Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Guardians of the World Tree (4)
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Inside the World Tree, a space overrun with poisonous moss and thorny vines.
The Mother World Tree, revered by the elves, didn't show only its gentle side. Nature could strip away freedom and peace from those who defied its will. This place was the "Seclusion Chamber," a stark embodiment of that very aspect of the World Tree.
A blond elf boy crossed the corridor.
His appearance was too youthful for a full-grown adult, but his position was far from lowly. He was a Second-Tier Guardian among the "Guardians of the World Tree," the ruling force in elf society—second only to the very top. That status allowed him secret access to this Seclusion Chamber, forbidden to all but those directly involved.
The boy stopped before the bars at the farthest end. Beyond them sat an elf girl, her limbs bound by the World Tree's dark residual roots.
The girl's appearance was unlike that of an ordinary elf. Her gaunt cheeks bore a pale purple hue, her hair was frizzy and bleached, and her eyes were cloudy, as if veiled by cataracts. At a glance, she looked like a corpse long dead.
But she wasn't truly dead. Sensing his presence, the girl lifted her head. The boy softly called her name.
"Lilia."
"……."
"H-how have you been...? I was out on patrol rounds, so I got here a bit late."
"……."
"……Today, I found a cluster of white jade flowers. Just like you said, they were truly beautiful—their fragrance was so intoxicating it nearly made my head spin. I almost ended up burying my nose in them like a butterfly. Oh, and when my subordinates approached, a swarm of colorful butterflies took flight all at once. It was just like a flurry of spring petals scattering through the air……."
The druid boy, Parneo, put all his effort into vividly describing things the girl couldn't see. The secluded girl, Lilia, listened silently to his words.
They weren't siblings or lovers. Just a few months ago, the boy and girl had no connection whatsoever. This peculiar bond began when Parneo accidentally wandered into the Seclusion Chamber.
When Parneo first spotted Lilia, he wondered why a girl his age was imprisoned here so severely. But no matter how much he asked, she wouldn't answer. His curiosity turned to stubborn determination, and he kept visiting persistently until she finally opened up enough to say his name and respond occasionally. He was still the one starting conversations and doing most of the talking.
But today was an exception.
"Lord Parneo."
"……Lilia, someday when you get out of there, let's go see the white jade flowers together……."
"Lord Parneo."
"……If I become a First-Tier Guardian, I could meet the World Tree Keeper directly and plead your case……."
"Lord Parneo, I... I had that dream again today."
"……A d-dream? W-what kind?"
Parneo swallowed hard.
He still didn't know the girl's exact identity. But he was well aware that the dreams she occasionally shared came true with eerie accuracy.
Lilia murmured in a distant voice, her eyes unfocused.
"It was a Great Druid... A dream of a Great Druid coming. It was probably this afternoon... somewhere south of here, in the 'Hesiliad'... He was enormous, covered head to toe in goldironwood bark. His arrival... will bring great upheaval to the entire great forest... And I'll be freed from this place……."
"……!"
Once imprisoned in this Seclusion Chamber, a criminal was never released. Not unless the World Tree Keeper, acting on the Mother World Tree's will, decreed it. That was why Parneo had made becoming a First-Tier Guardian—someone who could meet her directly—his lifelong goal.
And yet, she would be freed just because someone showed up?
"I-is that true? You'll really be released from here?"
"Yes, but... there's one thing you need to be careful about……."
"Wait, this afternoon, south, right? Stay put! I'll go bring him right now!"
"W-wait, Lord Parneo……!"
Parneo bolted out without hearing her out.
His heart pounded wildly. His mind was filled with thoughts of freeing the girl. He generously bribed the Seclusion Chamber guards, who subtly demanded payoffs, then marched straight to the guardian whose turn was next for patrol.
"Lord Belio! This round—no, all patrols for today are mine!"
"……Pardon? Weren't you just on the previous round, Lord Parneo?"
Though he shot a puzzled look, there was no reason to refuse when a superior was taking over a tedious duty. The Fourth-Tier Guardian acquiesced readily and stepped back. Parneo, beaming with unprecedented brightness, led his patrol squad south.
And sure enough, Lilia's prophetic dream came true again.
