Chapter 194: Status (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 194: Status (5)
The Eastern Zone of Greinif.
There, barely touching the borders of the World Tree’s domain and surrounded by massive old trees, stood a single cabin.
Inside the cabin, which looked as if it had merged with the ancient wood, a man and a woman sat facing each other.
One was Philde, wearing a relaxed smile.
The other was Perion, the man who had accompanied her to the Palatio Marquisate.
“Hmm.”
Perion glanced around the interior, recalling the luxurious office where Philde usually stayed, and asked, “Do you always stay here during your vacations, Lady Philde?”
“Well, more or less.”
“Is there a reason you choose to stay here of all places, especially since you’ve gone through the trouble of taking time off?”
“It might not look like much, but it’s quite peaceful,” Philde replied with a smile, resting her chin on her hand. “So, what brings you to see someone who’s on long-term leave to recover from the exhaustion of a business trip?”
“...It’s not as if you were actually tired, was it?”
Perion recalled how she had spent the entire journey to the Marquisate in a state of drunken revelry. However, Philde shamelessly shook her head.
“Not at all. You saw how much blood I spat; how can you say that?”
“That part was certainly true, but... anyway.” Perion cleared his throat before continuing. “The reason I’ve come is simply because I’ve developed a few questions.”
“Questions?”
“Yes. You might not know since you’re here on vacation, but the Marquis of Palatio is currently in our lands.”
“The Marquis of Palatio?”
Philde showed immediate interest at the mention of that name.
“First, let me explain the situation.”
As if he had been waiting for this, Perion began to recount everything that had happened from the moment the Marquis arrived in Greinif until now.
“—And that is how things stand.”
“I see.” Philde nodded slowly. “I’ve got the gist of it. So, what are you curious about?”
Perion hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Didn’t you tell the Queen before? That the reason the Marquis of Palatio—no, the Primordial Elf—couldn’t come to the World Tree was because of the ‘Black Thing’?”
“I did.”
“But the Marquis came to the World Tree. And if the rumors are true—”
“He eliminated the Ash Scatterers in the basement and breathed new life into the rotting World Tree. Right?”
“Yes. Exactly... like the Primordial Elf would.”
Philde shrugged. “Well, then isn’t that that? It just means our assumption that the Marquis was the Primordial Elf was correct.”
“In terms of the conclusion, yes. But there are still things I don’t understand.”
“Like what?”
Perion’s expression turned serious.
“In the end, wasn’t your hypothesis wrong?”
“Which one?”
“The hypothesis that he couldn’t visit because there was something behind him that must never be brought to the World Tree.”
“Hmm, I suppose so.”
“If that hypothesis is discarded...” Perion’s voice trailed off for a second. “Then there’s no reason for him to have stayed away all this time, nor is there any reason for him to continue denying that he is the Primordial Elf, is there?”
Once the dam broke, his questions came pouring out.
“The Queen’s attitude is the same. If the Primordial Elf truly wished for his identity to remain a secret, the Queen would have ensured that his identity remained hidden from everyone except a select few.”
“But instead, the Queen has been subtly hinting to those around her that the Marquis is the Primordial Elf?”
“In addition to that, even after hearing your hypothesis, she didn’t seem to harbor a single doubt when the Primordial Elf finally arrived.”
Perion scratched his head.
“I know my doubts aren’t particularly important. Regardless of why the Marquis denies being the Primordial Elf, he has already proven himself.”
“Hmm.”
“I only came because I was curious.”
Philde immediately grasped the lingering doubt in Perion’s mind.
“To sum it up, this is it, right? The Marquis acted completely differently from what I predicted, yet you’re curious why the Queen can still blindly believe he is the Primordial Elf?”
“Yes,” Perion answered instantly.
Philde let out a light chuckle. “I don’t know either.”
“Pardon...?”
“I said, I don’t know.”
Perion looked flustered. “Oh... is that so?”
“Of course. Why did you think I would know?”
“Well... because you’re the wisest among us? I thought you might at least have a guess as to why the Queen is acting that way...”
“A guess, huh?” Philde hummed thoughtfully. “Well, it’s not like I have nothing. Actually, after the Queen returned from meeting the Marquis, I did have one thought.”
“...Could you tell me what it is?”
“Hmm, what should I do?” Philde gave Perion a mischievous smile. “I like you, but telling you everything would be no fun. I’ll give you one hint.”
“A hint?”
“The ring. Take a close look at the ring the Queen carries with her.”
“...The ring?”
“Yes, the ring. If you do that, you might just understand.”
Perion frowned at the hint. “...Wait, isn't that barely even a hint?”
“No, it’s the decisive hint.”
With those words, she held out a bottle of liquor to Perion.
“What’s this?”
“The price for the hint. I was feeling a bit lonely drinking by myself, so why don’t you be my drinking companion for today?”
