Ch.524524. Why Here? (2)

In the world, the existence of High Elves can rightfully be considered mysterious in itself.

The number of non-elven races permitted to enter the Great Forest can be counted on one’s fingers. Even then, they are generally only allowed to speak with the elders. Having a conversation with a High Elf, who overlooks the Great Forest from beside the World Tree, is like reaching for the stars.

Moreover, since High Elves have never shown themselves outside the Great Forest for ages, people find stories about them utterly unfamiliar unless they’re from the legendary Great War a thousand years ago.

So, for whatever reason, Sione and I were left speechless by the fact that the only High Elf of the Great Forest had come to our barony—and further, had invaded our bedroom in the middle of the night.

“……”

“……”

“…I didn’t come with strange intentions. I truly have things you must know. Really.”

In the end, Edelin, the leader of the Great Forest, bowed her head quite easily.

‘Well, if Sione and I could be caught off guard this easily.’

She must be a monster capable of wielding magic that manifests the spirit realm in the Great Forest single-handedly.

After catching Edelin, who had appeared at an unfortunately suspicious timing and tried to escape back through the window, we sat her down and now faced her in our nightclothes.

Sione and I shared our thoughts with a single glance as we quietly observed Edelin.

‘Edelin, haven’t you returned to exactly how you looked when we saw you during the old Magia conquest?’

There was no trace of the twilight years of her life—the graying hair and wrinkles around her eyes were nowhere to be found.

Rather, the current Edelin seemed closer to her past self—the one who had energetically run around, sweeping away demons with her bow and spirits.

After a while of watching each other cautiously, Sione spoke first.

“Lady Edelin, the World Tree must need you… and the distance between the Great Forest and our barony is considerable. I wonder what brings you here. Still, if you’ve come to our bedroom in the middle of the night, it must be important…?”

“…As you say. The time has come to fulfill my promise to the World Tree, and I’ll be quite busy from now on. Since I heard you successfully conquered the Magia, I thought I should address any questions you might have now, as I won’t have time later.”

The time has come to fulfill her promise with the World Tree.

A promise significant enough to bring the Great Elder out of seclusion in the Great Forest.

That’s quite a weighty statement, isn’t it?

“Is this related to your rejuvenated appearance?”

“Correct. While the kingdom plants magic in the empire, our Great Forest cannot remain idle.”

Edelin’s neat and gentle demeanor began to change slowly.

“An aging, broken body wouldn’t endure the coming march, so I received the World Tree’s blessing.”

She, who had been close to a saint serving the World Tree, had returned to the aura of her youth that I’d seen in the old castle.

“And you… you’ve already met this younger version of me in the past. So this appearance must seem more reliable to you both.”

Sione responded to her explanation that skipped many details.

“So that means the Edelin we met in the past was—”

“Very few beings in our Great Forest can speak directly with me. Only those I take interest in, besides the elders. Yet you were able to have a separate conversation with me shortly after entering the Great Forest.”

I knew something had been bothering me.

“The place you met me was in the same fate line but in a past timeframe. I was so surprised when the proxy and the descendant of my old friend suddenly appeared.”

Edelin remembered clearly.

Since she’s revealed this much, I should ask what I’m curious about.

“Then the details of the demon subjugation operation that the Great Forest has been planning—”

“Were all planned with the proxy and the two bearing the morning star as the focus. These are things we wouldn’t have attempted without knowing of your existence. I believe I cannot win the war against demons if the morning star completely disappears.”

“…Such preparations based on that brief meeting a thousand years ago. You were taking quite a gamble.”

“It wasn’t a gamble. When it involves that god, the abstract concept of fate is manipulated to inevitably come to fruition brilliantly. The question was whether I would live until then.”

“Then—”

At that moment, Edelin gently shook her head.

“Though you seem to have mountains of questions, this conversation ends here. It wouldn’t be good for you to learn everything through me. In fact, I know less than you think. I merely sort out and present the easiest paths. I am not the one who walks those paths, contemplates, and brings about change.”

