A Great Being (2)

It’s been thousands of years since the last leaf of the World Tree fell. The traces of that ancient time, without even proper records remaining, are now about to continue.

The seed of the World Tree realized that its body, which had sealed itself for a long time, has now regained its qualification. Because there was a High Elf who could hear its words, and there was special water that helped it recover its vitality.

With the conditions met, there was no reason not to sprout. Although the earth spirit that would take care of it was still a bit naive due to its immature growth… anyway, the World Tree sprouted again like this.

“This can’t be! A sprout has appeared!”

The elves were astonished to see it. The sprout that the World Tree produced was just a cotyledon, but its size was as big as a person.

The elves who gathered around the World Tree that had emerged in just one night all exclaimed and cheered in admiration.

“…It seems more time is still needed.”

In the midst of this, Isilia, the only one who could approach the World Tree, knelt on one knee and listened to what the World Tree wanted.

The World Tree, still just a sprout, needs to grow at least to the sapling stage to exert proper power. Even as a sapling, its size would be larger than most big trees, but it won’t take that long.

Now that the World Tree has taken root, it can control all the natural forces in this area.

“Do we really not need to do anything separately?”

“That’s right. Don’t touch it unnecessarily and just let it grow well on its own. When it grows to some extent, it will be able to protect itself.”

It didn’t take as much effort as expected to raise the World Tree. The elves were perplexed by Isilia’s words to just leave it alone, but they couldn’t disobey her words.

‘There’s no need to stay constantly by its side.’

She also intended not to interfere until the World Tree grew to some extent on its own.

Instead, she left the rejoicing elves, taking only Arisa, who could be called her close aide, with her.

“My work in the elf city is done now. When the World Tree grows to some extent, it will gain the power to block or purify erosion.”

“Are you really thinking of leaving?”

“Yes. Somehow, the work never seems to end.”

She worked to inform about the erosion and came here to prevent it. In the process, she saved the elves and even revived the World Tree.

But Isilia still had work left to do. She had to go to the Order to find a new spirit, and to go to the Order, she had to find the Saint.

As if muttering to herself, somehow new tasks kept piling up.

“I’ve already received permission from the elders. I will repay the grace and help the High Elf has given to our clan with everything I have.”

Arisa, the warrior, swore her loyalty before her and resolutely said she would help until the end. Isilia, who hadn’t planned on doing anything grand, stuck out her tongue at this resolution but didn’t refuse.

After all, this stage still needed help.

“Let’s return to the human city. We need to hear news from the colleagues we sent ahead there.”

Isilia decided to leave the elf city again that day. Anyway, if she stayed here, she couldn’t receive news from Ethan, and she was still not used to the elves’ ‘traditional diet’.

* * *

“Find a girl who shows a special reaction when in contact with a corrupted artifact. This is like telling us to find a needle in a haystack.”

“L-Lady Isilia said we must find her.”

“I know. I can’t quite figure her out, but she’s not someone who talks nonsense.”

While Isilia was planting the World Tree with Arisa, the rest of the group who returned to Suan via spatial jump, Lina and Laila, returned to Ethan’s mansion.

And they informed Ethan of Isilia’s instructions.

Ethan, who had been too busy managing and expanding his business after being promoted to commander, let out a hollow laugh upon receiving these instructions.

“But even if we can find the real Saint with such an identification method, if she had such special power, rumors would have already spread. And we can’t go around carrying artifacts and trying them on one person at a time just to check.”

“That’s…”

When Ethan brought up practical talk, Lina and Laila were at a loss for words. It was clearly a very difficult condition to find.

Unless they come forward themselves, that is. But to distinguish a real Saint with purification power from a simple recovery-type ability user, they need to touch a corrupted artifact, and corrupted artifacts are certainly not common items.

“We’ll have to find a way somehow.”

In the momentary silence, Ethan muttered absent-mindedly.

Not once had they failed a task Isilia had asked for. So no one knew what would happen if they failed.

It didn’t seem likely that she would crease that beautiful face in anger, but instinctively, there was pressure that they must succeed.

Ethan couldn’t bring himself to admit that he had already been tamed.

“Why don’t we just spread a rumor openly?”

It was then that Laila came up with an idea. Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

“The power of the true Saint, the power of Parma. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but if Lady Isilia’s words are true, we can easily confirm it, right? We can have girls voluntarily come and touch the artifact.”

“You mean spread the rumors needed for that? Saying we’ll give gold to those who have the power to purify corrupted artifacts?”

Ethan’s eyes sparkled as he heard Laila’s bold suggestion. It felt like he was getting a clue.

As always, Isilia wanted to handle this matter as secretly as possible, but as Laila said, the qualities of a ‘true Saint’ are not known to the public.

In fact, those who come out as Saints are those born with the power of recovery, not Parma’s power, and most people think that way, like Laila and Lina before hearing the truth from Isilia.

Even if they recruit openly, it won’t be known that it’s about finding the Saint.

“As it happens, we have accumulated corrupted artifacts in the organization, and we have communication networks planted all over the continent.”

For Ethan, who has been making huge sums of money by disposing of artifacts through Isilia, artifacts from the mythical era have now become familiar and friendly.

He didn’t hesitate to make plans to use them, knowing that they are bought and sold for large sums of money.

“Good. Let’s try to push forward with this. I’ll start by deploying organization members and informants to dozens of cities where spatial jumps are installed. If we can’t find them in those cities, we can move on to nearby villages or cities, and even smaller villages.”

Ethan immediately summoned his trusted subordinate. With one command, his words could spread to countless places through the organization.

This was exactly the power of the organization that Ethan had so desperately wanted.

“We should do it here in Suan too. You take charge of that. I’ll give you one corrupted artifact, so take Patrick with you and explain. She won’t refuse since it’s what that woman wants to do, right?”

“O-Of course.”

Furthermore, Ethan instructed Laila and Lina to search for Saint candidates in this city as well.

Strictly speaking, the two were not Ethan’s subordinates, but they couldn’t refuse this proposal. As Ethan said, this is what Isilia instructed.

“I’ll go to Patrick.”

Lina conveyed this fact to Patrick, who would be resting at his home. Patrick, who didn’t even know who Ethan was, had no choice either.

“There’s not a single wrong word, but drawing attention itself isn’t really a good thing.”

“I think we’ll have to bear with that much.”

“Well, we’re adventurers who do anything for money, so it doesn’t matter. More importantly, your attire is the bigger problem.”

After hearing the news, Patrick sighed and looked back and forth between Laila and Lina. At the mention of attire, the two looked down at their bodies.

The hem of the maid uniforms they had become accustomed to wearing fluttered. Not just Lina, but even Laila, who grew up as a rich young lady.

“You two are people who follow that woman. But when Isilia goes out, she covers her face and wears such clothes. What do you think others will think when they see me going around with three such women!?”

Patrick had already become an object of envy, succeeding as an adventurer after seven failures and eight successes, going around with women. Even those who knew that Lina was originally disguised as an adventurer.

“Is that such a big problem?”

“…Let’s just do what we were doing.”

Of course, no matter how he explained it, this was a problem that others couldn’t understand.

Sighing, Patrick picked up the object Laila had brought.

That fist-sized object was enveloped in a black energy like a barrier, making it impossible to tell what it was except for its shape.

“There’s nothing better than loose-lipped adventurers for spreading rumors. You two set up a place. When people gather, make everyone touch it.”

Patrick, who has an instinct to faithfully carry out given tasks, immediately started the work at hand.

The city residents walking by looked at their appearance with curious glances as they passed by.