A foreign presence appeared at the forest's edge. At first, he thought they were intruders. Following patrol protocol, he ordered a preemptive volley of arrows, but Parneo eyed the strangers warily with a prickling sense of unease.
Thwip—thunk! Thwip—thunk! Thwip—thunk!
Then, the moment a figure clad in tree bark emerged from behind a boulder, he reflexively loosed his bowstring—almost on spinal instinct—and shouted to his men.
"That's no human! Not a human! It's a Great Druid! A Great Druid! A noble one has graced us—lower your weapons and pay your respects at once!"
"……A Gr-Great Druid?"
"Great Druid... Ooh, a Great Druid……."
The patrol members had been warned beforehand that they might encounter nobility during rounds.
Amazed that their leader's prediction had hit the mark, they promptly lowered their bows. There was scarcely any doubt, given the figure was cloaked in "goldironwood"—a feat of mimicry extremely difficult to fake. Even those who hesitated skeptically eventually yielded to the pressure and showed proper deference.
The living goldironwood lumbered toward them. Parneo felt a pang of dismay. He should have verified identity first instead of shooting blindly... Praying the noble's mood wasn't too soured, he prostrated himself flat on the dirt alongside his men.
And so, the first words the Great Druid uttered upon reaching the hushed patrol squad were...
"왦 낫덣럷, 댏 듦룷잃듩랅곬 붉릀늖 걹짊."
"“…….”"
...Of course, no one could understand a word of it.
It was getting cumbersome to keep using Duncan as an interpreter. Kadim chewed the leaves Ilenia had left him, then smeared the pulp in his ears.
"……So, why are you calling me a 'Great Druid'?"
"Wha—how did you suddenly understand our language...?"
"Blue-tongue leaves...! Those legendary leaves you just used—they let you commune with all things just by chewing them...?"
"Heavens, I heard they were nearly extinct after the forest spirits vanished, yet you found a whole handful... As expected of a 'Tree Druid' with such incredible detection skills……."
"……."
The elves made a huge fuss over the blue leaves. Thanks to that, Kadim roughly grasped what they were, but the misunderstanding only deepened.
He learned the full story only after meeting their leader. The elf dismissed his subordinates and bowed deeply with utmost courtesy, revealing a face that still held traces of boyish youth.
"I sincerely apologize for the unintended offense, Great Druid. I am Parneo, the 'Black Panther,' Second-Tier Guardian of the World Tree Guardians. We had no intent to harm you—it was simply patrol protocol to strike first upon spotting outsiders...?"
"……."
But one shouldn't judge by appearances. Elves were long-lived beings who outlasted humans several times over. Kadim crossed his arms indifferently and began conversing with the leader, whom he pegged as an old soul in a young body.
The source of their misunderstanding was simple: they'd seen him cloaked in "goldironwood" and assumed he was an extraordinary druid. They'd freak out if they knew it was demonic power at work. Convenient as it was, Kadim saw no need to correct them.
What mattered was this: how to meet Melissa. When the leader inquired about their purpose, he answered bluntly.
"Pardon? M-Melissa... You mean you're here to see the World Tree Keeper?"
"Yeah. She's an old comrade of mine, and we've got a lot to talk about."
"……."
"What, has Melissa stepped out?"
"N-no, nothing like that...?"
Just then, the tattoo's effect wore off, and the bark camouflage peeled away. Without it, Kadim was unmistakably just a burly human.
The patrol squad was thrown into disarray. Their leader, Parneo, was even more so.
The "World Tree Keeper" was the pinnacle of elf society, accessible only to First-Tier Guardians. Even Parneo couldn't approach her freely—let alone some human-looking fellow. The squad members who'd seen the goldironwood disguise were shaken, while those who hadn't would endlessly question if he was truly a "Great Druid."
Yet he couldn't let slip this one hope for freeing the secluded girl. After deep deliberation, Parneo made a proposal.
"Gr-Great Druid, for now, please come with us to our city, 'Hesiliad.' Our guardian Mother World Tree and the World Tree Keeper are both there. She's not easy to meet, but... if you'll wait just a little, I'll find a way somehow...?"
