episode_0064
by fnovelpia“Greetings to the elder after a long time.”
chuck. L bent down on one knee and greeted in a polite voice. Revan also followed him.
“There is no need to be too formal. Lumiere.”
Not long after Revan and El entered the elf colony, the elder called them.
It was quite a strange thing. Was the snow running here and there? While Revan was thinking those thoughts, the elder’s eyes turned to Revan.
Due to the unique characteristics of an elf, not a single wrinkle could be found on her face. Just looking at his appearance, you could almost believe he was Revan’s age.
“······.”
“Hmm…”
However, there was a long period of time in those eyes that could not be hidden. Revan frowned as he felt as if his entire body was being dissected.
“That child is also unusual, Lumiere. When Soren and Aela brought you, I had no idea that another child as unique as you would come.”
“···Well, my junior is a bit special.”
“Yes. We have something in common with you, so we fit together well.”
Common ground. Those three letters were suspicious to Revan. However, L immediately opened his mouth and got to the point.
“Elder. We would like to request protection for both of us.”
“···If it’s protection?”
“We would like you to welcome us as guests of the elves.”
Elle bowed her head politely and listed the current situation. The current situation where one’s life is threatened by a nobleman.
“···Tsk. Do those so-called nobles still live like that? I don’t understand.”
As the elder and Andra listened to the story, their expressions changed moment by moment. In particular, Andra, unlike the expressionless expression she showed before, did not hide her expression of extreme displeasure.
In comparison, the elder’s face showed more compassion and interest for the girl in front of him. And after the story was over, the elder shook his head left and right with a sad expression.
“To start with the main point… it must be difficult. Lumiere.”
“······.”
Ugh. One of El’s fists, which was pressed against the floor, was strained, revealing veins.
However, the face of the elder who rejected the request for protection showed fatigue and regret that could not be hidden. Therefore, L listened to the story in silence.
“To be precise… we don’t have the ability to do that right now.”
“···What is that?”
“Follow me. I think you should show it to your close friends too.”
***
The elder got up from the throne and guided the two somewhere. Andra followed suit. It was impressive that the elves did not make any sound as they walked, as if they were one with nature.
Not long after following the instructions. Revan was able to witness. The World Tree, which the elves revere as their mother.
The appearance of the World Tree was majestic and beautiful on the outside. Green and shiny leaves. Vibrant roots. The magnificence of the branches that seem to reach up to the sky.
“······?”
However, Revan had doubts about the visible World Tree. I felt a sense of discomfort that was difficult to describe.
“You’re a kid with a good sense of humor.”
The elder smiled faintly, as if he had seen right through the face that was obviously covered by the gas mask. And then he snapped his fingers.
“···This is.”
The moment the elder snapped his fingers, the World Tree took off its veil of illusion and revealed its true face.
The leaves that looked shiny were dry and brown, on the verge of falling.
The roots, which seemed full of life just a moment ago, were strangely bulging, and the sturdy body was spewing out sap.
Revan had seen something similar to this. In the past, when Sonia and I lived in the mountains, this was the appearance of trees diseased by pestilence.
“100 years ago. Sophia Where do you think she attacked first after opening the door to the other world?”
Revan asked cautiously.
“···Is it a world tree?”
“Yes. Because my mother had the power to push away all kinds of evil things. It must have been something that had to be eliminated in order to pollute the continent.”
Jerk, jerk. The elder slowly approached the World Tree, step by step, and swiped the flowing sap with his hand.
“The first elf born. It is said that Yulia, who had been in charge since the beginning, made a sacrifice and succeeded in repelling the demons. But.”
Cheoeok. The elder pointed his finger below the roots.
“···Yulia, who has been contaminated by demonic energy, has lost her identity and is staying at the root. Spreading poison like corpses controlled by necromancers.”
Revan cautiously asked the elder who had a sad expression.
“Is it impossible to handle it on your own?”
Revan thought that no matter how weakened the elves were, they still had their own potential. Right now, Andra next to the elder felt like a powerhouse on the same level as El.
“It’s impossible. It’s a limitation we were born with.”
But the elder shook his head as if he felt sorry.
“We elves are with nature. Thanks to this, he can use the mana in the air and has five sensitive senses.”
“······.”
“So, it is vulnerable to curses and other polluted things. And above all…”
Sarah. The elder rolled up his sleeves, exposing his bare skin.
“After my mother was poisoned, we are not okay either.”
“Already…!”
L was cautiously shocked. Revan’s eyes passed over the elder’s white forearms and toward his shoulders. The flesh that was rolled up and exposed was stained an ominous purple.
“We have become weaker than before we were contaminated by that woman. Protecting you means confronting the empire. We don’t have the power to do that right now.”
