Chapter 60: To the 3rd Layer
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 60: To the 3rd Layer
“Hngh… Mmm…”
Iris’s eyes fluttered open about ten minutes after I had received my secret reward from the World Tree.
Holding Iris in my arms as she remained blissfully lost in sleep, I started planning my next moves.
What I needed to do could be broadly divided into two tasks.
1. Stop the war with the Northern Empire.
2. Dethrone Resilia and either restore Iris to the throne or end the current tyranny.
As expected, neither would be easy.
The first task was a problem right from the start. War, by its very nature, is a tangle of countless interests. The Northern Empire was a major power, so stopping a war they had already started would require an overwhelming justification that everyone could accept.
No, even with a justification, would they even try to stop the war?
Not a chance.
Their declaration of war made it clear: the Northern Empire was serious about this. They were not only confident of an overwhelming victory but had likely already calculated the profits they would gain.
It was safe to assume we were past the point where the war could be stopped through conventional means.
So, should I just cross my arms and watch from the sidelines? Not at all.
There were a couple of ways to stop the war.
The first method was to kill all the higher-ups in the Northern Empire.
Impossible.
Of course, that’s what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t a realistic plan.
I had no way of killing them, and even if I did, it might stop the immediate conflict, but it would only serve as a pretext for a new war down the line.
Besides, if a narrative spread that ‘Peledeia is a country that assassinates high-ranking officials when provoked,’ it would do nothing good for our international diplomacy in the long run.
“Hyun-woo…?”
Just then, Iris’s eyes opened again.
“You’re awake? You can sleep more if you want.”
“Hehe, then hold me tighter.”
Still groggy with sleep, Iris was being particularly clingy. I held her gently.
The other way to stop the war was none other than Iris herself.
To be precise, the second method was Iris with the full martial power of her prime.
I’d heard that Han Lael, who had dealt with dozens of magical beasts with a single spell, had gone on to defeat that ice golem all by herself after I passed out.
If Iris, who had reached the grand realm of the 8th Circle—a step beyond even a monster like Han Lael—was restored, her very existence would be a powerful war deterrent.
Two hundred years might not be a long time for an ordinary elf, but for humans, it’s long enough for two generations to pass.
It was only natural that the fame of the former queen, Iris, had faded across the continent.
The Northern Empire must be starting this war because they know Iris is gone.
Of course, this method was also impossible for now.
The biggest problem was that there was no way to remove the sealing device.
The World Tree had only said I could leave this place using an artifact from the 3rd Layer; undoing the seal was a different matter.
[Knot of Ash]
The World Tree had explained that the sealing device wrapped around Iris’s ankle was an artifact used in ancient times.
It boasted overwhelming performance, imposing a stronger restraint on those with greater power, and she had stated that it couldn't be removed by conventional means.
She added that to undo the ‘Knot of Ash,’ an artifact called the ‘Flame of Ash’ was absolutely necessary.
The problem was, where was this Flame of Ash?
Things would have been much easier if the World Tree had told me, but she had vanished after saying the artifact was needed, so I had no idea of its whereabouts.
Ultimately, it meant I had to go out and search for it myself. That was easier said than done; there was no telling how long it would take.
“Iris, do you happen to know where something called the Flame of Ash is?”
It was a future I could see without looking: the Northern Empire would mobilize its army after declaring war, and it wouldn't take long for them to invade Peledeia.
In such a situation, I couldn't afford to waste too much time searching for an artifact.
If it came down to it, the last resort was for me to return to Earth, even if it took years, and find a holy relic that could break the seal.
Even if I had to steal it.
“The Flame of Ash? I know of it. I heard it’s in a temple in the Santala Kingdom.”
“…?”
What? There’s no way the world is being this kind to me.
*
The moment I learned the location of the Flame of Ash, my course was set.
“I’ll be back.”
“…You can’t overdo it.”
“Of course not.”
When I told her I was heading back to the underground dungeon, Iris, with a tearful expression, hugged me tightly for nearly thirty minutes, murmuring all sorts of things.
Don’t get hurt, be careful, and so on.
“As long as I have you, Hyun-woo, I don’t mind if I can never leave this place.”
Her voice was heavy, as if she thought I was going to the dungeon because of her.
It was both cute and touching.
It meant she loved me that much.
I had received more love from Iris than I deserved.
“Iris.”
I gave a light kiss to the lips of a teary-eyed Iris.
“Do you know what I want to achieve most in this world?”
“…A harem?”
“…”
No, that’s not it…
“When you came up from the underground dungeon, you smelled strongly of other women. About four of them?”
My vision swam.
A sure sign my eyes were trembling.
I’m sure I bathed…
And four? The only women I’d met were Cheon Yeo-hwa, Choi Hyena, and my master.
If I had to count another, it would be Han Lael, but I’d barely even spoken to her, let alone touched her.
“Fufu, you don’t have to look so serious. I’ve heard that humans practice monogamy, but elves have low birth rates and a shortage of men, so most of us practice polygyny.”
My god. Elves truly are the greatest race in the world.
“However, the distinction between the first wife and the concubines is very clear, you see?”
