Chapter 202

A single rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch, right?

Even in the cleanest of spaces, a single stain stands out like a sore thumb.

My existence is likely nothing more than an unwelcome blemish or bothersome mold to them.

…However, it’s up to them how they perceive it and what they make of it.

Some may not see it that way, but others surely will.

And fundamentally, such stains, impurities, corruptions…

…aren’t about quantity but about their very existence being the problem.

An elder asked:

“Why does the God of the Sacred Tree favor you so? Do you have any inkling?”

“I haven’t received a clear answer. I can make educated guesses, but since those are merely my personal views, I’ll refrain from stating them.”

“…It doesn’t matter. It’s our job to judge after hearing it, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Very well then.”

All discussions here already have predetermined answers exposed long ago.

We go through these meticulous procedures just to carefully revisit the details.

“I suppose I’m the embodiment of the World Tree’s will, fulfilling its ultimate wish, which led to this situation.”

“The Sacred Tree’s desire… Its wish is for Its own demise?”

“That’s my assumption.”

Another female elder questioned:

“Why you and not someone else? Why should we believe you’re the one to carry and understand Its will instead of us?”

“It’s simply based on conclusions drawn from results. It’s not because I’m extraordinary or special.”

“Results? What’s your basis?”

“The ability to communicate with the Sacred Tree. That it’s not one-sided is crucial.”

“But if communication were truly possible, wouldn’t we have directly asked and received definitive answers?”

“When even people who understand each other face communication barriers and frequent misunderstandings, is that really plausible?”

“Are you comparing the Sacred Tree and Its will to mere mortals?”

“…Let me correct one misconception: your race considers the Sacred Tree divine, but that’s only within your limited perspective.”

At this, the room froze.

“Did you say that knowing what the Sacred Tree’s will actually is?”

The stage was set.

Perhaps he had been steering the conversation towards delivering this response.

The queen couldn’t help but think so.

“The Sacred Tree observes and monitors countless worlds beyond ours.”

(First, assuming the existence of multiple worlds…)

“The Sacred Tree and the World Tree are tools and structures that glimpse the futures reached by infinite worlds and their branches.”

“But It has no desires or self. That’s why you were created, right?”

Initially the Light Clan, then the Forest Clan, and later the Shell Clan too…

However, whether this creation myth is literal or metaphorical remains uncertain.

Who knows if they concocted this mythological context to justify their own origins?

Many races do this, including humans when establishing dynasties, trying to link their bloodlines to mythical significance.

The current Berke Empire’s Enzul family received sanctification from the Irene’s Order, so they didn’t fabricate false myths, though there were hints of it.

Regardless, whether elves were created from the World Tree or their essence and dignity transformed because of it—

much like how humanity advanced civilization through fire and magic after settling down…

“You understood the nature of the World Tree and began studying It.”

Even those in high religious positions likely didn’t blindly believe.

So what could they possibly do?

There must have been wise visionaries guiding them.

Occasionally, beings beyond comprehension emerge in the world.

One of them must have focused on the World Tree’s utility, meaning, and potential for racial advancement.

“The Light Clan wasn’t easily defeatable even if all races united against them.”

Yet they were defeated.

Why?

“Because the World Tree willed it.”

Then why did the World Tree drive away the Light Clan and entrust itself to the Forest Clan?

“Because the World Tree hated the Light Clan.”

…

A different kind of silence descended upon the chamber.

As if the doubts and suspicions harbored until now were suddenly resolved.

Some looked relieved, while others finally seemed to understand.

“You’ve all guessed correctly. Now, is there anyone who can explain why the World Tree hated them?”

“…I’ll take that burden, old as I am.”

An elder seated at the council rose, leaning on his staff. Despite being an elf without facial hair, his white beard was abundant as he took a deep breath and began speaking.

“The Light Clan offered sacrifices of various races’ flesh to the Sacred Tree. Among them were even high-ranking dragons. Didn’t you say earlier that the Sacred Tree has no self?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“Then… if such a powerful being dies holding a grudge, wouldn’t it logically affect the Sacred Tree? That’s been my long-held suspicion. What do you think?”

“…”

After briefly surveying the room, Carriel calmly responded:

“That suspicion is partially correct.”

“Partially?”

“At the time, members of the Light Clan weren’t fools.”

If the World Tree’s will was supposed to bring boundless glory to their race, what would happen if the opposite occurred?

“The members might not have realized it, but their leaders thought differently.”

Carriel sighed deeply through his nose before continuing:

“They absolutely believed the World Tree should be friendly towards them.”

“…”

It sounded reasonable, but the question was the method.

To make the Sacred Tree friendly towards them? Isn’t worship and devotion enough?

