Ch.20066. Because if not me, then no one else could have done it.

After recovering to some extent, Kariel deliberately headed to the sacred grove.

And this fact was conveyed beyond the council of healers to the elders.

In truth, they had known for some time, but internal and external affairs were the responsibility of active members.

However, matters concerning the World Tree—their faith, father, mother, teacher, companion, and partner—were not something they could easily overlook.

Eventually, an elder council was convened, and even the Grand Elder made an appearance.

“…”

After being tormented for a full day, the Queen returned to her sanctuary and sat in a specially prepared white chair amidst the blooming indoor garden, letting out a deep sigh.

“How far will this matter spread?”

“Your Majesty, your complexion is dark.”

“…I’ve had some troubling matters to deal with.”

When Remira inquired with concerned eyes, the Queen waved her hand dismissively.

“The Forest Folk made a solemn promise to all allied races on the continent when they drove the Light Folk from the region.”

“…Is this something I’m allowed to hear?”

“Knowing this much should be fine.”

The Queen spoke with a sigh.

“Under no circumstances would they engage in acts of invasion, colonization, or interference in the affairs of other nations.”

There were exceptions.

If they tried to slaughter us, if they tried to exterminate us.

Only then would we respond with full force.

“For thousands of years, many empires have existed, but we have always maintained a position like an insurmountable cliff to them.”

Among them were Great Kings, Magnificent Emperors, and Hegemons.

But one great being alone could never challenge the status of the Divine Tree—it was an impossible realm.

“…Yes. Vera was the problem.”

It was a beast and tyrant composed of nations.

It was truly the first era when human gods proclaimed themselves masters of the world.

Around the same time, in a place far from here, a completely opposite phenomenon was occurring.

“You’re talking about 1,000 years ago.”

“Yes. To borrow an imperial expression… it would be Hegemony.”

Hegemony (ἡγεμονία).

The wielder of influence between nations, the holder of leadership.

It refers to a nation that leads the trend, is designated as the victor in culture and history of the era, designated as the strong… or so they say.

“At that time, many of our kin spread throughout the continent. Knowledge overflowed like flooding rivers… and we struggled even to absorb it all.”

“Was it that significant?”

“During its golden age.”

But as expected of a nation built by humans, it always had chaos and disorder inherent within.

The holders of power changed too quickly, and while it would have been fortunate if they had properly inherited what previous power holders and influencers had achieved… some openly denied it.

“It wasn’t that they were great because they were exceptional. It was because the gods they served were great.”

And.

They advocated polytheism and worshipped all great beings, victors, and the strong.

They absorbed the weak and made them into cornerstones.

That included all the beings worshipped by the weak.

“Remira. Do you know why we have relied specifically on the Divine Tree?”

“Because it’s our unique creator, father and mother, the being that arranged our bodies and souls—isn’t that why?”

“That’s correct. But if that were all… it would be meaningless.”

Children eventually become independent from their parents.

Plants fulfill their parental role simply by spreading seeds.

Animals make their young independent when they grow up.

Everything is like that.

Then, if the elves’ belief in conforming to nature, though originating from the Divine Tree, is not just nominal…

…Shouldn’t they have willingly become independent from the Divine Tree?

This issue has actually been a topic of debate among elves for nearly ten thousand years.

“The Divine Tree, the World Tree, is precisely speaking… the only unique observer that can take root in a specific world.”

“By observer, you mean…?”

“In the past, countless races, including humans, without exception, looked up at the sky to divine the fortune and future of the world.”

“…”

“But that was an extremely difficult and truly arduous task, even to glimpse just a part of it.”

Even those who spent their lives studying constellations and celestial bodies, even if they devoted their entire lives to understanding its laws and phenomena…

…What they understood was only a tiny fraction.

Moreover, its practical use was limited to predicting the weather at best.

For humans, the first celestial observations and tracking were part of the process for proper settlement of agricultural societies and sedentary civilizations.

