Chapter 208: I Just Wish Everyone Would Get Lost (2)
Chapter 208: I Just Wish Everyone Would Get Lost (2)
Rewinding time a little…
Immediately after Patrick emerged from the World Tree.
The moment Patrick stepped outside, he was startled for two reasons.
One was the traces of battle felt from afar.
He didn't know the details, but he knew he had to rush there immediately.
And the other was…
"What? What's going on now?"
Even the unflappable Patrick couldn't help but be flustered.
The World Tree had been radiating power, emitting light from its entire body, but immediately afterward, the light faded rapidly, and the entire tree began to wither.
As if it had consumed the last of its strength, the World Tree withered at an alarming rate.
Sensing that this was no ordinary occurrence, Patrick quickly reached out toward the tree.
Whether it would work or not, he intended to inject his Ki into it as an emergency measure. However…
[It is alright.]
The World Tree pushed back Patrick’s Ki and conveyed its will to him.
[I told you, did I not? I am no god. I am merely a single tree created at the dawn of time.]
"But if you're gone, the elves will be in trouble!"
At Patrick’s urgent words, the World Tree replied.
[I am but a single tree. When the time comes, I simply wither and return to the earth. However…]
"..."
[I was able to leave behind a seed before withering, so that is enough. My children will live on, using the new World Tree as their pillar.]
Only then did Patrick realize the true nature of what he had received from the World Tree moments ago.
"You want me to plant your seed?"
No further answer came.
All life force within the World Tree vanished.
Before his eyes stood only an ancient tree that had once been the greatest entity in this world.
* * *
"And that is how I came to possess the seed of the World Tree."
As Patrick spoke, he revealed a brilliantly glowing golden seed resting on his palm.
A light the size of a small walnut shimmered radiantly in his hand.
This was the seed of the World Tree.
The seed meant to grow the next World Tree.
It was the hope left behind by the World Tree for the elves.
"Oh… Ohhh…"
"Ah… Ahhh…"
"O World Tree…"
That brilliant and noble hope shone resplendently in Patrick Schneider’s hand.
In Patrick Schneider’s.
Hand.
Having assessed the situation, Matthew thought with a satisfied smile.
The elves are screwed.
Matthew felt sincere pity for the elves.
* * *
Patrick had become the World Tree.
How much tragedy and how grim a future this would bring to the elves was a matter for later…
The important thing was that the elves now had a focal point.
The elves, who had been little more than a disorganized rabble until then, immediately went to Patrick and pleaded earnestly.
"So, you're asking me to lead you all?"
"Yes. That is correct, Great World Tree."
"Please, lead us as one."
"Only you can do this, Great World Tree."
The elders of the surviving elven tribes gathered before Patrick, bowing their heads deeply in respect.
At that sight, Patrick gave a satisfied smile and said, "Well, leading people and guiding them toward the right path happens to be both my specialty and my hobby. You could even call me a consummate professional."
That was a complete load of bull.
Whether in the past or present, there was only one path this man ever led anyone down.
The Path of Hell.
Dragging both enemies and allies into it had been his specialty since his days as the Radiant Dragon Hero.
His companions, listening from the side, agonized over how to save the elven race from this horrific crisis.
What do we do? If it goes on like this, they’re going to be utterly ruined.
There’s no way that guy will let go of power once he’s got his hands on it.
Poor elves. They’re going to be squeezed dry until every last cent is gone.
But then…
"However, I’m afraid I must refuse."
Surprisingly, Patrick rejected the elves' proposal.
His companions stared at him with wide eyes, and Patrick shrugged as he spoke.
"I have too much to take care of right now. Unless I have two bodies, looking after the elves as well is impossible."
Patrick’s words left his companions in shock.
"What? Has he gone crazy?"
"I considered many possibilities, but I never imagined this."
"Is he a fake?"
"Princess, try pulling his cheek."
"Why? If you want to do it, do it yourself."
"I’ll die if I do."
Patrick glanced at his whispering companions before continuing.
"No matter how much I’ve inherited the will of the World Tree, I am fundamentally human. It is impossible for someone like me to lead you all. Therefore…"
Patrick bowed his head politely and said, "I am sorry, but I must decline your offer. Please understand."
It was a polite but firm refusal.
This only made the elves more desperate.
"O World Tree! Are you going to abandon us?"
"You are the World Tree. Please lead us."
"Please… I beg of you…"
"If you are going to abandon us like this, then please, just take my life instead."
The elves were truly desperate.
The time during which the World Tree had been dying had been like hell for them.
Now that a new World Tree had descended to liberate them from that hell, the World Tree was rejecting them?
There is nothing more cruel than giving hope only to take it away.
At this moment, their despair was beyond words.
To those elves, Patrick gave a small smirk and said, "If I were to lead you, I would have to spend the rest of my life here in Evergreen. But I have a home, and I have work to do there."