“They wanted to interfere with the World Tree’s will itself. And the ones most harmonious, compatible, and suitable with the World Tree were… none other than themselves.”

“…”

An official requested permission to speak to the queen.

“So, our ancestors always returned to the Sacred Tree’s side after death, following ancestral spirits?”

Even if their physical bodies decayed, their spirits, wills, and souls remained with their ancestors, descendants, and their race.

This belief became their tradition and heritage over millennia.

“You’re not wrong.”

Carriel’s words filled the room with an indescribable solemnity.

Ultimately, their race still bore the deep roots of their ancestors’ grace and dedication.

“But that alone wasn’t enough.”

“…Didn’t they offer blood sacrifices for that purpose?”

“Still insufficient. Why were blood sacrifices offered in the first place? The Sacred Tree has no self and never desired anything. Were they tributes? Or religious offerings to establish rules and assert authority without much thought?”

“…”

For thousands of years, elves knew nothing but conjecture and imagination.

They upheld traditions, losing some members during conflicts with the Light Clan, but their identity remained steadfast.

Yet it felt vague and absurd due to lack of proof.

They simply believed and acted accordingly.

But this boy speaks as if he knows all the answers.

His creativity and storytelling aren’t forced; he’s overflowing with confidence.

“As I mentioned earlier, the World Tree can observe many worlds. However, just as we’re bound to the present, living in the moment, we rarely need to observe other worlds’ pasts or presents. What matters ultimately is the future.”

“The future…”

“A close yet distant neighbor.”

“And the leaders of the Light Clan dreamed of a future guaranteeing their absolute victory.”

“…But knowing the future doesn’t ensure certainty.”

Indeed, during the Demon King’s invasion, elves foresaw defeat at his hands.

While some glimpses of hope emerged, all possibilities were buried by the schemes of the Golden Beast.

Their race avoided war with the Demon King’s army because their greatest hero died disgracefully, and their wisest sage bowed to the Golden Beast.

Knowing the future isn’t absolute.

Wasn’t the human girl Melinos, one of the nine heroes and Geoffrey’s companion, a better seer than the Sacred Tree’s prophets?

“Our seers’ limitations stemmed from seeing only parts of the future.”

Here, Carriel made a bold statement:

“You only glimpsed fragments of the future.”

But the leaders of the Light Clan…

“They sought to grasp many possible futures through the eyes and ears of those sacrifices.”

“…”

Not everyone understood, but some did, and a few fully grasped the meaning.

“Surely you don’t mean…?”

“Different from seers, but with the same purpose.”

Upon hearing this, the elven seers turned pale.

“What… What an atrocious act…”

Just glimpsing the future momentarily could shatter one’s spirit.

Were they forced to endure this until death under the pretense of sacrifice?

Even worse, to aid their enemies who caused their suffering?

“This isn’t unrelated. After the Light Clan retreated, your ancestors continued similar practices.”

“But our ancestors forbade such atrocities!”

“Still, it lasted for hundreds of years. Just less cruel than the Light Clan’s methods.”

“…”

The elder hesitated, then closed his mouth.

“To prevent negatively influencing the World Tree’s will and self, the Light Clan took various measures.”

“Various? Wasn’t having ancestors buried there enough?”

“Not enough. Could a few ancestors handle hundreds or thousands sacrificed as blood offerings?”

“…Can such things be calculated or judged numerically?”

“Impossible. If it were, everything would’ve collapsed long ago.”

“Then what else?”

Even a race unfamiliar with frustration had an elder impatiently urging for an answer.

“The purest blood. The youngest, most energetic blood. The most chaste, noble blood. The bravest, strongest blood.”

“…”

“What does that mean all of a sudden?”

“And the most legitimate lineage born solely to become part of the World Tree, raised and educated specifically for that purpose.”

The implications were grave.

Yet few failed to catch the meaning.

“That means…”

“Could they really have sacrificed their own kind?”

Carriel shook his head.

“They weren’t forced. It was martyrdom.”

Born and raised exclusively for that purpose.

Martyrs.

“The World Tree favored the Light Clan because these martyrs willingly offered themselves with pure, innocent, and unblemished consciousness.”

Madness.

Fanaticism.

Delusion.

“For their race, their present and future. For endless glory. For unparalleled brightness. Didn’t ancient seers pluck out their eyes as offerings? That was a simplified version. Since they couldn’t die and had little to offer, they gave what they could. For a race that lives so long, sacrificing eyes required great courage, yet it still carried impure intentions. Therefore… They prayed for a thousand days, purified their bodies, and emptied their minds of distractions and delusions, right?”

