Would You Like to Try It?
After closing the Dark-stained Scent Box that held Baekya’s tears, the healing power began to spread slowly.
At the same time, Rune squeezed the Green Dragon Elder’s scale he had received from Rand.
Feeling a bit odd. I’m strangely tense.
Rune recalled the night’s sacred meeting.
***
In the moonlit garden of the Elf Royal Palace, the tip of Rune’s feet moved as if on a night walk.
A brown-haired Rand sat in a pavilion made of white pillars.
Ktak.
When their eyes met, Rand moved only the tip of his chin to signal Rune to sit on the opposite seat.
Once Rune sat down, Rand stared at him with deep eyes for a long time.
“……I will restore the World Tree. Please help me use the Forest Seal skillfully.”
It seemed he had no intention of exchanging pleasantries.
Rune nodded lightly in response to Rand’s words.
“Yeah. And I’ll handle things for the elves too.”
“Hmm.”
Rand let out a casual snort and loosened his posture.
“I heard from Christina, but it’s amazing. The dark clan that can control the power of the forest.”
Rand, staring at Rune with mixed eyes, placed his hand on the table and opened his mouth.
“You wanted to handle the Forest Seal well, right? Let me see the seal first.”
“Okay.”
At Rand’s words, Rune brought both hands together and pulled out the Forest Seal.
Even in the darkness, it glowed green with fresh flowers, leaves, and branches blooming vibrantly.
A small and strong power inside it flickered.
Rand, who had been staring at the seal for a moment, showed a self-mocking smile.
“You removed the curse. Impressive work.”
“……Thank you.”
It sounded like a compliment, yet it felt strangely unsettling.
As expected, Rand opened his mouth again with a remark Rune had never expected.
“Hmm… I never thought I’d have a successor in this way.”
Rand fixed his gaze on the jade-green shimmering light.
Rune blinked at the words he heard.
“Successor?”
Rand answered as if it were obvious.
“Having my Forest Elder Seal, you are my successor.”
The statement wasn’t wrong.
But to Rune, who had only known how to handle dragon magic to a limited degree, it was sudden.
Rune tilted his head slightly, showing his intent.
“Rand. Be honest. What are you thinking?”
Instead of avoiding the suspicious gaze, Rand crossed his arms and gave a more intense stare.
“From what Christina told me, a demon of lust and greed planted its eyes on you…”
“That’s right.”
Rune nodded simply.
Watching Rune’s positive response, Rand’s lips twisted.
From the almost-smile expression, Rune could read Rand’s true feelings.
“I hate demons.”
As a dragon and the forest clan’s members, and especially the wife and child he had lost to a demon, it was only natural.
No choice but to do this.
Deep anger and sharpened killing intent could be seen in his green eyes.
Rand continued.
“So this is my revenge too. I want to make sure the one who covets it the most doesn’t get it.”
Rune naturally responded.
“So the method is making me your successor?”
“Yes.”
It seemed he had already made up his mind.
But receiving the Forest Seal and being formally named successor were different matters.
Rune pointed out the point he thought Rand was considering.
“I just want help mastering the Forest Seal. I don’t need anything else.”
“Your ambitions could be a bit grander.”
Rand tossed the words out casually, and Rune couldn’t help but let out a snort.
“What ambitions? I’m not even a Green Dragon in the first place. What’s the point of being recognized as the Forest clan’s elder successor?”
Rand, who had been leaning his upper body sideways, stared at Rune carefully.
“It doesn’t matter. As long as you inherit my will.”
“……”
It was light words, but the meaning wasn’t.
The Forest Seal carried the power of growth.
It wasn’t free to wield its power or inherit from the forest clan.
“Just relax, kid.”
Without having to think too hard, Rand shrugged.
But Rune’s thoughts were different.
After a short silence, Rune opened his mouth.
“What do you want?”
Rand showed a faint smile.
“Your eyes are sharp. Just like Christina said.”
He was a deeply insightful child.
Dark clans were somehow like that.
What they held in that mysterious quiet darkness was not easily revealed.
“If you just do one thing I can’t do, that’s all.”
“What?”
Rand’s casual smile made the unexpected words, and Rune answered only much later.
***
After finishing his reflection, Rune narrowed his brows slightly.
Just wait, Rand’s son.
The task he had given would come later.
Right now, it was time to deal with the immediate matter.
“……To especially comfort our sorrow, the one who has been working hard during this time is here.”
Belianus spoke at the perfect moment.
Rune, who had briefly met Perdikion, raised his hand to the black rabbit mask that had an illusion effect.
Timing is right.
Rune began calculating the exact moment in his mind.
“The dragon clan, Rune-nim.”
When Belianus finished his introduction, Rune removed the mask.
Simultaneously, he used teleportation magic to move onto the large tree root that the elves could see.
Woong woong.
The gathered elves started murmuring to each other with uneasy eyes.
Even the elves who had been crying with trembling shoulders from anxious breaths looked up in surprise and saw Rune on the World Tree root.
There stood a young boy who was completely unlike the ferocious dragon they had imagined.
But some recognized Rune and Baekya and whispered among themselves.
