92. The High Elf King
I activated Shadow Stealth using the cloak Elenoir had given me and quietly climbed up the tower. The high elf on guard at the top, scanning the surroundings, didn't notice me at all.
Mercedes had told me to just knock him out, but unfortunately, I didn't have that kind of finesse.
Stab!
I clamped my hand over the guard's mouth and slit his throat, cutting off his breath. But guards always come in pairs.
"Wha—what, who—gah!"
I covered the second guard's mouth as he belatedly spotted me and snapped his neck on the spot. That was close. Almost got caught.
After taking out the tower guards, I came back down and linked up with Mercedes, who'd cleared the opposite tower. She scowled the moment she saw me—probably figured out I'd killed the guards. Her eyes were full of disgust, but she knew there was no helping it in the situation, so she didn't press the issue.
This infiltration route minimized combat, but it wasn't so easy that we could avoid getting blood on our hands entirely.
Anyway, once we'd cleared both towers, we used the gear Mercedes had prepared. It was some weird contraption that looked like a small glider. I had no idea how it worked, but it could glide for a short time.
"Let's go."
I equipped the gliding gear and leaped off the tower. With all the watchtowers cleared, there was no interference in the air. I soared straight across the fortress-like great forest, just like the dark elf village, and easily slipped into the heart of the high elf village from above.
After that, it was even simpler. I activated Shadow Stealth again, cranked up my speed, and dashed straight to the castle where the king resided.
Crack.
I smashed the castle window frame with my axe and lightly dropped inside. As soon as I entered, I spread out my mana detection.
And at the same time, an overwhelming presence hit me.
"Holy shit, this is the World Tree?"
The sheer volume of mana from the World Tree, something I'd felt on Floor 7, choked the breath right out of me. How to put it? It was a miracle this thing was just a tree and not a monster.
"It's far weaker than it was a thousand years ago. Even so, our World Tree is no existence for you humans to covet."
Mercedes clicked her tongue as she saw me flinch at the World Tree's mana.
Yeah, I agreed with her words. I'd seen it from afar on Floor 7, but this castle was built right where the World Tree stood—it really hit home. The high elves just guarded it, but if it fell into human hands, it'd definitely be exploited somehow. A lump of mana this massive, if someone really put their mind to using it? The results would be terrifying.
This was some insane shit no group or individual should ever get to use privately.
"I bet the people who first saw a nuke felt like this."
"A nuke?"
"It's a thing. So, where's the king?"
I pulled my thoughts back from the tangent. Mercedes pointed to a door in the distance.
The audience chamber, where the jade throne connected directly to the World Tree—the high elf king's domain.
Creeeak.
The door swung open on its own.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Mercedes and I quickly ducked behind nearby objects. But there was no sign of anyone coming out from beyond the open door.
There was only one presence inside. Familiar yet unfamiliar.
That prince we'd met on Floor 7 was definitely in there. But why the hell did the door open by itself? It wasn't like some high elf automatic sensor glitched.
—Come in.
"What the fuck."
A voice boomed directly in my head out of nowhere. What the hell was this? Super fucking weird. Was it talking to me?
I peeked at Mercedes from my hiding spot, and she looked like she'd heard it too. We nodded slightly in mutual agreement and stepped in front of the wide-open door.
—Inside. Come in.
As the voice instructed, we entered the audience chamber, and far ahead, the king seated on the jade throne came into view.
"Your Highness."
Mercedes called out to him with a mournful expression. I was dumbfounded. So that was the prince from Floor 7?
He looked the same, sure. That pretty-boy parasite vibe, like he couldn't fight for shit. But his eyes were way too different. Drier than even the previous dark elf queen's.
"You don't have to sneak around like that... I was planning to summon you here eventually. Come closer—all three of you."
The high elf king spoke this time not in mysterious telepathy, but aloud. Three of us?
"We got spotted."
I jolted at the intense presence that suddenly popped up behind me.
"What the—you, where'd you come from?"
Elenoir, emerging from the shadows, pointed bitterly at my feet.
"I carved a path through your shadow. It was the only way I could think of to stop you."
A chill ran down my spine. I knew Elenoir was a master of shadow magic, but this? It had to be an application of the summoning she'd shown at the start of Floor 7. Depending on how you used it, this was some insane assassination technique.
"Don't look at me like that. Surely this isn't what you should be shocked about right now."
Elenoir said that and extended her fingers toward the high elf king on the throne.
"The one sitting on that throne saw through your infiltration—and my shadow magic."
"Even after a hundred years, that's impossible for that empty-headed fool I knew, dead or alive."
"He had zero talent for magic, and yet—what the hell is that thing sitting there?"
Elenoir was thinking the exact same thing as me. That guy on the throne was not the prince from Floor 7. Everything except his appearance was different.
I recalled the objectives of this epic quest.
1. Uncover the Secret
2. Expose the Black Curtain
3. End the War
Uncover the secret, expose the black curtain, end the war. The fact that these objectives existed meant there was a hidden mastermind and secrets to unearth.
That had to be it.
"Curious who I am? Then come closer. I'll tell you everything."
I took a step toward the king, who beckoned us in like he owned the place.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
As I stepped forward, Elenoir and Mercedes cautiously followed. Then the door we'd entered through slammed shut with a creeak-thud.
That was expected. None of us—me, Mercedes, or Elenoir—were weak enough to get trapped just because a door closed.
"Welcome, noble knight Mercedes. Beautiful shadow Elenoir. And—you, nameless human."
The high elf king descended from the throne and approached us slowly.
"No reply to my greeting?"
"Uh, welcome."
"Good. I like a straightforward answer."
The high elf king smirked at us. Yeah, he only looked like that guy. Totally different person.
"I'll introduce myself too. I am El'rofen, father to Eluryon, whom you've come to meet."
Knew it. The contents were someone else entirely. Just as I'd suspected—the previous king had pulled some trick.
But Elenoir frowned at the name the high elf king revealed.
"The previous high elf king's name was definitely El'ronabel...?"
I turned my head. Mercedes, silently drawing her sword, looked equally shocked.
"Don't misunderstand. I am Eluryon's father, but also El'ronabel's father."
El'rofen grinned at us.
"I am the father of all high elves."
At that moment, massive mana surged like a tidal wave.
Rumble!
The World Tree's enormous mana, which dominated the area, rippled and vibrated as if it had gained a will of its own.
"From the moment the Forest Elves began calling themselves high elves, I have been everyone's king—and father."
I drew my sword amid the tension and gripped my pendant, ready to activate Mana Reinforcement at any moment.
The king chuckled softly at us, looking like he found the situation hilarious. A blatant black curtain, announcing himself loud and clear.
But why reveal his true colors at this timing?
"You know the World Tree is a device that circulates souls. So you must know when that cycle broke."
"In truth, the cycle of reincarnation never broke. It's simply devoting all its power to circulating my soul."
"Every high elf king, upon formally ascending the throne, grasping the scepter, and sitting on the seat—is replaced by me."
The king still looked down at us.
"No words? Hard to understand?"
No idiot here couldn't grasp that simple story. We were just too stunned to speak.
"Only one thing I don't get—why the fuck are you spilling all this to us now?"
As I scowled and spoke, the high elf king smirked again.
"Why do you think?"
He pointed at the firmly shut door with a finger, grinning.
"Because you all came so obediently when I called."
Right. He could blab all he wanted now—it didn't matter anymore.