Chapter 412
Chapter 412
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 412
Chapter Title: The Savior of the Elves, Cardi
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The Savior of the Elves, Cardi.
The sole elf who remembers the ancient era—the so-called Golden Age—and to the elves living today, a savior and benefactor of sorts. No one on Yggdrasil doesn't know this silver-haired elf.
From a very young age, they had encountered the great savior through fairy tales, plays, and history books. The elves' benefactor, whom King Orbel praised until his mouth wore out.
And now, that great savior had returned to the World Tree.
"This lowly Mairya greets the great ancestor!"
As countless elves bowed their heads toward him, Cardi gave a wry smile. It felt like just yesterday that he had led the young elves away from the burning World Tree.
'How did it come to this so soon...'
They had turned a barren field with nothing but grass into such a thriving settlement. Cardi patted the shoulder of Orbel, who was bowing before him, and murmured softly.
"What's a king like you bowing for so long? You need to keep some dignity."
"What are you talking about?"
Orbel muttered that his own dignity meant nothing before the great savior. But that lasted only a moment; unable to resist the urging to stand, he finally raised his head.
What he saw upon lifting his gaze was the savior's face.
A thousand years ago, as a child, he had to crane his neck up just to meet it... but not anymore. Orbel had grown over the past millennium as well.
"You've grown well."
Cardi said casually.
True to elves, whose growth halted at youthful appearances, the height difference between Orbel and Cardi wasn't great.
"You raised them well."
Cardi glanced at the towering World Tree behind Orbel, then at the multitudes of elves following him. Previously, he had seriously doubted Orbel's qualifications as king and educator after seeing the failed Divine Archer... but this sight dispelled those doubts.
"You've worked hard."
"...I only did what I had to."
Seeing Orbel's expression, as if he might shed tears of emotion, Cardi looked exasperated. He might call him a novice, but he had no desire to watch a thousand-year-old elf bawling with snot and tears.
"Let's go inside and talk. There are too many eyes here. If we stay longer, it'll only get more chaotic."
Elves were still gathering in droves.
At Cardi's words, Orbel nodded vigorously and led him to the king's residence at the heart of the World Tree.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Left alone with Cardi, Orbel poured out story after story. Tales of the life he'd lived over the past thousand years, how he'd strived to uphold the teachings left behind.
"It wasn't easy. Not at all..."
These weren't empty words.
The grown World Tree and the flourishing elven city proved that Orbel had fulfilled his role admirably.
"They call me lofty, noble, the most elven-like, all sorts of things... but I know the truth."
Orbel gave a wry smile.
He wasn't one to speak so casually or smile openly before others... but before Cardi, he made an exception.
"Master, you are the true elf. All this is what you taught us."
Before others, he was a king and ruler bearing the weight of a race, but before Cardi, Orbel was just a disciple. He remembered what Cardi had taught him as a child: elven pride.
"Am I doing well?"
Orbel asked with a wry smile.
Cardi answered curtly.
"If you weren't, I'd have come sooner."
"Ah, true enough."
Not praise, but better than praise.
Orbel smiled contentedly and took a sip of his tea. It was a transparent green liquid the elves called green tea, a healthful beverage.
'Hey, Cardi.'
'The elves you taught make green tea so well, so why do you only make this torture-drink knockoff? Be honest. You just suck at it, right?'
Raniel's voice echoed in his ear.
Cardi narrowed his eyes and lifted the teacup before him. He took a sip. The moment the green tea touched his tongue, his eyebrow twitched.
"...Orbel. This stuff."
"Ah, the green tea?"
"Yeah. Did you brew it the way I taught?"
Orbel nodded with a bright smile.
"Of course. Green tea is the elves' traditional drink, isn't it? Preserving ancient culture is the duty of later generations."
...Brewed the same way, so why does this taste good?
"...You're preserving it well. It's 'almost' like mine."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Unable to say it was 'exactly' the same due to his conscience, Cardi drained his cup.
"Oh, that reminds me."
In the midst of their conversation, Orbel clapped his hands as if struck by a thought.
"There are two people healing at the World Tree's roots right now, right? Your acquaintance's comrades."
"Yeah. What about them?"
"Those two were the hero and saintess of the previous generation, weren't they? Now stripped of their holy power and starlight..."
Cardi nodded.
"They lost their powers as hero and saintess. Passed on to the next generation. Why? Is there a problem?"
"Well..."
Orbel trailed off and snapped his fingers.
An elf appeared from somewhere, placed a report on the table, and vanished.