“Such records exist in ancient texts.”

Deep-seers remembered the history of far-sighted individuals better than those who merely saw ahead.

During ambiguous record-keeping periods,

a great sage, aware of repeated mistakes and errors relying only on the future and present, reestablished organizational culture and traditions using the World Tree’s blessings.

Thus, deep-seers became guides and warnings established by the old Forest Clan.

“The Light Clan was rejected by the World Tree because the balance they expected broke.”

“Because the sacrifices exceeded the martyrs’ devotion?”

More precisely, because the martyrs lost faith.

Everything went according to plan, fulfilling their every wish.

How could they not become arrogant?

It would’ve been abnormal not to grow reckless.

But this describes the leaders and members of the Forest Clan, not the martyrs.

If the poison had spread to the martyrs too,

could they have remained pure and chaste?

“Up to this point, these were contents no one in this era could tell me or would vaguely hint at. Any other questions?”

“…Something important remains.”

An official pointed out the core issue again.

“So why does the Sacred Tree desire Its own destruction? And why are we involved? We’ve endured much hardship to live properly. Does the Sacred Tree hate us?”

“Hmm…”

Carriel crossed his arms and pondered for a moment.

Should I tell the truth?

Or offer comforting white lies?

Or perhaps spread malicious falsehoods to sow confusion?

Elves are sensitive to lies, but it doesn’t matter.

Because what’s false to me isn’t false.

Since I can truly believe in it, that’s who I am.

I believe everything sincerely but trust nothing under any circumstances.

That’s the essence of who I am called Carriel.

I’m abnormal.

But precisely because I’m abnormal, I can change the normal world.

Through the memories the World Tree showed me, I clearly understood what it means to be a hero and a warrior.

“There’s no certainty. To put it simply… the World Tree is just tired.”

Actually, it’s not true, but it doesn’t matter.

Just accept it.

“Don’t you feel that way too? When you’ve lived hard and grown old, sometimes your whole body aches, and thinking becomes tedious and troublesome?”

“…”

After saying this, Carriel immediately claimed his throat was dry and requested a recess.

‘Then next, all that’s left is reaching a conclusion.’

According to the original schedule, once the Q&A ends, all I need to do is state my piece, and the rest is entirely up to them.

After a break lasting over half an hour, when everyone reconvened in the council chamber,

the queen checked if anyone had additional questions, but everyone remained silent in agreement.

“Then, Carriel. As originally planned, it’s your turn now. Are you ready?”

“Yes, of course.”

Standing in the same spot, Carriel loosely folded his fingers across his chest.

“Everything worth saying has already been covered in the previous discussion. While we could continue talking for days, I assume everyone understands that’s not the key point, right?”

Carriel scanned the room again before continuing.

“You now face several choices. As mentioned earlier… First, will you follow the Sacred Tree’s will or reject it? Second, will you kill me or instead grant me the authority to become the proxy of the Sacred Tree, the World Tree, and follow in my footsteps? These two initial questions aside, let’s add one more.”

Unfolding his hands, Carriel held his palms open facing upward toward the ceiling.

“No matter which path you choose, you have no future. Given that premise, what kind of future do you dream of?”

“Why assume there’s no future? Isn’t that too definitive?”

Shaking his finger, Carriel responded.

“Is that what only you believe?”

A heavy, almost chilling silence enveloped the room.

Survival, continuation, maintenance…

All these are at risk of deprivation in the current discussion.

“Let me clarify for those unaware. Initially, I mentioned that either my death or me becoming a sword and fire sweeping the world stems from the unified agreement between the World Tree and… the master of our world. Did I mention that? Oh, did I forget?”

In other words, even if you abandon the World Tree or somehow follow Its fading divinity.

Even if you leave me alone or dump everything on me,

you have no guaranteed future.

Instead, you only face the risk of losing the World Tree’s blessings.

And regarding this world’s master deciding whether I’ll become firewood or the leader burning the world…

Though this entity sent no words, signals, or revelations through the World Tree, the message was unmistakably conveyed.

If you didn’t realize it,

perhaps I’m just slow and foolish.

And this master of the world is probably something I know well yet truly understand nothing about—a magnificent absurdity.

“In any case, I don’t expect much time. So please seriously consider this issue, even if just for a short while. As I initially stated, I don’t care which path you choose.”

As initially stated,

“If killing me is what the officials and the queen want, it’s not that difficult.”

It’s true.

Dying holds no meaning for me anymore.

‘Eh…’

Suddenly,

vague images of certain people flashed through my mind.

But strangely,

none of their faces came to mind.

Anyway,

who exactly am I?

Who is this “me” standing here talking nonsense?

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