Chapter 138:Bear It Out

“Well, isn’t that burning nicely! Serves you right!”

Asir, who had been dashing through the forest for quite some time, climbed up a nearby tree and smirked as he watched the black smoke billowing in the distance.

The plan was to burn down the World Tree while escaping.

He couldn’t help but admire the double whammy of preventing pursuers due to the World Tree fire and screwing over the infuriating Evergarden and the bratty kid.

“So, how much further do we have to go?”

“The carriage is waiting about two hours away.”

Asir, having finished his observation, jumped down from the tree and asked those guiding him.

“By the way, you guys managed to sneak in pretty well. How much did that annoying blonde give you?”

Asir asked, thinking that there were six spies, including the Elf who had first rescued him, who had managed to hide in the Great Forest without his knowledge.

Since they were all pure-blooded Elves, it wouldn’t have been easy for the human Ganix to entice them, yet they were carrying out the mission of burning down the World Tree, practically a god to their race, without hesitation.

Asir expected the corresponding price to be quite high.

“We are not swayed by such trivial items.”

“Then, are you going to be granted noble titles when I ascend to the throne?”

“That is not it either.”

“What? Then what is it?”

However, contrary to his expectations, they claimed it was neither material nor honor, causing Asir to tilt his head in confusion.

“Faith. It is faith.”

“Only the Saintess can move us, oh…! Saintess…!”

“Amen…”

“Amen…!”

They clasped their hands together, looked up at the sky, and offered a prayer like devout Christians.

“…Ah. So, you were that crazy bitch’s pawns.”

Seeing that, Asir’s face quickly crumpled, and he muttered in disgust.

Blind faith, a fanatical group that would do anything for that faith.

As far as he knew, there was only one person who would do such a cult-like thing.

“I get it, so do your prayers or whatever later, and let’s just go quickly.”

With that, Asir put ‘slightly’ more distance between himself and them, feeling uneasy, and then completely escaped the Great Forest.

*    *    *

“Huh…”

Dariann, staring blankly at the sight of the door that she had been able to escape through just moments ago completely collapsed, let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.

[Are you okay!?]

“Yeah! I’m fine! How about you, Tene!?”

[I’m perfectly fine! But, the exit…!]

“I can see it too.”

Of course, Tene, being a dragon, wouldn’t be injured by this level of impact, so Tene’s voice soon came from beyond the obstruction.

‘Damn it, it’s completely blocked…!’

Dariann calmed her surprised heart and calmly looked at the blocked exit.

The ceiling on the upper floor couldn’t withstand the fire and had collapsed, and unfortunately, the collapsed structure had blocked the exit.

“…First! Everyone, cover your noses and mouths with this!”

Since they couldn’t escape immediately, Dariann quickly soaked cloths in Elixir, handed them to the Elves, and shouted, as they needed to endure this situation even a little longer.

“Is there another way, another way…!”

After confirming that the Elves were covering their noses and mouths with the cloths, Dariann quickly looked around.

“Aren’t there any windows here!?”

“…There is a passage for trained birds that deliver messages, but it’s too small, and already…”

“Haa…”

Unfortunately, there was no new escape route, and the exit that had been open until just now but was now blocked was the only hope. [I’ll try to break through!]

“No! This building isn’t strong enough to withstand your power! If you’re not careful, it will collapse all the way here!”

[Ah…!]

There was a bulldozer that could break through the blocked space, but it was the World Tree, which was collapsing in real-time.

There was no way the World Tree could withstand Tene’s power, so if Tene failed to control her strength, Dariann and the survivors inside the room would be crushed to death by the collapsing structure.

A desperate situation with nothing but cliffs no matter where you looked.

“…Cough, damn it!”

To make matters worse, the aura that had been protecting her body from the hot fire until now was gradually losing its effect.

The sweat flowing down her skin began to evaporate, and the back of her neck, face, and entire body turned red, reaching a first-degree burn.

Her throat was very hot and scratchy from breathing in the hot air, and her vision began to blur.

“This is bad…! There’s really no time left!’

“…Is this the end, then?”

“…What?”

At that moment, the Elf, who had been watching Dariann falter, opened her mouth with difficulty.

“Is it because of us?”

“…..”

“If it were you…you might have been able to get out of here…”

As the Elf said, Dariann might have been able to escape somehow if she were alone.

But that meant abandoning the three people in front of her.

“Just, just…one request.”

“Please…tell my family…that I love them…”

The Elf, facing Dariann, who was speechless at her question, smiled weakly as if it was all over, making her last request.