"We're maintaining the sanctuary periodically, and there's been some odd phenomenon. It doesn't harm the sanctuary, but..."
Orbel said.
"We don't know what it is."
He tapped the report lightly.
It described a sword hanging on the sanctuary wall, with strange energy rising from it.
"It's not starlight. Not holy power either. Yet it resonates with the magic tools that react to holy power... It's not a big issue, but I thought I should mention it."
Cardi, glancing at the report, muttered.
"That energy. Was it ashen-colored by any chance?"
"Oh. How did you know?"
Orbel murmured that as expected of his master and added.
"According to the child managing the sanctuary, it looked like ash flying up. Like snowflakes of soot filling the room. Do you know something?"
Ash, soot...
Cardi chuckled unwittingly.
"Hard to explain... but it's harmless. No need to worry."
"If you say so, Master..."
As Orbel nodded, Cardi stared at his empty teacup with a wry smile. Beneath the drained cup lay the green tea dregs.
Dregs left in an empty cup.
Cardi gazed at it for a long while.
2.
The stone coffin where Kyle lay.
Leaning against it, Raniel let out a long breath. Three years had already passed since that day. Glancing sideways... Kyle's sword hung on the room's wall.
No longer a holy sword.
Even so, it was a famed blade that had absorbed starlight for ages, capable of devouring most rare metal swords.
'...And it wasn't just starlight.'
It had held both starlight and shadow.
Looking at that blade stirred old memories, and Raniel rubbed her chest. She vividly recalled her heart pierced by it.
"Hoo..."
With a sigh, Raniel turned to gaze at Kyle sleeping peacefully in the coffin. Cracks still marred his body, but...
"Much better than at first."
When they had just defeated him, he seemed like he'd crumble at a touch. Raniel still remembered the 'crunch' instead of a 'squish' when she prodded his side with her foot while talking.
She glared at Kyle, sprawled comfortably, then shifted her gaze.
There lay a woman with harlot-like... no, cherry blossom-hued hair, eyes closed. The saintess, Sara. She had played a key role in saving Kyle, who had become the Heaven-Defying Sword.
Half-submerged in water, eyes shut with a faint smile, Sara looked straight out of a church mural.
"Only after losing her saintess powers does she..."
Start feeling like one.
Her rippling pale pink hair in the water, her serene, benevolent expression—something about it felt holy. Raniel clicked her tongue.
"......"
Despite the distance between them, they had stretched out to clasp hands. Watching them intertwined felt off. Filthy couple. While someone else was rolling in battlefields.
She claimed zero interest in romance, but after thirty years—no, twenty-six years—as a singleton 'Lania,' it was enough time to feel twisted by such couples.
"Hey, aren't you guys uncomfortable like that?"
Raniel muttered as she stood.
"Must be uncomfortable, right? Yeah?"
The sleepers wouldn't answer.
Taking the silence as affirmation, Raniel reached out, determined to pry their clasped hands apart. The moment she gripped Sara's fingers...
Slap!
The World Tree root binding their hands whipped out like a lash. Not strong, but enough to make a sharp sound.
"......"
Raniel rubbed her hand.
It didn't hurt, but it soured her mood.
Glare at the wriggling root as she rubbed— it rippled again, as if saying 'don't mess around, get lost' or 'what are you staring at?'
"Fuck..."
Raniel grumbled with a pout.
"Filthy couple..."
Never intended to separate them anyway.
Just testing. Muttering that, she sighed and awkwardly turned, perching on the stone coffin.
"I'm heading out soon to subjugate the heretics."
A soliloquy.
"Alkeia subjugation in six months. Finally buttoning the first one. 'Starting is half the battle,' and here it might really be half."
The moment the heretics fell.
That's when the turning point would come.
"Gonna be busy for a while."
And, Raniel murmured.
"I'm keeping our promise. Took your title of strongest hero, the ideal hero, perfect hero—all of it."
So many names.
"Means I'm carrying out what you entrusted."
She was done.
Raniel stood with a grunt.
"'Live well and eat well' would fit perfectly right now."
Gazing at the two recuperating peacefully, she smirked.
"But you're already doing too well. Saying it would just hurt me."
Half-joking, as she moved to leave—Raniel's senses caught something. Her head whipped around. Her gaze fixed on Kyle's sword.
Hanging on the wall.
From it, Raniel sensed something odd.
'...The starlight's gone, though?'
The sword had lost its starlight and all properties.
Just a famed blade now—nothing should emanate from it. Yet moments ago, she had felt something.
"......"
She stared for a while, but nothing more. Just an illusion? Raniel tilted her head and walked away.