Ch.142Chapter 142 – The Truth Shreka Had Been Hiding

I looked into Shreka’s eyes and spoke.

“Grand Elder Shreka. Please tell me the truth.”

“W-what are you talking about? I don’t quite understand.”

Judging by her slight stutter, Shreka seems quite tense.

Perhaps my words hit right on the mark?

“Hey! How dare you speak to the Grand Elder like that!”

“Grand Elder, there’s no need to continue this conversation. We don’t need this person’s help…”

As I tried to pressure Shreka, her guards revealed their killing intent and prepared to attack me at any moment.

“Both of you, be quiet.”

“But!”

“Did you not hear me say be quiet?”

The elf guarding Shreka immediately fell silent when her voice rose, becoming as mute as if they’d swallowed honey.

Once the guards calmed down, Shreka sighed and looked at me again.

“…You’re right. There’s a reason why the World Tree’s roots have begun to dry up.”

“What?”

Shreka confessed the truth with surprising calmness.

But the one who was truly shocked wasn’t me, but the Chancellor.

“Lady Shreka! What are you saying? When you came to see me…!”

“I’m sorry, Regina. But… I was uncertain whether I should reveal this to you as well.”

Shreka couldn’t raise her head, appearing genuinely apologetic.

What on earth had happened?

“I’d appreciate it if you could tell us the whole truth now. If the World Tree’s well-being is directly connected to the world’s safety, we need to know exactly what’s happening in order to help you, don’t we?”

“Sigh, very well. I’ll tell you the truth. Among the elves who protect the World Tree, there exists a faction of betrayer elves who have abandoned their mission and now oppose the World Tree.”

“Betrayers, you say?”

“Yes. As I mentioned, there were those who abandoned their sacred duty to protect the World Tree. They fell for a demon’s temptation, betrayed us, and disappeared to barren lands far away. The races of the continent, including humans, came to call these betrayer elves by a certain name.”

Shreka paused briefly to take a breath before continuing.

What could they possibly call these betrayer elves?

“The betrayer elves who fell for the demon’s temptation are known as… ‘Demon Folk.'”

Huh, what?

What?

No, wait a minute.

Demon Folk?

Did she say Demon Folk?

The most troublesome lunatics to deal with in Erasto Chronicle?

“Are you saying the Demon Folk… were originally elves?”

I experienced the greatest shock since arriving in this world.

To think that the Demon Folk were elves who abandoned their mission and fell for demonic temptation.

“That’s right. It’s truly shameful to admit, but there were traitors hidden within the elven race… and they’ve been communicating with the Demon Folk, leading the contamination of the World Tree.”

Now I could understand why the World Tree’s roots were drying up.

After all, a massive tree responsible for the circulation of mana throughout nature for ages wouldn’t just start drying up without reason.

“Just how much information control are you maintaining?”

“The only ones who know this information are now you, Chancellor Regina, these High Elf guards here, and other High Elves including myself. Ordinary elves remain unaware.”

It seems the common elves haven’t been informed.

Well, I can understand to some extent why Shreka hasn’t told the ordinary elves about this.

Imagine saying, “Hey everyone, look! There are traitors among us communicating with those who betrayed us after falling for others’ temptations, and because of them, the World Tree is being contaminated and we’re all going to die!” Would people really believe that?

It would lead to chaos! Destruction! Rui—ahem.

Anyway, widespread confusion would erupt throughout elven society.

“Everyone would suspect each other, and amid all that suspicion, the elves guarding the World Tree would naturally weaken, giving the Demon Folk the opportunity to strike…”

“And the World Tree would be lost forever.”

“Exactly right.”

Shreka is the Grand Elder of the High Elves and the leader of all elven kind.

For her, maintaining social stability is paramount.

This is why she couldn’t hastily announce that there were collaborators communicating with the Demon Folk within elven society.

“Is that why you didn’t tell me either?”

