Ch.20166. Because No One But Me Could Have Done It (2)

“Pain is the process of weakness leaving the body.

Pain is the greatest teacher. For those who overcome it.

“What the seers have seen was not wrong. It was neither an illusion nor something requiring a different interpretation.”

The World Tree, the Divine Tree, desires destruction.

And Kariel has established himself as the confirmation of this fact.

Will you sit quietly and accept destruction?

Or will you become the main culprit who brings about destruction yourself?

Will you remain a victim?

Or will you take the initiative as the perpetrator?

“So it really has come down to this conclusion.”

“……”

Even while Kariel remained in the sanctuary, the time of the elves—who normally had an extremely slow perception of time—was rolling forward at a speed incomparable to before.

As if they had slipped on a slope and were tumbling down.

Geornia could only remain silent at the queen’s lament.

“And… I don’t think anyone would want to be a one-sided victim, regardless of who they are.”

“Your Majesty, are you saying there are those among us who desire war?”

“Genia, for humans and other races, the Demon Lord’s invasion is ancient history… but for us, it feels like just yesterday.”

“…So resentment and grudges still remain.”

“There are still many who harbor hatred toward kingdoms and empires that have already fallen. Not to mention entire races.”

“Those who experienced that era… they would be the elders now, wouldn’t they?”

“There are rumors that they are holding meetings with the active elders. For the first time since the Demon Lord’s invasion…”

“So… the news has spread that far.”

“It’s a natural progression unless one is deaf or deliberately covering their ears.”

In just a few days, all opinions and arguments about dealing with Kariel had been buried.

More than buried… they weren’t even mentioned again.

And this was happening without any oracle or divine command from the Divine Tree.

“……”

He had already shown it. His determination.

But that wasn’t all.

“Genia, take a look at this too.”

The queen waved her hand and passed over a bundle of several dozen sheets of paper, which Geornia received with curiosity.

“……”

Upon examination, the contents were far from ordinary.

“Apparently he asked for this to be delivered to me about a day after he fell into a coma following the council meeting.”

When Lemira delivered this as if she had been waiting for the moment, and when the queen examined its contents, she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Grand strategy. This is… a war… plan.”

The bundle of dozens of papers contained detailed records, even including drawings.

Despite likely never having seen a map, he had sketched a simplified continental map, noted several expected scenarios of how events might unfold, and included evidence and methods for each… it was jaw-dropping.

“If our memories are correct, this must have been written by him.”

Kariel from another reality shown by the World Tree.

He was a great general called the War God, a king though not by birth, and an unprecedented figure also known as a tyrant and dark ruler.

There had been great kings and emperors before… but none who had unified the continent alone and conquered even the island nations beyond.

Of course, there were those whose territorial conquests were more vast than Kariel’s, but his dominance was undeniable.

Perhaps as time passed, he would have been recorded in history as a great conqueror and general.

Regardless of his character or the devastating achievements and events he orchestrated.

…And in that future, anti-imperialist entities, regardless of race, were all executed and massacred, leading many species to extinction.

Among them were the elves, the forest people who were burned alive along with the World Tree.

“Somehow he has accurately assessed our military strength despite never being informed.”

“The Divine Tree must have tipped him off.”

If not, then someone must have leaked information to him.

That might be possible now, but… until he emerged from the sanctuary and revealed his determination at the council… those who would defend Kariel were extremely few.

“Do you intend to just watch?”

“Kariel isn’t particularly active. It’s actually our own people whose movements are suspicious.”

“……”

Even among the high elves, very few had heard and understood the facts about this matter.

The problem was the frequent meetings of a small minority of elders, seniors, and council members.

“If the World Tree truly desires destruction… I honestly don’t know if those who worship it would refuse.”

“Genia, I can make no guarantees.”

When even human kings must be mindful of their subjects, she was merely wearing a crown, in reality just a mediator and advisor.

She was also the supreme judge… but that was only when dealing with crimes.

So in situations like this, where things were progressing without violating regulations and laws, the queen was utterly powerless.

“We should prepare, but… if the general trend moves in that direction, we won’t be able to stop it.”

“……”

“Genia, what do you want to do?”

====

“If only one could contain the world in a single point. Then everything would end.”

The elder, known as the mad elf, merely rambled on repeating such words.

He too was situated in a corner of the sanctuary inside the World Tree.