A look of hopelessness, sadness, and yet resignation.

“…Shut.”

“…Pardon?”

“Shut up!”

That look, she didn’t like it.

“Shout that you want to live! That you don’t want to die! That you want to be saved!”

“That’s why I came here!”

Dariann had been a firefighter for many years, yet she insisted on working in the field.

There was the excuse that paperwork was difficult, but the real reason was different.

Even though she had saved countless people, the few people she couldn’t save always lingered in her mind.

Saving all lives with a mere human body, especially a woman’s, was like desperately trying to hold onto sand in your hand and prevent it from slipping away.

In some ways, it was a truly futile task.

Nevertheless, Dariann held onto the sand until the end.

By holding on like that, she believed that one day, she would be able to hold onto at least the amount of sand that stuck to her palm.

“If you understand, shut up and conserve your strength!”

‘Don’t give up! Focus on what’s in front of you! Find a solution!’

Regaining her composure, Dariann began to assess the situation calmly.

‘In the end, this is the problem. I have to remove this obstacle.’

And, after going around in circles, she came to the conclusion that the biggest problem was the obstacle blocking the exit.

“Then how do I remove it?’

‘Tene? No. No matter how many times I think about it, it won’t work.’

‘Or should I bring my daughter here? Tene’s speed would allow her to come quickly, but my daughter is busy extinguishing the fire. If I can’t stop it here, I have to think about secondary damage.’

“Then, there’s only one answer.’

“…Is this it, after all.”

After racking her brain several times, Dariann finally found the answer.

Sreung-

“I saved people with an axe when I came here too.”

Dariann muttered, taking out the axe handle that she always held tightly in her hand.

“I’m not breaking it. I’m cutting it.”

“The Lady’s skills are outstanding.’

Gordon had said that once during one of their usual sparring sessions, though she couldn’t remember when.

“The Battle Axe imbued with mana is powerful enough to crush everything it touches.’

‘However, while it has destructive power, it lacks sharpness.’

That was the judgment Gordon had made while sparring with Dariann.

Powerful destructive force, unpredictable attacks led by erratic movements, and a longer reach than a sword.

However, Dariann’s fighting style was not the smooth cut of a traditional swordsman, but a beast-like fighting style close to instinct.

There is no right or wrong answer in combat.

Because every method has its advantages and disadvantages.

That’s why Dariann lightly ignored Gordon’s criticism, saying that it was enough as long as she won in the end.

However, Gordon was skilled in assassination and swordsmanship.

As her master, but also as someone who taught her weapon skills, Gordon wanted to pass on his methods as well.

‘If the Lady doesn’t want to, it doesn’t matter…but at least you should learn this one move.’

So Gordon decided that he had to teach her just one move.

“Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width.”

Sseueuk-

“What are you doing…”

“Align your feet in a straight line, and move your right foot slightly back.”

Jiiik-

“Raise both hands to ear level for stability.”

Following that, Dariann slowly moved her body, recalling the swordsmanship she had seen back then.

“All that’s left is the determination to cut…!”

Dariann, who had raised the blade of the axe high as if it would touch the ceiling, closed her eyes.

Woo-oong-woo-oong-

Then, a blue light began to swirl around the black axe blade made of Tene’s scales.

Dugun-dugun—

When she first manifested mana, it was weak, but now Dariann could draw out mana as naturally as breathing.

‘Split it exactly in two. Just think about that.’

The surroundings became quiet.

In Dariann’s mind, only herself and the obstacle in front of her existed.

The will to cut down the obstacle that was blazing and exuding its presence.

The beating of her heart, which had been pounding, felt very slow.

It wasn’t that her heart had stopped; it was that Dariann’s perception had become faster than her heartbeat.

Sseueuk-

Dariann began to swing the axe in that state.

The axe, which moved very slowly, calmly, and without wavering, drew a straight line and fell downwards.

From a distance, it was so fast that it would seem as if the raised axe had already fallen.

“…Cut.”

Jjeo-eok-!

At the same time as Dariann opened her mouth, the obstacle was literally split in two.

“Heoeok!?”

“Uwaaak!? Oh, ma’am!”

The Elf’s mouth dropped open as she watched the scene, and Tene’s eyes widened as she stood outside the obstacle, not knowing what to do.

Without the slightest damage, only the obstacle was perfectly split, and the fire attached to the cut surface was completely extinguished.

“…Let’s go. Outside!”

Dariann, who had unknowingly climbed one step on her own, smiled with relief and shouted.