“Yes. Regina, even among the elves you personally communicate with, there are spies secretly in contact with the Demon Folk.”

“…”

Did the Chancellor feel like she’d been hit on the head with a hammer?

She rose from her seat, looking unsteady.

Seeing her sway slightly as if dizzy, I quickly ran over and firmly held her.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

I helped the Chancellor back into her chair, then looked at Shreka.

“So I couldn’t tell you either. I’m sorry, Regina.”

“No, I understand completely. Please tell me the names of these spies communicating with the Demon Folk later. I’ll deal with them personally.”

The Chancellor seemed thoroughly angered.

“Alright. But now isn’t the time to discuss that. The collaborators under the Demon Folk’s influence have sprayed a terribly cursed substance on the World Tree’s roots.”

“A cursed substance?”

“It wasn’t just one or two curses. It was a malicious curse designed to wither and kill the World Tree, with dozens of curses layered over each other multiple times.”

Shreka trembled as she spoke about the curse afflicting the World Tree’s roots.

Dozens of curses layered multiple times…

The World Tree’s protective power must be incredibly strong.

“How many roots does the World Tree have in total?”

“Excluding the smaller ones, there are thirteen major roots. Of those thirteen, seven are currently contaminated.”

Hmm, thirteen roots.

Do these thirteen roots extend deep into the earth?

“Once all the roots are contaminated, the World Tree will gradually begin to wither. After all, it’s maintained by the mana it draws up from the ground.”

Listening to Shreka’s explanation, I understand why it truly deserves the name “World Tree.”

Drawing mana from beneath the earth to sustain this world—it literally is the tree of the world.

“Then we have no time to waste. Shouldn’t we hurry to where the World Tree is located?”

“You’ll… you’ll help us?”

Shreka’s face brightened when I expressed my willingness to help fix the World Tree.

“If we can’t heal the World Tree, this world will eventually perish, correct?”

If the World Tree dies and there’s nothing to draw mana from beneath the earth?

Then the sealing magic circles would weaken, and all sorts of evil beings would emerge to wreak havoc in this world.

What I desire is not just for the heroines, but for everyone to live happily together in this world.

Not a world where demons, monsters, and all kinds of villains run rampant!

So if the World Tree needed healing, I was more than willing to help.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“However, I need one promise from you.”

“A promise?”

“Safety guarantees.”

To heal the World Tree, I need to go there.

And above all, there are traitors in elven lands communicating with the Demon Folk.

This means that the Demon Folk, under demonic orders, might attempt to harm me through their collaborators.

“Until recently, my life was threatened by demon worshippers from a demonic cult.”

“What?”

Shreka was startled by my words.

Of course, she must have arrived here after the explosion incident…

“Are you saying the demonic cult is targeting the Baron?”

“I destroyed the demon sword, which would have been the best material for resurrecting a demon god. So to them, I’m a thorn in their side, and with my divine power weakened, I’m probably their easiest target to eliminate.”

“Hmm…”

Shreka nodded at my response.

As the Grand Elder of the High Elves, she must have understood what I was getting at.

“You’ll need guards. Skilled ones who aren’t in league with the Demon Folk.”

“Exactly. If I were to go there and be attacked by the Demon Folk or demon worshippers aided by them…”

“It would cause diplomatic friction with the Empire, and during the investigation into why you were there, information about the World Tree’s crisis might spread throughout the world.”

Shreka seemed to have calculated the repercussions if I were to be attacked, realizing the gravity of the situation.

“I understand. Don’t worry about that. The High Elven warriors are all exceptional fighters. They will protect you thoroughly in elven lands. And there won’t be any problems, so please don’t worry.”

Shreka smiled reassuringly as she spoke to me.

“We’ll go directly to where the World Tree’s roots are. With me, the Grand Elder, accompanying you, we can bypass all other procedures and go straight to the roots.”

Ah, so that’s possible.

“The position of High Elven Grand Elder isn’t something I earned through a card game, after all.”