Finding him was a coincidence.

But if coincidence is part of an incomprehensible necessity, then this too must have been guided.

Perhaps due to his shabby appearance and outer garment that had long since become tattered rags.

The pale, skinny elf’s existence was truly faint, as if unified with darkness, except for the dim light of luminous stones coming from far away.

“Containing the world in a single point. What does that mean?”

“…The world originally began from a single point. It returns to its source. It follows its origin. Beginning and end, seed and tree and fruit… none have a determined beginning or end.”

“……”

You’re grasping at clouds a bit too much.

“You say the world began from a single point? How do you know that?”

“Because I heard it.”

“…From whom?”

“From the 3rd Great Demon Lord.”

…Great Demon Lord?

“So, what have you been doing here?”

“Contemplating how to gather the world into a single point.”

“You’re wasting your effort.”

He is dying.

Not just mana, but the vitality unique to nature-friendly elves, the natural energy… in him it was extremely faint… no, not even perceptible.

…Neither alive nor dead.

That strangeness makes me hesitate to turn away, something slightly bothers me, so I observe him for a moment.

“If that becomes possible, what would you want to do with it?”

Until now, the elf had spoken with a listless, deflated tone.

But this time, his tone changed slightly.

“I would put it back into the egg.”

Then pain, anger, despair.

Love, happiness, fulfillment.

Regret, fear, anxiety, disgust, frustration, optimism, resignation….

“All would disappear. Life itself… is the sin and curse we bear.”

“…That’s the kind of statement that would earn you a slap if God or the Creator heard it.”

“Child mocked by fate, you must think the same as I do.”

He wasn’t seeking my answer or asking for agreement.

After speaking so one-sidedly and losing his mind one-sidedly, he falls into silence.

Is he dead, or asleep?

…Either way, it doesn’t matter.

As I left the sanctuary, several elves dressed in pure white uniforms and pitch-black uniforms like armor came to greet me as if they had been waiting.

“As you sow, so shall you reap, is it.”

The seeds were sown long ago.

All of this is the proper order and natural process that follows.

====

And the situation did not end with just an emergency irregular council meeting being convened.

In the council chamber were the queen and the 14 councilors.

And four elders and about a dozen figures who appeared to be senior elders were taking their seats.

At the crescent moon-shaped table, the councilors and queen were seated as before.

On newly added wooden chairs near the periphery of the room and walls, people I had never seen before began to take their seats one by one.

“……”

And once again.

Kariel had to face them alone, standing by himself.

“Try provoking me again like last time. This time I’ll cut your throat and not let you live.”

Kariel made a gesture of drawing his finger across his throat, directing his sharp tone openly toward the councilor who had provoked him previously with talk of acting.

“Ahem!”

The smooth cheeks of the elf councilor, whose composure was greatly disturbed, trembled like a candle flame exposed to a gust of wind.

Threatening with suicide! He truly must be out of his mind!

However, the councilor ultimately did not voice these thoughts aloud.

“I will personally preside over this council meeting.”

Once a sufficient number of people had taken their seats, the queen herself opened her mouth and surveyed the assembly.

“I sincerely hope that on this occasion, everyone present here can make the wisest and most righteous judgments and decisions without shame or regret. Truly.”

After a brief pause, the queen mentioned the proceedings.

“The proceedings will take the form of questions and answers from those who have been granted the right to speak. Kariel Brendiar has informed me in advance that he wishes to speak at the end. Therefore, his statement will proceed after the questions and answers have been organized. Are there any objections?”

Silence.

“Kariel. Has your mind remained unchanged?”

“Yes, it has.”

“Very well.”

This meeting, in the form of a council, might become another watershed moment dividing the current era and history.

…I would prefer if it didn’t, and instead remained just a disturbance and commotion among us.

The queen raised her hand toward an elder who requested the right to speak as soon as the meeting began.

“This is the ninth elder. He once held many important positions as a seer.”

Some of the councilors were even seeing him for the first time.

He was a withered man with both eyes covered by something like a blindfold.

His skin was so dry that it was cracked like an old tree, looking quite precarious.

Nevertheless, regardless of others’ gazes or reactions, he immediately asked Kariel:

“What the Divine Tree showed you was neither our world’s past, present, nor any future. Then do you know what it was?”

