Chapter 107
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: World Tree
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1.
The next morning.
Orion arrived at Karron's party's lodging right on time, only to be met with a bewildering sight.
Uggghhh
Save save me
A a warrior will not break from such pain!
Three figures lay side-by-side on the beds.
Each of them, pale-faced, was groaning in agony.
Orion asked them with an urgent expression.
Was there an ambush during the night? My apologies, I was short-sighted. I should have posted guards
But just then.
Creak.
A young man with a towel around his neck entered the room and spoke.
They're just being dramatic. No need to worry. We just did a little training last night
At that, Leo, one of the corpses, barely lifted his head and shouted.
That wasn't training, it was a biological experiment, you crazy quack!
Tut-tut. But were there no results?
Because of you, my mana backflowed several times Cough!
Leo immediately coughed up a mouthful of dark blood.
It wasn't fresh, crimson blood, but dead blood.
Seeing this, Karron casually dried his hair with the towel and spoke to Orion.
Any chance you have a diluted vial of World Tree's Dew?
Orion reluctantly pulled a bottle from his robes.
What in the world happened here last night? Reports say screams were heard from this mansion nonstop.
Ah, that was probably Utulla screaming. The other two couldn't even scream after a while. Right, brother, sister? Here.
Karron took the diluted solution from Orion and immediately tossed it to Leo.
Leo hastily drank half of it.
It seemed to be working, as he saved the other half and passed it to Rion.
Sister are you okay?
Rion also sat up and took the bottle. She glared at Karron as if to kill him and said.
I have to be okay. I absolutely absolutely have to be. So I can deal with that bastard Ah, but we should give some to Utulla
Ah! Giants have excellent regenerative abilities. He'll recover soon.
Karron Leston. You are without honor! I clearly declared my defeat Did you really have to beat me like that! You are a cold-blooded man who knows no mercy.
Voices denouncing Karron echoed from all corners.
Karron sighed, looking at his companions with a pathetic gaze.
This is why they say you shouldn't take in black-haired beasts.
My hair and Leo's are blond, you bastard.
Huh? Utulla's the only one with black hair! And! I saw you smiling while you said you were helping us train!
My name is Utulla of the Black Axe tribe not the Black Hair tribe
Orion watched the chaotic scene and let out a deep sigh.
He'd brought them here as benefactors, but it seemed he'd brought nothing but a pack of lunatics.
Was bringing them here a mistake?
Ah, come to think of it, there was also a report about your strange behavior yesterday. I heard that you, Leo Leston, took off your armor and pretended to beat it. Was there some meaning behind that?
Since we couldn't communicate with words we call that body language.
Then Karron, did you perform a circus act for the same reason?
A circus? What circus.
Tossing a crystal orb into the air and catching it, suddenly rubbing your face on it. All sorts of bizarre movements
Stop.
He had to protect his dignity as a human being.
At Karron's urgent voice, Orion shook his head in confusion.
Strange. Did you perhaps not use the medals?
Medals?
Yes, didn't I give each of you a Spirit Medallion yesterday? If you infuse it with mana, a spirit that guides you through the city is summoned.
At those words, Rion quickly pulled a silver medallion from her pocket and infused it with mana.
And then.
Yip?
A small puppy made of water was summoned onto her lap.
Seeing this, Karron glared at Orion and clenched his fists.
Why are you only telling us this now?
Hm, I was distracted and it slipped my mind. My apologies.
Because of you, the humiliation I suffered
It would be scummy to get angry at someone who was apologizing.
As Karron exhaled, suppressing his anger, Utulla and Leo also took out their medallions and attempted to summon spirits.
Chirp!
Leo summoned a small sparrow made of wind.
Uwoooargh!
Utulla, of course, couldn't summon anything.
Why can I not summon one?
You don't have any mana, you oaf.
This is unfair!
The giant, unable to use mana, could only express his discontent in frustration.
The Spirit Medallion automatically assigns a spirit that matches the user's disposition. In other words, it is a precious artifact imbued with high-level spirit magic.
His words were filled with pride.
Faced with the sudden appearance of the spirits, Leo and Rion were at a loss for a moment before they began to pet them.
You should try summoning one too, Karron. I'm personally quite curious.
At Orion's words, Karron also took out his medallion.
He smiled playfully and said.
Maybe I'll summon a Spirit King?
It's not quite magnificent enough to contain the power of a Spirit King.
I'm curious.
This was his first time using an artifact imbued with spirit magic.
A spirit that suited him would appear.
It seemed like a fun thing to try your luck with.
I want a cute one too.
Seeing the water spirit Rion had summoned made him a bit envious.
So, with anticipation, Karron infused his mana into the Spirit Medallion.
Wooooong!
The medallion, now filled with Karron's mana, began to resonate softly, and soon, the spirit assigned to him appeared.
A haughty gait.
A sleek tail.
And glossy black fur.
The spirit that appeared was quite different from what Karron had expected.