“The owner of the young phoenix Baekya……”
“Thanks to that dragon, the security guards and cooks at the castle were saved.”
“He even purified that reservoir far away……”
Although elves who held resentment toward dragon clans, thanks to the rumors spreading over the past few days and Baekya’s achievements, Rune’s evaluation had become quite favorable.
I wonder if they would still think that after hearing my story.
Rune picked up the amplification magic device he had received in advance from Belianus.
And he spoke calmly.
“I won’t say long words. I will save the dying World Tree.”
The murmuring grew louder.
They revered and followed the mother World Tree.
Just by looking, the old gnarled bark peeling away was obvious, so they could see that the tree’s condition was poor.
Better to see with your own eyes.
Rune placed his hand on the enormous tree pillar.
Swish!
The Forest Seal rose between the tree and Rune, carrying the forest’s scent.
At that perfect timing, Christina’s blessing magic activated.
A ring of light appeared around Rune and the World Tree.
Golden threads and light particles began to flow gracefully around them.
It was an irresistibly beautiful sight that drew everyone’s gaze.
“It’s pretty……”
In the moment when most elves looked up toward the light.
Grumble grumble!
The World Tree shed its old bark.
And instead of gnarled, it began to regain its original white, pure color.
Crack!
With Christina’s blessing and the Forest Seal.
And
“Rebirth.”
Rune’s Word of Power whispered.
The decayed flesh and cells that had been eaten by the demon began to revive anew, guided by the forest’s scent and the Word of Power.
“Look at that!”
An elf who had been blankly looking up following the light pointed with his index finger at a World Tree branch.
“Fruits. The World Tree’s fruits!”
“Fruits? I’ve never seen anything like it before!”
A faint forest scent wafted from the tree, and enormous fruits overflowing with life force began to hang densely.
“Hah!”
The elves couldn’t close their mouths.
Rune smiled inwardly at the result of combining all his attributes and the revival ability he possessed.
Good.
Because the fruit’s scent was so sweet, some elves involuntarily swallowed their saliva.
“The smell is too delicious……”
It really felt like the body was healing just from the fragrance.
And Heungmi poked her head out onto the tree.
“I’m ready, Heungmi!”
“Good. Throw them one by one.”
“Yes!”
Swish swish.
Heungmi shook her fox tails and raced along the branches like a squirrel.
And she arrived at the lower branches where large fruits were hanging, sniffing with a twitching nose.
“Mmm. It smells so good.”
Heungmi quickly grabbed one fruit and looked down.
“I’ll throw it, Rune!”
Clang!
At some point, Dullahan with a large net in hand was waiting below the tree.
Heungmi threw the fruit exactly where Dullahan was.
“Yup!”
Whoosh—
Rumble!
Dullahan caught each enormous fruit steadily.
And he began stacking the fruits into large baskets.
Rune looked around at the elves.
“These fruits are what your World Tree made for you elves.”
The elves perked up their long ears and listened intently.
Without even that, Rune’s words were very persuasive thanks to the Dark-stained Scent Box’s effect.
Rune continued.
“It contains the World Tree’s wish for you to survive. And its taste and effects too.”
Clang clang.
Dullahan approached the elves carrying baskets full of fruits.
A dark and giant Dullahan was not the type to evoke friendliness even with empty words.
Yet he made the elves relax, thanks to Rune’s invitation to “eat” and the words coming from the weapon hanging on Dullahan’s back.
Come on! Cheap! Even cheaper than free! This is giving you a panacea! Quick, auntie, come try it~
It was an incredibly chaotic weapon.
This is really good! I can’t explain with words how inviting these super-large fruits are! You elves who came here are so lucky!
A quiet guard handed one fruit over with a large hand, and an oblivious elf looked around.
“Eh?”
Many pairs of eyes watching him.
For the elf feeling a strange pressure, Rune quietly encouraged him.
“Want to try?”
“Ah, no… I’ll try…”
In the end, swept up by the atmosphere, the elf bit into the fruit.
Glug!
“Huuuup!”
The sweet taste of the fruit juice and flesh filling his mouth was heavenly.
With the flower scent of the Heavenly Realm and the feeling of tasting the fruit at once, he was lost in ecstasy.
Eh? That Lira over there is my childhood crush… and she’s coming to kiss me?
When the elf who had extended his lips as if enchanted opened his eyes.
“Hah!”
The fruit he had thought was his first love’s lips was gone, all swallowed into his mouth, leaving only the pit.
“Huh, when did he eat it all?”
Only the remaining fruit scent in his two hands proved the trace.
A strange power surged, and his skin felt taut, so the male elf unconsciously touched his face.
“No, what happened to this?”
And such elves were not only one.
“I, I didn’t even realize I ate them all!”
“Hic… ugh. It feels like something inside me has been forgiven……”
These were those who stood in a place of sorrow and mourning, or who carried the guilt of harming someone.
They all received the fruits from Rune and ate, and each one received comfort for the pain they had hidden in their hearts.
Some felt relieved of guilt.
Some felt deep sadness.
Others felt like they no longer had a reason to live.
It was the power of the World Tree’s wish to save the elves and the healing power made to comfort those whose hearts had been wounded.