Chapter 400: The Delusionalist
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 400: The Delusionalist
The elf village prison.
While the village was in an uproar and everyone was busy, the security at the prison had thinned. There, two individuals faced each other across the iron bars.
One was Leilan Claudia.
She was a High Elf, a being so prestigious that most ordinary elves found it difficult even to meet her gaze.
Then, who was the person meeting her eyes on equal footing?
Lucas Claudia.
Like her, he was a High Elf. But unlike Leilan, who had left the village, he had remained, reigning as one of the leaders of the elves.
“I only needed him to buy me a very short amount of time, yet he couldn’t even manage that. Don’t you think there’s a problem with the quality of elves these days, Leilan?”
“…I see. I understand now. There was a reason that bright boy became so dull. Your acting as the Elder was quite convincing.”
“Thank you for the compliment. Though I can’t agree with the word ‘bright.’ Perhaps because he was of royal blood, he wasn’t as bad as the others, but honestly, even he was below standard.”
Lucas Claudia clicked his tongue in distaste as he recalled the past.
“He was weak, the type who could only learn exactly what he was taught and nothing more. He was easily swayed by emotion and couldn’t even let go of his first love. He wasn’t the absolute worst, but overall, he was still trash.”
“Don’t insult a child who hasn’t lived as long as us using the experience and knowledge you’ve naturally accumulated over time, Lucas.”
“You were always like that. Out of all of us, you had thoughts most similar to mine, but in the end, you were fundamentally different. To think you’d acknowledge such trash as fellow elves.”
“…You’re calling the elves trash?”
“Yes. The elves of today are vile. They aren’t wise like they were in the past, they are incredibly lazy, and yet they are intoxicated by past glory, harboring a sense of elitism. If a race like that isn’t trash, then what is?”
“Don’t you think you’re being excessive? It seems you’re the one harboring a sense of elitism.”
“I won’t deny that.”
“…Lucas, what on earth are you thinking? You’ve always had strange ideas, but I didn’t think it was this extreme.”
“It’s nothing. I’ve simply grown tired after all these years. My goal remains the same as it was back then. My only aim is to make the elves the most noble race.”
Leilan Claudia recalled his past self.
He was the High Elf most passionate about educating the others. At the same time, among a people who showed not even a hint of change, he was a ‘peculiar’ High Elf who, along with her, was the only one seeking progress.
“However, no matter how long I educated and refined them, elves possess an unusually easy arrogance. Even if they are bright in their youth, they become slothful as the long years pass. In the end, it means that education alone cannot solve the chronic problems of a long-lived species.”
“…And? What does that have to do with you interfering in internal affairs and going as far as using something akin to brainwashing?”
“Well, if the seeds were sown poorly, wouldn’t the only option be to uproot everything and start over?”
“…Start over?”
“Yes. I am going to exterminate the elves. And then, I plan to recreate the elven race from scratch.”
“…I don’t recall you being this delusional the last time we met.”
“Delusional? I have a clear blueprint, and parts of it are already in motion. It’s a bit disappointing to have it dismissed as a delusion.”
“Then I’ll call you a mad terrorist instead.”
“I prefer that, actually.”
“I don’t know where you get this confidence, Lucas. I’m not exactly bound. From this moment, I will stop you, save the elves, and then I’ll prostrate myself before Cadet Kang So-hyun and beg him to understand that there were circumstances.”
“Leilan, you are certainly outstanding even among us High Elves. If I were alone, I wouldn’t have been able to blather about my plans in front of you like this. But seeing as I’m this confident, don’t you think there’s a reason?”
“That…”
The blowing wind grew increasingly violent, shattering the elven prison and turning into a storm that blanketed the surroundings.
“Is something I’ll find out once I tear you apart.”
“I don’t dislike that refreshing personality of yours, but you might be a hindrance right now, so sleep for a while.”
“Have you forgotten how our world was ruined and how we established a new home here? Stop this now, Lucas…!”
“Yes, that’s the problem. It’s good to reflect on failure, but what’s the point if you can’t move past it? I am going to move forward…!”
Flames erupted around the shouting Lucas and collided with the storm.
Lucas was fire, and Leilan was wind.
