Ch.125World Tree, Truth, and Possession (4)

Evan’s expectation of returning to a softer atmosphere was slightly shattered. Despite having done nothing wrong, he somehow had to face an angry Irene right upon his return. Though a bit disappointed, he was mostly focused on holding back his laughter at how adorable her scolding was.

“Why are you smiling at those women? You should only smile at me after they’re gone. Don’t you know how you look? Can’t you be more careful?”

“Wait, are you upset because I smiled just now?”

“Can’t you see the elves blushing when they look at your face? Are you pretending not to know?”

These accusations, heard in private after leaving the elves’ sight, seemed quite absurd to Evan.

He had simply smiled out of friendliness, yet here he was being scolded. Still, finding this situation rather endearing, Evan hugged Irene tightly and patted her back.

“You’re jealous. I understand. It must have been difficult for you during the day I was gone.”

“J-jealous? That’s not—”

“I don’t think anyone but Irene would tell me not to smile because other women are blushing.”

Though she wanted to deny it, Irene couldn’t argue because she knew there was some truth to his words. She struggled in Evan’s embrace, not wanting to appear like a woman consumed by ugly jealousy.

She needed to deny it, but she couldn’t because jealousy was indeed mixed in her feelings. Finally, she gave up and hugged Evan’s broad back tightly.

“…You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“Didn’t I already tell you I wasn’t hurt? I received your handkerchief, and I wouldn’t dare soil it and face your wrath.”

“Let me see the handkerchief.”

She carefully examined the snow-white handkerchief Evan handed her, but the protective magic embroidered on it remained completely intact. This meant he hadn’t faced any life-threatening attacks.

She had expected the Hartan subjugation to be quite dangerous, but perhaps the enemy had been unexpectedly weak. In reality, Evan’s power had been overwhelming, but in Irene’s imagination, he was always like a moth dancing around the flames of death.

Having actually witnessed Evan’s death once before, her anxiety was perhaps understandable.

“So, how long are we going to keep hugging like this?”

Evan smiled slightly at the gazes he felt nearby and looked at Irene. The elves around them were already watching this scene, so it seemed they couldn’t go any further.

Irene, who had been sniffing his scent while nestled in his arms, suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly pulled away from Evan’s embrace.

“Um, I was just about to let go.”

“I just came from battle, so I must smell of blood. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“…Well, if it’s Evan, everything is fine.”

Even the smell of blood, or anything worse that might cling to Evan, would be acceptable. As Irene smiled faintly, Evan stroked her head and turned his gaze back toward the elves.

“Now, can we come out and talk? I assume you finished negotiations while I was gone, so we should head to Eldrasil, right?”

“Ahem, yes. That’s sufficient, as the knight says. But I have one question.”

The eyes of the elf elder narrowed as he looked at Evan. With mana so powerful it was hard to see him as human, the elves saw Evan as something difficult to define as merely human.

Something greater and more sublime than a human. A being that once ruled over all other races but now exists only in myths.

“Could you possibly be… a dragon?”

The energy stirring within Evan was similar to what one would feel from a dragon. Sensing this energy, several elves had already knelt down.

This wasn’t quite what Evan wanted, so he smiled briefly, shook his head, and spoke.

“I’ve merely inherited somewhat dense dragon blood. My ancestor was a dragon once called Fried.”

“Fried, I see. Since dragons have been exterminated, there’s no way an ancient dragon could have survived until now.”

The elf looked at Evan with a slightly regretful expression, then carefully moved his lips while checking Irene’s reaction.

“But… have you perhaps inherited elven blood as well?”

“How could that be possible?”

“No, but how are you so…”

Handsome? The elf couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. Irene’s eyes had grown cold, and her aura had sharpened to the point where one small mistake would undo all the goodwill they had established earlier.

Was it right for them to call themselves the race of beauty? Feeling a moment of doubt, the elf quietly sighed and looked at Irene.

“Now that your knight has arrived, shall we depart? It’s better to start as soon as possible.”

Irene hesitated briefly and checked Evan’s reaction. It would be better to move quickly if Evan was up for it, but she wondered if he had the energy right now.

However, Evan nodded, indicating he was fine. The energy he had used in subjugating Hartan had been minimal, so he could handle another such battle right away if needed.

The capabilities of a Master with Ascalon and the Light Spirit were far beyond what people could imagine in terms of power.

“Then, let’s depart immediately.”

The World Tree, and its fragment, Eldrasil. Evan’s expression stiffened slightly as he recalled the confusion about his identity.

#

“Are you not cold?”

At Evan’s question, Irene slowly shook her head. How could she be cold when Evan was so close to her? They weren’t just close—he was holding her tightly. Reading the gazes of the other elves, Irene lifted her head and smiled contentedly.

“…By the way, when did you two start dating?”

When an elf asked this question, Evan answered that it had been four months ago. The elf clicked his tongue softly, bowed his head, and began muttering to himself.

“What a shame… if only I had come out four months earlier.”