"Ah… I see…"
"O World Tree…"
To the grieving elves, Patrick spoke firmly.
"Therefore, I cannot stay here for your sake."
"If I may ask, where is your home…?"
"Ah, before that, let’s get the titles straight. I’m not the World Tree; I’m Patrick. Understood?"
"Yes. We understand, Lord Patrick."
"And to continue what I was saying… my home is, well…"
Patrick pulled a map from his robe and spread it out before the elders.
"It’s a small territory in the Atronia Kingdom, located in the southeast of the continent. It’s the Schneider Barony, a small fiefdom bordering the Great Forest."
"The Great Forest."
"Such a treacherous place…"
Even the elves looked troubled at the mention of the Great Forest. But Patrick continued, pretending not to notice.
"I intend to return home and develop the Great Forest so that my people can live in peace, free from the threat of monsters."
"You mean to develop the Great Forest?"
"I must. I’ve already made many preparations for it. I’ve collaborated with the Tower of Truth and received official approval from His Majesty the King."
"..."
"So, I must return home and do what I have to do. I hope you elves can understand my position."
Patrick politely declined while explaining the necessity of his departure from the forest.
Watching Patrick’s courteous behavior, Matthew thought to himself:
What kind of scam is this bastard trying to pull now?
As an expert in 'Patrick-ology,' Matthew’s intuition was tingling.
The unnecessarily polite and formal tone.
The subtle insertion of situational explanations.
Above all, the fact that words within the realm of common sense were coming out of that devilish mouth.
These were Patrick’s typical habits when he was about to con someone.
Then Patrick spoke.
"Then, I shall leave the forest in the near future. I pray that the future of the elven race will be prosperous."
And the moment Patrick actually stood up from his seat…
"We will help you, Lord Patrick!"
One of the elven elders shouted.
The eyes of the other elders focused on him, and the elder who had spoken said with a determined expression, "We will also join you to help with your goal of developing the Great Forest. When it comes to matters of the forest, no race can match us elves."
At that, the other elders hurriedly spoke up.
"Are you mad? Do you not know what kind of place the Great Forest is?"
"Are you saying you will lead our people into that land of death?"
In response to the other elders, the one who had spoken grew indignant.
"Then are you saying we should just let the one who carries our World Tree go into that dangerous land alone?"
The expressions of the surrounding elves changed.
When Patrick, who had become the World Tree, said he was leaving, their despair had been so great that they hadn't thought of what came next. But thinking about it calmly…
"Even if it were the Demon World rather than the Great Forest, shouldn't we elves be by the World Tree's side? Am I wrong?"
The other elders' hearts wavered at those words.
"He has a point."
"Even if it were a place worse than the Great Forest, we must follow."
"Indeed. This is the duty of our race."
Following those words, more and more elves began to argue that they should migrate to the Great Forest with Patrick.
At that sight, Patrick waved his hands as if troubled and said, "This is quite pff— difficult."
It sounded like a strange noise had slipped out in the middle…
Patrick looked toward the elves with a face full of sincere apology and said, "I have nothing to give you. If you say you will help me for free, I won't know how to repay this kindness. How can you try to place such a great debt upon me?"
Wow…
Woooow…
Woooooow… that bastard.
His companions were speechless.
Right now, that devil was actively utilizing his position as the World Tree to recruit high-quality elven labor for free service.
And what was even more surprising…
"It is fine. We will help."
"No, please let us help. We need no reward."
"That’s right. If it is for Lord Patrick, nothing is too difficult."
…was that it was actually working.
The kind-hearted, pushover elves were rolling up their sleeves, eagerly volunteering to help that devil.
If a real devil were here, he would surely stand up and applaud, praising him by saying, "Watch and learn. That is what true brainwashing looks like."
Patrick looked at the elves with a moved expression and said, "Will you really help me?"
"Of course."
"Just give us the word."
Look at these suckers getting hooked so passionately.
Patrick pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes, though not a single tear fell.
"I understand. In that case, I will also do my best to accept you as residents of my home and help you settle down."
It was subtly decided that the elves would migrate to the vicinity of the Schneider Barony.
"From now on, the elven race shall be true brothers, living as neighbors to our Schneider Barony."
"Lord Patrick!"
"Oh… thank you."
"We will follow you to the end."
It was the moment the final piece of Patrick’s plan to develop the Great Forest clicked into place.
* * *
Though there had been many twists and turns, Patrick, having successfully secured the cooperation of the elves, decided to first organize their structure.
The first thing to do was…
"I am busy and will often be unable to be by your side. Therefore, you need a representative to lead you even when I am not here."
It was this.
Then, one of the elders asked, "Then shall we form a Council of Elders as before?"
"No. Not that."
Are these humans… no, are these elves crazy?
Patrick recalled the Council of Elders he had briefly seen before.
It was a total mess.
