Chapter 406: Expanding Kang So-hyun Universe (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 406: Expanding Kang So-hyun Universe (2)
She explained that the Remnant of the World Tree was a concept similar to the residual thoughts Sun Wukong had left in her holy relic.
She said she remained to assist Chairperson Leilan until she fully awakened as the World Tree and could control its power. Apparently, she had left her will within the Elf King’s bow and a branch of the World Tree.
To see if this was true, I looked at the Chairperson. Sure enough, she was agonizing with a very serious expression. It seemed she was feeling the heavy pressure of inheriting the World Tree’s power and responsibilities.
I should help her out a lot in the future.
Anyway, regardless of how absurd it was that the World Tree I thought was dead was actually alive, its survival was a significant boon for me.
I had been worried about what those damn Elves would do if they went mad before I could explain that the World Tree had withered, but the World Tree had provided excellent aftercare.
Specifically…
“Please, forgive us…”
By the time I returned to the Elf village, supported by my friends, the situation was so settled that every single Elf was bowing their head toward us.
The World Tree said she had left a final testament, and its contents were roughly as follows:
-My beloved children. You must never resent them. They are the benefactors who rescued me while I was floundering in agony. Though I pass away, they are also the distinguished guests who will help the new World Tree grow safely. Therefore, you must never be hostile toward them.
-Though I failed to correct you when you strayed onto the wrong path, I believe that the new you, who will be with the new World Tree, will not fall into corruption but will walk the righteous path.
-Take pride in being Elves, but do not be arrogant; trust yourselves, but do not be overconfident.
-There is much more I wish to tell you, but my time has come. I pray that glory and prosperity lie ahead of you…
Well, their own god warned them not to be corrupt and then vanished in such a… pathetic-looking way. Of course they would reflect on their actions.
Perhaps there were some who didn’t feel much about the disappearance of the World Tree itself, but realistically, they had no choice but to prostrate themselves.
I had fixed the forest to some extent while wearing the mask, but the buildings were still a mess. Most of the unicorns that had offended me when I was turned into a child, along with some of the Elves, were still tainted by demonic energy.
Chairperson Leilan, who had just inherited the World Tree’s power, couldn’t possibly do anything about it yet. Since I was the only one they could lean on right now, they would crawl on their own unless they wanted to live the rest of their lives as bicorns or dark elves.
Still, thinking that both the Elves and the unicorns were victims caught up in the World Tree’s self-staged drama, I felt there might be a tiny bit of room for pity.
For the Chairperson’s sake, I should forgive—
‘To think we have to bow our heads to lowly humans. It’s a blow to my pride, but I have no choice…’
Forgive—
‘It’s obvious what those humans are thinking anyway. They’re definitely going to try and do all sorts of things to us!’
…Is there really a need? I don’t think so.
‘Since all the granaries have melted away, we must establish a friendly relationship for now. This is but a momentary humiliation.’
Did the World Tree lie to me…? She said these guys would change, but there’s no sign of change at all.
At least the ones who were actually thinking decent thoughts or offering sincere apologies were the ones I hadn’t touched in the first place, so they were in fine shape.
-The Remnant of the World Tree claims that change takes time.
I looked at the Elves again after hearing the World Tree’s words, but honestly, I didn’t expect much.
Especially…
“We Elves have committed a great sin against our benefactor. Please, do not forgive us.”
‘At this rate, I’ll have no excuse to hold onto the Teacher…! I have to beg for forgiveness, claim I was deceived, and look for an opportunity…!’
“Though I was supposedly manipulated, this is a disgrace to the dignity of a High Elf. I shall reflect deeply.”
‘Leilan is the new World Tree, not me…? After everything I did to get here…! You’re saying I was just being used…! I absolutely cannot accept this. Do you think I’ll acknowledge such a result…!’
Between the idiot who went from being the Elf King to the King of Dark Elves, and the trash whose will hadn’t broken even after I cut off his legs, those two didn’t seem like they would ever change.
