Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: The Poisoned Root
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"Wh-what do you mean by that?"
The elder Lionel, standing behind Tristan, stammered as he asked the World Tree's spirit in return.
-It's exactly as I said. I'm truly grateful for the long years you've cared for me, but it means I no longer need you to look after me.
The World Tree's calm yet firm words left the elders staring at it with expressions as if the sky had fallen.
"Wh-why is that?! We've only ever done our utmost for you, Lord Yggdrasil!"
-For my sake...
At those words, the World Tree—Yggdrasil's spirit—let out a faint chuckle.
-Yes, that's right. If you were the 'original' ones who once cared for me, you would have firmly believed those words.
It was an enigmatic statement. It implied that the elders' words now could not be trusted.
-Purity has been tainted by greed in your hearts. How could the spirits connected to you not be clouded by impurity as well?
"!"
The World Tree claimed that greed had taken root in the elders' hearts. Only then did I grasp the full picture.
If Faulro still held absolute authority as in the ancient histories, the elders would never have dared to step forward with such ambitions.
But with Faulro deposed and young Millia taking his place...
As elders—no, as adults—they must have felt the desire to seize power. After years of seclusion, they yearned to emerge and claim their rewards.
The top-grade spirits under the Six Great Elders had toiled to manage the fading World Tree. They were mentally linked to the elders.
Thus, the greed born in their hearts had influenced the World Tree through those spirits.
In other words, the World Tree's renewed withering wasn't due to trade with Banten.
It was because of the elders' desires to break free from seclusion.
"Th-this...!"
Was it the shock of having their entire lives denied? The elders forgot even about chasing us away, their faces flushed as they fled the spot.
Yggdrasil's gaze, which had watched the departing elders in silence, now turned to me.
-Was it you who called me?
"No, it wasn't me who called you."
-I see. Then... that human woman. Ah, yes. I sense Karma's scent on both of you. His disciples, I presume. Indeed, otherwise you wouldn't possess the shell of my seed.
"Well, that's not why I gathered everyone here, but... is it really okay to just let them go like that?"
At my question, the World Tree sighed and replied.
-Everything is karma of my own making. They've served me in seclusion for so long. Isn't it right to give them a final push so they can retire freely now?
So, it had deliberately rebuked them to let the long-suffering elders retire in peace. I understood the World Tree's profound intent. But intent was one thing, and this situation another.
'If you just wither away like this, those stubborn folks will never back down.'
Cutting off trade with humans was a direct challenge to Millia's authority. If they truly craved power, they couldn't fail to see this through.
Failing to seize the initiative first would lead to endless concessions afterward.
Thus, unless we resolved the issue of the fading World Tree—the very pretext they clung to—their interference would continue.
"Since you've already manifested, why not just tell us? What's the real reason you're withering?"
At my question, Ash snapped out of her daze. This was the first time the World Tree had ever manifested. If we could uncover this reason, we might not only halt the withering but perhaps even restore it fully.
-The reason for my withering? Yes, as Karma's disciples, there's no reason to withhold it from you.
As expected, there was some cause. It wasn't mere natural aging. No one had ever heard of an ancient tree like the World Tree simply withering away.
-Take a closer look at the roots.
The World Tree's spirit pointed to its own roots—the part Rampang had mentioned was being gnawed by something.
Unlike the overflowing vitality of the World Tree itself, the smallest root was pitch black.
It was such a tiny spot that it was easy to miss at first glance, but focusing as instructed, I felt no life from it whatsoever.
No, rather, a familiar toxic aura emanated from it.
"This is...?!"
It resembled the mineral poison Veras had embedded in Karma's body. The energy felt strikingly similar.
-As you know, I am the World Tree. My mission is to govern the natural order of this continent.
Yes, that was common knowledge.
-But because of that, I am infinitely weak to things that defy the natural order. Long ago by human standards, a man came to me, evading the elves' eyes.
The World Tree grimaced, as if recalling the unpleasant sensation from back then.
-The man wished for this world to grow turbid. If such a world was natural, he said it was better for nature itself to cease existing. He abruptly injected me with a lethal poison.
"Hold on. What were the elves doing at the time? They wouldn't have just stood by while their mother-like World Tree was attacked."
-...That man's power was on another level. Stronger even than Faulro, the strongest elf in history.
The World Tree didn't want its beloved children, the elves, to be annihilated. It wished for them to continue living.
-I decided to erase this event from elven history. Otherwise, their descendants would spend their lives in self-blame and regret.
The World Tree said it had endured the man's poison ceaselessly. It judged that no matter how strong the human, his poison couldn't corrupt nature itself. In time, it would be neutralized by the natural order.
-...That was my mistake. I underestimated his poison—his malice.
Contrary to expectations, the World Tree began to sicken gradually. Ever so slowly, bit by bit. But at some point, the proliferating poison accelerated beyond control.
'Just like the properties of Veras's mineral poison.'
-Fortunately, decades ago, Karma visited me and, upon learning of this, cast nature's healing upon me. He extracted the man's malice as a book. Yet even he couldn't remove it all.