But one thing was certain.
Meeeoow!
A cat?
It was undeniably a cute spirit.
The black cat summoned from the medallion leaped onto Karron's shoulder as if it had been waiting, and began to rub its head against his face.
Rion, Leo, and Utulla watched with envious eyes.
It's a cat.
Never seen one before. What kind of spirit is it?
It's cute!
But one person's expressionOrion'swas gravely stiff.
What's with that look on your face?
Karron asked while stroking the cat's head, and Orion answered in a low voice.
This is another matter I must ask the Regent about.
What is it?
That spirit is not one of the four cardinal elements. In other words, it's not a common spirit.
Pausing for a moment, he slowly reached his hand toward the cat's head.
However.
Hiiiisss!
The cat bared its fangs, rejecting Orion's touch.
A black cat that rejected even Orion, who was adept at handling the four cardinal spirits.
Seeing this, Orion nodded in understanding.
There are some spirits that exist outside the four elements governed by the Spirit Kings. Tree spirits, for example. This spirit also falls into that category. No, to be precise, it could be called the rarest among them.
Orion paused for a moment and looked at the cat again.
Then he spoke in a low voice.
A Spirit of Darkness. That is what we call it.
Judging by Orion's grave expression, it seemed Karron had caused another incident.
2.
Inside the carriage, on their way to the Temple of the World Tree where the Regent awaited.
Orion told Karron about the Spirit of Darkness.
There are no spirit users who have contracted with a Spirit of Darkness. In fact, it's an entity whose contractibility has never even been confirmed.
He continued his explanation while looking at the spirit purring on Karron's lap.
Even I am seeing a Spirit of Darkness for the first time. Its summoning method is unknown, its power is unknown Some spirit users even questioned whether it should truly be classified as a spirit.
So it's an amazing little fellow, is that it?
I don't know.
It's cute. That makes it amazing.
Karron nodded, stroking the spirit's soft fur.
If it was summoned through the Spirit Medallion, then it must be a spirit.
That's right. You've left a significant mark on the research of spirit users.
But why was it summoned to me?
Orion could answer that question easily.
The Spirit Medallion summons the spirit with the highest affinity for the user. This means that creature was the most suitable spirit for your disposition.
Does it have a specific name?
Among spirit users, it's generally treated as an ominous being, so everyone just called it that thing. You can call it whatever you like.
A name should be chosen carefully. I'll think about it.
You can ask the Regent for more details. She knows incomparably more than I do.
The scenery of Galad sped past the window.
A city where spirits, elves, and a few other races lived together in harmony.
Perhaps because it was just after dawn, the atmosphere was quite different from yesterday.
Just looking at it brought a sense of peace.
Karron and his party quietly took in the exotic scenery.
It was a sight they couldn't easily experience in the human world.
Not a king, but a regent Is there a particular reason for that title?
The only one who can rule us elves is our Mother. The Regent governs us in her stead. Therefore, we call her the Regent.
To the elves, the World Tree was as good as a real, living god.
They had developed their civilization and achieved much with the blessings bestowed by the World Tree.
Karron nodded. It was an easy explanation to understand.
Then the elves of the Southern Great Forest
They are heretics. They no longer serve the Mother. It is difficult for me to answer that question, Karron Leston.
Everyone has stories they can't tell.
As they spoke, the carriage soon arrived at a grand, palace-like place.
The spirits pulling Orion's carriage came to a halt.
A moment later, Orion stood up and said.
We'll walk from here.
Karron's party followed Orion out of the carriage.
Soon, the Temple of the World Tree revealed itself before them.
Various plants filled every corner of the temple, and vines wrapped around its pillars.
Though the temple was built by elves, there was nothing artificial about it.
It simply felt like a part of the vast nature.
At the same time, this was the place in the city closest to the World Tree.
The Regent has come to greet you.
At the end of Orion's gaze stood a woman wearing green robes.
She slowly stepped toward Karron's party.
With each step she took, the laughter of spirits echoed in their ears.
I have been waiting for you.
A warm voice rang out.
Her voice was endlessly reverent, but not uncomfortable like that of a fanatic.
It simply seeped into their ears as gently as the sound of a passing breeze.
Orion Windkeeper, Captain of the Patrol, greets the Regent.
Orion knelt on his right knee, showing his respects.
Karron watched the approaching Regent and straightened his clothes.
The Regent.
The leader of the elves.
She was a figure who would not be found lacking even when compared to the king of a nation. Therefore, he had to show appropriate courtesy.
Thus, Karron followed Orion's lead and knelt on one knee. Then, in a most respectful voice, he said.
Karron Leston, youngest grandson of Grand Duke Halo, greets the Regent of the elves.
The Regent stopped in front of Karron. She gently placed a hand on his right shoulder.
I have waited for you for a very long time.
A moment later, the Regent's voice echoed in Karron's mind.
Knight of two names.
Perhaps his arrival here was no coincidence.