episode_0083

The place that Leones guided Glenn to was the top of a large gray tree, which was the main body of the tree house. To be exact, it was a kind of observatory located near the top.

In human society, an observation tower meant a tall tower on the side of a fortress, from which one could look around and observe the surroundings. However, in elven society, or more precisely, in this giant gray tree, an observation tower meant a place on the largest branch among the many branches extending out from the side of the tree, with a floor that was cut off for people to climb up, and no roof so that the surroundings could be seen clearly.

In particular, this observation deck was located at a height that afforded a certain degree of view of the surrounding forest from the elven realm. Thanks to this, under the bright moonlight, Glenn was able to experience the majesty of the vast forest that spread out in all directions from a high position.

“Wow…the view here is awesome.”

“Alina, please don’t get too close to the railing…or should I say, the end of this observation deck. It’s a leaf, so there’s a high risk of falling.”

“Hmm…Elf’s Observatory…This is another precious experience.”

It wasn’t just the saint and the elf mother and daughter who followed Glenn and Leones. The two followers of the Air Grants Church, who worshipped the saint, also followed, and Alina, who was stuffing fruit into her mouth like a squirrel, hurriedly cleaned up her seat and followed Glenn. The two followers were calm, with only sparkling eyes, as expected of those who had accumulated experience(?), but Alina, a woman from the countryside, was quite curious.

“It was good that I followed you, oppa. I’ve been to the Elf Forest, and climbed all these high places… Wow, if I go the wrong way, I’ll fall. Hehe…”

I hope you feel better. Glenn muttered his feelings to himself, but smiled faintly on the outside.

“Mr. Leones, I guess you’re going to explain it to me. I wonder if it’s okay….”

Among the companions was Estill. His face was slightly tired, perhaps because he had climbed to a high place with little physical strength. It was natural, considering the stairs were quite long at this height.

Unlike her, the Tiller Trio and Grimes did not come. They made excuses that they had already seen enough. And…

“Go and come back. I’m fine.”

Strangely, Briwen refused to go up and remained there. Glenn, whose curiosity was growing, was about to ask questions, but since he didn’t have much time, he ended up failing to ask.

‘I’ll ask you later.’

“Escort knight, I will focus the moonlight. Look over there carefully. Saintess, would you like to observe with me?”

Leones walked precariously to the railing (leaf) from the observation deck, and pointed somewhere. Glenn got as close as he could to the saint. No, it didn’t end there.

Carefully, Glenn took the saint’s right hand. No, the saint had already extended her right hand as if she had been waiting for it. He had no time to wonder when she had realized his feelings. It was the appearance of two people who were so perfectly in sync, almost instinctual.

As the two approached the railing of the observation deck, a voice was heard from behind.

“Oh my, both of you, without saying a word, naturally…I’ve never met a warrior…but it seems hopeless.”

“Hehehe, mother… Instead, our little brother has hope, right? That’s good. Hehe.”

What are you whispering proudly about?

Glenn felt slightly embarrassed, but he tried his best to ignore the noise behind him. The two arrived right behind Leones.

And then Leones raised his right arm into the air, as if pointing to the moon.

Leones slowly lowered his right arm and pointed to a part of the forest that spread out far below. Then, something surprising happened.

The moonlight was focused on that part, illuminating it brightly. Of course, it was not as bright as the sunlight, but at the same time, it was enough for Glenn and the saintess to observe a specific part of the forest in detail on this dark night.

“Ah…”

“That’s…a bit strange. It even feels dangerous.”

The saintess couldn’t continue, and Glenn muttered something filled with anxiety. That’s right. In the specific part of the forest that Leones had pointed out, a black aura was rising like smoke. Between the large, green trees and green leaves, a terrible and gloomy aura was spreading as if it was polluting the forest.

Besides, that place wasn’t that far from the elven forest.

“It’s a dangerous sign at first glance. We knew it was dangerous because the magicians showed signs of discomfort. Furthermore, it has advanced quite close to our residence. I suspect the true source is…the forest where the elven altar, built thousands of years ago, exists. It is very likely where I sealed the sword that stabbed the Demon King hundreds of years ago. ”

“Oh, ma, the demon king?”

