Chapter 40
Chapter 40
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Chapter 16: Benefactor of the World Tree (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hidden Blade."
In the corner of the vast tent swallowed by darkness, an assassin clad in black appeared.
He quickly scanned the pitch-black interior of the tent, where not even a sliver of light could be found. Spotting the black afterimage soon enough, he bowed his head politely.
"Report."
"It has been confirmed that the 5th Prince has entered elven territory."
"How many attendants does he have?"
"We couldn't confirm the exact number, but it's definitely a small group."
The Hidden Blade, Haelson, narrowed his eyes sharply at the assassin's report from within the black afterimage.
"Didn't we attach surveillance the moment he entered the Blue Forest? How could we not know?"
The assassin's body trembled slightly at the dissatisfied voice.
"It seems one of the 5th Prince's attendants is an exceptional guide. Our man couldn't keep up at all."
He knew it was just an excuse, but he had no choice but to say it.
The Hidden Blade, Haelson, nodded, but he wasn't entirely satisfied with the result. Hidden by the black afterimage, the assassin couldn't read his expression.
Haelson's face was twisted in a grotesque scowl, so it was perhaps fortunate that the afterimage concealed it.
"Fine, we'll let that slide."
"I apologize."
"No need for apologies. Your incompetence is already proven. If you can't make up for it, there won't be another chance."
The assassin swallowed dryly at Haelson's words. The air felt oppressively heavy.
He desperately wanted to escape this stifling tent, but there was still more to report.
"We have additional intelligence on the elven village."
"Report."
This time, it should be worthwhile, Haelson thought.
"The World Tree's barrier has begun reactivating, but it's weaker than before. Our mage assures us it can be destroyed."
The report from the assassin was satisfying, unlike the previous one.
The Philius Empire's 2nd Prince has done better than expected.
A cold smile crept across Haelson's lips beneath the black afterimage. If the barrier was weakening, it meant the World Tree's corruption was severe.
The puppet is handling things better than anticipated.
Deneb Philius, the 2nd Prince of the declining empire, was nothing more than a puppet. He'd received the method to corrupt the World Tree from them. He was no ordinary man, but the shadows conspiring in the darkness were too vast and deep for him to escape his fate as a marionette.
"How long will it take?"
"It won't take long."
"Be more specific."
"A week at the latest."
Haelson slowly nodded with a satisfied expression at the assassin's report.
"Everything is prepared perfectly, I assume?"
"Yes. The mercenaries prepared by the 2nd Prince will lead the charge. Even if we're exposed, it'll look like just another case of greedy mercenaries hunting elves."
"Not a bad plan."
"The results will be good too."
"We must do our utmost to satisfy Them."
Haelson spoke in a dry voice. The assassin nodded and replied.
"We will give it our all." ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While secretive schemes unfolded in the shadows, Raymond was crossing the barrier into the village with the elves. Unlike their first encounter with the elven patrol, no volley of arrows rained down, but Desia and Gestain remained on high alert.
"Time is short, so I'd like to meet the elder right away."
"The procedure..."
"It's possible."
The elf squad leader guiding them through the village furrowed his brow at Raymond's words, about to interject, when Silvia suddenly stuck her head in.
Perfect timing. A moment later, and he'd have faced Gestain's piercing glare. And who knows? His name might have ended up in the loyal guard captain's secret diary.
"I'll guide you to the elder."
Though Silvia carried high elf blood, she hadn't awakened yet, so an elf elder managed the village. Moreover, she'd been away from the village for so long under the 2nd Prince's threats that she wasn't fully up to date on current affairs.
"The elder is at the village hall."
Another elf approached and reported. Silvia nodded and started walking ahead.
On the way to the village hall, Raymond's eyes darted around, taking in the village's state.
He'd heard there had been a battle with the 2nd Prince's men inside the village, and it must have been fierce—traces of devastation lingered here and there.
No bodies remained, but the bloodstains and un cleared rubble from collapsed buildings showed the clash had happened very recently.
"This is the village hall."
Silvia stopped in front of a wooden building that wasn't intact. Half-collapsed, it was covered in bloodstains and other signs of battle.
Since the 2nd Prince's men lingering in the village had targeted the elder, the fiercest fighting had naturally occurred here.
"I'll send word."
One of the armed elves guarding the main entrance hurried inside. Soon, a male elf in a green uniform emerged from the hall.
"That's the elder."
An accompanying elf whispered.
True to his elven nature, the elder looked far too youthful for his title. Though he'd likely lived centuries, by human standards, he appeared to be in his late thirties.
"Elder..."
Worried about any impropriety, Silvia stepped forward to explain. Fortunately, the Platinum Grass Clan's elder was neither inflexible nor slow to understand.
With the 5th Prince right behind her, Silvia kept her explanation brief, but the elder quickly pieced it together and bowed politely to Raymond.
"Greetings, Your Highness the 5th Prince of the Philius Empire. I hear our patrol was rude, but I humbly ask your generous understanding."
He adopted a humble posture. He had no choice. He'd just heard from Silvia that Raymond knew how to purify the World Tree.
The World Tree was the most vital existence to elves. To purify its withered, corrupted form, bending one's meager pride and bowing one's head was a small price.
"I won't dwell on the past. Report the situation in detail."
