Chapter 388: The World Tree. Not Yet Corrupted.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 388: The World Tree. Not Yet Corrupted.
A week had passed since we returned to the academy after having a blast at the amusement park.
In the meantime, several things had happened.
The vegetable fanatic sneaked into the academy and swapped all the cafeteria greens with crops he’d grown himself.
A reporter who tried to sneak in to snag an interview with Chairperson Leilan almost got devoured by the Black Shadow.
And those who were late to the news about Cheon Yu-hak losing an arm tried to make a name for themselves by picking a fight, only to end up as practice targets for his silver arm.
There were a few minor incidents like that, but I figured it was safe to say nothing too major had occurred.
Well, except for one thing.
“Cheer up, Chairperson.”
“…Would you be able to cheer up if you were in my shoes?”
On the day we returned from the amusement park, I told her about the assassination attempt on her life. Perhaps it was the reaction to her focusing too hard on work for a week, claiming she’d briefly lost her mind—but the Chairperson looked utterly exhausted.
“No, I’m sorry. I ended up taking my frustration out on you. My nerves have been on edge because the situation of not knowing when I might be assassinated isn’t exactly pleasant.”
“Hmm? The Association should be quiet for a while. I harassed them quite thoroughly.”
The Association President had stopped all public activities and gone into hiding, and the rest of the factions were likely busy trying to suppress the rumors I’d spread.
“No, the Association isn’t the problem.”
“Huh? Then what is?”
“…Ah, well. It’s a bit embarrassing to tell a cadet.”
“Go ahead.”
“It seems some among the elves have begun to view me as a traitor. They said they would send assassins if I didn’t return.”
“…Excuse me?”
I mean, considering the temperament of the elves I’d met before the regression, I thought they might feel some resentment seeing a High Elf active in human society so openly, but calling her a traitor seemed a bit much.
“Ah, it’s just an excuse. In reality, they want me to return to the forest. More specifically, it seems they want me to marry the current Elf King.”
Aha. I thought assassination was a bit extreme, but it was just a heavy-handed threat. They actually wanted her to come back to the forest.
Though, threatening to kill her if she didn’t get married wasn’t exactly a moderate proposal, whether they meant it or not.
“But is it okay for regular elves to treat a High Elf so recklessly?”
“Well, since I left the forest, I can’t exactly wield absolute authority like I used to. Still, most of them still respect me, so I didn’t expect a child to come forward with such direct threats.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“It’s likely because of the symbolism. Thanks to the Elf Relics you recovered from Labyrinthos, the current King has regained his lost legitimacy, and his popularity is soaring.”
I wasn’t sure how his popularity was soaring when he hadn’t done it with his own strength, but I got the gist of it.
“So, he wants to use this momentum to completely solidify his foundation?”
“Exactly. From an elf’s perspective, mixing with the bloodline of a High Elf is a matter of great honor and pride.”
“Aren’t they ignoring the possibility of the High Elf bloodline dying out?”
“Well, it’s not like I’m the only High Elf left, and since children are rarely born among High Elves anyway, they probably just accept it as it is.”
The Chairperson rubbed her tired face with her hands and tried to focus on her documents again.
…Wait, the story ends like this? What’s the conclusion?
“Hmm? What is it?”
“No, I mean, what happens next?”
“Next? Oh, did you think I’d actually get married? I’m sorry, but I have no intention of marrying yet. In fact, I doubt I ever will.”
“Is that so?”
“Think about it, Cadet Kang So-hyun. Regardless of how I look, do you know how old I am? From my perspective, having seen those children since they were much younger than they are now, marriage is a bit difficult.”
Well, it would be a bit rude to agree, but I could certainly see her point.
“Besides, they would probably prefer a younger elf anyway. Even if there’s another case like Latis, I doubt someone who is the Elf King would have any romantic feelings for me.”
It wouldn’t be easy to marry someone you’d watched since they were an infant, especially when you were already an adult when they were born.
…Of course, there are people with those kinds of tastes in the world, but as far as I knew, our Chairperson wasn’t one of them.
“And with all this work piled up thanks to Cadet Kang So-hyun, what marriage could there be? Should I thank you for giving me an excuse to avoid it?”
“You wouldn’t have gotten married even if it weren’t for me.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Wait. Was that bloodlust?
“No, I don’t mean you can’t. I mean you won’t. You’ve received plenty of confessions from the Association and other heroes! You’re popular, so why are you acting like this?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Cadet. It seems I really am a bit on edge. I got worked up over nothing.”
…She cares about this more than I thought.
Come to think of it, during the Common Sense Alteration Incident, she was strangely sensitive about it too.
Considering she claimed to be twenty-six, maybe it was a touchy subject?
It might be best not to poke at the topics of age or marriage in the future.
“Well, I feel a bit sorry for those children, but I’ve decided to live among humans and watch over them. I have no intention of returning to the forest, at least until I feel like I want to rest.”
Seeing her smile bitterly made me feel a bit bad for her.
“I think this might help you, Chairperson.”
“…What is this, Cadet Kang So-hyun?”
“A list of the bastards—the villains—the Association was secretly backing and cooperating with.”
“Fine, I have eyes, I can see that. I’m asking why you’re giving this to me at this specific timing.”
“They say loneliness can be cured with work.”
“Oh, so you want me to marry my work and just work until I die…?”
“Of course not.”
“Right, no matter how much—”
“I’d prefer it if you married your work so you never go back and just keep doing this forever.”
“…I know it’s a joke, but that’s a bit much.”
Hey, I came here to give her this in the first place.
I couldn’t just leave when she seemed so depressed, could I?
* * *
Meanwhile, in the land of the elves, a man was looking over a set of clothes that had been modified to be a bit more flamboyant than typical elven suits.