I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Perhaps she had gained a power similar to the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils, because the Chairperson’s expression was distorted as if she had seen something truly revolting.
Right, I’ve decided.
“Hey, guys.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go now.”
“…Huh? Where?”
“Where else? Leilan Academy. I’m tired.”
When I declared we were just going back, the expressions of many of those Elven pieces of trash were dyed with bewilderment.
“B-Benefactor? If you leave so suddenly, at least…”
“At least what? What are you going to do about it?”
Why was this guy, who would shrivel up if I just glared at him, stepping forward?
“Listen carefully. Before the World Tree disappeared, she told me to give you a light punishment. Until you truly repent and reflect, that black skin will not disappear. And those who cannot completely discard their wicked hearts will be consumed by the curse and die.”
Of course, she never said any of that, but how would these guys, who can’t even hear the World Tree’s voice, know any better?
-The Remnant of the World Tree averts her gaze.
“Well, don’t worry. If you have a good heart and accept your new selves, you won’t die. Those who sincerely reflect and wish to change will be able to regain their original forms.”
Well, even if I said this, there was no way they would repent immediately. By the time they did, the Chairperson would probably be able to handle the World Tree’s power perfectly and fix them herself.
“O-Our granaries have all melted. Not a single bit of preserved food remains. Could we at least ask for food support…?”
I wanted to ignore him and ask why he was asking me, but then I remembered a much more spiteful method.
“You there, the one in the green mask.”
[Ah, hmm? Me?]
It was the Green Ghost Mask, Ban Gi-san, who had been observing the crops in the Elf forest ever since the battle ended. When I called him, he turned his gaze as if asking what was the matter.
“I heard your purpose for coming here was to spread beneficial techniques to the Elves.”
And then, a glint of light sparkled behind the green mask.
[Indeed. Did you say there is no food? Then I can be of even more help.]
Ban Gi-san headed to his truck, took out farming tools, and began to kindly distribute them to the Elves one by one.
“…Aren’t these farming tools used by humans? And they look quite outdated, too.”
[That’s right. If you want to learn the true taste of farming, you must first be able to handle old-fashioned tools.]
“F-Farming? That method doesn’t suit us Elves, and doesn’t it take a long time!”
[Do not worry.]
Seeing him say “do not worry” so confidently, the Elves seemed to harbor some hope.
They probably thought farming was just a backup plan and that there was a way to solve their immediate hardship.
However, I could guarantee that their expectations would be betrayed.
[Once you finish your quota, I have the ability to provide at least a meal.]
“…Pardon?”
[Ah, if I just distribute it equally, lazy people might appear! For the sake of fun, I’ll distribute more food to those who finish their work first!]
That farmer, who wasn’t just out of his mind but had his head turned about three and a half times, never compromised when it came to farming-related matters.
[Now that you understand, get started.]
“P-Please, at least provide food to the children and women first…!”
[What, were you worried about that? Do not worry.]
It seemed there were no more Elves fooled by his kind voice, as if they weren’t entirely incapable of learning.
[I’ll reduce the quota for women and children…! I’ve also provided farming tools that are a bit easier to use! Now that you know, move…! The earth does not bestow grace upon those who stand still! The life of just receiving without labor is over! I will train you into perfectly disciplined Farmer Experts!]
Farmer Expert. It was a term I was hearing for the first time in my life, but I quite liked it.
“Save me…!”
“What, you want me to strike the ground with this!? How could you do such a thing…!”
“C-Can’t we just go pick some fruit from the trees!?”
[I will not forgive those who run away! The only paths left for you are to starve or to grow into wonderful farmers…!]
Seeing the Elves trembling in fear, I really did like it.
In the end, the sight of Ban Gi-san chasing after an Elf who actually tried to escape and dragging them back to the workspace was unmistakably that of a villain’s comrade.
After instructing him to make the dark ones work the hardest, I left the Elf forest. Not a single Elf was left thinking about trying to stop us.