Perion stared at the bottle, a realization dawning on him. He suddenly remembered that Philde was an impossibly heavy drinker. This meant that by tomorrow morning, he would likely be so hungover he wouldn't be able to move.
‘...I feel nauseous already.’
He was already dreading the morning.
* * *
A few days later.
Alon prepared to return to the Marquisate immediately. He had finished his business in Greinif, so there was no reason to stay any longer. In truth, he wanted to stay a bit longer to rest and think, but...
“I shall escort you.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Not at all! I insist!”
...Resting was impossible.
Ever since Alon had visited the roots, rumors had apparently spread throughout the entire region. No matter where he went, he was treated with overwhelming, burdensome reverence.
Even now.
Alon felt the weight of it as he looked at Rim. Her eyes were sparkling so brightly it was as if she had plucked the Milky Way from the night sky and tucked it into her pupils.
“...In that case, please escort me only to the border of the territory.”
“As you wish!”
Rim bowed with a radiant smile. Alon found it hard to adjust; he wondered if this was the same cold elf he had met just a few days ago.
“Marquis.”
Evan spoke up as soon as they boarded the carriage.
“What is it?”
“How does it feel to ride in a carriage with such a lowly, mortal body?”
“...You seem to have taken a liking to that phrase.”
“It’s not that I like it; it’s just that I’ve heard it so much from everyone around here that my ears are ringing.”
Alon let out a long sigh.
‘Why do they all look at me with such pity?’
In fact, there was one more reaction the elves had toward Alon: sorrow.
The sorrow that a great and noble elf had been reincarnated as a human who would live barely a hundred years, suffering without receiving proper treatment.
In other words, as Alon moved through the kingdom, he was met with the burdensome weight of respect and awe, but also with gazes of pity and sympathy that were uncomfortable in a different way.
It was thanks to those species-prejudiced(?) gazes that Alon had decided to make a quick exit.
“It’s quite strange to hear them whispering like that right next to me,” Evan remarked.
“Is it?”
“Yes. I’m starting to get confused myself.”
“About what?”
“You aren’t the Primordial Elf, are you, Marquis?”
“I am not.”
Alon nodded without hesitation. In the past, he might have been wary, but there was no need for that now. After all—
Nod!
Even if he denied it, no one would believe him. In fact, Rim was nodding her head with such firm conviction, as if she were ‘playing along’ with his denial.
“Well, I don’t think so either, but...” Evan paused. “Since everyone keeps reacting like that, I’m starting to have my doubts.”
After a moment of silence, Evan asked again, cautiously.
“Marquis. You really aren’t... you know, the Primordial Elf?”
“I am not.”
Despite his answer, Alon sighed softly as he saw the flicker of suspicion beginning to cloud Evan’s eyes.
By the time afternoon arrived, the carriage reached the border.
“Then, we shall bid you farewell here.”
“Very well.”
“I shall look forward to the day we meet again!”
Leaving behind Rim, who was bowing deeply, Alon finally exited the land of the elves.
* * *
Alon headed straight for the Palatio Marquisate. He was supposed to stop by Teria to report to Siyan, but since he had left for Greinif immediately after his birthday, there were still several matters left to handle.
‘Besides, I want to properly research formulas and Status.’
He couldn't explore formulas while traveling since that required facing Kailas, but he had tested his Status a few times on the way back to the Marquisate.
As a result, Alon discovered four facts.
First, the power of the Primordial Elf’s divinity—the Status he had used—was, though he didn't know the specifics, a power that ‘fostered growth.’
Second, he could not yet use any Status other than the green one he had first activated.
Third, using Status consumed physical strength much faster than he had anticipated.
And finally.
Status, depending on the concentration and scale of faith, would return to its original amount or even grow larger after being used.
‘At first, the Green Status was significantly smaller than the others.’
In a state of Contemplation, which had now become quite familiar, Alon observed the Green Status. It had grown large enough to rival the Blue Status before he withdrew from his inner world.
‘Should I talk to Penia about Status? Ah, come to think of it, I have to go to the Magic Society with her.’
While organizing his schedule with Penia—unbeknownst to her—Alon arrived at the Palatio Marquisate.
Not long after his return, he heard that Duke Merkillan was waiting for him. Without even a chance to rest, he went to meet him, and—
“Ha—Hahahaha! It was true!”
“?”
“I, Kurak the Engraved, offer my greetings to the Great One’s friend!”
...He was greeted with an immediate, explosive welcome.
Thud!
The man slammed his head against the floor in a deep prostration.
It was Kurak, the promotional DLC character from Psychedelia.
Duke Merkillan looked just as bewildered as Alon. Regardless of their reactions, Kurak shouted boisterously.
“I greet the friend of the Great One!”