Ch.120Chapter 120 – Visitors to the Academy

A knock on the door reaches my ears as I lie down on the bed for a nap.

The sound wasn’t particularly loud, but the knocking hit my ears so precisely that I had no choice but to get up from bed.

Knocking on someone else’s dormitory door first thing in the morning. What rudeness is this?

I opened the dormitory door to see who was knocking at this hour.

“Who is… Shannon?”

The person standing in front of my dormitory door was Shannon.

Coming to find me at this hour, what could this be about?

“Count Severio. The Chancellor is looking for you.”

“What is it about?”

“She said she has something to discuss regarding the festival. You can come to the Tower of Documents when you’re ready.”

Something to discuss regarding the festival, huh.

I suppose since I’ll be participating in the festival from the third day, she probably has something to say about that.

Since I had only lain down for a quick nap, I was still wearing the same clothes I had on while preparing for the festival this morning.

I took off my slippers, changed into leather boots, and left the dormitory.

Outside, I could see even more students moving about than there were this morning.

Watching them gave me the feeling that the festival was about to begin in earnest.

‘A festival, huh.’

The only festival I’d ever participated in was a local one through my company.

A school festival?

COVID-19 took care of those, so everyone can rest easy!

‘Come to think of it, is this my first school festival?’

When I think of school festivals, certain things come to mind.

Usually in romantic comedies, the hero resolves some incident involving the heroine, and their relationship progresses.

That’s why many writers tend to insert school festivals or local festivals in the middle of their episodes…

‘But this isn’t a romantic comedy, nor is it a youthful school drama.’

On the surface, it might look like a pretty girl collection RPG, but in reality, it’s a world where madmen who desire the revival of the Demon God roam around.

At least for now, the demon worshippers are weak enough that they have to operate in the shadows, but as time passes, various incidents will occur, and the chaos will grow.

‘All of that is thanks to the groundwork laid by demon worshippers over a long period of time.’

The groundwork of demon worshippers and demonic cults is revealed through character dialogues and occasional narrative explanations.

This is where players begin to realize how extensively the demonic cults and demon worshippers have spread.

‘But the problem is that the story hasn’t been fully revealed yet.’

Even the Demon God who was revived through the corrupted holy sword, Zevario, wasn’t completely defeated.

Could a divine being really be annihilated just by destroying a single sword?

The Demon God is still alive.

It’s just that for now, it remains as a malevolent but powerless spiritual entity.

However, as long as the demonic cults and demon worshippers live on, the faith flowing toward it will remain, and someday it will be revived.

‘Perhaps the true final boss of this Erasto Chronicle is the fully revived Demon God.’

What am I thinking about?

The Demon God won’t be reviving anytime soon, yet here I am worrying about the future already.

‘The festival starts today, so I should enjoy it for a while.’

Even the group of demon worshippers near Glesius Academy has been eliminated. Surely they wouldn’t cause trouble during the festival?

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

With the autumn festival just around the corner, the Tower of Documents was busy processing mountains of paperwork, festival or no festival.

And in the Chancellor’s office at the top of the Tower of Documents, Regina Blasteria was welcoming visitors to the Academy.

“Welcome, Guardians of the World Tree.”

The people standing before her all had their hoods pulled down so deeply that their faces were barely visible, but Regina seemed to know who they were.

“As expected of a great mage. You immediately discerned our identities.”

Seeing that Regina knew who they were, the hooded figures removed their hoods.

Beautiful appearances beyond those of ordinary people, with long, pointed ears.

Hair and eye colors like green, blue, and emerald that seemed to symbolize nature and forests.

“Hehe, how could I forget comrades I once fought alongside? But I’m curious, why have the elves, who never leave the World Tree’s side, come all the way to Glesius Academy?”

They were the elves known as the Guardians of the World Tree.

True to their name, they never left their designated land, always staying by the World Tree’s side.

Yet now, they had visited Glesius Academy.

“Moreover, if the High Elf Grand Elder, known as the Daughter of the World Tree, has come here… something significant must have happened, right?”

“As expected… you’re impressive.”

At Regina’s observation, Shreka, the High Elf Grand Elder, sighed.

This wasn’t because her identity had been exposed, but because something truly serious had happened to the elves living around the World Tree.

“Regina, since you’re someone I can trust, I’ll tell you the truth. The World Tree… the World Tree is dying.”

“What?”

Regina couldn’t believe her ears.

What did I just hear?

“The World Tree… is dying?”

The World Tree.

Called the Mother of All Life, the largest tree in this world.

Even Mount Mahagaster, known as the roof of the world, is merely a backyard hill compared to the World Tree.

To people, the World Tree has been the pillar supporting the world for ages.

And now that pillar is dying.

“Since when?”

“We only discovered this very recently… but the World Tree’s condition is extremely serious. Even now, it’s gradually withering away.”

Regina looked deeply concerned at the news that the World Tree was withering.

This was because the mana used by mages circulated through the World Tree.

While mana is abundant in this world, some exists in the atmosphere, and some helps new life emerge from beneath the earth.

The World Tree’s role was to draw up mana buried beneath the earth and convert it into atmospheric mana.

In other words, if the World Tree dies, there would be nothing to draw up mana from below the earth to maintain the mana cycle.

“What’s the condition of the World Tree?”

“Two years at most. Right now, the living roots are still holding on somewhat. But calculating the rate at which the roots are drying up, we found that all roots will wither within two years.”

“Two years…”

The moment the roots dry up, the World Tree will cease to function.

And as the amount of mana in the atmosphere decreases, various magical powers will weaken.

“In two years, when the roots wither, the power of sealing magic will weaken.”

“And evil beings will be released. Just like in the time when the Nameless Hero was active.”

Shreka had come to Regina seeking cooperation on this matter.

News that Regina had been freed from the curse that had tormented her for so long had reached the elves.

Shreka had come to Regina wondering if the method that solved Regina’s curse might save the World Tree.

“Do you know anyone who could solve this problem?”

“Well… we haven’t deeply researched issues related to the World Tree on our side either…”

Regina couldn’t immediately think of anyone who could help with Shreka’s request.

The withering of the World Tree’s roots was something she had never encountered before.

She fell into thought, wondering who could possibly solve this problem.

“By the way, Regina. I heard that the curse binding your body has disappeared.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. I happened to get a good opportunity and was able to be freed from the curse.”

Hearing Shreka mention her curse, Regina thought of one possibility.

‘Pathos… perhaps that person could solve this problem?’

Someone who resolved her curse, cured the incurable Prezmerine disease, and destroyed the demon sword.

Perhaps he could heal the World Tree as well? The thought occurred to her.

But at the same time, she wondered if that was too selfish.

‘Both I and others rely too much on Pathos.’

Yet Regina was also a person who recognized reality.

She realized that this problem, too, might only be solvable by Pathos.

‘Could Pathos… solve this?’

And at that moment, the man who might be able to solve this problem knocked on the Chancellor’s office door.

“Chancellor. I heard you were looking for me.”