Chapter 215
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Shadow of the Demon Tree
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The World Tree's condition was steadily deteriorating.
Meanwhile, this issue remained unresolved, and his daughter continued to bear this shameful false accusation.
Naturally, it spelled dishonor not just for Triana, but for the entire Trigard family.
They needed a breakthrough to navigate out of this situation.
He had spoken with confidence, but in truth, the cards he held were few.
At that moment, Leon, who had been quietly observing the meeting, slowly stepped forward.
Triana flinched in surprise and reached for his sleeve, then stopped herself.
"A moment, if it won't cause issues, may I speak?"
At Leon's words, some elves showed wariness, while others simply watched him in silence.
"Young Master Leon Cascadia, we were already compromising by allowing you here. Stepping forward further is overstepping..."
"I saw the World Tree's state on the way here. And from observing the roots, I've confirmed something."
Undeterred by their complaints, Leon dropped a bombshell.
"If left as is, the World Tree will wither into deadwood within a month."
BAM!!!
The reaction was immediate.
In an instant, some elves drew their bows, aiming arrowheads at Leon, while others slammed the table and stood up.
The expressions of the elves, including those from the five great houses, were unified in fury.
"Watch your words, young master. There's a limit to indulging humans."
The overwhelming pressure from the enraged elves crushed down on the entire meeting hall.
Triana gasped raggedly and staggered, prompting Oselon to hurriedly wrap her protectively in his arms.
"Young master, please, just a moment..."
"This isn't the time for that."
"What?"
"It's not certain. I won't know for sure until I see it myself. But it resembles the symptoms of infection by the Demon Tree, just a bit."
The World Tree's bastard child. The Demon Tree.
Leon had seen it before.
The heretics had wielded it.
"What would a wretch like you know to spout such nonsense?!"
The head of the Romila house shot to his feet, shouting.
Leon merely shrugged casually and countered.
"Let me ask in return. Do the elves here know anything about the Demon Tree?"
"That's..."
"This isn't mockery; I'm just confirming. Do you know about the Demon Tree? Without verifying that, there's nothing more I can say."
The response came not from the Romila head, but from Oselon.
"No, we don't. The Demon Tree appears only in ancient texts for us elves too; it's never properly manifested."
"That makes this easier, then. A being like the World Tree couldn't be contaminated that quickly by ordinary means. But the Demon Tree is different. It's born harboring hatred for the World Tree from the start."
"Nonsense. The Demon Tree is just a myth. We don't even know if it truly exists..."
The Romila head seized on it, but Leon stood firm.
"A myth? It appeared once, not long ago."
"What... what did you say?!"
The heads of the other houses recoiled in shock.
"Not long ago, I helped subjugate a Kraken in the Pascalia Empire. At that time, the heretics deployed the Demon Tree."
"That... that monster actually exists?"
Seeing their wide-eyed stares, it was clear they truly had no idea.
"It's just a possibility. But the Demon Tree definitely exists. To corrupt a colossal being like the World Tree, it would require something equally immense—or the Demon Tree."
"How do you know so much about it, young master?"
At an elf elder's question, Leon replied.
"Does that really matter?"
"We could suspect you. You know the Demon Tree so well; maybe you're the one who used it to corrupt the World Tree."
Oselon scowled at the words.
"Is that something to say right now...?"
"It's fine, Lord Oselon. Nothing's confirmed yet, and since you're refusing to let me near the World Tree, I'll just ask about a few symptoms here."
"Go ahead."
"Just before the contamination began, was there ash-like gray dust scattering over the World Tree's surface, like volcanic ash?"
The elves reacted. Some trembled visibly.
"Yes, there was. And when the World Tree's contamination started, did a large amount of black liquid pour down near the root tips?"
Seeing their startled expressions again, Leon felt certain.
"Looks like it matches. It's a common symptom in trees infected by the Demon Tree. It's a bit surprising even the World Tree shows similar signs. I'm thinking something weakened it first... but I can't confirm without seeing it up close."
"The World Tree felled by a mere seed of evil...?"
The elf elders' faces were filled with confusion.
"If what you say is true, the World Tree should have faced this contamination risk multiple times already! If the Demon Tree exists, it must have in the past, even if not now!"
"Yes. Normally, even with a natural weakness, the World Tree wouldn't fall so helplessly."
Leon spoke calmly.
"Nothing's certain without verification. If you refuse, I won't press further. There's no reason I have to go that far for you."