Based on attributes alone, it was a match-up where Leilan should normally be at a disadvantage, but she overturned the elemental hierarchy through sheer difference in raw power.
The storm, having swallowed the flames, blocked her kinsman, but Lucas still wore a faint smile as he raised his hand.
“I’d like to say you’re impressive as expected, but this is the end. You might not know, but I have been chosen by a great power.”
“A great power…?”
“Yes. A power that, at the very least, no elf can resist.”
And with Lucas drawing out his hidden power as the catalyst, Leilan’s storm lost its strength. The flames that had been swallowed instead grew in size and began to rage ferociously.
“A serpent of fire…? Could it be…?”
Because its form looked just like a snake made of flames.
Leilan, staring at the fire closing in on her from all sides, muttered blankly.
* * *
Looking into the hearts of others is not a particularly pleasant thing.
Kang So-hyun, who had been surrounded by people who cherished him ever since he turned small, finally realized once again just how unpleasant hostility could be.
It was something he was used to, but now that he could see its form directly, it felt even more slimy and bothersome.
‘To think I have to grovel to a human.’
‘I should deal with him while he’s drugged. No matter how strong he is, he’s just a human.’
‘I’ll just think of it as playing along for a little while.’
‘Inferior species…’
The groundless hatred took on a more nauseating form than he expected. It was almost absurd to see those harboring such thoughts spout lies without a single change in their expression.
Of course, not all elves were like that.
‘The heroes who defeated the serpent.’
There were those who had truly come to welcome them, having simply been deceived.
‘Regardless of what happened in the past, the problem this time is that we interfered with humans first…’
There were also those who reflected on their own faults first.
‘This way isn’t like an elf. Is this really the right thing to do? Shouldn’t we stop now?’
‘I’ll find a chance to tell them to run away. As long as I don’t get caught doing it, it’ll be fine.’
There were those who were simply too afraid to muster courage, while others looked for an opportunity to help.
The boy thought to himself.
They’re not much different from humans.
So, while the vile man prattled on, he began to sort through them meticulously and as mercifully as possible.
He decided to spare those who held goodwill and, as much as possible, those who maintained a neutral stance.
As he picked them out one by one, he figured that about thirty percent of the elves here were worth sparing or letting go.
The moment he extended his shadows with the intent to kill the rest—
— I’ll leave it to you then, Cadet Kang So-hyun.
He felt like he heard a voice he didn’t recognize, causing him to relax his strength slightly.
Thanks to that, he didn’t manage to kill them, instead leaving them in a corrupted, halfway-broken state. But since he’d made it so they couldn’t resist, he decided to call it good enough.
Turning his gaze toward the elves he had spared, he saw they were trembling in fear, just as he expected.
‘We touched something we shouldn’t have…! This is divine punishment…!’
‘We can’t win… How can we beat a monster like that…! It’s the end for the elves…!’
‘Hi- Hieee…! Hieee…! Hiek…!’
‘He’s cool as hell…’
There seemed to be one elf with a strange impression of the situation, but most were shivering in terror.
It made him feel a bit bad.
He knew it would be like this, but he’d spared them out of consideration, and all they did was tremble.
“So-hyun. That’s enough. Let’s go save the Chairperson.”
He felt annoyed and wanted to complain, but when he looked back, he saw plenty of people who worried about him and liked him. Looking at them, the anger he felt vanished like a lie, and those other elves no longer mattered.
“Yes!”
He hoped the person called the Chairperson was someone who only had good thoughts, just like these people.
* * *
“You are impressive. You seem even stronger than when you were in the village. If it weren’t for the elemental advantage, I might have lost even after receiving the great power.”
“This is madness. To think this is the end for the elven race.”
The village had been reduced to a mess by the aftermath of the battle, and since she hadn’t been able to stop that madman, it was safe to say everything was over.
“Don’t be so sad, Leilan. The elves aren’t disappearing. They will become a superior species…”
“I’m not interested in your stupid plan. The ‘end’ I’m talking about is probably different from what you’re thinking.”
“Are you talking about that Cadet Kang So-hyun you mentioned? I don’t know how great that cadet is, but don’t worry too much. There’s no way a mere human is stronger than the World Tree.”
