The Elders' Exchange: Elven Elixir and Quest for the Mystery Tower
“Welcome.”
The pair was guided straight into the presence of the chief.
“We’ve caused you quite a bit of trouble yesterday. Your daughter seems fine, at least.”
“Indeed. We barely crossed paths with her on the way here.”
“I see. Then let us finish the conversation we began yesterday, shall we?”
Log and Estella took their seats in silence. Chief Alton immediately continued.
“As we spoke yesterday, the Mystery Stone is absolutely essential to our village.”
“Why?”
Alton answered Lahan’s question directly.
“Before that, one thing. Have you ever seen a fairy within our village?”
“……”
“Oh, now that you mention it…”
Estella, who had been piecing it together, rested her chin on one hand and tilted her head in curiosity. Alton nodded once.
“As you’ve seen for yourselves, our village no longer has even a single fairy. The reason is the World Tree in Fairy Lake.”
“Fairy Lake… the World Tree?”
Alton nodded again.
“Exactly. Where do you think the fairies first came into being?”
“…That.”
Lahan fell silent, as if no fitting words could come. Estella stepped in.
“The World Tree! That’s it! I read about it in an ancient book from long ago!”
Alton smiled at her words.
“Precisely. Fairies are born from the World Tree. Elves as well—our kind first emerged from that legendary tree in ages past.”
“Ah, so the legendary tale was true!”
Estella clapped her hands together in delight. Alton rested his triangular hands on the table, fingertips meeting at the top.
“Correct. You are quite knowledgeable, little witch.”
“……”
“……”
Alton laughed softly. “You noticed, did you? Among humans, women with black hair are almost always witches. We aren’t surprised.”
He spoke without any ill will toward witches, as if that prejudice had never existed for him.
“Let us return to the matter. All the fairies in our forest have gathered near the World Tree. They are in a slumbering state.”
“A slumbering state?”
Alton nodded briefly.
“Yes. The fairies have all fallen into deep sleep. To protect the World Tree as it slowly withers and dies from old age, they have become its nourishment—its fertilizer.”
“The World Tree is dying?”
“It is. And that has happened very recently. The situation in our village is now extremely serious. Before you even arrived, we had already begun organizing an expedition to retrieve the Mystery Stone ourselves.”
Alton exhaled heavily, then continued.
“The problem is that most of our villagers are non-combatants. Even the elves you met in the forest are barely enough to form a minimal group.”
“……”
Lahan finally understood the full weight of the situation.
After a long pause, he turned to Alton and asked, “So the village desperately needed outside help—even if only from those with some strength. Is that why you spared us?”
“Correct. You are efficient. Though I know countless hidden secrets no one else does, this problem had no easy solution.”
Lahan sensed the genuine sorrow in Alton’s voice and understood it perfectly.
He nodded again. “Then to stop the World Tree from dying, we must retrieve the Mystery Stone?”
“Yes. The Mystery Stone can be found in the uncharted Mystery Tower adjacent to the Holy Kingdom. With it, we can revive the World Tree.”
“The Mystery Tower…?”
“!! Lahan! Yes! That very Mystery Tower hidden in the uncharted land I mentioned!”
Estella shot to her feet in shock.
She stared at Lahan with burning determination. “We have to do this, Lahan!”
“Hold on, Estella. I’m surprised too.”
Coincidentally, they had discovered the exact legendary location they had been seeking—not just a rumor, but a precise site.
Alton watched Estella rise and smiled warmly. “It seems the place you seek is indeed our Mystery Tower.”
Lahan studied Alton’s expression, then spoke seriously. “You’re right. We are pursuing our own goals and dreams together. Your offer is genuinely attractive. However—”
He paused, letting the words settle before continuing. “We would like to request a proper compensation for our efforts.”
“Lahan…!”
Alton already knew. They had been the ones to break the seal, and they had promised compensation. But the price of that compensation was different.
“We don’t even know exactly how long this will take. There’s also a risk that one of us might lose our lives in the process, isn’t there?”
“Correct. I accept that.”
Alton nodded cleanly. He himself had realized that destroying the seal could not be balanced by simple exchange—seals could be repaired with a little effort. But retrieving the Mystery Stone carried unknown risks; they might never succeed, or they might never return.
“Very well,” Alton said after a moment. “I will accept your terms. You adventurers will receive a fair reward for this quest. Additionally—”
He paused, then added, “I will attach one of our elven warriors to guide you.”
“Log. Come in.”
The door opened. The group’s leader from yesterday stepped inside. Log bowed deeply to his chief.
“……”
Log’s eyes met Lahan’s as he stood. Lahan lowered his gaze and asked, “Are you the guide and guardian?”
Alton smiled wryly. “You are perceptive. I have chosen Log because he is the only warrior among us who possesses exceptional skill. He will be of great help to you.”
“If he isn’t enough, I will send more. We will also provide whatever else is necessary for you to meet our elves directly.”
“You seem very sharp, Chief.”
“Haha, thank you for the praise. Then what exactly were you looking for when you came all this way?”
“……”
After a brief smile, Alton turned his calm gaze on Lahan and waited.
“The Elixir of the Elves.”
“We want it.”
“The elixir…?”
Alton rested his chin on his fingers, thinking deeply.
Then he lowered his hand and said, “I accept.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything else you require?”
“We would like to know the exact effects of the Elixir of the Elves.”
“…You didn’t even know what it was, yet you asked for it?”
“…Quite by coincidence.”
“Haha, interesting. Still, you must have had a good guess to break the seal and come all this way.”
“…My apologies. Allow me to express that again.”
“No need. I wasn’t scolding you. Very well. I shall explain the effects of the Elixir of the Elves.”
Alton raised one finger. “First, it dramatically extends lifespan. Second, it greatly increases mana capacity. Third—”
He paused for effect, then spoke with solemn gravity. “Anyone who drinks it after reaching a certain realm may experience Bone Rebirth—a complete transformation of body and soul.”
“……”
Estella’s eyes widened beside him. Lahan continued, “Can this only be experienced once? How many people can drink it? Can both of us?”
Alton chuckled softly. “Only once. And because the Elixir is brewed over decades at Fairy Lake using a secret method passed down from the fairies whose roots feed the World Tree, only one remains in our village.”
“I see.”
Estella watched Lahan think and then whispered, “I’m fine. You can drink it alone. As a mage, the third effect holds no value for me anyway.”
“Estella.”
Lahan nodded, touched by her consideration. He felt guilty—she had to stay behind—but as a knight dreaming of glory, the promise of Bone Rebirth stirred an undeniable human instinct.
They called it greed.
Chief Alton smiled. “Humans always advance through endless greed and desire. We do not condemn it. On the contrary, it is precisely why elves can stand at the pinnacle of the ecosystem.”
“…”
“There is nothing shameful about it. You two seem close. Once you drink it and grow stronger, you can protect your partner, can’t you?”
“…Yes. I promise.”
“I swear it, Estella. I will stay by your side and protect you for the rest of my life.”
“Lahan…”
“Haha, what a fine sight. Youth is truly precious.”
Even an immortal elf chief had lost that vitality long ago.
At that moment the door burst open again.
“Wait…!!”
Charlotte—Alton’s daughter—rushed inside without waiting for an invitation.
“Charlotte…? Why are you here?”
“Dad! Please listen to me for a moment! It’s very important…!”
“Important? You’re the one who always handles everything yourself.”
“…That’s why I’m asking you now! Please! I—”
Charlotte looked at Lahan’s group, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she met her father’s gaze and declared firmly, “I want to go with them. I want to follow this man.”
Her eyes burned with an unshakable resolve that left no room for debate.