you are looking for a nation that can oppose Lidorphia."

"Fine... I'll tell you everything. Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you."

I recounted the story of how I had been betrayed by the man I once called a friend, laying it out piece by piece. Sometimes my voice swelled with emotion; other times, I spoke with self-deprecating sighs. Pouring out the stories locked deep inside my chest brought a wave of relief. For some reason, as the tale went on, the gaze Bella directed at me seemed to grow warmer.

"I see... You must have suffered so much."

"Do you believe me? I could be lying."

"Your mana didn't waver in the slightest while you spoke at such length. That is proof enough that you did not lie."

Bella seemed to reach a decision, gesturing for me to follow her out of the cabin.

"The curse bound to you. Perhaps I can break it."

"What? Is that true?"

"There are things you couldn't tell me, right? Because of the curse?"

"Yeah... I can't speak of them. For a certain reason."

"Follow me. Let's go to the garden."

In the garden she showed me, there was a small patch of cultivated soil. Only a single plant grew there, but even to my eyes—completely ignorant of herbology—it was a tree that radiated a profound, mystical energy.

"This is a World Tree Sapling."

"The... the World Tree? The one elves would literally die for?"

"Since a true World Tree cannot be grown here, I created a sapling mimicking it and have been nurturing it. I poured decades of my own mana into it just to grow it this much."

The plant she called a World Tree Sapling was barely the size of a mushroom. Bella gazed at it with a tender, deep look in her eyes, then resolutely plucked it from the earth.

"W-What are you doing, Bella!"

"I've decided."

"Decided what!"

"This. You eat it."

I didn't possess vast knowledge about this world, but I knew how fiercely elves treasured the World Tree. I had often heard Stella, who used to travel with me, claim she would gladly die for the World Tree. Even if this was merely a sapling, it was still a fragment of the World Tree. It wasn't something she should lightly hand over to a human she had just met. Was it really alright for me to accept this?

"Please accept it, Kim Youngho. The World Tree is the most concentrated essence of mana in this world. Its sacred energy has the power to unravel curses."

"If I eat this, the curse plaguing me will be broken?"

"The World Tree can even break curses cast by the Demon King. Trust me and eat it. You have nothing to lose."

"..." Nothing to lose. What if this wasn't a World Tree sapling but a poisonous weed? Haha. No, that was ridiculous. If she wanted me dead, she would have killed me in my sleep. Why not trust her? This was my fortuitous encounter.

"Alright. I'll eat it." Bella clapped her hands soundlessly, and I swallowed the World Tree Sapling in a single gulp. In that instant, I felt something violently churning inside me.

"Ugh...!" Something was being rewritten.

That was the original function of the Rune of Sacrifice. But now, several lines of text were being erased.

"Pant... gasp... The Rune of Sacrifice!"

"The Rune of Sacrifice? What is that?"

"...I can say it! I can speak about the Rune of Sacrifice!"

Overjoyed, I grabbed Bella by the shoulders and jumped up and down. Bella looked utterly dumbfounded.

"Wait, Kim Youngho! You have to explain it so I can understand!"

"Ah, right!" I calmed my racing heart and spoke.

"The reason I could heal your wounds was because of the Rune of Sacrifice. The Rune of Sacrifice is a power that grants infinite buffs to my party members. Until now, I was forbidden from speaking of this. Thanks to you, I can finally speak. Thank you, Bella."

"Is that what it was?"

"What a relief. I feel so incredibly light."

"H-Hey... Are you... crying?"

Ah. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It seemed I had embarrassingly shed a few tears. But I didn't care. That was how happy I was.

"Haha...! Thank you, Bella. With this, I've finally gained my freedom. Hahaha!"

"Freedom... Freedom, huh." Bella's eyes turned sorrowful as she turned her back to me. Suddenly, through the strands of her hair, a strange brand engraved on the nape of her neck caught my eye.

"That word doesn't really have much to do with me."

"It seems you have your own story. Why don't you tell me? It's hardly fair if I'm the only one sharing."

"It is not a story I am proud of... but will you listen?"

Bella shared the long, painful journey of her life. A spectacular, tragic life that began with her birth as the Queen of the Elves and ended with her fall into slavery. In the sense that she had trusted someone only to be deeply betrayed, she shared a striking resemblance to me. So... had she helped me out of a sense of shared misery?

"You said you were the Elf Queen, right? Then you must be capable of wielding incredible magic. Why don't you take your revenge immediately?"

"Right now, the Slave's Engraving is carved into my neck. If anyone touches this mark and declares themselves my master, they become my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠absolute owner. If that happens, I will be reduced to a slave once more. That is why I must remain extremely wary of humans."

"I see... So that's why you can't seek revenge." I understood completely. I felt my mind clearing, sharper than ever before.

"I can only say I was incredibly lucky to meet you. This is a magnificent fortuitous encounter."

"What do you mean by that...?"

I recalled last night, which already felt like the distant past. Locked in that dungeon, waiting only for death, what had I been thinking?

"Bella... That Slave's Engraving. Can you show it to me?"

"Sure. I can show you. Just be careful not to touch it, even by mistake. The moment you lay a finger on it, the contract is established."

Bella swept her hair aside, revealing the vivid engraving. Without a moment's hesitation, I placed my palm directly over it.

"Ah...!"

"I'm sorry, Bella." Yes. I had made up my mind in that dungeon. From now on, I would live only for myself. I would be the one using others, never the one being used.

"W-What are you doing, Kim Youngho...!"

"I won't treat you poorly." My palm and the engraving began to glow with a crimson light. It was the sign that the contract had been established.

"You bastard...! I trusted you!"

"Calm down and sit. And watch your tone." I spoke defensively as Bella, consumed by grief and anger, lunged at me.

"U-Understood, Master..."

"Oh. You do exactly as you're told right away."

"...Because of the Slave's Engraving, I cannot disobey your orders." Though her words were polite, Bella's expression was one of suppressed fury, looking as if she might burst from the sheer injustice of it all. Well, regardless, I had acquired a highly useful tool.

"Listen carefully, Bella. I will explain my plan."