Rematch (2)

Unlike the four districts in the 4th Barrier, which were divided into east, west, north, and south, the 3rd Barrier had only one district. The Garquina District of the 3rd Barrier, where the tribal chiefs resided. Comparing it to the Empire, it was about the difference between the west and east. Unlike the 4th Barrier, there was no race representing the district in the Garquina District, and mostly wealthy demi-humans lived there.

And further inside was the 2nd Barrier.

Kardrasil, the dwelling place of the Elves, was located there.

This place was the Elves’ sacred ground, where entry had never been permitted since the construction of the Barrier. Because. If you went further inside, there was the 1st Barrier. A wall was erected to protect the World Tree.

Everyone knew how much the Elves cherished the World Tree, even without saying it. It was so severe that it was almost pathological. As if the Elf race itself was born to protect that great tree.

Among those Elves, those specialized in ‘protecting’ were the Elven Knights. Just as the Empire selected human weapons called Astra to solve problems related to Demons, the Elven Knights ‘solved’ problems related to the World Tree.

They usually thoroughly punished with blood and steel. Because there was no easier way to ‘protect’ than eliminating the root of the problem.

“So, you tried to steal a World Tree Leaf?”

“T-That’s right, -ssi.”

And the most common problem that the Elven Knights solved was recovering the blown-away World Tree Leaves.

One of the items traded secretly and at high prices on the black market was the World Tree Leaf. How could you get it when the Elves were so frantically protecting it? You couldn’t get it through normal routes no matter what. The only way was to pick up one that had fallen by chance.

The World Tree was hidden by a barrier and couldn’t be seen, but it boasted a massive size that easily exceeded two hundred and fifty meters in height. A true super-giant tree. Naturally, it was too big to be hidden by a barrier of only about fifty meters. There were tens of thousands of branches extending, and leaves were still growing. As such, there were many leaves that blew outside the barrier.

When the World Tree Leaves reached the end of their lifespan, they would fall from the branches and fly far away. Usually, the Elves would immediately recover them, but sometimes there were leaves that fell through the barrier.

A rare item that all magicians… no, any race that could handle Mana would drool over and rush to grab. If you made it into a potion, it would become an elixir, and if you used it as a magical ingredient, you could draw out performance far exceeding the original. Just consuming it would increase your Mana capacity.

“I heard that if you pick it up and don’t return it, you’ll be exiled at the very least.”

But would the Elves just stand by and watch? The World Tree was more precious to them than their own parents, so they would be thrilled if you said you were going to use it as an ingredient.

“S-So, please! Keep this a secret. The market price of World Tree Leaves has suddenly skyrocketed. If I can get just one, I’ll have the chance to liquidate this shitty colosseum business!”

“You son of a bitch! You left me in charge and kept leaving your post, so that’s what you were up to?”

“Shut up! If this works out, you’ll get a share too…”

“You should be careful who you’re trying to bullshit, do you think I’d believe that?”

Haa… My head is throbbing. Colosseum, World Tree, whatever, I’m just full of stress. I came to chase Demons, not to catch back-alley criminals.

「”Everyone, shut up.”」

At my irritable voice, Sirek and Pesker shut their mouths. They were startled and flinched at their tightly closed mouths. Sirek seemed to be used to it, having experienced it once before.

“Why did the price of World Tree Leaves skyrocket?”

Let’s sort things out step by step. Since it’s a problem related to the World Tree, it probably isn’t a light matter. I released the silence magic on Pesker and gestured with my chin. He stroked his chin and opened his mouth.

“Ah, um. That is, there’s someone buying World Tree Leaves in the back alleys these days. That guy alone has raised the existing bid price by more than five times.”

“Who is it?”

“How would I know? All I know is that he’s covered in bandages from head to toe. He’s probably trying to heal those wounds.”

“…Bandages?”

“He promised ten gold coins per World Tree Leaf, so everyone’s eyes are popping out. With that money, you could live comfortably in the Garquina District. This time, I was going to make money with a legitimate business…”

Ten gold coins? That was a considerable sum. But for guys with that kind of money to be wandering around in the back alleys? Something was fishy. I rested my chin on the frozen table and stared intently at Pesker.

“So, is it working out well?”

“H-Perhaps, are you interested? I can promise you three gold coins… no, four.”

“If you try to change the subject one more time, I’ll kill you.”

“Ahem! I managed to get one, luckily. Just one, and it’s a dried-up, rotten leaf…”

Even a dried-up World Tree Leaf was valuable. It didn’t really matter if the leaf was dry or not. The essence contained in the World Tree was nature itself.

‘Essence… the essence of nature, huh…’

This.

Might be a crucial hint.

“Where’s the leaf?”

I need to meet the trader. There was a high probability that they were the Twin Demons. The purpose of obtaining the World Tree Leaf wasn’t just for healing.

“I-In the underground warehouse…”

“Show me the way.”

“Are you going to take it if you find it?”

“Haa…. 「If you talk back, your head will explode and you’ll die.」”

“Wh-What― Kyaaaaak\?!”

Pesker, who had opened his mouth, rolled on the floor with his eyes bloodshot. A ban that caused your head to explode if you talked back. His intention to buy time was too obvious. After rolling around for a while, Pesker got up with a terrified face and nodded. He straightened his broken glasses and headed to the underground warehouse.

“S-Should I follow you too?”

“No. You can go now.”

“R-Really― Ah, okay. Nice to meet you, and let’s never meet again!”

“You better start running before I change my mind.”

Kkyaegeng.

I turned my back, watching Sirek wag his tail and run away.

* * *

Pesker, who opened the underground door in a rather rough manner by smashing the floor, slowly descended the dark stairs. When he created a sphere of light to illuminate the room, a damp and dry, unpleasant room with wooden planks attached to the stone walls came into view.