As expected of an elf who has lived thousands of years with noble blood. Her word choice is quite vague and abstract, but perhaps because I’ve become a noble recently and attended social gatherings, I could understand it immediately.

So Edelin, not being a god like me but a saint serving the World Tree, guides us toward the path that appears to have the highest chance of success in her eyes, based on her wisdom accumulated over thousands of years, combining and applying situations and futures.

“All I can tell you now is that the path of war I proposed in the Great Forest will be the best choice for both the kingdom and the Great Forest, and that the threat from the north still remains. Especially seeing that you, Ray, continue to gather Divine Power as you have been… that puts my mind at ease.”

Within that, we must twist various fates and weave a clear victory. More precisely, since we are the ones who can weave it.

Rather than having me act mechanically after hearing all the truths about my abilities, remaining secrets, and all her planned schemes.

She seems to want me to encounter things directly on the foundation she’s laid, creating a more free-spirited and different future, and gaining more proactive and powerful strength in times of crisis.

However, what concerns me is…

‘…Unlike her rejuvenation, her eyes.’

Unlike before, when they shone with that intelligent discernment.

They seem somewhat hazier now.

I was beginning to wonder if there had been some side effect to regaining her youth when Sione’s question interrupted my cautious thoughts.

“Wait, what do you mean by the threat from the north still remaining—”

“A place where countless monster and knight corpses were buried during the Winter War is bound to attract demons of corruption. I’ve spoken with Princess Adelheid Aisilia. We elves will handle any potential enemies that might appear there.”

“So the reason Lady Edelin came all the way to our barony…”

“Is exactly what you’re thinking? The demon of corruption and I have quite a deep grudge.”

A deep grudge with the lord of corpses.

I suspect there must be some connection between them, like with the demon of poison.

“From now on, I’ll be heading north via the western Magia. Several elders have agreed to fulfill their roles as my proxies, so it will be difficult to see me in the Great Forest. I’m moving quietly, which is why at this hour… despite the small accident, I’ve come to the barony with gifts.”

Edelin pulled out a thick book and a gemstone from her bosom.

I immediately realized these were no ordinary items.

‘That book, could it be.’

It was heavily infused with the sweet scent of spirits harbored by the World Tree.

‘And that gemstone too.’

The gemstone was similar to the dragon scale that Adelheid had given to Sione and me during the Winter War.

I immediately recognized whose mana resided within it.

“This is something I succeeded in creating after dedicating my entire life to it. If you insert my mana from this gemstone into this book, you’ll be able to witness a miracle once.”

“…Are you saying this thick book is itself a scroll for a single spell?”

“That’s right. After all, a spell connecting the spirit realm and the physical world couldn’t possibly be condensed into a single piece of parchment.”

A scroll that manifests the spirit realm in the physical world.

This was an item that had long surpassed what any intelligent being in the physical world could achieve.

Creating such an item would require not only magical knowledge and mana but also other sacrifices.

“Lady Edelin, this magic—”

“Of course, it required the World Tree’s help and some sacrifice. But there’s no need to worry about it. Whatever the cost was, I’m just an old-era elf with not many days left to live.”

For an item of this caliber, it’s likely that a hero who achieved great feats offered their lifespan or abilities as payment.

But Edelin refused to explain this or accept any sense of debt I might feel after hearing it. She simply offered the gift.

I carefully accepted her gift and bowed my head.

“…I’ll use it when absolutely necessary.”

“Good. Then I must be going now. And… sorry for intruding on a married couple.”

Edelin then smiled gently at Sione.

“I also need to meet the young World Tree that Sione has been taking care of, so I have a long way to go. May I look forward to it?”

“Of course. It’s grown much larger than you might expect, Lady Edelin. You’ll surely be surprised.”

“I look forward to it.”

Standing before the bedroom window, the High Elf who had appeared like the wind,

“Then I hope we meet again.”

Vanished instantly into the dark shadows of the night.

“……”

“……”

After being momentarily speechless from the intense conversation,

Sione closed the window, drew the curtains, and then,

“That’s that. Now we should continue what we were doing?”

She lifted her top, revealing her back as she lay face down on the bed.

“Hurry and put it in.”