“…The World Tree?”
“Yes. With the power of the creator and god of us elves, stopping him will be easy.”
Brainwashing the elven royalty and bringing her here through coercive means.
The twisted desire to exterminate the elves and create a new race.
And the thing he had been researching ever since he could no longer hear the voice of the World Tree in the past.
Even the ‘Transplantation of Divinity.’
As the various pieces of evidence fell into place, Leilan could vaguely realize what he was trying to do.
“It’s impossible.”
“No, it is possible. It would have been difficult if I were alone, but with you here, the possibility has increased significantly.”
He smiled as he looked at the cards he had prepared.
“I will become the new World Tree and recreate the elves from scratch once more.”
The moment she heard that insane statement, Leilan Claudia tried to force strength into her exhausted, collapsed body to stand up.
“Stay still, Leilan. Your role hasn’t come yet. Now, Your Majesty, it is time. On behalf of the elves, renounce the protection of the World Tree.”
“Lucas! Stop this…! Have you forgotten the oath we High Elves made when we settled here? We must not interfere excessively with the children!”
“I’ve forgotten it entirely. The elves I wanted to protect weren’t like these things. I stepped aside because I trusted them, and I waited for them to prove their worth, even if it took a long time. But since they failed to prove themselves, I will do things my way from now on.”
The King of Elves, walking unsteadily, placed his hand on the stone monument located in the center of the Fairy Forest.
He was under the foolish delusion that if he canceled this contract, Leilan Claudia would fall into his hands.
“Mother World Tree. The elves… our clan no longer desires your protection.”
Using his status as the representative of the elves, he was making a mad decision.
“In addition to the elven royalty, I, High Elf Lucas Claudia, also express my agreement with their decision.”
The moment the representative of the elves and the High Elf expressed their will, the World Tree’s Blessing that had been surrounding the elves, including the King, vanished. The barrier protecting the Fairy Forest also began to fade away.
“The problem was setting the one who could access the World Tree’s Blessing as the representative of the elves. Even if the number of High Elves has dwindled, to think the elven royalty would hold part of the authority. This almost made things complicated.”
As the shroud of light surrounding the village subsided and the elves felt a sense of doubt, he unhesitatingly poured mana into the magic circle he had prepared for this moment.
An Energy Drain magic circle large enough to cover the entire Fairy Forest.
The World Tree’s barrier had vanished, but the power that had been maintaining that barrier didn’t return to the World Tree in an instant.
That was exactly what he was aiming for.
Normally, if an elf absorbed such vast natural energy, their body would explode, unable to withstand it. But he was one of the few High Elves left in the world.
“The power that maintained the barrier…?”
As one of the few qualified to handle the power of the World Tree, the energy swirled around him as if recognizing him as its new master.
“Incredible. This power… To think this vast power isn’t even the whole thing, but just a part of it. If it’s this much with just a tiny fraction of the power that formed the barrier, then achieving my wish will be a simple task once I obtain all the power.”
To think that madman actually got his hands on the power of the World Tree.
“Next, I’ll have to create a vessel to transplant the divinity into. It’s about time you helped me, Leilan.”
“…What?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know that the Bow of the King and the Branch of the World Tree reacted to you? It would have been nice if any High Elf could do it, but it seems I don’t have the qualification.”
…So that was why he had left her alone until now.
“Lucas, shall I give you a warning?”
“…Hmm?”
“Even if your plan succeeds and you fully obtain the power of the World Tree, it will take time for you to adapt to it, won’t it?”
“Probably. Even if I start making the vessel now, ascending to the rank of a Transcendent won’t be easy.”
“I see. Then that’s fine.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.”
Leilan smiled.
As long as he wasn’t awakening as the new World Tree right this second, there was someone who would protect her even if something happened to her.
“I was just thinking that I should have brought Cadet Kang So-hyun along as well.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but don’t worry. I still need your help after awakening the holy artifacts, so I won’t kill you.”
Just as Lucas reached out his hand toward the resigned Leilan—
“Ugh!?”
A massive iron pillar fell from the sky, separating Lucas and Leilan.