“Hey.”
Speaking in a dignified voice, he carefully selected two outfits after much deliberation and showed them to the aides watching him before speaking cautiously.
“Which of these do you think would be more suitable for my reunion with my teacher?”
“Didn’t you see her once when you returned the Divine Bow and the Branch of the World Tree?”
“Don’t be foolish. Seeing her for such a short time wasn’t enough. We’re going to be a couple soon, so shouldn’t we spend more time together beforehand?”
The Elf King.
In truth, the reason he had threatened Chairperson Leilan wasn’t for political reasons or symbolism.
Well, it wasn’t that those reasons didn’t exist at all, but they weren’t the essence of it.
He had simply fallen in love all over again because his first love, his teacher, was still as beautiful as ever when they met after a long time.
In fact, he perceived the items he’d sent as love letters rather than threats.
I’d rather kill you and make you mine than let you go.
It was a horrifying sentiment that would make anyone else recoil, but he was admiring his own romanticism.
“…I understand you’re excited to meet your first love again, but I hope you haven’t forgotten the greater good of our race.”
“Of course not.”
He stiffened his expression as he touched the elven treasures beside him—the Branch of the World Tree and the Divine Bow of the Elf King.
The treasures that should have responded to the King were not responding to him. If the other factions found out, it would be a major problem.
“…I must secure legitimacy equal to these treasures before that is discovered. If there is a descendant carrying the blood of a High Elf, no one will dare question my legitimacy.”
The Elf King was already imagining his bright future, but his subordinates didn’t seem to share his optimism, judging by their worried expressions.
“But what do you plan to do if she refuses the proposal?”
“Teacher must be getting tired of being around those inferior creatures by now. I don’t think she will, but if she still wants to stay by their side, then I have no choice.”
“…Which means?”
“I don’t want to bring her here by force, but I will have to use somewhat coercive methods.”
“Because of the contract with the humans, we cannot launch a full-scale invasion. It would lead to war.”
“I’m not an idiot. Don’t worry. I’ve already thought of a way. I have plenty of justification, too.”
In his mind, the method he’d come up with was incredibly rational and would even preserve his image.
“We will announce that the elven race has no intention of interfering in human affairs.”
“…Pardon?”
They wondered if that wouldn’t make it even harder to use coercive methods, but they soon understood what the King was saying.
“Yes. Even a High Elf is undoubtedly an elf. They should not interfere excessively in human affairs. Even if she is a runaway, if an elf tries to infringe upon human rights, it is only natural that we step in to suppress her and extradite the criminal.”
The Elf King tended to get impatient when it came to his first love, but he was certainly not a fool. He had devised a fairly plausible scheme.
“Of course, it would be best if Teacher accepts my confession so it doesn’t come to that.”
Yes, as he began to pick out accessories to go with his flamboyant formal wear, he had a plausible plan.
Everyone has a plausible plan.
Until they get punched in the face and everything goes to hell.
— The World Tree sighs as she watches her children.
Looking at the children who couldn’t even hear her voice and despairing at their state, the World Tree had no choice but to execute her second plan.
She figured this way had a better chance of success.
* * *
What on earth was going on?
I was sure I’d gone to bed after a peaceful day of training, but now a woman was bowing her head toward me.
“Hello. I am truly sorry for intruding without notice at such a late hour. It was a mistake I made out of desperation, so could you please find it in your heart to forgive me just this once?”
She was apologizing so excessively that I almost felt bad, but I didn’t want to just blindly offer my forgiveness.
“Ah, yeah. Hello.”
If this wasn’t just a weird dream, it was likely a sign that I was about to get dragged into something incredibly annoying.
“I am called the World Tree. I am the great tree that the elven children worship as a god.”
The woman who looked up had a strangely gentle impression, but she somehow resembled the Chairperson.
Wait, what? The World Tree?
I don’t think it ever spoke or anything in the 1st timeline.
“You may not believe me, but you are the only one I can turn to for a favor now.”
“No, I mean, what’s the matter?”
“The elves are currently in danger. My power has weakened to the point where the children can no longer hear my voice.”
Well, I knew the World Tree had weakened.
That had happened in the 1st timeline, too.
It was a bit later than now, but the elves had all gone mad and caused a massive uproar because the corrupted World Tree went berserk.
“However, I believed that you, whose soul has reached the level of a god, would be able to hear my voice. Please, please help me just this once.”
Ah, well. If you keep apologizing like that, my conscience starts to prick.
“First, please lift your head. You don’t have to be so subservient…”
“No, how could I dare, after coming here so shamelessly…! Even my children look down on humans…! I never taught them to be like that…!”
Well, it’s not like the elves’ arrogance is your fault, World Tree. Yeah.
It’s a bit awkward for me if you keep apologizing like that.
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to help with whatever I can.”
“Ah, how can you be so merciful…?”
Uh, I’m not exactly being merciful.
…It’s just that I have some history with this.
— Didn’t I say I’ve come to my senses now…! Please, please, we will give you our heads, so please forgive our Mother…!
— What value do your heads have? Don’t worry. Even if you’re not in a hurry, you’re next after this pathetic tree.
— Ah, aah…! Do you have no mercy in you…!
There was a man who had uprooted the World Tree with stacked reinforcements, drained its power, trampled it, and burned it right in front of the elves.
He was such a cruel bastard that he’d slaughtered every elf that tried to charge at him.
Who was it? Who else could it be? It was me.
…Well, thinking about it now, even if the World Tree was cursed, I didn’t really need to go that far.
I just lost my cool because they attacked Seo-ha.
“Yes, first, calm down and tell me the story.”
Even if I hated those elven bastards, the Chairperson was involved, and I had a debt to pay, so I should at least hear her out.