…Elves didn’t need to farm.

Even without doing so, they could if they wanted to.

“Remira. Setting aside the Queen’s duties, you know what kind of leader and head I am, don’t you?”

“Yes. I was told as a guardian candidate that you are the head of the Deepseers.”

“Originally, that role was to hear and convey the language of the Divine Tree. These days… I’ve taken on the role of judge, but that’s how it was originally.”

Remira hesitated before carefully asking.

“Wasn’t that the role of the Farseers?”

“The roles have changed. Because there are limitations to what we can receive through the Divine Tree.”

So, they gave up on just receiving and started taking a different approach by questioning.

The Great Empire of Vera was what prompted this change.

“Creatures that remain complacent become obsolete and die. When deaths accumulate, they become extinct, which means… losing the unique dignity and nobility we’ve admired.”

“…”

“The Divine Tree has consistently shown us the path and direction we must take.”

And it clearly proved its fruition during the Demon Lord’s army invasion.

Even that Golden Beast was satisfied with drawing a line.

If a battle for annihilation, a war had broken out.

Not just an indelible wound, but irreversible destruction would have come to this region.

“But now, I’m starting to have some doubts about that aspect.”

“I’m… sorry. My knowledge is… limited.”

“I’m not blaming you. It’s just… the facts I’ve learned are giving me a headache in many ways.”

“Is that also related to Kariel?”

The Queen calmly nodded slightly.

“The humiliation and subjugation we suffered from our enemy Vera made us stronger. But if the catalyst and foundation from that time… were for this moment… I truly… don’t think I could handle it.”

“Your Majesty…”

Remira couldn’t even begin to guess with what intention, with what heart the Queen was sighing.

But knowing the Queen well, Remira found the sight of the Queen rambling like this extremely unfamiliar.

Even to Remira, it seemed like more than just a simple worry or vague anguish.

Only the anxiety and ominous feeling that constricted the heart was being transmitted to Remira through the Queen’s troubled mind and unstable energy…

====

“The Forbidden Spell Law. You’ve been hiding something extremely dangerous.”

Kariel muttered to himself while facing the wall.

He was absorbing various information and knowledge through the World Tree.

For instance.

The magical theories and formulas secretly revealed during the time of the Light Folk.

And when combined with the magical theories and knowledge of that era, they created yet another taboo.

And those who developed these things and prepared for possible contingencies were the Forest Folk, the current greatest and strongest fairy nation.

And its master and citizens.

The Forest Elves.

“It fits perfectly.”

Even regarding the Divine Tree faith, there seemed to be ample room for fanaticism depending on what message the World Tree conveyed.

What if I used them as a tool and army to crush the world?

And what if I could directly command such beings?

…The Kariel from another world who once swept away the world.

That memory is now fully contained within me.

…I might risk having my original personality completely transformed by those memories.

But memories are just memories.

…If I confuse that, I’ll truly lose control.

“So the World Tree is one who can glimpse the future and choose the best future. Is that what it is?”

The World Tree didn’t exactly tell me this, but that was the conclusion I reached based on the information I gathered while examining it.

Also.

The reason why my grown self from another world could willingly burn the World Tree and sweep away the elves’ sanctuary.

…Because the World Tree wanted it.

The World Tree could have avoided such a future.

The will of the World Tree.

If only it had wanted to.

“…”

But for any being in the world, to take its own life and break its will… is an extremely unnatural act.

“The solution is simple but complicated.”

I’m muttering to myself to avoid getting lost in my own mind.

If I get too immersed, I might lose myself.

Absurd information is like a deadly poison that not only contaminates but destroys the mind.

Like how you might choke or reflexively vomit if you keep stuffing yourself with food endlessly.

If you don’t understand this principle, you’ll just keep trying to cram more into your head.

…Just as what enters the mouth is finite, what the mind can hold is also finite.