Glenn, who had been immersed in books for the past year and a half and was quite knowledgeable about history, couldn’t help but be shocked.

The story of the Demon King’s invasion of the East and the Elven royalty and sword that wounded him, written in a part of the history book. Leones’s words were like a voice that confirmed that it was true.

The saintess also spoke to Leones in a voice filled with surprise and anxiety.

“Are you talking about the sword that stabbed the Demon King in the side when he invaded the East?”

“Yes, my lady. Even after retrieving the sword, I couldn’t help but feel bitter and uneasy, so I entrusted the sword to the elven priests. And I was able to confirm that the sword was contaminated with the Demon King’s energy, and that it could not be purified with the power of the elves alone. Oh, there were a lot more priests back then than there are now. Now, only my daughter is training. ”

“Then…as it says in the history books…you sealed that sword in that altar.”

“Yes. It is a famous sword that has been passed down through generations, but as soon as I confirmed that it was contaminated and difficult to purify, I decided to seal it in that altar. It is a very old altar, but it was originally built to purify and seal the evil energy that invades this forest, so I decided it would be sufficient for sealing. So I sealed the sword deep inside the altar. For hundreds of years, even despite the arrival of the Demon King multiple times, that area was quiet and peaceful. It is only in the past few months that everything has changed. ”

It was extremely suspicious and devastating news. The saintess, who had more experience and knowledge of evil, holy energy, and the conflict between the demons and the people of the continent than anyone else, seemed to have finished analyzing it in an instant.

“Then…like the recent strange phenomena occurring in other parts of the continent…this sign is definitely related to the Demon King’s resurrection.”

“We are also making guesses. It is just unfortunate that we cannot be certain.”

“Are you saying that it is impossible to be sure?”

Leones did not answer the saint’s vague question right away. Suddenly, Glenn could see the cold sweat running down his forehead through the moonlight. And then he saw Leones’ bitter smile. It was like a smile that seemed helpless.

“As you know…Elves are already a very different race from the beings that poets sing in praise. Hundreds of years of peace and fading traditions have brought about great changes for us, and more and more descendants have ventured into the forest to satisfy their curiosity. Living with little sense of crisis, those who train their bodies have become even rarer, and warriors have laid down their weapons and are only engaged in their work. When you came here, didn’t you feel strange? Why is there no warrior guarding this Elven forest? ”

It was definitely strange. There were a lot of threatening people among the Suin tribe. Although I had never been to a village where they had formed a group, if there were a lot of such threatening people, it was certain that the village’s ‘security’ would be tight.

However, the elven territory was not like that. From the moment he entered this forest, Glenn felt no threat or sense of danger. No, he first felt it in the forest that exuded a gloomy atmosphere in the distance. He could not receive such an aura from the elves at all. At most, he saw a few eyes wary of strangers, and never once did he see anyone holding a weapon or standing guard.

“After hundreds of years of… continuous peace, our race’s sense of battle has become dulled. There are still some who serve as warriors, but… many of them have lost their sense of fighting because they haven’t held a weapon in their hands for a long time. Or they are too old to fight. ”

Glenn hesitated whether to dismiss the statement as a joke or take it seriously. An old elf. An elf who is said to live almost forever. But an old elf? Was it really okay to take that statement so literally?

Whether Glenn was worried or not, Leones continued his serious conversation while looking at the place.

“That’s why I didn’t dare to go forward to figure out this anomaly. Because there was no warrior with the courage and guts to break through such a dark aura, and no warrior prepared. It might be possible to call back former warriors and train them again…but it’s clear that there’s not enough time for that.”

In the end, Leones ended up revealing the elf’s weakness in front of them.

Even though it was only the Saint, Glenn, and Airgrants, it was an act of recklessness to reveal their fatal parts to another race, and it was an act that could not be denied.

Maybe that’s why a loud noise was heard from behind Glenn.

“Dad… If Silion had heard, he would have scolded me not to act rashly. And there’s no one to fight. I’m here! No matter what, it’s still like that…”

The elf priestess, Sieta, seemed slightly offended by her father’s remarks that excluded her fighting power. However, to Glenn, she looked like a daughter lightly complaining to her father. Leones laughed heartily.