This was probably the dozenth time he'd said he'd forgive them. But he couldn't very well snap at someone sincerely apologizing.
As Raymond finished speaking, the Platinum Grass Clan's elder briefly explained what had happened in the village during Silvia's absence.
"The barrier has weakened significantly."
The elder's expression darkened. Silvia cautiously spoke up.
"Enough to worry about intrusions?"
"Yes, miss. A mage knowledgeable in barriers could breach it temporarily."
Silvia's face darkened at the elder's reply. She'd seen the 2nd Prince's men prowling the Blue Forest. If the barrier that had repelled outsiders so far was weakening, and if a skilled mage was among those who'd reached the forest, it was only a matter of time before it fell and the village was trampled.
Now, Silvia's gaze turned to the 5th Prince, Raymond.
The 2nd Prince had unleashed corruption on the World Tree, and the 5th Prince could purify it. It was absurd, but she had no choice but to place her hopes on him.
With the barrier weakening and the 2nd Prince's forces approaching, time was running out.
She didn't dare urge him verbally, but her subtle glances were as good as prodding.
Desia glared daggers at Silvia's behavior, but Raymond let out a short sigh, nodded, and spoke.
"Take me to the World Tree."
He knew how the 2nd Prince had corrupted it, so he could prescribe a treatment without seeing it firsthand.
But insisting on a visual inspection was for plausibility.
Prescribing without checking could invite suspicion or erode trust. It was a wise move.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Silvia's expression brightened.
"I'll guide you."
Silvia led Raymond and his retinue, along with the Platinum Grass Clan's elder, to the back of the village hall. A massive tree loomed before them, but it wasn't the World Tree.
"I'll open the inner barrier."
As expected, the giant tree was merely the gateway to the clan's World Tree. As Silvia calmly scattered mana, the tree split open, revealing a passage to the World Tree. Part of the inner barrier responded to her high elf lineage's mana and parted.
Desia marveled at the novel sight, while Gestain stayed vigilant.
"Follow me."
Silvia and the elder led the way, with Raymond and his group following.
Unlike the somewhat narrow entrance, the interior opened into a vast forest glade. At the center stood the World Tree, its condition visibly poor even to the naked eye.
The tree, which should have brimmed with pure mana, now exuded a murky aura, and the pool it cradled was polluted, nearly black.
"The corruption is severe."
For plausibility and dramatic effect, Raymond muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear as he approached the World Tree.
His confident stride halted before the blackened pool.
They definitely used that from the setting guide.
After possessing 5th Prince Raymond's body and navigating various events, variables had begun to emerge, but most settings remained unchanged.
The substance used for the corruption seemed unaltered, matching the descriptions in the setting guide and novel.
If so, the purifier was predetermined. Fortunately, the required herbs were abundant around the Platinum Grass Clan's village, per the guide.
They were common herbs, but no one knew the compounding ratio or method, leaving them floundering despite the solution being at hand.
"Silvia."
"Yes?"
"Crescent Moon's Tear and Night Star. Can you obtain them?"
"They're common herbs around here. Could they really purify it?"
Doubt flickered in Silvia's eyes as she stared at Raymond's back.
She hadn't anticipated that a potion from such ordinary herbs could serve as a purifier.
"The ratio..."
"I'm not telling. I'll make it myself."
Silvia bit her lip slightly at his firm response. She'd momentarily forgotten he was an advanced mage.
"Time is short, so gather them as quickly as possible."
Raymond said. The World Tree's state was dire at a glance.
Silvia nodded slowly, and Raymond spoke with a faint smile.
"We'll discuss payment once the purification begins."
"How much do you need?"
"As much as you can."
"I'll gather as much as possible."
They exited the inner barrier. Having visually confirmed the poor state and staged a diagnosis, there was no need to linger.
Silvia mobilized everyone available to collect the two herbs Raymond mentioned. It took two days to gather the minimum required for the purifying potion. Though 'Crescent Moon's Tear' and 'Night Star' were common nearby, the concentration process demanded large quantities.
"I need basic potion-making facilities. You have them, right?"
Silvia nodded at Raymond's words. Elves were adept with herbs and potion brewing, so they had the basics.
"I'll show you."
It was a small hut on the village outskirts. Inside were the essentials for potion-making.
Raymond sent Silvia away to keep the recipe secret.
He ordered Gestain to guard the hut thoroughly, then began brewing the purifying potion with Desia.
The process was straightforward; even Raymond, uninterested in alchemy, managed easily with Desia's help.
The concentration took a day—exactly as anticipated.
"The potion to purify the World Tree is complete."
These were Raymond's first weary words upon emerging from the hut after a day. Silvia, waiting with Gestain, looked up.
"I'll guide you."
She led them back into the inner barrier with the elder. Raymond approached the polluted pool cradled by the World Tree and unhesitatingly poured the purifying potion.
The effect was remarkable, beyond expectations. The severely corrupted World Tree improved by more than half in just a day.
As rumors spread that the World Tree was being purified, the elves' gazes toward Raymond and his retinue shifted.
No longer wary as before, they now looked on with respect and awe.
"I've come for my payment."
Regardless, before any emotion could swell in Silvia’s heart, Raymond boldly demanded his due.