“Is that it?”

“…The key is in the second drawer.”

I approached a small metal box bound with chains. A box processed with Parnium. He seemed to cherish it quite a bit. Well, if this was the item that would bring him ten gold coins, I would cherish it too.

―Click. When I inserted the key into the lock and turned it, the contents were revealed with a clear sound.

“Certainly, it’s something that magicians would go crazy for…”

Leaving aside the total amount of Mana contained in the leaf, the function as a catalyst was amazing at first glance. Even I, as an Archmage, felt like I could use a higher level of magic if I used this. Well… if I went that far, it would be planet-destroying level, so I probably wouldn’t have a chance to use it. Anyway. It was a useless item to me.

It would be better to return this to the Elves. Let’s use it once to lure the Twin Demons and then return it immediately. Of course, I should get Lanya’s permission before that.

“I’ll take this. Thank you.”

“….”

Click. I closed the box and fastened the chain. Honestly, I didn’t expect much, but I gained a lot. It seemed better to go back and rejoin them rather than investigating further here. Just as I was about to put the box in my arms and turn around.

―Tak!

The sound of kicking off the ground. I turned back to look at where Pesker had been,

Looked….

Looked, but.

―Kwaduk, Keudeuk!

“…This is, Kueup. What, Keuheuk. Are you.”

“It’s worth ten gold coins, did you think I’d just give it to you?”

Did I mention that there’s nothing as foolish as showing your back to a beast? Pesker launched an attack as soon as I turned around. Kwaduk. Keudeuk. Disgusting sound. Pesker, who had plunged his hand into my side, took out my intestines, soaked with blood, and spilled them out. The sphere of light I was maintaining went out, and the surroundings were plunged into darkness.

‘Judging by the shape, is it the small intestine… or the large intestine? It could be both.’

I listlessly slumped down, admiring the intestines that had fallen with a thud. The uterus… well, it was a miss in the first place, but even if it had been attacked, it probably wouldn’t have been injured. As soon as a foreign object entered my body, the child immediately deployed a barrier throughout the entire uterus to protect itself.

…Actually, I had a hunch. There’s no way I wouldn’t notice him emitting Aura like that.

And, the child seemed to know too.

The reason I gave in without resistance was because the child was preparing a protection spell, so I tried an experiment. Was it a spell for self-protection, or a spell to protect me? As a result, it was a spell for self-protection. Does that mean I can live well on my own even if I die? Somehow, I felt a little depressed because I felt like I was being ignored by the child. Mom might be a little sad.

“Keuheup, Heugeuk….”

“Huu… I almost ruined things because of some crazy bitch. Ptooey.”

I gathered Mana with bloodless eyes. I was reconstructing and simultaneously weaving a magic formula. I’ll send you off comfortably by freezing your brain, so be grateful in hell.

―Jjeojeojeok.

The wall I was leaning on slowly began to freeze. Very slowly, so slowly that he wouldn’t notice.

“E-Eum?”

Pesker belatedly noticed the chill he felt, but it was already too la―

“…?”

―Pung!

Pesker’s head. Exploded with a bang, scattering stone fragments and brain matter. I pushed away the blood and brain fragments on my cheek and wondered. His head exploded? I didn’t weave a formula like that? Was it an external intervention?

‘Who is it?’

Kung. The headless corpse slumped and fell. I turned my gaze beyond it, and soon I couldn’t help but be surprised. Behind Pesker, who had become a corpse, was a familiar face.

“La, Lanya?”

“…Friend?”

Silver hair that was clearly visible even in the darkness. An Elf with a beautiful appearance stood with an expressionless face at the spot where she had lowered her bowstring.

Lanya.

Lanya had come here.

But, how did she know?

“How, did you. Come?”

“Whispered. The Earth Mother-nim guided me to this place.”

“The World Tree, gave you a. Prophecy, or something. Kaeheuk. Like that?”

“Wrong. It’s different from a prophecy. But, if you follow the Earth Mother-nim’s orders, good results always come out.”

The World Tree often gave Elves incomprehensible orders, but the results had never been bad. So they faithfully followed whatever it told them to do.

Lanya said that a few hours ago, she had heard an order to head to the blue roof in the Lexen District and had blindly moved her feet.

“Mysterious, tree, isn’t it.”

“The Earth Mother-nim is not a tree―…”

“Kaeheuk….”

“…Friend. Are you hurt? It’s dark. I can’t see well.”

“It’s better. Not to turn on, the lights.”

Hmm.

I haven’t put all my intestines back in yet.

―Ttak! Lanya snapped her fingers and created a small sphere of light. The surroundings brightened, and my listless appearance was revealed as well. A grotesque sight with intestines spilled out in all directions. Lanya’s face rapidly turned pale.

“Ha, ha. That’s why I told you not to turn on the lights….”

“F-Friend. Are you okay?”

“Ah, I’m not going to die. Can you, please. Heugeup. Put my, intestines. Back, inside?”

It was much faster to reconstruct with the contents inside than to reconstruct raw. With Lanya’s level… it would be okay to reveal the reconstruction. I picked up the fallen intestines and accelerated the reconstruction.

“Kkeuheuek….”

Lanya came to me and didn’t know what to do, but when she saw the side where I had put my intestines was healing, she stopped hesitating. She gathered the severed pieces of intestines and filled the inside. Shaping them and connecting them would be done automatically in the reconstruction process, so it was enough to just put them in.

“Aeu, Keuk.”

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m, okay.”

Sometimes Lanya’s sharp fingernails would touch my healthy intestines, and it would hurt so much that I would throw up blood. Every time that happened, Lanya would be at a loss and kept apologizing, and I would smile and say I was okay.

‘…Teasing Elves is more fun than I thought.’

How far will it twist?

My taste.