Let’s continue with the Divine Power infusion while I think about all this.

* * *

“Have you all been waiting long?”

“How could the Great Elder’s sword feel bored with waiting? Rather, I’m concerned you’ve returned too quickly for someone who has been anticipating this moment.”

Edelin shrugged lightly to the elder who had followed her out.

“Originally, I wanted to point out the direction they should take, but… they’re already doing quite well.”

From absorbing the Divine Power they must have obtained from the Magia.

Not being satisfied with just that, creating an apostle.

And even infusing Divine Power into Sione, whom I heard had married.

“That must be what it means to be a proxy. Though he seems unfamiliar with the powers of houses other than the Count’s family, he instinctively understands what he must do as a proxy. At this rate, he’ll eventually reach all the truths on his own.”

Edelin was truly pleased with this situation.

Rather than wanting answers handed to them, building knowledge on their own is much stronger.

And if they cannot build up such karma, they could never win the war against demons.

Moreover,

“I’ve done countless things to ensure the Aicilia dynasty doesn’t fall, to prevent the bloodline of my old friends from being cut off. Without them, defeat would be a foregone conclusion. Thanks to that, the war plan I devised is merely constructing a defense line that won’t collapse from the beginning in this era’s final war, which that old god left behind before his extinction.”

Like the terrible fatigue evident in Edelin’s voice.

The kingdom has lasted nearly a thousand years. For a nation established by humans, it was unimaginable for a single dynasty to last that long.

The minimum safety measures of the kingdom, woven together by covenants between houses long ago, as well as the Great Forest’s secret work. Sometimes enjoying golden ages, other times enduring dark periods. How much attention and contribution it took to somehow protect the bloodlines passed down through each house and the royal family.

“In a situation where I’ve already used too much mental energy, I don’t have the time or leisure to give advice that isn’t absolutely necessary.”

To this, Edelin revealed a bitter smile and continued.

Pleta could only carefully comfort her after these somewhat complaining words.

“You know well, Pleta Arielt, better than anyone, that helping the kingdom from behind the scenes and making just those plans was the best I could do.”

“The Great Elder’s efforts should not be belittled. They are, in themselves, the finest plans that no one else could match.”

“Thinking about it, maybe it was a gamble after all. If the two of them had appeared after I could no longer endure the passing years, all my efforts would have been in vain.”

“No, how could the Great Elder’s intentions for the continent’s peace ever be in vain?”

“I hope so.”

Edelin received her weapon from Pleta.

A bow and sword blessed directly by the World Tree, made exclusively for Pleta.

Stroking the bow, Edelin gathered her thoughts for a moment before looking north with cold eyes.

“Elder Pleta.”

“Yes, Great Elder.”

“We need to move faster than expected. The backlash from rejuvenating my body is greater than I anticipated.”

“…Could it be that the magic scroll you completed is causing you more suffering?”

“It seems so. Apart from becoming younger, my lifespan is decreasing faster, which might be why my judgment and memory aren’t what they used to be. At this rate… my sanity will disappear before the Great War even breaks out.”

“……”

“You asked, Elder Pleta. Whether I returned too quickly, whether it would be better to talk more.”

Edelin drew her sword.

The blade, reflecting the moonlight, shone with unparalleled sharpness.

Without hesitation, she cut her waist-length hair to shoulder length.

“The current proxy will manage well on his own. Rather than disturbing their sleep with various stories, moving faster and—”

Her earlier complaining words had now transformed into a new desire that shone brightly.

“I thought it would be much more helpful to kill the demon of corruption. If one demon is eliminated, it will be much easier to control the battlefield even after I lose my sanity.”

Edelin’s fire was still burning fiercely.

She was certain.

With the demon of corruption gone and the magic scroll she created for the battle lines formed in imperial territory.

Even after she loses her sanity or dies, they will be able to march toward victory.

“Rather than prolonging conversations by overlaying images of old friends, this is the path for everyone’s benefit.”

Thus, at least in Pleta Arielt’s eyes, the flame rising from Edelin.

Seemed like it would absolutely not extinguish for quite some time.