“Hahaha… Where would a parent send their daughter to war? Sieta. Of course, Vidia is the same. Well, actually, that child is not in a condition to be sent away…”

That would be true. Even if his daughter was a powerful combat magician capable of threatening the water race, he didn’t seem like a cold-hearted parent who would send his child to battle. Glenn felt a sense of kinship once again with the elf parents who unexpectedly showed a human side.

“Saint, my father said that, but I was going to just rush in if I got stuck. But the elders and my parents all said in unison that I have outstanding abilities as a priest and that my magic is great, but it’s really dangerous to go in alone. So, I asked if I could take Estil with me, but…”

With her words trailing off, Sieta turned her gaze. In the direction of her gaze, a small girl was standing. Estill, who had been listening quietly, continued Sieta’s words while groaning.

“Ugh… I also felt like my mind was wavering in such a terrible atmosphere, so I was against it. I thought I might end up carrying a burden if I did something wrong. Besides, I also have a lack of sense of reality… It’s really peaceful here… That’s the problem. It’s too peaceful…”

Glenn could understand Estil’s feelings a little. Unlike the harshness of the Western Mountains and the countless straits Glenn had crossed, the eastern part of this continent, especially the Elven Forest, felt so comfortable and at ease. Even the Southern Kingdom, the capital, would not be this comfortable.

“Oh my, Estil? I’m the one who’s been eating and growing in this peaceful forest for hundreds of years? And I’m…well, as anyone who’s seen me would know…this strong. But the elders and my parents both said that the strength needed to storm into that forest is different from that concept or something…”

“Sietta… Your parents are right in front of you… Ahem, Saintess. First of all, Sietta is right. The energy of that forest has concluded that you should not approach it without properly covering it with holy energy, like armor. If you blindly rush in, relying on your own strength, there is a high chance that you will be contaminated by the dark energy and die. In the past, I gained some experience from the end of the elven warriors who were carelessly exposed to the curse of the demons. ”

Ah, I didn’t really want to hear that. Glenn cursed his ears for letting that information slip through his fingers.

“So… as a parent and as the leader of the elves, I couldn’t make the decision to let my eldest daughter rush in alone. At least two people, no, at least a few strong warriors who can handle holy power… I decided that I had to gather enough skilled people and send them in. ”

“Huh? Wait a minute…”

Glenn suddenly remembered some information he had learned by ear.

“What happened to Vidia? She was one of the warriors…I heard she was quite strong since she even defeated the Demon King. Is she in bad health?”

“Hmm…I thought you’d be curious…but you really asked a difficult question, sir.”

But that was the part I wanted to hear the most.

Vidia Dreamside. She was the only elf in the group of warriors who had apparently returned to this elven forest, and she was the princess of the elven race. However, since hearing that she was trapped in this forest, information about her has been completely cut off. Even before coming up here, it seemed as if news about Vidia was being intentionally avoided.

The saintess’s eyes sparkled, as if she shared the same curiosity as Glenn. However, Glenn could read the concern in Milishia’s expression. It seemed as if there was a reason why she had to hesitate, even though it was reasonable to ask.

Anyway, the saint asked Leones a question that was common sense in this situation.

“Vidia…what happened to my colleague? Why on earth did he come into this forest, become depressed, and confine himself to his room?”

“My second daughter, Vidia…as you know, she hasn’t been feeling well for a few months now. I’ve been knocking on her door several times, but she’s just been rejecting me. And the reason is clear…”

Leones looked at someone before answering. Glenn noticed that Leones was looking at his family.

Ah, Leones’ gaze changed to another place.

This time…it was Estil. Huh?

Glen followed Leones’ gaze and looked at Estil. Estil looked at Leones with a calm but rather unpleasant expression on his face.

The two engaged in a staring contest for a while, something that Glenn and the saintess found difficult to understand.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two turned their heads. Their gazes ended at Glenn and Milicia. And at the same time, the two gave answers to their curiosity.

“I was lying in bed with the wounds of heartbreak.”

“A disease caused by the curse of the forest.”

As if joking, they gave diametrically opposed answers.