Then he turned to persuade his subordinates to keep quiet. Kadim stared squarely at Parneo's back.
It wasn't a trap. If they meant to kill him, they'd have kept attacking earlier—no need for this elaborate charade. Of course, he'd already snapped World Tree branches and massacred an elf reconnaissance team. Problems might arise later, but...
...To catch a dragon, you have to enter its lair.
He decided to follow the patrol squad. The members eventually yielded to their leader's pressure and persuasion. The elves formed a disciplined escort formation around the VIP. Thus, Kadim and Duncan became the first humans to be guarded by elf patrols as they headed to the elves' city—an unprecedented experience.
How far had they traveled?
As the sun dipped low, they crossed a barrier that subtly concealed the scenery and entered the elven city.
At that moment, Kadim and Duncan beheld the "god of the elves" towering in the city's heart, descended to the earth.
"Gasp! S-sir, th-that tree...!"
"……."
It was, quite literally, the tree that upheld the world.
Its girth encompassed the entire forest and blanketed the horizon. Its height pierced the heavens, reaching the realm of the gods. Mists glowing with sunset hues cascaded like waterfalls from the skies. Even if every tree in the great forest were felled to build an altar, none could rival this tree's majesty—he was certain of it.
Now it made sense. That colossal trunk, dozens of times a man's height, had been merely a single "branch."
No, not even a proper branch. It was among the thinnest twigs at the very tips—only then could it claim to be a "part" of this divine tree.
"Whoa, my god... In all the world, in all the world, Lord Remillion...?"
Duncan couldn't close his jaw, as if his jaw joint had worn out. He'd seen countless spectacles trailing Kadim, but even combined, none compared to this solitary tree.
...Except, perhaps, the colossal hoard of gold and jewels amassed by Yubik Agrámendus, king of the arena.
Kadim was equally stunned, though for different reasons from Duncan.
He'd anticipated the tree's immense scale. But that was something even he hadn't foreseen.
"……?"
The World Tree stood "upside down."
Branches rooted in the earth, roots splayed across the sky. No matter how he looked, the World Tree grew inverted. The sheer vastness of the reversal made it seem as if the entire world had flipped.
A closer look revealed it wasn't growing that way for no reason. The roots spreading through the firmament constricted and sealed something away. Obscured by cloud-like mists, it was hard to see clearly... but that familiar... ominous... chilling darkness creeping over him... this sensation...
As he narrowed his eyes, Parneo cautiously interjected.
"Gr-Great Druid...? I hate to ruin your first impressions of the World Tree, but it might be best to head somewhere less populated first. Since your arrival wasn't announced, it could cause major chaos in the city if word spreads...?"
"……."
Kadim glanced around. Patrol members trying to hide him, other elves peeking curiously. Drawing more attention wouldn't help. He'd inspect the World Tree later and followed the leader's advice for now.
Only in a secluded spot did Parneo dismiss his squad and guide Kadim's group to some lodgings.
A building hollowed from a massive tree stump. Stepping inside filled the air with the rich scent of aged wood. Parneo apologized profusely for the humble quarters. The pair, accustomed to sharing space with forest insects, didn't mind at all.
Before leaving, Parneo promised to find a way to arrange a meeting with Melissa by tomorrow. As Duncan saw him off at the threshold, he asked,
"A-anyway, thank you so much for all your help... But, uh, what should we call you going forward, sir?"
"Oh, just Parneo or Guardian is fine. I'll station a sentry as a liaison shortly, so if anything else comes up, feel free to call on him without hesitation."
"Ah, yes. That's kind of you... But, well, we can't just call you that casually. You look young, but surely you've seen far more springs than us...?"
From rumors overheard en route, Duncan knew the basics about elves. Even those who hadn't fully lost their baby teeth were over a century old, right?
But Parneo tilted his head at that.
"No, it's fine. If we count age by the sun setting and rising three hundred-odd times as one year, I'm only seventeen. You're surely both older than me, so please, call me comfortably."
"……Pardon?"
Duncan stared blankly. Kadim shot him a quizzical look.
The seventeen-year-old elf boy, Parneo, blinked innocently, oblivious to what was wrong.