It was fortunate that Irene didn’t hear this. If she had heard it clearly, she would have given the elf a cold stare.

Not having expected to receive such advances, Irene held Evan’s hand tightly and carefully surveyed her surroundings. Who would have thought his looks would work even on elves? While she was pleased that Evan’s appearance appealed even to the race of beauty, she was also anxious about him being targeted by other races.

‘I have to protect him.’

Who else would protect Evan if not her? As someone who had become the mother of two children, and as Evan’s wife, it was right for her to safeguard her husband. But the thought of being his wife made her feel hot, and Irene covered her flushed cheeks with Evan’s hand while breathing excitedly.

“So, when do we arrive at Eldrasil?”

“It’s been three days since we departed…”

The forest had become completely desolate with the arrival of winter. Occasionally, evergreens showed their green leaves, but they were very few. The elf pointed between the bare trees, which allowed clear visibility ahead, and quietly moved his lips.

Narrowing one’s eyes, one could see a massive tree standing tall in the distance, reaching toward the sky all by itself.

“We’re almost there. Sir Knight, you should be able to see it.”

“…Is that Eldrasil?”

“Yes. A fragment of the World Tree, the origin of elves… and the beginning of all life.”

The Eldrasil that appeared in Evan’s view was indeed a massive tree. It was hard to believe it was just a sapling, given its enormous size. The upper part of the tree, partially hidden by clouds, was large enough to cover the sky, and numerous cocoon-like structures hung beneath it.

“Do elves live inside those cocoons?”

“Yes. Enduring this winter is difficult even for elves.”

Though Eldrasil was now visible to everyone, Irene frowned slightly at the village that showed no signs of life. It wasn’t that there was no one there, but why did it feel so devoid of vitality?

An elven village was supposed to symbolize abundance—a place with more life energy than anywhere else, where elves lived in harmony with nature, enjoying near-immortal longevity.

“…What is this?”

The elven village had already undergone significant deterioration. It was so desolate that not even elves could be seen wandering around. The elves accompanying Irene and Evan looked at their surroundings with dejected smiles.

The time they had been away from the village was brief, but the speed of deterioration was accelerating. It seemed they might have to abandon Eldrasil and leave for another place.

If they hadn’t decided that completely erasing the force of extinction was their only hope, they should have left the village before the deterioration had progressed so far. Now only one option remained: to cooperate with humans to completely kill the ancient dragon Mavet, which extinction had resurrected. Their queen was waiting at the center of the World Tree, which had not yet completely rotted.

“Now you must meet the Queen. Before that, preparations—”

“Elder, a message from the Queen.”

After listening to the urgent messenger, the elder looked at Evan with a slightly ambiguous expression, then slowly moved his lips while checking Irene’s reaction. He wondered what she would think when he delivered this message.

He was slightly worried, but to elves, the Queen’s word was absolute. Finally, setting aside his concerns, the elf spoke again.

“…The Queen wishes to see only you, Evan Fried. Is that acceptable?”

“…Why specifically Evan?”

“There’s probably no impure intention. The Queen is an elf yet not an elf—a being who has no feelings to harbor toward humans.”

It was a slightly ambiguous answer, but Irene reluctantly nodded. Surely even the Queen wouldn’t have strange thoughts about Evan. If she was a being who wouldn’t harbor feelings for humans, then Irene, moving slightly away from Evan, quietly looked at him and fidgeted with her lips.

“I’ll be back soon. Since the elder will convey all the negotiation details, I probably won’t have much to say anyway.”

However, not knowing why he was being summoned, Evan wore a smile while harboring various thoughts. Didn’t he himself have questions for the Queen? Perhaps the Queen had already sensed his doubts.

The World Tree, described as a mysterious entity even in novels, might indeed be capable of such perception. With this thought, he slowly began walking inside.

The inside of the World Tree was no different from an empty hollow tree. Vine-like branches stretched upward toward the sky, their ends not even visible. After standing there blankly for a moment, he turned his head at the presence he felt ahead and saw a woman.

A woman with a form completely different from ordinary elves—rather, similar to humans—was slightly extending her body, entangled with the tree.

“Welcome, bearer of dragon blood. Or should I call you by another name?”

After saying this and smiling, the Elven Queen added with a sly smile:

“One who has lived two lives but possesses a single soul. You’ve come to me to resolve that confusion. Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you for a thousand years.”

Evan’s expression upon hearing those words was indescribably pale. Two lives and one soul—didn’t that sound like he had been Evan Fried all along, rather than having possessed someone?

Silently, tree branches emerging from the World Tree’s roots gradually rose to surround them. A story that no one should hear or be allowed to hear. As the elder naturally withdrew from the place, the Queen slowly wrapped her body and Evan’s with branches to create a space.

“I have so many stories to tell you. Alarado, myself, and Fried. We’ve all been waiting for this moment that would eventually come.”

Her gently folded eyes curved beautifully, and her red lips parted slightly.

“I believe you’re ready to listen.”