Groans rose from all around.
"Even so, if you want to save the World Tree, you have to at least try something."
The elves fell into contemplation.
"Are you all sane?! Showing an outsider the World Tree's core?!"
"Lord Romila, that's suspicious. It's as if you don't want the World Tree healed."
"What?!"
Oselon didn't miss the opening.
"What else could it be? Blocking access entirely like this—if it's just caution, there's no need to block even inspection."
"..."
"Or perhaps, if this resolves well and Triana's innocence is proven, you're afraid her rival—your daughter—will regain her strength?"
"You bastard!!"
As the two house heads surged with killing intent, Leon quietly asked a nearby elf elder.
It was one of the elves who had raised a hand in favor of accepting his help.
"Pardon me, but are those two always like this?"
Ahem. Well... they are bitter enemies. But, young master Leon, is it really possible?"
"I have to see it first. Can't diagnose or estimate without knowing what I'm looking at. If you're worried, watch from behind. If I do anything suspicious, subdue me then."
"..."
The elves seemed to reach some decision amid the chaos.
"Enough, both of you! We're high elves who value honor—acting so disgracefully in front of an outsider!"
Tch.
"Count yourself lucky, Oselon."
"That's my line, you blowhard."
The mood had fully tipped to one side.
Then, one elf elder cautiously spoke up.
"For my part, Lord Oselon's words have merit. At this rate, we might lose any chance to save the World Tree forever. If it's just an inspection..."
The path to the contaminated World Tree roots was heavily guarded.
After passing through layers of doors and elf guards, a vast underground cavern-like space finally revealed itself.
"This is the only place we can access—the World Tree's roots, and its very foundation."
The enormous tree roots stretching before them were a portion of the World Tree's roots.
Firmly embedded across the underground expanse, they were once a blessed tree brimming with vitality, but now the World Tree's roots were unmistakably horrific—coated in purple slime at a glance.
"May I take a look?"
"Please do."
At Oselon's response, I approached slowly.
I was already certain from what I'd seen, but there was something I couldn't quite understand.
The Demon Tree, the World Tree's bastard offspring. I knew it possessed some special power even the World Tree could succumb to, but was it simply a predator-prey relationship? No.
If the World Tree were that vulnerable, it would have withered long ago.
Something had clearly weakened the World Tree's power. But what? I couldn't confirm it now.
Of course, it didn't matter much.
The Demon Tree wasn't omnipotent, nor was the World Tree defenseless.
No matter the cause, if I cleared the encroaching contamination and gave the World Tree a moment to resist on its own, that would suffice.
"How is it?"
At Oselon's question, I opened my subspace and drew out Claymore.
The elves tensed up all at once as I suddenly drew a weapon.
"It can be healed. But without knowing what's weakening the World Tree, it'll take some time."
"It's possible?!"
"Yes."
I slowly drew Nakwha from its sheath.
And murmured a short incantation.
"Burgeon forth."
⟨ Nakwha ⟩
Whoooong!!!
At the same time, vast spiritual energy drained from my body, and the spirit sword Nakwha began to react.
Whirrr!! Thunk!!!!
I plunged Nakwha's massive blade, transformed into sword-qi form, straight into the ground before the World Tree's roots.
The method was the same as before, when I'd massively grown ordinary trees.
Of course, this time, it wasn't about size—instead, it purified the contamination and amplified the World Tree's power.
"Heavens..."
"What is this... Such power, unheard of..."
"Lord Oselon! What in the world is that sword?!"
The elves' reactions were naturally filled with bewilderment.
Nakwha, a spirit sword like that, wielded profoundly alien power. To the elves' common sense, it must have seemed bizarre for what was merely a magic sword to emit force akin to nature itself.
The green energy streams flowing from Nakwha resonated with the World Tree. Pulsations began emanating from the roots, which had been rotting away in contamination moments ago.
Slightly different from the slime's throbbing.
Thump... Thump...
"Oh... Ooooh! World Tree!"
The quick-witted elves' faces lit up with joy.
Faintly, but the World Tree's power had begun purifying the contamination bit by bit.
Realizing the World Tree was shrugging off the contamination on its own under Nakwha's influence, the elves watched the scene without even breathing, afraid to miss a moment.
Of course, the contamination didn't yield quietly.
The slime writhed like a living thing, trying to cover the cleansed areas.
Hah!
BOOM!!