End Process (2)

“Commander! An urgent message has arrived.”

“Hmm, I thought it had been quiet for a few days. It was about time for a message to come.”

Ethan moved immediately upon hearing the news. After all, he had no choice but to follow the instructions of the person who had elevated him to the position of commander, the core of the organization.

“You, deliver this letter to Professor Renia at the Rose Hotel. And prepare to leave. I’ll have to go there directly.”

Ethan first delivered the letter Isilia had given him to Renia. Meanwhile, he headed towards the city closest to the elf city in the forest, using spatial jump points to meet Isilia directly.

“This is…”

Meanwhile, Renia, who received Isilia’s letter, opened her eyes wide.

The content was shockingly unbelievable, but the code written in the letter, known only to Renia and Isilia, was proof that this letter was genuine.

“Th-Then does this mean that the end that destroyed the ancient mythical era has really begun again now!?”

“That’s how it seems. This is happening all over the continent. The purpose is to destroy this world once again, just like in the distant past. Quickly, inform the academic world about this news. And our kingdom too!”

Renia combined the facts she had investigated with what Isilia had learned from visiting the elf city, and concluded that the erosion phenomenon was a calamity that would bring about the end of this world.

And as Isilia wished, she began to widely spread this fact using all her position and connections.

It was the moment when the terrible anomaly that had been spreading through word of mouth was officially revealed to people.

“So what do we do now? For the past few weeks, we’ve been continuously investigating the erosion sites, but we haven’t gained anything, have we, Professor?”

“We have to find a way somehow. Do you want to perish in an instant like in the mythical era?”

She clicked her tongue and shook her head at her helpless disciple Neru.

“I’m returning to the kingdom. We don’t know when the erosion phenomenon might occur in our kingdom too. I need to warn them and think of countermeasures.”

She decided to return to her homeland for now. It was to find a solution together with others in her homeland where she could do more.

‘Anyway, even if that person wants to hear my news, they should be able to hear it easily.’

And before leaving Suan, Renia came out secretly to the meeting place with Isilia, carrying a small box in her arms.

Afterwards, she buried a letter she was leaving for Isilia in the ground.

After all, Isilia’s power was the only method Renia knew that could stop the erosion phenomenon.

* * *

“Seems like you’ve become more relaxed after the promotion? Your complexion looks better.”

“…Let’s just say that.”

Ethan, who had been waiting, turned his head at the familiar girl’s voice. Eyes that held mysteriousness no matter how you looked at them, a casual way of speaking that made it hard to know her true thoughts.

Although she was wearing a maid outfit without the apron, it seemed she had already given up on acting, as there was no maid-like politeness to be found.

Ethan couldn’t bring himself to say that his improved complexion was because he hadn’t seen Isilia for a few days.

“Everyone’s living peacefully and well. Even though quite a big incident has occurred.”

Isilia plopped down in a chair and smirked as she looked at the city view below the terrace. As she said, people were still going about their lives, doing their own things, unaware of anything.

“What on earth has happened for you to say that?”

“The world might end if we’re not careful.”

She told Ethan about the erosion phenomenon and what had happened with the elves. Indeed, it was something that even Ethan couldn’t ignore.

The fact that the world he lived in could come to an end.

“The world’s going to be turned upside down.”

“If you delivered my letter to Renia, she’ll reveal the truth to the world and make it a public issue anyway. More importantly, did you find out what I asked you to look into?”

“Yes. Now I understand why you were searching so desperately.”

Isilia smirked and asked for the information she had told Ethan to look into. He sighed and showed her what he had brought.

It was information that Ethan, who had been promoted to commander, had gathered and organized using the information network of the organization spread across the continent.

“I wonder how many of these are real erosions.”

Isilia let out a small sigh as she looked at the countless incidents that couldn’t be counted on one hand. Among the similar types of incidents, there were clearly erosion phenomena.

It was natural for her face to darken as she might have to travel across the entire continent to stop it, which doesn’t discriminate by place or time.

“If it’s such an urgent matter, are you planning to move right away?”

“Not yet. I have something to do with the elves first.”

Ethan, knowing what Isilia’s goal was, thought she would move locations immediately, but she shook her head.

“With the elves. Somehow. So that’s why you came with this person.”

Ethan put down his teacup and glanced to the side. The person standing like a statue next to the table where they were sitting was Arisa, her green eyes shining from under her hood.

It was impossible not to notice that Arisa, who was glaring at Ethan with wide eyes to protect Isilia, was an elf.

“Business with the elves… I see. Elves should mingle with elves. That’s good. In a way, haven’t you found your homeland?”

“That’s prejudice. And my homeland is the entire world.”

When Ethan nodded as if to say it was good, Isilia rather furrowed her brow. Although she knew in her head that humans like Ethan were a different race from her, and that elves were her own kind, her heart still didn’t accept it.

‘I’m interested in the grand council of scattered elves and the seed of the World Tree, but I have no intention of being tied down there.’

Isilia bit her lip, remembering what Elder Elnar had told her before coming here.

“This is a crisis for all elves, and at the same time, an opportunity for everyone to serve the great High Elf. Surely they will all respond to the council, so please attend and show us the way.”

Elnar, whose attitude had become much more polite, bowed to Isilia and asked her to lead them, saying that all the elves would gather in one place.

“I didn’t come to rule over the elves.”

Isilia, who naturally detested the idea, said to put everything else aside and just meet to hear about the World Tree for now. After all, any increase in power that could purify the erosion would be unconditionally beneficial.

“Anyway, I have to go into the forest to meet the elves again… You go and continue collecting news. If you discover anything, let this city know. I’ll send Patrick here to bring news too.”

“Simply investigation about that erosion phenomenon?”

“All news that’s even slightly related. When the problem becomes known, naturally, people of the current era will try to find a solution too. Surely there can’t be no method at all.”

She still held hope. Although the era she lived in couldn’t overcome this and collapsed, she believed that the descendants of the current era, who had developed in completely different ways, could overcome it.

She didn’t think that really no one could break the curse that only she could purify so far.

“Alright, I’ll look into it and come back.”

Ethan nodded and stood up. After all, his own life was at stake too, so there was no reason to gloss over it or take it lightly.

“Can that human be trusted?”

“Rather than half-hearted beliefs, thorough profit calculations are better. That person can be trusted.”

Isilia, having finished her meeting with Ethan whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, remained in the room after Ethan had left, burying herself in the chair and looking down at the terrace outside.

The sunset was already approaching. She planned to spend tonight here and leave again as soon as day broke.

‘I needed something to focus on, but to think it would be preventing the end of the world. This doesn’t suit me.’

Although she was moving busily, Isilia was still in a daze. She felt even more so because what she had investigated just in case turned out to be true.

“With the returned High Elf here, we’ll surely be able to overcome this. I’ve seen that hope.”

“You all are more important than me. The people born in this era and living in this era.”

As Isilia’s expression didn’t look very bright, Arisa, who had been watching her carefully, raised her voice in an effort to encourage her.

Understanding her intention, Isilia smiled slightly, but her answer was different.

‘The High Elf has given us the answer! She’s saying that she’s already strong enough, so we need to train more and become stronger.’

Arisa’s eyes sparkled in admiration upon hearing this. She misunderstood Isilia’s words about the importance of the current era’s people as a command to train more.

Honestly, after the recent incident, the elves were ready to follow whatever Isilia said.

Since it wasn’t particularly wrong to interpret it as diligently training for the future, Isilia, who found it absurd, let Arisa misunderstand and turned her head away.