“In the past, didn’t elves and humans fight together? As for the empire directly attacking-”
“The current situation is different from that. Don’t you know, Lumiere? And when it turns out we don’t have the power we once had. Another problem is that we don’t know how humans’ greed will be exercised.”
ha. The elder sighed and continued.
“At least, if it’s Lysion, there’s a chance. However, if you fail and even lose Lysion… then you really don’t have the power you deserve.”
L’s face showed a resentment that was rarely seen. Crackling – El’s teeth made a grinding sound.
“···Then, if I go down to the roots of the world tree and purify the pollution even now-”
“No. I will not allow that.”
This time Andra came forward with a firm voice.
“You are still not good enough. Compared to your peers, you are just ahead. It’s not enough in our eyes.”
“I am immune to curses-”
“Of course, you will not be affected by the curse, so the compatibility is good. However, you currently do not have the power to give rest to Yulia at the root of the World Tree. Was I wrong, Lumière?”
L, who was trying to continue speaking, finally lowered his head.
And from the conversation just now, Revan was finally able to understand why the elves were friendly to El.
The world tree is now polluted by demonic energy and is dying. And the most likely candidate to purify the World Tree was El.
“You’re still not good enough, Lumiere. It’s so early.”
Revan was able to understand the reason for the cause that El had shown so far. A sense of debt to the elves who sacrificed their most precious things for humans. That was the source.
“Of course, we have no intention of teasing you. I am so thankful for your heart and have many expectations.
But at the same time, I don’t want to see you, the daughter of our friends Soren and Aela, disappear meaninglessly. You should carry out your plan only when you are ready.”
The elder’s voice contained pride and a little regret. The feeling of debt of entrusting the burden of the family to a child.
“Okay, I understand. ”
“Okay… I’m sorry I couldn’t make what you wanted come true. Lumiere.”
“Can’t I help you?”
A voice interrupted. The elder’s gaze moved from El, who bowed his head, to Revan. The elder smiled softly.
“It seems like Lumiere has made a good friend. I’m so glad.”
“···Thank you.”
“Thank you very much for your words, but… in my eyes, your skills don’t seem to be at a level that can compete with the stuffed Yulia.”
“······.”
That was correct. Revan, who could not absorb magical power, was nowhere near El’s skills.
However, the elder seemed to like the spirit shown by the child and smiled gently.
“I feel grateful. I’m serious.”
“···Yes.”
“I think I need to talk more with Lumiere. Revan. You should come and see more of our nest. Looks like we’ll see each other again in the future.”
***
“······.”
After the elder’s congratulatory message, Revan left the previous location and was walking down the street.
Revan felt helpless for the first time in a long time. He was tied up by a leash and sold. The kind of helplessness I felt back then.
I thought I had become stronger. I tried too. But there was nothing he could change with his own power. I was just resentful of the current situation, which was not even helpful to my benefactor.
Revan walked with a complicated mind. As your feet go. I headed forward without stopping.
Revan didn’t know how far he had walked until he arrived at a meadow. Yoongi’s lawn, which could not be seen from the outside, was a spectacle in itself.
Saaa- As the wind blew, the grass blew and created waves. I was looking at the scene in silence.
-Wet!
“Such a piece of shit-”
Sigh! Revan caught something thrown at him with his hand.
“Who is it?!”
A dagger was held in Revan’s hand as he shouted, searching for its source. The well-maintained and shiny sword body is impressive.
“······.”
Soon, a doll appeared along with the sound of grass fluttering in the wind. He was an elf with long hair and an androgynous appearance, long ears that could hardly be considered a man.
“···What is it?”
Phew. Revan calmed his anger with a desperate deep breath. Since I am with El right now, I shouldn’t have formed an angle with the elves.
“You. You use a dagger.”
He asked in a voice that had no pitch or emotion. No, rather than asking, I diagnosed.
“···Yes?”
dagger. It’s a dagger. It was a weapon that had not been used since it was sold as a slave. However, the elf calmly opened his mouth as if what he said was not wrong.
“Because I rarely meet face to face with people outside. I want to stick with it. Is it okay?”
“······.”
Is it polite for elves to throw daggers from a square to encourage sparring? Revan thought for a moment.
But my head was already dizzy. I didn’t want to add another thing to think about.
“Then, please give me one more sack. Speaking of daggers, isn’t it true that they are dual-wielding?”
“···For sure. This kid knows something.”
Hwiik. The elf in front threw another dagger at Revan. Unlike before, it was stable, drawing a parabola.
“If you can throw it like this, why did you do that earlier?”
“Because it seemed that your skills were not at a level that would prevent you from receiving this level.”
“What is that…”
The elf took a stance as if he wasn’t going to give him time to protest. Two daggers identical to those given to Revan were held in both hands.
“Well, I hope we have a good sparring.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the elf in front of him kicked the floor. It was the beginning of sparring.
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