Kariel responded to that question with indifference.

“I assume you’re not asking because you don’t know, but to confirm whether I understand correctly. For that… let me use a tree as a metaphor.”

The first tree grows straight up toward the sky, but eventually as it grows, it branches out into many, dozens of branches, and from there again into many more branches.

“If each of those branches is considered a world, then our world would be just one of those branches. And the me from that other world should be considered a separate entity from the me standing here.”

However, the fact remains that even those branches originated from a single tree.

“And the World Tree, what you call the Divine Tree, I believe is an entity and form that can glimpse and select worlds in the context I’ve exemplified. Note that this isn’t just my opinion… it’s based on what I’ve experienced. Even in the memories of my other-world self, there were indications of trying to understand the World Tree. So assuming that’s the case… do you have anything more to say, Ninth Elder?”

“We seers have foreseen the future through the Divine Tree. And based on this, we have preemptively blocked futures that could be avoided and prevented. We called this pruning. But there was a future that absolutely would not change. We didn’t know when it would be… but now I know.”

“Unchangeable, so pruning? You couldn’t change the future even with that. Is that what you’re saying?”

He just nodded slightly.

“What you all did was possible only because the Divine Tree, the World Tree, allowed it.”

To foresee the future.

That was possible only because the World Tree permitted such a thing.

In other words, if the World Tree gives up allowing it or does not permit it…

…naturally it becomes impossible.

If the future cannot be seen or grasped, how can one know and prepare for and prevent it?

“But isn’t it normal not to know the future?”

To Kariel, this seems normal and common sense.

But.

The ninth elder declared:

“For us, that was rather unreasonable and abnormal.”

Like someone who could see suddenly losing their sight or their eyes.

If a benefit that was originally there and naturally enjoyed suddenly disappeared or was revealed to be a curse…

…how would they react?

Normally, one would let go or cut it out decisively.

…But that wouldn’t be easy.

Especially when it’s the ability to glimpse the distant future, prepare for it, and adjust and control it.

“Then from now on, you should learn to leave your parents’ side.”

Kariel spoke very lightly, but.

This was content with weight and loss that couldn’t be compared to simply saying abandon or give up your faith.

“Or else… joyfully perish along with the World Tree.”

…

The hall grows quiet.

But only for a moment.

“But weren’t we given one more choice besides that?”

Kariel Brendiar.

“If you truly are the apostle of the Divine Tree in the true sense, representing and practicing its will and intentions… wouldn’t the story be quite different?”

Perhaps this is what they wanted to confirm.

The queen barely restrained herself from rubbing her forehead.

To pass that position to Kariel.

To bestow that position.

“Even if that’s true, could you acknowledge that I, a human, have such qualifications?”

“…It wouldn’t be easy.”

The elder readily admitted it.

So what, next they’ll demand proof of qualification or some other tedious thing?

Kariel let out a short laugh of derision.

“I believe I gave you plenty of time to sort out your opinions on this matter. Was it still not enough?”

And according to his current statement, Kariel’s intentions became even clearer.

“……”

The queen deliberately ignored the cold sweat running down her face.

“The choices were obvious anyway. Either kill me as the Divine Tree wishes, or pass everything on to me. As long as you don’t become independent from the World Tree, you can never escape this binary choice. So, I’ve even prepared a third option for you, but what would you like to do?”

Kariel spoke to the assembly as if there was no other way.

Will you break out of the egg and face the storms of the world bare-bodied?

Or will you stay curled up, crouched inside the egg as you are now?

That was Kariel’s intention in speaking, but whether they would take it that way…

Honestly, he had no expectations.

Whether human or elf…

…as long as they were creatures existing under the sky, expecting something was extremely, extremely… meaningless.

The only beautiful, sparkling things in this world are the stars twinkling from far, far away in that distant sky.

We were born inherently unable to sparkle, weren’t we?

So my heart doesn’t race, and I have no expectations.

At least, that’s an ideal and concept I can’t find in myself.

‘I desire the unknown.’

The unknown that resembles a miracle.

The distant unknown that lightly encompasses even profound despair.

Only that… will move me.

‘Are you capable of that?’

I wonder.

If you make my heart race beyond expectations.

We can end everything safely, without mutual destruction or frustration.

It is you who point the sword, who aim the bow.

Whether you realize this or not will determine the fate of your race.