* * *
“Dammit…”
And after they left, Lucas, who had somehow escaped labor on the grounds that his legs were cut off, was crawling on the ground.
How did he, a High Elf, end up in such a state?
He couldn’t use mana, as if something had been done to him when his legs were severed; instead, it felt like the strength was gradually draining from his body.
“…Still, once I get back to the laboratory, things will get a bit better.”
He was one who had researched secret arts passed down as taboos among the Elves.
Once he returned to the lab, he had homunculi made from the corpses of other High Elves and spare bodies he could temporarily transfer into. If he could just reach the lab, he could switch to a new body.
Originally, it was a safeguard in case he lost his body after failing a forbidden art, but well, he should be glad he could use it like this.
Crawling on the ground without mana and with a body that had never really been trained, his entire body was covered in wounds, but it wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t endure it.
That fool.
If he really intended to finish me, he should have taken my head, not my legs.
This is why those who have power but are full of vanity are no good.
Once he reached the lab and switched to a new body, he could just start over and continue his research in secret.
No, now that Leilan had been chosen as the new World Tree, he didn’t even need to become the World Tree himself anymore.
He just needed to get his hands on Leilan Claudia, so it could be seen as having become much simpler.
He would have it all.
Leilan Claudia. The power of a god. And a future where he disposed of all the current Elves and created true Elves who would prosper anew.
With his will burning like that, Lucas, wounded and rolling as he moved forward, was only able to reach his laboratory when night fell.
“…Huh?”
To be precise, he reached the spot where the entrance to his laboratory used to be.
It was gone.
The secret portal he had installed to travel to the lab had vanished without a trace, as if it were a lie.
How, how on earth? There was no way anyone knew about this place.
The entrance had been thoroughly hidden with an artifact in the first place, so how could anyone have noticed?
— You really are hopeless.
“W-What…! Who is it…!”
— I was going to give you a chance just in case, just in case you might actually rehabilitate. But you crawled all the way here, covered in wounds like that, without even hesitating?
“Y-You, are you that Masked Man…!”
— There’s no need for you to know who I am. Is that really what’s important to you in this situation?
“What did you do to my laboratory…! Dammit…!”
— Ah, that? I cleaned up all the unpleasant things and made off with the ones that might be useful.
“What… No, how…?”
— You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Anyway, good job crawling all the way here like an idiot.
“Ah…?”
Lucas saw demonic energy and shadows flowing out of his own body to take shape, and he began to crawl on the ground again.
A black wolf made of shadows and demonic energy was staring at him.
— The reason I left you alive earlier was partly for the chance, but also because I figured if you just died there like that, the other Elves might romanticize you as a High Elf in their own way.
“Huff…! Huff…!”
— You know, that kind of thing. ‘Lucas Claudia was a great High Elf, but he was sacrificed after being manipulated by a great evil.’ I kind of hated that.
He crawled desperately, but the distance between him and the wolf didn’t widen at all.
Rather, it only grew closer, as if cornering prey bit by bit.
— So, you ran away because you hated farming. You went deep into the forest to rest alone, and you encountered a wild beast at night. Don’t you think that’s the perfect end for you, and a record that fits your station?
“Don’t make me laugh…! Me…! There’s no way my end will be recorded like that…!”
— I wonder. If they want to revere you even after this, let them. At least the Elves of this generation will remember your death as a dog’s death, so I’ll be satisfied with that.
Ignoring his desperate struggle, as if she had finished what she had to say, the wolf made of shadows stepped on the Elf’s head.
“W-Wait…! Just a moment, let me say…!”
— If you have something to say.
Deep darkness and red lightning surged within the wolf’s wide-open maw.
“Save—!”
— You should have said it when you had the chance.
Crunch.
The shadow wolf’s teeth bit into the Elf’s neck, heart, and ribs several times.
In the forest, where no one’s voice could be heard anymore, all that remained was a single corpse that looked to anyone like it had been killed by a wild beast.