In that moment, a chill ran down my spine, and I felt a cold sweat break out.
Her usual warm and gentle gaze was replaced by one even colder than when the World Tree had descended, and it was directed straight at me.
“Concubines don’t matter. We won’t be living together, and you need to have your fun, Hyun-woo. But not another wife. Understand?”
“…Yes.”
And with that send-off that wasn’t quite a send-off, I headed for the underground dungeon.
As I walked down the stairs, I glanced at my palm. It was slick with cold sweat.
Only then did I realize that Iris wasn’t just a kind and gentle woman.
If you were to ask if I was unhappy about it, the answer was absolutely not.
In fact, I was glad to have seen a new side of her.
Especially the part where she staked her claim as the first wife.
Even as I descended the stairs, the different side Iris had shown me wouldn't fade from my mind.
If I’d had more time, I would have spent a few more days with her, but with war just around the corner, every minute and second was precious.
I hurried down the stairs, and it didn’t take long to reach the bottom.
As I arrived on the 1st Layer, a familiar, unpleasant, and chilly air brushed past my nose.
[Magic Detection]
Now that the elixir had broken the limits of my magic capacity, it was only natural for the range of my Magic Detection to expand.
My current limit was a radius of about 500 meters.
Just in case, I scanned the area and spotted several magical beasts, large and small. The closest one was prowling less than 50 meters away, but I didn’t have time to leisurely hunt monsters.
As I said, every minute and second was critical.
Securing more time was more important than the coins and magic stones I’d get from hunting.
[Haste]
I cast the support magic and ran, following the map I had made before.
As I sprinted through the dungeon, I didn’t hunt any magical beasts unless they came directly at me.
Even so, I couldn’t avoid every fight.
The areas I had previously mapped were now occupied by different monsters, and fundamentally, magical beasts were driven to kill humans.
There were monsters I’d never seen before, and some I had.
Some attacked in groups, but the monsters on the 1st Layer were no match for me.
[You have defeated Kobold Warrior x2.]
[Repeat Kill Reward: 100 Coins]
[You have defeated Skeleton Warrior x3.]
[Repeat Kill Reward: 150 Coins]
[You have defeated Tentacle Clipper.]
[Repeat Kill Reward: 50 Coins]
[You have defeated Low Reaper.]
[First Kill Reward: 100 Coins]
[You have defeated Blade Wolf x3.]
[First Kill Reward: 150 Coins]
Of course, this didn’t mean the monsters on the 1st Layer were weak.
Most of them were D+ rank elite specimens, roughly equivalent to standard C-rank magical beasts.
The only reason I could emerge without a scratch was thanks to my overpowered weapon, Gilenium, and the fact that I had stacked three or four support spells—something an ordinary 2nd Circle mage wouldn’t have enough magic power to even use.
With a single swing of my sword, a single cast of a spell, monsters’ heads flew off, and their bodies exploded.
But that didn’t mean my dungeon exploration was without problems.
No matter how much I swung my sword, I was, at my core, a mage.
My mastery was still too shallow to overcome the inherent weakness of a frail body.
Allowing even a single attack from a monster would result in a critical injury.
My barrier only blocked attacks I was aware of; it couldn’t automatically defend against attacks from my blind spots.
Even if I ended a fight unscathed, the mental fatigue from arrows grazing my side and swords tearing my clothes was not to be underestimated.
Still, I didn’t rest along the way.
I couldn’t predict how a short break now might snowball into something disastrous later.
I didn’t want to do anything I would regret for the rest of my life.
By minimizing combat and rest, I continued to run through the dungeon.
“Hoo…”
As a result, I covered a distance that had taken me a little over two hours last time in just an hour and a half.
The trade-off was being completely drenched in sweat.
I chugged a bottle of water, then took the key from my inventory and approached the door.
The massive stone gate had no keyhole, but I wasn’t worried.
As I brought the key to the door, it vanished with a great rumbling sound—Kugung—and the gate began to open.
A huge cloud of dust billowed out on the wind, revealing the familiar staircase once more.
“…I have to go down again?”
I resented the World Tree for not installing an elevator.
Unaware of my resentment, the World Tree had made one mistake.
She had promised to bear my children in exchange for saving the elves, but she never specified a maximum number.
I’ll have to make at least two or three soccer teams.
It seemed the World Tree’s belly wouldn’t be empty until the day I died.
*
By a tranquil lakeside in a magnificent garden.
A woman with lush green hair was playing, splashing in the water.
With a bright smile, like a child who knew nothing of the world, she ran barefoot along the water’s edge, painting a scene so peaceful it would make anyone smile.
“Your Majesty.”
But the attendant watching from a distance knew.
He knew what a madwoman she truly was.
“Yes? Why do you call?”
“…It is time for the execution.”
“Oh! Right.”
Once again, she clapped her hands like a child, and the attendant inwardly vomited with disgust.
The number of her own kind who would die by her hand today was too great to speak of.
“Shall we go, then?”
The attendant recalled a scene from a fairy tale he had read in his childhood.
Like the hero of light who saved everyone.
Please, may a hero who can save us elves arrive in this land.
The Traitor Queen, Resilia