At this point, it was no longer surprising. To weave a manual from another's omniscience—merely fragments left in the World Tree, no less.
The fame of the Azure Wing, who soared above the Jade Throne, was no exaggeration. If anything, it was understated.
-With Karma's aid, as long as the top-grade spirits managed me well, the remaining trace poison wouldn't spread further.
It was a treatment with a condition. The proviso of 'proper management by the spirits.'
"...Now that desire has tainted the elders, proper spirit management is impossible."
-Exactly. So, even if I wanted their care, I can't accept it anymore. The spirits they command are already exposed to their impurity.
There was no helping it then. But knowing the cause meant we could solve it.
I turned to Ash and said,
"Ash, are there other elves in Elunheim who can handle top-grade spirits?"
But at my question, Ash replied with a troubled expression.
"...Top-grade spirits aren't that low-tier. Aside from Her Majesty the Queen who can summon the Spirit King, only the Six Great Elders can summon top-grade spirits. Even I can only manage upper-grade ones at best."
In short, to heal the World Tree, we needed the elders to pull themselves together again.
Damn it. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Why would luck like that come my way?
"Lord Yggdrasil, is there no other way?"
-There... is one other method, but...
The girl, the World Tree's spirit, scratched her cheek awkwardly.
No, what was there to be awkward about? Just fix it already!
"Hoping those elders come to their senses isn't realistic, so we have to go with the alternative. What is it?"
-...Cut away the source of the poison.
"......"
For a moment, my brain refused to process the information.
"Uh... so what you're saying is..."
Swish!
The spirit pointed to its withered root.
-Remove this poisoned root. But this root has been poisoned by the man's toxin for ages and has escaped my mental control. It is now dominated by that man's psyche.
Why did it feel increasingly ominous with every word? Shaking off the foreboding, I pressed the spirit.
"...So, how do we remove that root?"
-After severing it, eliminate the manifested psyche of that man. Otherwise, even if cut, his manifested psyche will possess another of my roots. Back to square one.
The manifested psyche of that man. In essence, just as the World Tree's spirit had now manifested, the poison that attacked it had, over time, gained its own entity.
In a word, severing Yggdrasil's root would cause that root to manifest.
From someone strong enough to poison the World Tree itself.
"...By any chance, did Lord Karma refrain from fully removing this poison back then for a reason?"
The Azure Wing, famed as a pure stream and patriarch of the Black Lions. He surely knew this solution. Yet he hadn't chosen it—there must have been a reason.
-...This man's ability is a perfect counter to Karma's. Regardless of realm, back then Karma couldn't suppress the manifested form. Though now, decades later, who knows.
'Damn. As expected.'
From what I'd pieced together, the manual woven from the man who poisoned the World Tree had reached Veras.
Thus, Karma had lost to Veras. And the similar aura from his mineral poison emanated from the World Tree.
'He was said to be stronger than Faulro of old... so at minimum, assume stronger than Veras.'
I glanced at Rampang, gauging our odds.
'To take down someone like this, small elite force is best. Even with just Rampang and me, victory isn't guaranteed.'
We mustn't forget that in the past, both Karma and Rampang fell to Veras.
Meaning a clear matchup disadvantage against Veras.
'...If worst comes to worst, we'll have to drag Faulro in.'
Of course, that was the last resort. Persuading the elders was far safer and simpler than excising the poison.
Healing the World Tree mattered, but the war with the Empire was my immediate priority.
There was no need to risk losing potentially vital allies in that war just to heal it.
'Persuade the elders first.'
The odds were low, but if we could convince them to resume managing the World Tree via spirits as before, all would be well.
Ash, Rampang, and I left the World Tree's spirit behind and headed back to Elunheim's heart.
No matter that we'd learned the full story first, this was still elven land—Elunheim—not Banten.
First, we needed to report to Millia and hear her thoughts.
However, there was one thing none of us had considered.
Even if desire had tainted them, the elf elders' reverence for the World Tree was genuine.
And they possessed spirit affinities high enough to command top-grade spirits.
The World Tree's body was under those top-grade spirits' care, and those spirits had affinities so strong that, upon learning the truth belatedly, they would privately inform their contractors.
At that moment, we hadn't considered it.
Nor the consequences this small oversight would bring.
"I see."
-Indeed, Tristan. Lord Yggdrasil is currently afflicted by poison.
The top-grade wind spirit, Jin.
Jin informed its contractor, Tristan, of the conversation between the World Tree and the humans.
Jin knew its contractor was consumed by desire, clouding its own energy, yet it didn't give up.
It hoped Tristan and the other elders would mend their hearts and focus solely on tending the World Tree once more.
Jin believed that the Tristan it had watched and shared time with would make the right choice.
Indeed. Seeing Tristan's sparkling eyes, Jin felt relieved.
It thought its contractor would finally come to his senses.
"Then... if we remove Lord Yggdrasil's poison, no one will stand in our way anymore, right?"
-......?!
"You've done well, Jin. I won't forget your merit. You're truly the best partner."
Unfortunately, Tristan's sparkling gaze was fixed in a direction utterly opposed to Jin's hopes.