Who decided that something has no volume or mass just because it’s invisible?

“If I resolve to be the vanguard leading the elves and their allies to sweep across the world. Yes. Then you might withdraw your order to kill me.”

But what comes next… doesn’t seem very pleasant.

And realistically, this… won’t be an easy task.

“From the beginning, with Father and the Emperor and a united Empire… there’s no answer through battle.”

The reason I could lead the imperial army to sweep the world was…

…because I was, after all, on the Empire’s side.

The reason Father couldn’t stop me was because I had, at least in his eyes, a justification and legitimacy that I forced him to accept.

Ah, I’m not talking about the current me, but the me from another world who was like a tyrant.

“…Sigh.”

Who am I talking to?

Actually, what I saw wasn’t just that.

But the memories of that impressive Kariel, who was both a tyrant and dark lord, even called a war god, are so intense for the current me that they’ve buried all other possibilities… that’s the current problem.

Because hatred, dissatisfaction, and irritation have been scratching at my mind and body like breathing.

A sharp smile forms on my lips without me realizing it.

But my eyes don’t move at all.

I’ve been like this for so long that my tears have dried up, making my eyes feel dry and stiff.

This is that Kariel’s habit.

A habit born from the unique selfishness of trying to grasp every situation without taking his eyes off for a moment.

“I didn’t care about El that much.”

But you’re completely different from me.

Perhaps the self-blame for letting El, Elhermina, go like that caused… another emotional change, as if you had fallen in love with her.

“She was worth it.”

…If I’m startled by my own words, something seems very wrong.

“So the world that made her like that should be swept away. That’s the answer. Should I just sit and watch injustice and irrationality? I would have died from rage long ago.”

Let me catch my breath.

“Did you need to do that yourself back then?”

This time the response comes immediately without a chance to breathe.

“Because no one else could do it but me. Her father, the Emperor, might have agonized a hundred or thousand times, but in the end, he was a fool bound by the pretext of serving the people rather than his own daughter, and the Empress was no exception. Or what? Should I have asked my father? To sweep everything away? That doesn’t make sense. You sent her away in the same manner.”

“Uh… is that so?”

Self-questioning and self-answering.

But it was never asking myself and answering myself.

Wasn’t I the one who had contained and raised snakes and monsters within, coexisting with them?

But this damn being with an enormous presence has simply taken the monster’s place.

…Perhaps the original monster was preparing for metamorphosis to become this being.

“You must have guessed? You were born to be like this. So why… have you been doing this nonsense until now? Where and how did things go wrong?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“…You didn’t sacrifice yourself just to save El. If you had… I wouldn’t have a reason to be irritated.”

“Really?”

“…Why are you imitating Father and Mother? Have you gone mad? I, and you too, were certainly not that kind of person. So why?”

“…”

Hmm.

You’re making this difficult.

“Curious? Then I’ll give you an answer similar to yours.”

Because this is.

“Because I, and no one else, could do it.”

At least I understand that our answers to ‘why’ were identical.

But the interpretation and implementation were polar opposites… that much I understand well.

“Well, just watch for now. If the final conclusion flows as you wish, I’ll gladly feed you this body.”

So until then.

“This is my world, so just watch quietly. If you’re bored, take a nap.”

………

It’s quiet now.

It was half-intentionally drawn out anyway.

A kind of personality imitation, or inner imitation, that arose from immersing too deeply in the imitation.

But that’s limited to me and the subject I’m imitating.

I didn’t project, reflect, or apply personality to the snake and monster.

…Because doing so would create a large possibility of them replacing me.

Whether it’s that or this, it’s the same me.

That is, it was myself.

“If I had been born in a less fortunate house, I wonder where I would have been hanged for being possessed by ghosts and demons.”

How fortunate to be born into the hero’s family!

Let me praise myself a bit.

I find small satisfaction and proclaim happiness.

That is the only lifeline and positive virtue of a miserable believer.