A terrible, fragmented political arena where there wasn't even a hint of unified opinion, and everyone just stubbornly pushed their own views.
Creating that again would be madness.
It might be different for humans, but given the passive nature of elves, it was better to have a somewhat centralized power structure. Therefore…
"What you need is a King."
Patrick spoke bluntly.
However, the elves who heard this looked troubled.
A King.
A King of the elves.
They had never even considered such a thing.
"Lord Patrick. In the long history of our elven race, there has never been a single being who could be called a King."
"He is right. That is too radical a proposal. We don't even know if it would suit us elves."
"Even if we were to decide on a King, we wouldn't know who is suitable."
Patrick countered the elders' concerns point by point.
"There is a first time for everything. To be blunt, the current situation—where the World Tree withered and the seed for the future was passed to a human like me—is also unprecedented."
"Hmm…"
"Well, that’s…"
As the elders lost their words, Patrick didn't miss the opportunity and pushed one step further.
"And I have already decided who should be King."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. Since… it would take too long to decide formally."
To be honest, Patrick’s true thought was, If I leave it to you lot, it’ll take ages, so I don't trust you, but he phrased it as diplomatically as possible.
"For now, try trusting the person I’ve designated as a temporary measure. If he does a poor job, you can choose someone else later."
When Patrick went this far, the elders became curious instead.
Just who was he going to recommend?
With the elders' eyes fixed on him, Patrick gazed steadily in one direction.
The person Patrick was looking at was none other than…
"Me… Me?"
It was Elione, whose feelings for Patrick were the most intense among the elves.
Ah… so that’s how he drives the stake in.
Wow, that guy…
Poor elves.
His companions realized Patrick’s wicked plan.
Currently, Patrick’s reputation among the elves was sky-high, but Elione was on another level entirely.
If Patrick ordered, "From tomorrow, all female elves must wear miniskirts," Elione was the type of person who would answer, "Yes, I understand," without a second thought.
He’s setting up a perfect puppet to create a puppet regime and manipulate the elves as he pleases. What a wicked plan.
As expected of a devil.
He’s not even human.
That’s why he’s a devil.
Leaving his companions' whispering behind, Patrick approached Elione. Then, he reached out his hand.
"I want you to become the King of the elves. Kilios."
"Kilios?"
"What?"
"Really?"
Patrick’s choice surprised not only the elders but all the elves watching.
If it had been Elione, it would have been somewhat understandable.
She held the glorious position of an Elven Knight and was a special elf who had received a branch of the World Tree.
If she were to become the Queen of the elves, it would make some sense. But Kilios?
Kilios, who had been standing blankly behind Elione, snapped out of it and spoke.
"Are you… in your right mind, Lord Patrick?"
"Oh, you're using formal speech now?"
"…If it weren't for the World Tree, I really would…"
He was a detestable human who had stolen his precious sister’s heart, but he was also the human chosen by the World Tree.
Thus, Kilios’s feelings toward Patrick were quite complicated.
Patrick didn't mind and said with a smirk, "To dedicate yourself to the defense of your race, you once gave up spirits and devoted yourself to the path of Aura."
"Well, that’s true…"
"And in this conflict, you stood at the forefront more than anyone else, wielding your spear bravely and shedding blood. You even crossed the threshold of death."
"..."
"You have the heart to sacrifice yourself for your people and the courage to fight at the front in any crisis. Well, you still have a lot to learn, but I believe you will make a good King."
"No, what on earth…"
To the flustered and fumbling Kilios, Patrick said, "You don't have to be perfect from the start. No one can be."
At Patrick’s words, which lacked his usual flippancy and playfulness, Kilios couldn't bring himself to talk back or protest.
Patrick said to Kilios, "However, this is a job someone has to do."
"..."
"For the sake of your people."
"..."
Kilios hesitated, unable to answer Patrick’s words. Then…
"Hail to the King."
Elione was the first to move.
She took a step back from her brother and bowed her head respectfully.
And starting with her…
"Hail to the King of our people…"
"Hail to the one chosen by the World Tree…"
"Hail to the brave King…"
The elders bowed their heads.
And following them, countless elves bowed their heads.
There was no uniformity in their oaths.
There wasn't even a minimally plausible procedure.
But every elf present bowed their head with sincerity, acknowledging that their King had been born.
The last of the hesitation within Kilios slowly faded as he heard their oaths.
And Patrick delivered the final blow.
"Now, only your choice remains."
"Lord… Patrick."
"Just try it for now. As you do things head-on, you'll get the hang of being a King."
At those words, Kilios steeled his resolve and spoke.
"I understand. I…"
He looked at all the elves who were bowing their heads toward him.
Now, he had to lead them. Because…
"I shall become the King."
Because he was the King of the elves.
Kilios Evergreen.
This was the name of the first King to appear in the long, long history of the elven race.